My head hurts…
My chest hurts...
I'm so sore…
It's so cold…
The light slowly invaded his vision, cutting through his pain filled thoughts. He groaned, blinking his eyes open to try and understand what was going on. Everything was blurry, so he took that time to push his hands against the cold, hard ground and force himself into a sitting position.
His whole body screamed at the simple movement, every part of him extremely sore. He groaned, rubbing his temple in an attempt to stop the throbbing.
"So, you're finally awake?" A voice snarled, causing the man to jump. He lifted his head, looking ahead at the voice.
As his vision cleared, he realized that he was in… Some kind of jail cell? There was a strange forcefield covering the exit, and a figure standing outside of it. He narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher who it was.
When he didn't speak, the figure spoke once more. "I never expected it to be easy catching you, but it seems that Rogers and Barnes left you for us on a silver platter," He snarled, and the man felt even more confused.
Why is he so angry at me? The man wondered, as he asked,"Wait… Rogers and Barnes? Who are they?"
The man behind the forcefield then snorted. "Are you serious? Who are you trying to fool?!" He snapped.
"Nobody!" He frantically called back, scooting back against the wall. "Why are you yelling at me?! I don't even know what's going on! Who are you?!"
The man's tense form suddenly calmed down, and he slowly asked,"You really don't recognize me?"
He shook his head, and then the man placed a hand on his chin and began pacing, and then turned back to him. "Do you… Know who you are? Do you know your name?" The man interrogated.
For the first time since waking up in the strange cell, he took a moment to delve into his mind… But there was nothing. His eyes widened, beginning to breath quickly. "I don't… I don't know! I can't remember! Why can't I remember?!" He exclaimed.
His fingers threaded through his hair, tugging violently in a desperate attempt to try and awaken something. But nothing came to his mind. The figure watched him for a long moment, before finally walking into the light of the forcefield.
He was surprised at the sight of the figure's true face. It was red, and looked as if his skin had melted down to the skull. The strange man then pressed a button against the wall, causing the forcefield to vanish.
The red man then entered the cell, kneeling down in front of him. His blue eyes filled with an emotion that the amnesiac didn't understand. "I'm sorry, my friend," The red man said,"After what the Avengers did to you, I had no choice but to be suspicious. My name is Red Skull, I'm the leader of HYDRA."
The amnesiac felt his fear fade away, thankful that the interrogation seemed to be over. But, he was still left with several questions. "What do you mean? Who are the Avengers?" He questioned.
"The Avengers are a group of heroes," The Red Skull spat the last word as if it were poison. "But, in reality, they are cruel monsters who are stopping the world from reaching it's true potential. They've even rebelled against the very government that was protecting them. You tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen."
He instantly felt a dislike toward the Avengers, and continued putting pieces of the puzzle down. "So.. If I tried to stop them, that means I'm on your side?" He asked.
The Red Skull nodded, his eyes glowing with an emotion the amnesiac couldn't really identify. "Yes, you were one of the greatest among us before the Avengers took you away," He explained,"You have no idea how overjoyed I am to have you back."
I'm thankful I was found by friends. The amnesiac thought, before turning his inquisitive eyes back to The Red Skull. "So, if I am on your side, you must know my name then?" He asked hopefully.
The Red Skull looked even more gleeful, a smile climbing up his face. "Of course I do," He replied,"Your name is Konni."
The newly named Konni tilted his head curiously. Konni? That's an… Interesting name. Well, it's much better than not having one. He decided.
Red Skull cleared his throat, causing Konni to turn back to him. "You seem troubled, Konni," He mentioned, his voice filled with what seemed like curiosity and suspicion.''
The amnesiac frowned, bringing his hand up to rub his forehead. "I'm just… So confused," He admitted,"I have no memory, how did I lose it? Who was I? It's just so… So overwhelming."
The other man was silent for a few moments, before he took Konni's calloused hands, and pulled him onto his feet. "Don't worry, Konni, I'll explain everything." He comforted,"That's what I'm here for. Now that I have you, I'll never let the Avengers take you away. You're safe with HYDRA."
Maybe it was the man's comforting tone, or maybe it was simply because Konni had no other memories to compare it to, but the Red Skull's words comforted him greatly. He gave a nervous smile, and inclined his head forward. "Thank you so much," He replied.
The Red Skull simply nodded back, and turned to leave the cell. Konni made to follow him, but the other man stopped. He turned back to the amnesiac, and said,"Wait here. I just thought of something important."
Red Skull left, and Konni didn't dare move. It was obvious the HYDRA man knew the place more than Konni did, so he'd prefer to stay with him.
Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long. Red Skull returned, holding something black in his hand. He held it out to the amnesiac, and ordered,"Wear this."
Konni, unable to stop his curiosity, examined the item. It was an oval shaped, with an elastic band on the back. "A… Mask?" He questioned.
"Yes, a mask," Red Skull replied,"I'm afraid that, with the information I have, the Avengers believe you dead. We must keep it that way, for your safety. If they find out you're alive, they won't stop until they really kill you. So, nobody can see your face. Not even yourself."
The amnesiac tilted his head, confusion filling him. But, the Red Skull placed a hand on his shoulder, pushing the mask up. "Trust me, Konni," He promised,"It's for the best. I can explain more later."
Konni looked at the Red Skull, then back at the mask. He trusted the red man, and felt a horrible fear. The Avengers… Somehow I know that they've hurt me. I don't want that to happen again. Never again.
With a strong resolve, Konni covered his face with the mask. Instantly, he somehow felt safer. He turned back to Red Skull, who nodded with a serious face.
"Good," the skeletal man said, though Konni was unsure at who it was directed at. "Now, let us go, we have much to discuss."
Red Skull turned around, and a dark smile instantly crawled onto his face. The sound of footsteps behind him only made it widen. He had never thought he could be so lucky, but everything had been in the right place at the right time. Now, with Konni on his side, the Avengers would be easy to defeat.
And, with that mask, the recognizable face of Tony Stark would be easy to hide.