At first it was felt like getting blood drawn and having a needle in my arm. Then the pain started to explode in my hand and all the way up my arm. Unwillingly, I clenched my hand to the handle of my chair and bit my tongue not to scream. I could still feel the knife, moving slowly through my hand and felt the tip poke through to my palm.
"We had to make sure we didn't hit an artery Daisy, can't have you die on me so soon. I have big plans and even bigger questions for your team. For now, take a rest because once I come back in you better hold your breath," he said as he cleaned the blood and skin off the huge knife onto my pant leg.
I was breathing heavier than usual when he left I could barely hold back the tears.
"Daisy look at me," Mays voice reached me. I just realize that her and Coulson were calling my name the entire time.
I look to May.
"Good. Breath Daisy, just breath." May said. And I do. I take deep and calming breaths.
"Good Daisy, now can you move your hand?" She asked. Usually whenever I got hurt Jemma would check me out but as I looked to her I could see her knees to her chest in a defensive mode. She was on the verge of tears and wouldn't look at me.
I focused back on my bleeding hand. The blood wasn't coming out too much from the top but I could definitely feel and hear it dripping to the cement below my chair. I tried wiggling my fingers, and they did. With a lot of pain, but they moved. So did my hand when I lifted it up.
"Daisy just hang in there, the Avengers are on their way. Don't worry Clint and Natasha will find us," Coulson stated calmly.
"Just try to get some rest Daisy, I think we all know what's coming next. When they come back you have to fight them," May, always the strategist, told me. "If you can, knock something off the tray towards one of us. We may be able to free ourselves, but whatever you do, you cannot quake. There will be no hurting yourself."
"Don't piss them off, Daisy," Jemma told me. "Just knock something over if you can, then comply. Your hand is already bleeding enough to worry me, not to mention the amount of pain you must be in. He drove it right through probably the most painful place there is on your hand," she said. She looked like she was about to speak again when we all heard a moan.
Jemma looked to Fitz and saw his eyelids fluttering open. He bolted upright as Jemma calmed him down and explained our situation. We could all tell he wasn't taking it very well.
"Why the bloody hell is he only hurting Daisy? Just because she's different doesn't mean she deserves to be hurt, it's bloody wrong." Fitz put his head in his hands and laid down. "Why can't we just tell the man what he wants?"
"I knew what I signed up for when I joined
S.H.I.E.L.D. It's fine, Fitz," I lied. I already wasn't fine. My head hurt from trying to quake anything to help us, my hand throbbed terribly, and my should stung a little but was just a nuisance. My cheek was definitely bruised, but that's not what I was currently worried about. I could feel three vibrations coming towards the door."They're coming,"I whispered.
My heart sank for what felt like the millionth time today and everyone sat up, save Mack. I don't know what happened to him, but I thought I saw a small bruise forming on his left temple. Maybe the smoke or gas, whatever it was, didn't render him unconcoius like me and they had to forcefully put him down.
When the vibrations got stronger, I sat up straighter and stronger. Then the door burst open, nearly hitting Mack again. Anton and his two goons, Jason and Ryder, walked in.
"Ready for another round, Inhuman?" His cold voice sent chills down my spine and I thought back to the water sitting behind me. I've never been tortured before, never waterboarded. Guess there's a first time for everything.
I had nothing to say to him. So I just looked to Coulson. He was looking at me with his caring eyes and I wish I could hug him. I just wish I wasn't in this chair in front of them. I would rather be alone than have them have to watch me in my weakest state.
"Anton," Coulson began. "You don't have to do this, there's always another way. Let them go and keep me. I'll tell you whatever you want."
Anton would have none of it.
"Now now, Director. Why would I do that? When I have someone you obviously love like a daughter, and the rest of your team?"
"Because when you hurt her, we won't speak. Not a word," he wasn't looking at Anton anymore, but me. I nodded my head, telling him I understand. I understand what's coming next.
And it happens.
Anton quickly pulls his knife from its holster and points it at me. "Ok, Director. Let's see how long that lasts. She's an alien, why would you even protect her? I'm trying to protect the human race from aliens like her, and to do that, S.H.I.E.L.D. can't be in the picture. Not while you protect these things. That's why I'm gonna show you how far I am willing to go to protect us. You, even. Jason and Ryder grab her hands."
They both came over and grabbed my wrists, luckily not my hand with a hole in it. Then Anton walked over to Coulson and whispered loud enough for all of us to hear.
"When she's gasping for air, swallowing water, drowning, just remember. This is your fault." With that, I gave May and Coulson one last look before Anton made his way over to me and cut the zip ties holding my hands, though the other two held them. "Get up."
My legs and arms were sore from not moving and being tortured for the last couple of hours. When I stood up in my black tactical suit the other two held my wrists even tighter. The bolted chair stayed where it was but Anton moved the marble tub in front of the chair and the other two dragged me in front of the tub.
Seeing no other option as they didn't take me anywhere near the table of potential weapons, I let them lead me to the tub.
"It looks like it's going to be quite chilly, seeing as I left this in the freezer and it's still not thawed out," he said as he drew his knife again. I peeked inside the tub, a really tall tub as it was up to my belly button tall. It was still barely frozen on the top but you could see the ice on top.
"Now, Daisy. Would you like to get in easily, or would you rather us throw you in?" Jason and Ryder both smiled. For the first time I noticed the sibling look to them. They could almost be twins, if the Jason guy would just cut his long brown hair.
Not knowing what to do, but knowing I wasn't willingly getting in, I said the three words I could.
"Go. To. Hell." I didn't even realize the loud roar of Anton as he ran at me like a bull and the other two lifted me up slightly, and Anton tackled me. I couldn't feel the warmth I felt when he pushed me in so I guess it's just me.
The ice broke easy enough. Then it was just the deathly cold engulfing me. There was nothing but the cold, the water. There was also no air. But what there were two seconds later, were hands. Two sets of hands, twenty fingers.
Then there was the darkness as I squeezed my eyes shut and put my hands in an X across my chest. Not moving, not breathing. Can't breath. Can't breathe. Can't breathe.
The hungry burning starts to set in my chest and neck as my head started feeling light. All that came was panic, panic, panic.
My hands were suddenly flailing around the marble tub, trying to grasp anything that would bring me the sweet intake of air. My eyes shot open to see the cold face of Anton laughing at me. Laughing as I drown.
Next thing I know my mouth is open, demanding air but sucking in water instead. I feel my lungs slowly fill with water then give up. My arms stop flailing, my head jerks forward, my eyes relax, my chest stops trying to suck in air. Then there's nothing but the darkness.
