Consciousness slowly leaked back into Peter's body. His eyes fluttered lightly, but all he was met with was darkness instead of the bright; blinding light he had been met with before. He let out a muffled groan, finding out two things. The first was that he felt something cold around his wrists and he couldn't move his arms. Even then he wouldn't have enough energy to. The second was that his mouth was covered by something. Again his mask was over his head, but it didn't do much to comfort him. He could've gone without it. He let out another stifled moan, and this time he heard something move towards him. His heart started racing, and he could feel his chest heaving from the sudden wave of fright and anticipation that flew over him. But instead of what he expected, as his eyes adjusted, he saw Gwen's face hovering over him. She looked perfectly fine, except for the slab of hastily placed duck tape over her mouth.
He closed his eyes to try and steady his breathing. The area they where in was slightly cramped, no more than five feet in every direction. As his sight continued to adjust he saw that they where barred from the outside world with slabs of lazily, but firmly placed slabs of some very thick looking wood. He jumped slightly when he heard a sudden commotion. A car horn sounded from outside, and engines roared as drivers tried to gain more ground in the rush hour traffic. He could see cars and beyond that people walking on the streets through the small cracks that hadn't been filled.

It was so close.

He slowly eased himself onto the wall, wobbling slightly as the car continued forward. His head throbbed when the car continued to move, and he closed his eyes, breathing painfully. He let out another, helpless moan as he felt chilly air filter in slightly. Then he remembered. He'd been drowning. He was losing air.
But then it went down and Gwen was there, and he remembered falling asleep. It seemed that hours passed as the car putted slowly forward. Suddenly Peter so the base of a building. A very important building in his case. He could see the police cars outside, standing at the entrance with guns out. But the passed right by. His eyes widened as he saw the base of the Empire State Building disappear among an ocean of cars.
But then suddenly the car pulled over.
He heard a voice outside ask, "What's your cargo?"
"Toolboxes for my shop." Peter cringed when he heard that sickeningly familiar voice.
"We have the authority to check your cargo. This is simply a random selection, we won't accuse you of anything unless you're transport is not what you claim."

Peter closed his eyes, preparing for more bright light; but as he heard the lid of the crate open, nothing happened. The anticipation made two minutes feel like two years. He looked up to see that it was still dark. A dawning realization fell on him. The officer was being tricked. It was a lie. Quicker than he could react the officer said a cheerful goodbye and the car was putting forward again.

So close. Oh, so close.

It felt like an even longer time period as he watched the world fly by out the cracks helplessly. But soon the car grew slower, and he heard shouting, he could hear metal scraping on concrete and then the car pulled forward again. For a second time he heard that sickening screech and than he heard muffled voices. His stomach lurched as he heard one of the other nearby crates moving. Peter heard an angry sounding voice, and the sound of the other crate stopped. He looked out the crack to see Pent standing outside, in a dark area with his arms crossed. The crate jostled and he lost is balance, falling to the floor.
"Just drop it." Pent said carelessly. His throat tightened as he felt the box tilt forward, and Gwen went toppling out as the lid fell to the ground, along with some toolboxes that had been stuck to the top. He willed himself to stick in the corner and not fall, and he narrowly missed his window.
"Where is he?" Someone asked, and his end of the box started shaking rapidly.
"Probably stuck to the wall or something'." Another voice said blatantly.
"I'll check." A third voice declared.
Peter watched as someone in a black vest draw closer to the box. he man bent down, and Peter felt his heart nearly stop beating. It was that same man from that night in that grocery store. The same one who shot his uncle. Peter wedged himself tighter into the corner, his chest heaving.

"He's like a trapped animal." The man said, reaching in to grab him. Peter tried to stay stuck to the wall, but before he knew it the safety of the corner and the box was gone and he was slung over the man's shoulder. "He's light." The man stated in confusion. But he simply shrugged, grabbing Peter's leg end hefting him off. Peter snapped his eyes shut as he felt gravity pull him down, and his head connected with the pavement with a loud crack. He was scared. He was so absolutely scared. He lay there, wishing he could just stay and not have to worry. To be at home. To have it just be a dream. A terrible, frightening dream, and when he woke up everything would be okay.
That wish faltered when he felt a sharp strike to his stomach. He let out a muffled scream, a flash of red appearing behind his eyes as he tried to remain awake. Again he felt someone jab at his stomach, and he let out another shout as he heard whatever stitches remained from the hospital rip away. He opened his eyes weakly to see that man, that very same man; he was sure of it, reach out to kick him again. It connected with his ribs and he felt them bend under the force of the man's leg. He felt something warm seeping down his side and he only had enough energy to look down and see a pool of red gathering beneath him. He tried to blink back tears that he couldn't stop from coming, instead they fell to the concrete floor lightly.
He tried to keep his eyes shut, as if the pain would go away. He trembled as he heard someone move close to him, but when he opened his eyes he saw Gwen perched beside him, her eyes narrowed. As if on que, light flooded in as a large door opened and two more large vehicles pulled into the big, empty, warehouse. The first opened and a younger boy fell out, large iron cuffs where around his arms. The only things that weren't covered in silver where his small hands. He was wearing worn and ripped street clothes, but that wasn't what was strange, he had wide yellow eyes and dark blue skin with pointed ears and a pointed tail. He gritted his teeth and stood shakily, looking around the building in surprise. When his eyes landed on Peter and Gwen they widened in fright. Gwen watched as one of the people - they seemed to all be working together, but she couldn't tell for sure - prodded him forward with a long gun. The boy stumbled forward, and slowly made his way over to where the two were on the ground. He sat down, watched everyone with wide, frightened, alert eyes.
"Ich wünschte, ich könnte Ihnen helfen..." (I wish I could help you) he said sadly, "Ich weiß nicht, was los ist." (I don't know what's going on)

Peter didn't understand what the boy was saying, much less what language he was speaking, but Gwen nodded slightly. The third car -a large black off roader that looked out of place amongst the others - pulled onto the other side of the room.
"On your knees!" Pent said loudly.
Peter felt someone grab neck and drag him to his knees. All the others could do was watch helplessly and do the same.
The passenger's side door opened and a man in a suit stepped out. All they could see from under the hat he ware was curly hair and a long pointed nose. Two others exited the car, one a tall, skinny; old looking man, the other slightly shorter and rounder, but still as menacing.
"Was ist los?..." (What is happening?) the boy whispered. Gwen shook her head.
"Quite some specimens you have for me this time." The man with the fedora stated, his polished shoes clicking on the pavement. He paced around them all, as if he was a judge pondering who to give the prize. "But I don't see what is so important about the girl."
"She's been injected with diluted spider-venom." Pent stammered quickly. Peter hung his head.
The man grabbed Gwen's face and gave it a good long look. "Alright. But only for two-thousand more, or there will be no deal."
"But-"
"Or there will be no deal."
There was a long silence.
"Alright. You have a deal, Mr. Fiers."
They both shook hands, and the other people moved forward. They grabbed the three and dumped them in the back of the car. The back slammed shut and it suddenly grew darker. The car suddenly jerked forward and they where all thrown into the back of the seat, which was barred away. But then the boy sat on his heels and reached out. He took the tape off of Gwen's mouth, and in turn Peter's.
"I'm sorry if you couldn't understand me back there." He said, a German sounding accent rippling through his anxious sounding voice. "Do you know what is going on?"
"No..." Gwen said. Her gaze then jerked to Peter who was laying on the floor. The only thing that stopped him from bleeding out was what was left of his suit and the ropes that held his arms to his sides.
"I am Kurt." The boy said. "I hope we can find a way to get out of this before something bad happens to us. But, it's not like it could get any worse. Right?" He said, a shy smile appearing as he tried to lighten the mood.
It's not like it could get any worse.