Hey Everyone! Guess what, I remembered to update today! So I'm just gonna let you guys get to your reading after the bombshell I dropped on you all last week. Have fun!
Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything recognizable. Those characters belong to their respective owners.
Steve's heart had stopped after the first explosion had gone off. He'd tried to make his way to the second floor where Gwen and Peter had gone to look at the candy but the second explosion had taken out the staircase. His only relief at that point was that they weren't among the unmoving bodies or the people dangling from the carnage of the stairs.
"Gwen, Peter!" he shouted through the smoke. There was no response other than that of another explosion.
Above him, part of the ceiling started to come down. There was a tremendous crash and then a high pitched shriek sounded from the second floor. Steve shouted again for the two youngest members of the Avengers but was only answered by the cries for help from voices other than the ones he wanted to hear.
The fourth explosion showed just how badly the foundation had been hit as the entire building began to sway and the structure creaked and groaned forebodingly. Cap was really wishing that he had his shield at that moment as he moved a piece of debris that had fallen on a young woman's leg. No matter how much he wanted to get to Gwen and Peter to be sure they were safe, he couldn't just leave someone like that without helping.
He straightened and turned to come face to face with an iridescent green, insect like humanoid creature standing on a piece of machinery that reminded him of a sting-ray. A pair of overly large bug eyes seemed to be sizing him up, the mouth that was etched permanently into a sadistic grin giving no clues. The creature seemed to come to some kind of decision though because it suddenly launched its floating machine forward and rammed into Steve's gut with such a force that he actually got the wind knocked out of him.
It then rose up through a hole that had opened up in the ceiling in the fifth explosion. There was a hiss that Steve assumed was the thing's voice followed by what sounded like Gwen's voice. Finally, he had a location on the two.
"Leave my brother alone!" That was Gwen's voice. A few seconds later, Gwen screamed. Steve's heart skipped a beat when he caught sight of a tiny red and blue sneaker dangling precariously through the hole. A fall from that height could easily kill the young boy.
Steve struggled to free himself from the shelving and product that blanketed him from when he had been pushed by the glider. He had to get to Peter in time.
A scream resounded in the chaos of the store. Not a scream of fear or surprise or hurt. A scream of pain so primal and guttural that it seemed as if even the flames themselves froze. Steve's heart stopped as he saw a small body drop through the hole in the ceiling. Moving with a speed that he knew he'd never possessed before, he flung off the last of the debris trapping him and sprinted under the hole just as Peter's body hit the floor.
For a second, all Steve could do was stare in shock at the unmoving form of the 5 year old boy. Then he heard a small, shuddering breath and his mind kicked into overdrive. He gently pulled Peter into his arms so he could examine the small boy.
"Gwen," Peter mumbled frantically, "Gwen."
"Peter, are you hurt?" Steve asked, trying to check the struggling boy for injuries. He was so focused on the boy and making sure that he was in no danger of dying that he very nearly missed the next words out of Peter's mouth.
"She's alone... with Gob-" He broke off in a fit of coughing. "Goblin man."
It took precious seconds for the pieces to click into place in Steve's brain. When they finally did, it was too late.
17 days. That was what they had told her at least. She didn't see any reason why they would lie at this point so she believed them. 17 days. 17 days since Peter had last smiled. Since she had heard him laugh. Since he had been alive.
A labrat was leaning over her where she lay in the same position she had been in since the first day she was told that Peter was dead. He was doing something to her arm. An uncomfortable pinching sensation in her arm told her that she had just been the recipient of a stab with a needle. They must need blood for something, she mused. If they wanted to dope her up with chemicals then they would inject it via the IV drip that they kept her on continuously.
She was on a feeding tube too. After the first two days that she had refused to eat, they had inserted the tube. If she bothered to, she could keep a twisted sense of time with the feedings every 8 hrs. She didn't bother though. She was here until they were done experimenting on her or one of their experiments finally killed her. She didn't know which way she preferred to die. An experiment would be quicker, but would probably be infinitely more painful. On the other hand waiting until they were done with their research would take longer than she cared to even think about but would be much less painful.
She wasn't hoping for rescue. She knew it would be an exercise in futility.
A wailing scream echoed through the hallways of Avengers tower.
Clint and Natasha bolted awake at the exact same moment, both aiming handguns which had been resting on a bedside table and hidden under a pillow respectively. Steve reached for his shield even before his sleep addled mind caught up with what he was doing. Tony and Bruce, having been working late in the lab, dashed out. Tony's suit was halfway toward being assembled and Bruce looked like he was about to hulk out at any moment. Thor called Miolnir and crashed through his bedroom door.
It took the entire team a few seconds after they were all dashing towards the source of the sound to realize what it was. Weapons were relaxed and everyone looked at each other with sad and pain-filled eyes as they made their way to Peter's room.
Pepper looked up at them from where she sat on the edge of the bed rocking a sobbing Peter. Anyone on the outside would think it was a mother comforting her son after a particularly bad nightmare. The Avengers though, knew that this was no mere nightmare but a reality that no five-year-old boy should be forced to live with.
"She's dead," Peter wailed as he buried his head into Pepper's shoulder, "She's dead and it's all my fault."
"No it's not." Natasha's exclamation came out sharper than she had intended it to. "There's no way any of this is your fault," she said, softening her voice. "Your sister knew exactly what she was doing when she did what she did. You didn't make her do anything Peter. She chose to do what she did because she loves you."
None of the Avengers knew exactly what happened in the explosions. Peter had been too terrified to give a helpful account of the events. And the only other person who could tell them exactly what happened was currently missing. Five people had died in the series of explosions. None of the bodies had been Gwen's.
By the time the rest of the Avengers had responded to Steve's distress call, Goblin Man and Gwen were both MIA. Tony and Thor had flown around the city for hours, fruitlessly combing every inch of the city in search of the girl who had, along with her brother, unwittingly wormed her way into the hearts of the Avengers. Neither of them had wanted to be the one who told Peter that they had come back without his sister.
Facing Fury had been worse. He had shown up at the tower moments after Steve had returned with a shaken Peter. The boy had taken one look at the storm cloud brewing on the Director's face and promptly burst into tears. Captain America had never looked more awkward than he did standing in front of Director Fury with a sobbing 5 year old on his hip trying to soothe the boy who had just lost his sister. For once even Iron Man's silver tongue had failed to come up with an inappropriate or insensitive remark.
No one was giving up hope, but after almost 3 weeks with no sign of Gwen, spirits were beginning to flag. Peter was all but convinced that his sister was dead.
"Why did they have to die?" Peter's soft question brought everyone out of whatever place their mind had taken them. "Why does everyone I love have to die?"
"She's not dead." Surprisingly, that outburst had come from Tony. "Peter, listen to me. She's not dead and until I have undeniable proof that she's dead then we're going to keep looking. We're going to keep fighting to find her. And I'll bet you that, wherever she is, she's fighting to get back to you Peter."
There was a conference taking place outside her door. Low pitched voices invaded the stupor that Gwen had allowed her mind to settle in. They were arguing. They didn't know what to do with her she supposed. Or, more likely, they couldn't agree on who's experiment to do first.
The door opened. Heavy footsteps made their way over to her bedside and the only voice in the world that could still get some form of reaction out of her came from somewhere above her head.
"Gwen."
Her entire mind snapped to the here and now. It was the most alive she'd felt in weeks. Her eyes locked on the seedy ones of the man towering above her in the lab coat.
"So there is some life left in you. I must say, I should have used this tactic years ago."
If he had killed Peter years ago then the circumstances would have been very different. Gwen may have been raised running but she was still very much a pig-headed child who dug her heels into the ground and used her sheer force of will to get her way. It was a good thing because that power, when used correctly, turned her into a formidable enemy. Many had likened her to a mother bear protecting cubs. She had grown up during that year that she and Peter had been running. She was still stubborn and protected what she loved with a ferocity that few things could rival, but she knew when a battle, or war, was lost and no force, will-power or otherwise, could change the outcome.
If he had killed Peter when he first started to experiment on her then she in turn would have killed him in cold blood. Then she would have probably killed herself.
Now she knew what revenge did to a person. It ate them up inside until they became nothing but a shell of who they were before. And when the deed was done and revenge was gained, there was a sudden void where the desire for blood used to be. In killing their enemy, they ultimately killed themselves.
"The circumstances would be very different." Gwen's voice was raspy and near unintelligible and it hurt her throat to use it in spite of the feeding tube. It was worth it to see an eyebrow arch in surprise.
"The lamb has found her voice only too late to save what she cared about most deeply."
The comment stung like she'd been slapped across the face by the Hulk but her face showed no outward sign the comment hurt her. Very slowly and deliberately, Gwen raised a hand to her nose and solemnly removed the feeding tube. It scraped the walls of her esophagus and she swallowed blood.
"The lamb has had a voice whether she chose to use it or not," Gwen replied, staring straight ahead, eyes going unfocused.
"Still." The man rocked back on his heels and smiled. "The boy is dead. I have you. I've won."
She felt her mind going fuzzy, once again falling into the semi-conscious state that welcomed her back with open arms. The life that had sparked before now a figment of memory.
"But which was won, the battle or the war?"
Norman Osborn stared at the girl who, moments before, had pulled out her own feeding tube without so much as a twitch and was now looking at the wall in front of her with a blank face.
'But which was won, the battle or the war?' For some reason those words sent a shudder up his spine which had nothing to do with the temperature. But there was no reason they should. He had won. The boy was out of the picture. He had his test subject back and under control. And best of all, the little 'family' she had found for herself were still chasing their tails trying to pinpoint her location.
"You," he shouted at the unfortunate Lab Technician who happened to be hovering in the doorway. "Get that formula that Lab 3 has been working on."
"But sir-"
"I don't care if it's not ready for human testing. Do I own these labs or don't I?"
The Tech gave what only could be considered a very unmanly squeal and darted out the door. Osborn turned back to the test subject still staring unblinkingly at the wall.
With this, there would be no question which had been won.
For once, the noise that woke the Avengers was not Peter's shrieks of agony but the alarms installed in the event that the tower was ever breached.
The entire team had barrelled into the living room, brandishing weapons at the person who had dared attack them on home soil.
The mischievous green eyes of Loki momentarily froze them in their tracks. Thor was the first to shed his immobility.
"Brother, for what reason do you invade my Midgardian home?"
The God of Mischief looked unimpressed at the hammer his brother was holding, ready to use against him at a moment's notice. "Fear not, brother dearest, I gave up all claims to rule this realm when Odin sentenced me to my punishment. I am here merely doing what I do best. Causing a little bit of chaos."
He looked at the faces of the rest of the team which only held disbelief. He spied a small figure ducking back through a doorway, trying not to be seen. With a wave of his hand, the green clad god used a little bit of magic to summon the child to him.
The action brought all weapons up, locked on him, but the team was reluctant to fire in case Peter was harmed.
"Loki, release him," the female redhead snapped.
"Relax, Widow. If I wanted to hurt the child I would have done so and taken my leave before you would have registered my presence. No, I simply want a word with our young friend here."
With that, a glowing green shield erupted into existence around the pair.
"Who are you?" Blue eyes which held more intensity than any five year old's should glared at Loki. The god smiled, the boy had a spine of steel.
"Who I am is not important, though I am sure that when I am gone your new family will take it upon themselves to tell you. What matters at the moment is that I am a friend to you and your sister."
Peter frowned. "You talk weird, Mister," the boy informed him. "It's like when sis talks to me and I don't hear her in English but I can understand."
"I speak in the language of my people but that is not the reason why I came here tonight. Your sister is in danger."
With that one sentence, the young boy's entire demeanor changed. Where before he had been a scared alabite curious boy, with the mention of his sister, he seemed to harden into the stubborn, street-wise kid who knew precisely what monsters lurked under the bed each night. It was a remarkable thing to behold.
"What about my sister?" Peter demanded. Loki elegantly arched an eyebrow. A spine of steel and a will of iron. Speaking of Iron.
"Tell the Man of Iron when I have gone to check his tracking programs. He will find a most interesting anomaly."
"I will," Peter promised. "Is she alright?"
"She is not well at the moment, both physically and mentally. It will take her time to heal when she comes back to you. But she will be alright Peter."
Loki's words seemed to mollify the boy somewhat. He looked thoughtfully at the shield. "My sister can do something like this. But she can't do it when she's awake."
Loki gave a somewhat feral smile. "That is because she and I share the same power. Your sister has never been taught to use it to its full potential unfortunately, due to her circumstances. She is relying on instinct at the moment which is why she is able to use it when she is asleep or unconscious. There is no higher reasoning to cloud her thoughts."
"Would you be able to teach her?" Loki found amusement in the seriousness of Peter's question.
"If you knew what your family is obviously dying to tell you, you would not ask that question of me." Peter glared at Loki. The young one was not going to settle for non-answers. "To answer your question, I am certainly capable of teaching her but I do not care to take on a pupil at this time, nor do I believe that your adopted aunts and uncles would approve of my teaching. The question is not one of capability but one of ethics."
"I don't understand."
"You don't have to. Suffice to say, no, I will not teach your sister magic. She has a different path set for her. You will give my message to the Man of Iron?"
Peter nodded.
"Any questions?"
"Are you a good guy, or a bad guy?"
"I am both and neither, for there is no object, living or otherwise, in the nine realms that which itself is truly evil or pure goodness. Though what others say of me is often radically different. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some chaos to stirr up."
Without preamble, Loki disappeared along with his shield. In the blink of an eye, Peter was swept up by his family. Frantic questions were asked as they checked him over.
"I'm fine," Peter said loudly. "But Gwen isn't. Uncle Tony, the guy said to check your tracking programs for amomalies."
"Anomalies," Tony corrected as he grabbed a tablet he'd left on a nearby table and started talking out loud to Jarvis.
"Are you sure he didn't hurt you Peter?" Pepper asked.
"I'm sure Auntie Pepper. Uncle Thor, you called him your brother, is that true?"
The blond god's face darkened. "Loki and I were raised as brothers though we do not share the same blood."
"Oh." Peter looked thoughtful. "Who is he?"
"He's a bastard that needs to be locked in an oubliette for the rest of eternity," Clint said, earning him a slap upside the head from Natasha and a disapproving frown from the rest of the team.
"Language, Clint Barton," Natasha chided as the archer rubbed his abused skull. "Tony, what have you got?"
"The little..." Pepper's glare had him thinking twice about using the next word. "Loki was right. My programs got a hit. Her energy signature spiked about half an hour ago."
"What's the location?" Steve asked.
"Oscorp."
"Are you here to kill me?" Gwen asked of the man who entered her prison. He was wearing black and green armor and a gold helmet with long horns on it.
"Am I what?" A cultured voice asked.
"Are you here to kill me?"
"Why would I do such a thing?"
"You look like no one I've ever seen on earth. The power you command is awesome and frightening. I know of no mortal who commands such a power and with how I am feeling at the moment it is obvious that I do not have long to remain on this planet. My conclusion is that you are here to take my soul to the afterlife."
Two sets of eyes locked. One green, one blue. One looking like the secrets of the universe were at their fingertips, you simply had to ask. The other looking like they had seen the universe and experienced all that it had to offer and didn't need those questions answered.
"I am here to facilitate your escape from this place and return to your family."
Gwen allowed her eyes to slide closed. "Then I am sorry to inform you that you have come for nothing. I have no wish to be rescued and would much rather be left to my fate," she said tonelessly.
"Is it truly your wish to die?"
"I have nothing left to live for. My mother, my father, my...brother." She choked on the last word.
"But do you truly wish to die? Leave your new family behind?" The man watched her with impassive eyes that seemed to bore holes into her soul.
"Are you sure that you are not a form of the grimm reaper?"
A smirk appeared on the strange man's face. "I assure you Asgardaughter, that I am not the keeper of departed souls, nor am I here to take your soul to the afterlife. Now, you have yet to answer my question."
Silence greeted the statement. Gwen's eyes were still closed as she lay on the bed. Couldn't this stranger just let her die in peace? It wasn't far off, her own demise. She could, quite literally, feel it in her bones. Whatever serum she had been injected with was taking its toll on her. She was sweating through the blankets and her blood felt as if it were boiling in her veins.
"I have nothing left to live for."
"That was not the question." Was it just her imagination or did the voice sound a little annoyed?
It took a very long time for Gwen to be able to voice her answer. She knew what it was, she had always known what it was.
"No," she said, her voice softer than the flap of a butterfly's wing, "I don't want to die."
If her eyes had been open, she would have seen the smirk that crept across the man's face.
"Then you shan't." The simple phrase had her eyes flying open in shock. A disbelieving laugh lodged in her throat.
"Too late," she said, the last word coming out as a croak. A garbled gasp of pain tore itself out of her throat. If her blood had been boiling before, it felt like lava now. She tried to lift her arm and found that all of her strength had left her. The room around her started spinning. The temperature decided to skyrocket.
"GWEN!"
Everyone bolted into action as soon as Tony spoke the location. Almost everyone.
"Wait!" Natasha's yell stopped the Avengers in their tracks.
"What Natashalie?" Tony sneered.
Natasha leveled her best glare at the billionaire. "I want to get Gwen back as much as you do," she said. "But we have to do this smart. We can't go in as the Avengers."
Steve placed a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Hear her out Tony."
"We go in as the Avengers, we're putting Gwen and Peter in more danger unnecessarily. We go in, we get Gwen and we get out. No names, no superheros, no way for them to know who or where."
"But how are we going to get in?" Bruce asked.
The assassin smiled and everyone in the room felt the hairs at the back of their neck stand on end. "You're going to let us in Doctor."
Aaaaaand that's the end of the chapter! Do you guys really think I'd kill Peter off for real? (Though I won't lie, it did cross my mind) No, Gwen needed to believe that Peter was dead in order for her to get in the right frame of mind for the events that are coming in the next few chapters. Hope you all liked Loki's cameo in this chapter. I took my inspiration for his character from actual Norse Mythology. He's the god of mischief and lies, he's not evil. So if he feels a little OOC, that would be why.
Something I think might make you all smile. One of my friends pointed out that, in the eyes of Asgard, Loki is really only about 17 in maturity. So I guess this means that the whole tesseract incident is just him going through his emo phase? :)
Happy reading! Until next time!
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