Chapter Six: God's Gonna Cut You Down
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Steve Rogers
Any comfort I find in the familiarity of the jungle around me disappears the moment the sun goes down and night falls.
What little light the stars might offer are blocked off by the jungle's canopy, making it nearly pitch black on the jungle floor. Or, it would be, were it not for the disturbing lights.
Just like in the cells of the ship, where the stone walls revealed pulsing red light beneath its cracks, the plant life around me are all lined with thin, glowing, crimson threads. It's like their veins are visible, their leafy skin becoming more translucent without the light or heat from the sun bearing down on them, and all around me is a dim, faint network of scarlet illumination, the only thing visible in the darkness.
It's disturbing, eerie, something out of those sci fi movies Sam likes to make me watch.
As unearthly as the landscape around me is, the dull red lights lining the plants allow me to keep moving even when darkness falls, picking my way over the thick entanglement and being careful not to slip down into the stream I am following.
I hope the steady rush of water and the noise of the nocturnal creatures beginning to stir are enough to camouflage my movements.
I've been trekking through the jungle all day without a single sign of the others. There had been a narrow encounter with a snare I had unknowingly tripped, a great, spike filled hole opening up before my feet, but that was the only trace of my alien captors.
My empty stomach clenches, the strain of my worry growing with every passing hour. Where the hell are they?
As much as I wish he was by my side, I know Bucky can take care of himself. Wanda and Vision are both powerhouses, and though untrained for situations like this (although honestly, how do you prepare anyone for something like this), I believe they can hold their own. I have to believe they can hold their own.
Bruce is definitely high on the concern list. I wince as I push back several swinging vines, imagining the scientist on his own out here. Hulk is his only weapon, but it is also a dead giveaway to his position, so I hope he only uses it as a last resort. Still, that left him too vulnerable alone.
Then there's the kid, highly inexperienced, untrained, but strong as hell and filled with youthful determination. My jaw tightens. Stark will blame me if something happens to him out here. Hell, I will blame me.
I have to trust in my team. As sickeningly worried as I am, I have to put my faith in their skills and instincts.
But images of the battle in Manhattan flood my brain, stained by the persistent red lights around me. The highly trained and technologically advanced alien force had been toying with us, and I believe could have wiped us out.
And that had been on our turf, fighting together.
What chance did we stand on our own?
SNAP.
Without hesitating, I tuck and roll, rising up in a fluid motion to press my back against the tree.
The sound had been close, loud.
Intentional.
Slowly, I reach for the shield at my back and secure it to the magnetic brace across my forearm. I press further back against the wide divot in the trunk, the crevice in the bark nearly swallowing me up as my eyes scan the darkness for any break in the dim red lights.
With the exception of the slow running water somewhere to my right, the jungle has become heavy with silence, anticipation hanging as thick in the air as the humidity.
I keep my arm twisted so that the front of my shield is lowered, facing the tree. I don't want the red lights to gleam off of its metal surface and give away my position. But I am inclined to believe whoever or whatever made that noise already knows where I am.
The snapping of the branch had been intentional, but the purpose not clear. To make me freeze in place? To send me running? Flush me out? To have me focus on the sound behind me as the danger comes from the front?
Movement.
My eyes zero in on the lack of light in the distance, left of my position. All around it the thin red lights spread out and pulse and sway in the faintest of breezes, but there, just there…
I raise my shield, a sudden, jarring impact singing through the bones of my arm as something slams into it and ricochets into the air. Lowering it enough to see the end of a wicked looking spear embedding itself into the earth with a soft thump, I raise my eyes to see the shadow charging towards me.
I meet it head on, taking three running steps before sliding to my knees, a whisper of wind ruffling my hair as I avoid the knife that would have sunk straight into my stomach. My arm thrusts up, shield slamming into the hand wielding the knife, hoping to disarm.
There's a sound like splintering glass, a sharp, echoing crack followed by an amphibious scream. That's when I realize the hand wasn't holding the knife.
The knife had been part of the alien's wrist.
A fierce backhand sends me flying, and I land with a grunt of pain on an entanglement of roots, each the size of my arm. I roll as a second knife slams down, stabbing deep into a root right where my head had been.
I kick out at the back of the alien's knee, its legs buckling at the impact, and then I'm on my feet, slamming my fist into its masked face before backhanding it with my shield. The alien stumbles back, the knife from its wrist ripping free of its sheath in the tree roots.
We begin to circle, my feet crossing over each other across the damp earth as I stare at the monstrous shadow before me, most of its features completely hidden in the darkness. The dim red lights around us cast the faintest of glints across its armored body, and a pair of crimson irises glare out at me.
"I'm sorry," I say, readying my shield and tensing my muscles. "Did that hurt?"
It charges, drawing a second spear from its back, twirling it as it comes. I fall into a series of dodges, stepping back, twisting to the side to avoid a sharp jab of the spear, bending almost completely backwards as it thrusts for my neck. The moves are fast, fluid, but brash with anger.
I'd pissed it off.
Good.
I parry another blow with my shield, reaching with my free hand to grab the spear as it drives towards me. Yanking it hard and forcing the alien to stumble forward, I rear back and slam my forehead into its own.
The alien loses its grip on the spear, and even though my head is throbbing with pain from the blow, I toss the spear into the air, flipping it so that the bladed end is aiming towards the alien.
Then I drive it straight through the alien's chest.
The black metal crumples beneath the spear's end, and with a loud, sickening crunch, it sinks through its torso.
Red eyes widen, a clicking, gurgling sound emerging from beneath the mask covering its face. My mouth is set in a grim line, my muscles still tense, ready for it to retaliate even though this should be a killing blow.
You never can tell with aliens.
But the body goes limp until the spear is all that is holding it upright, and as I release the weapon, the alien falls back onto the ground with a dull thud. Breathing heavily, I stare down at the shadowy body, aware of the sweat trickling down my forehead.
Something sharp presses against the side of my neck, and I freeze, my body tensing as I hold perfectly still. Slowly, my eyes drag to my left, along the end of the spear poised to jab straight through me, to the second alien I hadn't heard coming.
It's red and black eyes aren't furious at the death of its comrade. Instead, I see a savage sort of victory gleaming there.
I'll have to be fast. Throw myself back as I raise my shield to block the blow. If I'm even a second too slow, that spear will slice open my neck in a flash.
The jagged end of its blade begins to emit a red glow, waves of energy pulsing off of it. Still frozen, I raise my eyes to see the alien's gaze widen as it looks down at the spear it's holding against my throat.
That's when I realize that the crimson light isn't coming from the weapon.
The spear jerks up and away, twisting mid air and thrusting forward to drive itself into the alien's shoulder, the blow so powerful, it sends the creature flying back so that the tip of the spear embeds itself into the tree behind it.
I look behind me at the third pair of glowing red eyes I have seen tonight, but these eyes are brighter, familiar.
Wanda's power radiates around her, casting her face in fierce shadows as she stalks out of the darkness, Vision at her side.
"You're late," I say.
"You're welcome," she replies, and we both exchange grim smiles.
The alien pinned to the tree is snarling as it reaches up to grip the spear by its handle, and with a sharp yank, pulls it from its shoulder. It rears back its arm, mindless of its gaping wound as it hurls the spear towards Wanda.
Her hands jerk up, fingers twisting as her body leans to the side, her power wrapping around the spear and shoving it past her into the trees.
I'm charging forward, shield raised as the alien lunges for me, but Vision phases through the tree behind it, gripping its wounded shoulder and squeezing hard. It shrieks in pain as I reach it, leaping into the air and slamming my shield into the side of its head.
It goes down hard.
Before it can rise, Vision reaches down, phasing his arms straight through the alien's as he pulls the thick, wide roots of the tree up through the ground. When the android steps back, I see that he had phased the roots through the alien's arms, then let go so that the wounded creature is now completely impaled and trapped beneath it.
Wanda steps to our side as we look down at it, the alien thrashing and hissing in pain and anger.
Her eyes grow lethally scarlet as she raises a twisting hand wrapped in light.
"Wait," I put a hand to her wrist. Then I look down at the alien's dim eyes. "Can you read it?"
Wanda's gaze narrows. "I don't know if I want to," she answers, her accented voice laced with disgust.
"It could be our only opportunity for answers," Vision reminds her, softly gripping her shoulder.
She heaves a breath through her nose, looking distinctly unhappy. But Wanda moves forward to kneel beside the struggling alien. Loose strands of hair have slipped from her ponytail, and she brushes them aside as she watches it carefully.
Vision and I both move closer, bodies tense and ready should the alien break free.
Wanda's eyes are now glowing so bright, I can see the entirety of the alien's mask, the texture of its mottled, rock like skin visible above it. Her right hand raises towards its face, fingers curling delicately as she lowers it until her middle finger is only centimeters above its forehead. Her power curls around her, illuminating the alien and the roots beneath it as the red energy moves from her hand to its face.
The result is instant.
Wanda makes a low sound in her throat, her eyes squeezing shut as her entire body goes rigid. Vision and I move forward as one, but Wanda raises her free hand to stop us. It's trembling.
"Gah," she breathes, tucking in her chin as her face screws up in pain. Beneath her touch, the alien is frozen, back arched as it stares up with wide eyes.
Crimson power pulses erratically beneath her hand, a stream of it connecting to the aliens face, and her free hand moves to grip the side of her head as she shudders, breathing heavily.
Wanda jerks away so fast, she falls to the ground, her bright power winking out and casting the jungle back into its dim darkness. As my eyes adjust, I see Vision at her side, helping her sit up as she pants, eyes round and horrified.
"What is it?" Vision asks in a low voice, his strange face filled with concern.
Wanda can't look away from the alien, who is shaking and glaring at her with unbridled rage and hatred.
"What did you see?" I ask, dread curling in my gut.
"Monsters," she answers in a trembling voice. "They're monsters."
I glance around me at the dark jungle, still heavy with silence. "We need to move," I say reluctantly. Wanda is clearly distraught, but we've made too much noise, garnered too much attention. And if there are any more aliens in the immediate area, they will be heading straight for us.
Vision helps her to her feet and meets my eyes. "Where to, Captain?"
"Follow the water upstream. We need to get to high ground," I order, moving my gaze meaningfully to the alien still pinned to the ground. "I'll be right behind you."
Vision nods, leading a shaking Wanda away into the jungle. Something gleams near my feet, and I pick up the broken shard of knife I had snapped from the first alien's wrist. It feels heavier than it should, my lips thinning to a tight line as I crouch over the creature.
Its muscled chest heaves, dark blood dripping steadily from the wound in its shoulders, its arms, pooling like a shadow beneath it. Black and red eyes glare up at me, burning with their intensity. I can't see the rest of its face beneath the armored mask it wears, but I'd swear that it is smiling at me, baring its teeth, if it has any.
You're going to die, those eyes seem to promise. You're all going to die.
"Not today."
A flash of the knife, and the silence is broken by its last, shuddering gasp of pain that trails off into a throaty rattle.
Steeling myself, I clean off the knife and tuck it into my belt, casting one last glance at the carnage we are leaving in our wake before I turn and follow Wanda and Vision into the darkness.
Peter Parker
"You eat it."
I give Dr. Banner a sharp look as he stares skeptically at the fruit in my hand. "What? Why don't you eat it first?"
"I'm older than you, which means I'm pulling rank, here, kid. Plus, your idea."
Fair point.
Damn it.
Although right now, I'm hungry enough that I almost don't care about the risk. Almost. Sighing, I tentatively raise the mottled purple fruit to my lips. I stop.
"Wait." I reach down and activate Droney, and with a quiet whir, it hovers in front of me. "Droney, can you scan this? See if it's ok to eat?"
The spider shaped drone obliges, a tiny red light emitting from its sensors to scan over the fruit in my hand. It beeps softly before it settles back into my chest with a click.
I watch as the screens on my lenses fill with information that I quickly skim over to the bottom, where the statistics are highlighted in green. "Yes! It's safe."
I shove the fruit into my mouth, a small drop of juice spraying onto the mask I have raised above my nose as I bite down. The taste is sour, but the texture is good, and at this point, I honestly couldn't care less what it tastes like.
Dr. Banner reaches for one as I grab for a second, the red lights lining the stem flickering out as I pluck the fruit off of it. It's so dark we can barely see, but my lenses are equipped with both night vision and thermal, so it was relatively easy to find the fruit tree after hours of searching for dinner.
"So...Tony make you that suit?" Dr. Banner asks, slowly taking a bite.
I nod as I grab for a third piece. God, I'm starving.
"Slow down, Pete. You're going to make yourself sick."
"Sorry," I say, swallowing. "Increased metabolism. That, and uh, you know, I'm a teenager."
He winces at that. "Yeah, Steve told me. How'd you get mixed up in all of this anyways?"
Dr. Banner looks about as comfortable in this tree as I do when talking in front of class, but he settles back against the trunk as he chews his fruit, his eyes watching me. I reach up and snag a fourth piece, but start to eat this one slower to appease him.
"Radioactive spider."
"No kidding?" he raises an eyebrow. "Wow. Radiation was certainly kinder to you than it was to me."
I snort. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Guess so? You're lucky it didn't give you the ability to turn into a giant, rage filled spider whenever your hormones got the best of you. Although Hulk probably would have enjoyed the challenge."
I shudder at the image that brought up, but grin at him as I take another bite. "Yeah, yeah, ok. I am lucky."
"Well, not too lucky. We are stranded on an alien planet being hunted like animals," Dr. Banner points out.
The fruit turns bitter on my tongue and becomes hard to swallow.
"First time on an alien planet?" he asks sympathetically, taking another bite as I nod. "Trust me, kid, I get it. I haven't been on Earth in over two years, and when I figured that little tidbit out, it was hard to not just lose it and freak out."
I peer at him. "How come you're not freaking out right now?"
"I sort of have to keep a lid on it, or our whole 'stealth mode' plan, as you put it, is toast. The big guy would call every alien in a hundred miles right on top of us," Dr. Banner winces, tossing the pit of his fruit to the jungle floor below.
Oh crap. I hadn't realized there were pits.
"Plus, sadly, I think I'm adjusting to being kidnapped or trapped or hijacked to other planets."
"Isn't adjusting a good thing?"
"Not when it's to shit this crazy. Adjusting means you're starting to become a little crazy yourself," Dr. Banner shifts against the tree, trying to find a comfortable spot. "Although, I have to say, this scenario is certainly a lot worse than the other ones I've been caught up in lately."
"Where exactly have you been all this time?" I ask curiously.
"Sakaar, mostly. Hulk was sort of a gladiator for awhile."
"A gladiator?!"
"Keep your voice down, kid. We're being hunted, remember?"
"Sorry."
"And yeah, a gladiator. Champion, technically, until Thor came along. It's a long story," Dr. Banner sighs as he leans his head back, closing his eyes.
It sounds like a long story I definitely want to hear every single detail about, but he's clearly done talking about it. Still, would have been a nice distraction from the panic that wanted to rise up every time I think too hard about the dark and freaky eeriness of the alien jungle, about the idea that those huge, badass aliens are trying to hunt us down and probably take our heads as trophies to mount on their weird, claustrophobic alien spacecraft without even having the courtesy of bringing my body back to Earth for May and Mr. Stark to bury, although thinking of them having to deal with my headless corpse with only my tattered suit to identify me is-
"I told you not to eat the fruit so fast, Peter," Dr. Banner's voice breaks me from my spiralling descent. "You look like you're gonna hurl."
I blow out a long, purposeful breath. "Yeah...I think I swallowed some of the pits in that fruit."
Dr. Banner snorts, shaking his head. "You are a teenager, aren't you?"
I pull my mask the rest of the way over my face, straightening from my spot on the branch. "I'm gonna climb higher, see if I can see out of the canopy a bit."
"It's pitch black out there. What do you expect to see?"
"Dunno. Doesn't hurt to check though. Don't go anywhere."
Dr. Banner scoffs at the order. "Couldn't if I wanted to."
I begin scaling the trunk of the tree, my hands and feet sticking effortlessly to the bark as I climb higher and higher, maneuvering around the fruit laden branches jutting out from the tree. I don't bother with night vision yet, using the thin red lights lining the bark as a guide.
The branches get thinner, more crowded, pressing in around me, sharp twigs jabbing into my arms and sides as I climb.
But then my head is poking out of the thick layer of trees, and I am looking over a massive valley of jungle.
"Oh man," I breathe, lenses widening as I take in the vast ocean of black stretching towards every horizon, a dim, scarlet glow emitting from the breaks in the trees. "We are in so much trouble."
The night sky is drenched in unfamiliar stars that cast their light upon the valley, outlining the trees that rise and fall in a sloping terrain. To my right, I see a tall mountain range, blanketed in jungle like the rest of the valley around it.
Heart sinking, stomach twisting with tense nerves, I grip the branches and prepare to lower myself back down when I catch a flare of red light in my peripheral vision. My gaze jerks in that direction, lenses narrowing, but I see nothing.
With bated breath, I wait, eyes narrowed on the spot I swore I had seen-
There!
Crimson illuminates the trees far off in the distance, brief flashes before it gutters out completely. My heart is thudding in my chest. Ok, red flashing light. Could be some alien plant spazzing out. Could be the aliens who brought us here. Their ships and weapons had red light too.
But it could be a trap that was triggered...which means it could be one of the other Avengers over there. Or maybe they were locked in battle with the aliens. Or maybe...maybe it's Scarlet Witch, using her powers, which are also red.
Whatever it is, we have to check it out, because my gut is telling me that it could be our friends.
Scrambling back down, I land on the wide branch I had vacated with a thud that shakes the leaves and fruit hanging from the limb. "Dr. Banner-!"
I freeze. "Dr. Banner?"
There's no one there.
I quickly scan the other wide branches, thinking maybe I had landed on the wrong one, but the tree is empty. And the scientist is nowhere in sight.
Chills shudder down my body as my gut twists with panic. Where is he? Where did he go? What happened to him?
He wouldn't have tried climbing up after me or climbing down on his own. The man was way too freaked out by the heights and his painfully obvious lack of skill in the climbing department.
Which means…
Which means he either fell, which I would have heard...or something took him.
A/N: Have I mentioned before that I am a cliffhanger type writer? Yeah, you guys have been through my stories before. You know. Lol. This one is definitely not going to be any different. Sorry! :D
So before I go any further, I have to stop and take a moment to freak out about Where They Go by PippinStrange. Are you guys all caught up on that? Did you SEE the Paint it Black reference? I am STILL freaking the fangirl out! OMG it was amazing and chilling and beyond incredible. If you guys haven't read that fic, get on it, because it is fabulous and she is the best writer on this site. She's also your beta for this and all my MCU fics, so you have her to thank, because without her, none of this would exist. Just saying.
Looooots of questions that still need to be answered, lots of peril ahead, lots of cliffhangers and deepening plots and intermittent humor and cliffhangers, have I mentioned cliffhangers? I'll try to be a bit more speedy on the updates, guys. I am trying to stay a couple chapters ahead while writing and posting since I am not working off of an outline or summary, just the generic ideas floating around in my messed up head. Lol.
Without further ado, a few words for my bomb review squad...
sparklydog7: Um...yes. :D lol. Should be quite the ride!
DarylDixon'sLover: No promises. :D
gandalf537: omg thank you! YOU are amazing
Web-HeadSuperFan: Thank YOU!
syed: I could totally see that as well! Should be quite epic ;)
cargumentluv: thank you!
EmilyF.6: Thanks so much! I love writing action scenes!
RimK10: :)
Seawell: Yes, thank goodness for Jesus! lol! Yay! I love keeping people on the edge of their seat! I am cruel like that. lol
LoonyLovegood1981: Squee! Thank you so much! I am so excited for it as well. Great song, and perfect title for the fic. I may have even started writing a few scenes for it...
AppleSpongeCake: DUDE. Major points for the most creative threat I have ever received. Like kudos. Also, I am terrified, and does this count as a late update and dear lord leave my spleen be. Please. LOL
bgib99: Wow bless you for binging my little series! Welcome aboard! :D
PippinStrange: I ADORE it when you list your favorite parts of the chapter. And the Captain Marvel comment SLAYED me
Jeyfeather1234: LOL I cracked myself up with Okoye's final comment too. XD glad you enjoyed it! and thank you for all your comments! wow! So excited to hear you were inspired enough to write your own as well!
Shoyzz: Your reviews are always a delight to read. XD I can feel your excitement and it's just thrilling for me as an author to read! Thank you!
Celeste621: Eeeee thank you! I love writing for Wanda, and I am glad to hear you are enjoying this installment so much!I liked the newer Predators as well and thought it would be such a fun concept to apply to the Avengers. As to your other question...no comment. ;)
StarStepper: Yay! Glad you are excited!
Guest: Ahhh thank you! I loved her part in Infinity War as well. With Silent Night, I knew having her would mess with the plot I had in mind, but i was also intimidated to write for her. Now? I cannot get enough and I can't wait to take her character all sorts of places before the end of this series.
MsSoraya: Thanks! lol! I so appreciate every review someone leaves, so I like taking the time to reply and thank them here. :) Reviews always make my day! I also adore Okoye and can't wait to write more of her! Thanks for reading and reviewing and enjoying!
SummerMistedDragon: :D
ItsAnnieMikaelson: ¡Ah, muchas gracias! No hablo español, así que si lo arruino, ¡culpa al traductor de Google! jaja! Gracias por su comentario y espero que sigan disfrutando ! ¡Mucha tensión y cliffhangers seguro!
GinaBoo: Thanks! I definitely knew I wanted to pair those two up, because I really would have died seeing their interaction in Infinity War. So excited to flesh out all these relationships and characters within this high stakes plot!
icotnoir: Thanks! It definitely could happen before the fic is over ;)
Kairianna864: Ahhh thank you for binging this series and welcome aboard! Thank you SO much! I try very hard to keep characters in character, so it makes me so happy to hear that.
ParadoxicOrder8: Lol nope! and uhhhhhhhh...um...I wouldn't hold out much hope for Peter's luck. ;)
I adore you guys so much. Thank you for sticking with me through this series, for those recently joining, and for all your support and encouragement!
COMING UP:
Chapter Seven: Guess Things Happen That Way
Natasha and Okoye have an enlightening conversation, Wanda reveals just exactly what she saw in the alien's mind, and Peter and Bruce find themselves in over their heads.