Ultimate Avenging Alliance Chapter 4 Man Without- Okay, With Fear
"So, Mr Murdock, or should I call you Matt? Let's talk about your senses."
Matt focused on pulling against the tough leather holding him down. It wasn't yielding. Maybe Peter could have snapped them, but the threat of mystery serums hanging over his head probably kept him complacent. Matt wasn't feeling quite so pacified. He dug his elbows into the bed and pulled against the restraints on his wrists as hard as he could.
After several minutes, his muscles spasmed and he relaxed, his torso collapsing as lungs he hadn't realized weren't working started up again. He scowled at the ceiling.
The man next to him chuckled. The odours of fabrics indicated an open coat revealing a suit with a silk-blend tie, so this must be Suit. "It won't work, Matt," he said. "We made those to keep down Captain America. From the scans we have so far, you have no strength enhancement at all."
"Let me go," Matt growled, letting himself fill with anger. A few traces of fear at his helplessness were ruthlessly suppressed.
"We will," Suit assured him, heartbeat steady and truthful. "When we're finished. The more you cooperate, the sooner you can go home. And if you tell us what you want, what you need, well, we can't give you something we don't know you need."
"What I need is for you to let me go," Matt snarled.
"You don't want your abilities heightened?" Suit re-joined quickly. "Or some new powers? Spiderman's precognition? Captain America's strength? Thor's command of lightening?"
Matt stilled. It was something he'd thought about occasionally, but always dismissed. He had what he had. Besides, there was only one other ability he really wanted, and Suit hadn't mentioned it. But he wouldn't bring it up. Well, maybe with Peter later. "What I want is to keep my city safe," he said instead. "Can't do that tied up here."
"We can help you keep it safe," Suit offered. "Make you better at it." He paused. "And we're not letting you go until we have our answers anyway. Why make it hard on yourself? Your friend Peter asked for a copy of our research and we provided. What can we do for you?"
"So that's it. I play along, you gild my cage," Matt said bitterly.
"I can have you returned to the cell right now," Suit said coldly. "You can stay there until you're willing to cooperate, or until we devise experiments that won't require your cooperation. Maybe we won't get our answers, but you won't see your city."
Matt slumped. "I don't have a choice, do I?"
"Cooperation is in your best interests," Suit shrugged. "And as your cooperation is in our best interests, it benefits us to keep you cooperative. Anything you want?"
Matt thought. "I don't want lightening. No use for it. And I have to be careful enough not to hurt people too much as it is; I can't risk superstrength. My senses give me enough data without Peter's spidey sense."
"Tell me about your senses," Suit said, in the tone of voice used for coaxing a reluctant child. There was a scrape of metal on tile, followed by a gentle thud and a puff of displaced air. He'd dragged a chair over and sat down.
"I don't see, as such," Matt confessed. "You know that. But when I hear…it's like a world on fire. I hear how each sound echoes, and that tells me how far away things are. Like…echolocation, or sonar, or something. Then I feel air currents, which helps with movement. Basically, all my senses are boosted. I forget all the names. Temperature, pressure, spatial awareness, smell, taste. I generally identify people by scent, but locate and isolate them by the sound of their heartbeat." He tilted his head, deciding to show off a little. "You have two friends in here. They're both approximately four feet to my left. Male. Late thirties, early forties – the one nearer my head is slightly older, I think, because he dyes his hair blond. I'm guessing the other is a redhead. They're wearing labcoats, which have a very particular texture I can hear when they move. Blondie's writing notes on what I'm saying. Redhead is making notes about something else. Can't tell what. Now they've both stopped writing."
"How do you know my hair colour?" Redhead asked incredulously.
"Peter mentioned two guys in labcoats, one blond, one redhead," Matt shrugged. "Your friend dyes his hair. I just had to guess that you two are the same two Peter saw." He paused, and continued. "You, Mr 'Red Labbie', showered about five hours ago. You use medicated shampoo. You're clean-shaven, but clumsy. You're trying to get close to you female friend in the bee suit, but I suspect she's rejecting your advances."
"How?" Suit breathed, entranced.
"The timescale approximation is based on the build-up of body odors. The shampoo leaves a trace of scent. He cut himself shaving, hmm, three days ago The cologne he's wearing is generally only used by teenagers and the desperate, but clings to the lady. Again, I guessed a little to fill in the gaps."
"How good's your touch?" Suit asked, moving on.
"Great, but not always useful. I can identify any fabric, but most of them feel too rough against my skin."
"We'll have to test that," Suit muttered excitedly.
Matt let his head thump back on the bed. "Oh, joy."
AN: Long time, no post. Ugh.
Mind you, I love writing this one.
Oh, and Little Bird's Vengeance would not be written, which was depressing.
Erm, also coming today, Jason and the Argonauts, Black and Red and Ultimate Writing Adventure.
Start nagging me if it's more than a week before the next update. Seriously.
Oh, and review.
Katara