Kidnapped (1)

Opening his eyes, Peter woke up with a pounding headache, his vision blurry, as anger and confusion surged within him. Disoriented, he struggled to recollect the events leading up to his torment. Scanning the environment with his eyes, Peter found himself in a torture room, alone, and strapped tightly to a chair. He couldn't remember how he ended up here. In fact, he couldn't remember anything at all. A twisted grin crept across his face, relishing the challenge that lay before him.

After meticulously assessing his surroundings, Peter tried to break-off the metal straps. Driven by frustration and desperation, he summoned every ounce of strength within him, straining against the unyielding restraints. His muscles bulged with the tremendous effort, a testament to his relentless determination. Yet, much to his dismay, the unforgiving bonds held firm, mocking his futile attempts. The sheer resistance only fueled his anger, intensifying the desire to break free from the grip of captivity.

"AAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!"

As Peter fought against his restraints, a wave of weariness washed over him. His consciousness began to fade, leaving him helpless and unable to resist. The overwhelming fatigue pulled him into a deep slumber, his body succumbing to the grip of sleep.

"Noo..." with his voice barely above a whisper, he drifted further into the realm of dreams. The darkness engulfed him, leaving him at the mercy of those who held him captive.

...

...

Outside the torture chamber.

Five boys and four girls, aged between 13 and 16, gathered together in a dimly lit room, all dressed in matching suits. Their eyes darting nervously between each other and engaged in a private discussion. As whispers filled the air, they debated what to do with Peter now that they had him captive.

"Sho, thish petcher guy can tchell ush where Dr. Wackadoddle ish?" a chubby boy, his mouth full of chips, spoke with fervor, fully invested in the unfolding conspiracy, as he addressed the rest of the group.

"That's what she said!"

*Sniker*

"Not like that..."

Amidst the chatter, the smallest girl among them, her blond hair styled in twin tails, interjected with a touch of uncertainty and compassion, voicing her concern. "Maybe we could find another way to interrogate him?"

"Stella, I've already told you, this is the only way to squeeze the information out of him," said the tallest figure in the group, his voice carrying a serious and ominous tone.

"But..."

"Enough."

"..."

A hush fell over the room as all eyes turned towards their leader, observing in silence as they awaited her next move.

"Bob, keep an eye on those cameras. The moment he wakes up, you better give us a heads-up. Guo, Gwen, get out there and make sure nobody's sneaking up on us. We don't need any unwanted surprises."

"Aye aye, captain!" Guo exclaimed, a mischievous grin plastered on his face as he whisked away a half-asleep Gwen.

"Another boring job to the watching Bob... no wait, another w... another watching job to..." Bob reluctantly dragged himself to the camera room, feeling the weight of yet another mind-numbing task.

"Alright, listen up. Once he's awake, he's min-" their leader's voice trailed off as a wave of memories flooded her mind. She paused, recalling the order of her master.

"Jack, you're in charge of interrogating Peter," the leader directed.

"Yeah, I got this," Jack responded confidently.

"As for the rest of you, finish your damn assignments and stay ready for anything unexpected."

"Yes, Captain!" the group chimed in unison, fully aware of their responsibilities and the urgency of the situation. They knew there was no time to waste, as their homework wouldn't magically complete itself.

...

(Laura's POV)

"Haaaaah..." with everyone busy with their own assignments, I finally have a moment to catch my breath. Stretching out on a sofa, I can feel the tension coursing through my body, refusing to dissipate. It's incredible, really. I mean, we planned and prepared for months about how to deal with this Peter, and then weeks to finally get the chance to do so.

And just when I successfully distract him, diverting his attention from the rest of the team that was meant to sneak up on him, a f*&%ing baseball came through the window and hit him square in the head, making him sprawl on the ground...

I thought that was part of his plan, to lure us in and then take us out. Instead, my squad effortlessly captured Peter without any trouble. We investigated to find out who threw the baseball, suspecting someone pulling the strings, only to discover that it was a stray foul ball from a nearby stadium.

It was both impressive and disorienting to witness our success be handed to us by luck. It was weird, the entire situation was weird... HE was weird... his aura was weird... He was different somehow from how I've seen him the last couple months. 

Something about him... his eyes...

But it's not the time to dwell on the past. Our main objective now is to extract information from Peter as soon as he wakes up.

Briefly closing my eyes, I relish the calm before the storm. If I don't steal moments like these to rest, even with my healing factor, I would still get burned out.

" *Beep* He's awake!" 

"..."

With a fierce resolve coursing through my veins, I stride confidently towards the door. Each step propels me closer to my objective, the fire in my heart burning brighter with each passing moment.

"Jake, it's your time to shine." I growled through clenched teeth not stopping my footsteps as I continued towards the torture room we found in this abandoned facility by chance. The urge to rip answers from Peter's mouth myself burned within me, but Master's instructions echoed in my mind as she had a sarcastic smile etched etched on her face: trust in the squad, delegate tasks you would normally handle alone, or else...

One day, I'll wipe that smile off her face.

Grabbing a toolbox, Jake followed suit.

Maybe I'm completely drained, maybe I'm just a pawn in that sadistic B*^#!'s game, and maybe this supposed Dr. Wackadoodle doesn't exist, But I won't let my friend die in front of me. Never again will I experience such tragedy.

Never again.

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To the people that have already read chapter 1 to 3, I made a few small changes to the story. The most important one is Peter's age: 13 instead of 10.

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Alternative Titles:

--- The Calm Before the Storm

--- Is that... Peter?

--- Laura: Who names themselves Wackadoodle... that's just wrong.