Arc Nine. Chapter Two-Hundred Fifty-Four. Centre Of Detention

Peter woke up to an amazing sight. Natasha had laid his head on her lap and as he stared up all he could see were soft pillow mountains, just close enough to reach out and-

"If your hand moves any further I will cut it off, monster or not." and as Hexen laughed in his mind, he sheepishly lowered his hand,

Not our Natasha, you should be more careful, Hexen laughed, and a brief image of Natasha's full figure flashed in his mind.

"Uh sorry," he said as he bolted upright and slid back along the bench.

"So, you can become the creature but are not strong enough to keep control?" Natasha asked him and he shrugged,

You are strong enough, just not capable, we know the runes and the incantations but you do not. Your mind fractures and crumbles as reality bends to a will that is not yours, Hexen explained, but Peter really didn't know what it all meant.

"She uh, says yeah. Hexen, that's her name. Magic is, I dunno, something you learn and as I don't know it, it-" but Natasha had already looked away, bored of the conversation. "Yeah, I get that."

Looking around Steven and Natasha had stolen the Doom Patrollers ATV and were driving through the streets of New Doomsberg, "uh, where are we going?" and he saw Steve look at him in the security mirror.

"We have passcodes and disguises. We're going to break some of our friends out," and as Peter looked he saw that Natasha and Steve were both wearing Patroller uniforms now, but his clothes were unchanged,

"Am I not?" but Natasha cut him off.

"No, you are not. Untrained idiot. Flailing and fumbling will get us killed, and if you cannot let your monster remain in control, then all you are good for is bait."

Peter looked at her, "bait?" and Hexen whispered,

Yes bait, they will use you to gain entry to the prison and then attack.

"Prisoner?" he asked, shocked they would take him right into Patroller territory. A lot of people knew his parents, and a lot of people would recognise him. The idea of being bait was unappealing, and Natasha nodded and grinned,

"Yes, Prisoner, we don't need papers to bring you to processing, you are a fugitive yes? Then all we need is a body. Conscious or unconscious, so behave."

Natasha gave Peter a look, a mix of derision and pity. Whatever impression she had of the boy it was not a good one.

She doesn't trust you, her scars indicate torture of some kind, I wonder if her past dealings in New York led her to your parents, Hexen pondered but Peter had no reply. His parents barely spoke of their work, and if they had tangled with the rebellion, they wouldn't have said anyway.

The Ministry of Information kept failed missions top-secret, only successes were reported and as he had never seen Natasha face in the news reports, she was definitely one of the Patrollers failures.

"Our original mission was to break into an old Subway line and travel to the holding facility. It's what used to be Grand Central Station before it was converted into a holding facility. Doom uses it to move people in and out of the city without anyone knowing who or where they are going," Steve explained. "We get in, free our friends and then move out. Once we have a big enough task force, we can deal with Doom while you get your friends and fix everything. I don't need to remind you that if you fail we all die. Doom won't let us go a second time."

Peter gulped as he realised the implication of what Steve had said, we do this and succeed or we all die, and Peter felt a ripple of fear flow through him. He had never thought about doing something so dangerous before. Even his lab was shielded with the latest safety equipment and fieldwork was never even a thought in his head. But now, he was about to walk into a maximum-security prison with two people he only met an hour ago and an alien bio-suit that could take over his mind.

You will be fine, being afraid will help them, if you need it, we can stop the fear but fear is good, fear will keep you alive.

And if I make a stupid mistake cause I'm scared?

Then we stop you and we help you. We are not your enemy, Peter. We may have been blunt, but we are not going to hurt you. We love our Peter and you are more like him than you realise.

Peter's nervousness grew though, as they slapped cuffs on him and they drove to the prison complex. He began to feel sick and a cold sweat had broken out over his body. As Natasha looked at him she smirked, as it was plain to anyone he was having problems coping.

He took a deep breath and relaxed. Hexen helped to ease the anxiety but Natasha tilted her head, "No, do not do that, do not help him," and Peter glared at her

"Why? What if I screw up?" he asked and she shook her head,

"You don't do anything, you look scared and you piss yourself. Leave the fighting to those who can," and she sighed. "You might think you will help, but you will get us killed. Be scared, hide, act as if this is Peter Parker, rich, spoiled brat of the Elites, and not some kind of wannabe hero."

We do not like it but we agree, to be too calm is to draw attention. We will help but we are sorry.

Peter felt his heart beginning to beat a bit faster and the raw panic began to set back in. It was muted, from full-on terror to the nervous excitement before doing something dangerous or painful. Peter closed his eyes and leaned back in the prisoner compartment of the ATV. He could do this, he would do this, and then. He paused, and then? If everything went according to plan he would cease to exist, a forgotten fragment of a madman's desire for power.

No, we have bonded, no one will forget you, Peter, I will make sure of it. You are like our Peter, but different, like eating the oatmeal cookie, just as tasty as the chocolate chip ones but in their own way

Did you just compare me to a cookie? And Hexen laughed,

Crunchy outside but soft and gooey in the middle, and tasty, yes. Peter, you are our cookie.

Peter laughed to himself, better than nothing I guess, but the anxiety, while dulled still remained.

It had been instilled into him by loving but strict parents. 'Behave or the Doombots will take you to Central' was their favourite way of getting him to do as he was told, and even now as an adult the thought of going anywhere near Central was horrifying. As he felt his blood pounding through his chest, Peter had the unpleasant thought that maybe this was a conditioned response. The fear felt unnatural, visiting a prison shouldn't be this terrifying, shouldn't make him want to vomit and empty his bowels.

Hush Peter, we will make it easier, and he felt a small measure of comfort as Hexen began to hum within his mind. It was an old Sokovia nursery rhyme she had learned from Wanda.

Steve looked up in the security mirror hanging above the driver's seat, "Hey, you'll be fine, in and out. No worries," and as he looked over at Natasha she spoke in a language Peter didn't recognise, but Hexen did.

It is Russian, the friend of Livs speaks it,

"Can we trust him?" Natasha asked and Steve looked in the mirror again,

"We don't have to, we only need him to get us inside."

"And after?"

Steve's brow furrowed, "after is still in the air. Even if he helps, he is still a target, orders still stand."

They are going to kill me?

Yes, I can hear it in her thoughts, a list of names, and you and your parents are on it. They intend to destroy the city, to bring Doom here. They have an atomic device.

You didn't think to mention that earlier, innocent people live in this city, Doom or not they can't-

We know, but we will change things before that, they are not planning on using it until next week. You are just a bonus they didn't expect.

Peter kept his eyes closed, rubbing his fingers over the cuffs they had put on him, I still don't like it.

We will make sure nothing happens to us Peter, we will protect you,

From a nuclear bomb!

Hehe, possibly, we do not know, we have never experienced the gamma formula, but being with Liv tells us we can adapt if we are prepared.

You're kidding, right? A nuclear bomb? You think you can survive a nuclear bomb? That's insane, you know that?

Maybe, maybe not. We have stories from our sisters of much worse, and the Wanda has several spells and incantations that can harden the flesh against many things. We do not know until it happens.

Peter was about to continue quizzing Hexen about her powers when he felt the van slow and seeing the chain link fence past the back of the truck his leg began to bounce nervously. This was the point of no return. Past the first checkpoint they were now surrounded by armed guards, all with orders to open fire on anyone, even their own men, if a threat was detected. Central held the most dangerous of Dooms foes, and none were allowed to escape.

As Natasha lifted her gun and poked Peter in the back with it he got a good look at where they were. The train station had been sectioned off into guard towers and holding cells and as the train sat waiting. Rather than escort each prisoner they were simply held in cages and lifted onto the back. Whoever designed it uncaring they were exposed to the weather. Peter shook his head, this is insane, and as Natasha nudged him once more he was pushed into a containment cell.

"Name, offence." the guard sat behind a bulletproof blast shield asked. Peter knew someone was there, as he could see a faint shadow but the mirrored glass hid the occupant from everyone else.

"Parker, Sedition," Natasha replied.

As they waited a white line lit up on the floor, blinking, it made an arrow, and Peter was led along it to a row of cells. Natasha pushed him into the open one and he winced as it closed and slammed behind him,

Be calm, a simple electronic lock will not hold us, Hexen reassured him, we are not caged, you are fine.

But Peter still shuffled to the back of the cage and sat with his arms wrapped around his legs, what now?

Now we wait. Natasha and Steve should return after they have rescued their friends. No one will attack you here. If they do not return within a suitable time, then we plan our escape and rain blood and fury down on those who oppose us.

Wait? They aren't coming back, are they?

Hexen huffed, No, we heard it in their minds, they are after their friends, and you were a means to get into the prison. If they return, it will be to make sure you are dead.

Those assholes, Peter cursed. We should just break out now, screw their plan.

No, we wait. If they succeed the prison will be easier to escape, and if they fail, then we can laugh and escape anyway. Relax, eat the food and rest. We may need our strength for fighting.

He was given a meal, which Hexen warned him was full of sedatives but she had taken care of it and he waited. As the tension left him, possibly due to Hexen or the chemicals in the meal, he leaned back against the corner of the cell and fell asleep.