How'd You Get This Number? // mamaspider

29 - useless

lmao remember when i said this book was gonna be memey? look at us now.

well-

*cracks knuckles*

-anGST TIME

_Peter_

God, how long have I been sitting here for?

My wrists and ankles are starting to ache from the strength of the restraints. They obviously know my identity as Spider-Man, Loki knows so of course he'd tell them.

My heart breaks a little more when I think about Loki. I only knew him for a short amount of time, but I think it's the fact that I had hope in someone and they broke it again that hurts.

It's gotten a little easier to breathe. I'd eaten maybe three hours before they took me, so my enhanced healing has been able to take care of it a little bit. But I know I'll need food for my fast metabolism soon.

"Hello?" I croak again. It's only the third time I'd spoken since I first woke up. My head had started hurting since then, but nothing I couldn't handle.

I kind of expected someone to come in here by now, Loki or something. I don't know, just seems like what would happen. They'll come eventually. They have to, why else would they have taken me?

I want to call out to someone, anyone—but there's no one who would even try to listen.

I just want Nat—I want my mom.

I wanna go back to this afternoon when we ate spaghetti together. I wanna meet her family. I wanna hug Clint and build with Mr. Stark, play Minecraft with Thor, spar with Steve, bake with Bucky, talk chemistry with Dr. Banner!

I wanna go home.

_Nat_

"Let's talk strategy." I slam my handgun down on the marble countertop. It's hard to believe Peter and I had been eating spaghetti right here only a few hours ago. If I'd only known then...

No, Nat. Focus. You can't let yourself fall apart again. Never again.

"So we know it was HYDRA who took Peter and the stone, correct?" Steve asks, arms crossed. We'd all gotten suited up, ready to battle at a moment's notice.

"Yes." I reply forwardly.

"I'm confused—" Clint places a hand in the air, "They got the stone, but why take Peter? Leverage?"

"Exactly. They know if we attacked, they could use the kid as a safety." Stark explains, "He's their insurance."

"So, Peter's at a HYDRA base." Clint nudges one of the many unconscious bodies on the floor.

"Well, doesn't SHIELD have a compounded list of HYDRA bases?" Bucky offers. SHIELD does have a list, they'd gone through and invaded each base in a ruthless attempt to wipe HYDRA out. However, since then, it's possible for a smaller group to have moved back in.

Thor speaks up, "Yeah, but they could be at any one of them. Loki can teleport virtually anywhere within the nine realms."

I suppress another wave of panic. "So it's possible they're off-world?" I clarify.

"Possible, but unlikely." Bruce adds in. He still has his purple flannel and black t-shirt on, since he doesn't really have a 'suit'. "The stone they took from the lab contains a mass amount of radiation. Just getting it through the mesosphere to Earth could've burned a hole through our ozone layer. No way would anyone be able to get that sucker back into space without possibly ending the world."

"And that German guy mentioned something about HYDRA taking over, so they wouldn't want to destroy a world before they've ruled it, right?" Steve questions with a subtle bob of his head.

"So they're on Earth." I finalize.

"Most likely." Bruce grimaces. "And they have the power to destroy earth."

"Hold up—" Stark pipes in. He has the face of his Iron-Man suit tipped up so we can see him. "Wouldn't we be able to track the radioactive signature, if it's as strong as you say it is?" He asks Bruce.

"We could if the material could be extracted or exposed, but it's contained by whatever type of rock is stabilizing it on the inside. It'd take at least eight tons of force to get through it." Bruce insists with a stressed brow.

Steve places a hand out to stop us, "But we don't even know where the stone is, so it's practically useless to us unless it's somehow split open."

"Well, what would happen if HYDRA managed to split it?" Clint asks, his bow held at his side.

"We'd be able to identify the signature and chase it." Bruce repeats.

Clint reiterates, "No, I mean—you said it was super radioactive."

"Oh—" Bruce stumbles over his words, "If the material wasn't contained again in a matter of seconds, it'd probably react something like an atom bomb."

"So we could catch the signature for the split second it's exposed, and chase that?" Steve clarifies.

"As long as whoever breaks it open contains it in the rock before it combusts, then yes." Bruce concedes with a delicate nudge of his glasses.

"That means we're rendered useless until HYDRA splits that stone." I finish, my eyes staring down at the 11 mm pistol sitting atop the shining countertop.

Useless.

Clint seems to acknowledge the depressive atmosphere of the room, "Doesn't mean we can't look." He adds.

The spirits in the room lift a bit. "Or keep the Med-Bay prepped for when we get Peter back." Bruce chimes in with a more hopeful tone.

"Or interrogate one of these assholes." Bucky violently lands a kick to the side of an unconscious attacker's head.

"Yeah..." The daunting look I know is plastered across my face doesn't waver, "Tony, Bruce—let's go start searching for a signature. Meet in the lab." I order as I march to the elevator—

"We're getting the kid back."

_Loki_

I release the quiet breath I'd been holding since I teleported in. With my back still firmly pressed against the wall, I peep into the kitchen to find each of the Avengers' dispersed.

So, split the rock to save the child. Can't be too big of a challenge.

There's still hope yet to save the little one.

___

YOOOO quadruple update?! gonna update again within the next week or so! on a roll B)

hope you enjoyed!

-cinnamon toast crunch