USM 2021 Bingo

Lost in the Woods (Part 3)

To Jas, Savannah, and Ine for making sure I ate food before I posted this. This is also my 2nd bingo submission for the USM bingo (B1 - Captured/Hostage)

There was no time to think.

The moment Titus crawled into the shack Sam shot a streak of glowing energy that the space-furby narrowly avoided. It must have singed his fur though because the smell of burnt hair followed soon after. Titus snarled, nose wrinkling like the tiger he resembled as he bared his fangs.

"I wouldn't do that again," he said, aiming his arm blaster with a pitched whine as it powered up.

Sam snorted, "Do you really think your little squirt gun is gonna harm me?"

"No," Titus said, and then grinned and lowered the blaster, finding a new target. "But it will harm him."

Sam's stomach hit the floor and his eyes darted over to Peter, who had managed to get to his feet but was leaning against the wall for most of his support, one arm braced and ready to throw a web and the other tucked around his sides.

Sam's hesitation was only a split second, but it was all the time Titus needed. He surged forward, kicking Sam to the ground hard enough to make him breathless and pinned him under one immense foot, shoving his arm-gun inches from his face and powering it up so it sent a scolding red glow across Sam's cheek that he had to crane his face away from.

"Sam!" Peter shouted. He shot a web that landed in Titus's eyes and the alien roared, recoiling from the sticky glob and pulling at it with his free arm. Sam lifted his hands to blast at him, but Titus wasn't caught off guard and pressed so much weight onto Sam's chest that he gasped and screamed as one of his ribs cracked under the pressure.

Through his mottled vision there was more movement and a second later Peter was grunting in pain as he was wrestled to the ground by a group of Chitauri. Sam hadn't noticed they were behind Titus at all.

With a throaty snarl, Titus ripped the last of webs off and Sam was pleased when pieces of fur came with it, but his pleasure hopped to panic as Titus bent down and tore the helmet off his head. Like a cord getting unplugged, the power of the helmet immediately cut off and Sam felt a blast of cold air as his body was subjected to the elements once again.

Depowered and now vulnerable, Titus took his foot off Sam and stepped back, as if that was all it took. Sam curled an arm around his ribs with a strained grunt, eyes slamming shut as he attempted to scoot to his knees. Nearby, Peter, who was still being held down by a gaggle of Chitauri soldiers, had his face screwed up and blood was leaking out of the cut on his cheek again, and Sam would've snapped at them to ease up if not for Titus grabbing him by the collar and pulling him violently to his feet.

He looked Sam up and down, an unimpressed sneer plain as day on his face as he grumbled, "Pathetic," and threw Sam across the shack. The wooden walls cracked under the force and he hit the ground breathless and gasping, cracked rib screeching with pain and making it nearly impossible to take full breath of air.

"Watch them," Titus ordered, turning to the hole he'd made in lieu of a door, Sam's helmet clutched in his large furry hand. "I'll be back for Jesse's mistake momentarily."

Rough hands curled around Sam's arms and shoulders and he was hauled to his feet and shoved in the corner next to Peter, who was slumped against the wall.

"Hey," Sam wheezed, taking small easy breaths that made his side ache. When Peter didn't answer, Sam let go of himself enough to grab his knee and give it a little shake, not enough to hurt, just catch his attention, "Hey, Webs, how are you holding up?"

Peter lifted his head, trying to put on an expression of calm but his face was so tight it wasn't very believable. "Never better," he grunted, and as if physically arguing his body seized up as it was overcome with another wave of pain and he made a strained choking noise. "This is nothing. You?"