Free From HYDRA

Chapter 1

WINTER SPIDER didn't know how long he'd been sitting there, in the dark room. It was too quiet even for him; he had enhanced hearing, which helped quite a bit on stealth missions. But now, he heard nothing at all; only the soft hum of machinery couple rooms over. It was slowly driving him insane. 

And that was when he realized: he could hear—could think. It had been so long since he remembered thinking and hearing things. The moments when he'd really been free of the brainwashing was when he woke up from it—and he was instantly put under again in just a couple minutes. 

Right now, he wasn't Winter Spider.

What was his real name?

Before he could think more about it, the doorknob rattled, and all emotion quickly left his face. As the door opened, Winter Spider squinted his eyes against the light, staring at the tall man in the white coat.

"Hello, Winter Spider," the man said coolly. Winter Spider realized that this was the man who always said his trigger words. His eyes widened a fraction—he didn't want to go under. Not again. Not now, when he was so free. "You might be wondering what's going on, and maybe why you aren't in shackles." He pointed at Winter Spider's bare wrists and ankles, a small smile pressed against his thin lips.

"Your body is being controlled by Winter Spider—not the weakling behind him. And since Winter Spider is a property of HYDRA, HYDRA will be always controlling and watching you." The man tilted his head as he watched Winter Spider carefully, nodding a couple times in satisfaction. "Winter Spider, we are sending you on a mission."

Winter Spider—no, the boy behind his mask—'s fingers curled and a pool of anxiety and fear formed in his stomach. If he'd been brainwashed into fully being Winter Spider, he wouldn't have felt a thing. Winter Spider was an assassin. The fourteen-year-old boy behind his mask was not.

I don't want to kill anyone, the boy in his subconsciousness pleaded. Not when I know what I'm doing. Not when I'm me. 

"Your mission is to go undercover to Midtown High-school of Science and Technology. Your alias is a boy named Peter Parker, and you have to kidnap fifteen-year-old Harley Keener."

Peter Parker.

Peter! a voice suddenly rang through his mind, and he nearly flinched, catching himself just in time with his HYDRA training. Peter! Where are you? I'm scared...I don't wanna play hide-and-seek anymore.

"Do you understand, Winter Spider?" the man asked.

The Winter Spider part in...Peter?...nodded.

"Wonderful. Tomorrow is your first day at school. Hail HYDRA."  

                                                                  *** 

HE SWALLOWED as the building came into view. If Winter Spider hadn't been in him, controlling him, his fingers would've been shaking with anxiety. This was the first time he had been outside without having his mind blank. He could remember some cracks of memory from his missions, but they had mostly been brainwashed away right after. 

Cars—that was what the scientists at HYDRA called them—whirred by on the streets. Peter Parker—for that was who he was supposed to be, his alias—was careful to stay on the sidewalk so that he wouldn't get run over by a car. Though, with what was happening to him, he wanted to step in front of a car and finally end his mental and physical tortures from HYDRA. But, of course, Winter Spider stopped him from doing so. 

He had never been to school. That was one of the only things he remembered. He had been young, very young, when he'd been taken. That brought another question to the front of his mind: why him? Why Peter? 

If he had been just Peter, he would've sat down on the sidewalk and cried about his unfair, painful life. But he wasn't 'just Peter', but he was also the Winter Spider, a teenage killer. He wondered if anyone would find out that he was a killer; and he wondered if they would be afraid of him if they found out. 

"Hey," a voice said from beside him, and Peter jumped. Even the Winter Spider hadn't noticed the boy come up beside him. "I'm Ned. Ned Leeds. Are you new? I've never seen you around before." 

The Winter Spider in him analyzed the boy, trying to find out if he was a threat to get rid of. But with Ned Leeds's goofy, big smile and kind eyes, it seemed almost impossible for Ned to be a threat. There was something in Ned's eyes and smile that wanted Peter to become friends with him, but the Winter Spider wouldn't allow it. 

"Peter," he said, internally wincing as his voice came off cold and authoritative. He felt guilty as he saw Ned's smile falter at his coldness. I'm sorry, he repeated in his head over and over, wishing that Ned could hear him. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. 

"Right," Ned replied awkwardly. "Well, it's was nice meeting you, Peter. See you around." 

Peter drowned in guilt as Ned walked away. His grip tightened around his bag's straps as he bent his head low, silently cursing himself, Winter Spider, and HYDRA in his head. 

Why me? 

His steps were silent as he paused in front of the school's wide doors and steps. He swallowed again, closing his eyes as he let out a breath, steeling his nerves. But right before he could step onto the first stair, a voice called out a name that made him freeze in his tracks. 

"Harley!" 

His eyes widened. 

You have to kidnap fifteen-year-old Harley Keener. 

He turned, the Winter Spider part of him taking control as he watched a boy a year younger than him step out of a black car, a pair of shades resting among his brown curls. There was a smile on his face, dimples showing brightly as he shook hands firmly with Ned Leeds. There was an innocent aura around him that made Peter's heart ache. 

Why me? Why Harley?

"Target in sight," Winter Spider breathed to himself in thought, but for some reason, in the back of his mind, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't have the heart to ruin Harley's life. 

But he had to. HYDRA sent him. 

The worst thing about HYDRA was that they were smart. They knew their experiments, especially one they raised as their own, very well. 

He swallowed once more, turning away. 

Why me?

~Lyn 

Words: 1072