Unlikely Friends

08: Needles

The room seemed to be spinning as Ellie slowly opened her eyes. She moved her head slightly as she looked around the room. She licked her bottom lip since it felt dry. She needed something to drink. She felt hungry. Ellie looked up at the ceiling watching the light swing back and forth. She tried to get up but her arms were chained down to something and so were her legs. She couldn't move.
Ellie lifted her head slowly and looked around the room. There was a table with different things on it. Bunch of syringes with large needles. Inside the syringes were different substances. Ellie laid her head back and looked at her arm to see a tube running from her arm all the way to what looked like a coat hanger. On the coat hanger was a bag of some kind of blue substance that was being drained from the bag and into her body.
Ellie's body ached in pain as she moved. She could feel as if she was about to go back into unconsciousness. There was the sound of a door opening that made her look up to see a man enter the room. He wore a long white lab coat and a navy blue button up collar shirt with dark jeans. He had brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. He smiled softly at Ellie and walked over to her gently moving some of her blonde hair out of her face.
"Hello Ellie. My name is Baron Zemo. I'm not going to hurt you, Ms. Taylor. This may pinch a little bit but I promise it won't hurt too much" the man said picking up one of the syringes. Ellie looked at the syringe with fear but Zemo gently laid his hand onto her arm, "it's going to be okay. No need to tense up."
"How do you know me?" Ellie croaked out her voice scratchy as she watched Zemo inject her with whatever substance was in the syringe. She closed her eyes tightly feeling the little pinch.
"I know your father. He can be a nice man if he wants to. I needed him to retrieve you for me" Zemo said before he wrote something down on a clipboard. He looked at Ellie and set the clipboard down, "I know you are misunderstood by people at your school. I know that they bully you. They don't understand what it's like but I do. I know what it's like."
Ellie took a deep breath and laid her head back relaxing a little bit at the sound of his calm voice. He had a German accent as well. It was actually a little soothing to her. She looked at Zemo, "what are you doing to me?"
"I'm making you stronger, Ellie. Soon you will no longer be just a human. You'll be more than just a normal person. You'll have powers" Zemo said as he injected the next substance into her arm, "you'll become very powerful. I chose you for this because I know you are strong."
Ellie let out a small cry feeling the next little pinch but it was worse than the first one. It hurt a little bit but her body accepted the substance. She let out a heavy sigh and looked over at Zemo, "can I have something to drink?"
"Of course. As soon as we're done I'll unchain you and we'll go her you something for your scratchy throat" Zemo said getting the last substance and injecting it into Ellie's arm. Once Ellie's body accepted the last substance, Zemo smiled in victory before he unchained her hands and legs. He helped her down from the table and gave her a little smile.
"Thank you. It was hurting my wrist" Ellie said looking up at Zemo. Zemo nodded before he guided her out of the room and down the hallway to a little room that was a kitchen. It seemed like they were at some underground base. Ellie sat down at the table as Zemo got her a cup of water and a sandwich.
"Here you go" Zemo said setting the stuff in front of her. Ellie picked up the glass of water and started gulping it all down. She had been very thirsty. She sighed once she was done and set the glass down on the table.
"How long was I out?" Ellie asked as Zemo got her another glass of water.
"You were out for three days. I was beginning to worry you wouldn't wake up" Zemo said setting the next glass of water in front of her. Ellie nodded in understanding before she took a small sip from the water and took a bite of the sandwich.
"Where's my dad?" Ellie asked taking another bite of the sandwich that Zemo had made for her.
"He left after he dropped you off" Zemo said, "he didn't want to be here for the procedure. He gathered his money and left."
"He was paid to take me?" Ellie asked before she took a sip from the water. Her blue eyes carefully watching Zemo.
"Yes... But I paid him a good amount of money since you are very valuable. So is your Asgardian friend" Zemo said leaning back in his seat watching Ellie's every move as if he was a predator watching his prey. Ellie swallowed nervously and took another bite of her sandwich.
"I'm not valuable" Ellie mumbled with a mouth full. She bounced her leg nervously as she looked up at Zemo. She swallowed her food before taking a sip of water.
"That's where you are wrong. I paid $2,000,000 for your father to go retrieve you. He is kind of a rich man now because of you" Zemo said before he rose from his seat going over to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders gently and leaned down right next to her ear before speaking sending a chill down Ellie's spin, "you have no idea how valuable you are now with those substances in your blood. It'll change you a lot. Soon you'll be almost as strong your Asgardian friend."