The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

029

CHAPTER 029
GRUDGE MATCH

LOCATION: unknown

KASEY OPENS HER EYES SLOWLY. She didn't know where she was. The last thing she remembered, she went to sleep and now she was waking up here. She sits up and looks around before standing and walking towards the closed door in the room. Her hand twisted around the doorknob, trying to open it, but it didn't budge. She was locked inside.

Then, her eyebrows knit in confusion when she feels something inside her ear. Kasey touches it and then looks through the mirror in the room to see a device in her ear, but tiny little parts of the device were inside her head. Her eyes widened and she goes to pull it out until a voice stops her, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Kasey turns around quickly and then finally notices a man sitting in the corner, reading a book. At least he was until the awakened Kasey caught his attention. He was a bit built, but still looked dehydrated and like he hadn't showered in weeks. Kasey looks at him in confusion, "Have you been there this whole time?"

"Yup." He answers, "The device in your ear is connected to your brain. You pull it out, you could have brain damage."

Kasey narrows her eyes at him, "How do you know that?"

"Because someone's done it before." He answers.

Kasey watches him return to his book, shrugging off her confused look. She takes a breath, "Where am I?"

The man looks back up at her, "Only the worst place you could possibly ever be: Grudge Match."

"What's Grudge Match?"

"Grudge Match is a Fight Club where they put two people in an arena and make them fight to the death." He explains.

Kasey sighs and shakes her head, "I'm not doing that."

She already had enough blood on her hands, she would not kill someone else. "You don't have a choice." The man tells her, "Either you kill or they kill."

"What's this for?" Kasey points to the device in her ear.

"It's to control us." The man answers shortly before returning back to his book.

Kasey raises her eyebrows at him, "And who are you?"

He looks up at her, "Name's Eddie March."

"How long have you been here?"

"Two months." Eddie answers, "They have a match every two weeks. Even I'm surprised I lasted this long."

"Well, I'm--"

"I know who you are." Eddie cuts her off. Kasey shrugs. That wasn't uncommon. "I got my nickname after your brother. They call me Shellhead."

Kasey laughs and then it dies down, "I have to get out." She sits on the bed and looks at him, "If you know who I am, then you know I can't stay here. I have to get back to the Avengers. If I do, then I can save all of you, I can--"

"You'll fail." Eddie interrupts, "People have tried to escape. They failed. No one came looking for them. No one came to save them. There's only one way out of here, Kasey: You die."