[ the writer's note is wild, just a heads up. alright, on with the chapter! ]
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
- T&B -
'Mr. Stark, uh, the thing got away,' Peter's breathless voice echoed into the comms. 'Sorry.'
'It's okay, Peter,' Wanda answered for the team, looking around the room slowly. 'Get back up here.'
Tony and Bruce were too much into the remedial stratagems to even acknowledge his comment, Tony affected by the morose condition the most. Bruce couldn't deny the utmost sense of loss that evaded them, the fact that even confinement 14B could do nothing to fight off her consciousness. Laura's limp body remained unmoving, her former symbiote disappearing under her skin and ceasing so. Her eyes were shut with no more movements, Tony hovering near her and a finger near her collarbone to feel a heartbeat.
A small red light traversed past the lifeline on the monitor. Ironically, Eddie swift footsteps carried him to besides Banner and leering into the glass. He was breathing heavily, muttering lowly under his breath. Banner saw this and immediately realized that this was the means of communication with his symbiote.
'She's got a pulse. Vision, light her up,' Tony commanded after a long silence, only four breaths repercussing through the room. 'Banner, fire up the chips.'
'Tony - ' Bruce started but Tony shot him the most dangerous look at him, willing the doctor to do as he says. He gulped, dragging the control on the fiber screen to restart the chips and the eleven microreactors coming back online. Tony braced himself, shooting a quick glance to the captured deadly symbiote wondering why he didn't allow Wanda to destroy it. It was right there. He could do it - he could take a shot at it and blow it to hell. But something was stopping and he ought to find out why.
'Vision?' Tony looked at the ultrabot who had collapsed into silence beside Wanda. The witch rubbed a hand along his hand to comfort him, his gaze away from Laura's body.
'I'm sorry, Mr. Stark,' Vision apologized, 'The numbers don't add up. I will hurt her this time.'
Banner watched as the reactor in her chest glowed a bright blue, electric signals interfacing with her nervous system and lighting her body up with a warm blue glow. From above, Tony spotted the thick mass of symbiote near her chest that had managed to clamp onto her spinal bones and connect to her mind. Tony almost let out a cry of joy when her eyelids started to move; quicker than usual.
Eddie started to spur, a flicker of hope igniting his features as he peered forward at her twitching fingers. A sullen breath left his system when her eyes snapped open to the ceiling and heaving out in pants.
