Peachy

I'm Still Standing

Narrator's POV

"AH!"

"Had enough?"

"Yeah! Yes!" Stephen choked.

"Glad I was able to quench your thirst." Timothy laughed as he took the towel off of Stephen's face. He sat down in the chair in front of Stephen. "Now, are you ready to talk?"

"I already told you. I don't know." Stephen said.

"Stephen..."

"It wasn't important to me. I let it go." Stephen said.

Timothy stood up and took a hold of Stephen's hair, jerking his head back.

"Ah!" Stephen groaned.

"Tell me." Timothy growled.

"I don't kn-"

"Don't tell me that." Timothy slapped him. "I know you know."

"I don't-"

"Tell me." He slapped him again.

"I-"

Timothy slapped him again, letting him go this time. Stephen's head fell forward. He chuckled. "This is getting a little repetitive." Timothy took off his suit jacket and rolled up his white sleeves, making sure the cuffs would fit right above his elbows.

"I promise you. I don't know." Stephen told him. "Mm!" He groaned as he picked his head up. He was in excruciating pain. "Please. Just let me go."

"In pain?" Timothy asked. He reached in his pocket.

"Please, no." Stephen shook his head. "Not again...please."

It wasn't a syringe, just a needle. "Don't worry. I want you to feel it this time." He said, holding up the needle.

Stephen's eyes widen.

///0///0

"So, Nat." Tony said as he walked along with Natasha. "Where're you from? Do you go to the academy? Are you from another school?"

"I go to the academy." Natasha said. "I'm working on a field that's only for a small amount of people." She explained.

"Oh." Tony said. "What do you do?"

"I want to be a spy." She looked around, making sure none of the other boys would hear. "An assassin." She whispered.

"Didn't know that was a thing here."

"You probably haven't heard about because, like I said, it's only for a small group of people." She said. "It's why I don't have friends."

"Well, you're welcomed with us anytime." Tony said.

She smiled, but then her smile faded. "Thanks, but I don't do friends." She said. "It's one of the first things they teach us. You don't want to get too attached to something."

"But it's not all bad."

"Sure, until you watch your sister destroy herself and become a monster." Natasha closed her fists tightly. "Murdering hundreds of people and destroying city by city. Then having to terminate her yourself." Natasha gasped.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked her.

She shook her head. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" She said.

Tony walked with her in silence. "Well, if you ever need anyone to talk to; I'm here." Then he looked up, searching for Bruce. "And Bruce is here too." He pointed at him. "He's really good at listening. Oh, and Stephen." He smiled. "Stephen is really approachable, and he's an excellent listener. He's so patient and comfortable to be around."

"You sound extremely fond of this Stephen guy." Natasha looked at Tony.

Tony blushed. "Well of course. He's one of my closest friends. He's family." He said, then looked at Natasha. "You're welcomed into our family anytime."

"I'll consider it." She said.

"Friends?" Tony stretched his hand out to her.

"Colleagues." She said, giving him a small smile and shaking his hand.

Tony smiled.

///0///0

"Stop!" Stephen bit his lip, trying to hold back cries of pain from escaping his mouth as Timothy stuck needles up his nails.

"This would be a lot less painful if you told me that equation." Timothy told him, ready to stick another needle into another of Stephen's fingers.

"I already told you. I don't- PLEASE!" Stephen cried as Timothy began to slowly insert a needle up his nail.

"Just tell me~" Timothy sang as he stuck the needle in further.

"I don't know! I don't know!" Stephen cried.

"Oh, you're so cute." Timothy took Stephen's face in his hand. "You want me to stop?"

"Mhm." Stephen nodded as tears ran down his cheeks.

"Then tell me." Timothy smiled.

"I don-"

"Stop saying that!" Timothy slapped Stephen, walking a little distance away from him. "That's all you've been saying for the past three days!" He turned around and kicked Stephen in the stomach with so much for the chair fell over.

"Ah!" Stephen gasped. That kick had taken all the air out of him. His lungs were empty. He gasped repeatedly, trying to fill his lungs up with air. Once they had air in them, he coughed; spitting some blood.

"Don't spit on my floor." Timothy kicked him again. Stephen cried. "You want something to cry about? I'll give you something to cry about." Timothy said, picking up the chair and dragging it.

"N-No! No! Please!" Stephen wriggled in the chair, trying to break the binding. "Stop! Please! Timothy!"

"Shut up!" He smacked Stephen in the back of the head.

"I-I know that y-you're in pain." Stephen said.

"More than you?" Timothy chuckled.

"Far greater than me." Stephen said. He wheezed, gasping for air. "I c-can help you. Timothy... I know this isn't you." Timothy looked at Stephen, his expression softening. "Let me help you. We can-"

"Tim." Came a voice.

Timothy looked up and went over to the monitor sitting on a desk across the room. He clicked a button. "Talk to me." He said.

"They found it."

"Good." Timothy smirked.

"How's your prisoner?"

"Oh, he's here. He's well." Timothy turned to Stephen. "Say hi, Stephen." Stephen didn't say anything. "He's a little shy."

"Would you like me to take you through their plan?"

"Oh no, no. Don't spoil the surprise." Timothy laughed. "Just take out as many as you can on your way here."

"Will do."

"But, make sure to leave the one alone. I want him to come in here and see how much fun I've been having with Stephen." Timothy said.

"Roger that."

Timothy turned to Stephen, smiling. "They're coming for you." He displayed live feed of Tony and everyone else gathered around the hide out outside.

"You're outnumbered. You'll never be able to take them all down." Stephen said.

"Not quite." Timothy chuckled. "I've got someone watching them very closely." He smirked at Stephen.