Trapped in the Shadows

Chapter 20 - Failing

Four Months Later:

(Peter's POV):
"Hey, Mr. Stark, I was just calling to see if there had been any updates on (Y/N)?" I spoke as Tony finally answered my call. I knew I should have been studying for my finals or starting my final papers as their due dates were fast approaching, but this was more pressing to me.

"Pete, I know why you called, it's the same thing every day. We have every law enforcement agency around the world running facial recognition, trying to pinpoint where she is. I promise that if we find anything, I will let you know immediately, kid," he replied, sounding completely exhausted.

"I know, Mr. Stark, and I am sorry. I just miss her so much," I confessed, my voice breaking slightly. I tugged on the chain around my neck, pulling the ring I had given to (Y/N) out from underneath my shirt. I brought the ring up to my lips, placing a kiss upon it as I desperately tried to blink back the tears in my eyes.

"I know, kid," Tony sighed and I could hear the pain in his voice as well. "Not having her around, not being able to do anything to help her, it's driving me mad. I haven't slept properly since she was taken and have barely left my lab in that time. Pepper has to come by with meals or else I'll forget to eat and I know I would be a heavy alcoholic by now if it weren't for our child that will be born in a few months. God, I am such a mess, I didn't realize that losing (Y/N) would unravel years of trying to get my life together. I can only imagine the affect that it's having on you."

"I can no longer think straight, my thoughts constantly linger on her. It's my fault that she's gone and I can never forgive myself for that," I confessed, never actually having shared my thoughts with anyone before. "Everyday I pray that she'll be found by some miracle and then I have to go to bed disappointed, falling into a restless sleep plagued with nightmares of the terrors that she must be enduring."

"I know it's hard, Pete, and I understand what you are going through better than anyone. But I do need to talk to you about your grades. The university has graciously reached out to me so that I can encourage you to pick up your performance at school. You have to pass your finals, Pete, or else you are going to fail your classes and MIT is going to kick you out. I know it's hard with (Y/N) missing, but you can use your school work as a distraction, like how I spend time in the lab."

"I've tried, Tony, but I don't have any interest in what we are learning, I can't keep my thoughts on school. I am sorry, Tony, I appreciate that you've been paying my tuition, but I don't know if I can do this. I've been trying to study for the past hour, but all I can do is worry about (Y/N) and try to figure out new ways to find her."

"I'm sorry, Pete, there's nothing more that we can do. If she is released from wherever she is being held, we will know immediately. Until then, you have to try to focus on your studies. You know that (Y/N) would not be happy to hear that you flunked out of your dream school because of her, please try, Pete. You are one of the smartest kids I know, you just need to focus more on school. Can you do that for her, Pete?"

"I will try, Tony," I sighed, glancing over at the pile of work that I needed to do.

"Bye, kid, I'll see you on your break. Perhaps we can make some upgrades to your suit together."

"Sure, bye Tony," I replied, hanging up the phone. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I hadn't put on the Spider-Man suit since (Y/N) was taken because it reminded me too much of her. However, I would appreciate being in the compound again, that way I would know immediately if they found anything on (Y/N).

(Your POV):
"Shall we try this again?" The man who had trying to force me to submit to Hydra's will asked. I had discovered that his name was Mitchell Carson, a former Shield agent who had infiltrated the organization for Hydra. He had worked with my grandfather to try to re-create pym particles, assuring me that he certainly wasn't entirely an idiot if Peggy Carter had assigned him to that.

I had become his project at Hydra as he tried to brainwash me the way they had Bucky. Throughout the months, or perhaps even years at this point, I had continued to fight against their power over my mind. However, I was beginning to wonder if it was truly the best decision to remain adamant that I would not be turned.

Instead of my normal defiance, I looked up at Carson and asked, "what do you want me to do?"

He broke out into a cold smile, "come with me, Shadow. I have someone that I want you to meet."

Two agents undid the restraints keeping me to the table around my wrists and ankles, but made sure to keep the magic inhibitors on around my wrists. However, they rebound my wrists together, probably as a precaution in case I wasn't actually turned. I allowed them to do as they pleased, hoping that I could convince Carson of my loyalty and find a way to escape.

Carson had the agents flank me as he lead me through the hallways of their base to a room not far away. He opened the door for me and ushered me inside, my interest piquing as we arrived at the final destination. There was a young girl in the room, tied to a chair with tears streaming down her face. She looked a bit battered, causing me to wonder had happened to her and how she ended up here.

"This is Delilah, she's the daughter of a current Shield agent, which means she is our enemy. You are going to kill her," Carson explained, handing me a 9mm glock.

I raised the gun to point at the child, but took the time to quickly scan the room to create a plan of escape as there was no way I was going to kill an innocent child. This was probably the best chance I would get to escape; it was only the two agents and Carson in with me. Carson wasn't a fighter, although I knew that the two agents were. However, if I acted quickly enough, I could land bullets on both agents and then take Carson out with hand-to-hand combat, even if my hands were tied together.

I moved my finger to the trigger, pulling back as I shifted my aim to the agent to right and then spun around to shoot the agent on my left. However the gun only made a clicking noise each time I pulled the trigger, revealing that the gun was not loaded.

Frantically, I tossed the gun aside and leapt at the two agents. I wrapped my thighs around the neck of one and forcefully brought by bound wrists down upon his head. The other agent grabbed my waist, pulling me off of the man I was attacking and I struggled to get my leg around his, knocking him off balance and slamming his back into the ground. The other agent, now released from my grasp, stood above us with a gun pointed at my forehead.

"Oh, (Y/N), did you really think that we were going to give you a loaded weapon?" Carson asked as the the agent beneath me got up and pointed his own weapon at me, in case I tried to make a move to escape. "This was just a test to see if you were actually brainwashed, I wasn't actually expecting you to let go of your mind so quickly. Unfortunately, your laughable attempt at escape will mean that you will have to be punished. I'm sure Hauer and Tat would be more than happy to deal with you as they see fit."

The two agents nodded, dragging me out of the room, but not before I watched Carson pull out his own gun and aim it at Delilah, shooting her while a maniacal smile painted his face.

-

(A/N): It's Hydra time! Also I just had my first day of classes and it was so stressful because I had my hardest class and then a bunch of auditions/exams after classes were done and I'm just dead (part of the reason I didn't fix the floweriness of Peter's language rip) I didn't want to wait to post this and I can't imagine I will be any less exhausted tomorrow so here you all go!