Trapped in the Shadows

Chapter 31 - Freedom

"Are you ready?" Peter asked me, slipping his hand into mine.

I purposefully avoided looking at him so that Hydra would not suspect anything and replied, "of course. I'm just waiting on Loki."

"Everyone except for those directly involved in the procedure please clear out now," Dr. Strange spoke and Peter reluctantly gave my hand one final squeeze before exiting the cell.

Thanks to Loki's magic, Peter disappeared as soon as he walked in front of my line of sight. As far as Hydra was concerned, I was doing nothing more than spending the day staring out of my cell and waiting for my meal, which had not yet been delivered.

Strange was able to give me something to numb the pain as I was not getting anesthetized. Even so I could still feel Strange cutting into the back of my head, peeling up the scalp so that he could access my brain. He had taken an x-ray while I pretended to sleep the night before so that he would know exactly where to look. Even so, I knew that this surgery was incredibly risky. Then again so was keeping the device in my brain and allowing Hydra to remain in complete control over my life.

I spent hours in the chair as Dr. Strange carefully removed the device, making sure that he didn't accidentally hit one of my nerves in the process. While he worked, I tried not to move a muscle and complicate things, even making sure that my breathing was from the diaphragm so that my chest and shoulders did not move as much.

The illusions that Loki created astounded me, I actually felt as though I were pacing the cell impatiently while I sat in the chair with Strange operating on my brain. Finally I heard the clink of the device falling onto the tray that contained all of Strange's medical tools. He then stitched me back up and allowed Loki to stop his magic.

As the illusions fell apart around me, I glimpsed how exhausted Loki appeared. He had sustained high grade visions throughout the hours of surgery and it clearly had taken a lot of his energy to do it. I was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude that this man, who everyone knew only did things in his own self interest, had been willing to do so much with me.

"Now all we have to do is remove the cameras from your eyes," Strange spoke as he removed his gloves and scrubs.

"I have just the thing for that," Tony replied, leaving the spot from which he had been nervously watching the operation outside of the cell with Peter and a few of the other Avengers.

He pulled out a device from him pocket as he entered the code to open my cell doors and hurried over to me. Giving me a reassuring smile, he instructed, "I'm going to need you to keep your eye open when I go in, ok? I promise that this won't hurt you."

I mentally rolled my eyes at him, wondering if he really thought that I couldn't handle something going into my eye. He removed the lens in my right eye first, causing the device that had been implanted in my brain to give off a strong electric shock. The loud zap surprised Tony, who jumped slightly.

"Hey, watch it!" I cried out in response, glaring at him. "Next thing you know I'll be missing an eye!"

"Right, sorry," he muttered, although I could tell that he was still shaken up. Perhaps it was because he realized the full charge of the implant that was in my brain only a few minutes before and could have easily ended my life at any moment.

"Tony, if you need someone else to do this, I'm sure there are many who can keep their hands more stable than yours," I interrupted as he brought the device up again.

He took a deep breath, "no, I can do this, just stay still."

I did as he requested, careful to keep from blinking as he used the device to remove the remaining lens, officially freeing me from Hydra's bonds. A small smile spread across my lips as I asked, "might I have those?"

A look of confusion passed over Tony's face, "I suppose so."

I grabbed the lenses and placed them on the floor, crushing them beneath my foot so that the feed would be broken. With that, I returned to my bed in the cell, where I was ordered to stay on bed rest after the surgery. I waited for the large crowd that had gathered to leave, having had enough of their overwhelming presence for one day. Peter came over and sat by my side, placing his hand atop of mine.

"You're incredibly brave for going through all of that," he praised me, squeezing my hand slightly.

My lips twitched upwards in response, "thanks, but it wasn't brave if it was selfish. I am still trying to piece together my life, I'm not yet sure if I still belong here or if I will feel anything less than an imposter if I stayed. The reason I had the surgery was only so that I could have that choice."

"You think that makes you any less brave? (Y/N), you just chose to take control of your own life when it would be easier just to let Hydra continue ordering you around. You don't have to come running back to us, take your time to adjust and remember. Just know that I will always be here for you, no matter what you ultimately choose. We all will be."

"Why? Why does everyone care for me so much? I-I don't understand. You are constantly offering your love, giving me all the space and time I may need. Strange was willing to perform a surgery with little notice. Tony designed something specifically to safely remove the cameras from my eyes. Loki created a beautiful illusion to fool Hydra, leaving him exhausted due to the prolonged work. I don't deserve any of this."

"That is where you are wrong. You deserve the universe, (Y/N). You saved the lives of half of all life. You wielded the infinity gauntlet and yet did not keep that power for yourself because you knew the best way to prevent the next Thanos from obtaining that power would be to scatter the stones once more. You constantly help those who are in need of it, no matter who they are or what they've done. And just because Hydra was finally able to break you, I know that they can never take away your selflessness and bravery," Peter replied, cupping my cheek in his hand. A bit tentatively, he leaned down to my lips and met them with his own. The feelings of love and elation that I had experienced in my memories came rushing back and I began to kiss him back, savoring every sensation flooding through my body at his touch.

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(A/N): Guess who just finished all of the homework they were supposed to do this weekend? Everything's fine. Anyway, it's time for a celebration for you! Congrats to being freed from Hydra!