Not Gone But Forgotten || Peter Parker

Chapter Nine

Peter stands at the front of the cell, bouncing on his feet as he anxiously waits for the door to open.

Tony had been taken for experimentation ten minutes prior, and from there it was a waiting game for the plan to initiate. He listens closely, trying to hear what was happening in the other room, but the words are indistinguishable from where he's standing.

To distract himself, Peter begins to recite the decimals of pi, and he gets to twenty six numbers before the door actually slams open. He can't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Stark's being difficult- you know the drill."

And Peter did, almost too well. Tony was doing exactly what Peter had asked, which was to be as disruptive as possible when the guards prepared for the new round of electroconvulsive therapy. He knew that Annabelle would take matters to her own hands by requesting Peter's presence, and a couple days ago it would have worked in getting Tony to cooperate.

This time was going to be different.

As the guards walk in to grab Peter, he fakes resistance until he is inevitably out of the cell and walking down the hall. Depending on what guards were on duty, they would either immediately press a gun to his head or they would wait until they were in the room with Annabelle. Peter is lucky for once in his life, because today's guards only hold him so his arms were taut behind his back.

It's all too easy when Peter rams the first guard into the wall, knocking him out in one go. The other guard jumps into action, but Peter punches him square in the face before he can even lift a finger. The two guards fall limp at his feet, and Peter feels rejuvenated as he is finally able to defend himself.

He bends down immediately, searching for the walkie-talkie that all guards hold in their belts. He didn't know if his plan was going to work, but there was no turning back now. Peter then pauses in his tracks, dreading what he was about to do next.

He needs the pistol.

Similar to ripping off a band-aid, Peter grabs the abandoned gun and examines it with careful fingers. He hates the weight of it against his palm, yet he still holds it close to his chest knowing that there was no other option rather than this one.

He attempts to ignore the metal in his hand as he focuses back on the walkie-talkie. He holds it to his mouth, beginning the second part of the escape.

But then, he freezes as his eyes catch onto something else. He leans forward and feels into one of the guard's pockets, finding a Stark Phone in the process.

The irony doesn't go unnoticed to Peter.

He attempts to gauge how much time he has to make a call, and at the last second Peter decides to take the gamble. He quickly dials Happy's number, and he's suddenly thankful that the man had forced him to memorize it all those years ago.

The phone rings four times before Happy finally picks up, and Peter could almost cry just from the sound of his growl.

"Who are you and how do you get this number?"

"Happy- wow, is it good to hear your voice."

For a second the other line is silent, and Peter begins to worry that he had accidentally disconnected the call, but then Happy jumps into action, fulfilling his title as head of security.

"Peter?"

"Yeah, it's me. You would not believe-"

"Is Tony with you?"

Peter sobers up as he's suddenly reminded of what was on the line. "He's not with me but he's here. He's alive."

"Tell me anything you know of your whereabouts."

"Oh, okay- just give me a moment," he hears Happy complain on the phone, but he chooses to ignore it as he begins to once again search the guards' pockets. The first one has nothing useful but the second holds a wallet, to which Peter immediately opens and finds an identification card.

"I think we're in Nebraska, according to Christian Miller."

"Who?"

Peter looks again, searching for any more useful information to offer Happy. Unfortunately, all he finds is a twenty dollar bill and a gift card to Chipotle.

"Yeah, that's all I know."

Happy groans, and Peter hears shuffling from the other end of the line. While he waits for a response, he debates stealing the gift card in his hand, but decides that it would be morally wrong to do so.

Happy breaks Peter out of his train of thought, "can you stay on the phone? I need time to track where you're at."

"Sure, but I don't think I can talk for much longer."

He answers with fury, "stay where you are, it'll be easier to find you."

Peter wants to listen to Happy, but he knows that he can't as the walkie-talkie comes to life, and suddenly Annabelle is yelling out of the speaker.

"What is taking so long?"

Peter lets out a shaky breath, realizing that it's now or never. He directs his attention back to the Stark Phone.

"I'm sorry Happy but that's not an option, I have to go."

He must hear the resolve in Peter's voice, because he allows him leave with no further argument.

"Just stay safe Pete."

Happy almost sounds worried, in his own, stern way, and the realization warms his heart

"I'll try my best," and with that he puts the phone away, hoping that he can keep his promise.