𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 ➪ 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘧𝘧

2.8

"Hey, Banner," Clint called over, from in the front lounge. "Have you seen your kid anywhere? I'm looking for Pietro-" he added with a roll of his eyes. "She's usually around him."

Bruce sent a look to Natasha before shaking his head and turning back to Clint. "No, I-I'm looking for Spencer," he explained, and he could hear the nerves in his own voice settling in. He shouldn't even be worried - Spencer is an adult now and she's been taking care of herself a long time without Bruce but... something felt off. Wrong.

"Oh," Clint said. "No worries. I'm sure if we can get Wanda to-"

"Dr. Banner," Steve called out, and all of the people in the hallway looked over to him. "Tony's asking for you. He said he needs-"

"Bruce is looking for Spencer right now," Natasha explained.

"Oh," Steve said. "Well, so is Peter. Said him and Tony need her for - am I missing something?"

"Have you seen the twins?" Natasha questioned, quickly, noticing the thoughts racing through Bruce's head a hundred miles an hour. "They'll probably know where they are."

"I just saw them in the gym," Steve supplied. "Maybe-"

There's a rush of air, and suddenly Pietro and Wanda are standing with the large group of Avengers.

"What is it?" Wanda asked immediately, her eyes scanning everyone's expression. "Is there a new mission?"

Bruce noticed the way Pietro's eyes assessed the group longer than Wanda had, and then the way his eyes shifted over into the direction of Spencer's room before flickering back to Bruce.

The younger man hadn't meant to do it, but it didn't stop Bruce from noticing the expression on his face before his jaw tightened.

"Not a mission," Natasha said, crossing her arms over her chest and glancing over to Bruce, who was pulling his eyes from Pietro. "Just looking for Spencer. Have you guys seen her?"

Pietro's eyes darted down to Wanda, who was now looking at Bruce. "You haven't seen her?" she asked, her voice forcibly calm.

"Not since last night," Bruce admitted, his arms crossing over his chest tightly. "I thought she'd have breakfast then find me, but...."

"Pietro," Clint called, turning to the boy. "Do you mind-"

Pietro didn't hesitate, zooming off into a wisp of silver and blue.

"Is there anywhere she could have gone?" Steve prompted after a split second of silence. "Does she have her license?"

"She doesn't like to drive," Bruce said with a quick shake of his head. "She doesn't know anybody here, I don't-"

"She's not here," Pietro interrupted, his voice harsh. "Not in the building , not on the campus-"

"Okay, okay," Clint said, recognizing the emotion in Pietro's voice. "She's been through a lot, maybe she just-"

"Dr.Banner!" Peter called out, racing from one of the labs they had taken shop in. Bruce turned to look at him, and Peter's clearly in distress. "You need to come here," he pleaded, his eyes wide and he swallows hard. "Mr.Stark found something... he thinks Spencer's gone."

"Gone?" Bruce repeated, his voice rising to a yell. "W-what do you mean, gone?"

"Taken," Peter offered. "B-by HYDRA."

✰✰✰

IT'S COLD.

Freezing, even. Spencer would argue that this place was close to freezing and her running clothes for summer in New York were not at all sustainable for this kind of environment. Already, she had a headache and her fingertips were turning blue. She had been shivering for hours now - she thought. There's no clock, and she's shackled to the ground so think out the window... all it showed was white. White snow, she assumed.

The screaming hadn't stopped. Spencer couldn't understand the words, but she knew everything was definitely painful wherever it was coming from. She didn't call out or anything because.. Because she would have to be a complete idiot to think anyone in this place was going to help her out.

The best thing she could do was stay quiet. Bruce had to notice she was gone - or Pietro would. Wanda? Natasha? God, everything seemed so far now... what if they didn't realize? What if they didn't even notice, and Spencer had to be here. For longer. She could die here, she could just-

Her thoughts stopped when she heard footsteps. Loud, clambering footsteps and Spencer didn't even realize she was scrambling back to the corner of the cell until she felt the freezing brick of the wall against her back.

There were boots in front of the metal bars of the cell, and Spencer had to force her eyes to look up.

"Another mutant, hm?"

Spencer's brain didn't process the words for a few seconds, but by the time she did, the man had a set of keys in his hand and was unlocking the cell. Spencer didn't know if she could stay sitting, or standing so she didn't move, but her eyes were darting all over the place.

It doesn't matter. You don't have a way out.

"You think," the man said, his tone full of confidence and authority, and Spencer could identify the accent now. She had to be in Russia. "That the Avengers would have had enough of playing God but..." his eyes rake over Spencer. She shifted, uncomfortable, her hands with the cuffs in her land. "Look at you."

Spencer didn't have to look at herself. She knew she had shifted - she knew her skin was green now just by the power that was rushing through her. It didn't matter. She knew she was green, now, she could feel the power coursing through her but she knew it didn't matter. There was a gun at the soldier's hip. Spencer might be strong but she doesn't know if she was invincible.

She said nothing in response.

The man stepped forward, his eyes scrutinizing Spencer in a way that she couldn't stand but also couldn't do anything about. He was close enough that she could smell his cologne and the remnants of his lunch on his breath. It was terrible. This was terrible.

His clammy hand grabbed at her chin, jerking her face up to his. His eyes were squinted, but his lips pulled upwards in the most sinister way. With his bruising grip on Spencer, he grits out, "you are our weapon, now."