☑ THE SHADOW | Peter Maximoff

f o r t y - t h r e e

~ 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 ~

With the gecko on his shoulder and a small frown on his face, Peter watched Amara storm out of the room. He was tired, and he ran around with his powers once. He couldn't imagine the fatigue Amara had (or was going to have as soon as this was over). They were both probably going to sleep for the next month.

His sigh was small after she disappeared, and he pulled his goggles back over his eyes.

"Hold on tight," he muttered, and after the gecko gave him a firm nod, Peter sped his way back to the front of the base. This allowed him to follow the path Suyin showed him. Luckily, he only got turned around in that maze of a base twice.

Eventually, he stood in the familiar hallway that led to the dungeon of mutants. Taking out the guards was much easier the second time around; each of them were tied by their hands and feet up with their weapon straps and dangling out the window, screaming and thrashing around violently, within a split second. When Peter burst into the room, he ducked under the swing of another guard and used that guy's rifle to knock him and the rest of the guards out.

That left the rest of the room to stare at him. It was hard to ignore the eyes glued to his form as he picked up the set of keys and jiggled them in his hand. They were all silent at first, staring at him with surprise, probably trying to determine if they were making it up in their head, or if they were finally getting out.

The latter, he decided, was their thought process, because each of the mutants went from silent disbelief to grateful cheers in a matter of seconds. He grinned, running up to the first cage as they shook the chains and barred doors of their cages and called for him to choose them first, get them free first, save them first.

But just before he could insert the key, something inside him told him to wait.

Peter stared at the man in front of him, slowly realizing a small problem. The mutant was a bit older than Peter, he guessed in his early- to mid-forties, skinnier than he was, taller than he was, and balder than he was, too.

What if these were mind controlled like Suyin was? Clearly, Remedy tricked him and Amara into coming back to the base. What if this was part of their plan, too? Did they expect them to escape? What if these mutants were pretending to be on his side, just to turn around and drag him and Amara right back to the base, again? What if, on the plane, they were flying over the ocean, and that's when they turned on them? Everyone would end up drowning.

But, he couldn't leave these mutants behind even if they were mind controlled. It wasn't their fault Remedy was dragging them back. They deserved to be freed, just as much as he and Amara were.

A brief idea told him he could carry them to the plane unconscious. Another told him that he'd be so tired after doing that he wouldn't be able to help Amara fight. He might not even be able to stand.

The man in the cage gripped the bars tightly, looking at Peter with bewilderment.

"What's wrong?!" he asked. His voice was hoarse and just as rough as his appearance. "Unlock the door! Let's go!"

Peter gulped and shook his head.

"How do I know you're not..." He winced. "Ya know..."

He couldn't afford to have these people turn on him. Not again. Not even for his sake, but for Amara's. There was no way she'd be able to pull off another attack like the one she was going to now. One more crucial mistake and it would be the end of both of their stories.

The man scoffed, shaking his head wildly. "Then what was your plan, genius? How the hell were you gonna get us out?"

"Well, I was gonna knock you all out and carry you," Peter muttered, scratching his head. Maybe, if he had all of his strength back, he could. Not now, when he was dreaming of his bed and not moving ever again while he still had to get everyone home.