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｡･:*:･ﾟCHAPTER TWELVE ｡･:*:･ﾟ
"hijacked"
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GRAY DREAMT THAT he was drowning.
He wasn't sure why - perhaps his mind was so exhaustive; mulling over the events of the previous night. Nevertheless, Gray found himself awake in his slumber, staring at the gray walls that made his heart lurch as he remembered what they infered.
STYX. He was back there - but how could he have possibly gotten back there? He was inside of a glass box, the looming panels running up the length of the wall. He pressed a hand to the glass, his heart quickening as he pounded on it with his fist. "Hey!"
His shout reverberated throughout the room. It seemed to bounce off of the walls, echoing through his head and making his throat constrict as if it was trying to fold in on itself. He didn't understand. This should be impossible.
The door creaked open. Gray felt a painful lurch in his chest as a figure in a white hazmat suit entered the room, holding a small remote control in his hand. The screen covering his face obscured all notable features; but Gray knew exactly who it was. He had seen that face a million times.
"Hello, Grayson."
Gray pounded his fist on the glass, the warbeled and distorted voice making goosebumps rise on his bare arms. "Hey!" He yelled, hitting the glass over and over, his hand beginning to hurt from the action. "Let me out! Let me-"
Water began to fill the box. It soaked his bare feet and swished around his ankles, rising rapidly as if in tune with his heart. Gray hit the glass again, but knew deep down just how fruitless the action was. He put a hand to his face, trying to remember how to breath as the cold water soaked through the white shirt he had been wearing for god-knows how long. He outstretched his hand, but couldn't feel the usual binding sensation to his surroundings. Instead, all stayed the same. The man in the suit stared at him, speaking through a speaker that resonated through Gray's ears.
"Commencing trial 349. Subject 82, Grayson Moreno."
"No, wait!" Gray reached up, and his hand hit the top of the box. The water was up to his neck, feeling as if it was tightening a noose that cut off his airway. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't understand. He couldn't breathe.
The water covered his face. He opened his eyes, the desperate inhalation of air already beginning to press tightly against his ribs. He could see his reflection in the glass, clearer than his eyes when they saw the sun for the first time.
And - despite it not making sense... his ten year old self stared back at him.
***
GRAY BOLTED UPRIGHT.
Peter yelped. He stumbled for a moment, before losing his balance and falling back against the wall, his side smacking against the edge of the small dresser that had been pressed against the wall. Gray could feel his erratic heartbeat press firmly against his ribs; sweat slicking the back of his neck as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Shit!" Peter shouted, rubbing his hip with a wince as he nervously approached the bed again. "I'm sorry! You were like - mumbling, and your face looked like you were upset, and the buses are leaving in twenty minutes and I-"
A muffled voice from outside of the door cut the boy off. "Grayson? Peter?" Betty called, and Peter immediately grimaced as Gray continued heaving in generous breaths of air. "I heard a crash..." there was a pause, followed by a skeptical; "what are you guys doing in there?"
"Nothing, Betty!" Peter exclaimed, his face flushing red. "We're coming soon!"
"Mhm, okay!"
"Oh dios mio el viaje - la estupidez-" Gray mumbled, his words slurring together as he regained bearing of his surroundings. Pressing his hand to the top of his hair, he grabbed a handful of dark locks and exhaled sharply through his mouth. "Parker. Jesus Christ. I wasn't, I just-"
"A bad dream?" Peter interrupted, lacing his fingers together as Gray sat up. The atmosphere settled, enough for Gray to notice the streaks of light that were painting the hardwood floor. The windows were dusty, making the yellow of the sun seem diluted as they bathed the room in a warm glow.
Gray blanched. "I - I didn't-"
"I get it," Peter shrugged, nervously adjusting the collar of his flannel sweater. "I get them too. Nightmares - I mean."
Gray felt his eyes soften. Peter really did know how to make people feel better. But still; an edge of defensiveness crept into his tone as he threw off his covers and rose to his feet. Looking down at Peter, he squinted his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
The boy's face turned red, but before he could say anything; a knock at the door made Gray take a half-step away. Ned stood in the doorway, a grin on his face as he proudly showcased a cup in his hand - presumably filled with coffee. "Guys! The bus is here!"
The grin on his face faltered as he took in the atmosphere of the small room. Raising an eyebrow, he shook the cup. "MJ found a coffee place, and we got espressos! We're placing bets on how long it's gonna take for Abe to explode, hurry up!"
"We're coming," Gray stated cooly, running a hand through his hair as he dodged around Peter to get to his bed. He could feel the aftermath of his dream pressing down on his shoulders; so he kicked the edge of his bedframe to try and ground his senses. He didn't understand how dreams could be so vivid... so real.
And he didn't know how to speak about it. How to even think about it. So instead, he stayed quiet and ruffled through his bag; unaware of the Parker boy's burning gaze on his back.
***
"HAVE YOU EVER TRIED Italian espresso before? I think it's just cocaine in an Americano."
Gray tugged at the strings of his maroon hoodie, the scent of coffee only making his erratic heartbeat quicken as he tapped his fingers against his thigh. He was on edge - and it was obvious from just looking at him. But he knew that things tended to drift when he wasn't focused on his conscious; so he was trying to get a grip as soon as possible.
MJ took another sip of her drink. "And I don't even like coffee. I just like expanding my cultural horizons."
"Huh," Gray's eyebrows knitted together. Peter was walking next to Ned, speaking in a tone of voice that made it nearly impossible for Gray to eavesdrop. He wondered if he was too harsh earlier - besides, Peter was just trying to help. But Gray didn't like being seen as weak, especially now; since the world saw his alter-ego as the mysterious persona who would aid humanity after the downfall of Tony Stark. Gray couldn't possibly live up to Tony - and he couldn't imagine how Peter felt about his part in this crazy plan.
MJ snapped her fingers in front of his face. Gray jumped, nearly running into her Italian espresso as he exhaled sharply. The girl raised an eyebrow at him, and Gray shot her an annoyed look. "Jeez, MJ, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"You were staring at Peter," she stated bluntly, although there was a teasing edge to her voice. "Again."
"Again?" He repeated, incredulity lacing his tone. "I don't stare."
"Wanna bet on that?"
"Good news!"
Grayson had never been more relieved to hear Mr. Harrington's voice. He seemed chipper, a bag in his hand and a grin on his face as he spun around to address the group. "We're going to Prague!"
Gray felt his eyes widen. Instantly, he spun around to look at Peter, only to find that he was already looking at him. The boy raised a questioning eyebrow, so Gray shrugged. It couldn't be a mere coincidence that Nick Fury was speaking of Prague the night before, and now their chaperone was. It didn't make sense, but Gray was sure it would in no time.
God, he wished Nick Fury wasn't such a jackass.
"The tour company upgraded us!" Mr. Harrington continued, oblivious to the pissed off look on Gray's face as he continued to make his way to the front of the group. "You should've heard me on the phone with them, I really gave 'em hell."
"All I heard was crying," Mr. Dell piped up, but said nothing more at the look he received.
Mr. Harrington beckoned the group to follow him, so they did so somewhat reluctantly. Gray stuffed his hands in his pockets, repressing the urge to groan as the bus came into sight. It wasn't the bus that annoyed him - rather the man standing in front of it. The familiar beard and steely eyes, although he seemed fractionally less daunting without a machine gun in his hands.
Dimitri shot him a cold look when he passed, one that Gray mimicked with a smug eye-roll. He leaned over as he walked onto the bus, mumbling words so quiet they were at no risk of anyome hearing them.
"Thanks a lot for this, 'Mitri."
And he didn't say anything else.
***
PETER SLID INTO THE seat next to Gray.
The boy almost didn't notice. He was too busy mentally cursing out Nick Fury for forcing Peter into a dangerous situation. Like come on! That just made his job like, ninety percent more difficult. Protect Peter Parker was a simple idea on paper, but the boy seemed to be a magnet for bad situations. Like danger was glued to the little webs he hides in his wrist bands.
They had already been driving for hours, and Gray was seconds away from falling asleep. He hated his dreams, all they did was make him groggy and irritable for the rest of the day. Plus, they were pointless. He didn't understand why his brain forced him to remember things that he would rather forget.
"Hey," Peter said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Gray cocked an eyebrow. "Hi."
"Check this out," Peter withdrew a small box from his pocket; one that Gray recognized to be the glasses case that Nick Fury gave him the previous night. It made goosebumps rise on Gray's arms, as if remembering what Tony Stark had left him made him realize just how human he was. Peter pulled out the glasses, fiddling with them for a moment, before placing them gently on his nose.
Gray blinked. "Wow, super fashionable."
"Just wait-" Peter cleared his throat, before speaking in a hushed tone. "EDITH."
Blue light flooded the glasses. Gray thought he was hallucinating, but a small smile crept onto Peter's face, so he knew better. The boy gestured to the frames, "it's like, one of Mr. Stark's AI's."
Gray was almost jealous that he didn't get a cool AI, but then remembered that his gift was way better, and twisted in his seat. "EDITH? What does that stand for? Something dumb, I assume?"
Peter shrugged. "I mean, kind of egotistical, but not necessarily dumb. 'Even Dead I'm The Hero.'"
Gray snorted, leaning forward to rest his face into his hands. He could barely contain his laughter at the acronym, although a part of his chest ached as he took in just how Tony that was. He looked back up at Peter, his cheeks turning red from his laughter. "Of course it is. Tell EDITH I say hi."
"It's scanning your face." Peter stared intently at Gray for a moment; long enough to make the boy want to avert his eyes. Finally, he said, "did you know that you're wanted in four states?"
"Yeah." Gray admitted, coyly brushing some hair away from his face. "Actually, Specter is. Grayson is only wanted in one."
"Cool," Peter pushed the glasses up higher on his nose, and Gray tilted his head to the side. The boy looked good in glasses - and as stupid as the thought was, it stuck in his head. He leaned forward slightly, tapping the side of the glasses with his pointer finger.
"So can you like, read people's minds with that?"
"I don't think so, but I can see what they're doing on their phones-" Peter swiveled his head to glance at where Ned and Betty were seated next to each other, and for a moment his face contorted into what may have been a very judgmental or confused expression. Peter looked back at Gray, his face lighting up as he reached down and grabbed his wrist. "Cool! I can see your suit."
The boy subconsciously glanced down to his wristbands. He lifted up the sleeve of his sweater, exposing the black bands with a small shrug. "What do you mean? These are just my accessories."
Peter chuckled. "Very high-tech accessories."
Before Gray could think of something to say in response, the bus rumbled to a halt. Gray paused, turning back to look out the window. He hadn't even noticed that they pulled into a small area with dipalitated buildings and people milling around. He heard Mr. Harrington yell something about petrol and bathrooms, as people began to rise from their seats.
Gray reached over and plucked the glasses from Peter's face. "Time to go back to regular nerd Peter."
"Fine, but I still want to learn about how Mr. Stark crafted this. It's insane."
Gray grinned as Peter slid out of the seat, beginning to walk out of the already emptied bus. Gray followed, sliding his thumb over his wristbands as he did so. As he was about to exit the bus, Dimitri held his hand out, stopping Peter from moving any further.
Gray narrowed his eyes as the man gestured to a small building tucked near the corner of the clearing. Peter swallowed, before giving a barely noticeable nod. He glanced back at Gray for a split second, before reluctantly walking in the direction that the man had pointed.
Gray made a move to follow him, but Dimitri grabbed onto his bicep. At the annoyed look he received, he shook his head.
Gray gave a barely visible nod of his head, and Dimitri's hand released it's hold, and pinned itself at his side. The man scowled, but otherwise said nothing as Gray shot him a sarcastic grin. He then turned and tried to follow Peter as casually as he could, grinding his teeth together as a way to diminish his nerves.
Because even if this trip had been hijacked by Nick Fury, there was no way in hell that Gray would let anything bad happen to Peter Parker.
a/n:
hey guys, it's been a hot sec!
sorry for not updating in so long, i hope y'all didn't forget ab this book!! i love gray so much, and writing this just reminded me of it! i'm gonna try to be more consistant with updates, bc these two nerds give me all the seratonin i need.
anyway, i love you all! thanks for reading <3