capeandcowllogs | (no subject)

WHO:

iknowyourfear,

aerial_bliss,

regularexercise,

enigmaestro,

skrullactually,

owwmyspine,

evenharder,

catmasked,

canbleadernow.
WHERE: Norman Osborn's tower.
WHEN: After Norman's post, with Terry's post in bewteen.
WARNINGS: Use of Abby's sad-face icons.
SUMMARY: Abby's been discovered as a spy. Hideous things happen.
FORMAT: Quicklog.
NOTES: Refer to this post for plot information. Please tag yourselves in. I'll be organizing this post by different threads below!

[ He has this vivid memory. Stamford, Connecticut. It's a hot day, the worst kind of day to be outside in thick fatigues, dragging your feet through training drills. Sometimes he remembers better than others, what was said. But the one thing he never forgets is the way Abby looked when he transformed on her, the way she covered her ears and screamed. She'd been so scared of him.

Guilt sits heavy in his chest. He couldn't do that to her again. Never, ever wanted to do it again. She'd been one of the first people he wanted to help when his powers were finally under his control. She trusted him. And yet, here he was, outside her door on Norman Osborn's orders. There were reasons-- he was afraid for her, afraid that if he didn't do this, someone who cared less about what happened to her would get sent instead, or that Osborn would arrange a fate worse than interrogation-- but none of it seemed to make this okay.

He's getting sick of this kind of moral compromise. But what else can he do now?

He knocks on the door. Waits. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It makes it all the worse that she's smiling. Salt in the wound. She trusts him. She trusts him. And he keeps telling himself that he's protecting her, in a twisted way, by doing this. It's better than letting Osborn hurt her in a different way, in a way he can't control.

Right? ]

Abby. Put your coat on. You have to come with me.

C-Come... With you?

[ Abby seems confused. But it's Terry. If he's telling her to do something, it has to be for a reason, right? So, she obeys. She goes and gets her coat, putting it on over her pajamas. ]

What's wrong, Terry? Did something happen?

[ He tenses in his shoulders, and the line of his mouth tightens. There's something conflicted in his eyes when he sees Abby standing there, innocent and unsuspecting. Blindly following him, like always.

Suddenly, he grabs her by the shoulders, shakes her lightly. His voice his urgent-- quiet, but almost distressed. ]

Don't you get it, Abby? He knows. Osborn knows.

He sent me.

What do you mean he--

[ She stops. Realization dawns on her, chased quickly by dread. He knows. She knew Osborn had been suspicious of her for months, but knowing-- did he know about Mr. Stark? About everything? She was in trouble, so much trouble.

Then she realizes the other thing. Terry. Osborn had sent Terry. To get her. That means... ]

N-No! Terry, you can't. [ She takes a half-step away. ] I'm-- I don't want to go! I'm scared--

You have to.

[ He hates this. Hates doing this to her. Hates Osborn for making him do it. Hates his father for giving him this fucked up power.

But most of all, he hates himself. ]

You have to bear with this, Abby. If we don't do this, he'll find another way to hurt you. You have to be strong now. Just, listen to me-- be strong. And when they turn their backs, I'll make sure you get away.

I swear.

But, Terry--

[ She's scared. She's scared, because she knows what's going to happen. She doesn't have to ask. Not if Terry's here. She's oblivious to a fault sometimes, but she knows what Terry being there means if Osborn has discovered she's a spy.

She knows why Terry is asking her to be strong. She remembers facing his powers, and she's not sure she can do it. ]

I-I can't. I can't do this. I don't-- I'm too scared. [ She can barely breathe. She's going to panic. She feels herself on the brink of panic. ] I should have listened to everyone, this is... It was too big for me, too dangerous. I don't want to do this.

[ He can't take this. Seeing her like this. It's breaking his heart. She's like family to him, like a sister or even a daughter. He wants more than anything to just let her go, let her fly away-- and he would. If he didn't believe Osborn would just shoot her out of the sky.

He takes her by the upper arms. Holds her still. ]

You have to do this.

Just remember. No matter what I change into-- [ He looks away. ] It's still me. And I will do what it takes to make sure you get out once it's over.

[ She's shaking. She's not that brave, she's not. And she'd been stupid, to try and do this when she knew she wasn't as strong as the other superheroes. She'd just wanted to help so badly. To prove that she was hero material, and more than that, to understand what was happening to Terry.

But there are no more choices now. Abby feels her eyes well up. She's scared. ]

Promise... Promise me something, Terry.

...Anything.

[ Very softly: ]

After this, you have to tell me what happened to you. What he did to you.

[ He hesitates. Thinks about the woman he calls "mother" and what he did to her. Tries not to think about how he's about to hurt someone else he cares for.

She'll be free and safe after this. He keeps telling himself that. ]

I promise.

[ Abby takes deep breaths, lingering in the door way another moment. She's bracing herself. Two, three more seconds, and then finally, she steps outside of her apartment. She locks and closes the door behind her. ]

Okay.

I'm ready.