Trigger Warnings: Emotional and physical abuse

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Later that night, after brutally murdering Pietro and finally getting an energy drink, and then going back to the lab to continue to work, we finally wrap up for the night and I and Peter prepare to head home. I made a decent amount of progress on my prosthetic project, which I showed Tony and he was very impressed, and Peter continued to ironically help work on the Spiderman suit.

After walking with Peter for the majority of the way we eventually have to split off in different directions, I eventually get to the front steps of the orphanage. Even before I am able to open the doors, I can already hear the shouting that is coming from the inside. I quickly push the doors open, my protective instincts already kicking in.

(Abuse warning starts here)

"Don't lie to me, I know you did it!" I hear Ms. Santina's shrill scream coming from the other end of the hall and I rush over in the same direction.

"We are sorry Miss, we really didn't mean to." Come Anthony and Sebastian's small scared voices.

"You ungrateful careless brats! Do you know how much this vase cost me?! You will pay for this!"

I rush into view to see a broken vase smashed on the ground with a very angry Ms. Santina towering over the two cowering boys, but what scares me the most about the scene is how Ms. Santina's hand raises in intent to bring it down on the two shaking boys. Within less than a second I speed over to stand between her and my siblings.

"Don't you fucking dare lay a hand on them," I say with an icy cold tone with an equally harsh glare to match as I push her back.

"You bitch!" She tries to push me to the side to get to the trembling Anthony and Sebastian, but I grab her and push her to the floor. I hastily motion for my two siblings to run off while she is still down and they thankfully do.

When Satan stands back up again her face is burning with fury, but I speak again, desperate to not allow my siblings to be the target of that fury. "It is my fault, I knocked over the vase this morning and did not have time to clean it up. I'm sorry ma'am." I say as convincingly as I can.

"You did this?" She asks with a sickening grin.

"Yes ma'am."

"Pick it up."

I turn to go get a broom to clean it up, but Satan quickly grabs my arm pulling me back and pushing me to the floor while smiling her toothy rotten grin.

"No, I said pick it up."

I realize what she wants and get down on my knees where I then start to pick up all the small pieces of the shattered vase with my hands. I collect every single piece possible and when I am finished, Satan still standing over me and watching the entire time, my hands are covered with cuts littering my hands.

Satan pulls me up from the ground and without words, she starts to roughly drag me by the wrist in the direction of the basement. My skin pricks and I shiver in anticipation of what is to come. When she brings me down to the basement it is never good.

She practically pushes me down the stairs, causing me to stumble down them barely keeping myself from falling face-first the whole time. The moment we get to the bottom step, she brings her foot to my lower back in a hard kick causing me to crumple and fall to the floor. I stay on the ground, it doesn't count to get up, I would just be back here a moment later. Through the hair that has fallen in front of my face, I watch Satan stalk toward me with a grin that makes me sick to my stomach.

She kicks me again, and again, each time harder than the last. I try to cover my head and any vital organs, but it doesn't do much in protection. She takes a break in her assault to grip my hair and pull my head up to look at her.

"Do you know why I am punishing you?"

"Yes ma'am."

She raises an eyebrow, telling me to continue.

"I broke the vase."

"Oh, but it is because of so much more than that as well dear." She speaks with a sickeningly sweet tone, but one that does not fool me for a second.

She grips my hair tighter as she continues. "You are a pain in my ass, you know that? Always so needy, and then in return for everything I do for you kids, this is how you thank me?!" She tisks. "So ungrateful."

Satan then throws me again the far concrete wall causing my head to slam into it making my vision go spotty. In my haze, I can barely feel the continuous punches that she is throwing at me. My head spins in response to each punch to my stomach, to my ribs, to my face, and causes my head to swarm more. I don't even realize when I fall to the floor, I can't make out anything around me, only the constant sensation of pain ties me back to reality.

The only thing that gets through the fog that is suffocating my head is the words that she leans down to whisper directly into my ear. "You are worthless, Finnley. Never forget that." And that is the last thing I hear before my mind completely surrenders to the dark fog.

(Abuse warning ends here)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I relish in the peace that comes from the woman singing to me in my sleep because I know that as soon as I wake up I will need to hold onto all that comfort that I possibly can.

Just as I predicted, when I am shoved back into reality my body instantly rolls over with pain. All my muscles ache, my bones creek and sharp pains erupt through my stomach and ribs. I peel myself off of the cold hard concrete basement floor, the shock of cold air against my skin brings back all the memories from yesterday. I rub my hands over my face, knowing better than to wish it was just a dream, this is all far too real.

I lean my head back against the wall and take a deep breath for what feels like the first time in years. I open my eyes when I hear the sound of keys raddling in the basement door followed by it being frantically opened and footsteps rushing down the creaky stairs. Then I am met with the sight of an anxious Scarlet.

She crouches down in front of me and sighs. "When I didn't see you in bed this morning I- I was hoping that you were not down here."

I give her a tired loose smile. "I'm fine Scar, I will be fine."

She grabs my face, tilting it to the side and searching my body for any wounds that need immediate attention. "Come on, Ms. Santina left early today, I'll help you get cleaned up."

Scarlet wraps one of my arms over her shoulder and pulls me up causing me to wince. She gives me a sympathetic look and then helps me waddle up the stairs and into the one bathroom that we all share.

When we finally get to the bathroom, thankfully unseen by any of the others, I don't want them to see me like this, Scarlet sits me on the counter and stands in front of me after pulling out the first aid kit we always keep on hand.

She hands me a bag of ice that I keep on some of the nastier bruises as she cleans up the cuts. There are no words spoken, there doesn't need to be, we both know the drill well by now. When she finishes I jump down from the counter, groaning as I do as my clearly broken rib seems to be hit in all the wrong places.

Scar looks at me for a long while until she sighs and speaks up. "Finn, you can't keep letting her do this-"

"Don't. Don't even say that Scar. She was going to hurt Seb and Anthony, I was not going to let that happen."

She gives me a sad look but nods and with one last concerned glance, she turns around to leave the bathroom.

Once she does I turn around and start digging through the drawer for my emergency stash of cover-up concealer for cases just like this. When I finally locate it I put a thick but mostly unnoticeable layer over my many visible bruises and cuts. By the time I finish, I have to rush downstairs and usher the kids out if we want to get to school in time.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When I finally walk into class, somehow just in time, I make my way to my desk, doing my best not to visibly stumble or limp. When I fall into my seat I pull the hood of my hoodie that I strategically decided to wear today closer around my face both to hide my face and also in a desperate prayer that it would swallow me whole. I slump in my seat and drop my head onto my desk causing a substantial thump sound.

I feel a light tapping on my shoulder but ignore it since I am much too tired to even try to lift my head.

I try to continue my existential crisis, but it is interrupted by a rougher tapping this time.

"Finnley- Finnley, are you ok?" Peter asks not stopping his tapping on my shoulder.

I respond with a broken barely audible hum, not even having the energy to come up with a lie and instead just hoping that he will not question me. Peter is about to say something else but is interrupted when Mr. Gibbons walks in and begins the lesson.

An intangible amount of time later, my lovely nap is interrupted by the whiny annoying voice of Mr. Gibbons.

"Ah, Finnley! Care to answer the question if you are not too busy napping?"

I groan as I can even hear the snotty smug grin plastered on his face. Without even lifting my head from my arms that it is buried in I speak up, my voice muffled.

"What is the question?"

"*insert some really complicated AP Calculus problem here*"

A/n - I literally searched for 15 minutes looking for a good problem and when I finally found one and tried to copy-paste it, it glitched out my entire page and pasted really weirdly, so I give up.

Without lifting up my head I quickly mumble out the answer and instantly fall back into my nap, not even bothering to see the look of shock and no doubt rage on Mr. Gibbons' face.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───