Prompt: (Forced to beg, hallucinations, shoot the hostage)
Triggers: Being shot, drugged, kidnapped, chained, hospitals
Fandom: MCU

Damien sat in the wooden chair, his eyes closed as he focused on keeping his breathing calm and slow. He wasn't entirely sure where he was at this point. Just knew he had been at a dinner "meeting" with Cassidy and when they were walking home, they were jumped.

He remembered fighting them off best he could, even Cassidy got a couple swings before he told her to run.

She tried to argue but ran as he requested.

He saw one slip away to pursue her but hoped she'd fight him or outrun him.

He was outnumbered quickly once she left and slipped into unconsciousness when they forcibly held a cloth to his face.

So now he sat in this wooden chair, hands and feet bound to it, with his heart racing in his chest, praying Cassidy escaped and was getting help.

He played with the ropes a little, feeling for a loose end or something to use to his advantage when he heard the door open.

He opened his eyes instinctively but darkness greeted him as they had blindfolded him too.

"Heh. Who knew the Mayor would be careless enough to go out in public with no guards?" A voice spoke up as he listened to them circle his chair. "And on a date no less?"

Damien didn't react other than a calm response. "It was a dinner meeting. Not a date." That was totally a lie but they had to keep appearances.

This comment earned him a hard slap to the face, nearly knocking his chair over.

He gritted his teeth but withheld his cry.

"I didn't say you could talk." the voice hissed before Damien heard more people enter. "But I digress. We just came to move you now that the room is ready for you."

He felt them untie him only to quickly rebind his hands and roughly grab him and force him along.

He went with them, knowing they wouldn't hesitate to kill him probably if he tried anything.

And Lord knows Cassidy would find a way to resurrect him only to kill him again if he died on her.

They entered another room. It was far colder than the other one and a faint foreign scent wafted through it.

He was forced over to a wall where they cut him loose then put cuffs that were chained to the wall on his wrists instead.

He felt them remove the blindfold and blinked a little, trying to readjust his eyes.

He saw the group of masked people standing before him and watched them leave the room but one stopped to look at him. "Hopefully someone comes looking for you before we put a ransom out for you two."

Damien looked up. "T-Two?"

They smirked, just visible beneath the mask. "We caught your little date. We're figuring out what to do with her now that we've got you settled down."

Damien's breathing hitched but he had to remain calm. "P-please. Just... Don't hurt her. You're after me, right?"

A small laugh. "You're the hostage. You don't get to make requests. And just for that, maybe I will." A grin spread on their face.

Damien's heart stopped at the look on the masked face. "N-No! P-please! P-please, don't hurt her! I'll do anything!" He begged.

Another sickening laugh. "If our demands are met on time then she'll be fine... If not... well... some of us get bored quickly..."

Damien felt tears brim his eyes as he watched them walk out the door.

"But you should worry about yourself."

He watched the door seal shut and silence filled the room but a hissing noise was quick to start.

He looked around but couldn't see anything which made him start to panic more.

They couldn't be killing him, right? They wanted to ransom him.

So what was this?

He struggled a little with his chains but couldn't get them off and slowly just submitted to his situation and leaned against the wall.

----

Damien wasn't sure how long he had fallen asleep for but the sound of the door opening stirred him. He squinted at the door only to stare in shock at the sight before him.

Cassidy.

She had escaped! She could help him!

"Cassie!" He called softly, tears welling up in his eyes again.

She smiled at him and approached. "Damein! Finally. I've been looking for you everywhere! Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes. I'll be fine. What about you?"

"I'm okay. Let's get outta here, okay?"

He nodded rapidly. "Yeah."

She moved over to get a look at his chains before standing up again and sighing. "I'll see if I can find something to pick those locks."

Damien nodded again. "Just be quick and careful. They could be looking for you."

She nodded in acknowledgement and approached the door. "I'll be right back."

He watched her disappear and anxiously waited for her return.

---

Damien looked up when the door hissed open once more and he saw Cassidy and started to grin at her until he spotted the guard holding a gun to her head. His heart stopped.

"Dami... I'm sorry..." Cassidy told him, looking fearful and tears fell down her face.

"I found her running around searching for something. Now, we couldn't have that, now could we?" The masked voice told Damien. "And it's been awhile and we haven't had any of our demands met so... I thought I'd make a statement and example of what happens to people who interfere or don't follow our orders."

Cassidy gasped as she was forced to her knees, feet in front of Damien but he couldn't reach her.

"Cassidy! No, please!"

Tears spilt down her face as she stared at him. "D-Damien... I... I'm so sorry... I wasn't careful enough... I let you down..."

"No, no. Cassie, no." He tried to reach out to her but was pulled back. "You didn't let me down. You did your best. I know you did. I'm so proud of you. Please, don't think for a second that I'm not-"

"Please don't lie to me Dami... I know you're disappointed-"

"Cassidy Channon, do not finish that sentence." Damien's voice demanded.

She looked surprised.

"I am not disappointed in the slightest. If I'm disappointed in anyone, it's these people who decided that they wanted to ruin their lives by branding themselves as criminals." He spoke clearly. "Cassidy, I couldn't be more proud of you..."

"I'd hurry it up there." The masked voice cocked the gun, placing it against the back of Cassidy's head.

She took a shaky breath and Damien looked panicked.

"P-" Damien started to beg again but stopped and sighed. This was more important. "Cassidy, look at me."

She looked at Damien, fear in her eyes.

He gave her the best smile he could muster. "Thank you. Thank you for being my friend all these years, my university buddy, my district attorney, my confidant, my... my fiance." His eyes softened as tears spilt from them as the words left his mouth.

Cassidy choked back a sob at the words as well.

"And I'm sorry that I put you in harm's way. You know I never intended to... But... I just wanted to tell you, no matter what happens next, no matter what, that," His smile faltered a little as he was crying now. "I will, forever and always, l-"

BANG!

Damien stared in shock as Cassidy's body jerked at the impact and blood trailed out her mouth as her eyes started to drain of life before she collapsed to the floor in a heap, bleeding out.

"Time's up."

Damien looked up at the smoking pistol then down at Cassidy before snapping out of his shock and pulling on the chains. "CASSIE!" He screamed, trying to reach her, ignoring the pain it caused. "No, no! Cassie please! Please! You can't leave me! Cassie!"

She didn't move.

"No!" Damien sobbed. "Please... Cassie... I love you..." He slumped to the ground, stopping his pulling only cause he'd break his arms if he continued.

He curled up in a ball and sobbed heavily, grieving for his love.

He had never meant to put her in danger... But now she was dead because of him.

He didn't notice the voice disappear from the room as he sobbed on the ground.

----

Damien numbly sat against the wall, eyes dull and red from crying. He stared at the ceiling, not daring to look at the body in front of him. He wasn't really sure if he was awake or asleep with his eyes open at this point. Everything was dulled and muted to him.

He didn't even bat an eye when there was a hissing noise in the room for a couple minutes before it fell silent again then the door slid open.

He didn't process the person approaching him. Or the voices calling to him. Or the cuffs coming off.

He just stared off into space.

At least... he did until he felt a warm touch to his face and it wiped at his tears. He slowly blinked and moved a little to gaze at the source, looking a bit distant as he stared at the blurry figure. He blinked a bit more and the figure came into focus and he jerked back with a gasp.

"Woah! Hey, it's okay. Damien, please, it's okay. You're safe now..." Cassidy gently coaxed him but he stared at her in confused fear.

"N-No... This... This isn't real... It... It can't be..."

"Real? Damien, what-" She started to ask before someone spoke from beside her.

When did they get there???

"A psychotropic hallucinogen was being released into the room on a timer. That's why we had to activate the vents before we could enter."

Cassidy frowned deeply and looked at Damien again. "We're gonna get you out of here, Dami. I promise, you'll be okay."

He shook his head, tears falling down his face. "N-No... this... this isn't real, it can't be..." He looked away, shaking and muttering.

"Maybe let us handle this." The paramedic suggested softly to Cassidy who reluctantly agreed and stepped out of the room.

"Alright Mr. Mayor, we're going to take you to the hospital, okay?"

Damien looked around and didn't see Cassidy anymore and slowly nodded. "...okay...." he whispered softly.

----

Damien had been in the hospital for about a day now, they had him on oxygen and were monitoring him for traces of the psychotropic hallucinogen. Thankfully he hadn't been exposed to it for too long so it was mostly out of his system by the end of the day.

He mostly slept it off, exhausted from what he had seen.

It was about noon now and Damien was quietly reading in bed when he heard a knock. "Come in." He called.

"Mr. Mayor, you have a visitor... Are you okay with seeing them?"

He looked a bit confused but slowly nodded. "Who is it?"

"A miss Channon?"

His eyes widened. "W-What? Ch-channon?" He repeated and watched them nod before letting them in the room.

Damien stared at Cassidy who stood before him, alive and well.

"Hi Damien..." She greeted softly.

He felt tears spill down his face. "Y-You... You can see and hear her too?" He asked the nurse who realized what he was asking and her expression softened, bringing Cassidy over.

"Yes... Here." She placed the heart monitor tracker on Cassidy for a moment and Damien watched it beat in time to her heart before reaching out and putting his hand there himself.

Cassidy let him look her over, touch the back of her head timidly, before he broke down sobbing in her arms.

She stared at him in surprise before wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight.

"I-I'm so sorry Cassie- I didn't mean to put you in danger, It's all my fault-"

"What? Damien, that was not your fault!"

"Yes it was! I let you down! I couldn't protect you! They hurt you because of me!"

"What? No, I'm not hurt-"

"They killed you!"

She stared for a moment before pulling him closer. "Dami, I'm okay... You hear my heart beating. I'm not hurt. They didn't touch me. In fact they hospitalized the guy that came after me cause I beat him up." She told him.

"They shot you in the head Cassidy! I watched them!" He looked at her as he cried.

"They exposed you to some kind of psychotropic hallucinogen, Damien. You were hallucinating... I know it doesn't make it feel less real but I promise you, it was all in your head."

He snuggled close to her before pulling back and grabbing her shoulders. "Cassidy, I need to tell you something."

"You need to rest first-"

"No! I-I have to tell you! Now! I... I can't wait anymore."

Cassidy stared at him in surprise but nodded. "Alright..."

He took a shaky breath. "Cassidy Channon, you have and will always possess my heart. You're my everything and I," He stared her in the eyes. "I love you with my entire being Cassidy."

She listened with wide eyes, glancing a little at the nurse who stood nearby but Damien turned her head to him.

"Ignore them. I don't care anymore. I love you too much to hide it anymore. I can't hide it... I can't risk you forgetting how much I love you."

Tears spilled down her face as he placed his fingers on her lips and kissed the back of his hand. She kissed his fingers before he pulled back.

She wanted to kiss him, truly kiss him, so badly but she wanted to save her first kiss for their wedding. So she settled on kissing his cheek. "I love you too Damien. I could never forget that."

"P-Promise?"

She smiled with a small laugh and held up the ring around her neck. "I already did."

Damien laughed a little as they both cuddled close and cried till they fell asleep, the nurse smiling softly and covering them with a blanket and turning the lights out, shutting the door behind her.