**REVISED CHAPTER RE-POSTED 7/12/17
-I changed up a few things hopefully in better taste, hopefully everyone likes it. Nothing too major, same lines and sequences.
But no one is following my work yet so it's mostly there to make me feel better.
AN:
This is the continuation of the first prologue, same rules apply.
I own nothing.
And if you want a clearer picture of who I had in mind for the doctor in this chapter (He will be mostly tied to just the OC and not the main Infamous characters- but he does work for Augustine and the DUP that much is clear), think of Petyr Baelish from Game of Thrones. He's kind of a dick like that :)
Summary: "Those who escape hell, however, never talk about it, and nothing much bothers them after that."-Charles Bukowski She didn't think she would be anything other than ordinary, didn't think they would lock her up for being a conduit. She didn't think Augustine would train her to kill her own kind. But she definitely didn't expect to be dumped in Seattle at the feet of her next target.
Fire and Ice
BY ROBERT FROST
Prologue Part II
Some say the world will end in fire
...
Perhaps she was being punished for killing most of the staff, of course it wouldn't matter, they would just be replaced. A new mind will think up new and crueler ways to hurt her, but it was better to cooperate for the time being. All that matters is how long her usefulness and curious nature will appease the higher authority, and then at some point even that will run out. If it hasn't already, she suspects. Scientists are like children, once something captures their attention they will pick apart the pieces and squabble over what belongs to who. But everything has an expiration date, and once the experiments fails it is considered complete. After that everything is filed away, and the evidence cataloged and stored away before they find a new fancy that garners their attention.
It's important not to fail their curiosity. Aster must always work hard to impress her keepers, failure is not an option. Because the perfect experiment never ends and she will do whatever it takes to stay alive.
…
Some say in ice.
…
She woke up in her cell, her muscles protesting as she tried to gain leverage against the wall to stand. Her neck throbbed. She swiped her tongue from the roof of her mouth over her lips she could swear she could taste an all too familiar metallic flavor. Shit. Her knees weak she stumbled and slid down to the floor hitching her breath as her used and bruised body ached tremendously. The last couple hours slowly came back to her.
…
From what I've tasted of desire,
I hold with those who favor fire.
…
More drops passed, the puddle on the mattress was nearly a lake when the sound of heavy metal protesting its own movement flooded the room and the large door was swung outward.
…
But if it had to perish twice,
…
Five guards swarmed the room before two split off from the herd to guard the entrance and the others threw her against the wall, head hitting the rock with a crack; a loud buzz roared in her ears and her eyesight had gone blurry again. A wave of vertigo washed over Aster as they fastened three-inch thick steel cuffs at her wrist in the middle of her back, before a sharp stab of the needle on the back of her neck involuntarily made her body jerk away. Next, the third guard took out his baton and struck the middle of their back once, and then twice again before they deposited her against the unforgiving wall only held up by One and Two. Soon the sound of metal scrapping loudly reached her ears before she was lifted from her feet and deposited in a chair. She numbly felt cold metal bars pin her down along her neck, forearms, chest, waist, and ankles. Humoring the guards, she made a show of struggling some more against the restraints when once again another blow knocked her head back and turned her vision white.
"Stay where you are freak." Hissed number two. His annoyance showed in the pulsing vein in his neck and in the growing vessels in his eyes. He tightened his gripped on his mall cop baton when she hadn't acknowledged his remark, but chose to lick her bloodied lips and stare absently into florescent lights above.
…
I think I know enough of hate
…
Whatever that shot was it is kicking in. Everything slowly was turning numb, the oppressive feeling of submerged in water pressed on her shoulders so much so that her neck gave out to the new weight. That itch in the back of her skull was coming back full force, she ground her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut trying to will the feeling away, but it pressed back with a vengeance making all attempts at suppressing it unsuccessful. An agitated grunt left her mouth when another figure entered the cell. Like most of the academics', he wore a pristine white lab coat over what she could imagine was a really expensive tie. His greying hair took nothing away from his diamond hard eyes that were just as sharp as the scalpel pressing harder into your abdomen. This particular "doctor" had easily made it on her bad side. He liked to play games, the kind that make you hurt. Of course she played her fair share, but in here he was the game maker and they both knew it. She knew that she would mostly die by his word if she didn't play all of his games so god damn well. She was sure it amused him and would gladly give into the challenge if it meant her freedom. But still, like a things in this hellhole, he was best to ignore until he was unavoidable.
Just another itch.
…
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great.
…
And would suffice.
She didn't have to look up to notice his attention- or lack thereof, was in the file in his hand. So she sat patiently in the chair letting the florescent bulbs burn holes into the backs of her retina, black spots filling her vision. The two sat there for extended period of time ignoring the other presence focused on their own tasks until the other would crack. She sighed internally. This was boring to say the least. She guessed he would come, order the guards to beat her for a couple minutes to observe her regeneration rate, have one of his underlings operate right there so they could study her anatomy in live-action, torture, starvation, maybe even try drowning her again- though that didn't work out so well for them last time. This man was not capable of empathy or in the mood to just hang out, so whatever the hell he was up to was not good and it began to unnerve her immensely.
Wringing her wrists in the restraint she popped her joints and she waited.
And waited.
Waiting...
He continued to flip his material but in the corner of her eye began to twitch from overexposure to light. If he had noticed it didn't acknowledge it.
She had counted back from one thousand three times in rough high-school French before she braved another look at the man. He met her eyes and chuckled when she hurriedly looked away. He cleared his throat before sliding the file across the table to her side as if she were privy to the information inside its pages, it was too bad she couldn't open the damn cover.
"Your resilience never ceases to amaze me Aster" He to his silver-blue frames off his face and wiped them with the tail of his coat. This was just a gesture used frequently to relax the situation to appear more human but she was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. She remained quiet, but continued to gaze at the eye candy just inches away from her face.
"Hmm? Do you want to know what's in the file?" His eye crinkled in mock kindness "I could tell you if you want, it is about you after all." He leaned forward resting his face on the palm of his hand, like he was going to spread the latest gossip. "I heard all kinds of rumors about you, you know? You made quite the ruckus a few days ago." His poor attempts at this conversation were almost amusing but she remained quiet; he would have to work harder than to elicit a response from her.
He took back the colored folded paper, and read aloud bits of information.
"Showed a great promise early on in the experiment with more potential than we ever expected. Patient Aster Juliette Coulson is a growing perfection with unprecedented capabilities, evolving at an alarming rate." Two lips pulled back revealing perfectly white teeth. "Subject Coulson has recently possessed a high degree of animosity toward authority figures, particularly those of the male gender in closed quarters with the risk of physical contact." That was only one time. "Uncontrollable outbursts of violence during testing proceedings of a systematic manner suggest higher level of thinking and hope of escape."
He looked back up and they met his gaze with a raised brow. Did they seriously think that she wouldn't take an opportunity like that? This wasn't new. She had tried to escape many times, but every scenario had a new twist, turn, or unexpected obstacle, and any hope of freedom was quickly turning into a sick illusion.
Then he smiled once more.
"The patient's status is in question of permanent termination"
She was quiet.
"Well what do have to say for yourself Miss Coulson?" It was rhetorical, he has never heard her speak up even once during their sessions, so why now right?
He stood back up and circled around the room, much like a shark in a tank. And like any good fish, she pretended to ignore his existence, but always kept him within their eyesight waiting for the monster to strike.
As he turned his back to her she canted her head to the side.
"Well then I guess it's my lucky day then, right Doc? Whatever deal you're here to propose is my second chance or whatever."
His shoulders strained when she cackled a bit and begun to outright laugh, "You're a riot you know that? You tie a girl up, put her in a hole, and throw away the hole with the added bonus of human experimentation and torture for the DUP's sick pleasure."
His posture remained ridged, but gave away nothing as he gestured to the guards with a wave of his hand, one by one they filed out the door, the doctor taking the file from the table, closing it with a sharp SMACK, before he follow in suit.
Just over the threshold he cast a look over his shoulder, "Rest assured, all in the best interests of this country Miss Coulson."
He paused.
"But only you can decide if they can be in the best of yours."
The cell door slammed shut with a resounding bang of heavy steel.
She sighed.
And then loudly cursed when she realized those assholes left her tied to the chair.
AN: Soo neither Augustine nor Delsin made an appearance yet, but patience my friends, it's all in good time. Chapter three will have a familiar face for you to feed on, and maybe I'll also throw in another infamous character or two for fun.
I'm lucky even to be awake this late with my exhausting work hours as it is. But writing this is more fun than sleeping so I'll leave it there.
Chapter III: Forewarning it will be a jump backwards in time...
If anyone is reading this, reviews are love. Reviews are life.
Bye~