Though it would have seemed like a rather unpredictable decision on his part, he didn't care. Holding her was his choice, maybe not one he would share but one he had the right to make. Lindsey not only played the fence, he made an art of it. Jumping from one side to the other when it pleased him, good-evil-good-evil. Truthfully he loved what being on the dark side brought to him, the greatest evil of all; power. Yet that damn human-guilt was so consuming.
Lilah however was a different subject. Since the beginging of their evil-power trip and before (yes he had been normal once), feelings had remained the same no matter how far he revealed them.
They started out at the same school, same internship, and ending up with the same job. The most appalling sights had been viewed by their eyes, in unison. Starting with the horrid Wolfram and Hart training video, then the disappearances of tardy pupils, death of colleague's right before them, as an example for 'misbehavior'. One of the most distinct memories of them was actually a quite disturbing one. It followed the end of the year exam in 12th grade, senior year at a private school up North. Kenneth Parks, Gavin parks older brother (always knew that family was no good), was caught with answers printed on his forearm, spell-binding tattoos. Not bad for a beginner in magic but stupid all-in-all.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, NEVER cheat Wolfram Hart out/with/or for ANYTHING. That lesson he learned the hard way, and he wouldn't forget it.
Night fell, the nightmare began. All the senior class, only 22 teenagers, were herded into a dungeon-like room just outside the campus. That room had always been a curiosity, but looking back, it was better left in mystery.
There lying on a slab of concrete was the body of Kenneth Parks, chained down, alive. An IV penetrated his vein, muscle relaxant. This was an example, a test, that none of them had been prepared for.
Heading the group was Mr. Higgins, their professor and Wolfram & Hart employee. He stood in a plastic lab coat, with a tray of instruments to the right, small to large, blunt to sharp. "Okay, today we are all going to participate in a hands-on experiment. Now Mr. Parks here, as you all know, was expelled for cheating on an exam. But just for memories sake I am going to show you what would happen to young Kenneth in the real world of Wolfram & Hart if he were to cheat us out of…well, anything. Does anyone have any questions before we begin?"
A fool in the back raised her hand. It would have been so much easier not knowing ahead of time. "Um, yes Mr. Higgins is Kenneth…dead?"
"Oh, no, he has been giving a medicine that forces the muscles which allow you to move cease from working, except for in his eyes and throat. This way he will be able to live with a clear mind for the last few minutes of his life. And if I forgot to mention, he can hear all of you as well."
If anyone dared speak to begin with, they didn't now. Not even an exhale could be heard. "If that rapes up the questions then I guess we will get to it then." Mr. Higgins grinned.
Front row center, Lilah and Lindsey were side by side, best seats in the house. He would never forget the look on her face when Mr. Higgins grabbed the double-bladed scissors and shoved them into Kenneth's thigh. The surge of blood that went flying from the wound could not be ducked. It left the bottom of his shirt sticky with a think wetness he had never quite felt before. Something else damp touched his hand, it was Lilah's. Holding blood stained hands together as blood dripped off their entwined fingers. Slightly stunned and comforted by the gesture Lindsey looked over to Lilah but met a sight that unraveled him far worse then Kenneth's mutilated leg.
Lilah had obviously suffered most of the bloodbath. A once cream dress was now crimson, only a short bit was still its original color. Her hair was matted with the thick liquid, running down her face, off the chin, along her cleavage and under the dress. That very image was one of two which he would always associate her with, no matter if he wanted to or not.
Lilah's gaze never broke Kenneth's body, even as he watched her react, hating himself for letting her end up this way. In Lindsey's mind, it had always been his fault, no matter what other factors, he should have stopped it.
After a few more carefully placed probes and needles, the professor beamed out at the terrified students. "Hmm, you all have viewed from afar, but that isn't going to get you very much insight now is it? How about a volunteer for some in depth experimentation? …Anyone? No? Well I guess that's to be expected, pity though." Mr. Higgins swept the audience with his goggle-protected eyes, stopping suddenly on the unlucky contestant.
'Oh no, no, no, come on, anyone else, anyone.' Lindsey thought to himself, failing to change a damn thing as Mr. Higgins came around the slab and placed his bloody glove on-Lilah.
'Run. run if you know what's good for you, run.' Thought the gaurds posted at either exit would have made it most difficult.
Drawing her forth, there was a look of relief upon every kid in the audience. She was powerless and went at will. Handing her a scalpel as well as a clamp, he instructed a cutting line with black sharpie.
Hesitant, unwilling, and unready Lilah lifted a small pale hand, not able to stop it from shaking. Placing the scalpel on his chest, she looked up. Kenneth had sat directly in front of her in 3 class' and now his face was there again, eyes pleading for her to spare him, throat trying to form a scream that wouldn't come up. "I am so sorry." She mouthed to him before shutting her eyes as tight as humanly possible and making a vertical slice down his chest. Blood and all sorts of foreign liquids streamed out from the incision. Biting tongues, squeezing thighs, and covering mouths were all they could do from bringing up food from last Wednesday.
Mr. Higgins patted her on the back but as she tried to walk away he kept a firm grip on her shoulder "Wait, wait, wait." Lilah waited, silent tears flooding her face mixing with blood and sweat. The professor grabbed an unfamiliar object that would become later known as 'the rib-cracker'. Not even Lindsey watched as he broke each rib at the center, but the snapping sound was torture enough.
"Okay, Lilah you have done exceedingly well but to rap it up I need you to do one last thing, the most important and most crucial in this case."
"Uh what is th-that s-s-sir?"
"Make the right move and pass this year with honors, choose wrong and fail, or be 'expelled' whatever you wish to call it. It is really quite simple actually. Just think about it. The Wolf the Ram and-"
"The…heart." Lilah whispered, moving closer once more to Kenneth's some-how-still-pulsing body. Only now did she look to Lindsey, who was forced to give a small nod, knowing it was the only way. Though if only he'd known the consequence.
Standing momentarily frozen weighing the chances she might faint or fall into hysterics, but finally she sucked in the capacity of her lungs with air. A bare hand hovered over his body then plunged into his chest as quickly as she could manage, grabbed something and was back out within 10 seconds.
There she was, holding a human boy's heart in her hand, fresh and full of blood. It coated her entire arm and whole right side. And at that second a sequence of motions was set in place so great that his mind could not conceive it at the time. Her eyes cleared, she cried no more, the tears seemed to evaporate. A look washed over her face, Mr. Higgins began to clap upon seeing it.
Lilah had finally become what Wolfram & Hart required her to be.
Numb.
