"Sir, we can't go on like this- all these missions it's- it's suicide!" an under ground member complained to Torn, who only scowled in reply.
"I'm sorry, the last time you reported back to me, you wanted more challenge." Torn's gruff voice replied, as if daring the poor guy to say another word.
"Y-yes sir... I did," the man had said with a hint of fear. It was true that the members wanted more action but this was ridiculous. Putting so many on the front lines to make bigger blows to the Baron.
Who by now shut off the water supply to the slums, risking innocent lives just to get to the Underground. No one wanted to turn it back on for fear of going outside the city walls... Or they just didn't come back at all if some poor soul was 'brave' enough. So the water was never turned on.
"Torn, I understand your anger; but please, do not let it consume you. What would Ixora-" The shadow began,
"You weren't here!" Torn exclaimed, a moment of silent passed after his outburst.
"You weren't there... You didn't... See the look in her eyes... It was like- our parents all over again- and all to the same damn person!" his voice quivered as old memories resurfaced. He couldn't eat or sleep these past few days, it had been two weeks since the KG's raid.
*Psshhht*
"Torn there's someone here to see you up front, says she knows-"
"Hurry your ass out Torn, I don't have all day," a very familiar voice yelled. Ashelin?
He remembered the Barons daughter from his time in the Krimson Guard. Frowning he made his way through the stairway, only to find a very angry Ashelin and two unconscious Underground members. Morons.
"Next time they want to make a move, make sure they know who they're moving on," Ashelin threatened. Torn let the tiniest of smiles tug at the corner of his lips. Ashelin wasn't anything like her father for which he was glad for, plus she had a lot of fight in her and he liked that in someone.
"What brings you out to the slums Ashelin? Sure Daddy didn't send a tail after ya?" for some reason he felt irritable even if she were a friend... ever since they took Ixora he became more cold and distant. Ashelin glared at him not happy about his sarcasm.
"No, he didn't follow me. What the hell crawled up your ass and died?" Ashelin exclaimed, Torn felt his stomach drop. That was what Ixora would tell him when he was cranky in the mornings. Shaking his head he just frowned.
"I heard about Ixora," Ashelin started saying as Torn bowed his head in a silent train of thought. She noticed he looked older, more worn out. She didn't like to see him like this, as she grew rather fond of the ex-guardsman.
"Look, I'm gonna help you find her. Erols been talking about a prisoner who's "Like a wildfire," and i think its her" she quoted Errol about his 'favorite prisoner'. Torn looked about ready to storm off to the palace and blow it sky high just to look for the girl. Ashelin wondered how he would of reacted if she hadn't left out the way Erol spoke of his sister. Shivering as she remembered the way he looked. Something wasn't right with him.
'Ixora's tough though', she repeated over and over trying to re-assure herself.
First, she had to keep Torn calm, it wouldn't do any good to lose any chances of winning the city over from her father... if that's what she could call him, grimacing they needed a thorough plan to bail the young red head out before it was too late- if they weren't already.
'She'd be okay... Right?'
xXx Time Skip xXx
I couldn't open my eyes, I didn't want to. Every part of me hurt. I don't know how long I'd been in here but it felt like forever- its been awhile that's all I know.
There were times when I'd have enough energy to put up a fight. Enough to where Errol could be sterile by now, I was sure-
'Ain't like he needs it anyways,' I thought darkly. He would always looked at me weirdly, and it creeped the hell out of me.
Plus he had a fucked up way of hitting on me too. He even gave me a nick name. After my last escape attempt I had to endure six bullet wounds and being tazed more than once. For some reason the tasers didn't affect me as much, nor did the bullets- at least a little.
'What time is it?' I thought feeling tired, but I could hardly sleep.
My head pounded as the dark eco mixed with the blood in my veins, as it flowed through out my body. It was excruciating.
*click clack click*
I froze,
*Tink tink tink*
"How's my favorite prisoner doin'?" a smirking Errol stood with a gun still at the bars of my cell.
"..." I didn't have to talk to him, neither did I want to. It hurt too much.
"And here I thought we were getting along so... Well," I wanted to vomit as he darkly purred that sentence, eying me up.
"No way in fucking hell!" I choked out, crawling away to the cell corner, away from that psycho.
"Don't be like that, I know how much you simply love our little sessions." Bile was slowly rising up my throat- the hell is wrong with this creep?!
"Che, yea baby keep talking, I just might barf on you," I sarcastically barked, putting a hand over my chest mockingly. Once again his face was priceless stuck between shock and disgust as he thought about what I said. Then a searing pain struck my left thigh. He fucking shot me!
"The fucking hell- Holy- you SHOT me!" screaming bloody murder I clutched my leg. More shocked than hurt.
"I'm sorry, but I don't like your attitude," I looked up- during my cursing and a good amount of pain I didn't see him come into my cell- raising his gun- I just glared, ceasing my painful cries. Knowing what was coming,
"Again with th- " darkness enveloped me.
"See how well you can handle a days worth of injection." a frowning Errol said to the young woman's limp form.
"Such a shame too," he bent down and murmured tracing the outline of an unconscious Ixora's face,
"Bring her to the injection chamber," he said getting up and leaving the cell already making his way to the room. Two guards dragged the still bleeding girl not far behind.
"Strap her in, nice and tight," Errol sounded blurry as I started to wake up. Squinting. My vision doubled, then focused- then
"Mother of precursors!" I screeched as Errols face became clear. Making him frown, a sharp throbbing signaled the bullets were still in place and untreated... Asshole.
"Comfy?" he sneered jabbing me in the leg with his boot.
"Hell yea," I grunted sarcastically, making him mad wasn't the best thing but heck, it was pretty damn funny to see his reactions, I enjoy ruining his 'fun'.
"Good news," he chirped, that, not so good.
"The Baron wants to experiment with this- experiment." now he was scaring me as he smiled his ever so crooked smile.
I started to shake as a strange bubbling feeling started to form in my gut.
Anger? Hatred? Fear? I couldn't tell, I knew one thing though I so horribly wanted to smack that smile off his face.
"You my dear are here to stay all day until I come back, so don't die on me," he said walking off with a wink. My eyes widened in fear-
"A whole day?!" Without warning the machine whirred to life.
Agony, nothing can compare to it. My body felt as if it were ripping itself apart, my skin was on fire and my back began to ache from the awkward position it was now in. Tears flowed endlessly. Just when I managed to get used to it. The second phase, a stronger dose starts pumping.
My eyes clenched shut, then I could feel everything shut down.
My vision darkened and my body fell limp. No one was around, so no one knew.
That another experiment failed. The machine however kept pumping.
xXx
'Where am I?' My body didn't hurt, had I died? I sat up quickly, seeing dots dance around my vision I got up slowly to my feet.
** I am the pain and loneliness you bore through anger and hate,** a hoarse high pitched voice whispered,
'What was that?!' Looking around I saw nothing but pitch black... and... a mirror?
The intricate framework had roses and vines with thorns. As I neared it, there was a rustling somewhere. I stopped and by reflex reached for a gun that wasn't on my hip.
"W-who's there?" I in a weak voice called out. I cleared my throat, then heard a soft whimper then it turned into a growl.
** Fear iss for the weak,**
**Fear isss for the weak,**
** Fear issss for the weak,**
That voice called out again, her words echoed through out the abyss.
Goosebumps covered my skin. I took a step away from the mirror looking for whoever else was here. Movement and a rustle of clothe caught my attention I looked back to the mirror. I forgot momentarily how to breath.
It wasn't me in the mirror! There was something else there... it had a twisted resemblance of me.
** You, me, It, Usss,**
The voice came from the mirror, the figure in the mirror moved on its own. Whats going on?
It's a nightmare, I'll wake up and this will all be a dream. I thought desperately.
The mirror creature smirked as if it knew what I was thinking, letting two sharp canines slip out her mouth. They were slightly longer than normal- which maybe was why her 's' was hissed- and they looked sharper than a dagger. I flinched back as they gleamed dangerously.
** Dont be ssscared, No. I've no need for fear, ssso nor sshould you,**
Calm fully blacked out eyes stared into my terrified emerald green ones.
Yet, I could see it, an emotion I knew so well. That in her eyes screamed it at whoever happened to look into them. Lonliness, a pain of yearning. It scared me, how heavy a resemblance they had to mine.
Her dark maroon hair was a few shades darker than mine and was disheveled- it seemed to rise like a mane, as mine was a just a tumble of fury curls- yet atop her head were, black horns!
One was slightly longer than the other and they both curved back slightly.
Her skin was ashen grey, where mine was a rich sun kissed shade. Every few seconds a pale purple stream of electricity shot out or around her figure. We were both there, observing the other.
"Wh-what are-"
** You,**
The reflection said like she was bored, it wasn't a question. It then flashed a pair of fanged teeth at me.
"..." I just stared, she looked like a... a-
** Monsster?**
It purred almost pleased, leaning against the frame nonchalantly.
** Perhaps... I am.**
She raised a clawed hand to gesture towards herself, her nails were black and maybe four to five inches long. That's when I noticed something- a strange stir and tug in the back of my head.
I looked down at myself and my knees felt weak, I looked exactly like the reflection,
"How- Why- Wha- What are- " falling to my knees. I was at a loss for words, not believing this was real.
** You,**
She said with a dangerous growl, purple sparks of electricity shot out the mirror and towards me.
xXx
I woke up gasping in pain but relieved that it was a dream. The injection machine was still pumping dark eco. How long was I out?
The pain began to dull, which surprised me.
*Click clack click*
My eyes narrowed at the ceiling. Great.
"You're not dead yet?" Errols voice broke the silence. His eyes scanning the machine and I.
"No snide remark? I'm amazed!" he scoffed,
"Shoulda did this a long time ago." he added. Eying me cautiously, he nodded over towards the door and guess who decides to grace me with his presence. Baron fucking Praxis- struggling in the chairs restraints, fury and hate fueled this new found energy.
"This is the one?" the Baron sounded disappointed, I prolly looked like shit but hey I ain't looking to impress no one.
"Yes sir, been here for three months." my heart sunk, three months? And still no word of the underground? Have they forgotten me?! Are they all gone?! My breathing hitched.
** Calm yourssself little one,**
That hoarse high pitched voice echoed, it was HERS- that reflection in the mirror. I screamed,
'Holy fu-' the Baron and Errol looked at me weirdly. I continued to look at the ceiling concentrating on my thoughts.
'Who are you?' I thought, I felt like I was going crazy, now I started hearing voices, a voice- HER voice. I felt a foreign wave of emotion roll over me, anger and sadness- why?
** We are the sssame,**
She murmured, almost sadly. I recoiled at the tone, it freaked me out.
"-how long has she been on the machine?" Baron inquired, snapping me out of our- my, thoughts.
"Since sunrise sir," Errol smugly said, giving me a pointed look.
I struggled to keep calm, bastard.
"And still no change?!" Baron was in hysterics, clearly mad.
"Of all the experiments this is the only long living one-" I zoned out, so then... That voice, or the creature was perhaps the effects of the dark eco?
** Precisssely,**
The voice hissed,
"Perhaps we should continue on with other-" Again I blocked out their conversation as I felt a prying sensation at my mind. I fought against it knowing what she was trying to do. She hissed at me,
** Either we get along and ssshare a body- or I tear apart your humanity, piece by piece until I have complete control of your body and mind. So you are dessstroyed. The choice is yoursss- either way I will get what I want,**
The voice growled dangerously,
"Very well continue the experiment, with this one, but for now put her away, we'll be getting some new... Volunteers soon," Praxis' voice caught my attention.
More? More people are going to suffer? I couldn't believe they'd be so cruel to experiment on more people. Innocent people were going to go through this hell. I couldn't feel the emotion of satisfaction rolling off of the creature in my mind as anger clawed its way up in my chest.
** Sssoon,**
She purred, I could feel her grin. I shivered at the foreboding tone her voice held.
"Yes sir," Errol's voiced with much practice. Ass kiss- the machine stopped,
"Bio readings unchanged, subject shows no current changes- proceed with phase two?" the robotic voice asked,
"No, I'll be taking our prisoner back to her cell now," Errol replied talking more to himself than to the machine.
The straps released my wrists and ankles, but I made no move. My body numbed at the absence of the eco, probably the after affects of having so much of it injected for so long- it felt like heavy weights held me down.
Erol slowly walked towards me, a frown in place instead of his smirk or grin. Shocking.
"You almost cost me my job, Baron is losing his patience. Either something changes or you die, and it better be soon." he said grabbing me by the front of my prison 'uniform'.
"Go screw yourself," I grumbled weakly, I felt exhausted. My vision was already blurring.
I didn't even feel the slap on my cheek, I did however see black dots sprinkle my vision.
"Take her to her cell," Errol hollered unhappy with the lack of a reaction.
They dragged me off and with uncaring strength- threw me to the cell floor. My stomach lurched and my head pounded, I felt a strange stirring in the depths of my mind- giving me chills.
What's wrong with me?