Well
I hope I'm not mistaken by the news I heard from waking
and it's
hard to say I'm shaken, by the choices that I make
and well I find
it hard to stay, with the words you say
.05 watched the blood with trepidation. There was nowhere to go now. It was only ten inches away from his foot. Nine inches. Soon it would consume him. Eight inches. He wasn't quite sure how he knew this, but knew it he did from the depths of his soul. He was truly looking at his doom. Seven inches.
"What's up?" asked Séance as he looked at his 'little' brother.
.05 blinked. He wasn't quite sure where Séance fitted in to this particular scene. In his confusion he wasn't even paying attention to the blood.
"Can't you see all of the people? Can't you tell?" asked .05.
"Sure, but they're not there," Séance said flatly.
"Yes they are!" insisted .05 irritably.
Séance looked from side to side. Then he sniffed the air circumspectively.
"Thought so. I see your problem," he said knowledgably, "That's one powerful hallucinogen you're sniffing."
For a second .05 considered answering. He opened his mouth to speak, and then noticed where the blood was. Two inches. So .05 started screaming again. Séance put his hands over his ears.
"What did I say about screechy things?"
"The blood!" shrieked .05.
Séance followed .05's gaze.
"Oh, would you look at that," Séance shrugged.
"It's coming!"
Sighing Séance picked .05 up and started carrying him away. It took a second for .05 to realize the humiliating status of his position.
"Put. Me. Down!" he shouted, biting off the words.
"It's a drug," Séance said, ignoring .05, "I think it's fed through the vents. Believe me, I know my hallucinogens. This one wasn't so fun."
Narrowing his eyes .05 asked;
"If that's what it is why aren't YOU getting affected?"
"I never said it was bad," shrugged Séance, "Only problem was it didn't work after the first seven years. Didn't scare me any more. Think I built up an immunity. Pity really. No point in taking it anymore. Now do you want to go and stop it so we don't have to see Space and Vanya screaming at bits of masonry?"
Séance paused for a minute.
"Actually, that might be kind of fun."
.
.
.
Rumor swung her legs over the couch irritably. The fact that they had left her behind grated on her nerves. After the Kennedy affair she had shown that she could handle herself. Yet they still left her at the house.
"It's too dangerous if you can't use your powers," Space had said.
Love-hate relationship. No, you couldn't call it a relationship. Almost nothing else had happened since that kiss before they went to Icarus theater all those months ago. Every day he found a new way to irritate her. His egotistical attitude would nip the relationship in the bud before it even had time to begin.
In that respect she envied Vanya. Kraken and her seemed so damn comfortable with each other. Vanya, the failure of a sister, had managed to have a loving relationship. That had been something Rumor had wanted since she was eight. It made Rumor want to be sick all over the carpet with envy for that. Another thing, since she hadn't come back yet Space had most likely allowed Vanya to stay with them. Last time she checked Vanya didn't have powers either.
That thought set her teeth on edge. Coupled with the stresses of her life something snapped inside her. Two weeks from now she would have another chance to keep Claire snatched away from her. She couldn't say anything, and now she was being left behind. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Swiftly Rumor got up and snatched her coat. With long strides she reached the ladder. She'd be damned if she'd let them leave her behind.
.
.
.
The second .05 stopped the hallucinogen Vanya knew. Well, she didn't know that her brothers were responsible for it. All she knew was that the buildings melted away and she stopped killing people. She got shakily to her feet.
"Just a nightmare," she murmured comfortingly to herself, her voice hoarse from screaming, "That's all it was. You just knocked your head."
Still, it was difficult to stop the images of violence that flooded her mind. Not only was there that, it was also difficult to make out the large underground cavern she was in. Keeping her hand do the wall she attempted to guide herself around. Vanya stopped abruptly as her hand caught on something after a few minutes.
Concentrating Vanya could make out a metal door. Narrowing her eyes further she could see that the number three had been put on it, as well as a rather complicated looking lock. It was open slightly and a few beams of light bled through the crack. Deciding to be safe rather than sorry Vanya peeked through the door.
There wasn't much to look at. Wires were hung from the ceiling and connected with rather sinister-looking generators. Several computer screens were on, giving the only light in the entire room. Vanya could make out a series of long metal tables. Strapped to one of them was a figure. Her heart sank as she recognized it.
Swallowing fear Vanya opened the door quietly. She moved as fast as she could while making as little noise as possible. Her foot slipped on the floor. A gasp left her throat involuntarily as she realized that it was blood. Biting her lip to prevent further indiscretions she moved on, trying not to think about the crunching noises her feet were making.
When she finally reached him she had to stifle another gasp of terror. Slashes covered him and the entire table was coated with blood. It had moved around freely, matting his blonde hair. Bruises and lacerations distorted his entire face, making him almost unrecognizable. Bandages adorned the rest of him that were so bloody and matted that she was too scared to look at for more then five minutes.
"Diego," she whispered, afraid that she'd hurt him if she touched him.
His eye opened slightly at her voice.
"Don't worry," she said as she gingerly started to unbuckle the leather straps, her hands trembling, "I'm going to get you out. Space and the rest are here-"
Vanya was cut off abruptly when the hand she had freed flew up and grasped her throat. Forcefully she was lifted slightly off the ground, her feet barely grazing the floor. In shock she gasped for air and tried to pry his fingers off. His grip remained like iron despite her best efforts.
"Diego," she choked out as spots started to swim in front of her eyes.
"Leave…me," he said in a hoarse whisper, "the fuck alone."
Just as Vanya felt sure that she was about to die she felt his fingers pulled forcefully off. She fell to the floor, gasping desperately for air.
"Are you alright?" Space asked, his hand holding Kraken's arm back.
It was all Vanya could do to nod.
"Why don't…you all go back," snarled Kraken faintly, "to hell…where you…came from?"
"We're not nightmares," Space said coolly.
"Huh?" Vanya gasped as she got back to her feet, still trying to get air back into her lungs.
Space gave her a glance before saying;
"Father built this place as a prison. To make sure that no one could even think of escape he flooded hallucinogens through the ventilation system which create your nightmares. I myself ran into a few before some enterprising soul turned it off. Kraken's been here for two days now. I suspect he's seen more then we have, hence his rather violent reaction. It's probably near impossible for him to understand it's actually us."
Using the counters for support Vanya made it to Kraken's other side opposite Space. Tentatively she put her hand to his cheek as she tried not to aggravate his wounds. Space had to restrain his arm from trying to strangle her again. Still half-scared Vanya placed her other hand on the other side of his face.
"It's me," she whispered.
"Bullshit…" he snarled, "Don't…touch me."
She looked at Space for guidance. He simply shrugged. Gently she pressed her lips to his. Hope rose in her as she heard his breathing change. Quickly she pressed another lingering kiss to his forehead. Then she drew back slowly.
"It's me," she repeated, "I'm real. I'm here."
"Vanya…?" he managed.
"Yeah. It's going to be fine," she said softly as she placed her forehead to his, "We're going to get you out, alright?"
Seeing that it was safe Space started to unbuckle the other leather straps holding him in place. Kraken sighed and leaned into her hands, still on either side of his face.
"You're…really…here?" he asked faintly.
"Yes, I'm here," she said reassuringly.
Suddenly his eyes snapped open.
"You…have to hurry," he whispered urgently, "He's…going to come back."
"Who?" Vanya asked, puzzled.
Space let out a cry from the other side of Kraken. Someone had crept up from behind Space and plunged a syringe into his left shoulder blade. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed to the floor. The assailant looked at him for a minute, and then turned his attention to Vanya.
She tried to move away but he was too quick for her. He grabbed her hand and jerked it towards him. Sharp pains flooded throughout her arm as he plunged a second syringe into her. The last thing she heard before she passed out, besides Kraken's screams was;
"Well, that was easy."
