Oooh, this chapter gave me the chills. I hope it does the same for you. This is honestly one of my favorite chapters, and I hope you guys enjoy it!
Monsters are real, ghosts are real too.
They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.
-Stephen King.
Sly didn't think that these feelings existed.
The sinking feelings in your gut and somehow you just know that someone you care for is in trouble.
She never believed in those feelings, but now she did.
She was sitting at her computers when it happened. She suddenly went cold, and her heart sped up.
She knew immediately that something was wrong - something with Chase.
She typed on her keyboard, fingers flying. She shoved away from that computer to the next, typing in something there.
She needed to find him. She needed to-
There.
A red dot that was Chase's watch (yes, she secretly installed a tracking chip in his watch) popped up on the screen, in a building just outside of...
Sly brows furrowed in confusion.
The building was just outside of Washington, DC.
Why would Douglas set up operations so close to government territory?
Sly suddenly shivered.
Douglas.
She and Chase had accidentally bumped in to him almost a year ago. Now she knew it wasn't an accident.
The man wanted Chase to join him. Join him for what, Sly didn't know. But the guy was persistent. He managed to track them down wherever they went, sending his men to do his dirty work.
Douglas and his goons scared her, but Chase was always there, to scare them away.
Sly scribbled down the address of the building where Chase was then jumped up and slung on her jacket.
Chase was in trouble. She knew it.
She also knew it was because of Douglas.
If she was going to save Chase, she couldn't be scared anymore.
Chase stared at his reflection in the mirror, his shoulders hunched as he gripped the sides of the sink.
He had to admit... He looked pretty freaking scary.
Black lines, like tainted veins, crept up from the top of his cheek bones towards his eyes. The shadows around his eyes were deeper than usual, giving him a sinister look. His expression, although blank, was hard... cruel almost. He smirked at himself, and even that was devilish.
He may look pretty freaking scary, but it was also freaking cool.
Douglas said the dark streaks under his eyes were merely cosmetic side effects of the Blasyn, or "Black sin".
"Designed it myself," Douglas had stated proudly. "Just for you."
Chase still hated the man but... Douglas had said that he knew what Chase was feeling. He knew how good it felt.
That was a reason to trust him, right?
Chase wasn't sure. He... He actually wasn't sure of many things at the moment. What he was sure of was the fact that he liked the new him.
His head still pounded with adrenaline, his heart still pumped painfully in his chest, but he felt good - stronger.
"Blasyn is designed to increase levels of adrenaline. That pounding won't go away. It also does other things. You've probably already experienced them. The anger, the bitterness... the evil."
Chase couldn't tear his gaze away from his eyes, trying to decipher the darkness there.
"Of course, it had a little help from you."
"What do you mean?" Chase had asked.
Douglas only grinned. "You'll see." Then he motioned for one of his agents to come and show Chase to his room.
Chase tilted his head to the side and raised a hand towards the mirror. His pointer finger had barely touched the surface when the mirror liquefied and gathered in a shimmering mass in his hand. He backed away from the sink and carefully lowered himself onto his bed when the frame bumped against the back of his legs.
The metal shimmered in his hand as it molded into an elliptical shape, growing longer and longer until the ends became sharp points. From there, one end widened and flattened, while two small beams of metal stretched out to the sides. A hilt began to form in his hand, becoming more and more detailed. Within seconds, an elaborate dagger rested in his hands and he turned it over, studying it with detachment.
Sighing, he tossed the blade away and fell back onto the bed and lifted his legs onto the mattress.
Exhaustion stung his eyes and he was surprised he could feel tired with the adrenaline pumping through his brain. He closed his eyes and rested his forearm over them.
Before he fell asleep, one last thought popped into his brain.
What am I doing?
The rest of the Davenport family was in shock.
Donald sat on the ground with an arm wrapped around Tasha, Leo and Bree sitting next to each other across from their parents. Adam was the only one standing with his arms crossed.
All of them wore the same faraway look, all of them feeling numb.
That couldn't have been Chase, their brother, son, and friend.
That... that was a monster.
Bree was the first to break out of her trance, her wet eyes flicking up to her father's face. "Wh-" her voice wouldn't work so she cleared her throat softly and tried again. "Who was that man?"
Donald raised his eyes to meet hers. "His name... is Douglas."
Bree waited for more, but when it didn't come, she asked another question. "What did he do to Chase?"
"I made him better."
Bree whipped around at Douglas's voice, turning to see him stride into the room and over to his computers.
She got to her feet, facing him. "That-" she pointed in the direction she saw Chase disappear into "-that wasn't better!"
Douglas chuckled and glanced over at her. "Trust me, it was."
Adam came over and joined Bree. "What do you want with us?"
"Revenge." But it wasn't Douglas who replied. It was Donald.
Bree and Adam turned back to their father to see him lift his head, his sad eyes looking up at them. "It's revenge."
Sly slipped into the building from the air ventilation system on the roof. From there, she pulled away the grate of the air vent and dropped soundlessly onto the floor inside the building.
She checked her surroundings and saw it was clear. She jogged down the corridor, the schematics of the building flashing before her eyes. Approaching a corner, she pressed her back against the wall and held her breath while she listened, then peeked around and saw that two men were walking towards her.
Sly pulled away from the corner, closing her eyes in frustration. She had known it was highly unlikely, but she'd hoped she'd get through this without any confrontations.
The men's chatter reached her ears and she braced herself. The moment one man appeared around the corner, she jabbed a hand at his throat, bruising his windpipe, and a swift kick to the gut of the other man. She knocked the guy who was dazed and gasping for breath against the wall, letting his unconscious form fall to the ground.
The final man tried to throw a punch at her, but he was clumsy and she sidestepped easily. She pinched the nerve between his neck and shoulder as hard as she could, and the man crumpled to the floor on top of his buddy.
Sly let out a breath and continued on her mission, jogging around the corner...
And right into a guard's chest.
"Ch..."
He was floating.
At least... That's what it felt like.
He was suspended between reality and dream, floating within his own mind.
"Ch's..."
He wanted to swat at the voice, he wanted to make it go away.
"CHASE!"
Pain sparked in his cheek where he was slapped and he was jerked into awareness. He thrust out a hand, rolling onto his side. Satisfaction thrummed through him when he heard a loud thud.
Chase casually opened his eyes to glare at Douglas, who was picking himself off the floor.
"Get up," Douglas growled, brushing himself off. When the teen failed to move, he fixed the bionic with a glare that was almost paternal. "Get. Up."
And like an obstinate teenager, Chase groaned and practically slipped off the bed. "What?" he snapped, when he got to his feet, rubbing his eyes against the exhaustion that still plagued him. His head was throbbing harder now that he was awake.
"Come with me." Douglas came forward and wrapped his hand around Chase's arm in an iron grip, pulling him alongside as they exited the room.
"Get off," Chase snarled, yanking his arm out of the other man's hold.
Douglas shot Chase a glare, but didn't bother reaching for the teen again and instead picked up his pace. "There's something you need to see."
Douglas led the teen into his private office which was adjacent to the large room where the other Davenports were being kept.
"Shut the door."
Chase obeyed the curt order by closing the door hard enough to make an irritating bang.
Douglas looked up at the teen's smug face, but decided to ignore Chase's insolence. For now. Instead, he handed the bionic his tablet. "Do you recognize her?"
Chase took the tablet and saw that on the screen was a frozen frame of a security feed. For a brief moment, he thought... He felt something...
"No," he said, handing the tablet back to Douglas, who was watching him warily.
"You sure?"
Chase sighed, his anger building again. His fingers twitched at the feeling. He itched to take it out on something. Or someone.
Douglas noticed this and smiled. "I want you to take care of her. Permanently."
Chase didn't want to give the man the satisfaction of submitting but he wanted to feel that rush again. That rush of power.
"Where is she?" he asked, dark excitement stirring his heart faster and making his head pound harder.
Douglas's eyes were full of twisted pride and joy. "Corridor 5C."
Chase nodded, giving the man one last sneer before turning and leaving the room.
He never thought hunting would be this fun.
Sly gulped, staring at the mountain of a man before her.
She tried for a smile, but the man just glowered down at her.
Then the lights went out, and she used the brief distraction as her chance to take down the guard by kicking out his knees and sending him crashing to the floor. She felt her way along the wall and darted past him.
When red emergency lights clicked on, her heart nearly gave out in fright. The hallway was bathed in the color of blood, and there he was, standing at the other end of the hall, watching her.
Sly instantly knew who it was, even when the emergency lights flicked off. She spent the last two years memorizing everything about him. She didn't have to see his face to know it was Chase.
But when the red lights switched on again, she nearly screamed, stumbling back.
Chase was suddenly right there, staring down at her with-
His eyes.
Sly gasped, raising a hand to her lips as the lights went off, then came back on moments later. Chase was still in the same spot. "Chase," she whispered, coming closer. "What did they do to you?"
"I know you." His voice cut through the short period of darkness. It was as hard and detached as his expression when it was bathed in the blood light.
Off went the lights.
...On.
Sly couldn't tear her gaze away from his eyes and those awful black stains - were those veins? - disappearing into the shadows of his eye sockets.
Off. She held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest.
...On. Chase's head was tilted and he was watching her with curiosity. She swallowed her fear because this was Chase. Chase would never hurt her. "It's... It's me. Sly." When no recognition shone in his eyes, she tried again, more hesitant this time. "...You remember me, right? I'm Sl- I'm Selena."
Something flitted across his face, but darkness enveloped them once again and she couldn't tell what it was. When the hallway was bathed in red several seconds later, she saw a devilish smirk on his face that made her heart beat faster, but not from the emotion she preferred.
"It doesn't matter who you are."
Off. Sly - Selena - knew it wasn't the darkness that gave her the chills.
"I still have to kill you."
...On.
Sly sobbed and turned and ran, back the way she came.
Off.
...On.
She had almost reached the corner before she cried out when her feet were pulled out from under her, but she swore that no hands touched her - and that the same not-hands were now dragging her backwards.
Off.
Tears fell down her cheeks as she screamed, hands grappling for any kind of purchase on the floor. But the floor was smooth, and she kept sliding, sliding, sliding.
On.
She almost didn't hear it - the laughter that chilled her to the core.
That wasn't Chase. That wasn't him. He would never do this.
Off.
"Chase," she pleaded when the hold on her legs finally disappeared. She flipped over on her back just as the lights flickered on again, and she saw his face. He may look the same, but she didn't recognize him. He... He was a monster.
"Chase, please."
Off.
She scrambled back on her elbows, her heels propelling her away as she heard Chase advance. "Please don't do this," she whispered, more tears escaping her eyes.
On.
For a moment, Chase paused, his eyes exploring hers, and he looked to be fighting with himself. And there - there it was. Hope blossomed in her chest when she caught a glimpse of the Chase she knew and loved. ...But then his face hardened, and she knew that her Chase was gone.
Off.
"No," she cried, backpedaling faster. "No!"
On.
She scrambled to her feet and ran, the off-and-on-again emergency lights disorientating her. This time, no invisible hands yanked her back, but his voice followed her instead.
"You can run, but you can't hide. Not from me."
Sly stifled a sob and turned the corner, trying to put as much distance between her and... him.
Off.
She knew that he let the darkness inside of him win. She had seen it coming. She had known it was a stupid idea to fall for him. Oh, why did she get involved with him in the first place? She'd known since the moment she saw him that he would end up breaking her heart. Yet she ended up falling anyway.
On.
And now her heart was cracking to pieces.
Off.
On.
When she glanced back during the moment of red light, she saw him, the monster, striding after her quickly yet casually, as if he had all the time in the world but eagerness pushed him forward.
Eagerness to kill you.
Sly turned away just as the lights went dark. For a few seconds, all she heard was her ragged breathing. When the lights clicked back on, her scream echoed down the hall.
Chase, bathed in blood light, stood several feet in front of her, forcing her to skid to a stop.
Off. An invisible force wrapped around her waist and yanked her forward, something solid and real wrapping around her throat and squeezing, her legs dangling in the air.
On. Red light revealed Chase's arm raised, his fingers curled around her throat as that invisible force held her suspended in air.
Off. Sly clawed at his hand, the pressure increasing until she could hardly breathe.
On. "Ch'se," she gasped, forcing her eyes to meet his, which shone with sick delight. "Pl'se."
Off. She relished the darkness because she didn't have to see the smirk that curled his lips, because it wasn't the smirk she'd grown to love.
On. She didn't know what she could do to... to fix him, but she knew she had to try. "Ch'se. Y'u don' w'nt to hu-" she choked when his hand squeezed momentarily "-urt me."
Off. Did the pressure around her throat lighten up the tiniest bit? "'M y'ur... 'M y'ur friend," she croaked, hot tears escaping her eyes.
On. When she met his gaze, she saw - she saw the Chase she once knew bleed back into his eyes, and she thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She gave a small smile, clinging tightly to the wrist holding her up.
Off. Suddenly, she fell, the hand crushing her throat gone. She collapsed to the floor, coughing and placing a hand to her sore throat.
On. She glanced up at Chase, the blood red lights illuminating his horrified expression as he gazed down at her. Backing away, he seemed to be heaving for air. "Wh- What h... have I done?"
"Chase," Sly gasped with a smile. She pulled herself to her feet, still reeling from the pain of her abused throat, while they were plunged into darkness again.
She leaned against the wall and waited for the lights to come back on. When they did, she felt her heart clench fearfully in her chest.
Chase was hunched over, a hand clutching the side of his head. "Chase?" she asked, stepping towards him.
He shook his head, still not looking at her, and held out his other hand to tell her to stop. "Stay away," he said, and Sly's heart hurt to hear how broken and small his voice was.
Off.
"What is it?" she asked, her own voice barely above a whisper.
Chase just shook his head again and turned away from her, his face grimacing in pain. "Run."
On.
Sly froze. How could he ask her to run when she finally got him back? But with a sinking feeling in her gut, she asked herself - did she really get him back?
"Run."
Off...
Sly began to back away, something in Chase's voice scaring her again. "Chase? Please, just, come-"
"RUN!"
On.
Chase's voice was no longer his own again. It was harsher and steely, and Sly knew that the monster - whatever it was inside of him - was coming back. But underneath everything, she could still hear the pleading in his voice as he ordered and begged her to run.
...Off.
With a sob, she turned and ran, but she knew she was leaving her heart, whatever was left of it, behind with Chase.
Red...
...Black.
On...
...Off.
Chapter soundtrack: Broken Pieces by Apocalyptica featuring Lacey Sturm.
Sooo... How was it? Did it give you the chills? Please let me know! I always appreciate your reviews.
I'm hopefully going to start a weekly update schedule again. It's time I got my act together and made it easier for you guys to read this story - so you'll know when to expect a chapter.
I'll see you guys next week then. (Hopefully.)