"Austin. Todd, Delany is misleading you." Mulder tried.
"No, Mulder. He's right. I don't fear death, just a long and painful one." Austin began to shake and Scully instinctively backed away from him.
"We're not going to die, Austin." Mulder declared.
"It's hopeless. It'd be a mercy if it was quick." Austin muttered.
"Don't do anything crazy, Austin."
"Calm down," It was Scully's voice, "There are hundreds of employees in this prison, Austin. They all know we're here. With or without the Warden's word, they will eventually come down here."
"They aren't coming." Austin said, ruefully.
"They won't leave us here." Scully reiterated, "Listen to me, Austin." Scully commanded, "Delany is inside your head. He is using your fears to control you." She could hear Mulder talking in a low growl in the other cell, but couldn't make out the words.
"Whatever it is you're doing, stop it." Mulder said, his voice low and dangerous, "You tell him to calm down now."
"I only suggested what he already fears." Delany said coolly.
"You're doing a lot more than that, you-" Mulder was interrupted by Austin's voice.
"I-I'm so sorry, Mulder. You'll see though, that's it for the best. I don't want to, but it'll be so much worse if I don't. I'll make it quick."
"Austin, stop. You don't have to do this." Mulder said, coming up to the door.
"I do."
Mulder whirled on Delany, "Stop it, now!"
Delany smirked, "I'm not doing anything. The suggestion is already there."
"Suggest something else."
"I can't. The three of you can't leave."
"If he hurts her, we won't be the only ones to die in these cells. I'll kill you myself."
Delany didn't respond but they both heard the sudden scuffling in the next cell.
Scully resisted the instinct to call for Mulder's help. There was absolutely nothing he could do, but she saw the intent on Austin's face just before he lunged. The small space almost guaranteed that they would end up in a contest in weight, which left Scully at a disadvantage. She knew she could only stay away from him for so long and needed to end this quickly to avoid as much injury as possible to either of them. Knowing that Austin was not likely in control of himself, she didn't want to harm him.
He flew at her and she placed a well-aimed kick to his ribs and he staggered back. When she dealt him a right hook, he hung back, reassessing his attack. He circled and Scully countered.
"Austin, you're not thinking for yourself. Delany has planted thoughts in your head." She said as calmly as her voice could muster.
Mulder had Delany by the shirt and had hauled him to his feet, "Make him stop." He turned with the prisoner and slammed him against the wall. Looking past him, on the floor beneath the bunk, Mulder saw what he had forgotten about (and now wondered if he had been 'suggested' into forgetting about): the walkie talkie that Delany had lifted off of Viste.
He threw Delany to the ground and marched in the direction of the walkie talkie, intent on calling for help. To his surprise, Delany tackled his legs and Mulder hit the concrete floor with a grunt.
The fighting in both cells had attracted the interest of the escapees again and they now stood at each door, shouting and jeering. Mulder grappled with Delany, who noticed his fellow inmates' interest and he cried to them, "Help me! If he gets that walkie, we are all as good as billy club fodder!"
Mulder threw a forceful punch at Delany's jaw and, with horror, saw that the other inmates were harassing the cell door enough for it to begin to shift. With the weight of the dozens of men, pushing on it, even wounding themselves to get inside, Mulder was again surprised by Delany's power. Kicking at Delany, Mulder lunged at the walkie talkie but felt a sharp blow in his kidney. Once again, his side took a punch and Delany kept at it, obviously versed in how to immobilize someone stronger than himself.
This was knowledge Scully possessed if only there was more room to maneuver. Austin knew he had the advantage of weight and rushed at Scully like a football player. Unable to go near the cell door, she had very little room to dodge and took the brunt of Austin's charge, slamming her against the wall. She threw a punch that managed to force his body away from her. She slammed her heel into his knee and he dropped. Balling both hands together in a fist, she made to hit him in the back of the head but Austin pulled at her legs and they both went down in a heap.
Deciding that he couldn't risk Delany as a wild card any longer, Mulder whirled on him, forgetting the walkie-talkie for now and focusing solely on Delany. Kicking him in the jaw, Mulder got to his feet, and, although it incited the prisoners outside the cell, knocked him cold with a blow to the side of the head. He took the bedsheets and tied Delany as best he could. Catching his breath, he snatched up the walkie-talkie and spoke into it. Almost immediately, the crowd quieted a little.
"We need immediate assistance. Send the riot guards down here now. We need help now." He pleaded into the device, trying his best not to listen to the caterwauling riot outside his cell or, even worse, the struggle in the next cell. The best thing he could do for Scully was get help. The prisoners reacted to this as well, talking nervously and resolving to guard the door so no riot guards would get through.
On the ground, Scully had a huge disadvantage and Austin used his weight to subdue her, pinning his arms at her sides. Now that he had her down, however, he couldn't seem to decide how best to kill her quickly. It was obvious that Delany had not tapped into some deep cruelty in Austin, but simple fear that they would all die painful deaths. In truth, he had no real desire to kill her.
"Austin," She began as he paused, "This is not hopeless. We are safe here until riot control comes in. Panicking is what gets people killed," She said, quoting what she knew he had heard in the Academy, hoping to draw on something more deeply ingrained than Delany's suggestions, "Now, let me go."
Austin's grip loosened ever so slightly and Scully fought the urge to pull away quickly, not wanting to push Austin by making any sudden moves, "I know you don't want to hurt me."
She felt relieved when Austin shook his head, "Of course not. But, if I don't-"
"It won't end up like that, Austin." She tried to assure him before he went off on another panicked tangent.
"Austin!" It was Mulder's voice, "I just called for help. I have a walkie-talkie, I just sent for help."
Scully closed he eyes in relief, but Austin had not yet moved. In fact his grip tightened and his eyes grew wild once again.
"Austin! Scully?" Mulder was calling from the other cell.
Austin bowed his head, his teeth clenched as he moaned out his distress. Scully used his closeness to her advantage slammed her forehead into his nose, breaking it. Austin cried out in pain and both hands instantly went to his face. Scully scrambled out from beneath him and got to her feet, catching her breath.
"Scully?" Mulder's voice had gotten more desperate.
"I'm O.K." She managed, "I'm O.K."
"What happened?"
Austin started to get to his feet and Scully's blue eyes searched for her next course of action. Kicking the back of his knee, she went in arrest mode, pushing that half conscious Austin to the ground. She emptied the pillowcase on the top bunk and used it to tie his hands behind his back.
"Are they coming, Mulder?" Scully asked in between labored breaths.
"Agent Mulder?" It was the Warden's voice through the walkie-talkie.
"I'm here. Get us out of here, Warden." Mulder said, his voice desperate.
"Where is Delany?" The Warden asked.
"Here, with me."
"What did he tell you?"
The question caught Mulder by surprise and his heart beat just a little faster at the implications, "Warden, we need help down here."
"I can't let you out until I know what he told you."
Mulder thought quickly, "Warden, listen, Delany has made you believe things that aren't true. But, you can't wait any longer, we need help."
There was silence on the other end for an unnerving amount of time, "So, he told you about that, did he? What else has the little jabber mouth been saying."
"Warden, there is no time!" Mulder had a sudden feeling of dread that the Warden hadn't been effected by Delany at all. There was no answer at the other end, "Warden? Warden!" The walkie-talkie remained silent.