27: It's All Gone Wrong.
Given the circumstances and time frame, Sofia and Katia made Zarya look like Nova with ease. Sofia cut the extra five or so inches off of the girl's hair to bring it to her shoulders just as Nova had recently been forced to do. Katia worked on her makeup in the meantime shaping her brows to precision, and contouring her face to seem a little sharper. Before she could do Nova's signature eye makeup on the human hunter, Sofia stopped Katia; she had to alter Zarya's eyes. Anyone who knew Nova enough feared having to look into her piercing emerald eyes. Zarya's were just as human as she was, muddled with the blue of her father's eyes. To change eye color was at least a simple spell anyone could muster.
"Don't mind my probably offensive question," Zarya began while Katia extended her lashes with some serious mascara, "but how exactly can the majority of Vasiles clearly do some kind of magic? I thought it was an abomination of nature."
"It is," Sofia drawled while curling her hair. A knock sounded on the door before it opened and a young looking man in a wrinkled suit walked in with a duffel bag. "I assume then that Katia told you nothing about who and what I am then."
Zarya's eyes slid onto the dhampir shuffling through makeup. "Uh, nope."
"Hm. Good then." She smirked when the girl in the chair frowned and sweatdropped. "Just know that I am fully capable of and good at what I do. How I ended up here is nothing for you to concern yourself with, kid." Her hand shot out and grabbed Katia's wrist quickly. "Absolutely not that shade. Are you mental?"
The dhampir had a tube of lipstick in her hand and looked up to Sofia with a brow raised. "Why not? It's red lipstick."
Sofia rolled her eyes. "It's Ruby Woo by MAC. Do you honestly believe Nova Vasile wears MAC? Or in Ruby Woo? Who do you think she is, Abaddon?"
The man snickered before setting the bag beside Sofia and leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. "Yeah, Miss Nova is more of a Lancôme kind of woman."
"Dark Fiction precisely," Sofia added.
Katia and Zarya looked at them with astonishment. "I'm the psychic but you two know her exact lipstick?" The dhampir commented.
"And who the hell are you?" Zarya directed at the stranger.
"My apologies, Miss Zarya," he smirked before giving her a polite bow. When he stood back up and his eyes were black Sofia had to physically hold Zarya to the chair. "My name is Bacchus. I've always tried to assist the Vasile women in any way I could."
"This shit keeps getting weirder and weirder…" She muttered before shifting uncomfortably in the chair.
Sofia ignored her and turned back to the lipstick. "The Lime Crime Velvetines in Bloodmoon will suffice. I have no need to even compel myself a $22 tube of lipstick. That woman is deranged."
Once the hair and makeup was settled, Katia and Sofia began digging through the duffel bag Bacchus brought. At first Zarya thought it was just clothes that looked similar to Nova's wardrobe but Katia confirmed that they were in fact some of Nova's clothes by the scent. They assured the hunter Nova had many articles of clothes across the globe and that the outfit had to have Nova's scent for insurance. When they started to bicker over what matched Zarya swiped the bag from both of them and decided on her own Nova looking outfit. The trio waiting for her to change gave a small applause when she emerged. Zarya had decided on tight black jeans with a faux leathery look to them, a dark maroon blouse that's sleeves hung off her shoulders elegantly, studded black heels, and of course a black leather jacket.
"I'll never understand how she gets away with always wearing red." She shook her head at the shirt. "My eyes are only half green looking and I always feel like Christmas."
"Is she going to not sound like an American human after your spell?" Bacchus questioned tactlessly.
"Okay, rude," the hunter quipped with a hand on her hip.
"He is correct," Sofia told her. "Nova hails from Romania. As watered down as her accent has become it is still there and becomes stronger with her anger. You may look like a doppelganger of Nova Vasile currently, but what I am going to do to you is, quite honestly, lethal. Do you understand me, Zarya?"
She nodded boldly. "Yes I do."
The elder vampire stepped closer to her. "You mustn't give in to the temptation of darkness this time as you had when you received that cursed Mark on your arm. You fall to this darkness and there is no bringing you back. The Mark will make certain of it. Do you understand that as well, Zarya?"
She held a breath that time as she nodded. "Yes, I do."
Another step closer so they were barely an arm's length apart or less. "What I am going to do to you will give you the benefits of being a vampire and Nova Vasile, but also the disadvantages. You will be fast, you will be strong, and you will be merciless but you will also not know the full capacity of your strength, you will feel the toll of atropa belladonna, and you will feel the true testament of being bloodthirsty. While you will have the skill, grace, and domination in battle you will also have fangs. If you give in and taste even one drop of human blood, there is no saving you. If you take a single human life, there is no saving you. There is no end to the spell. There will only be eternal anguish. You must incapacitate and not kill. Do you understand that, little Zarya Vasile?"
Well, gee, when you word it like that it's way more mortifying, she thought. Zarya took a deep breath and remained still before nodding once more. "Yes. I understand the consequences."
Sofia shrugged as if she were hoping Zarya would have backed out. She held her hand out and Bacchus placed a vial of red in it. "Drink this then and I shall begin."
The hunter looked at the glass vial and back up at Sofia. "Dare I ask what this is…?"
"It is Nova Vasile's blood. Do not ask how I acquired it, just drink it if you are adamant on seeing this insanity through."
"Fuck it," she decided before opening the vial and tipping it back like a shot of absinthe. What could be worse than what I've already seen in my life?
While she was distracted by the taste and way it already made her feel, Sofia immediately began the spell. A magic circle illuminated in the ground beneath Zarya; it was a symbol neither her nor even Katia recognized. The light grew brighter as Sofia chanted, her blue eyes illuminating just as bright. Zarya could feel the effects sinking into her blood and bones. Her gums began to ache even worse than her growing breasts. Her head throbbed but when she grabbed it pointed nails scratched the flesh beneath her hair. Katia had to shield her eyes when the light got too bright. Eventually she couldn't see Zarya in the circle anymore. She forced herself to look through the light when she heard the hunter's cry of pain.
"Kid here?" Dean questioned when Castiel rejoined them outside of the barn.
The angel nodded. "He's nearby; upstairs in the barn. He's playing with a basketball."
"Cain will strike soon. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, but soon." He looked over to his brother. "And when he does…"
Sam sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, I got it. You charge in with the Blade solo. And the kid? What? We just watch and wait until Cain attacks? I thought this was a rescue mission."
"We save the kid after Cain shows."
"We know what Cain's after," Cas spoke. "That's our only advantage. We want to trap Cain, we use it."
The younger Winchester scoffed. "A 12-year-old as bait. I can't believe what I'm hearing."
"Neither can I," came the voice of Crowley as he walked up to the three.
Dean rolled his eyes. "What's the matter, Crowley? You suddenly grow a conscience? Too good to put a minor in danger?"
"Don't give a damn about the kid," the King of Hell admitted honestly. "I'm talking about the risk to us."
"There is no 'us'. You're here for one reason: to hand me the Blade."
"Yeah, about that. Seeing as this is shaping up to be one of those, uh, two-step capture then kill kind of deals, I think your buddies would agree it's better to keep the Blade out of your hands until we've got Cain sewn up, just to be safe."
Dean looked to Sam who shrugged in agreement. Begrudgingly, Dean didn't have much of a choice. So as they laid in wait for Cain, he found himself thinking of Zarya. "So," his brother's voice broke him from his thoughts, "if this works, and we capture Cain, then what?"
He shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we c- if we come to it." They shared an uncertain silence before he spoke again. "You know, when I said that I would go down swinging when the time came? I meant that; I was at peace with that. I just didn't realize the time would come so soon, you know, like right now… I'm scared, Sam."
Sam smiled softly before handing his brother his phone. It was unlocked with a text conversation open. The contact ID at the top Sam had put in is phone as KATIA? Dean looked to his brother who only urged him to take the device and read.
I'm not 100% if this is still your number, but if this is Katia then I need a small favor…
Dean and I… we're gonna get Cain. It's not gonna be easy and it's not exactly a plan I agree with, but he's determined to do this for Zarya's sake.
Just please keep her safe with whatever you two are attempting to do.
And I'll try to make sure Dean does too so they can return to one another in peace.
-Sam Winchester
Oh, Sam, you're just a big ole teddy bear aren't you?
I apologize for my late reply, but we had to make a pit stop to hopefully ensure Zarya's safety. I'm not going to lie to you - it is something very dangerous she has agreed to do.
But then again, she is quite like that brother of yours, isn't she?
Keep this number for emergencies like this.
You bring Dean home, and I'll bring Zarya home. You have my word.
See if you can get the yutz to call and I'll try to get thickhead to answer.
-KMV
"What the hell are they doing?" He exclaimed immediately.
Sam's lips twitched towards a smile. "Call and find out." He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and shrugged.
Dean opened his mouth, his brother's phone in his hand pointed at said owner, but he froze. Not a single word came out of his mouth or formed in his brain. All he could picture was Zarya doing any number of idiotic things and getting herself killed. Would she come back to them? Would it be as a dhampir? Would Lucifer chuck her back again before that happened? What would the mirrored Mark of Cain do to all of that? His grip tightened around the device before his mouth shut. He flipped his brother the bird before hitting the call button beside Katia's name.
"If they don't answer-" He started. Then the ringing stopped.
"Good timing; you were just about out of it, drŭvnik."
"What?"
On the other end Katia rolled her eyes that stared out at the morning sun over the highway horizon. "It's Bulgarian for thickhead which is exactly what you are." She then turned to Zarya who was driving in full Nova attire and poking at her fangs with her free hand and held out the phone. "It's for you."
Zarya glanced down at the screen for a quick second but that was all it took for her to recognize the number on the screen. She shook her head, knowing who was on the other end and could hear. In Ohio Dean stared at his brother with an increasingly doubting expression. Katia rolled her eyes once more and turned the call on speakerphone. "Just speak. She can hear you." Zarya gave the dhampir a look similar to Dean's when he remained quiet.
"Zare?" Dean finally choked out.
The ravenette bit her thumb as carefully as she could without touching her temporary fangs. She wanted to talk to him, but not only was it a conversation neither of them would want to have after previously but Zarya was rocking Nova's accent thanks to Sofia's magic. He definitely would not want to hear Nova Vasile's voice. Katia sighed when she picked up on the driver's vibe.
"Okay so part of this ridiculous plan kind of… might have… temporarily changed Zarya's voice," the dhampir offered. "I swear to the stars it's Zarya and if she womans up and uses her words you will know that. Now, Z, speak." She smiled at the young hunter in disguise.
The brothers heard a sigh that, even with the accent, still came out like typical Zarya. Her temporarily emerald green eyes darted about the highway and trees ahead. "Yeah, Dean… I'm here. Accomplishing all of the stupid as you can hear."
"Wait, what?" Sam spoke first, unable to think before doing so. He recognized Nova's voice right off the bat.
She heard his surprise and smiled sadly. "Hey, Sammy… some Freaky Friday shit but even more freaky, yeah?"
"You wanna tell us why and how the hell you sound like the vamp you're so determined to save?" came Dean.
"I don't think either of us have time for that, do we, boys?" Katia swore she saw tears threatening and glistening in Zarya's eyes. "If this goes south, and you guys make it out okay, then Whitmore is up to something."
"Zare-"
"No, you guys need to hear me out before I lose the nerve or reach the exit. If I don't make it out of here, do fucking not come shredding through Virginia for me. Whitmore is about as safe as Mystic Falls for you. My mom… she went there. And they tried to get rid of the records. You guys do what you need to do and I'm gonna do the same. We'll all make it back to Lebanon eventually, won't we?"
They could all hear the breaking of her voice by the end. Even with the hint of old Romanian they really could still hear their Zarya over it. Dean rubbed his face and nodded. "Yeah," he finally answered rather roughly. "Yeah we will, Zare. Promise me you'll fight like hell?"
She gave way to a small laugh. "If I've gotta go down then I'm going down swinging, I promise. I'll see you both soon, right?"
Before Dean could answer, he saw Sam mouth 'say it' repeatedly. He rolled his eyes and turned his back to Sam. "As long as you make it the hell out of there." Sam went around him to continue mouthing the two words. His grip tightened around the phone, heart beating wildly in his chest. "Listen, Zare… I… I uh…"
As Sam got eager that it was finally going to happen, both of their phones disconnected. Sam's died with fifteen percent still left, and Katia's dropped service just as they reached the exit to Whitmore campus. Zarya clasped the necklace hanging around her neck; it was forged from the chunk of protective stone from Remiel's box, fashioned into a pendant that resembled Nova's lapis lazuli necklace. Her adrenaline and anxiety were violently battling one another.
"You know you're safest with me, Rya."
What if something did go horribly wrong? It was up to Katia to retrieve Nova while Zarya distracted anyone in the middle. Surely it would stir up some commotion seeing the vampire that's probably chained up somewhere else in their facility. Thanks to Katia they were able to find blueprints hidden that showed a sublevel of Whitmore House not listed in the official blueprints. Unfortunately, of course Nova's deeply rooted Power would be ice. Just another thing that made her think of someone she desperately could not right then.
"Are you certain you can handle this, Zarya?" Katia asked softly as she parked outside of Whitmore House down in the lot. "You have to survive until dusk as Nova…"
Zarya chuckled humorlessly. "If we're fighting here until dusk then we're screwed. If we save Nova and I start getting stressed on the way out then I guess I have a life coach right there."
"That's not quite what I mean. You were unwell even before we left this morning. You can't let that affect you right now."
She exhaled a long breath and slumped a little in her seat. "Honestly? I'm terrified. I'm scared to hell and back that without Sam and Dean or…" She bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm gonna fail and it's gonna be the last time I do."
This isn't just about the Winchesters, Katia deduced rather quickly. You drove the wedge between Lucifer and Remiel without even realizing, didn't you? Poor child… so aware of everything except what goes on in her own mind and heart…
"Even if we fail here today, look at what you have already accomplished for our clan." Katia smiled at her. "While we're not all actually united, we know there's one of us out there willing to fight through the fire. That alone has given a lot of us the courage to get back to our roots, or come out of hiding. You and Nova… you two are exactly what this family needs when you're at your best level. Give this your damn bests and the rest will follow."
Zarya turned and smiled her human, Zarya smile even with Nova's face. "Let's try to expose Whitmore House then."
While Castiel stood before Cain, Sam ushered young Austin into the barn hastily. Cas boldly raised his hand to the Knight, his eyes gleaming a magnificent, angelic blue, and a bright light emanated from his hand. What normally could have smited or at least injured someone merely blew Cain's hair around like a breeze. Cain pointed his knife at Castiel and flicked to the right, sending the angel's blade flying out of his hand. Cain repeated the gesture and tossed Castiel into the side of a truck. He stalked towards the barn as Sam slammed the doors shut with Austin behind him. Cain bashed the doors repeatedly until his just… stopped.
Sam whipped around and saw Cain standing in front of Austin. The kid's eyes went bug wide. "Don't… please don't…."
Without hesitation, Cain rammed his knife through the kid's gut. Instead of crumbling in agony to the barn floor, however, he disappeared into a cloud of purple smoke. "Illusion spell," Cain noted.
"Oh, yeah," Sam replied boldly. "The real Austin is long gone."
"Eighteenth century magic. If I had to hazard a guess… Rune of Amaranth."
"Good eye," came Crowley behind the Knight. "Something I picked up from my mother."
"Remember," Katia whispered as she snuck them down into the basement with a careful, crafty magic of her own Zarya would ask about later, "rage, but not homicide."
Zarya smirked. Her supernatural hearing picked up the sounds of only a few people in the vicinity. "Showtime." She winked and Katia vanished with the shadows of the basement. Well, Nova sings and gets attention, right? Let's not fuck up the song then…
Her heels clicked down the cement floor which alerted the three security guards nearby. With the music in her ears she put on her Nova face and started to sing.
"Some like beautiful, perfect and pretty
I see the good in the bad and the ugly
I need the volume one louder than ten
I put the pedal to the metal, needle into the red-"
The three were definitely startled. They actually paused, thinking they might be hallucinating or under some sort of spell, until she kept walking closer. Whatever she was they had to take her down. They all charged down the hallway, the two in back drawing their guns and taking shots. Zarya danced around the bullets as she sang.
"If the windows ain't shaking
Making my heart race
If I can't feel it in my chest
I'm in the wrong damn place!
I got a demon in my soul and a voice in my head
It's saying go, go, go! I can sleep when I'm dead
There's a sonic revelation bringing me to my knees
And there's a man down below who needs my sympathy
I got a ringing in my ears getting ready to burst
Screaming "hallelujah, mother fucker take me to church!'"
She knew, somehow, that he would hear her. As much as she loathed to admit it, she knew if she needed him that he would be there. With thoughts of him flooding her mind all over again, she used it as rage to fuel her Nova. The veins appeared beneath her darkening eyes and she felt her fangs extending. Adrenaline shot through her veins at a rapid pace. With great speed and strength she flipped over the middle guard and grabbed the two in the back by their throats. Just enough pressure knocked them out rather than killing them.
"I like it louder than the boom
Of a big bass drum!
I need it harder than the sound
Of a guitar grunge!
I love to crank it up
Make it thump
And evil to the core
Headbanging in the pit
And throwing my horns
And just like old school
Sabbath, Zeppelin and Lemmy
I need to drop it down low
And make it heavy
I like it heavy, oh ohh
I like it heavy, oh ohh!"
She whipped around elegantly and faced the third as he pulled his wooden bullet loaded gun on her. Still being human under her facade, bullets of any kind aimed at her heart would still kill her. She snarled and ducked down as she charged for him. His finger pulled back on the trigger but it was nowhere near fast enough. He was tackled into a wall which disoriented him and gave Zarya the change to choke him until he passed out. Once he dropped to the floor, she brushed off her jacket and continued to strut down the hall.
"I ride the lightning, roll with the thunder
I'm going down down down with my sisters and brothers
I fell in love with their darkest parts
Standing on the side of the wild at heart
I plucked the feather off a crow so I could fly
Since I was thirteen years old I've had my fist to the sky-"
She realized that time the one man at the end of the hall was a real vampire. He must have been controlled or owned by whoever was in charge.
"Now," came his accented voice with a daunting smirk, "I know you cannot be the real Nova Vasile."
"Perhaps you're just seeing ghosts," she retorted back in Nova's voice. Her dark red lips pulled into a smirk, then the two shot down the ends of the hall at one another. Blow for blow they struggled against the other until they were knocked to opposite ends. Zarya grinned toothily and took off further with her vampire speed and vampire assailant right behind. As he started to catch up, she daringly diverted and ran up a wall so he would run underneath her. He ended up getting confused by the move and slamming into another wall while she landed perfectly on the floor.
"I like it louder than the boom
Of a big bass drum!
I need it harder than the sound
Of a guitar grunge!
I love to crank it up
Make it thump
And evil to the core!
Headbanging in the pit
And throwing my horns!
And just like old school
Sabbath, Zeppelin and Lemmy
I need to drop it down low
And make it heavy!
I like it heavy, oh ohh!
I like it heavy, oh ohh!
I like it, I like it, I like it heavy!
I like it, I like it, I like it heavy!
I like it, I like it, I like it heavy!
I like it, I like it, I like it heavy!"
Her song amped her up enough to continue singing as she hit the vampire with each line. He grew astounded with her speed and strength, beginning to worry if Nova Vasile had actually escaped and they didn't tell him. Knowing he was a vampire, Zarya was able to snap his neck to still only incapacitate him. As he dropped to the floor, she stepped over him and brushed herself off again.
"Some like beautiful, perfect and pretty
I see the good in the bad and the ugly
I like it heavy, oh ohh
I like it heavy, oh ohh
I like it, I like it, I like it heavy
I like it, I like it, I like it heavy
I like it, I like it, I like it heavy
I like it, I like it, I like it heavy!"
Zarya was almost having too much fun being Nova. The sheer power that surged through her was unlike anything she had ever felt before. The strength, the speed, the combat; she never felt more at home than on that battlefield. No matter how she fought with the Winchesters, how she and Dean survived Purgatory, how she mentally had to fight off Remiel; nothing came close to the high she got taking down everyone in her path like squishing a bug.
Someone ran up behind her suddenly and grabbed her as hard as they could. More footsteps were hastily scrambling her way. She vamped out and flipped whoever it was over her head without thinking. He landed on the hard floor, actually cracking it with his skull from the force, and started to bleed. Zarya's eyes widened. He tried scrambling away while he bled as more associates ran in to attack her. She saw syringes of purple in some hands. Deadly Nightshade. Her heart began to race as the panic set in.
"My turn," Dean announced with the First Blade in his hand. It had still taken more assuring to Sam, Cas, and Crowley that he could handle it and (hopefully) return the blade. With one final look at the three, he headed into the barn where Cain was still temporarily held in a Devil's Trap.
"Hello, Dean," he greeted when he saw the Winchester. "At a loss for words, my son? Allow me; this is the part where you tell me it's not too late and I can lay down my arms, abandon my mission. 'We don't have to fight'."
"I'll spare us the formalities. You're past talking down, Cain. You're fully mental."
"Oh, I prefer to think I've finally gotten clear." He spoke as he walked around the Devil's Trap. "When I made my bargain with Lucifer, killed Abel, I released a stain upon the Earth. A stain deeper and far more lasting than mere precedence."
"Yeah, your bloodline's tainted. Kind of expected when you have Cursed Twins or whatever with Saskia freakin' Vasile."
"So I know." He stopped walking suddenly. "Not all killers are my descendants, and not all of my descendants are killers, but enough are. Enough for me to know that extinguishing them is the least I owe this world. Can you honestly tell me that humanity is not better off with fewer Tommy's and fewer Leon's?" He paused, a dark and sly smile creeping on his face. "Fewer you's?"
"And what about the Vasiles? What about your once wife and daughters? Daciana is still alive, if you recall. Kicking it around the south with the family of lunatics that took her in after she ran away from everything you and Saskia did to her."
Cain chuckled morbidly. "Ah, my precious Daciana. Her sister had all of the wrong parts of their mother." He shook his head. "Tell me, Dean, do you know any truth at all to Saskia's life? To my daughters'? Or to any of the Vasiles? You've come to find everything about your darling Zarya to be a lie. Cute girl, by the way. Very strong. But just not meant for you even with the Mark mirrored onto her."
Anger boiled within Dean slowly. His grip on the Blade tightened. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"Zarya Vasile is the worst of them all, Dean. The Mark didn't mirror onto her because of how much she loves you. It cast itself onto her flesh because you had enough darkness radiating off of you that you may as well have been toxic waste. She was born to darkness and you fed her more. All you've done is help set her down the very path she was meant to be on."
"Don't say it," he snarled through grit teeth.
"Why do you think the Mark never mirrored before you died and became a demon? She loved you then, didn't she? But she had yet to feel true pain. She didn't have to watch her beloved Nick die before her eyes. You broke her, and then glued the pieces back together with blood and darkness. All you've been doing is pushing her right into Lucifer's embrace."
"You don't know jack about Zare!" Dean shouted with rage. The Mark burned deeply on his arm. "She's a drummer, a waitress, and above all else a hunter. She's the bravest damn soul I've ever met, probably even more than Sam and I honestly. And she'll storm her way through the fire just to prove every last one of you wrong."
Cain shrugged nonchalantly. "If you insist, Dean. Though do tell me… how's it feel to be holding the Blade again?"
He raised the First Blade from his side and looked at it before turning his attention back onto Cain. "It feels like a means to an end." He boldly stepped into the Devil's Trap, earning a smirk from Cain.
"Then do it."
Katia found the cells where Whitmore House kept their vampires, disturbed by the mere idea. Nova's was at the very end in the darkest corner away from everyone else. She laid on the floor on her side looking worse than ever. Before she got close enough to the locks she heard Zarya screaming and fighting for her life. As much as she longed to unlock the door to the true beast, Nova was of no help to them at all. They would have had to literally drag her out. She bit her lip and instead ran back for the hunter. Katia skid to a stop when she saw the hoard of guards and doctor dressed people desperately trying to put who they thought was Nova down.
Zarya saw the dhampir through the crowd with panic in her black eyes. She shoved as many people off of her as she could, tossing them into walls as less hard as she could. "Get out of here!" She cried. "Save yourself, please!"
Eyes turned onto the dhampir suddenly. "I'll come back for you, I swear!" She shouted with tears in her eyes before dashing off with supernatural speed out of the basement.
Katia ran and ran with speed until she couldn't anymore. She just about made it to the Virginia border when she had to slow down to a quick human run. Tears whipped behind her for Zarya and Nova both. There were only a select few people who could help her before time ran out. In a last ditch effort as she ran, the dhampir took out her phone and dialed. She didn't wait to strike up a conversation. The second the person answered she had to speak quickly.
"Whitmore!" She just about sobbed. "Zarya… Nova… Whitmore; please help! I can't-" She was cut off suddenly, the phone falling from her hand as she was ripped off of the ground screaming.
Back inside Zarya was still desperately fighting for her life. A couple of guards offered to snap her neck and knock her out but the voice she recognized from making the exchange with Saskia came forth. He was certain she wasn't Nova Vasile since Nova was still mostly unconscious in her cell. He had a theory she must be another Vasile. They stabbed her with needles of Deadly Nightshade that burned her inside because of her facade, but nowhere near Nova's level. Part of her couldn't help but wonder how such a deadly plant wouldn't kill her even though she was still actually human.
The Mark started to scorch her arm and she got more violent. She tossed a couple of people into walls, cracking their skulls. She was lucky it wasn't hard enough to actually kill them. The Deadly Nightshade was beginning to wear her down and make her dizzy. It gave the guards an opening to fully restrain her at last. That was when Dr. Maxfield walked up to her with a syringe of what looked like white and gold. She thrashed against those holding her which only made the doctor chuckle. "Don't worry, kiddo. If I'm right, then this is going to get very… hm, trippy for you I suppose. And it's alright if you go a lot numb too."
Without warning he stabbed the needle deep into the side of her neck. She let out a cry in pain, then felt effects immediately. Her body temperature dropped rapidly, heartbeat sped up, sweat dripping down her face and neck, and worst of all, Sofia's spell began to recede. The fangs retreated until they were gone entirely, her figure became lanky once again, and the blue began to swirl back into the green of her eyes. A nurse came over with a wet cloth and wiped the sweat and makeup off of her face. She started to pant and the room spun while Dr. Maxfield clapped proudly.
"Zarya Vasile," he beamed with a bright smile. "You have no idea how glad I am to welcome you to the Augustine Society. I have so much to learn about you. Bring her to the lab." He told the guards. "I have a whole new book of research to do."
Finally dazed, confused, and weak, they dragged Zarya down the hall helplessly. The heels fell right off unnoticed. She fought desperately to stay conscious and note where they were taking her but it was becoming increasingly too difficult. She felt them toss her onto a cold, metal table and strap her down. Part of her thought about Dean with deep sorrow, but one part kept reminding her of a guaranteed way out.
Absolutely not, she told herself even as tears streaked her numbing face. Go ahead and experiment on me or torment me fuckers. I'm not calling for him and already endured worse by the devil himself. Give me your worst.