She hated herself for what she had helped accomplish today. She looked in the mirror and hated what she saw, she screamed in frustration and punched the mirror.
The blood flowed over her hand as she began to cry in fustration and sunk to the floor amongst the broken shards.
She heard the door swing open and heavy armoured boots walk across the tiled floor.
She ignored it and sunk her head to her knees holding them with her arms.
She didn't look up as gentle arms wrapped around her.
Erol sat next to her and held her as she cried her fustration, next thing Serena knew he dragged her into his lap and she sat there being held softly by him.
He had been harsh with her but had not imagined the affect today would have on her, he kissed the top of her head.
He felt like he had helped finally break her emotinally.
They sat like this in peaceful silence for some time.
"I'm so sorry." He whispered genuinely afraid he had indeed help break her mentally as well.
"It's in the past now what is done is done." She replied with no emotion.
He picked her up in his arms off the floor and set her on the bench in the middle of the room.
"Let's get you tidied up." He said, he went to the shower and turned it on, steam began go fill the room.
"I remeber my first time I had to do something like you did today, I hated myself for months, you soon begin to numb the emotions."
She sat on the bench and looked to him ignoring what he had said. He grabbed her arms and pulled her up, he began to undress her and walked her to the shower. He undressed himself and pushed her forward into the flow of water.
Serena flinched as the water hit her hand and the cuts along it.
It stung and the blood mixed with the water swirled down the drain. Errol began to wash her as she stood emotionless. She had locked herself out of the world and withdrawn into her mind.
He got her out of the shower and wrapped her in a towel, dried her hair and helped dress her ever so gently. He put her back on the bench and got dressed himself.
He grabbed her hand and they walked. "Look lets go feed your muse and then come back to mine, I dont want you being alone tonight, you could even bring her with you if that helps."
She nodded in agreement and they headed to her home.
Serena busied herself with the manotanous task of feeding Sasha whilst Erol put the kettle on and made a coffee for each of them. She sat on the couch staring at the wall, a warm mug was placed in her hand and she looked up at the amber eyed man and smiled. " I knew I'd get a smile out of you eventually." He grinned and inside he was relieved. " Sorry I guess I retreated into my mind a little." Erol sat next to her on the couch and they drank their coffee in silence.
Erol opened the door to his apartment he ordered in some food they ate and went to bed. Sasha curled up next to Serena and she cuddled her as Erol held her in his arms. He stroked her hair until she fell into sleep. It was at that moment he realised his feelings for her went alot deeper than he let on, he held her tighter, smiled and drifted into sleep with her.
Serena dreamt that night of ice blue eyes.
In her dreams he could talk.
"Why did you let them do this too me?"
The boy sat on the metal bed of his cell his back towards her sobbing into his hands.
"Why do you let then torture me?" Serena tried to touch his shoulder he shook her hand off.
" I'm sorry." She said to him.
"I dont believe you and your lies!" He yelled.
" I'm just doing my job." She cried.
"That's right we all have to live somehow right?"
"It's the way this city is I'm sorry!"
The boy began to laugh miniacly.
His hands grew razor sharp claws as his skin went white, he turned to her his ice blue eyes now black and empty his mouth was in a miniacle twisted smile his teeth now razor sharp.
Electric bolts of dark eco sparked off him, as he raised his hand and lashed out at her.
Serena sat bolt up right in the bed, cold sweet poured off her. She panted heavily, she felt like she could feel the claws rip through her skin.
Erol sat up in bed " Serena are you okay?" He reached out to her, she jumped. "It's okay dear its only me, you must of had a bad dream."
"It seemed very real," she stated.
He hugged her and pulled her back to him she lay against his side as he held her close to him.
" It will get easier I promise." He whispered into her hair.
" I hope so too." She said, "help me to forget for a moment." She straddled him and kissed him.
"Oh I am more than happy to oblige." He replied with a smile on his face.
The next day went in a blurr, Serena was back in her yellows organising the stacks of paperwork and reports that had filed in from her two day absence.
Drinking her coffee she looked up to see Ashelin in the doorway of her office. "Yes madam? " Serena said. " I just wanted to come see how your doing, heard from Erol you took things a bit rough yesterday, he's worried about you." Ashelin said as she walked to Serena's desk. Serena sighed and leaned back in her office chair. "Close the door. " She told Ashelin and she did as she was told.
"Yesterday was horrible Ashelin the worst thing I think I've ever done and I've amputated limbs."
"What happened?" She said curious as to what she had to say. " I had to strap a young boy into a chair to be stabbed with a giant needle and pumped with dark eco whilst your farther held me there and made me watch! " She spat out. " I'm a horrible bloody person Ash. " She slumped on her desk head in her arms. "What do I do?" She mumbled into her desk. Ashelin went around to Serena's desk and lifted her up. "For starters stop moping, you are doing your job." Ashelin told her. "Also I have confirmation on a time and meeting place for you to meet Torn tonight." She stated to her.
"Shit I forgot about that, where and when? "
"Seven pm Hip Hog." "Ughhhh, why there I hate that place."
"It's the only place where it is inconspicuous enough, a middle ground." She said leaning against the desk. "Alright I'll go, but Torn better have that apology ready or he might be visiting the precursors themselves."
Serena finished her paperwork and went home. She hadn't seen or heard from Erol since this morning so she went home fed her muse, changed and headed to the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon in the ports.
She entered the bar, the walls were still the same lined with different metal head trophies Sig had collected for Krew over the years. "Ahhhhh Commander Acheron, back for another lover's quarrel are we ehh?" Krew floated to her eye level and chuckled. "Piss off Krew I'm in no mood." She growled.
"Alright madam, be careful or I'll sic Sig on you. "
"Whatever," she said as she walked to the bar and ordered a drink off Sig. "Why if it isn't my favorite cherry. " He purred in his low voice. "Hey Sig, how's the metal head hunting? "
"Aw she's been good, it's good to get the peacemaker out and about busting some metal head ass. " He chuckled. "She's a nice piece of tech Sig, when do I get to play with it? "
"Haha, now no one comes between a man and his gun, no matter how well they know them, sorry baby girl you are no exception. " He told her. Serena pouted her bottom lip out at him. "Meany," he laughed at her.
She took her drink with her to the booth. Torn slid in adjacent from her. "Serena, I'm sorry about what happened at our last meeting." He proclaimed. "Good, apology accepted."
"Now tell me what you have learnt so I can pass the info on. "
"Alright don't get your dreads in a twist. Well it turns out The Baron is starting the dark eco warrior project as of yesterday. " "Go on" Torn said as he lit up a cigarette.
"The Baron has sourced his first specimen and has began his first lot of experimentation, it seems as though he wants to harness dark eco to create the ultimate soldier. "
"I knew it was bad but I didn't realise it would be this bad. " Torn seemed genuinely shocked. "Well believe it, that's all I have for now, let's hope the makers have a way for us to get out of this one. "
"Remember to stick close to Erol I think he knows more than he's letting on. "
She got up from the booth and walked back to the bar and reminisced with Sig about Spargus. Her communicator buzzed, she checked the message icon. It was a message from Erol.
Erol: Sorry I had a late shift, would you be up for a late dinner? Xxx
Serena smiled at the message and replied to him.
Serena: Of course what did you have in mind? X
Erol: There's a lovely place near the Mar stadium, meet me at the stadium steps in half an hour, dress nice. X
Serena: okay see you then. X
"Sorry Sig, I have to go it was nice catching up with you. " Serena hugged him. "Anytime cherry. " She left the bar to change into her black dress she wore the night Erol walked her home the first time and headed towards the stadium.
She waited on the steps looking out on the massive courtyard. In the middle stood a statue of The Baron with his sword. She hated the statue it depicted The Baron as some great ruler when in fact he was nothing more than a coward who pushed the original ruler Damos off the throne. Now he hid behind the war and was an angry bitter man. "There you are. " Serena looked up and there was Erol smoking a cigarette and smiling at her.
He was wearing dress pants and a black shirt. "Wow you look handsome, I don't think I've ever seen you out of uniform. "
He held out his hand to her and helped her to her feet. "You look beautiful as always, and don't lie of course you have seen me out of uniform. " He complimented her and pulled her into a kiss. She blushed and he took her hand and they walked into the stadium. "I thought we were going to a nice place? " She questioned him. "We are I set something up in one of the skyboxes up top, " he pointed to one of the many private boxes in the stadium. "Really, Erol you didn't have to go to so much effort. "
"Of course I did I was, let's be honest I was a dick yesterday and I want to make it up to you."
She smiled at him as they walked to the elevator.
They reached the box and there sitting in the middle of the room was a table with candles, two silver dish covers and a bottle of wine on ice. The box had views of both the city and the race track. "It's beautiful." Serena let out. "It's the highest spot you can get in Haven City without being in the palace. " "Thanks Erol, this is amazing. "
He seated her at the table and they ate, drank, and conversed about their days, laughed and enjoyed their time. It was exactly what Serena needed, some normalcy as things were only going to get worse.
The next day Serena's day began like any other she did her reports checked on her troops and then she began walking the corridors and found herself in the prison quarters. She was wandering aimlessly through the halls when a noise caught her ear. She turned to the cell door to see the blue eyes of the boy watching her. She turned and went to his cell. He stepped away from the door, she swipped her card and entered closing it behind her. The boy sat on the metal bed on one side and Serena went and sat on the other.
The boy twiddled his fingers staring at them. His blue tunic had been swapped out for the rough spin prison clothing. His blonde and green hair had become slightly matted and he had dark circles under his blue eyes. Serena had an idea, " can you write? "
She asked him, he looked up at her and nodded his head. Serena pulled out a notebook and a pen from her jacket and handed it to him. He looked at her with a questioning look. "I wont tell if you don't. " She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. "What's your name? " She asked him, he wrote three letters on the piece of paper. Jak "My name is Commander Acheron, but you can call me, no wait that sounds silly you can't talk, write my name is Serena. "
The boy chuckled. I knew people with the last name Acheron, they were Gol and Maia.
Serena read the note book and almost dropped it on the cell floor. "So that's where you fell out of time from. " She mumbled he stared at her questionly.
Thanks for being kind to me, a prison is not where you generally meet kind people. "I'll make it as easy as possible for you I can't see it being easy but I will try. "
Why are you doing this, why are you being nice it's not your job to be nice? She laughed and looked at her hands, "Because the precursors told me I can always lighten the load and help those who are in the dark. " You are kind, but I don't think the other Commander would be happy if he caught you in here. "Your right I better go, it was nice conversing. " She got up and left the cell locking it behind her. She wandered round the levels and found herself at where the horrible events took place, the science lab.
She went to walk past when she almost bumped into Dr Sullivan.
"Shit, watch it! Oh it's you." Dr Sullivan looked at Serena with disgust. "It's Commander Acheron to you." She pointed at her and then folded her arms in dislike. "How was Erol last night? Your the topic of his conquests at the moment you know. " She said matter of factly. " He comes in here and your all he can speak about. "
"Your point being?" She spat at her.
"Well it won't be long and it will be me he's talking about, he's always up here. " Her face became reminiscent.
" He was gloating about his race garage and race on the weekend. He's invited me to the skybox."
"You and half the troops." She hissed at her. " Look just stay away from Erol."
"Why, a woman can only try and get what she wants." She laughed. Again something in Serena snapped when she spoke with this woman. In a flash Serena had Dr Sullivan against the wall pinned and a pistol under her chin. The woman looked terrified, Serena whispered in her ear.
"Cause you might find yourself having a small accident. " She dropped the woman, laughed and walked away the green monster of jealousy had risen it's ugly head, Serena hated that this woman could get to her so easily.
The day stretched on as Serena brooded over her conversation with Dr Sullivan.
Her ear piece went off, "Acheron, I want you to take specimen one for his treatments from now on. " Spat The Baron's voice.
"Yes Baron Praxis." She responded and walked back to the cell block.
She opened the cell door and walked in, he smiled when he seen her. He wrote on the paper. Back so soon? Did you miss me? She laughed but her smile soon faded as she realized what was going to happen to him. "Come on I've got to take you upstairs."
The boys smile dropped he nodded and held out his hands, she put the handcuffs on him and walked him to the elevator. It stopped and the doors opened and they stepped out to the room.
She took him to the chair he didn't struggle as she placed his arms and legs in the restraints. He gave her a thumbs up and a nod she smiled a broken smile and walked out of the room and the screams began. This became their routine for the next couple of days. She would unlock his cell put the handcuffs on and take him to the chair and listen to his screams. When the cycle was done she would help him back to his cell, cover him with the blanket as he shivered and fell into a fitful sleep.
The weekend had approached the dark eco cycles still had to be done so she would come into work to help do them.
She sat on the metal bench opposite Jak.
She was telling him about the big race tonight, the Haven City Cup.
"I am excited to watch it, I wish you could watch. Erol is racing tonight. "
You really like him don't you? "Yea I guess I do, he has his moments like many and it's only been a week but he's definitely growing on me. " She told him. He smiled at her, well you seem happy and I like seeing you happy, makes my days go a bit easier seeing your smile. "Thanks Jak that's really sweet of you to say, anyway I better take you upstairs before they come looking."
He held out his hands for the handcuffs. She took him up to the lab and put him in the metal chair and clamped down the restraints. She again walked out the room before she heard his screams and lent against the wall and let out a sigh. "Hard day? " Erol walked in. "What are you doing here on a weekend, shouldn't you be prepping for the race tonight?" She asked him surprised. " I will be as soon as I take you with me, I did promise a private tour and I'm a man of my word. " He smiled at her.
"Well let me finish up here and I'll meet you downstairs." She kissed him on the cheek and entered the lab she took Jak out of the restraints and put the handcuffs on.
They walked past Erol to the elevator and Jak glared at him with hate in his eyes. "Steady on Jak," she whispered to him. They went back to his cell, she helped him in and put the blanket over him. "Night Jak, I'll see you tomorrow" He waved at her and curled up with the pain on the metal bed with his wool blanket.
Serena met Erol downstairs, "your not growing a soft spot for that boy are you? " Questioning her. "No I just find it easier to treat people with some respect makes things easier for us in the long run."
"Just checking, anyway ready for some fun? I brought my own personal zoomer over."
"Ready, let's have some fun."
Erol went and got his zoomer and brought it around, it was red and white with sleek panels and very streamline. "Wow nice ride! " Serena told him. " I'm almost a little jealous of it. "
He laughed, "come on and get on." He grabbed her hand and helped her on. "Hold on tight," he told her and he put down his race mask, she put down her driving goggles and grabbed him around the waist. They raced through the streets to Mar stadium. She could feel his hard abs through his shirt and was vary aware he was there. She giggled when he took them barrel rolling past some troops, the wind felt amazing and she felt as though she did not have a single care in the world. The thoughts of the dark eco cycles and the prison drifted away momentarily from her mind.
Parking the zoomer Erol took her into Mar stadium and to his race garage. She entered the room and it was full of people bustling around a silver race zoomer. Serena had never seen one close up before, the men and woman were working on it tirelessly ensuring all the pre race tunes were done and up to Erol's standards. The head race mechanic grabbed Erol to look over some tables and graphs.
Serena began to wonder around the room, she put her hand on the zoomer and ran it along its panel, it was smooth and cold to the touch. "Impressive isn't it?" A man popped up next to her.
She jumped and almost pulled a pistol on him. "Shit you scared me, your lucky you are still alive." She laughed as she patted her holster. "Names Gary, might I just add your a beautiful lady, what you doing hanging with Erol?"
"Whoa your very forward." She said taking a step back. "I am Serena, I work with Erol and we have been seeing each other. " He whistled, "how does a man like him get a lady like you? Anyway I'm one of Erol's race techs, if your gonna be seeing him I'm sure I'll be seeing more of you. " The greasy black haired man said. He had on blue overalls that were covered in oil and grease. "Enough Gary get on with your work." Erol shooed him away. An automated woman's voice came over the speakers in the stadium. "Attention race drivers, the class one race will begin in thirty minutes. "
"Looks like I need to suit up and get this girl down to the track, we are cutting it a bit fine for a full tour. " He put his hand on the zoomer gave it a pat then turned to Serena. " You be safe out there and come back to me in one piece." She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Of course I'll be safe, I'll also be coming home with another trophy to add to the rest." He rested his hands on her hips and pulled him towards her and kissed her. "Good luck, I'll see you up in the skyboxes afterwards."
She left the garage to let them get ready and went to the skybox.
"Commander on the deck! " One of the troop yelled, the whole room went silent and stood to attention. "At ease ladies and gentleman tonight I'm just here to enjoy the races with you guys. " She took a seat up the front of the skybox and waited for the race to begin. She could see the whole track from up here but there were huge screens set up to be able to see the parts of the track that were enclosed. She waited patiently whilst the skybox began to fill with more people. Murphy sat next to her. " Commander Acheron?" She turned to see who had spoken to her. "Murphy, hello I am hoping you are feeling better after your incident on Monday."
"Much better thanks to you." He smiled, " I never got the chance to thank you properly."
"It's no problems it's my job to look out for my men. But how did you know it was me anyway? " She queried him. "Commander Erol came and seen me in the infirmary and told me." "Oh well, it was no trouble at all, I am happy to patch people up when I have too. "
Serena smiled at the man. "Attention class one drivers the class one champions, race is about to begin. " The automated woman's voice came over the speakers.
The zoomers dropped down onto the track with the men and woman aboard. The Baron always made his appearance at the championship race. He floated in on a platform with guards surrounding him. His voice boomed out over the crowds. "Ladies and gentleman welcome to the Haven City championship cup. The brave drivers today have faced many a challenge to get here and will put their skills and bravery to the test on the track. Good luck and may the best racer win. "
The crowd erupted in cheers as the lights came down and flashed from red to green. Erol shot off in his zoomer into first position cutting off the driver next to him who ploughed straight into the first corner in a ball of flames. Serena cringed and grabbed the edge of the seat as people cheered at the man's death. She watched the race continue as three more racers met their doom in a fiery death. She didn't realise how brutal the sport was and almost didn't want to watch.
The last lap came round and Erol was neck and neck with another driver only meters from the finish line he shoved his zoomer into the other and spun them out leaving him victorious.
The stadium roared in excitement at Erol's win. Serena found herself jumping up and yelling with excitement of his win and she hugged Murphy next to her. Errol was taken to the winners podium. "Citizens of Haven! " The Baron's voice rung out above the crowd. " I give you your grand champion Commander Erol!" The Baron handed Erol the golden cup and he lifted it above his head in triumph and the stadium roared. Serena smiled knowing she most likely would not see Erol for the night with all the celabrations she left the skybox and wandered the streets home.