Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Mutant X.
Author's Note: Not a very long chapter this time, but it's got a lot of Brennan in it. Does that make up? :oD
Chapter 20: The Elimination
She strode into the central Elimination Hall, her red toga streaming behind her like a wake. The huddle of Preachers dispersed hurriedly as she entered.
"Highness, it is most irregular to go ahead with an Elimination before the Anointment of the new Chief Preacher," a luckless preacher said.
"Things are going to be different these days," she replied. "We do things my way, or you all feel the consequences." Her eyes glowed red. The atmosphere in the room changed to one of intense cooperation.
"Certainly Wise One. How do you wish to proceed?"
"Bring him in here. I want to talk to him before the ritual Elimination."
As she finished her sentence, a beaten Brennan was dragged in by a couple of beefy guards and taken to the central pillar. The pillar was made of an unidentifiable metal, about a foot in diameter, and reached to the ceiling. At the bottom was a shallow pit filled with straw. On its side there were six metal rings driven deep into the pillar: two at floor level, two at waist level and two at head level. His feet were chained to the bottom two rings, and his hands to the top two rings. His head sagged onto his chest forlornly.
"So, you resisted again, I take it?" she asked him.
He raised his head slowly, showing the full extent of his beating injuries. His face was once again swollen and the skin around his eyes and mouth purple and cracked. Newly spilt blood caked his body in various places, and the way he held his body showed the presence of broken bones.
"Cat got your tongue?" she teased. Still he didn't say a word. She paced towards him, stopping just in front of him. She grabbed his chin in her right hand and lifted his face towards hers, sparks pricking his broken skin painfully. "You just don't learn, do you? I told you I had to make certain changes within myself, but still you resisted." She dropped his chin, making his head thud back down on his chest. She heard his sharp intake of breath as he bit back the cry of pain. She paced round the pillar, contemplating her next move.
"Well, you're in serious trouble now," she continued. "Mutant X won't be coming to fetch you, not after you contacted Adam and told him things were OK." She stopped just behind his left ear. "As for me," she whispered into his ear. "I just don't know what to do with you." She leaned back and continued her pacing. "You've put me in such a difficult position Bren." He winced as he heard her use the pet name his friends used for him.
"So how come you're not using your powers to get you out of this mess?" she asked flippantly. "Oh, yes, the water," she smiled. "But you're not in water now Bren darling." She planted herself in front of him. "Come on, give it your best shot. I'm an open target."
The only movement visible from him was a twitching of his fingers, but no energy flash. After a second his mouth moved. She moved in closer to his mouth.
"What's that?"
"You know I would never..." he managed to whisper.
She moved back and laughed. "You would never what? Hurt me?" She snorted. "Face it Brennan, you can't. You haven't got the energy. Don't kid yourself about your intentions." After a thought, she raised her hands and aimed her palms towards him. "Let's put my theory to the test," she smiled. A gold shimmering light emanated from her palms, evaporating as it hit him gently on the chest.
He took a deep breath. He expected the pain to have receded, like the last time she healed him, but he could still feel each pain as sharply as before, and winced as his broken ribs rubbed together.
"No, honey, I haven't healed your wounds. I've just given you a bit more energy, so that you can try again," she said with a grin.
He raised his head painfully, but could feel that she was right. He felt better, less exhausted. He summoned the electric energy to his fingertips as she steeled herself for a blast from him. She knew that whatever force he dealt her, she could withstand it and heal herself instantly, and so he didn't worry her. He used all his energy to form a substantial blast, and sent the crackles of energy towards his chains. As the energy dissipated and the smoke cleared, he sagged when he saw the chains still intact.
She smiled at him. "Seems you were right. After all that and you still won't blast me?"
He shook his head, "Never."
She extended a finger and sent a thin sliver of fire towards him, hitting the centre of his chest. He flinched and tried to move out of the way of the stream, but to no avail. She redirected the sliver of energy to his broken ribs, causing him to writhe in pain, but still she didn't stop.
"Why won't you retaliate Bren?" she asked him, getting more annoyed now. He didn't answer. She formed a stronger blast of fire and aimed it at the wounds on his legs and torso, but although he screamed out in pain, he still wouldn't summon the electric energy to his fingertips.
A noise made her stop. She looked up at the balcony that surrounded the Hall high up near the ceiling, but there was nothing there. She motioned to a couple of guards to check it out, then returned her attention to Brennan.
"Don't make me do this to you," she whispered to him.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," he replied softly.
"You don't understand," she continued. "I've told you before, we can't just carry on as we were. Some things are going to have to change."
"Yeah, like you sleeping around like some sort of glorified prostitute," he replied harshly.
Her eyes glowed as her anger escalated. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she spat at him as she turned and walked away from him. She reached the platform that had been erected in the centre of the Hall some distance away from the pillar, and turned to face the audience that had gathered.
"Let the Ritual begin," she pronounced. The crowd dispersed and gathered again behind her as two Preachers stood in front of her. She nodded to one, who then made his way towards Brennan and made sure he was securely bound. The other offered her a gold sceptre studded with rubies which she took with both hands. She held it up in front of her and paused as the Preacher spoke.
"Brennan Mulwray, traitor and unbeliever. You are to undergo the Elimination Ritual for your actions. According to the Wise One, you shall remain conscious throughout in an attempt to allow you to repent. May the spirits have mercy on your soul."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
And I leave you with that. Will they get there in time or won't they? Aha! Only I know what I'm planning! R&R anyway, even if it's just to tell me how much you hate me for writing all these cliffhangers!
Author's Note: Not a very long chapter this time, but it's got a lot of Brennan in it. Does that make up? :oD
Chapter 20: The Elimination
She strode into the central Elimination Hall, her red toga streaming behind her like a wake. The huddle of Preachers dispersed hurriedly as she entered.
"Highness, it is most irregular to go ahead with an Elimination before the Anointment of the new Chief Preacher," a luckless preacher said.
"Things are going to be different these days," she replied. "We do things my way, or you all feel the consequences." Her eyes glowed red. The atmosphere in the room changed to one of intense cooperation.
"Certainly Wise One. How do you wish to proceed?"
"Bring him in here. I want to talk to him before the ritual Elimination."
As she finished her sentence, a beaten Brennan was dragged in by a couple of beefy guards and taken to the central pillar. The pillar was made of an unidentifiable metal, about a foot in diameter, and reached to the ceiling. At the bottom was a shallow pit filled with straw. On its side there were six metal rings driven deep into the pillar: two at floor level, two at waist level and two at head level. His feet were chained to the bottom two rings, and his hands to the top two rings. His head sagged onto his chest forlornly.
"So, you resisted again, I take it?" she asked him.
He raised his head slowly, showing the full extent of his beating injuries. His face was once again swollen and the skin around his eyes and mouth purple and cracked. Newly spilt blood caked his body in various places, and the way he held his body showed the presence of broken bones.
"Cat got your tongue?" she teased. Still he didn't say a word. She paced towards him, stopping just in front of him. She grabbed his chin in her right hand and lifted his face towards hers, sparks pricking his broken skin painfully. "You just don't learn, do you? I told you I had to make certain changes within myself, but still you resisted." She dropped his chin, making his head thud back down on his chest. She heard his sharp intake of breath as he bit back the cry of pain. She paced round the pillar, contemplating her next move.
"Well, you're in serious trouble now," she continued. "Mutant X won't be coming to fetch you, not after you contacted Adam and told him things were OK." She stopped just behind his left ear. "As for me," she whispered into his ear. "I just don't know what to do with you." She leaned back and continued her pacing. "You've put me in such a difficult position Bren." He winced as he heard her use the pet name his friends used for him.
"So how come you're not using your powers to get you out of this mess?" she asked flippantly. "Oh, yes, the water," she smiled. "But you're not in water now Bren darling." She planted herself in front of him. "Come on, give it your best shot. I'm an open target."
The only movement visible from him was a twitching of his fingers, but no energy flash. After a second his mouth moved. She moved in closer to his mouth.
"What's that?"
"You know I would never..." he managed to whisper.
She moved back and laughed. "You would never what? Hurt me?" She snorted. "Face it Brennan, you can't. You haven't got the energy. Don't kid yourself about your intentions." After a thought, she raised her hands and aimed her palms towards him. "Let's put my theory to the test," she smiled. A gold shimmering light emanated from her palms, evaporating as it hit him gently on the chest.
He took a deep breath. He expected the pain to have receded, like the last time she healed him, but he could still feel each pain as sharply as before, and winced as his broken ribs rubbed together.
"No, honey, I haven't healed your wounds. I've just given you a bit more energy, so that you can try again," she said with a grin.
He raised his head painfully, but could feel that she was right. He felt better, less exhausted. He summoned the electric energy to his fingertips as she steeled herself for a blast from him. She knew that whatever force he dealt her, she could withstand it and heal herself instantly, and so he didn't worry her. He used all his energy to form a substantial blast, and sent the crackles of energy towards his chains. As the energy dissipated and the smoke cleared, he sagged when he saw the chains still intact.
She smiled at him. "Seems you were right. After all that and you still won't blast me?"
He shook his head, "Never."
She extended a finger and sent a thin sliver of fire towards him, hitting the centre of his chest. He flinched and tried to move out of the way of the stream, but to no avail. She redirected the sliver of energy to his broken ribs, causing him to writhe in pain, but still she didn't stop.
"Why won't you retaliate Bren?" she asked him, getting more annoyed now. He didn't answer. She formed a stronger blast of fire and aimed it at the wounds on his legs and torso, but although he screamed out in pain, he still wouldn't summon the electric energy to his fingertips.
A noise made her stop. She looked up at the balcony that surrounded the Hall high up near the ceiling, but there was nothing there. She motioned to a couple of guards to check it out, then returned her attention to Brennan.
"Don't make me do this to you," she whispered to him.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," he replied softly.
"You don't understand," she continued. "I've told you before, we can't just carry on as we were. Some things are going to have to change."
"Yeah, like you sleeping around like some sort of glorified prostitute," he replied harshly.
Her eyes glowed as her anger escalated. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she spat at him as she turned and walked away from him. She reached the platform that had been erected in the centre of the Hall some distance away from the pillar, and turned to face the audience that had gathered.
"Let the Ritual begin," she pronounced. The crowd dispersed and gathered again behind her as two Preachers stood in front of her. She nodded to one, who then made his way towards Brennan and made sure he was securely bound. The other offered her a gold sceptre studded with rubies which she took with both hands. She held it up in front of her and paused as the Preacher spoke.
"Brennan Mulwray, traitor and unbeliever. You are to undergo the Elimination Ritual for your actions. According to the Wise One, you shall remain conscious throughout in an attempt to allow you to repent. May the spirits have mercy on your soul."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
And I leave you with that. Will they get there in time or won't they? Aha! Only I know what I'm planning! R&R anyway, even if it's just to tell me how much you hate me for writing all these cliffhangers!