-Note to readers—sorry if my use of present tense bothers anyone, I just
seem to write better using it and every time I've used past tense I've
gotten flames for accidentally switching between the two so I've decided to
stick with present because at least it's the same throughout. Thanks for
the reviews though!! I'll try to work on my past tense for future stories
since it's such a big deal.
Another note: Hope to have this finished in the next 2 days or expect a long delay for the finale, so give my muses mad props…
Adam emptied the lab as he prepared to treat Brennan's wounds.
"Adam, I'm sorry I didn't tell you…" Brennan starts.
"You said you gave up everything to protect him, Brennan. What did you mean by that?" Adam asks, quietly.
Brennan shakes his head, slowly. "It was a long time ago, Adam. I thought I had worked past it; it took me years to get past what happened."
"Tell me, Brennan," Adam urges.
"The years in the compound were hard, Adam. I have tried to black them out but I'll never forget what happened there…how we were treated…I tried to protect him but they…they separated us and I couldn't help him." Brennan glances up at Adam, his face blank. "So once we were free, I promised myself that I would protect him. He was so special, Adam; he could help so many people. We decided that he should be the one that should live a normal life…or as normal as any new mutant could expect. He's somewhere that he can help people like us without any chance of being detected."
"You're sure about that? After all these years, you're sure he's still happy with the decision you guys made at 13? You were kids, Brennan…" Adam starts.
"No, we weren't kids after spending 8 years in that place…" Brennan says quietly. "We made a promise, Adam. It was for his protection…"
"What about your protection? This person is able to hurt you, physically, from a distant location. What if she kills you?"
"What am I supposed to do, Adam? He's my brother. If I rush out to where he is, she'll find him. If I try to contact him…"
"She'll find him regardless, Brennan. We have to find him first and protect him," Adam says.
Brennan shakes his head. "I don't want to take that risk…I've spent my whole life hiding this secret…" He begins. He suddenly stops and takes a deep breath.
"Brennan?" Adam asks, pausing with his scanner.
"I think I need some sleep, Adam. You think I'll survive until morning?" Brennan asks, glaring at the scanner.
"Sure. I want you to sleep here, though, so we can keep an eye on you."
Adam sighs, realizing that he is not getting through to Brennan.
"Thanks, Adam."
Brennan lies down on the bed and is soon sleeping, exhausted from his dream battle with his attacker.
Outside, Adam meets with Shalimar, Emma and Jesse who are unable to sleep due to their concern.
"Adam, what are we going to do? Whoever's after him almost killed him tonight," Emma says, worried.
"I don't know, Emma. Brennan is totally against trying to contact his brother, he thinks it will put him in danger."
"But Brennan's already in danger," Shalimar replies.
Adam sighs.
"Adam, Brennan says his brother severed the telepathic connection they had, is it possible that we could reopen the connection? Then Brennan could warn Britt and not have to be anywhere near him," Jesse suggests.
Adam considers this, silently.
"If the mutant that attacked Brennan tonight is as powerful as she seems, she could possibly tap into the connection and reach Britt the same way she's reaching Brennan. He would never go for that," Emma replies.
Inside the lab, Brennan is still sleeping.
"Brennan…didn't think I forgot about you, did you? Where is Britt?" The voice is louder this time, and Brennan is restrained against a flat surface, almost like a stretcher.
"No…" Brennan starts to protest but he feels a tight strap tightening around his wounded ribcage.
"Tell me, Brennan and the pain will stop…" The voice threatens. Brennan feels a blade run down the length of his arm, slicing his flesh.
"Who are you?" Brennan asks, the pain filling him.
"Someone who remember everything. Tell me where he is…"
Brennan cannot contain the sound of pain that escapes his mouth as a burning ember burns into his skin.
Adam and Shalimar reach the lab first at the sound of his pain. His right arm is slashed and dripping blood and they see developing burns on his other arm.
"Brennan…wake up, Brennan," Shalimar says, shaking him urgently.
"I don't know who your friends are, Brennan, but they can't protect you from me…tell me where Britt is, NOW," The voice demands.
Brennan's eyes open inside his nightmare and he recognizes his assailant.
"You…" Brennan whispers. "Rorie…"
"Yes, me…I'm going to find him if I have to kill you to do it…" Rorie whispers.
"Rorie..." Brennan says, struggling intensely. "You're dead…"
"You thought I burned in the fire?" She laughs. "You and your brother almost succeeded but I survived…in a coma all these years, but I survived and lived to restore all the data you and your brother destroyed…and now I want him back…"
Brennan cannot speak because of his agony.
"But since you remember me so well, you probably remember what I'm capable of doing to you…" Rorie laughs.
"I'll never tell you," Brennan breathes.
"I wanted your eyes to be open for this…do you remember where you are? This was your favorite game…"
Brennan realizes that he is back at the compound in one of the 'training' rooms. He is strapped to a platform and, as in the past, he is slowly being lowered into a pool of water. As he is submerged, Brennan can no longer contain his panic. He is drowning.
"I will break you, Brennan Mulwray, and you will tell me where your brother is…" Rorie screams through the buffer of the water.
Brennan struggles against the restraints, the water turning crimson with his blood. He cannot breathe.
"Shalimar, he's dying, I have to do something," Adam says, revealing a long syringe.
"Adam, wait, isn't that a little drastic?" Shalimar protests. Adam slides the needle into Brennan's neck.
Brennan's eyes open instantly as Adam depresses the plunger. He gasps for air, desperately.
"Brennan? You okay? Brennan, look at me!" Shalimar says, worried and protective.
Brennan puts a hand on Shalimar's, still gasping for breath. "I'm okay and I know who's after Britt."
TBC
Another note: Hope to have this finished in the next 2 days or expect a long delay for the finale, so give my muses mad props…
Adam emptied the lab as he prepared to treat Brennan's wounds.
"Adam, I'm sorry I didn't tell you…" Brennan starts.
"You said you gave up everything to protect him, Brennan. What did you mean by that?" Adam asks, quietly.
Brennan shakes his head, slowly. "It was a long time ago, Adam. I thought I had worked past it; it took me years to get past what happened."
"Tell me, Brennan," Adam urges.
"The years in the compound were hard, Adam. I have tried to black them out but I'll never forget what happened there…how we were treated…I tried to protect him but they…they separated us and I couldn't help him." Brennan glances up at Adam, his face blank. "So once we were free, I promised myself that I would protect him. He was so special, Adam; he could help so many people. We decided that he should be the one that should live a normal life…or as normal as any new mutant could expect. He's somewhere that he can help people like us without any chance of being detected."
"You're sure about that? After all these years, you're sure he's still happy with the decision you guys made at 13? You were kids, Brennan…" Adam starts.
"No, we weren't kids after spending 8 years in that place…" Brennan says quietly. "We made a promise, Adam. It was for his protection…"
"What about your protection? This person is able to hurt you, physically, from a distant location. What if she kills you?"
"What am I supposed to do, Adam? He's my brother. If I rush out to where he is, she'll find him. If I try to contact him…"
"She'll find him regardless, Brennan. We have to find him first and protect him," Adam says.
Brennan shakes his head. "I don't want to take that risk…I've spent my whole life hiding this secret…" He begins. He suddenly stops and takes a deep breath.
"Brennan?" Adam asks, pausing with his scanner.
"I think I need some sleep, Adam. You think I'll survive until morning?" Brennan asks, glaring at the scanner.
"Sure. I want you to sleep here, though, so we can keep an eye on you."
Adam sighs, realizing that he is not getting through to Brennan.
"Thanks, Adam."
Brennan lies down on the bed and is soon sleeping, exhausted from his dream battle with his attacker.
Outside, Adam meets with Shalimar, Emma and Jesse who are unable to sleep due to their concern.
"Adam, what are we going to do? Whoever's after him almost killed him tonight," Emma says, worried.
"I don't know, Emma. Brennan is totally against trying to contact his brother, he thinks it will put him in danger."
"But Brennan's already in danger," Shalimar replies.
Adam sighs.
"Adam, Brennan says his brother severed the telepathic connection they had, is it possible that we could reopen the connection? Then Brennan could warn Britt and not have to be anywhere near him," Jesse suggests.
Adam considers this, silently.
"If the mutant that attacked Brennan tonight is as powerful as she seems, she could possibly tap into the connection and reach Britt the same way she's reaching Brennan. He would never go for that," Emma replies.
Inside the lab, Brennan is still sleeping.
"Brennan…didn't think I forgot about you, did you? Where is Britt?" The voice is louder this time, and Brennan is restrained against a flat surface, almost like a stretcher.
"No…" Brennan starts to protest but he feels a tight strap tightening around his wounded ribcage.
"Tell me, Brennan and the pain will stop…" The voice threatens. Brennan feels a blade run down the length of his arm, slicing his flesh.
"Who are you?" Brennan asks, the pain filling him.
"Someone who remember everything. Tell me where he is…"
Brennan cannot contain the sound of pain that escapes his mouth as a burning ember burns into his skin.
Adam and Shalimar reach the lab first at the sound of his pain. His right arm is slashed and dripping blood and they see developing burns on his other arm.
"Brennan…wake up, Brennan," Shalimar says, shaking him urgently.
"I don't know who your friends are, Brennan, but they can't protect you from me…tell me where Britt is, NOW," The voice demands.
Brennan's eyes open inside his nightmare and he recognizes his assailant.
"You…" Brennan whispers. "Rorie…"
"Yes, me…I'm going to find him if I have to kill you to do it…" Rorie whispers.
"Rorie..." Brennan says, struggling intensely. "You're dead…"
"You thought I burned in the fire?" She laughs. "You and your brother almost succeeded but I survived…in a coma all these years, but I survived and lived to restore all the data you and your brother destroyed…and now I want him back…"
Brennan cannot speak because of his agony.
"But since you remember me so well, you probably remember what I'm capable of doing to you…" Rorie laughs.
"I'll never tell you," Brennan breathes.
"I wanted your eyes to be open for this…do you remember where you are? This was your favorite game…"
Brennan realizes that he is back at the compound in one of the 'training' rooms. He is strapped to a platform and, as in the past, he is slowly being lowered into a pool of water. As he is submerged, Brennan can no longer contain his panic. He is drowning.
"I will break you, Brennan Mulwray, and you will tell me where your brother is…" Rorie screams through the buffer of the water.
Brennan struggles against the restraints, the water turning crimson with his blood. He cannot breathe.
"Shalimar, he's dying, I have to do something," Adam says, revealing a long syringe.
"Adam, wait, isn't that a little drastic?" Shalimar protests. Adam slides the needle into Brennan's neck.
Brennan's eyes open instantly as Adam depresses the plunger. He gasps for air, desperately.
"Brennan? You okay? Brennan, look at me!" Shalimar says, worried and protective.
Brennan puts a hand on Shalimar's, still gasping for breath. "I'm okay and I know who's after Britt."
TBC
