Part 13:
" Come on, mutie. It aren't no fun if you can't feel it," a drunken voice complained and tried to deliver a kick to Black Thunder's limp form on the floor but couldn't aim so his foot shot past him.
" He's out cold. You'll get nothing out of him. Come, have another drink," a new voice said and Black Thunder heard the sound of feet walking away from him over the floor. He lay perfectly still, pretending to still be out of it to discourage anyone from trying anything. He guessed he had been awake for over an hour now. It had been hard to ignore the pain in his back and chest. He guessed he had at least a couple of broken ribs and his back felt like it was on fire.
" Hey, Brian, I thought you said this guy was tough," another voice said and laughed.
" He is. I'm not so sure……," Brian began and Black Thunder heard the sounds of feet coming closer. Go away, go away, he wished before he could stop himself.
" Hey, Brain, come here," someone called and Brian ceased his steps towards Black Thunder and walked the other way. He felt relief as sweet as spring water watch over him. Time seemed to lose its meaning as he only waited for the first rays of sun to shine. Finally he heard the call he had been waiting for over the speakers in the room;
" As of now, the sun has risen. All men return to their posts."
Black Thunder could have cheered. Finally, it was over. He opened his eyes and carefully stood up as his back was complaining loudly over the mistreatment it had been given. Soldiers and guards ran around in the room, moving away the tables, chairs and other things. He couldn't see Brian or James anywhere. Well, he'll meet them soon enough and then he'll initiate some sweet revenge. Walking very slowly out of respect of the guards handiwork, Black Thunder reached the hallway. He checked his watch; 05:45. It gave him a little over two hours before he was to meet the captain. He was on his way to sickbay as his thoughts caught up with his actions. The woman, the white haired woman…..She was here somewhere. He was torn between wanting to go look for her and just moving on. He couldn't do anything for her and helping her would just bring him in danger as if this night hadn't proven that already. Good deeds never paid off. Never. But even as he was arguing against it in his head, he found his feet carried him back towards the rooms he knew the soldiers used for…such activities.
Oh, great. I truly have lost my mind, he thought darkly as he looked into the first room and found it empty save the big bed and bare walls. After having checked some ten rooms he was ready to give up. His back was killing him and time was running short. He needed to be in just an acceptable condition when the captain saw him. He reached a new room and decided that this was to be the last one. As he laid his hand on the handle he heard mumbled words. From the strain of walking his wounds on his back had reopened and blood was dripping onto the floor and down his legs.
I sure hope I'm not disturbing some General or something, Black Thunder thought as he turned the handle and walked in.
On the bed he saw her. The white haired woman. Only now her hair wasn't so white nor was it very beautiful. Her face was swollen from beatings, her left eye swollen shut and blood coming from her broken lip. Her once so long and beautiful hair had been rudely chopped off, leaving only small inches of white on the top of her head. Her arms were locked with handcuffs to the bed poll above her head. She was naked and cuts and bruises decorated her body, bleeding or already beginning to colour. But worst of all was her eyes. Her face didn't change, nor did her eyes. They just stared strait up in the ceiling, unblinking but he could see the intense hatred in them. A guard had been lying on top of her, wearing only jeans which he tried to undo in his drunken state. He had heard Black Thunder open the door and turned towards him.
" What the fuck are you doing here? She's mine. You can have her when I'm finished," the guard said with a stupid grin and turned back towards the white haired woman.
" That wasn't exactly what I had in mind," Black Thunder answered in his most emotionless voice as if commenting on the weather.
" Hmm?" the guard turned back towards him and Black Thunder hit him in the face, sending him to the floor. As he was sure the guard wasn't getting up just yet, he went to the bed and kneeled beside the woman, making sure she could see him if she wanted to turn her face to look at him.
" I won't hurt you," he whispered but when she didn't respond he reached up and undid the cuffs, having taking the key from the now unconscious guard. She didn't even take her hands down. Must be in shock, he decided.
" I'm going to take you somewhere safe where no one will ever hurt you," he promised. He looked for something to cover her with and took one of the sheets, covering her naked and abused form with it. He then lifted her up in his arms and carried her out the room.
" Hey, what are you doing?" a guard asked and ran after him. Black Thunder stopped, pressing the woman close to his chest. He searched for signs of life in her eyes, signs which would show that she was aware of her surroundings but she didn't even blink. What the hell had those bastards done to her?
" I'm on my way to sickbay with this woman," Black Thunder explained as the guard reached him.
" Sickbay? But that's not……," he never got to say the rest as Black Thunder lashed out and kicked him in the balls, sending him to his knees and then delivered a kick to his head, sending the man to dream world.
Black Thunder hurried through the hallway, avoiding the other guards. He reached the end of the hallway where his room was. With difficulties he succeeded in opening the door and he placed the woman on his bed and hurried to close the door again. Now what? He wondered. This hadn't exactly been planned. His room was small, only a bedroom and a bathroom. There were nothing on the walls and the room was very similar to the cell the woman had been held in before. Black Thunder went to her and took away the sheet with gentle hands. She still looked at the ceiling, lost in her own world.
" Stay here," he whispered and went to the bathroom and turned on the hot water, filling the tub. He rarely had hot water and his bathroom was old and ugly but it served its purpose. Today, however, things finally seemed to be going his way as the water stayed hot until he turned it off. He returned to the bedroom and lifted the woman up into his arms and carefully placed her in the tub. He took a washing cloth and began to wash her arms, shoulders and face. He was sure that the cuts on her chest and legs should be washed more thoroughly but he decided against it. He looked into her eyes and they still looked lost. Now he was beginning to worry.
" Wake up," he demanded harshly but got no reply. What was it the captain had called her? Ororo? Yet the boy had called her something else. A nickname, maybe? Stormy? Storm?
" Storm, I need you to wake up. Right now. No one here will hurt you," he said softly but she didn't seem to understand him.
" I'm sorry about this," he mumbled and raised his hand. A clash was heard as his hand made contact with her cheek.
" Wake up. Come on, Storm. Wake up. I know you can do it. Don't let them win," Black Thunder said and continued to strike her, her head flying to the side. As he raised his hand for another blow her hand suddenly shot forth and caught it, holding it away from her red and abused cheek.
" Enough," she rasped and Black Thunder could have cheered even though her voice was weak. Her physical injuries weren't extensive and now that she seemed to come out of it and what they had done to her….She'll pull through. He lifted her weak body from the tub and quickly dried her. He found a loose, big white t-shirt he placed over her head before carrying her back to bed. She hadn't spoken but now he could feel her glance on him whenever he moved. It was a look filled with mistrust, disbelief, fear and very much hate. He placed her on the bed and before she had time to know what was happening he had cuffed her right hand to the pole of the bed. She stared with murder in her eyes at him.
" I'm sorry but I can't have you running out in the hallway," he moved to the door. " I'll be back as soon as I can. Try and get some sleep, " with that he exited the room. He walked down the corridor with fast steps and found the guard he had knocked out in the hallway still down. He called some soldiers over and told them to carry the guard to the interrogation block. He did likewise with the guard in the room where the woman had been. As he waited for the two men to wake up he paid a quick visit to Cecilia and washed, got bandaged and changed from his bloodied clothes to a black west and leather pants to cover his bandages. Despite Cecilia's wishes for him to remain a little longer in sickbay, he quickly left and went to the interrogation block.
" Michael. You brought the two guards in?" a woman who worked in the interrogation centre asked.
" Yes,"
" The charges?" she inquired and stood ready with a piece of paper and a pencil to write it down.
" Both were drunk on duty," Black Thunder said and moved past her, going towards the room the guards were held in.
" They will be terminated then after standard questioning," she said and disappeared to tell her superiors of this. Seeing his chance, Black Thunder entered the room. It was a big, round room with two exists and both men were hanging from the roof in chains. The sight brought some unpleasant memories back but he pushed them away. There were no time for that now. He walked over to stand before the nearest one.
" You know what will happen now," his voice was even as always, sounding almost pleasant. The man was scared stiff and couldn't even get one word out. He merely nodded.
" What do you want now?" he inquired. " You know what you are facing."
" To…..die," the man rasped as he finally conquered his fear.
" I can help you with that but then we are to make a deal," Black Thunder began and moved closer to the guard. " You tell Dr. Sally when she comes to interrogate you that you saw your friend over here…" Black Thunder nodded towards the guard who had been in the room with the white haired woman. " …kill the white haired mutant in a fit of rage."
" But I saw her. With you," the man protested weakly. Thunder's eyes narrowed.
" I can make sure you get a very long and agonizing death or…..I can make it quick and painless. You decide," Black Thunder said and turned to go.
" I take your deal," the another man said and the corners of Black Thunder's mouth moved up in what could have been a very small smile.
" Good, and you?" he turned to the first guard again. Out in the hall voices could be heard as Dr. Sally came closer.
" Yes, I take your deal," the other man finally said as his fear won over his sense of loyalty.
" Good."
Black Thunder took out a small box and opened it. He put two pills in his hand. It had taken him forever to get the pills and he had saved them for himself if the need should arise. However, the purpose of the pills had now changed.
" Swallow this. Quickly," he demanded and put a pill in each man's mouth which they swallowed.
" Will…." the first began.
" You'll be dead within ten minutes," his eyes narrowed. " But if I hear you have betrayed me I'll personally kill every last one of your blood relatives and then move on to any friends you may have had," the threat in his voice and eyes wasn't to miss. When Dr. Sally opened the door Black Thunder had just managed to escape through the other door and out of the room. When the time reached 08:00 hours Black Thunder lay his hand on the door handle to the captain's office and tried to get his quick breathing under control as well as the pain in his body. He opened the door and went in.
TBC
