(French for Pyromaniac)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own X-Men: Evo, especially Remy, Piotr, John, Pietro, Magneto, or Mastermind. Oh yeah, or Sabretooth. Just realized I've been forgetting him this whole time
AN: My apologies, I realize I'm cutting it close. At least I'm updating in under two months. Let us celebrate, ja? ::loud music begins in background:: I have 12 almost finished, so expect it in a couple days. I want to see people's reaction to this one first. And boy, I'll bet you'll all react.
Now, to the chapter....
WARNING: Kinda graphic. Reader discretion is advised. No complaining, I warned you.
Chapter 11
Punishment
(a.k.a. On Metal, Bad)
"Follow me."
I look at him silently. He's still emanating anger, but he's turned his attention past me, out the door. He's opted to defy gravity once again, as he's begun hovering out the door.
I follow him as ordered. He's leading us both to the biggest room in the compound—training. There aren't any windows, so it's black except for the two tiny lights on the far left, and they're only to indicate that the room's got power. It's just enough to see Magneto still hovering a few feet in front of me. I trail him carefully. If I don't, I'm liable to walk into something.
I have to admit, I'm scared. I expect myself to start shaking at any moment, as embarrassing as that fact may be. The switch for the floodlights is metal; he could have turned it on at any moment. But he hasn't, and I doubt he can see that well either.
Another red flag is waving itself in my face.
For now, to an extent, I guess I'm glad it's dark. Boss is already pissed, and I'm sure showing any sign of weakness or fear would only anger him more. I know my skin has no color left in it.
On second thought, I'd rather see where I was going. The thought of having to depending on someone who may well be trying to kill me for guidance is not comforting. It's even worse now that I can hear the familiar unearthly groaning; Magneto's shifting the landscape around us.
We're almost to the far end before he stops. I halt as well; continuing forward would mean walking into him. He turned around and looked at me. I can't see his face at all, but the thin gloss of moisture on them makes his eyes seem to glow. He's at just the right angle to reflect those two miniscule lights…
But the glow just disappeared. He didn't close his eyes, and he didn't move.
I whip my head toward the two lights. There's a faint aura visible, but that's all. Something's eclipsing them.
My brain tells me run, but my legs are slow to respond. As soon as I move, the room is suddenly filled with the mechanical buzzing. Metallic tendrils surrounding me, they're like snakes. They even sound like them.
I'm finally running, away from Magneto and away from the nearest snake, the one reared up and ready to grasp, that blocks the light. I wish to God I knew where I was going.
Any second I'll run into something. If I stop, he's liable to rip me apart.
A wall ahead. I turn left. A blur in front of me, a slight reflection of the lights and I know that there's a vine coming my way, spiked at the tip. I reach for my cards, thankful now that I still have them, even though had I blown them up in the first place, I wouldn't be in this mess. It's charged quickly and I whip it at the metallic tendril. I have light for a moment and can see three more obstacles ahead. The light of the explosion doesn't last long, and as I pass it in its fading moment, I can see it barely slowed down the mark.
I run as fast as I can, I feel like I could give Pietro a run for his money. Butt's it's no use. A vine intersects my path, cutting straight across about 3 1/2' off the ground. No time to react, I run full force into it.
My chest... A dull crack, and now nothing hurts more than breathing. Absolutely fucking wonderful! Pardon my French (and yeah, I could've said it in French), but I'm in no mode to be polite right now. I just had the equivalent of a lead pipe smashed into my middle.
And of course, it's still low enough on me, that I completely fold over it, landing (at least it won't be with much force) head first on the ground.
Well, that should be happening, but it isn't.
HOLY SHIT!
Again, please forgive my horrid mouth, but I think you'll understand when I mention what just happened, as coherently as I can.
Remember that tendril that I unsuccessfully blew up? With the spiked tip?
It's through my leg.
And now I'm hanging from that wound.
When I went over the intersect, my legs toppled upward in the process, and apparently, it was still following me.
Forget trying to stifle it, I scream with as much volume as my lungs will allow. I hear a laugh. If I live through this, I will kill Magneto. This is nothing; it's easy to tell he'll make this much worse.
The next moment, several things happen at once. He raised me up, a good twenty feet off the floor, hanging torturously from my leg. Bastard's using gravity against me. I manage to keep my head tilted forward, so I can see up. He turned the lights on while he sent me upwards.
I can see it now, the wound, clearly. I don't want to describe it, so please, don't ask. All I can say: Too much blood. Shit, I'm gonna die.
Another snake, vine, tendril, whatever they should be called, wrapped itself around my middle. It began to turn me upright, in a pivot that doesn't work with the other one still in my leg. I scream again. I glance at my bloody leg and do the only thing I can think of to keep it attached. I clench my teeth and wrack my body sideward. All I can do is scream again. Trying to rip myself off it, it's barbed. It pushes itself through another few inches and the barbs suddenly become flush with the rest. The spike pulled itself out while the other vine turned me upright.
I realize how pathetic I must seem. Weak. I'm surprised he retracted the spike, rather than shove it through my head. My arms have fallen to my sides; I doubt I could raise them at this point, not with as much of the red raining from me as there is.
I'm in less pain now than I was a minute ago, but, Dieu, it still hurts. While thankfully not literally, I feel cut off from my leg. It's...distant. More prominently, the binding wound around my waist is putting uncomfortable pressure on my lower ribs. The broken ones. I try and use my limited remaining strength to support my torso, with those less-than-functional arms of mine. I really have to concentrate to complete than small task. I don't notice until I open my eyes again and glance downward, I'm now being held over far end of the room, rather than the middle. I'm pulled slightly away from the wall, damn, the thing's winding up. It swings quickly toward the wall, letting me go in the process.
Ow.
I should be at least grunting--that small noise of pain that I usually only allow myself to express--but I don't have the energy any more. Stupid blood loss...
I hit the wall with my head about 12 feet above the ground. Considering I'm about 6 foot myself, I only have to drop another body length.
It just had to be legs first, didn't it?
Ouch...
I push myself slightly up from the ground. Everything stopped. I stumbled forward, using my beloved Bo staff for support. Yeah, for those amazing twelve steps I made. And to think, I'm not even an alcoholic. It was still hard, though.
I fall forward when the stick goes out from under me. The snakes come alive again, five shoot at me from different direction, one around each wrist, one around each ankle (one of which I can't really feel. That's bad, isn't it?), and finally one around my throat. They each pull taut, so that I end up sprawled in all directions, though held upright. One isn't too tight, don't worry, I'm not being strangled. I'm just immobilized.
The spiked tendril slithers up in front of me again, still streaked in red. It slowly presses against my middle. Not enough to enter, but it will soon enough with the pressure behind it increasing. It hurts. I decide to ignore it. I take one last look at Magneto. He's standing by the two tiny lights. I glare at him, what well be my final act of defiance. He's oblivious. I don't care.
The room's getting dark again. It's like the main lights have been turned back off, even though the switch says otherwise. Magneto fades, the tendrils fade, my surroundings fade... Those two tiny lights still seem bright. Funny how that works. I watch them as even they fade. I close my eyes before they're gone completely. Amazing, my perception warped a moment before I did. The lights went from their dim white to green that last moment.
Well, since I'm about to be unconscious, I'll say adieu for now, because I'm holding out faith I'll wake up again.
To be continued...
Special Thanks To:
Snitter in Rivendell- Danke.
Snoozing_Dragon123- Go back and read your Ch. 10 review. Creepy, yes?
Etwa- Sorry for taking so long...
Green Eyed Lilys Daughter- So soon will I be bugging you... Oh, and I hope you did well on the project.
Dark Angel60- Phew, I just made under two months.
Akai Kah'ghe- Yup. Merci, ami.
Cat- I'm sorry. ::Cdragon is ashamed of herself::
Dark_English_Rose- I say in advance, please don't hurt your head too much.
liz- Herzeleid.com. Go there! [I don't know if you got the email, so...]
dakr skie- Ok.
TO ALL READERS- DON'T COME AFTER MY BLOOD. Thank you. Remember, good things come to those who don't try to kill me or wish for my horrible mutilation...