Chapter 5
By shadows/of/flame
I'm on a roll!
He ran as fast and as far away from the banquet as he could, but suddenly realised the KG were hot on his tail.
Torn heard them shoot in his general direction, but wasn't fast enough to dodge the bullet that embedded itself in his shoulder.
He let out a hiss of pain, and sank to his knees.
Ashelin ran up to him, gasping for breath, her dress having slowed her down.
"You shot him!" she yelled, snapping at the guards.
They shrank away into the shadows, away from her glare, and ran off.
Torn could feel the blood seeping through his tuxedo, and gasped as cold air riddled the wound with even more pain, if were possible.
"Come back to the Palace, and we'll get that looked at." Ashelin hauled Torn up, over her shoulder, and started walking back to the Palace.
Torn was in utter pain, and nearly didn't even notice her attempt to carry him.
Ashelin lugged him on her shoulder the whole way, and they reached the Palace within minutes.
Torns face was loosing colour quickly, and Ashelin knew she had to hurry.
She removed the bullet herself as quickly and as painlessly as possible.
Torn groaned in pain, and Ashelin found herself apologising again and again.
"I can't stay in the KG." Torn grumbled after a few minutes of silence.
Ashelin shook her head slowly.
"You don't have a choice! You have to stay!"
Torn remembered this, and groaned.
"You are being assigned to the new Dark Warrior prisoner tomorrow. You are expected to be there. Alive."
Torn just continued grumbling as Ashelin bandaged up his wounds.
"He is a very important prisoner - you MUST guard him with your life."
Torn realised exactly what she was saying.
"The dark eco experiment?" Torn gasped, becoming short of breath.
"Yes. The prisoner is of much importance, and can only be guarded bu the best to ensure he doesn't have any chance to escape."
"You make him sound like hes just one of the Barons lab test rats."
Ashelin nodded sadly. "Thats pretty much what he is. Hes the tester for this program. They'll experiment on him... until the program works, or hes dead. Simple as that."
A sick feeling nagged at Torns stomach.
"Thats sick." he hissed.
A plan was formulating in his mind - what could he do to help this boy? He had a cruel fate ahead of him - Torn had to be able to help in some way.
Ashelin finished bandaging him up, and helped him sit up.
"What happened at the banquet?" she demanded.
Torn knew he would have to tell her sooner or later, so he started...
Erol sneered at Torn as he entered the filth filled cells.
"Can you stomach this, tattooed wonder?" he sneered.
Torn held his nose up in the air.
"What? Did you think a bit of ECO and a GIGANTIC needle would freak me out?"
Erol "humphed" and went over to the needle, and the controls to switch the lethal object on with.
A frightened blond-green haired boy was strapped to the table, screaming and trying to get free.
"How many eco injections has he had?" Torn asked.
Erol smirked.
"Hes been here a year already, idiot. Stop being behind the times."
Torn ignored the comment, and could only watch in horror as Praxis flicked the switch, and Dark Eco started coursing into the boys body.
Praxis smirked, and turned to Erol.
"I still want that rat FOUND! Search the whole city - this can't leak out to ANYONE."
Erol nodded briskly, and shoved past Torn to the door.
"You... boy. I want you to take this boy in 1 hours time and put him in the cells. Give him NO food - that will be provided later."
"Yessir. Understood."
Praxis left, and Torn immediately switched the vile machine off.
"Are you OK?" Torn asked the frightened boy, freeing him from his chains.
The boy just stared at Torn as though he were some sort of monster that had just come out from under his bed.
Torn took off all the shiny KG armour, and stood the boy up.
"Do you have a name?"
The boy nodded.
"Can't you speak?" Torn asked.
The boy shook his head.
Torn took him to the cells, and gave him a decent meal.
He knew he'd cop it later, but he knew the pain would be worth it.
The boy looked at Torn, and let out a faint smile.
"...Jak."
Torn smiled happily, pleased he had achieved something.
"You're names Jak?"
Jak nodded, and Torn knew, in fact, was adamant that he was going to help this boy.
Short chappie, but theres a HUGE surprise coming up... It will startle you...