(a/n): Here is another update. This took a little less time to update, huh? See I'm improving. Kind of…
Anyway, here are some thanks.
Fun: Hi there. I'm really happy that you are enjoying this story so far. I'm also glad that now you can't see what's coming next. I want to keep my readers on their toes, so they didn't know what's next. I think it makes the story more interesting.
Miranon: Well, I hope it will make more sense in this chapter. You see, the story is told from Tanya's point of view. The things she doesn't know or the things that sound confusing to her should sound confusing to you as well. Well, here is the next chapter. This chapter explains why Lostis did what he did. However, other things are still a mystery.
Slash, The Ironman: Haha. You are thinking like Tanya. Well, all will be explained in this chapter. But be prepared, Lostis is even more worse in the beginning of this chapter then he was in the last. Well enjoy.
I'm glad that you are working on your fic. I still remember how my eyes popped out on my forehead when you said you didn't feel your story anymore.
Enjoy!
Chapter 7 -A Rat Hole-"One does not love a place the less for having suffered in it unless it has all been suffering, nothing but suffering." – Jane Austen (1775-1817)
"That is one incredible mind she has." A voice echoed in my ears. "It seems she has been exposed to the radiation before." The darkness in my eyes swiveled in scarlet colors of red and purple. "She was in the tournament before." A calm voice entered the hollow place. "But it was suitable for her species." Something sharp dug inside of me. "Yes." The sly voice purred as an answer. "It's going to be dangerous." A very cold toneless voice boomed through the emptiness. "Since she's used to the correct encryption she could get killed."
Footsteps echoed in my empty ears, as I could not understand what's going on, all I could do was listen. "Yes, it would." The voice slowly said that sounded very familiarly rasp.
"I believe that she has been gone for two years. This should giver her enough time to return to the normal state," the toneless voice said once more.
"That is correct, but she will be injured more quickly than the rest," the sly voice answered and the sharp invader was pulled out of my arm. "I will learn more from the analysis." The rasp voice faded with the footsteps.
"Something's wrong." The brutal voice spilled out again.
"What," Was the vicious question.
"She's conscious."
"That's impossible."
"Trust me, she is." That was the last thing I heard when I couldn't hear anymore and the spectrum of light disappeared.
"Tanya!" I heard a voice loud in my right ear through the communication device that brought be back to conscious. I opened my eyes slowly with blurred images and colors. My head throbbed merciless as the familiar voice, louder then before, screamed into the device inside my ear. "Tanya!"
My head started to think as though the voice placed a key in it and started the engine. The voice was Zack's. "Zack?" I asked as I tried to sit up quickly, but chains clawed me down. I coughed from the chain around my throat.
"Tanya, you all right?" Zack's voice sounded calmer. "Am I all right?" I asked into the microphone in my tooth with a toneless, raspy voice. I tried to rub my throat, but the metallic chains kept me in place.
"What's wrong with your voice? What's going on down there?" He sounded concerned. "If I tell you." My voice barely made sound. "Promise me you'll get me out of here?" I asked as my paralyzed body started to feel the pain around my wrists and ankles. "You want out?" He sounded confused. "What happened?"
I took a deep breath in and I felt like needles just stroke my throat. "Let's just say Lostis is a dead man." It didn't matter in what condition I was in I still felt anger seeping out of me, but my voice sounded helpless. "He is a bastard and the minute I get my hands on him, I'll rip him to pieces." I tried to change my position, but my body was not going anywhere.
"What did he do now?" Zack sounded a little annoyed, which was not like him at all. "He—" I shut my mouth the minute I heard the locks open. "Zack I can't talk." I said quietly and turned my head towards the door to my right. "Alright, I'll see what I can do. Bye for now." Those were the last words he said. What ever you're going to do, do it soon, I thought.
The door slid up slowly and smoothly, sounding like a metallic gate when it opens all the way. A familiar face walked with white eyes against his pale skin. He didn't wear any expression on his face, but that wasn't my concern. What I noticed quickly was that he was alone.
He came up to me and quickly looked at my hands. "What have they done?" He seemed to ask himself rather than me. He unlocked the chains that were holding me in place and my fist met his face.
Well that certainly wasn't the best experience, I thought, as I slowly opened my eyes. Blurred images welcomed me with a throbbing head. Lostis, I'm going to kill him and that is no lie. I guess he didn't like what I have left on his face, but who would have thought he would knock me out with one blow; another reason to hate that bastard. If he left a mark on my face, I will let him a die a painful death.
The mixed images started to make sense and I could make out the rock formation of the floor that I was lying on. I slowly sat up and looked up the dim brown walls of this round place. My eyes followed the round walls of the cavern to the exit to my right and the guards in front of it.
Shouting finally entered my ears when I noticed the groups of people who were sitting against the walls and the others were standing and were ready to tear each other's limbs. I was guessing this is where all the contestants stayed, from a five-star dormitory hallway with your own bathroom and living room, during my days of the tournament, into a shit-star rat hole. Not bad.
I closed my eyes as more pain flowed through my head. I rubbed my eyes as I remembered how different everything was back then, but before I went into my memory I quickly noticed the bruise around wrist. Bastards, I thought out loud as my hand quickly dropped to my side.
"Hey? You okay?" A friendly voice asked me that made me snap my head at it. "Whoa." The man in front of me raised his hands while backing away. He was wearing a suit that covered his whole body and didn't leave any skin open but part of his face. His mouth was covered by a metallic piece that went around his neck. His green gaze was soft. "I don't mean to disturb you." He kept his voice soft and sweet as he tilted his head. "My name is Romulus. I am one of the contestants in the tournament." I took his hand that he offered and he pulled me up to my feet.
I was surprised at how friendly he seemed, usually contestants were rough necks and friendly wasn't in their vocabulary. "I was afraid you wouldn't wake up at all." He said softly which made me wonder, "How long was I out?" I rubbed my eyes again when I suddenly felt pain on my left cheekbone. "Two hours since you were brought here." He sounded a little quieter then before.
"You don't seem too well." He suddenly said and pointed at my wrist and then at my left eye. "Well this isn't a place of luxury." I said and smiled, but it was a vague smile. "I mean, you should know." I watched him nod slowly. "Yes, unfortunately, huh?" He asked and this time I smiled from heart. "Yes."
I took another good look at the contestants, looking over their faces and how they acted. Some of them seemed like animals while others had been void of life. They were all humans and none of them were happy to be here.
Everything was so different here. When I joined the tournament the first time people were more energetic. They had something inside of them that kept them going. Some had dreams, others believed in faith and hope, and some had personal business. I was not one of the merry people. I was more of a person who was living a life that was long dead. I only had one thing that was keeping me going; revenge. Until I met this one guy…
I saw a familiar face that was leaning against a wall in the far back wall. It was the same person that I talked to in the cell, the person that I asked about Dessloch.
"Romulus." I looked at my companion. "How long have you been participating in the tournament?" He looked into my direction and lowered his eyes to the floor. "Well I'm here in this facility for almost a year. Why?"
I decided to take my chances. "Do you know anyone here by the name Dessloch?" "Well, there was some problem a couple of months back. There was a guy who was suppose to be dragged into the tournament, but he was lead somewhere else." He folded his hands. "I don't know if that was Dessloch, but we never heard about him ever since." I lowered my head and sighed. "I see." I whispered and closed my eyes.
"Is this the reason why you are here?" He asked me and I nodded in return. "Ah, then that explains a lot of things." He said as he leaned against the wall next to me. "What things?" I quickly looked up. "Your capture. Come on. Everyone betted in the tournament that Liandri would never get their hands on you." I smiled at his words.
I never knew everyone thought so highly of me. "Gee. I never knew I had fans." I heard him chuckle at my statement. "Don't go that far." He looked at me. "They would rather pick a bone with you than bow to you." I looked down and smiled wider. "Then this would be a good season." I said slowly.
I looked back at that mysterious individual. I was surprised to find him staring straight back at me. Our gazes locked and somehow I couldn't get my eyes off of his. I sensed something very familiar in his cold gaze, something that was—
I heard the metallic doors open and my eyes diverted their attention on Lostis who was walking in from the entrance with two Liandri guards. Suddenly anger awoke inside of me as I felt the fire burn inside. The mysterious individual was long forgotten as my eyes narrowed towards Lostis and his white gaze met mine with no expression on his face.
My hands clutched into knuckles and my jaw clenched when Lostis slowly made his way toward me. Suddenly, a huge giant stood in his way and hissed, "You." I saw him point at Lostis with a fiery steam. I was surprised, but not as much as I was pleased. "You rid me of the Tournament!" The giant screamed at the expressionless Lostis.
"Oh no." Romulus whispered behind me. "What?" I looked at him and studied his eyes. "That's Gorge. He picks a lot of fights and this one is not going to be a pretty one." He said quietly for my ears only. "Really." I said slowly with a smile and looked back at Lostis. Good, I thought, maybe Lostis will finally learn something.
"You are lucky to be alive." Lostis said in his cold voice. "If you want, I can finish the job." This had angered the juggernaut, which caused him to scream and come closer to the Necris soldier. He towered over the two troops who backed away, but Lostis' tall frame stood at the juggernaut's height. "You think you stinking Liandri rat can stop me? I'm unstoppable!" The juggernaut laughed as he raised his hands in the air with pride.
"I see." I heard Lostis speak and, for the first time, sound amused. "So, then why are you here and not holding the champion medal, since you are the 'unstoppable'? Oh, let me guess." Lostis said quickly before the giant could say anything. "You donated it to the former champion? How nice of you." Lostis was mocking the juggernaut and I had to admit that Lostis knows how to hit a soar spot.
The juggernaut dropped his hands to his side, violently. He turned to aside, a gesture that told me he was leaving, until suddenly he hit Lostis with his armored hand. Lostis flew violently into a wall and his tall frame slid to the floor. The giant laughed again and looked at Lostis.
The young, handsome Necris slowly stood up as he winced from pain and brushed his shoulders from the dirt. This time Lostis' eyes showed a deep expression, it was a deadly stare into Gorge's eyes. He slowly leaned his head to a side and let his vertebrates fall back in place with a crack.
Gorge
screamed from the fact that Lostis was still standing and ran at him. He raised his fist and aimed it
at the Necris' face, but missed as Lostis rolled to his left and the fist slammed
into the wall. The giant grunted as he struggled to get his hand out of the
wall but failed.
Lostis slowly went around the
juggernaut's back and leaned against the wall to side of the giant. "Tell
me one good reason I need you alive?" Lostis quietly asked as he folded
his hands and observed the giant struggle with his cold gaze.
My eyes couldn't leave Lostis'
eyes; I knew that Lostis was no rookie, but I never knew he was this good. This
had reminded of our first encounter at the Electro-Trauma when he acted like a
real professional. I have just remembered that Lostis could be a very dangerous
man.
I looked back at Romulus and
his eyes were glued at the scene, as for everyone else; no one was missing out
on the fun.
Lostis didn't care about the
many eyes that were watching him. He seemed to get bored from watching the
giant try to pull his arm out of the wall, and so Lostis pushed himself off the
wall and turned toward Gorge with that same deadly stare. Quickly, Lostis leaped
into the air and enforced a spinning kick into the back of the giant's head and
it buried itself into the wall. The juggernaut did not move as he stayed with
his head and hand in the wall.
Lostis wiped his hands clean
and looked in my direction. As though nothing happened, the contestants started
to talk to one another again. "Whoa. You shouldn't piss that guy
off." Romulus said behind me. "Yeah." I said and folded my hands
when I noticed Lostis coming this way. "And he's coming this way."
Lostis looked down at me, his
expression was calmer, but that didn't matter to me. "You have a lot of
nerve, showing your ugly alien face in front of me." I greeted him as
politely as I could; not caring that he just brought down a five hundred bull.
"You could insult me for all I care," Lostis didn't seem to be
offended as his voice sounded as calm as ever.
"I need to have a word
with you." His white gaze seemed to look behind me. "Privately."
The clear voice added, smoothly. "Forget it." I folded my arms.
"It is about your health." Lostis tried again and I turned him down
once more with an attitude. "Listen, Lost-Freak, I don't care what you want to
tell me." I pushed his shoulder with my hand as he echoed 'Lost-Freak' with a
questionable look upon his face.
"So far each of your actions had driven me insane!" I threw my arms in the air with an annoyed look. "You're making me go out of my mind." I didn't bother keeping my voice down "I'm so ready on blowing your stupid head apart with a rocket-launcher!" I hit his shoulder this time, making the guards take out their weapons. Lostis shook his head and they hesitantly stepped back. "Maybe you should put yourself into this tournament and get drugged by a psychotic-out-of-his-mind scientist and get examined like a lab rat, which brings us to a point that I was very well conscious when you and that—that—that shitster scientist examined me!!! But then again you knew that didn't you?" I stopped screaming non-stop when I finally remembered to breathe. Lostis didn't move as he stayed in his calm, cold state.
"Feeling better?" His voice broke the silence and my hand went for his face, and he caught it. I screamed and tried to pull myself away from him but he had a good grip. I knew that I would not be able to over power him and so I decided to go for his jaw with my other hand, which he caught as well. I was left with no other option but with a foot into his groin when handcuffs curled around my wrists, tightly. I slowly looked up at the tall Necris and found him looking down at me with a serious gaze.
"All right then." His voice was quiet. "If you are not willing to come—" His hands tightened across my wrists. "—Then you will come forcedly." I was about to spit another nasty comment, but a voice interrupted me. "Trinity, you should save your strength." I stopped and looked down. I knew Romulus had said it, but I stopped because it was what Zack would say.
Lostis lead me outside of the cavern through many gray, metallic hallways without saying a word. I felt like I was in for another hit, but this time a hit on my right side of the face. He led me into a familiar looking room; the interrogation room, the one with no mirror through where the audience looks; a very interesting interrogation room.
Lostis lead me in and closed the door behind me, leaving the two guards behind. He locked the door and came over the camera to shut it down. His back to me, Lostis blew a long breath out as he lowered his head.
Slowly, he turned around and looked at me with his eyes narrowed to my left side of the face. "Sorry about that." He said quietly and pointed at my face. "I'm just glad that yours look uglier," I quickly said and pointed at the bruise on his right side of the face. "What do you want Lostis? To accept your apology?" I folded my arms in disgust.
I watched him lean against the wall. "No. I need to ask something, about the time that you were in the chamber." He folded his arms and looked down. "Have you heard anything?" Lostis asked me in his cool voice.
"Yes I have." I made sure my voice was just as cold as his.
"Well—then you know."
"Know what exactly?" I sat down in a seat and folded my hands.
"Everything they had discussed." He watched me carefully, searching for the truth.
"You know the answer to that question." I said darkly and mysteriously. "She's conscious. Trust me, she is." I mocked the words that I remembered.
I saw him arch an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, don't play dumb with me!" I slammed the desk with my fists and stood up. "I'm tired of you trying to pretend that you are such a little goodie-two-shoes, Lostis, because you are not!" I walked over toward his tall frame. "Just admit it!"
I watched Lostis close his white eyes and shake his head. "I was not present there, Tanya, if that's what you mean. You have me confused with someone else." His voice was clear as usual, not giving anything away. I was simply enraged. "You liar!" I was right next to him, face to face. It would have helped if I were a half a foot taller. "Tanya." Lostis was calm as he looked down at me. "You must understand something. The tournament it's not going to be easy out there." My eyes widened at how he changed the topic. "I know you have already won one tournament but that doesn't—"
"I'll tell you what I need to understand." I pointed a finger at him. "I understand quiet well that it was you who I have heard. I don't care if you are a best friend of Zack's, but you are getting on my bad side." I turned around, so disgusted to even look at his alien face. "Tanya. I don't know what you have heard. Hate me, love me, I don't care. What's important is what is going to happen." He said behind me. "Yeah? And what do you care!" I turned around to look at his eyes. "Oh my." I covered my mouth as I watched him study the floor. "You do care."
Suddenly, the locked door was kicked opened and a dark, deadly voice boomed, "Lostis Zacron." A huge Necris stepped in, ducking under the door because of the tall frame. My eyes widened as I observed his features; he had white, piercing eyes with purple skin, which seemed to be wrinkled, surrounded him, there was the bubble like substance on his cheeks. I have just remembered how most of the Necris look like, and have finally realized that Lostis was no ordinary Necris.
Lostis was a handsome man compared to what a real Necris must look like; his face was more proportional; he didn't have that angular jaw, his skin was smooth and he had no purple color around his white eyes. This was where I began to wonder if Lostis was a real Necris.
The giant came over to Lostis, a good head above him, and began to speak. "How many times should I remind you; prisoners are not allowed to leave the grounds." I widened when I heard his voice, his toneless, deadly voice. "My apologies." Lostis kept his voice low and cold. "It won't happen again."
The tall, ugly Necris came over to me with no expression. "See to it, then." His brutal voice spilled out. I slowly looked up at him, still paralyzed at how familiar his voice sounded. "I was not present there, Tanya, if that's what you mean. You have me confused with someone else." Lostis' voice echoed in my mind. So Lostis was right all along.
"You're the one who—" I couldn't finish my sentence when I saw Lostis shake his head.
"Take her away." The large Necris walked away from us.
"I'm sorry, Lostis." I said quietly, ashamed at accusing him. "It's alright, no harm done." Lostis was quiet, as well. "It's just that, there is something very important you must know. When there will be another chance, I will speak with you again." Lostis took my shoulder, lightly, and guided me toward the door. "Whatever happens, Tanya, don't get fragged, don't die." I looked at Lostis with a questionable look. "Trust me." He said. The way Lostis had said it made me realize that I really had no choice.
(a/n): That's all people. Tanya will change her attitude towards Lostis, but it still won't be enough to fight through her own fear.
The quote is describing Tanya's feeling towards the Unreal Tournament.