Before he realized it, Lloyd was in some sort of dark facility, being pulled by the shadow assassins. Anelya walked ahead, her boots making loud clanks on the cold metal floors. There were very few lights, but many doorways, all looking the same to him. Somehow it all reminded him of the remote island ranch the Desians used to run out in the ocean. He felt dizzy and tired, at some point they must have drugged him, he couldn't remember what happened very well.
Anelya walked with a spring in her step. She hummed cheerily as she turned down yet another corridor. Lloyd summed up some courage.
"What's going on here? What is this place?" he asked with anger still bubbling inside him.
Anelya stopped suddenly and spun to face him.
"This is heaven, dear subject. You'll spend your dying days here and continue to die happily until...hm...I suppose until your death is no longer amusing,"Anelya crossed her arms, like she had to think about it.
"That's impossible! You can't die more than once!" Lloyd failed to free himself once again.
"Anything's possible dear,"Anelya cooed and glanced at the door to her left. "Yes this one is lovely, you'll live here." She opened it, bringing Lloyd inside. "So dear, what's your name?" She shoved him into a chair which quickly snapped cuffs over his wrists. Dispite the dread that pulled at his heart he kept his guard up.
"Come on now. We're going to get to know each other very well, you might as well just tell me," she lifted a needle from the nearby table.
"Tell me what's really going on and I'll tell you my name,"He gripped the chair's arms, nervousness setting in.
"Ah, a barginer, eh? Well I suppose I'll take your offer." She set her tools down and lifted a familar shiny round object.
"An exsphere! But we got rid of those!"Lloyd exclaimed.
"I discovered a brand new type of exsphere. These are high-yield and much stronger than the last round. Why, one alone could power the Tethe'alla Bridge and then some. But for them to become so powerful a little sacrifise must be made..."Anelya fingered the sphere lovingly. "A couple months in my facility and then we have one of my beautiful exspheres. I can perform my work on anyone but I need someone already powerful to mold me an extra specail sphere. I believe you can handle my little task. So for the next few months we'll be friends,hm?"
"You're disgusting. I worked hard to get rid of those horrible things and you heartlessly just bring them back! My father took ALL of them with him to Derris Kharlan! You can't just make more!"Lloyd yelled at the woman. She simply persisted to smile, bringing her face close to his. Lloyd was quick to try and kick her but more clasps came down on his ankles.
"Don't you owe me your name?"She placed her hands on her hips. Lloyd spat on her face.
"Ah yes, you WILL do nicely once I get your coorperation,"she drew up a handkerchief and cleaned herself up. "You say your father took all the exsphere's into space? Hmm...that would make you the Aurion boy, hm"
Lloyd continued glaring. Anelya grinned.
"You ARE the Aurion boy, Kratos' son. His boy, Lloyd, who saved the world from total annhilation will now be helping put that beloved world in dispair,"glee resounded in her voice.
"I'm not going to help you, I'll become a hendrance,"he gave a determinded grin.
"I'm going to like this,"Anelya grinned back.
She retrieved one of the glowing spheres and sunk into Lloyd's hand. The bottom half of the exsphere merged with his hand, leaving the upper half visable in all its disgusting brightness.
"Now I'm sure you of all people know what happens when you remove a keycrestless exsphere. I don't suppose you'd enjoy turning into a monster,"Anelya kissed the exshere gently. "You're beaten little Aurion"
Lloyd's eyes flared with hate. The cuts on his face burned as if to remind him who was in charge. Anelya plucked up her needle and stuck it into Lloyd's arm. She released a green-ish liquid into his blood stream.
"This'll calm you down. Perhaps you'll feel like talking later,"Anelya hummed softly.
"You wont...you can't...I..."Lloyd's eyes flickered shut.
"You'll probably be needing lots of drugging. The tough ones always do." She waltzed out of the room. One of her assistants stopped her partway.
"Mistress Anelya...I understand that Aurion is important to your plan but," the young female officer wrung her hands.
"Yes?"Anelya rolled her eyes.
"He's going to be a problem. If he can't free himself by rational means he'll do something terrible to our organization," the officer continued avioding eye contact with her leader.
"Harp, I know your intuition is never wrong, that's why you're second in command, but this time we have to risk it. This is far too great of an opportunity,"Anelya placed her hand on the woman's shoulder.
"Yes ma'am. Sorry to have questioned your judgement,"Harp bowed and let her commander pass.
"Oh Harp, would you please inform Hylan of the situation at present,"Anelya waved her hand lazily.
"Yes ma'am. Right away,"Harp sturted down the dark hallway, a gleam in her maroon eyes. She knocked and flung open a door with a picture of a shark on the front.
"Hylan word from...would you please put a shirt on,"Harp put her hand to her forhead. "Oh sure Miss Harp, just barge in here and expect me to be ready for you at any minute,"the mildly muscular man pulled a button-up shirt on that had been flung over the couch he was lounging on.
"After I leave, remember to put on your uniform,"Harp crossed her arms impatiently,"Lady Anelya wishes you to know she's caught the subject for her specail project"
"Oh really? Anyone specail or just some random fighter?"Hylan plucked a few of the buttons on his shirt.
"Someone very specail, so we all need to keep an eye on him,"Harp frowned.
"Sounds like fun. I'll have to visit him later,"Hylan grinned devilishly.
"Take this at least seriously. It's Lloyd Aurion we have,"she glared at the slobbish silver haired man.
"Lady Anelya caught HIM! Whoa! She gets more impressive by the day!"Hylan's eyes lit up.
"Of course she's impressive, she's our leader"
"You really are the orderly type, huh?"
Harp remained silent. Hylan sat back in the couch again.
"Listen. I'm gonna visit Lloyd a little later. Make sure he's ready for me,"Hylan said, sounding professional for the first time in that conversation.
"Lady Anelya will see him first. Your visit may come after that."
"Fine fine. I'll see him then,"Hylan waved his hand and Harp dissmissed herself.
"He needs to start taking this seriously or we're going to be in trouble,"Harp thought to herself.
Lloyd awoke, finding himself in the same place as before. Nothing had changed, even Anelya was in the same place. "Feeling better?"she asked. The exsphere still glowed on his hand and the cuts on his face stung. "Not planning on telling are you?"Anelya put on puppy dog eyes,"Talk to me please."
"You're disgusting"Lloyd turned away best he could.
"I suppose we'll play first, in that case,"Anelya unveiled a large suitcase and dug in it. It was filled with tubes of brightly colored fluids. Lloyd grimaced, the situation grew worse by the second.
"AH! This one!"she exclaimed laughing,"I'm not even sure what it does. Let's test it, shall we?" she pulled some of the off-white liquid into a needle.
"Stay away from me,"Lloyd growled, his eyes widening creepily.
"Its always so worth it when the tough ones give in,"the purple haired woman grinned a nasty toothy grin.
Lloyd struggled for all he was worth.
"You're scared...how cute,"she caught his arm and jammed the needle in and released every last drop into his system.
Instantly Lloyd felt dizzy, bright spots coming into his vision and his muscles stopped working.
"Can you guess what it does? Because I've got no clue. So how bout you tell me how you feel?"she lifted his chin and grinned. She dropped it and grabbed a clipboard and a pen. Lloyd ignored her.
"I guess I'll have to try it on the little girl next door then. I haven't used her yet,"Anelya spun the pen between her fingers.
"I feel dizzy...I can barely move and I can't see very well...now leave her alone,"Lloyd averted his eyes.
"Ah! Good boy,"she patted his head and set to jotting down some notes. "You know, you turned out quite nicely. You'll do lovely as my subject."
Lloyd trembled. He'd given in so easy. There was probably no little girl. He cursed to himself as he closed his eyes. It felt like he was spinning, even though he was positive he was still strapped to the chair. That was when his brain began to wander.
How long had he been here? Had Colette and everyone else realized he'd been captured? Colette. He missed her so much already. It was so hard to believe just the other day he had everything he wanted and now...now he didn't even know if he'd see light again.
Pain shot through his body. He screamed as the pain located to his neck and his back. The flesh tore and a second spine emreged, bursting the chair. Spike and blade-like projections burst through his arms and legs. Anelya stood back and watched, her eyes heartless and cold.
Lloyd's eyes turned black and red and his cainine teeth extended. "Well, this is interesting..it looks like the monsters that come from removing my exspheres...yet's he's still all there...interesting,"Anelya casually took a few notes,no expression on her face.
Lloyd weakily steadied himself against a wall, Anelya tested the sharpness of the blades on his arms. Blood sprung from the finger she had ran across it. Delight crossed her face.
"Stunning, absolutely stunning,"she hummed to herself as she inspected him.
Lloyd swung back, Anelya dodging lightly. His strikes missed akwardly. Anelya dodged all attempts softly, looking delighted while she did it.
"Aurion, aren't you just a little too worked up?"Anelya drifted to the side of another attack. Lloyd feinted twice and then dove in to put a small cut on Anelya's cheek. Anelya gripped his forehead and sent an electric shock through him. Lloyd fell to the floor pathetically, his limbs limp.
"You just won't quit, will you?"she cracked her fingers, a few small zaps bouncing across. She stood over him with a peeved look.
"I'm not going to lose to you,"he threatened. Dispite his helpless situation his eyes were lit with a fury.
"Hey Lady Anelya, I heard some ruckus in here, is everything ok?"Hylan stepped in, tall over them both. His uniform was wrinkled and unbuttoned.
"I had everything under control. Thank you Hylan. You may take over now,"Anelya moved toward the door and left things to her subordinate.
"Wow,"Hylan looked at Lloyd,"you've already messed him up good"
"Yes, lovely result. A little shock and he's like this though,"she shifted her gloves.
"Yeah. I wouldn't dare call him human. I swear, your work becomes more remarkable by the day ma'am,"Hylan dug his hands into his pockets.
"Yes well, I'll let you toy with him. Have your fun,"she left quickly, seeming bothered. The door slammed behind her.
"You sure got her worked up. I suggest you start taking orders. Its not like you can go back now,"Hylan squated down staring straight into Lloyd's face.
"My friends don't care what I look like...they won't abandon me,"Lloyd growled, pushing himself up.
"That's what I thought. I almost had your position but I decided it would be better to join the winning side."
Zelos' voice echoed in his head. Didn't he say something like that once? He shoke his head and told him himself to keep it togther."I'll find a way out. I have to see Colette and everyone else again. I won't die here."
"You're going to die here either way. You should make it easier on yourself and give up. Anelya can be loving, probably as loving as your Colette,"Hylan crossed his arms.
"How did you..?"Lloyd fumbled for words.
Hylan displayed his exsphere."These things have pretty cool powers. So much better than the old ones."
Lloyd glared. The very thought of what those things could do gave him chills. Hylan grinned and looked rather proud of himself.
Lloyd flung a bladed arm at him, suddenly. Hylan's image become blurred and before he could take a breath Lloyd found himself against the wall with Hylan's grip in his toren up shirt.
"Don't act like that, monster,"his cool eyes went wild and angry. "I won't take crap from you." Hylan's fingers twitched. "You are nothing. You're Anelya's pet, her toy. Don't make me disable your voicebox little toy."
Lloyd brushed his arm away. "You don't stand a chance, I'm no pet."
"HYLAN HYLAN!"a young woman yelled outside. "Hylan! We're under attack! We've got intruders!"
"What!"he flung the door open to find Harp, her eyes wide.
"I don't know how many there are, it seems like he's everywhere! You have to help us corner him."
"Right!"Hylan ran out with her, making sure to lock the door behind himself.
Lloyd sunk to the floor. the steel-like bone strand rattled on the wall behind him.He suddenly stood up. "I can't rely on whoever's busting in. I have to help myself bust out!" He pounded the door with everything he had, smashing a dent into the wall.
"Who's there,"a voice called from outside.
"Give me your name and I'll give you mine,"Lloyd answered systematically.
"Is that you Lloyd?"the deep voice sounded familar.
"Do I know you...?wait...it couldn't be..."Lloyd stood back. The door swung open and there stood a man with messy red-brown hair wearing an outfit with many straps criss-crossing him.
"Lloyd! Its you!"he seemed relieved.
"Dad! What are you doing here?"
"There's no time. We have to get out now." Kratos' eyes seemed to linger on Lloyd's monster-ish shape,then shook his head and ran out. Lloyd followed closely behind.
Kratos went to great lengths, increasing speed, decreasing visablilty and passing as few lifeforms as possible. His wisdom seemed to go beyond age and ability but into a psychic prediction, avoiding all unfortunte events.
While Lloyd was impressed, he also began to wonder about himself. His body had been bashed and battered yet, he felt almost normal. The pair excaped the building and sprinted long and hard. Lloyd began to dread his own form, fearing the strength he'd unrightfully and forcably earned. Fear ran into his eyes and swam his veins.
"Lloyd...calm down,"Kratos said in a hushed tone. His eyes lowered into a serious stare, but still filled with the concern and love of a parent.
Lloyd trembled and sat down."Why? Why did this happen to me? I don't understand..."
"Fate deals in his favor. If there is a God, he is cruel and sadistic,"Kratos clenched his fist, feeling powerless.
Lloyd didnt return any words. He looked into his hands which were now laced with bladed ends. Frusteration covered his face, followed by dispair. Kratos continued after a bit, his son following.
"Another monster for me God? Well...I suppose Fate has again dealt me a similar hand..."Kratos thought as a wind blew his hair back.