A/N: Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
WARNING: OOC, LANGUAGE, ANGST
Chapter 2: To the Pit of Insanity
Argilla, knowing that there would be no response, wasted no time and quickly reacquainted herself with the cell in which she was imprisoned.
She stood, ignoring the cold air within and pressed her palms on the wall, feeling her way within.
'Hmph…' she thought, narrowing her eyes in the dark, 'There has to be something in here…Like…a shaft…or something!'
She walked along the wall, feeling for anything but found nothing. She gritted her teeth in further frustration as she felt herself being restrained. The shackle had prohibited her from going any further.
She cursed, "Damn!"
She was only permitted a foot or two before being held forcefully back. Feeling her irritation rise, she knelt down and pulled at the chain as hard as she could to no avail. She snarled and didn't give up. She tried again and again.
But like the first time, there was no result. The chain was strong. It was probably a new one. She gritted her teeth. What did this person want with her?
She shook her head again and then resumed her inspection of the cell.
xxxxx
Heat chuckled as he watched her. She was so cute…
'Cute…?' he asked himself.
No.
She wasn't cute.
She was beautiful…
She was a goddess…And it was he who was going to clip her angelic wings…and strip her of her majestic regalia…
He looked at her as she tried in vain to pull the chain off the wall. He laughed with utter amusement as he watched her touch every bit of the cell that she could, as far as her shackle would allow, and felt for something, anything within the cell that could help her escape.
Splinters of wood…a pin…paper…anything.
He knew how her mind worked. After all, he had been trained in the same fashion as well. They were to use everything around them. They were to be resourceful.
Because of that, he had cleaned the entire cell inside and out. Not a speck of dust could be found within. The shaft was too small for her to crawl into and it was on the ceiling…Not that she could reach it anyway…
The bars on that shaft, if by some miracle she managed to free herself from the shackle, were solid steel. And it was bolted.
He groaned as an electrical jolt surged within his whole body as he continued to watch her almost nude body writhe in frustration within the cell…
He licked his lips. Enticing.
xxxxx
Argilla sat, pressing her back against the wall. Her legs were bent and were pressed against her chest, her bent arms resting atop her knees. She then rested her forehead on her arms, thinking.
'That sadistic bastard…' she thought angrily.
She had been in that empty cold cell for nearly a week now…
And no.
She had not received anything from her captor. He had not even given her a drop of water. No; it was a standard starvation test.
She snorted; she had endured harsher conditions than this. If this bastard thought that she would just give up and die because of starvation, then he had another thing coming!
But one thing did make her feel strange about her captor.
He had not once entered her cell.
She would always feel him right outside her door. And when she would see him, only his hooded silhouette could be seen. Nothing more.
He had not spoken a single word to her…And that was what made her wonder all the more. Who was this man? What did he want…?
With the way he was treating her, she was beginning to think that whatever the issue was being addressed was serious and personal.
This person, whoever he or she may be…hated her.
She could feel her hair stand on one end every time that she would feel his presence. She didn't know how, but she just knew whenever he was near…And there, he would just watch her…
She shrugged her shoulders; he could watch her all he wanted. She couldn't care any less. If he didn't feel like talking, then, neither did she.
She closed her eyes…
A week.
She had been missing for a week now. She sighed; they wouldn't even begin to look for her. No. She had been scheduled for a solo mission…
That would last for two weeks…
That meant that it would take another week until they would realize that she had disappeared.
She then blinked; she knew that she was still in Muladhara. There was no way that she was within another city. There was just no way that one member of another tribe could infiltrate their base and abduct a person. There was no way at all.
If she didn't know any better, she would say that she was within the sealed caverns of Muladhara. She had to give her captor some credit though.
Those caverns were perilous and were a challenge to get into…
Not only did he manage to navigate and get within, but he had also managed to create a little "stronghold" for himself.
She snorted again; if she ever met him, she would give him a piece of her mind. Feeling her anger rise, she immediately stood on up and yelled, "I know you can hear me you bastard! Why don't you just stop acting like such a faggot and face me bitch?!" she yelled angrily, knowing fully that he would never answer back.
No. But still, she wanted him to know what it was she thought.
She looked left and right, her eyes completely adjusted to the darkness. She knew her room inside and out now. There was nothing in it that could help her escape. Her captor had made sure of that. He had probably cleaned the room first.
"Pussy!!" she yelled to her captor.
No.
She was a soldier.
She would not yield so easily.
xxxxx
Heat watched his captive intently. He was amused, to say the least. He wasn't surprised though. She had gone an entire week without food or water. He could tell that she was freezing cold and was probably ill…but she didn't act like it.
She still wore her strong façade but he knew what it really was she was feeling. She was getting agitated. But she was a soldier after all…a member of their elite team. Hence, he was quite aware of her capabilities…and her limitations.
It wouldn't be long now. It wouldn't be long now until she broke. Yes. She had been trained to endure physical torture…even psychological torture…but not emotional torture. No. What he was going to make her experience would be something that only she could understand. It was something that was just between him…and her.
He chuckled. He was really enjoying himself…He had kept a beautiful pet all for himself. No one would be able to lay eyes upon her the way he would…
And as he continued to watch her, watch every bit of her mannerisms…he would begin to heat up, his body rising in temperature.
His breathing would become labored as his whole countenance would suddenly jolt up, awake…Fully awake and fully attentive…
He wanted her…
Badly…
He licked his lips…
She looked so delectable…so helpless…
'Like a mouse in a maze…'
He chuckled again…No…Not a mouse…He preferred to think of her as…a cute and fluffy pink bunny. Yes, that suited her better, he reckoned.
'Don't hurt yourself little one…' he thought as she continued to yell and curse, yanking her chain.
Up to how long would she be able to keep her strength up…? Another week without food and water perhaps…?
He would like to test that theory…however…
She wouldn't last very long if he continued to keep her this way…
Her beauty would fade.
He didn't want that.
He wanted her beauty to be in tact, so that when he finally broke her, it would be all the more meaningful. He wanted to be the one to tarnish and mar that beauty…To destroy it; to transfigure it into something so vile…so wretched.
And so, he stood and descended down to her cell.
Bitches needed to be fed too.
xxxxx
Argilla shivered and shook slightly. The air was cold…She hugged herself, feeling a bit angry. When would her captor come and speak to her!?
She shook her head…
She was beginning to think that this was a game to him.
'A game of cat and mouse…'
She knew that he was watching her. He was probably watching her every move…She narrowed her eyes in the darkness; whoever this person was, was very sick.
'The bastard's sick in the head!' she cursed inwardly, cursing her dumb luck for attracting such attention from such a foul being.
This person, she deduced, enjoyed watching her…
She was being kept like a lab-rat; intently gazing at her reactions to different stimuli that he would provide…
'Sadistic prick…' she thought, shaking her head. 'Not to mention…a pervert! Great…' Argilla thought as she rolled her eyes, 'I have a sick, sadistic pervert in my hands…This is just great.'
She was thrown from her reverie as the doors to her cell opened. She closed her eyes as she saw the blinding light once more. She heard a dragging noise. It was the sound of metal against metal.
A moment later, all had grown dark once more.
She opened her eyes and wondered what it was the slimy bastard had slipped in her cell. She crawled on the floor, slowly feeling her way in the dark. A moment later, she touched something metallic. Her fingers, careful, were able to glaze over the objects.
She blinked and arched an eyebrow.
'Starvation rations…' she told herself.
So, this person wasn't just intent on killing her. He was enjoying this wasn't he? He was going to keep her alive…but just barely…
She shrugged her shoulders. The proud side of her did not wish to the take the food that he had given her, but on the other hand, she felt that she needed to.
She needed strength when she would finally meet him.
And somewhere within her gut, she knew that she would meet him. He would reveal himself to her when the time was right.
Right now, he was merely drawing suspense from her.
She rolled her eyes at that, 'That's…really lame.'
xxxxx
Another week had passed and Argilla sat there, shaking like a leaf. He still had not spoken to her but she had been fed at least twice within that week. She was beginning to feel a bit weary…and anxious.
She would just close her eyes tightly, imagining that she was elsewhere…
Because if she didn't, she felt as though that the four walls of her cell were closing in on her…
She didn't want to sniff or sob because that would bring her captor pleasure. But as the days continued on and on, she began to wonder…would she be saved…?
Would her comrades be looking for her…? Even if she had been scheduled for a covert operation, they would expect weekly reports…right?
She let out a staggering breath as the growing despair and the chilling cold seeped even deeper within her skin.
Or had they simply…forgotten all about her…?
She shook her head, 'No…! Of course not! They're looking for me…! I…I just know it!' she thought with defiant vigor.
They would look for her…
They would.
Won't they?
xxxxx
Heat was cackling. Aa…she was beginning to fade. He could tell.
She was probably missing the outside world by now…She was probably missing them…her comrades. He laughed at that; how ironic that she would be missing him…Him, one of her so-called comrades who turned out to be none other than her captor.
He shook his head; he could keep her there forever…but she would get ill.
He brought his fingers to his chin and thought. Well…there were…the other rooms…but…He deemed that she had not been ready enough to be in them. But…with the way things were going…
'No! Things weren't supposed to be comfortable for her! It's supposed to be…difficult!'
He had been intently watching her the last week. He had marveled at the strength of her will; of her mind. But of course, how long would it last…?
There, whenever he would watch her sleep, he would have half the mind to go over to where she was and force her to be his…But he would never act upon it…
Never.
He would force himself to just…sit there and watch.
If he did force her…then, he would only be carrying out her expectations. And he didn't want that. He didn't want to prove her right. She was wrong! She had been wrong in everything that she had ever done!
He glared deeper, his eyes narrowing into slits as he recalled his last dream of her. He had remembered more about their lives together…she and he.
Yes.
She had been a part of his life…
She wasn't just his killer…
She was…
'She was mine…' he told himself malevolently.
His hands clenched themselves into fists and he gritted his teeth as he continued to look at her through the monitor while still remembering their past lives.
She had been his in that life.
'Her crime…isn't just murder…' he thought knowingly, realizing why it was she was there in Purgatory.
She had committed a heinous crime. The crime of betrayal.
His red eyes burned with lividness. She had betrayed him, hadn't she? He shook his head. He had probably found out about her transgression; that was why she had killed him…Wasn't it?
He could feel his body aching…wanting to burst and destroy everything in sight. Now…he hated her even more.
Heat flicked the switch for the monitor and shut off the image in front of him. He didn't want to see her. He didn't want to hear her breathing…
Two weeks of watching her…He didn't even touch her or speak to her and already he began to feel the way he did towards her.
And what exactly did he feel…?
He loved her.
He buried his face in his hands. He loved everything about her…Only now did he realize it.
Each time that they would be paired together for a mission, he would look out for her…He would begin to heat up when she was near but he didn't know why. Now, he knew why. It had been his desire and love for her buried within his soul calling out to him, beckoning for him to realize it…
But because of God's curse…he felt no such desire…
Until now.
Now, they had awakened to these strange sensations…
And he wondered; did she feel that too…?
Did she realize that she belonged to him rightfully?
Did she realize that she had betrayed him? Committed against him that most foulest of crimes?
He let out an angry and quivering breath.
He loved her. He hated her.
Just as he had loved everything about her, he had hated everything that she was. He hated her for being perfect. He hated her for being strong…For being beautiful…He hated her for making him fall in love with her the second time around, even after he found out that she had betrayed him.
Can't she see what she was doing to him…?
Can't she see…that she was driving him to the pit of insanity?
xxxxx
Another week had passed. Argilla still did not understand her captor. Now, she had been fed everyday…And at times, twice a day. He didn't want her to merely alive now. Now, she wagered, his motives had changed.
And the food wasn't all that had changed. She had awoken one morning to see a small lamp, a blanket and a box of medicine.
He knew that she had been ill, didn't he?
She was confused.
He didn't merely want her alive…
He was…taking care of her. But why? She narrowed her eyes as she sneered; why else? He was grooming her for something.
He was preparing her for something.
And as to what it was…she didn't know. She sighed, "Serph…" she said openly, moaning out his name. She wondered for a moment if he was looking for her. She wondered if he was worried about her.
And what about Gale, Heat and Cielo…?
Were they looking for her too…?
She smiled a bit as she thought of them. Granted, she had spent three weeks in that cell…but…she never gave up hope. As long as she was alive, there was always the hope of escape.
She would live; for her comrades.
xxxxx
Heat's heart stopped as he had heard what she had said. She had moaned their leader's name. Why? He narrowed his eyes; was it possible that she felt for Serph what he felt for her?
No.
There was no other time for this. She had been missing for three weeks now and the bastard had begun to worry about her.
He had already dispatched a squad to look for her. Heat sneered; none of them realized that she was alright…that she was taken care of…
None of them knew that she was right under their noses…sleeping peacefully. But still, he had seen results. She was beginning to crack. He felt it…but he also felt that she was trying to suppress it. Rather than making despair own her, she was attempting to have the dire situation as her inspiration instead.
Instead of thinking that she would never be found by her comrades, she was thinking that she would escape and find them.
Instead of missing them and the outside world, she used them and the outside world to be her inspiration to hold on to her miserable life.
It was…a difficult thing to do. Keeping one's head cool in these sorts of situations…It was a test.
But her…She was steadfast. She was strong; stronger than he had first anticipated.
He narrowed his eyes at her again. However, he should not ponder over it from the negative spectrum. On the contrary…It would make breaking her all the more…fulfilling. Yes?
He chuckled. He deemed that she was ready.
By now, she was fit enough for his challenge.
He smirked as he fingered the monitor in front of him, imagining himself touching her…
"You had better give me a good show Argilla…Do not disappoint me…" he spoke in a low tone, knowing that she would never hear him…
xxxxx
