Cards of Fate
Chapter Four
By: Springborn
-Ethan's POV -
-Thirty minutes earlier-
"Fuck," I breathed, shoulders rising and falling with each breath, hands shaking from the adrenaline. Dealing with Jack in the garage was a nightmare. How the hell can anyone walk around normally while on fire!? He should have been screaming, thrashing around in pain. Yet he was walking like it was a normal day.
What the man did at the end was worse. The sound of the single gunshot still rang in my ears as Jack put the gun into his mouth and fired. A grin on the older man's face, a disturbing twinkle in his eyes as pulled the trigger. The bastard even let out a chuckle before his brains were splattered to the ground and the body fell.
"What is wrong with this family?" They didn't seem normal as I had been forced to sit at the table as a guest.
I ran a shaky hand over my face, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. My eyes landed on the gleaming staples in my wrist, keeping my hand attached to my wrist. My brain can't even process the idea that I can still use it after Mia cut it off with a chainsaw.
"Mia… what happened to you?"
*Flashback*
"AHHHH!"
The metal teeth ate away at my flesh, ripping through the muscles and tendons, chewing through the bone. Something wet and red spurted from the stump as Mia grabbed the front of my shirt, lifting me easily and throwing me to the ground. Her face crazed, her eyes going solid black and the veins in her face more visible as her skin went pale white.
She disappeared around the corner, carrying the chainsaw.
Wrapping my hand around my wrist, trying to squeeze it tight enough to stop the blood flowing. My head thumping due to pain as I stumbled up the stairs and hitting a button to lower the stairs that lead to the attic.
The woman on the phone said there was a way out. God I hope so.
Climbing the stairs slowly, I treaded down the hallway and was soon met with another nightmare.
Finding the handgun was a blessing as a rush of emotions flitted through my mind. I couldn't understand it. The only thing my brain would allow me to think was 'Get away. Get help.'
That plan went sour as I was forced to fight Mia once again. Firing rounds into her body while I cried on the inside. I didn't want to shoot. I didn't want to kill my wife!
Oh Mia… after three long years and I had to kill you!
The fight ended and I stood over the still form of my wife. How was I going to explain this to Kara?
I let out a small sob and turned slowly. "What the-?"
A middle aged man appeared out of the darkness and grabbed the front of my shirt roughly. This caught me by surprise, not seeing a fist flying at my face. My face exploded from pain as the punch landed and I fell on my back, dazed.
"Welcome to the family, son."
The man smirked, lifting a boot and brought it down.
Darkness swallowed me.
*End flashback*
"Family? No way am I joining this family. It's a fucking nightmare."
The wooden puzzle shifted in my back pocket and I pulled it out, looking it over. The wooden pieces entwined together in an intricate design. It matched the paining near the stairs. Maybe it needed to be moved to create the shadow of the eagle?
Stepping up onto the platform under the staircase and placing the puzzle onto the pillar, I started to twist it around, trying to match the faded image in the painting. While doing this, my brain replayed how I first met the family during dinner.
*Flashback*
Click
Click
Click
"Come on-don't die on us now. You have work to do."
A female voice brought to me to the light for a second, vaguely seeing a stapler was being used on my left wrist, reattaching my hand. Was that a watch? Fresh blood had splattered my hand as the woman was finished, stepping out of sight quickly.
I let out a weak groan and the darkness consumed me once again.
A weird smell wafted close, invading my senses as I slowly came too. My eyes fluttered and closed, giving a small groan. It wasn't bad nor was it pleasant. The scent reminded me of an overcooked dinner.
A weird sight greeted me as my eyes opened slowly, seeing a plate in front of me. The weird meat looked pale and veiny. It wasn't sausage as it twisted and twirled on the plate, mixed in with a clear fluid. Similar food lined the table, some looked bigger than others. Half melted candles sat in old Spam containers.
Lifting my head, my eyes landed on the people that sat around the table. A middle aged man had sat down and took a big swig of beer and placed the bottle down, eyeing the food and scooped some up with a fork. It took me a second to recognize him. It was the same man that had knocked me out and carried me off with Mia. A middle aged woman sat to my right, a wide grin on her old face. Her hair seemed to have a life of its own as it moved easily as she talked in an animated speech, most likely speaking to her husband and son, her hands digging into the food on her plate.
The man on the left looked young, maybe middle twenties. He wore a dark blue collage hoodie, covering parts of his head and showing the hard lines on his face and hooked nose. A sick smile twitched on his thin lips, throwing pieces of meat at me.
"Where am I? What the hell?" My voice sounded groggy, strained. The boot to the face must have knocked me out bad.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead. It's time for supper" The woman said cheerfully. For a moment she almost sounded normal.
"Who are you all people? Where's Mia?" I asked, looking around and finally spotted a much older woman lounging in a wheelchair. She looked so old; her body is thin, one could make out the outlines of bones under the paper like skin.
Thump
My head whipped to the right, seeing the woman slam her hand on the table and scooping something into her mouth, chewing and swallowing with a sweet smile. "Eat up. It's good." Her tone sounding sweet and warm, only to be betrayed by the look in her eyes.
"Dumb son of a bitch wouldn't know good if it hit him!" said the hooded man, throwing a plate of food and it splattered over my chest.
"Lucas!" The woman chided gently, shocked that he would be so rude to their guest.
What happened next would only add to the horror I felt earlier.
The father grabbed his son's arm tightly, holding it down on the table and yanked a knife from the table. He slammed it down into Lucas' arm, slicing it till the arm was severed.
Lucas didn't even scream from pain as blood spilled from the stump as he stumbled back into his seat, staring. "Goddam, old man, not again!" The mother looked concerned, staring at her husband and son.
'Again?' I thought in sickening horror. 'Has this happened before?'
"Get out of the way, Marguerite!" The man said, holding the bloodied knife as he walked around the cowering woman who shifted her seat away.
I couldn't take my eyes off the man or the knife, wondering what he would do. A heavy feeling settled over me, my mind seeming to go blank from fear. I couldn't speak despite my lips moving.
"That boy's got to eat! He got to have his supper" the man said in a thick southern accent. He picked up a piece of meat, getting close to my face. The meat looked wet and slimy in the light and my stomach twisted in disgust. The man held the curled meat towards my mouth.
"Come here, boy. Let's do this, come on." The man held up the meat in a coaxing manner as he pushed the meat into my mouth.
As soon as the pale flesh hit my tongue, bile rose up instantly and spat out the fleshy appendage. I gagged and coughed, trying to rid myself of the taste.
"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit- He's not eating it, Jack! He's not eating it!" Marguerite cried in rage, jumping to her feat, sending a glare as she pointed a finger.
"Shut the hell up, Marguerite!" Jack snapped at his wife, turning towards her and kicked at her chair, knocking it over. His wife stepped back, still shouting and pointing.
"I made that for him!"
"Get the hell out of here!" Jack took a step towards her.
Marguerite stepped back, moving around the table. "You're a son of a bitch!" She marched towards the double doors, muttering and cursing as she pushed door open and disappeared. Lucas watched his mother leave, not saying a thing.
"This was supposed to be a special feast" Jack snarled, grabbing my attention. He was holding a piece of meat, which was starting to look like something I didn't want to think about. He slammed it to the table and picked up the bloody knife.
"Come here boy."
The knife moved closer as I clamped my mouth shut, knowing it wouldn't do much against a sharp blade. With a quick thrust, the knife slipped through my lips, cutting them and slid between my teeth. Jack twisted the blade, forcing my mouth to open. He pulled the blade out as I spat up blood, pain coursing through my wounded mouth.
Lucas sat forward, a gleeful smile on his open mouth as he watched intently.
"Come on now. Open up" Jack ordered as he brought the knife close again, ready to strike. He stopped suddenly.
A familiar sound interrupted Jack. A phone rang from somewhere in the house.
Lucas let out a groan of disgust. "God damn it. I bet it's that cop again" he growled, standing up. "Goddamn pigs!" Turning, he marched out the door, leaving it open a crack.
Jack shook his finger at me, lowering the knife. "I'm coming back for you" he promised and soon followed his son out the door, closing it.
*End flashback*
I pushed the flashback away, straining my ears to make sure I was alone as I worked on the puzzle. At one point it looked like a small sitting room connected to the main room. Two hand carved chairs on either side of table pushed against the paneled wall. Dried flowers nestled in the vase, hinting at a more cheerful time.
A click and soft mechanical sounds broke the quiet as a door started to swing back, revealing a hidden hallway. Cobwebs broke as the door open, leaving grayish strings hanging from the molding.
"Who builds this shit?" I wondered out loud, eyeing the dark hallway warily. I didn't have a choice; it was either go through the opening or waste more time trying to find a window I could break. Even if that was possible, I wouldn't leave Mia. There has to be a way to save her.
"Kara, where are you?"
Knowing she was coming to help find Mia offered some comfort, only for it to be replaced by worry, guilt and fear. She and her two mystery friends, Sora and Luxord, would be walking into a waking nightmare. It was his fault for dragging them into it. He could only hope they would forgive him once they get Mia.
Stepping closer and inching into the opening, I slowly sidestepped through the tight opening, feeling the wood brush up against the back of my shirt. I said a silent prayer, relieved that I didn't have a fear of tight spaces and hoped Kara wouldn't have to go through this way.
Kara's fear of tight spots often left her shaky and pale. Mia and I would do our best to help calm her, especially when it came to haunted houses.
Soon the tight hallway opened up to a wider opening and I stepped into what looked like a hunting den of sorts. Standing on a platform, a stuffed deer blocked parts of my view of the room. A coffee table sat in the middle, an overstuffed blue couch on one side and a matching chair pressed against the peeling wall. An empty bookshelf settled against a wall in the back, partway hidden by a wall that is attached to a closed room, its door holding a dead crow.
I eyed the dead crow in distaste. Even defenseless animals weren't safe with this crazy family. Searching the room for anything of use, I found a box of ammo for the shotgun I found earlier and an herb. The room is as dusty as the rest of the house. A dear head hung from the wall, staring at nothing. It's once glossy fur matted with dust.
Seeing there was nothing else I could do as I didn't have the key, I walked towards a door and pushed it open. Inside is a small storage room fitted with a table and some metal shelves. Off to the right is a old style sink and a stand. An electric lamp sat next to some papers, casting a yellow glow in the room. The smell of mold and dust made my nose twitch, stifling a sneeze.
Moving away from the table, I pushed open another door, entering a mold infested area. Black mold grew thickly, spreading along the walls and floors, covering the walls. It grew over old TV's, a folding table and over a chair. The glossy mold seemed to pulsate with life, breathing slowly and deeply. The light from the other room wasn't strong enough to pierce the room, giving it a foggy look.
"Ugh… it reeks…" I muttered, trying not to breathe in too deeply, stepping into the room and spotted another door. Praying it would lead to somewhere with less mold.
A wet squelching and tearing sound made me freeze and turned slowly, staring as something large pulled away from the wall. It's veiny body glistened and twitched, breathing heavily as it stumbled in my direction. A slit grew where I guessed is its mouth, opened to reveal sharp white teeth. A loud growl erupted from somewhere deep from its throat and lunged at me.
"What the fuck!?"
Ducking under its arms, I kicked open the door and entered a well-lit hallway. The creature growled and thrusts its arms at me, barely dodging the claws. Aiming my gun, I fired off two rounds into the chest, forcing the thing to stumble back. I fired again, almost in a panic.
"Ethan, get down!"
Not thinking twice, I ducked out of the way.
BANG
BANG
Two loud shots were fired, ripping through the soft tissue of the moldy creature till the head exploded, spewing bits and pieces of dark blood and fleshy bits. The headless body twitched and fell to the ground. It's body slowly liquefying, leaving nothing left.
Looking up, I felt a smile grow on my face. Kara lowered the shotgun she held, giving a large grin.
"You're a sight for sore eyes" Kara teased. "Glad we made it in time."
I let out a laugh, finally spotting her two friends, a tall blond haired man with amber eyes and a teenager with brown spiky hair and blue eyes. Seeing the teen made me do a double take. "A kid? You brought a kid?!" Disbelief filled my tone. "Why would you bring a kid!?"
-Kara's group, 3rd person POV-
Ethan stared at the two people next to Kara, his eyes landing on the youngest of the three. His mind was racing. Why was a kid here!? He hadn't noticed how young Sora sounded on the phone as he had been busy. It never crossed his mind that Kara would involve a kid!
"A kid? You brought a kid into this!?" he asked in disbelief. "Kara, what were you thinking?"
Kara sighed and slipped her shotgun behind her back. "Ethan it's a long story and don't count him out yet. Sora may look young but he can handle himself" she tried to reassure.
"But-!" Ethan ran his fingers through his hair.
"Please calm yourself, Mr. Winters, Kara speaks the truth and I am here too" Luxord says trying to ease his mind.
Sora had a pout on his face as he watches the adults talk like he's not even there!
"And I'm right here guys! I get a say in this as much as you all and I want to help!" Sora protests, he did not like being treated like a kid who had to be protected. Not after all the insane battles he had fought before to save his friends and countless innocent lives from the heartless and Organization XIII in the past!
Kara looked at Sora. "Sorry" she apologized and meant it. "We know you want to help."
Ethan turned his attention towards the blond. "Luxord, right? I'm sorry but it's been a nightmare since we last spoke. I wasn't expecting someone as young as Sora."
Kara zeroed in on Ethan's wrists, noticing something metal flashing and her jaw dropped. "Ethan... what happened to your wrist?"
Ethan sighed and showed the staples adorning his wrist to the others. "Ask Mia when we find her."
"Oh dear… How is your hand even working after…this?" Luxord asks recognizing the hand as the one Zoe went off to put back on its owner. Sure, she said she was no doctor, but this was beyond even an amateur's level of a mistake.
"That's the hand we found in the derelict house….isn't it?" Sora asks with a grimace, staring at the staples. It looked painful.
"Yes" Kara said feeling queasy. "It seems like Zoe knows her stuff."
Ethan raised a brow. "You met Zoe?" he asked. "She gets around. Ow! Hey, what gives Kar?"
The redhead slapped Ethan on the arm. "What do you mean 'ask Mia'? Where is she?"
Ethan looked uncertain, hesitant to give an answer. "Kara..."
"Mr. Winters, we need to know so we can evacuate the both of you off of these…tainted lands, for lack of a better term" Luxord says only to since as he felt a sharp jolt crossed his head.
'You shouldn't mock our home, Uncle Dearest…or maybe you could be a daddy if things don't work well with Daddy, but my point stands' Eveline's voice scolds Luxord as the man barely restrains the urge to shout some choice words at his captor. Especially with the others looking at him in concern
Sora and Kara shared a look, having a good idea who is causing the man's pain.
Ethan looked on in concern and confusion. "Something is wrong with Mia" he started slowly. "One minute she's acting somewhat normal, delirious and talking a mile a minute and the next she attacks me."
Sora looked confused before a light bulb flashed over his head. "The video tape we watched! Mrs. Winters' said she did something bad to you."
"Mia changed and attacked you?" Kara asked, a sense of dread filling her stomach.
'Mommy was being bad. She needed to be punished for trying to help Daddy escape' Eveline giggled in their heads.
Kara winced, placing her hand on her temple. 'What did you do to her?' she demanded angrily. Pain pounded in her temples, letting out a small whimper.
'Great, she must be suffering the same problem as us…' Luxord thinks in growing anger, before turning to dread. 'Wait…this means she can hijack our bodies at any time too. Could she use our powers if she did?' Luxord thought as scenarios played out in his mind how dangerous that could be if she was able to use their powers while controlling them.
'I need to find a way to stop this…NOW!' he thought before groaning audibly as another, sharper pain raced through his head.
'Don't push me, dear uncle; I hate to have to get rid of you' Eveline whispers coldly in his mind.
"Hey are you two okay?" Ethan asked in worry, seeing Kara and Luxord wince from pain.
Sora stood by them, watching in worry. There has to be a way to get Eveline to see the light.
Kara rubbed her temple. "Yeah... the mold is really getting to us" she said slowly. "By the sounds of it, it's affecting Mia as well and maybe you. Staples alone can't give you use of your hand."
"Not after being chopped off like it was" Luxord agreed as he rubs his forehead with his thumb and index finger to massage it. "Tell me, have you had any headaches yourself since being here, Mr. Winters?"
"Or hear any voices?" Sora asks, internally hating there wasn't a less…crazy way to ask such a question, but there was no other way to ask someone about a voice you hear in your head.
Ethan looked confused and stopped, thinking. "No nothing like headaches or voices. Strange sounds but I figured it was the house" he said honestly. "Why?"
Sora and Luxord both shared a look, both looking unsure how much they should say, before looking to Kara for permission. She was family to him after all.
Kara saw the looks from Luxord and Sora. "He needs to know."
"I need to know what?" Ethan asked, trying to keep his voice level and not jump to conclusions. He was stressed out and confused. "What do you know?"
"Ethan, I know this will sound weird, crazy really, but please believe us when we say we aren't lying to you" Sora pleads to Ethan, hoping their new friend will believe them.
"I'm afraid our rescue mission is…being hindered by an individual who is targeting you and Mia to be part of her 'family' " Luxord says with some venom at the word "family".
"Family?" Ethan asked, trying not to laugh at how ridiculous it sounded, only to stop at a memory. "Mia said something similar. 'I can hear her. I can feel her clawing her way back inside of me'. She started to slam her head against the wall."
Kara swore heavily and turned away, knowing who Mia was talking about. "Mia... shit... this is worse than we thought."
The emotions were running high in the hallway. The light from the wall sconces casted a sickly yellow color, brushing over the thick mold as it grew from the floor and up the walls.
"Far worse, she's insistent we play by her rules or we suffer" Luxord says with a scowl on his face. "She has no problem with us fighting each other or Jack."
"Jack? But he's dead…isn't he?" Ethan asks in fear recalling the crazed man who put him through hell since coming here. And nearly killed him multiple times!
"No, we saw him…the hole he had in his head healed" Sora said with a queasy look recalling how he regenerated without casting a spell even from his attack.
'Just wait, dear brother, soon you too will be able to do that and so much more' Eveline coos sweetly with a giggle that made him shiver in fear.
Sora shook his head quickly. 'Please no!' he begged silently. Seeing Jack regenerate like that made him physically ill.
"Kara, are you sure you haven't had any visions of this place?" Ethan asked, gently gripping the woman's shoulder.
Kara swallowed. "I... think so. I thought it was a glitch in the video that Mia sent me before she disappeared" she said. "At the end of it, I thought I saw a child behind her."
"A child?"
Kara nodded slowly. "I didn't think much of it at the time..." She yanked her shoulder away, pacing. "If it's the same person we're dealing with now, than I missed a major clue..."
"There was no way for you to know for sure, all Mia told you was that she was on a babysitting job. She should have mentioned she was sitting for someone so dangerous" Luxord tries to comfort Kara, not wanting her to blame herself again.
Kara looked at Luxord, a look of helplessness on her face. "I..." she started. "Your right, she had to have known how dangerous it was. Mia probably thought she could handle it."
"Maybe" Sora agreed, relieved that Luxord managed to calm the woman. "But why didn't she say anything?"
"All good questions but standing in the hallway won't give us any answers" Ethan interrupted. He felt for Kara, knowing she blamed herself. "WHEN we find Mia, we'll get answers, hopefully."
"Be ready for a fight too, in case she tries controlling Mia again" Luxord warns his now small group of four counting himself. "As well as probably the rest of this crazy family."
"Yeah, we still need to look for that creepy lady with the lamp" Sora said with a frown, not liking her hunting Mia down like she was in the video.
Ethan nodded grimly. "You said something about Mia leaving a video. What happened?"
"A woman by the name of Marguerite chased Mia and captured her. She was screaming and begging for you to save her" Kara said as Ethan took the lead.
Ethan narrowed his eyes in worry. Despite everything, Mia is still his wife and he loves her. "I won't stop till I find Mia and get her out" he said, glancing at the locked door with the dead Scorpion and turned left, going down a small hallway.
"We'll help you!" Sora quickly follows behind Ethan as Luxord looks to Kara with a raised eyebrow. Wondering where Ethan was going, but as Kara gave him a shrug with an unsure expression he guessed she knew as little as he did. The two follow Sora and Ethan, the latter seeming to have a destination in mind.
"So where are we heading first, Mr. Winters?" Luxord asks following behind Sora, but next to Kara. "Cause we tried the front doors and they're locked tight."
"They all have a theme, those doors. Weird keys you have to find" Ethan explained. "The map said there is a safe room near the stairs that lead to the basement."
Just as he said that, they walked past the stairs and headed towards a door that leads to a small room. The room contained a desk, dresser and a green plastic chest to the side.
"So you suspect a key is here?" Luxord asks genuinely curious and hopeful that was the case. It would make covering for Sora's existence as a keyblade wielder safe a bit longer from Ethan.
"Either here or somewhere in the basement" Ethan admitted, not sure where the exact location of the key.
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get to the basement!" Sora said eagerly, ready to rush out the door.
Kara quickly grabbed the back of his hood, stopping him and nearly tumbled as she forgot for a moment how fast and strong he is. "Whoa-! Hold on there, spikes. You're not going off on your own" she scolded gently.
"Don't go leaving your mom and dad behind in your haste, little hero" Luxord teases, earning a glare from Sora for it.
"I'm not your son, Luxord. You know this and I know it, so please stop with the misunderstanding before you confuse Ethan too" Sora tells Luxord with a rarely seen annoyed look on his face. Bad enough Jack thought they was related, he did NOT want Luxord to confuse his friends too.
Ethan raised a brow at this and smirked. "Kara, are you leading a double life? We didn't even get an invitation to the wedding or baby shower" he teased his cousin. "You have quiet the catch there with Luxord as your husband."
Kara's face turned a deep shade of red, almost matching her hair. She sent a quick glance at Luxord and looked away, covering her face with her hand. 'So NOT helping, Ethan!' She thought and not understanding why the idea sounded appealing.
"See?! This is what I mean!" Sora accuses as he points at Ethan and Kara. Not understanding Ethan was just teasing his cousin in good fun.
Luxord decided to have a little fun with this as his smirk grew. "Oh don't hold it against her, Ethan, she was rather quite shy of admitting she was even courting me, never mind the fact we had been talking about possible marriage in the future" he replied playfully goes along with Ethan's earlier teasing.
"STOOOPPP!" Sora shouts putting his hands over his ears not wanting to hear it.
'You have a very strange family dynamic…' Eveline says with an innocently curious tone to it. 'Was you adopted or something? I can't imagine why you feel so annoyed with your father being your dad.' Eveline questions as Sora barely resists the urge to hit his head against a wall at the insanity this misunderstanding is causing.
Kara groaned and playfully slapping Luxord's arm. "Really, Mr. Dark and mysterious?" She asked, a smirk forming on her lips. "Not my fault if you won me over with those charms of yours."
Ethan burst out laughing, listening to the banter. If he hadn't known Kara as long as he did, he would have thought they were engaged or newly weds
"Ugh…can we just…find this key? Please? I'll even try opening the door myself again if it means getting away from this misunderstanding…" Sora asks with a face palm. He hoped they was all just messing with him, he has a mom and is thankful for her. He loves her and wouldn't replace her for anyone, despite how annoying it is when she tells him to clean his room or gets on him about how lazy he is along with Kairi. Those two loved double teaming him for some reason.
Luxord could only chuckle at Sora acting like a typical teenager. Ah youth, such a wonderful source of entertainment and he doesn't need to pay a dime.
"Alright, alright" Kara chuckled as she pulled out the map, one similar to what Ethan found. "The map says there are a few different area's down below to check out. Processing room, Incinerator room and the area marked as the basement."
Ethan nodded. "And judging by the distance between the walls, it'll be tight." He glanced at Kara. "Stay close, okay?"
Kara nodded grimly. "Claustrophobic nightmare for me."
"You going to be okay, Kara?" Luxord asks in concern as he sees how unsettled she is about the idea.
Kara nodded slowly. "I usually don't do well in tight places."
Sora blinked. "But you did fine when you lead us to safety earlier."
"Saving you both was far more important than letting my fear take control" Kara said. "The two of you are important to me. Not gonna sit on the side and watch you suffer."
"And we truly thank you for your selflessness and bravery, Kara" Luxord sincerely tells her with a small nod and a smile. "Just don't be afraid to lean on us too if you need support or comfort" he informs her as he did want to make sure she would be fine. Even though he was beginning to wonder if that was out of necessity or more as he could tell it was not out of pragmatic need to survive he was offering this for. He truly feels he is caring for her feelings.
Kara smiled at him gently. "I will. Thank you" she said, touched by the offer. He is an interesting man, realizing she is enjoying his company and their talks. She wasn't sure what it meant.
"Anytime, Kara," Luxord assures her as he turns to head out. "Now, let's be off and find that key. For Ethan and Mia's sake, as I am already quite tired of this mold infested building." Luxord winced again and another shock, but grits through it. The child could bitch all she wants, he will say his fucking piece on his feelings on this shit.
"Hey I found something!" Sora called out as he had opened up the drawer and pulled out a piece of paper.
"What is it?" Ethan asked looking at the paper. "A letter?"
Sora nodded. "It's from a man named Travis to a woman named Courtney." He read it out loud.
'Dear Courtney,
Those bastards are looking for me, but maybe this gives you a chance to escape.
To escape, you have to find the reliefs shaped like dog heads.
I saw one of the heads in the dissection room underground. Get it. It's the key out of here.'
"…I get the feeling the poor lad and his wife might not have gotten out" Luxord comments with an actual bit of pity for the two poor souls.
"There's more on the back" Kara pointed out. Who didn't this crazy family take? Were children next? She winced slightly as a zing of pain in her temple.
Sora turned over the paper and his eyes grew sadden. As did Ethan as he read out the last part.
'Something's wrong with me.
It must have been that shit they made me eat.
If I'm gonna die, I'd at least like to go out fighting.
I'm gonna get a hold of that shotgun I saw in the rec room and make them regret what they did to me.
You need to get out of here.
I love you, Courtney.
Love,
Travis'
"At least he tried to go out fighting…" Luxord says with sorrow and a bit of respect in his voice, knowing how Travis must have felt. Better to go out fighting than on your knees to these psychopaths.
"Urk." Luxord grunts at the shock and silently growls under his breath. This child was pushing her luck and he was so tempted to show her that she is playing with someone more dangerous than her in these games.
"I hope they will be reunited in the next life" Kara murmured, saddened. "Losing your other half is horrible." She rubbed her arm slightly to calm herself.
Ethan nodded slowly, eyes downcast. "More than you know" he said. He still felt guilty about attacking Mia.
"We'll stop them and avenge those that were lost" Sora promised.
"And make sure no one else suffers their madness" Luxord says resolutely, plans to kill or subdue the child forming in mind as he is slightly morally conflicted still about killing her, but lately his resistance against the idea has been fading bit by bit as she proved more unreasonable.
Ethan nodded. "Together" he said grinning and started down the stairs and opened the door, revealing a tight corridor that deep underground. The small lights from the ceiling and floor highlight the ever presence mold, showing how thick the growth in some areas.
Sora covered his nose at the smell. "Yuck. It smells awful" he said, standing behind Ethan. "Not very bright either. Enemies could easily sneak up behind." He yelped when a drop of mold landed on his shoulder and quickly brushed it off.
"I pray they don't come at us from above…" Luxord mutters with distaste as he eyes the mold above their heads on parts of the ceiling. Almost like black vines that he was half wishing Axel was here to burn it all. Pity, his pyromaniac of a coworker would have loved an excuse to start burning stuff and not get in trouble with Saix or Xemnas over it.
"Don't jinx us, Lux" Kara said, shuddering at the idea. She was already feeling her chest tightening due to how close the walls are, only feeling a small sense of relief that it was dark enough that no one would see her face paling slightly.
"Sorry, just slipped out" Luxord apologizes as they follow Ethan down the cramp pathway.
Sora's face twisted a bit at the smell, but he tried his best to ignore it as he focused on trying to keep a vigilant eye out for anything hostile.
Drip
Drip
Drip
Growl
Ethan looked around, hearing the sound, gripping his hand gun. "You hear that?"
"Yeah. We'll be having company soon." Kara gripped her handgun as another growl was heard, closer this time.
"I can take 'em, just leave it to me" Sora says trying to get in front, but Ethan quickly bars his way by bodily blocking him out of instinct. "Ethan, could you please move, I can handle this" he tries to reason with the man after being unable to get past him for a few seconds.
"Sora, we don't know how many there are" Ethan cautioned, worried about the teen. And he didn't see any weapons on him. "Are you carrying anything to fight with?"
Kara inwardly groaned at that. They should have found a weapon for Sora to use so he didn't have to summon his keyblade. She wasn't sure if Sora knows how to handle a gun.
"I have a weapon, but try not to freak out" Sora says not seeing any point in hiding it as he summons his keyblade. Smiling as he does so in hopes to make Ethan trust him, only to be surprised at the dumbstruck look on his face as Luxord face palms with a sigh.
Ethan stared at Sora, eyes wide in shock. "Is... that a k-key...?" He stuttered and looked at Kara. "Did you know about this?"
"I only found out about it" Kara said honestly, remembering how surprised she was when she first saw it!
"Sora, we must discuss lessons of tact later…" Luxord tells the young teen with a deadpan tone to his voice as he shakes his face covered head with his hand still palming his own face.
"He won't trust me to handle myself if he thinks I'm helpless and I get that. So I'm trying to show him I'm NOT helpless" Sora explains as if it was the weather.
Ethan blinked. "Uh...how?" He asked in confusion, unaware of a molded stumbling towards them.
It let out a growl and lunged at Ethan, slashing at his back.
Ethan screamed as pain erupted from the gash on his back, stumbling forward.
"Ethan!" Kara screamed.
"Ethan!" Sora shouts in concern as he forcefully pulls Ethan behind him to Kara who caught him as Sora slashes out with his blade in a uppercut slash, cutting it in half diagonally from its left hip to right shoulder.
The molded screamed and stumbled backwards, black blood spurting from the gaping wound as it dropped to the ground.
Ethan groaned from pain as Kara pressed her hands against his wound, not caring if her hands were covered in blood. "Ethan!"
"Heal!" Sora shouts, as to Kara and Ethan's shock, and Luxord silently face palming AGAIN, witness a strange but beautiful sight.
A giant green bulb appears above Ethan as Sora shouts 'Heal' and blooms into a beautiful flower as the bulb and petals of the giant glowing flower hovering over their heads falls gently down on Ethan and Kara who are directly beneath it. Vanishing in sparkles of light as it makes contact with their skin and makes them glow briefly as healing magic soothes their wounds ache and heals them in a second.
Ethan's wound healed, erasing the blood from his skin as well as the blood on Kara's hands. Her hip no longer hurting from the tumble she had earlier.
Ethan gingerly moved his back, expecting pain but felt none. "The hell?"
"This... this is what you meant when you offered to heal me earlier" Kara said, stunned. She and Ethan felt more energetic due to their wounds healing.
"Yeah…sorry for not telling you sooner" Sora apologizes sincerely as he looks to them with a gentle smile.
'You can heal others?!…and it's so pretty! That is SO amazing! I'll admit, I'm jealous, why do you get such a pretty way of healing others and not me!' Eveline whines childishly and coos in awe of his power.
Ethan walked towards Sora and patted his shoulder. "Thank you" he said smiling at him, unaware of the connection Sora and the others have with Eveline.
Kara ran a hand over her hip and smiled, no longer feeling pain. "Sora, thank you" She said sincerely.
Sora dismissed his keyblade and smiled, rubbing his nose. "No problem."
Ethan grinned and tested his back and nodded, relieved he wouldn't be hindered by a wound. "We should keep going."
This earned a nod from the others. Ethan turned and led the group deeper into the basemen and stopped. The hallway broke off into three different directions.
"Where do we go?" Sora asked, staring at the doors. One is green and looked like an accordion. Another is locked and two others lead to who knows where.
"This one" Kara said, standing at one door. "I don't know about you but I'm starting to run low on ammo."
Ethan checked his clips and sighed. "Same."
"Perhaps we should take point then, Mr. Winters, Kara" Luxord offers as he gestures to himself and Sora. "We don't need ammo like you do and I don't want either of you getting hurt."
Ethan and Kara looked reluctant at this, not wanting to put the pair into the crossfire, even if Luxord made a point.
Swallowing his pride, Ethan spoke, "Alright."
Kara nodded after some hesitation.
"Sora, we do this together. So stay on guard" Luxord advises as he slowly opens the door.
"Okay" Sora nodded seriously.
Inside revealed slightly cleaner room. Dust and dirt settled on the ground and shelves. Off to the right is a stained sink, bolted to the wall. A note hangs over the sink, tacked to the wall. Next to that are a metal locker and a table. Across from that is a line one metal doors that looked like it belonged to a morgue.
"Lovely" Ethan said, nor bothering to hide the disgust.
"Did this family own a morgue?" Luxord asks more himself than anyone else, quietly as he walks inside. Three cards already slid out of his sleeve to between his index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers in a firm grip, ready to be thrown at a moment's notice as he walks to the sink and metal locker.
"It's possible" Ethan sounded unsure as he looked around and spotted a box of shotgun ammo. "Kara got some ammo for you."
"Same here." Kara held up a box of shotgun.
Luxord picks up the note and silently reads it over before turning to Kara and Ethan, as they were reloading their guns.
Sora was looking at the line of metal doors feeling uneasy.
"Kara, Ethan, you two may want to read this" Luxord advises, as Sora looked to him confused.
"Why not me?" Sora asks curious why just them.
Luxord had a dark look on his face as he looked at the note. "I don't believe you need to be worried about certain things yet, Sora, but if you truly wish to read it, I won't stop you."
They moved closer to Luxord.
The note read,
Lucas,
I caught the guy who keeps trying to escape. I've locked him in the leftmost incinerator. Take him out when he's ready.
You remember how to open the door, don't you? Three A's and a hand print.
Do what you want with his girl.
A look of pure disgust and anger flitted over Ethan's eyes as he finished reading. "That sick bastard!" He snarled.
Kara took a step back from the note as if it caused physical pain. She felt sick, looked sick as she covered her mouth, breathing through her nose.
Sora looked sickened by it but also looked confused by the last sentence, not understanding what it meant. Death or torture came to mind.
"I wanted you two to know this because if we run into Lucas…we need to make sure he gets nowhere near Mia or Kara" Luxord tells them, internally relieved Sora seemed ignorant of what the note was implying, judging by his reaction to reading it.
Ethan nodded firmly. "Murders I can deal with but that?" He gripped his handgun tightly. "That's low." He looked at Kara in concern as she hadn't made a sound besides a weak whimper of fear.
Kara had to deal with touchy feely men and women as a bouncer but rape? That could cause so much more than just physical scars. Emotional tend to last much longer.
Sora looked at Kara concerned and felt protective of her and Mia. "He won't touch either of them!"
"Agreed to both of your points" Luxord says with a nod as he crumbles the letter in his hand and tossed it into a trash can. "Do you two need to check anything specific in here or shall we press on?" he asks wanting to leave the room now preferably, but he wouldn't rush the two in their search for information or more ammo.
"I'm good. Kara?" Ethan asked glancing at her.
"We got everything we need" Kara said, forcing herself to calm down. "We have a few more rooms to check."
"Then let's press on" Luxord says with a firm nod as he opens the door and leaves the room, Kara, Ethan, and Sora following begins his lead.
The group slowly made their way down the hall, spotting the door. The green color plastic faded from the harsh light. A slight smell wafted from the room as Luxord slid the door open. It looked like a packaging room. Shelves lined the walls as well as an old deep freezer. Clear plastic sacks were stacked together in corners and shelves. The pink color mixed with dark red looked nauseating.
"What are those bags filled with?" Sora asked, staying close to Ethan.
"You don't want to know" Ethan said, swallowing thickly. 'Oh man... meat sacks...' he thought queasily.
"I found the key" Kara spoke, eyeing the twisted metal sticking out from one of the sacks. She grabbed a rag, wrapped it around her hand and grabbed the key, pulling it out. She gagged at the smell and the wet slurping sound invaded her ears. Reddish liquid dripped from the rusted metal.
"Why do I feel someone did that on purpose?" Luxord asks with distaste for where they found the key.
Sora gave a groan, looking away.
"At this point, I wouldn't be surprised" Kara grunted, eyes narrowed as she looked at the key. "I'm gonna need a long shower after this."
"I'll need a vacation myself" Luxord comments with an eye roll as he looks at the key and internally groans. 'Great, I could have suggested we have Sora unlock doors with his keyblade instead of wasting time looking for that thing, but it's best we don't drop too many surprises on them all at once tonight' he thinks and was mentally kicking himself for how much harder this secrecy makes things.
"A vacation sounds great about now" Ethan agreed with a tired sigh.
Sora nodded, shoulders slumped. He wanted to go back to see his friends, just to get away from this nightmare. He couldn't break his promise to Ethan and Kara, the promise to find Mia. "I could use a nap."
Kara let out a small chuckle. "A nap? I wouldn't recommend taking one here" she said, though she shared Sora's tiredness. The usual sparkle in her green eyes had dimmed slightly.
"Yes, besides the obvious health hazards here, I rather not sleep in the home of crazy people" Luxord agrees with a frown of distaste on his face. "I'd sooner sleep in the woods or a car."
Ethan let out a laugh. "Reminds me of the camping trip we had. We had to sleep in trees."
"Ugh... don't remind me" Kara groaned good-naturedly. "I spent hours after getting splinters out of my butt."
Sora tried not to laugh at the story, feeling his spirits lift up slightly. "Ouch."
"Always bring a sleeping bag, a hammock, some water, and a pair of tweezers, Kara. Might save you a lot of grief" Luxord suggests playfully.
Kara rolled her eyes playfully and grinned. "Yes dear" she teased. The smile dropped from her lips as she got a faraway look on her face. An image flashed through her mind. Jack. He was pacing in a room, his muscles bunched from anger. His wounds healed, not even a scratch on his bare chest.
Luxord and Sora grow concerned seeing the distant look on her face.
"Kara, are you seeing something?" Sora asks hoping she was okay or whatever she was seeing is helpful to them. He'd prefer both honestly, but mostly his friend's safety.
"Give her a second, Sora," Luxord advises Sora calmly, but on the inside he too was concerned.
Ethan watched in worry, wanting to reach out to her but stopped when Kara seemed to walk out of the room.
Kara stepped out and quickly made her way to the last door, standing in front of it. "He's here..." she said distantly. Her eyes closed and stumbled.
"He?" Luxord asks before frowning. "Do you mean Jack?"
Kara held her head and nodded. "Yes. Beyond two doors" she said, shaking the fog from her mind. "He isn't alone. Molded stand in the way. I can't tell how many. Something else too. He seems stronger."
"Sora, what do you think?" Luxord asks the young keyblade wielder who looks to him in surprise at being asked this.
Luxord sees the surprises confusion on his face and decides to clarify. "This could be a chance to eliminate a possible problem early on in our terms. We know where he is and can force him to fight only the two of us, while Ethan and Kara hang back for a short time."
"Your right" Sora agreed, surprising himself that he was agreeing with an enemy, possible friend? He was still confused how to feel about that. "We get rid of him, one less headache."
"Are you sure about this?" Ethan asked worried. "If he's gotten stronger then you could need help." He looked at Kara, hoping to get some backup.
Kara looked hesitant, biting her lower lip. "Luxord and Sora are right. If I'm right and Jack is stronger, than we would only get in the way" she murmured.
"Kara!" Ethan protested, stunned.
Kara leveled him with a look. "I don't like it either but we don't have a choice." She turned to look at Sora and Luxord, her eyes seeming to linger a bit longer on the blond. "Be careful."
"We shall, you have my word that we'll make it back safely" Luxord assured her before turning to Sora as he gestures to the door with a nod toward it. "Shall we, young hero?"
"Let's do this" Sora said confidently, a determined smile on his face.
Luxord smiles in return as he pushes open the door and goes in.
