This chapter has a bit of graphic content, it is my favourite one so far it took some time to get the start and is slow, but it gets exciting, I couldn't stop writing much to my partner's dismay.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Happy reading,
Love wastelander543. Xxx
After reaching the palace, debriefing and getting home, Serena washed the day away. Put on her make up to hide the darkening bruise on her cheek, black jeans, black boots, tank and leather jacket.
She cleaned the mess her muse had made and made a mental note to purchase new cushions. She couldn't turn down Erol's offer of a drink and walked to the cheeky minx in a daze trying to get her head around the events of what had happened, she had never heard of the people lashing out at the guard normally they were left to it. She could not get the blood soaked images out of her mind. It had been so long since she had been on the ground she felt like he was losing her touch.
She walked into the bar with ease and headed straight for the counter.
"Serena, there you are." A voice said to her, she turned to see Ashelin.
"Ashelin, I wasn't expecting to see you here. " She hugged her and Ashelin held her at arm's length. "Well when you have to train recruits all day you would need a drink too, nice shiner I hope that wasn't Erol who gave you that. " She looked at Serena's face. " Crap you can still see it? Ugh I tried so hard to cover it, and you can put the thanks on your farther for that one. " She grumbled.
"Oh, well drink on me then." She nodded to the bar tender and he began to make the drinks. "How have things been between you two anyway? " Ashelin asked. "Good, well maybe more than good. "
Ashelin laughed, " you don't have to tell me any more, in fact I'm sure I don't want to know. Anyway speak of the devil." She pointed behind her and Erol walked in the bar, beelined for her. Serena's mood lightened a bit and she couldn't help but smile. He came over and gave her a hug from behind and a kiss on top of the head. "Look at the two of you!" She shouted with glee. "Serena I don't think I've seen a bigger smile on your face, it looks good on you" Ashelin stood looking amazed at them. "Thanks Ash." She whispered embarrassed.
The three grabbed a booth and began chatting and drinking away as time passed a couple of men from different troops joined in and things started to get rowdy.
" I tell you what ladies and gentleman, your a great group of people." Erol spoke and then took a drag on his cigarette. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for The Baron and this war, let's have a few more to him and the guard. "
The whole table cheered and drank their drinks. "Serena, your very quiet over there" Ashelin commented. "It's been a rough day and I am just about ready for bed, plus I think I've had one too many." She slurred slightly and pinched the cigarette out of Erol's hand and took a drag on it.
" Where are your manners Acheron? " Erol asked.
"Bite me," she glared at him and took another drag on his cigarette. " What did you say? " He glared back at her, the table went silent. "You heard me, bite me! " She blew the smoke in his face, there was tension at the table. Erol began laughing, took the cigarette off her took a drag and blew out the smoke and leaned over to her and put his hand on her shoulder and his mouth by her ear. "Well maybe later I will. " He said loud enough for the whole table to hear and chomped his teeth. The table began jeering and a loud round of woof whistles entailed. Her mouth dropped open and she burst out laughing with the table.
After much jeering and laughing Serena excused herself to the bathroom and put both hands on each side of the sink, looked in the mirror Ashelin was definetly right about the shiner.
The door swung open and Ashelin walked in. "Well it is definitely fair to say that man has a thing for you. " She pointed and giggled. "I need you to set up a meeting with Torn in two nights time." Serena said seriously. "Sure I can organize that." Ashelin replied changing her tone to a more seriouse one and leant against the other sink.
"Good from what I've heard today things are beginning to heat up with this dark warrior programme and I don't like where it is headed.
Onin's prediction is meant to happen tomorrow and I don't know what to expect but my gut feeling is it's not going to be good."
" I'll get the message out to Torn don't panic. "
She touched her friend's shoulder and then hugged her. "Be strong Seri your a brave woman to be where you are and to be asked to do what your doing to get the info we need for the underground, and no one blames you we all have to live somehow and no one blames you if you fall in love on the way. " With that Ashelin walked out of the bathroom.
Serena went back to the booth and to the dismay of the men she told them she was off home. Erol stood up from the booth, " I'll walk you home."
He put his arm around her and walked her out of the door, followed by hoots of "go get em Errol" and wolf whistles. Serena laughed at this and walked with Erol to her home.
She couldn't help but like this man he treated her with respect and kindness completely the opposite of what everyone had told her he was like. Maybe looks could be deceptive and he was a genuine person.
Walking up the steps to the house Serena grabbed his hand, pushed the keycode to the door and dragged him in behind her. She didn't know if the alcohol was making her brave or not she bit her lip as she leaned against the wall and looked up into amber eyes. " I thought I'd test and see if you did bite. "
Erol raised his eyebrows at her "is that so?"
"Yes" she said.
He couldn't wait, he'd watched her all day and all night, how her smile reached her eyes and the way she laughed, and now here she was dragging him into her house, asking him to test his theory. He couldn't say no, not to her, he pulled her towards him, she gasped in surprise and his lips easily found hers and melted against them as he pushed her to the wall.
He would not let anything interrupt them this time, he wanted nothing more than to make her fully his. He kissed along her jaw and to her neck biting her, she gasped. " I told you I bite, " and did it again. He picked her up much to Serena's excitement and she wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his neck he pushed into her and she moaned.
"Bedroom?" He panted between kisses his hands enjoying holding her.
She pointed not wanting to break contact with his mouth.
He carried her down the hall and into her room.
He closed the door with his foot and put her on the bed.
"Now what do we do with a naughty, beautiful woman?" As he removed his shirt and climbed over top of her on the bed.
She giggled and stared into his amber coloured eyes.
What better way to forget a dreadful day then loosing myself with him she thought.
"What ever you want to." She dared him as she wet her lips with her tounge.
That was all the answer he needed to claim her fully as his.
Serena slept well that night nestled in Erol's arms she dreamt.
A person of white light came to her.
"Serena Acheron of the great house of Acheron. Your name and bloodline has been tainted by evil and darkeness."
It spoke in a deep voice.
"You may yet have the chance to proove to the precursors that the house has changed.
We sense the light in you and you are one of few who can help us save the world. A boy will fall out of time on the day of the full moon, in a streak of purple and blue. The daystar will appear signalling the end of our world.
Guide the boy from the darkness lighten the load, only you can truely help him, otherwise he will be the downfall of not only the city but of the world, take this ring it belonged to your family and let us hope it will give you warmth and light, when there is only cold and dark."
Serena awoke abruptly not believing what she had just been told in her dream.
Erol stirred next to her and held her closer to him.
She settled against him relaxing knowing it was only a dream, even though it seemed so real.
She opened her hand and there was the precursor ring with the symbol of the house of Acheron and a small light eco crystal.
She stared at it and put it under her pillow not even fathoming how she obtained it.
The precusors were strange beings, they had left their mark all over the world but no one had ever seen one in their life.
She sighed looked at the clock three am it wouldn't be long until she had to be up for patrols with Erol.
Today is the day the boy falls from the sky, out of time, today is the day that will change the way this war ends.
She relaxed again and fell into a fitful sleep.
The alarm went off and Serena was awoken with a kiss on her cheek. "Come on you, time to get up." Erol told her, she promptly rolled over. "No make me."
He slapped her on the arse, "hey!" She squealed and he walked into the ensuite in all his glory for her to see.
"Although I do like my morning veiw," she laughed and got up to join him.
After a shower Serena went down the hall and began getting stuff out for breakfast.
Erol followed down the hall when a blur of gold latched onto his leg.
"What in the precusors?" Erol shouted.
Serena exited the kitchen to the hall to see Sasha had attached herself to Erol's leg.
Serena laughed and called the muse over.
Sasha purred and weaved rhrough Serena's legs.
"I'm sorry she is a bit funny with people she hasn't met before."
"I'll rememeber that next time." He grumbled.
Today was the day, the boy fell out of time, Serena again was in reds portrayed as Lieutenant Reynolds, she walked wirh Errol, Davids and Mark across one of the walkway paths in the industrial sector, the afternoon was quiet as it always was.
Erol had been snapping at the men and her all day, she thought after their night last night things would be, calmer. Something had Erol on edge. She took note of the sky and watched as it began to grow dark and clouds swirled.
"Commander Erol, I don't know if I like what I'm seeing." She said to him and pointed to the sky.
" It means we are exactly where we need to be, get yourselves ready." He snapped.
Serena gripped her gun tighter the air felt static and electrified, her arm hairs stood on end as she watched nervously as the sky grew purple.
With an almighty bang a streak of blue and purple flew out of the sky and landed not twenty metres from them.
A young boy in a blue tunic not seen in this age had landed, with what appeared to be a fuzzy orange rat.
The boy looked around confused and dazed.
Erol motioned for the three to follow on behind with pistol raised.
The orange rat was complaining profusly about precursor crap.
Erol walked to the boy a smile on his face.
" There he is move in." Davids said. "Step away from the animal."
The rat ran between their legs.
"Forget the rat!" Erol snapped.
" The Baron wants him." His tone change to one of sucess and almost gloated. " We have been waiting for you." The patrol surrounded him giving him no means of escape.
Mark then knocked the boy out cold with the butt of his rifle.
"Good work men, Reynolds radio back to comms we have The Baron's prize."
Erol demanded, she did as she was told whilst the two patrolman carried the now unconcious boy to a hellcat prison transporter to take him back to the prison.
"Did he really need to do that?" Serena asked Erol.
"This boy could be the down fall of our beloved City, I will not be known as the Commander who let this city fall!" He snapped and walked off after his men.
Serena waited a moment and followed a couple of meters behind not wanting to get in the way.
The boy was taken to the palace prisons, his blue eyes filled with fear.
Serena felt for him as he was thrown into the tiny cell. The two patrolman walked away congratulating Commander Erol as they went to continue onto their patrols.
Serena went to leave with them.
"Not so fast Acheron!" Erol snapped.
" I want you to gaurd the boy until The Baron arrives." As he got in her face.
She took off her helmet so she could look him dead in the eye.
"What the hell is your problem today? You got what you needed now back off." She demanded to him and pushed him back out of her space, he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her up against the cell door. He squeezed her throat so she could only just breath.
"I know I got what I wanted and if you behave you will too." He said in her ear at a whisper, kissed her and laughed.
He let her go and she breatherd heavly.
"Whatever Erol this better be worth it!" She yelled at him as he walked out of the room.
Serena waited what felt like an age for the Commander and The Baron to arrive.
She tried talking to the young man in the cell but he wouldn't talk, she was beginning to wonder if he was just scared shitless or was a mute.
The door to the level opened and in walked The Baron and Erol.
"Acheron, good to see you." The Baron said. " I see that backhander worked a charm and kept you in line." He chuckled.
"Open the cell and take the boy to the third floor I want the experiments to start today!" He snapped.
Serena did as he asked she swipped her security pass and the door to the cell opened.
She went in with the handcuffs and a zap stick to subdue him if he lashed out.
The boy hudled in the corner on the metal bed his eyes wide and scared. She stopped and bent down quietly next to him. She whispered to him "come quietly and easily and it will be less stress for me and you." She smiled.
The boy didn't respond but seemed to know what she meant and stared at her and put both his arms out for her to put the handcuffs on.
She clasped them up and helped him to his feet and walked him out infront of her.
"Good, now take him to level three." The Baron demanded.
She walked him to the elevator and pushed the button to take them up.
When they got to the science lab Serena stared in shock at the big metal chair and the machine above it.
The boy turned to run back into the elevator but Serena grabbed his shoulder and shook her head and pushed him forward.
A tall slender woman with blonde hair and glasses wearing a white lab coat walked out of the adjacent office to the elevator.
"Ahh Commander Acheron, why are you wearing reds and not yellows? Any way I see you have the speciman for me." The woman spoke.
"Dr Sullivan." She nodded.
"Yes I have the boy, I don't think he speaks though." She told her.
The boy was shaking he was so scared and his eyes screamed of terror.
She touched his shoulder and he calmed a little bit.
"Put him in one of the holding cells I need to adjust a few things on the machine before I begin, I'd imagine The Baron and Commander Erol would want to see this first eco session as well." Serena nodded and walked the boy into the holding cell, the boy's eyes pleaded with her for mercy.
Serena looked away as she shut the door and whispered, "I'm sorry." and walked from the door.
"That machine is something to behold." Serena commented as she walked back to the metal chair.
"It should be I designed it myself. The machine can inject high doeses of concentrated eco into a speciman. The metal chair holds the speciman down during the eco cycle, the needles inject it directly into the chest to ensure maximum absorbtion rates." she said proudly of herself.
" I really dont like the idea of this." "Well you only have your ancestors to thank for this Acheron. Gol and Maia were the pioneers of dark eco, I have been studying their work for years, I approached The Baron twelve months ago with the help of Commander Erol to get the project under way. He's a dreamy one that Erol." The doctor sighed. Something snapped in Serena.
She walked up to her quickly and pointed a finger at her.
"You stay the hell away from him!"
She said angrily.
"Why he's fair game isn't he?" She said as she folded her arms.
The doors to the elevator opened and The Baron and Commander Erol walked in.
"We will finish this conversation later!" Serena hissed at her taking an instant disliking to Doctor Sullivan.
"Ah, here we are and it begins today the new revolution in soldiers." The Baron gloated.
"Doctor Sullivan have the final adjustments been made?"
"Of course Baron Praxis." She replied head held low not making eye contact.
"See Acheron, you could learn a few things about respect from this one." The Baron said to her in spite and laughed.
" Let's get this thing under way." The Baron went and sat in the observing room and Commander Erol followed.
Serena went to the holding cell and asked the boy to step out, he did as he was told.
Serena grabbed the back of his tunic by his shoulder and walked him forward. He tried to stop but Serena kept pushing him forward.
"On the chair " she told him.
He clambered up and lay down she clamped the metal leg holds shut and undid his handcuffs and forced his arms into the restains next to his sides.
The boy looked into her face again his blue eyes filled with terror and a single tear fell down his face.
Serena quickly wiped it away for him.
"Be strong," she whispered. " May the precursors have mercy on you."
She walked away to the observation room and stood behind Erol and Praxis. The boy struggled at first to try and get out of his restraints but found they wouldn't budge, Erol laughed at his efforts. Doctor Sullivan busied herself at the contol panel for the machine, she flicked switches and pushed some buttons.
She then went to the boy with a needle, she jabbed it roughly into the boys arm and drew blood into vials.
She then went back to the panel and inserted a vial into it. A screen confirmed the amount of dark eco to inject and began. The machine lowered iteslf to be level with the chair the needles drew closer to the boy. The main one insereted itself into the right side of his chest, the boy didn't let out a single sound.
The machines began to whirr and rotate, green smoke began to pour out of the vents around the room. Must be a bi-product of the machine. Serena thought to herself.
She turned to walk away she couldn't watch anymore.
In a flash The Baron grabbed Serena's arm and locked it behind her back painfully.
"You will watch this!" He hissed in her ear as he grabbed her french plait his hand twisted painfully in her hair and held her head in place.
Doctor Sullivan pushed a button and an automated woman's voice began.
"Speciman one, test one, initiating dark eco cycle."
The whirr of the machine grew louder and faster and a surge of dark eco traveled down the needle direcrly into the boy.
His back arched and he screamed a blood curdling scream.
Serena tried to look away but The Baron's grasp on her hair and arm were firm.
A tear fell from her eye as she watched the boy in agony, Serena was used to seeing some nasty stuff in her years but nothing as evil as this.
They stoped after two minutes and the cycle finished.
"Dark eco injection cycle complete, vitals normal and unchanged." The automated woman's voice stated.
The Baron laughed and pushed Serena to the ground.
He walked out the room and began conversing with Doctor Sullivan.
Serena got to her knee, Erol went to help her up, she swated his hand away.
" I can do it myself!" She spat venomisly at him and glared at him as she stood up.
"Serena, I am sorry about earlier. Let me make it up to you." He said softly and kindly.
"Why don't you tell that to Doctor Sullivan!" She turned to him with a mixture of sadness and anger on her face.
She went to walk away but Erol grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug, she struggled to get out but he wouldnt let her.
She gave up struggling and began to cry into Erol's shoulder. "Shhh now, I am truely sorry it will be okay." He told her and kissed the top of her head.
"Nothing has ever happened between me and Sullivan." He tipped her chin up and stared into her silver eyes. She sniffed " I have seen alot in my days of the gaurd. I have seen men loose their lives to metal heads, I have amputated limbs. But nothing as horrible as what I witnessed in that room today." She untangled herself from him and walked into the lab. Walking to the boy she undid his restaints and helped him back to the cell.
She walked in with him and helped him to lay on the metal bed. She handed him the scruffy woolen blanket and covered him as he shook with cold.
"I am so sorry, we all have to live somehow, others rougher than some." She touched his shoulder and left straight past the people, out of the room to the Commander's barracks.