The doctor let out a small moan as he was hurtled into a metal chair. He peered back at the two guards who had slammed him into the chair, knowing what was coming. Eznik closed his eyes as he heard the door slam shut. He knew he was in for more interrogation. He was going to be drilled through a series of questions again and again while being tortured and degraded. He now only had a small amount of time to try to clear his mind and pull up his strength.
His blue-webbed eyes moved towards the door as it opened again. He vigilantly studied the young woman that walked into the room; trying to quickly size her up. She had long dark hair and wore a pair of dark sunglasses so he could not see her eyes. Which was a shame, he thought; since eyes reveal so much about a person. He studied the rest of her appearance. She seemed well-kept, no doubt educated. Her black tank top and black pants put forth the appearance of a rebellious self-righteousness and an arrogant grimness. She had chains all over her pants, along with handcuffs adding to this steely look. She carried herself with such confidence and an air of superiority. Just as he expected, they had brought in a professional interrogator.
He summarized that the woman looked to be in her late teens and she was hard-core. He watched as she messed with the knob on the wall turning down the lights in the room. It seemed the bright lighting was not to her taste. Her metal boots clanged as she, with a very assured attitude, then walked up to him. He quickly inhaled a quick breath of prana for reassurance as she sat on the table in front of him.
The woman spoke as she opened up a file, skimming through it. "So you're the famous Doctor Eznik. Don't see what's so special." She specified as she let out a yawn as she dropped the file in front of him.
"So are you in the mood to chat?"
"Depends on what we'll be chatting about. And before we start can I get some coffee and these handcuffs removed?" Eznik asked as he sat back looking the woman over still trying to size her up. This woman had a different approach, but he knew it would all lead to the same questions.
The woman looked him over as she then held out her hand towards him. Once he moved his hands up to her she unlocked the shackles. She let them drop to the table. The loud clunking thud rang through the room. "As for the coffee, I doubt I could even get me a cup. It seems as if I pissed off a lot of people around here."
Eznik rubbed his wrist trying to get some feeling back in them as he closed his eyes trying to relax; he knew he needed to keep a calm mind. One small mistake could destroy everything he'd been trying so hard to protect.
"So do I get to know your name, since you already know mine? It would be the civil way to start things off, don't you think?. Also, is this just going to be another boring hour of your questioning me? Haven't you all figured out that isn't going to get you anywhere? I have nothing to say. And…also I admit I'm curious as to what you did to piss off the people here? That is, if you don't mind sharing." Eznik questioned, he needed to know how she'd reacted to his questions, another way to size her up.
"Well, you would think I was the one under interrogation with all these questions you're firing at me. But I don't mind, Doctor. If it makes you feel like you have a little control, fine. Call me Zinc if you wish. As for boring old questions, yeah, I'm sure it will be the same. And as for what I did to piss everyone off, well, I broke one of the guard's noses, but in my own defense…he pissed me off first." The woman responded confidently as she took off her sunglasses. She dropped them onto the table; blinking her eyes a few times, adjusting to the still overly-bright room to her.
She then studied Eznik with her pure white eyes. "So Eznik Rhea Hitaru…" She spoke as she hopped off the table.
"Rhea… Isn't that the name of your younger sister…the one who was said to be the reincarnation of ..the goddess... Nimue?" Zinc trailed off as she studied his reaction to her question. He had shut his eyes. It was hard to tell if he had tuned her out or not.
Zinc walked up resting her elbow on his head. "But then you're the one who is said to have killed the goddess and why the Endovellicus species no longer accept outsiders. That's just a few of the reasons why your family hates you, huh? And certainly not only your dead sisters but your living sisters and brothers hate you as well since you killed their mother. Not a very popular guy, are you, Doctor? With a history like that, it was only a matter of time that you would end up here. And the funny part about it all is that you think I'm the bad guy."
Zinc then slid her elbow down the back of his head and grabbed onto the nape of his neck with her hand. She next slammed his head into the table. Eznik let out a small whimper as he reached up and held his head from the throbbing pain. "Just making sure you were listening. I don't like being ignored." she said as she walked around in front of him. She bent down looking straight at him.
"Like father like daughter, right?" Zinc spouted as she looked him over. Eznik was staring at the table top. He was trying to keep his thoughts straight. "Though it seems, Brat took it to an extreme measure. She went and killed hundreds of thousands of people. She would have been better off adopted by a real father; one that would have loved her. Maybe then she wouldn't have turned out to be a monsterous homicidal maniac." Zinc snapped at him.
Eznik closed his eyes. He stayed silent; it's all he could do. One wrong word spoken would be the end to it all. When he did speak he had to think clearly about it. He had to be sure that whatever he spoke could not be taken some other way and that he didn't accidently give out any imperative information. He refused to let himself mess up. He had to keep focus.
Zinc stood up. She grabbed his hair and pulled him to a taunt sitting position. "They were telling me that you are a hard one to crack. They can't use a mind reader on you because it could send you into a triple heart attack and then you would get out of this little game. They say that's exactly what you're hoping." She looked into his eyes as he opened them, glaring at her.
Zinc let go of the doctor's hair.
"They don't think you can be cracked. But I say there is no such thing as one that can't be cracked. I believe everyone has a breaking point, you just have to find it. So let's see if my theory is correct….answer me this, dear doctor… do you love your daughters?" She questioned him as she sat back on the table. Eznik was irritated that she even brought up this subject. How he felt about his daughters was none of their business. He sat there in silence, refusing to play her game.
Zinc studied his resistance as she then attested "Or are you going to sit there and be silent; not even able to admit your love for your daughters? Maybe that's because you're a repulsive, nasty pedophile who adopts children for your own sick needs. Perhaps that's what we really need to be investigating. I mean, isn't that why Brat went so crazy because you are a menacing perverted monster disguised as a caring father and doctor?"
Eznik closed his eyes. He would not be accused of such. "I love my daughters… I'm not some sick'o though that's probably what your parents were for why else would you join such a corrupt organization as this. No doubt your parents tainted, ruined and abused you to the point that you think this be reasonable and normal." he snapped at her. He didn't like this woman at all and he didn't like her bringing up his daughters or questioning his devotion to them.
Zinc ignored his comment as she studied him carefully. Eyes tell a lot about a person. She knew she had gotten to him. She could see it in his eyes. It was her heartless skill. "Well, see there… I gotcha talking, Doc. You just need the right leverage I told them …though it seems you're not going to talk nice. But then that's why they called on me. You think me soiled and befouled?" she heckled. "You think they play dirty… you haven't seen dirty yet Doctor. And you've yet to witness just how tainted I am. And yes, it all was a gift from my parents. Just as I'm sure Brat's horrendous ways were a gift from you, her dear, not so loving father."
Eznik wanted to yell out at her but knew better. Self-discipline he told himself as he studied Zinc nervously as she grabbed her sunglasses putting them back on. She had hit a nerve with him. He needed to pull himself back together. "You say you love your daughters. So, that means you will do anything for them, right?" Zinc quizzed as she glanced away from him. "Including, keeping your youngest from being put into child services for neglect?"
Eznik stared adamantly at her. "You keep Kali out of this!" he revolted against Zinc. "You have no right to…!" He was cut off by Zinc. "To do what?… take your daughter away? The one you left unattended? The one that was supposed to be being watched by Autum today? Oh… yah that's right…your sister is dead, isn't she?" she bellowed sadly. "Bad timing, I guess….but then Doctor…" she hesitated as she shook her head, clicking her tongue…"An assassin traitor to babysit your daughter… what kind of a father are you…huh…? But then you never have any time for poor little Kali, do you? You pawn her off on anyone it seems. And the poor little darling gets sent from person to person like she's nothing more than luggage."
As Zinc scrutinized Eznik, he held his tongue though she was digging deep into his own baggage, his wounds and mistakes. He tried to pull himself together. But he was tired and worn from this continuous torture and mental fatigue that he had been put through for days now. And he had yet to fully deal with Autum's death. He had to pull up some strength from somewhere. He prayed once again in his thoughts to the Goddess Nimue to give him courage and strength.
"You'd think after winning custody of your little girl you would have been there for her the rest of your sad little life. Instead you go run off with your two adopted children, one; which is a murderer, a cold hearted killer!" she roared at him. Zinc was going for the small crack she had made in his barrier and she was striking it hard.
"I think Kali deserves a much better home and father than you. I'm sure she will be willing to rat you out along with your two adopted daughters because she's tired of never counting. She knows in truth down deep inside that she means nothing to nothing more than a fly in your soup." Zinc spat at him. She was attacking him where it hurt the most; his children.
"Kali would never rat them out or me." Eznik said coldly to Zinc. "Keep Kali and Gotenoo out of this." he said sternly. He didn't want his other two daughters to suffer because he refused to rat out their sister. Were they really that desperate for this information to threaten his other children? "They have nothing to do with this." re-emphasized Eznik.
"Like you didn't know that the moment you helped your precious Brat; that your other two daughters would be on the line as well. You got them involved, doctor; more so than you realize. Kali, she's on the other side of that mirror right now." Zinc bayed as she pointed at it with her thumb. "So she gets to hear that you love Brat more than her and because you won't rat out Brat, she gets to go into child services. She'll never see any of her sisters, aunts or uncles ever again. She will be all alone in this cold cruel world. You personally sent her into the tainted life you claim as mine as I grew up in child services thanks to my parents. How she would have to believe that you don't care for her at all for her… if you let that happen. No more pretending like you care with the truth standing in front of her."
Zinc hopped off the table, her metal boots let out a loud chinking echo in the silent room. "I would think wisely about the words that come out of your mouth next, Eznik." She spoke as she started to walk towards the door. "I would suggest you give up all the information on Brat unless you want to see Kali suffer. And she will suffer; you know she will. You've heard the rumors of child services and I can personally confirm such. And then next, will be the other redhead, Gotenoo. Does blood run thicker than water in your family or not, Eznik? Brat, she's just water, dirty contaminated water at that. You know that to be the truth."
Eznik held his head as he heard the door slam shut. He didn't know what to do. He should have expected them to do something as dirty and sick as this; attacking his children; threatening to take them away from him. He closed his eyes, his heart sinking. He couldn't let Kali and Gotenoo suffer. But then he couldn't let Brat suffer by telling the government everything he knows. How do you choose one child over another….it's not possible. You can't. A child is a child, a part of your very being; each child; a single vital beat within your heart and blood had nothing to do with this at all, he raged.
Zinc walked into the small room. Her eyes went to the young girl who was sitting in a chair. She was hugging her knees crying quietly. Zinc guessed it was from learning her Aunt Autum was executed. She walked up to the small girl. She was wearing purple shorts and a matching tank top. She had a couple of tattoos on her legs. She looked to be only eight years old, yet here she was in this mess.
The girl looked up at Zinc glaring at her. Her cyan-hair drooped over her tear-streaked face. Her blue-webbed eyes stared at this woman with such hate; suffering along with all the others who the government wanted to suffer.
"You can go talk to your dad-dy. Keep in mind… that it's going to be the last time you see him alive." Zinc spoke callously to the small girl as she watched the girl's reaction. She then walked over and sat in a chair looking back at the two way mirror at Eznik. She wasn't certain as to how this tactic would work but she was dying to find out.
Kali got off the chair and she walked up next to Zinc. "You're a bitch!" she squealed at Zinc kicking her in the shin. She then darted to the door where her father was. She rushed into the room running to her father.
Zinc winced holding her shin; spirited little child, she thought. She then looked at the window-mirror. The doctor was holding his daughter close. "Kali, I'm so sorry about everything." Eznik managed to utter. He was trying to keep himself together. He wasn't sure if he could or not, anymore. The tears were there at full force wanting to fall but he knew with them would fall his strength. He had to stay strong; had to keep his wits about him in hopes to get them out of this mess.
Kali held onto him tight; crying. "W-why did they kill A-Autum?" she whimpered to him. She didn't understand what was going on completely. She knew it had something to do with Brat, but it didn't make sense why they would kill Autum for such.
Eznik closed his eyes holding her. "Autum pissed off the government. She use to work for them and she left. So she was considered a traitor and was dealt with." he said quietly to her. "It's just how the government is. And unfortunately, we have no control over such doings." He knew this could possibly be the last time that he saw his daughter. He hugged her ever so tightly wishing he could whisk her out of this nightmare..
Kali buried her face into his chest; crying. She held him tight; she didn't want to lose him, too. She didn't want to ever let go of him. She already lost her aunt and now she would be losing her father? No, she wouldn't let him go. The heartache tore the child apart. She held onto him; crying, while her heart pleaded for an answer to this madness, a way out of this insane scenario..
Eznik eyes moved to the door. There were two guards standing there along with the insensitive interrogator, Zinc. She was looking so cold-hearted at the two of them. Eznik knew it was something that the dimensional government did to people, made them into unfeeling stone-hearted killers. They toss them into the police academy and tell them they are saving lives; making them believe their murders are justified. They make them feel important and a part of something significant and soon those people turn into heartless savage killers that take lives like it's nothing and think nothing more of it as they believe it is their job and duty.
Eznik gently moved Kali back so he could look her in the face. He gave her a childish smile, trying to make it a little easier on her. "Kali, I need you to be strong for me. You also need to be strong for Autum. She wouldn't want you tearing yourself apart over her death. She would want you to be practicing your fighting skills." A couple of tears ran down his cheek. "Remember to smile, sweety. You have such a precious smile." He kissed her on the forehead and gave her one last hug.
Eznik closed his eyes as he kept every second of this close to his heart. This would be the last cherished moment he would have, seeing at least one of his daughters before he died. He moved close to her head and spoke softly in their native tongue. "I'm sorry for never being there for you all these years. You've been strong and I'm proud to be your father. Stay strong Kali."
Kali let out a small whimper as she felt one of the guards tug at her arm. She looked back at the guard as she snapped at him in another language. Eznik stared at Kali in surprise, he let out chuckled; his guess Autum had taught her some foul words.
"I love you, Daddy!" Kali said to him as she rubbed her wet eyes. She looked at the guard and kicked him in the shin. "You deserved that!" she yelled. The guard didn't take too kindly to the child kicking him. He turned and hit her into the wall.
"KALI!" Eznik shot to his feet. The other guard pulled out a gun and pointed it at Eznik."Sit down." The guard spoke angrily at the doctor. But Eznik ignored his threat and darted for Kali; he had to make sure that the guard didn't hurt her. She was only 8 years old and still fragile. Eznik let out a cry as the gun fired. Eznik fell to his knees next to Kali. He moved his hand to her neck to check her pulse.
Eznik let out a small sigh of relief. She was only knocked unconscious and it looked as if she would be fine. He brushed her bangs out of her face as he closed his eyes from the pain of where he had been shot. He glanced at his leg that was bleeding praying they hadn't hit a vital vein..
The metal clanging of Zincs boots got louder as she walked up to the guard that had just shot Eznik. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?!" blasted Zinc as she rammed her elbow into the guard's face. "You don't use a gun unless I tell you, you can. You pathetic idiot!" The guard bent over in pain holding his bleeding nose. Zinc was pissed because the injury to Eznik could actually hinder their interrogation as he was already quite feeble. Besides, she hated it when someone overstepped her authority.
The other guard quickly bent down and picked up the small child. He headed out of the room with her. The wounded guard nervously followed. Zinc then walked up to the doctor; her shoes clacking with every step. She bent down near him. "You have one last chance to keep Kali out of child services, along with keeping your other daughter safe as well."
Eznik held his hand on his wound. He looked up glaring at her. "My brothers and sisters may hate me but as for Kali; it will be your death wish taking my daughter away from my family. My brothers and sisters wouldn't think twice about killing you as they take my daughter back. And as for Gotenoo, I doubt you would even find her, the crew keeps good care of her and makes sure that bastards like you never get near her." the doctor said boldly.
Zinc smirked at him. "I was hoping you wouldn't agree to talk. Now your daughter gets to watch you die slowly and painfully by means of the mind reader we have set up for you. You have a day to think about it. Either your daughter suffers more after losing her aunt and then her father as she is escorted into child services until she's an adult or… she can go home with you. It's that simple and you get to decide her fate, dad."
She got to her feet. "It's all on your shoulders now, doctor. You can fantasize that your family will come to Kali's rescue and keep Gotenoo out of our grasps but in the long run the government always gets what it wants. Just ask your sister Autum and that satirized demon, Celtic, I believe was his name.. Oh, that's right…you can't…they're dead. Such a shame. Just like you will be tomorrow if you don't get in line. Well, doctor… a couple of guards will be in here in a minute to drag you I mean escort you back to your cell. As for your daughter, she gets to spend the night in isolation; hopefully they will clean and sanitize the room before they put her in it for her sake." She smiled haughtily as she walked out of the room.
Eznik leaned back against the wall. Closing his eyes he let out a small cry of pain. His heart was ripped into pieces and now he had to decide one daughter over the other. Which one would he let suffer? Would he let Kali suffer by letting her watch him die and then be sent on to child services or tell them about Brat. When they found her he knew that she would be nothing more than a lab rat for the government but Kali would be stuck in child services which is not a great scenario either.
How did his life come down to this? Tears rushed down his face in all that he had to face including the death of his sister and her demon husband. This was more than he could take and here he was so all alone. Where is the goddess's help that he so prayed for? Why had she forsaken him and his family? Is the government more powerful than they? He was shocked…as he had never thought badly of the goddess before… no matter what. This was a bad omen indeed. It meant he had lost all hope.