I do not own anything but my characters (Iris, Amon, Axel, etc), the Galileus (but sadly I do not own the creature design) and Cryal.
Quotes and meanings below.
"Speaking aloud"
'Speaking telepathically'
Subconscious thoughts, deep in the mind and cannot be heard by others at all.
My fanfiction & Wattpad: VivicaNight
My deviantart: Horrorgir1
Chapter 23: Chaos
Having been closed away inside of my subconscious for what felt like days, consciousness finally grips onto me tightly and my eyes open.
Feeling my chilled body lying upon something soft, I slowly run my fingers over what is beneath me while slowly pushing my body up.
I am unable to see anything, and my body wont let me use my true vision.
Below me seems to be some kind of padding, feeling a migraine coming on, I slowly scoot my body away from the spot I woke up at, trying to find a safe spot.
Quickly coming to a wall I bump into it and huddle against it, tears fill my vision as my last memories flow back to me.
Where am I...?
Feeling my body, I realize there is a thin layer of fabric covering my body similar to a hospital gown.
Beginning to panic I feel over the rest of my body for any stitches or wounds, beginning to hyperventilate while tears stream down my face.
Feeling nothing, I come to my neck and feel a tight device around it, the memory of the object being clamped onto my neck comes to me.
Beginning to weep quietly, I try to pull it off my neck, or open it somehow.
The device has a few blinking, dim lights on it and remains tightly clamped around my neck.
The weak energy inside of me makes my efforts pathetic, having the strength of a frail, human girl.
My gut tells me I have been taken back into what my brain was twisted to believe was an orphanage. I begin to cry loudly, wrapping my arms and wings around myself, knees to my chest.
I remain in the silent darkness for well over an hour, within that time I have come to realize that I am no longer in heat.
The thought of either being pregnant, or no longer being adapted to a Galileus has my mentality crumbling in on itself.
I begin screaming for anyone, anything to help me.
My voice traveling through the space I am in tells me I am in a considerably small room of some kind, likely a cell with thick walls.
My screams go on until my voice becomes hoarse and my throat feels like it will bleed, from there I curl up and cry to myself, knowing this is my life now.
.
A bright burst of light brings me back to consciousness, realizing I must have fallen asleep while crying earlier.
Covering my eyes with one of my hands, I squint my eyes and finally take in my surroundings.
To the right of me is an old bed, the room is decorated with paper drawings of countless things seemingly drawn by a child. There is a toilet in the room as well as a sink.
I am surrounded by 4 white walls, one wall has a tough-looking metal door in it. The door has taken quite a beating in it's life, having a dent in it from whatever used to be in this room trying to get out.
A loud screeching from a microphone makes me aware of the speakers on all sides of the room, having to rotate my head a little from the high pitched sound filling my ears.
A male's voice comes through, sounding as though he is in his 40-50s, "Good morning, Miss Hale. We are so glad to have you here with us once again!" The man's voice sounds from all around me, sounding very passive-aggressive.
"...Why...me..." I growl out quietly.
"You, why, you have always been ours! It seems your good friend Emma used one of our products to create a shield inside of your brain, you have forgotten who you are!" He tells me, emphasizing Emma's name to send me a hint as if I hadn't found out the truth already.
"I may have forgotten who you are, but I haven't forgotten myself, who I am."
"Oh, honey, you are nothing like you used to be. You were so beautiful, so smart! You were like my own daughter, but now you have been tainted, rotten by the influence of those creatures you trust so much."
I begin to growl deeply at the words being said to me, "Emma was the one who taught me there was more to life than being someone's science project. I'm not the same Iris you knew, because I've learned the truth! I have been shown love, true love that brought me peace and comfort! I guarantee I have had the most fun and happiness in the small amount of time I was out there in the real world than I have ever had in here!"
"You honestly believe what that creature brought you was love? It only wanted to use you as an incubator for its offspring, you have always been so gullible, you are unable to tell the difference between the wolf and lamb. I never taught you to be so foolish!"
"All you ever taught me was bullshit!"
"Those creatures used you, all they care about is reproduction and killing! Once it would have gotten you pregnant, you would have given birth, what do you believe would've happened next? You would just live a happy, carefree life with the family that was created? No. Once you had that baby, it would have taken it before you even had a chance to touch it. Then it would have taken the time treating you the same way it treats its victims, but much worse! You wouldn't have lasted another day with that monster!"
Covering my ears with my hands, I scream out loudly while tears run from my eyes, "STOP LYING TO ME. STOP LYING! STOP!"
All goes quiet, I begin to weep and break down, putting my hands on the hard padded flooring as tears fall onto it. I wrap my wings around myself slowly, wishing for everything to just end. I want to go back to the factory, to the days I had spent in the church's basement. With Axel, with Amon. Even if it had to be in one of those moments he tried to kill me, I'd rather be there than here, where I could touch him one last time.
Through my weeping, I hear a different, somewhat younger male voice comes through the speakers, but my ears barely pick up the words through my pain, "Iris, please forgive my assistant as he was the one who raised you, I am the one here for you. You don't have to be alone or scared, I will be here to take the full responsibility of caring for you."
I don't respond, continuing to break down mentally, the voices go silent and the lights remain on.
I just want to go back home...
.
The days go on, I continue to live without communication, the door opens once every two days for feeding, I don't even try to escape.
I have yet to see my caretaker, and don't care even in the slightest to see what the man looks like who claims to feel compassionate toward me.
When food is given, barely anything is eaten by me. Voices have come over the speakers demanding me to eat, but I won't. Appetite has completely disappeared from my being, all I do is sit in silence and break down occasionally.
A paper bag is slipped into my room through the open door, the door closes and locks.
Lying down on the bed, I keep my eyes closed, using my memories as a safe place to keep my mentality from becoming lost entirely.
By this time I have tried using everything I know to communicate with the outside world. Telepathy doesn't work, changing form doesn't work, changing my eyesight doesn't work, I am completely powerless.
The only thing I can do is locate Valkyrie, having figured out she is within the building somewhere, and sense where Axel's body is.
Our bond is still strong, but he has no heartbeat to comfort me, no emotion or response in any way, telling me his body is an empty shell. His entirety is held within his brain, locked away.
Now that I have been calmed by my replayed memories, I have been smelling an unfamiliar scent coming from my body, I have concluded that it must have to do with being in this place.
My stomach has been aching since I reached the level of calmness, finally feeling a small amount of an appetite.
Giving into my body's needs, I slowly open my eyes and break my concentration.
Slowly sitting up I look at the bag, sliding off the bed I walk over to it cautiously, snatching it before taking it to the bed, the bed being my safe place now.
Keeping an eye on my surroundings in case anyone tries to hurt me while my guard is down, I slowly rip open the bag and lay the food items out in front of me.
A green apple, container of an assortment of fruits and veggies, cereal in a baggy, bottled water and a small piece of paper taped onto a tiny chocolate bar's wrapper.
I rip the paper off it and look at it, my brain takes a second to process the groups of letters presented in front of me.
It is from a chart of some kind, from bloodwork it seems. The only thing on the paper is a line for pregnancy with a + at the end of it.
I become lightheaded, not believing the information presented to me, in complete disbelief.
My hands shake and I drop the paper onto the thin blanket of the bed, beginning to breathe hard, I connect the evidence that proves the information on the paper to be true.
Instead of being filled with joy, I am filled with fear.
There is no safe place for this baby here...it will be killed, or taken away to be treated the same way I was.
Looking at the food, my paranoia tells me it is laced with poison to kill my baby
Taking the apple I extend my claws and dig them into it, ripping it open and looking at the soft juicy yellow insides of it.
I sniff the insides of it, still having the sensitive nose from being around the Galileus for so long.
My nose doesn't smell anything off about the apple, slowly I begin to eat it piece by piece, investigating each piece for any discoloration or odd scent.
Once finished, the apple doesn't give me much satisfaction, looking at the rest of the food, it has been a very long time since I have eaten anything other than meat. And that is what my body is craving.
Grabbing onto the foods I throw them at the door, ripping up the rest of the paper bag for my own amusement.
Soon the food gets picked up, I watch the small woman collect the food pieces.
She has to be no older than her teens, looking at me with fear in her eyes.
She smells good...
Standing up off the bed, the woman darts out of the room and slams the door shut, leaving my efforts to die.
Sitting back down, I dull my nails and lay back down, looking at my lower stomach.
Slowly I put a hand on it and begin to smile a little, knowing I have a small piece of Axel still with me.
Hours pass, I remain curled up with my eyes closed, back in my happy place, soon the lights shut off and my room is filled with darkness once again.
The darkness brings me comfort this time, opening my eyes I grab the blanket and pull it over myself. Semi-comfort flows over me, remaining nice and warm I wrap my wings around myself in case I fall asleep and anyone sneaks in to mess with me, I'll feel it and wake up.
Despite my efforts, my lack of energy drags me under.
.
Feeling as though my brain has been ran over by a truck, I groan loudly and hold my head.
Slowly I open my eyes and sit up, my surroundings have changed completely to where I feel at peace, sitting down on the floor in Amon's basement.
Looking around I become confused, not seeing anyone anywhere.
Didn't this place get destroyed...?
A sudden hiss of pain grabs my attention, my entire being fills with joy the moment I lock my eyes on Axel, who is lying on the ground holding his head.
"AXELLL!" I scream out loudly, standing and throwing myself at him.
The pain from his head eases down and he realizes I am there, he begins to purr loudly at me and hold me close to him before looking around.
"Axel I miss you so much! Please come back to me! I need help! I'm trapped and people want to keep me! They are bad people! They will kill our baby if no one helps me get out!" I erupt with distress.
His face distorts in confusion, he puts both hands on my cheeks before making me look him in the face, the last words take a second for him to register, "Our baby?" He speaks aloud.
"Yes! I'm pregnant..."
He watches me in disbelief, he growls loudly at me before throwing me off of him and standing.
I hit the floor, whining in pain as tears fill my vision, I look over at him, "...W-why...? Y-you said you loved me..." I stutter through quivering lips.
"This is not real. You are not real. LET ME GO!" He roars out into the emptiness, enraged.
"...A-Axel..."
A figure appears behind Axel before roughly tackling him to the ground, the figure gets more details, the laughter coming from it also tells me who it is.
Axel looks up at his brother and snarls at him, Amon holds him down while laughing.
Axel tries throwing him off of himself, but for some reason he isn't strong enough, this confuses him beyond question.
Amon laughs more, "I am in control here, not you. That is what you get for treating your mate like trash!" He becomes serious.
Axel watches him in more confusion before trying to figure out what is going on.
"Oh yeah, I got help from someone like Iris. She was able to tap my angelic abilities into an illusion of hers to create a sort of, safeplace I guess you could say. And yes, that is really Iris." He tells Axel, looking over at me.
Axel looks over at me, able to get up now he quickly rises to his feet before approaching me and picking me up and holding me close, "I am so sorry..." He whispers into my ear.
His hold creates a warm feeling inside of me, bringing more tears to my eyes I cry against him with my arms around him.
"Wait, Iris. I didn't catch everything you said...you're pregnant?" Amon asks me.
I look at him over Axel's shoulder before nodding, "...Yes..."
"Where are you." Axel asks sternly before putting me down and looking at me.
"...I don't know...wherever I came from to begin with...I might be in Illinois...?" I tell them.
"Illinois?" Amon repeats, looking at Axel.
"Get her." Axel demands Amon.
Thinking about Amon coming and trying to bust me out becomes more realistic and the dangers come to the surface, "...Amon Don't."
They both look at me.
"Dont come get me. These people are powerful...they will get you too if you come. They put something around my neck, I can't do anything...no illusions, no telepathy, nothing. They know your species, somehow they know. Are you still Hibernating, Axel? Or did the pregnancy wake your body up...?" I ask him.
"He is currently hibernating. Some old guy has him...I've been sticking around for you." Amon answers for him and tells Axel.
Axel growls loudly while snarling out of anger about the whole situation, and his failure.
"What went wrong...?" I ask Axel curiously.
Amon looks at him as well, curious.
"Vengeful father became a hunter. I underestimated his weapon's strength." He begins to explain the situation to us, telling us the rest of it.
"Ouch." Amon says, understanding more now.
I watch Axel, shocked that a human was able to do such a thing to him.
Axel moves over to me before picking me up again, unable to smell my scent, or the scent of our fetus, leaving him unable to know its health status or its gender. He holds me close, able to sense through our bond that I am in anguish in reality, aware that his close presence will calm me.
Wrapping my arms around his neck I begin to cry into him.
"...You need to get out of there. Amon must keep you safe, he will take my place until I awaken..." He tells me, his words and distress letting me know he is actually feeling fear for my safety, something very rare for him.
"I will fly to Illinois, by crow flight it may take a while. I will only scout out the area, we will do this again when I figure something out." Amon tells us.
"Don't get caught! I don't remember what these people are capable of...for all I know they will know exactly what you truly are." I warn Amon.
He nods, "I won't. Depending on the temperature in the north, as it still being spring, will depend on how long I will be able to stick around, even in corvid form."
I frown, Axel continues to hold me while deep in thought.
"We will do this again when we all have the mental energy for it, keeping this up is exhausting..." Amon tells us.
I tighten my arms around Axel, not wanting to let go, "Please Amon...just for a little longer..." I beg, seeing both of them beginning to fade.
"Don't let anyone touch you, Iris." Axel tells me before fading from my arms, having been released from the illusion.
I fall to my knees in tears before looking at Amon.
"I'm sorry I couldn't hold it any longer..." He apologizes while approaching me, he kneels down and puts my head between his hands to look into my eyes, "Be strong." His voice and body fades into the darkening surroundings, leaving me all alone in my subconscious mind.
Sitting in the darkness, I become aware that I am not completely alone.
"Vivica...please help me..." I speak out into the emptiness.
"Even if I tried giving you energy, the device around your neck would absorb it before you could even begin to feel better." Her words echo through the darkness.
"Then come and help me! You told me you were there to help me when I needed it!" I yell out into the darkness.
"I am already sending help. She will be there in a few days." She tells me.
Looking down at my hands I close my eyes, trying to relax.
"There is more bad news, Iris. If you are ready to hear it."
"Go ahead..." I respond.
"The reapers are on your trail again, like they are with all of us Cryptsin. Lucky for you, the facility you are held inside of has survived their attacks in the past and developed a protective barrier around the building years ago for your protection, but it has weakened since then. They will find a way in." She reveals to me
"Great...and I don't even have access to Valkyrie. How does this place have so much advanced technology? This is like futuristic type shit...is it government funded or something?"
"I am trying to figure out who is the head of the facility, that may give us the answer. The government has nothing to do with the place, it is completely under society's nose as if the place doesn't even exist. My energy is fading...I may be the most powerful of our species, but I have limits."
Sighing quietly, I nod, understanding, "Okay...thank you for letting me see them..."
"No problem. Be careful, Iris." Her voice fades and I begin to dream normally, but nightmares plague my mind.