Chapter song: Runaway by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

I blinked heavily a few times, now certain that my fever was causing me to hallucinate, but she remained standing there directly in front of me.

"Have you come to kill me?" I muttered, not caring anymore whether I lived or died. At this point, I welcomed death.

"Now that I've seen you, I'm almost tempted to put you out of your misery," she said, looking me up and down with pity. "But no Terran, I've come to rescue you."

"Rescue me? But you hate me," I said, blinking tiredly. She walked forward and began undoing the wire bindings around my wrists and ankles.

"I'm not doing this for you," she said angrily under her breath.

"Mac-Varr," I breathed happily. I knew he loved me.

"Mac-Varr?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at me. She shook her head and wrapped a thin, red cloak around my body. With her arm around my torso she began half-carrying me as we limped towards the door.

I'm coming for you Mac-Varr.

There were several guards lying on the floor unconscious in the hallway, some were covered in dark patches of blood, unmistakably dead. As we made our way down the corridor, I became aware of distant gunfire and the familiar roaring vibration of ships. At one point, the walls around us shook due to an explosion from up above, filling the hall with a loud, metallic ringing. When we finally made it outside my jaw dropped open in disbelief as I looked around.

It looked like hell had been unleashed on the capitol. Dark smoke filled the air as Hal-Dan's building burned wildly with green fire, producing a splintering, deafening noise. Jul-Linn practically dragged me through the city, silently maneuvering our way through secret tunnels and alleys. As we rounded a corner, a few of Hal-Dan's men came running along at the same time, and I felt my heart soar with relief.

Until Jul-Linn shot them.

"What are you doing?" I screamed, struggling against her hold. "You traitor!"

"Quiet! They will hear us!" She hissed, tightening her grip around me. "We're almost there," she muttered under her breath.

"Almost where? I asked suspiciously. I could see her eyes frantically scanning the area around us for potential threats.

"Ronan's ship," she answered absently, unaware of the horrified look I was giving her.

"No," I whispered, causing her to immediately look down at me. After staring at me for a short moment she cursed under her breath and began dragging me along.

"NO! Let go of me! I'm not going back to that conspirator! He's a LIAR! He's a THIEF! He's –"

She bent down and roughly threw me over her shoulder before I could get another word in. She began running through the streets so quickly it made my head spin, forcing me to close my eyes. The armor on her shoulder dug into my abdomen, making it hard for me to breathe, and therefore impossible to speak. I tried kicking my legs but her arm tightly held my calves against her body. After nearly five minutes of this uncomfortable arrangement, she came to a stop at the end of another tunnel and gasped quietly. I could finally take a deep breath, and I wasted no time in voicing my displeasure.

"HELP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. She immediately dropped me from her shoulder and spun around towards the opening of the tunnel as if she had heard something. I could hear the heavy footsteps of soldiers approaching and I couldn't help but smile.

Jul-Linn pulled out a small, black ball from one of her pockets and threw it towards the soldiers, instantly producing a thick fog. She dove into the fog without hesitation and began slaying the soldiers like they were sheep for a sacrifice. The poor men didn't even have time to shout for help. While she was busy murdering the innocent soldiers, I managed to limp away undetected into the darkness, hoping to find my savior.

"Mac-Varr!" I cried, falling down to my knees with exhaustion. Around the corner a new eruption of chaos began, and I quickly started crawling towards the noise, desperate to find him.

He loves me.

He can help me.

I need him.

As I got closer, one of Hal-Dan's soldiers flew past me like a cannonball, spiraling through the air until he collided into a nearby building. My knees and elbows were bleeding from the concrete ground, but I didn't care. A frightening madness seemed to take control of my mind, forcing me to drag my body along even as my limbs shook violently with exertion and fever. The severed flesh where my foot and hand once were, burned badly as they scraped along the ground, but I knew that if I stopped now I risked never seeing Mac-Varr again.

"Terran, stop!" I heard Jul-Linn's voice shout far behind me. I crawled even faster, now only a few feet from the corner of the building, where I knew he would be waiting for me just around the bend.

I eagerly peered around the corner and felt my eyes grow wide with shock at the sight of so much death. Hundreds of Sakaraan and Kree bodies littered the expansive concrete field before me, filling me with sadness and despair. Mac-Varr. There were still dozens of soldiers fighting, some were even stepping on top of their fallen comrades because there was nowhere else to stand. Only a few hundred feet away I could see Ronan's fleet of ships parked in the wide city square, which meant he was nearby.

I must find Mac-Varr.

Only a few seconds later I felt Jul-Linn's grip around the back of my neck, pulling me up into a standing position.

"Let me go!" I screamed desperately, thrashing around in her grip. Mac-Varr is close, I can feel him.

"Listen to me," she shouted back. "Your mind is not your own. If you do not come wi–"

"It appears…" said a familiar voice right behind us. "She does not want to go with you."

Mac-Varr.

Before I could laugh with joy, Jul-Linn released her grip on me, and I immediately lost my balance and fell to the ground.

I smiled up at him, unaware of the malicious tint in his eyes. "Mac-Varr I'm so – "

"Quiet," he said in a clipped tone. I immediately recoiled and watched with fear as Jul-Linn and Mac-Varr began circling each other.

"I never expected this from you," he said, glaring at Jul-Linn. My heart sank with dread as Jul-Linn pulled out two long daggers.

"Jul-Linn, don't touch him!" I screamed with renewed rage. Mac-Varr grinned.

"What did you do to her," Jul-Linn hissed, glancing in my direction.

"Exactly what I did to you all those years ago," he said with a wicked smile, pulling out a double-ended spear. Jul-Linn looked as if she were going to be sick.

He took another step to the side, still smiling. "Ah yes, you remember it differently. That is due to the false memories I implanted in your brain. You remember passion and desire. Endless nights filled with pleasurable mistakes. The truth is, it was meticulously planned. Hal-Dan has always been suspicious of Ronan, and you were there for the taking. It was disappointing to find your mind lacking of useful information, but it was still quite fun. I do enjoy playing with Ronan's things, even if they aren't exactly willing," he said, smiling down at me. I smiled back.

He is so nice to me.

"Hal-Dan and I hoped Ronan would retaliate after discovering our affair, giving us a reason to execute him for treason, but of course, Ronan was always so reserved. At least, until now," he said, directing his gaze towards me.

"You are sick," she growled furiously.

"No, I am loyal – a characteristic which you are severely lacking," he said.

"I can recognize when a battle is already lost. I prefer to be on the side that wins," she said seriously.

"No, it is more than that," he said, pausing for a few seconds. "You love him." Jul-Linn immediately tensed up. "And you believe returning the Terran to him will, what? Make him love you again – if he ever did at all?"

"Quiet," Jul-Linn seethed. She raised her arms in the air, pointing her daggers directly at Mac-Varr. "I will not allow you to poison my mind any longer. Surrender now or die."

"You and I both know the two are the same," he said with a soft smile.

"Look around you, Mac-Varr. You will not win this fight," she said shaking her head.

"I'll take my chances," he said, before lunging straight for her.

Metal clashed with metal, producing loud ringing sounds that echoed off the buildings around us. I lied on the blood-soaked concrete, completely helpless as Mac-Varr fought for his life. It was terrifying watching the two of them fight. I had never seen such an intense, vicious battle for survival. When I saw one of her blades slice his arm, it felt as if my head were going to split open in two. No, don't hurt him! When I saw his spear pierce the armor on her arm I nearly cried out for joy as Jul-Linn screamed in pain.

Two of the Kree's greatest warriors were fighting to the death and I was the only one here to witness such a nerve-wracking, historical moment. Where Mac-Varr had strength, Jul-Linn had speed, and for a while it seemed neither would gain the upper hand. It was only a few minutes later when I noticed Mac-Varr begin to tire and limp slightly on his right leg, which was now soaked with dark blue blood.

"Jul-Linn stop!" I yelled. I used my left hand to drag myself across the ground, bringing me closer to the pair of warriors. "You'll kill him!"

"That is my intention," she growled. I watched with horror as one of her daggers pierced the front of his armor.

"No," I gasped. Mac-Varr smiled before ripping the dagger out of his chest, revealing only the very tip was coated in blood. I sighed with relief.

Jul-Linn rolled forward as he returned the dagger with lethal speed. It missed her head by only a few centimeters and burrowed itself in the wall behind her. The two became locked in a deadly embrace on the ground, rolling and spinning, both struggling to remain on top. I watched with dread as Jul-Linn took control and proceeded to pull out another shiny dagger from her side, pointing it directly at Mac-Varr's face. My broken body protested any attempts to move faster, making it impossible for me to help him.

"Get off of him," I grunted, ignoring the pain in my limbs. I must save him. The point of the knife was threatening to push into his cheek. Mac-Varr swung his head to the side as Jul-Linn pushed down with all her weight, missing his head completely. His fist landed on her cheekbone, emitting a cracking sound on contact and she staggered to her feet in a daze. She was only five feet away from me.

Mac-Varr stood directly across from her and casually popped his neck, like someone would do when they first wake up. My skin ran cold as Jul-Linn picked up a fallen Sakaaran's gun from the ground and pointed it at him.

"No!"

With the little energy I had left, I propelled myself forward on my knees and grabbed ahold of Jul-Linn's exposed ankle.

Everything happened so fast.

Jul-Linn's screams of agony were drowned out by the humming I heard inside my head. It felt as if my skin was vibrating as rolls of energy coursed through my body, up my spine and into my limbs, bringing life back into me.

Her body fell limp to the ground in only five seconds, but for me, it felt like time itself had stopped.

There was more power inside of me than ever before, and I had no idea what to do with it. My fingertips appeared to be emitting a faint purple glow, the power threatening to spill out, silently urging me to use it.

I never knew the meaning of power until now.

Ronan

A single scream pierced through the air. A woman's scream. He knew it was not Silvia's for he was quite familiar with the sound of her voice. However, the feminine noise did not belong in a battle such as this. He immediately strode through the crowd of soldiers to investigate. Those who stood in his way were demolished with his Ultimate Weapon, their ashes carried away in the wind, leaving no trace of their whereabouts.

It did not take him long to find the origin of the noise.

Jul-Linn's corpse lied on the ground surrounded by common soldiers, as if she were a mere private. She did not belong here. A high-ranking soldier such as herself should not have fallen so easily. There were no markings on her body to indicate a fatal injury, so the cause of her death remained a mystery. Her eyes remained open and wide, reflecting the surprise and terrible pain she felt until the last second. Seeing her dead did not bring him the pleasure he always imagined it would, but he was not exactly troubled by it either. One less enemy to stand in my way.

He looked up from her body and inspected his surroundings using the scanners in his armor. Thermal imaging revealed a male's footsteps leading into a tunnel nearby. When he looked closer, he noted an additional bare footstep alongside the soldier's. It was small and delicate, reflecting the frame of a petite woman. Silvia. There was a trail of single footprints, as well as several knee and hand prints following behind the larger, suggesting to him that her left leg was incapacitated. His gaze drifted back down to the ground, searching for any missing information, and he quickly located a broken double-ended spear. It had the familiar seal of Hal-Dan's first governor. Mac-Varr.

He felt his pulse quicken with rage as he followed the path into the tunnel. Rarely did he ever find himself moving as quickly as he did now, the thought of Silvia in his arm's again pushed him forward, urging him to move with haste. For the first time in decades, he ran.

Seconds later he heard the staggered footsteps of Mac-Varr and Silvia, only a few hundred feet ahead of him. When he heard Silvia cry out in pain, he willed his feet to move faster, and soon they were within his line of vision. He snarled with fury at the sight of Mac-Varr dragging Silvia behind him on the ground, threatening to rip her shoulder out of socket. Ronan was lucky to have remained undetected for so long; however, when he noted the condition of Silvia's body, he could not help but growl with pure hatred, letting his presence be known.

She was mutilated.

What has he done to you?

Mac-Varr spun around at the sound of Ronan's rage, and he promptly released his grip on Silvia and pulled out a raygun from his belt. He fired at him without a second thought, but each shot was wasted. With his Ultimate Weapon, a raygun was no more threatening to him than a fly. His force field protected him against most attacks, save for a few powerful blasts of energy.

He noticed Silvia stir on the ground face down. When she slowly rolled over, her eyes widened with horrible fear at the sight of him, and she proceeded to crawl towards Mac-Varr, placing herself between the two of them. Ronan could not help but grimace at the sight of her protecting him. What has he done? He did not recognize this woman who cowered on the ground before him. Her eyes no longer held the spark he so often admired. She was a shell of the woman she once was.

When his gaze drifted upwards, he caught Mac-Varr grinning at him. Always smiling, that one. Enjoy it while you still can. He heard Silvia whimper pathetically as he stepped closer, her remaining hand gripped tightly onto Mac-Varr's leg, pulling him into her.

I will destroy him.

"She is truly remarkable, is she not?" Mac-Varr called out before him. Ronan did not want to hear his treacherous voice any longer. He raised his Ultimate Weapon and pointed it directly at him in order to force him away from Silvia. As soon as he rotated the hammer in his hands, he felt an invisible force throw him backwards, causing him to roughly land on his back.

He slowly stood up expecting to find Mac-Varr holding a gravity cannon, only to discover something far worse. It was not Mac-Varr who attacked him. It was Silvia. No. He strode towards the pair with more determination than ever before.

"Again," Mac-Varr said with a smile.

Silvia's left hand produced a faint purple glow before she raised it in the air and pointed it in his direction. Ronan raised his own weapon and braced himself as he saw her body tense up, emitting a powerful force of energy directly at him. His force field was able to hold back the majority of her power, but it still caused his feet to slide backwards on the ground, much to his annoyance. He growled and reached forward, grabbing ahold of Mac-Varr's neck before the leach could run away.

Again, he felt Silvia emit another wave of energy, but with a simple flick of his wrist, she was thrown several yards away. Her cry of pain caused him to frown with discomfort, but she needed to be out of the way. In the corner of his eye he could see her waving her hands in the air pathetically before screaming loudly with frustration. It became obvious to him she had depleted her store of energy, once again making her utterly powerless.

She dragged herself across the ground until she lied at his feet. "Stop it! Please, leave him alone!" Her hand began frantically searching his legs. It wasn't until she tried removing his armor that he realized she was attempting to find bare skin. It was useless however, for his armor was impenetrable. She pulled herself up and stood on one leg, reaching up towards his face, trying desperately to make contact with his skin. Her lack of height could not have been more apparent than at this moment. The tips of her fingertips barely graced the edge of his neck.

He glared at the man before him as he dropped his Ultimate Weapon to the ground. Finally, he would kill this man exactly how he intended to all those years ago. With my hands. The Ultimate Weapon could only be used by one wearing the Accuser's armor, unbeknownst to Silvia who was now pitifully trying to use it against him. As Ronan's hands gripped onto the sides of Mac-Varr's head, Silvia produced a long, drawn out wail. Her fist pounded on his leg as he began squeezing the cretin's skull. The joy he gained in hearing Mac-Varr's screams of pain was short lived, for only a few seconds later, Silvia began screaming as well. Never before had he heard her produce such a terrible sound. To anyone else listening, it might have sounded as if she were the one having her skull crushed.

The second Mac-Varr's skull split in two, Silvia began rolling around on the ground, clawing at her head in a maddened state. She truly has lost her mind. Blood pooled from Mac-Varr's mouth and eyes as Ronan finished him off, coating his hands in bloody brain tissue.

Where is your smile now?

He dropped his body to the ground and turned to face Silvia, who was now twitching and staring wide-eyed into the air above. Upon closer inspection, he could see she was covered in her own filth, although he already knew that just by smelling her. Her sickly pallor and sweat-stained hair indicated she was suffering from an infection, and if she didn't get help soon, he was certain she would die.

When he gathered her in his arms, he immediately noticed how light she felt compared to when he left. Soft curves were now replaced with sharp, prominent bones. The light in her hair was gone, as well as in her eyes. She was a broken woman. His eyes could not avoid the mutilated flesh of her hand and foot, though he willed himself to look away, he could not.

Upon exiting the tunnel, he lifted his Ultimate Weapon above their heads and propelled them into the air, flying towards his ship. Within seconds they were at the ramp of the Dark Aster, the ship that would be his home until the revolution ends. They barely made it halfway up the ramp when he noticed a newly formed wave of militia heading in their direction. If he did not leave now, his fleet of ships would be destroyed as well as his men.

"Nebula!" He shouted. Ten seconds later the blue woman appeared at his side. "Order the Sakaarans back to the ships. Retrieve our allies and depart immediately." She nodded her head and began shouting above the cacophony of battle.

Inside the ship, he quickly strode through the halls, heading straight for the infirmary where he knew medicine could be found. Her limp body lied on the metal surgical table as he searched the cabinet for the appropriate solution. Just as his hand clasped a small, glass vial he heard sudden movement behind him. Silvia was violently convulsing on the table as if she had become possessed by some strange demon. He nearly shattered the vial in his hands when her eyes rolled into the back of her head and froth gathered on her lips. What is happening to her? This is clearly no ordinary infection.

At that moment he felt the ship begin to take off and he instantly returned to her side. His hands held her emaciated figure down on the table as they ascended into space, preventing her from falling off. Shortly after that her convulsions came to an end, allowing him to inject her with the infection antidote. His eyes eagerly scanned her body, waiting for any signal to indicate she was improving, but she remained unconscious. Damn Terrans. The red streaks in her arms and legs caused from blood poisoning slowly began diminishing by the second, as well as her pale complexion. The relief he felt at seeing her improve was both surprising and discomforting.

"Wake up," he said, grabbing ahold of her shoulders. No response. "Silvia," he said more forcefully. You stubborn woman. Several minutes later he heard the door slide open, but his eyes remained locked on the Terran. Nebula stood on the opposite side of the table, looking down at the woman with apparent guilt, and for some unknown reason this made Ronan terribly angry.

"Do not look at her," he growled, glaring at the cyborg woman. She shuttered and quietly looked away in shame.

His eyes rested once again on the woman who haunted his dreams. It had been too long since he heard her laugh, saw her smile, and felt her hands upon him. No. She no longer had hands, only one, and it was severely broken. The overwhelming guilt he felt caused him to scowl with disgust. How could he have been so deceived as to think she would be safe there?

He would atone for his mistake.

Never again will he doubt his instincts.

"Bring the surgeons."

Silvia

They say when you die you see a light at the end of a tunnel.

I never saw a light, or a tunnel. Only darkness.

It was a suffocating darkness that swallowed me whole and filled every essence of my being.

I felt nothing. I saw nothing. I was nothing.

Wait. No. There is a light.

As I came closer to the fuzzy halo of white, I began to hear hushed voices above me. A cold, metallic surface pushed against my back. Why can't I open my eyes?

I could hear a feminine voice to my right. "…preparing to reroute nerves. Increase oxygen levels." A second later I felt the fresh, crisp flow of oxygen in my nose and mouth.

I'm in an operating room.

I'm alive.

No. No. No. NO! KILL ME! KILL ME!

"…heart rate is rising."

Images of Mac-Varr's crushed skull filled my mind, instantly making my brain feel as if it were on fire. Why does it hurt so bad? I literally can't live without him. Please, just kill me. Another flash of Mac-Varr's bleeding face danced before my eyes, causing agonizing, burning pain to erupt inside my head. Make it stop. Let me die.

"…gaining consciousness quickly. Restrain her and administer 15 mg of ENC-32." I could feel a cold liquid making its way up my arm. No, stop! I don't want it!

"What is happening to her?" An angry male growled. Ronan.

I hate you.

I used every ounce of strength left in my body to open my eyelids, but even then I couldn't open them all the way. There were five people, both men and women, dressed in white uniforms hovering around me. I looked to my left and saw the tall blue monster standing in the corner of the room, pacing back and forth, looking furious as usual. His eyes widened when they settled on my face.

"You…" I wheezed, unable to speak from the breathing tube. Ronan took a step forward.

"I need 10 mg of X-16 and 20 mg of Dintol. Quickly," one of the doctors ordered.

As the chilling medicine entered my arms through the IVs, I noticed Ronan was now standing by my side, watching me intently. As if he cares. I wanted nothing more than to watch him suffer for what he did to Mac-Varr. It felt as if a part of me had died with him. Life itself seemed to hold no more importance for me, and I truly wanted to just vanish into thin air.

His large hand gripped onto my arm, but I couldn't pull away because the medicine was already taking effect. Don't touch me, demon. My eyelids grew heavier as the sedatives forced my body to relax, and eventually I was once again in the darkness.

His hand was the last thing I felt before slipping away.

Ronan

Throughout his years as the Kree's Supreme Accuser, he learned that patience was the key to victory in battles, but he never grew accustom to waiting. He found it extremely difficult to calm his mind when he knew his desire was within his grasp. Silvia's operation had taken nearly twelve hours, and every minute passed slower than the next.

The highly-qualified Inhuman doctors faced several challenges throughout her procedure; one of them being her body's rejection of all anesthetics and analgesics. She would fall unconscious for thirty minute increments at a time, but shortly after, she would awake, screaming with pain and rage, fighting to break free of her restraints. The amount of medicine she was administered should have killed any other Terran, but Silvia was different, and the hysteria within her had taken control of her being.

Despite all of the complications, they saved his Terran's life and transformed her mutilated body into a work of art; her mind, however, was on the verge of total collapse. His own sanity was lost for a short moment after he discovered the abuse Mac-Varr had inflicted upon her. He was standing in the hallway watching Silvia through the glass wall when the Inhuman doctor, Starla, revealed the troubling news:

"She is stable at the moment, but I would like to discuss with you some abnormal contusions we discovered upon her physical assessment." She stated in a quiet tone.

"Explain," he ordered, still watching Silvia.

He saw the doctor's abnormally bright, red hair fall as she lowered her head. "We have found both external and internal bruising within her genital area, as well as several lacerations upon her perineum. There is no doubt in my mind she has suffered severe sexual abuse." Ronan's fingernails dug into his palms until he felt the skin break.

It is my fault.

"Her physical wounds will be healed within the next twenty-four hours, but the mental trauma will be difficult to treat. Her blood tested positive for a powerful mind-controlling drug we are unfamiliar with, but we suspect it will be out of her system within the next few days. Once her system is clean, she will regain control of her consciousness, and her mind will be flooded with traumatic memories. When that happens, she will need all the support she can get."

Ronan knew exactly what drug they spoke of – the binding serum, Senium-12. Mac-Varr was particularly fond of turning his victims into mindless bags of flesh. The serum binds two minds together, causing the victim to develop false devotion and infatuation for the supplier. When that connection is suddenly broken, such as in death, it can cause temporary insanity and excruciating pain.

Four days had passed since the surgery, but she remained as belligerent as a Dire Wraith.

She had been moved to his bedroom, where he knew she would be safe and within his reach if something were to go wrong. The sedatives he delivered every hour were only enough to keep her from breaking free of her restraints, but she still screamed and writhed on the bed. Her mind was still too far gone to retain new memories, so she often forgot where she was or what was happening to her, which only caused her to become even more hostile. Reasoning with her was not an option at this point, but Ronan could be a patient man.

After another tiresome day of gathering intelligence and recruiting soldiers for his cause, he slowly returned to his room, preparing himself for the barrage of insults Silvia would throw at him today. She was already screaming before he could even make it through the door.

At that moment he truly longed to be back in battle, where he belonged, where he knew he was of actual use. He would much rather face a Skrull army than the wrath of this she-devil.

He began removing his heavy armor as the words flew from her mouth. "I fucking hate you! I will kill you, you traitorous –"

" – blue monster?" He finished for her, making her yell with fury. "Yes, you are that predictable," he muttered quietly as he remained turned away from her. He softly smiled at the sound of her groaning angrily on the bed, reminding him that his fiery Terran was still in there, waiting to break free and reunite with him once again.

He undressed until he was remaining in his under armor and walked over to her side of the bed, staring at the vials of sedatives on the nightstand. Just as he noticed one of the vials was significantly depleted, he felt a sharp prick in his upper thigh. A growl rumbled up his throat when he saw Silvia drop a syringe onto the bed before scrambling towards the door. How did she break free of her restraints? The humor he felt seconds earlier was nowhere to be found as he watched Silvia claw at the door, truly desperate to escape him. If she was in the right state of mind she would have known better than to attempt such a feeble act. It would take much more than a sedative to bring him down.

Before she could cause any damage to herself, he pulled out a Shocker from his weapons drawer and aimed the device at her neck. The small, metallic ball embedded into her skin and immediately forced her body to collapse on the ground, paralyzing her without any damage. Her eyes danced wildly back and forth, watching him as he came closer to her helpless form, mad with vengeance. It was a look he knew far too well. He truly did believe her when she said she wanted to kill him. Unfortunately for her, she would never be given the chance.

He watched her sleep until he felt certain she would not wake again, and only then did he close his eyes and allow himself to relax. It was only a few hours later when he was awakened by the shivering of her small body and the cold sweat which now soaked the bed sheets. Her eyes remained closed, yet she whimpered in her sleep and grimaced with pain. It was not long before she began screaming, and he immediately grabbed ahold of her shoulders and gently shook her, trying to break her free of her night terrors.

The doctor warned him she would likely be hysterical when she regained control of her mind. She would remember every painful moment all at once, causing her to experience tremendous mental suffering, and possibly physical pain as well. He administered one last sedative into her upper thigh as her eyes began fluttering open, wide with panic and fear. He did not like to see her suffer, but he was relieved to see the maddened blood-lust was no longer present in her eyes.

Within seconds he had her released from the bindings around her wrists and ankles, and looked down at her with hesitation, unsure of how to proceed. When her eyes settled on his face, recognition filled her features before tears began falling from the corners of her eyelids, and he gently wiped the tears away. It frustrated him greatly that he could not take her pain away.

"Ronan," she choked, causing his stomach to turn uncomfortably. The turmoil on her face stirred an unfamiliar protective nature inside of him, urging him to gather her in his arms.

And so, that is exactly what he did.

He swore to never doubt his instincts, and he would do precisely that.

Silvia

Days passed since I woke up from the horrible nightmare that was my life, but I still felt as if I were living in some twisted alternate reality. I was plagued with the memories of Mac-Varr mutilating and raping my body, scarring me in ways I would never forget. Then there was the distant memory of me killing Jul-Linn. Why did I do that? I murdered her, and Ronan didn't even know. Maybe I should keep it that way. Most of the time I lied in bed, quiet and unmoving as the sedatives calmed my nerves, preventing me from screaming.

Today is the first day I am medicine-free, and I hate it. The doctor with fire red hair, Starla, explained to me that sedatives were only a temporary solution. She suggested I talk about my feelings, not retreat from them. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to feel anything. All I wanted was to forget.

I haven't spoken to anyone since I woke up - not to the doctors, not to Nebula, not even to Ronan. At times I couldn't even look at Ronan because it made me feel so unbearably resentful. If he had just listened to me and taken me with him, none of this would have happened. I would still be me.

I sat up in bed and stared blankly at the new additions on my body. When I first "woke up", I remember it felt as if my hand and foot were asleep, but after looking down I realized they were no longer there. Then the memories came. I remembered every searing, painful cut and burn.

My new robotic hand and foot were impressive and surprisingly beautiful. They were made of a metal that was smooth and mirror-like in its reflectiveness, and they moved as if they were my own flesh. The doctors explained the nerves in my arm and leg were connected to the robotics, allowing my brain to control the artificial extremities as if they were my own flesh and blood. It was like constantly having a numb hand and foot, but they functioned perfectly, if not better than my natural body. If I wanted to grab something, my hand was already doing it before I actually thought about it.

For a second I caught myself feeling grateful for Ronan, but I quickly remembered he was the one responsible for all of this. Still, I could not bring myself to yell or even glare at him. Even though I resented him, I enjoyed being around him. It was comforting knowing he was next to me as I slept, even if we remained untouching throughout the night. It is shocking he even allows me to sleep in the same bed with him. I guess he feels guilty.

I remember him holding me in his arms a few nights ago after Mac-Varr's serum wore off. He hugged me as I had hoped he would do before all of this happened. Why did it take me almost dying for him to do that? I think he caught on to my resentment after the first night, because he hasn't tried holding me ever since. He didn't understand that all I wanted was a confession from him. I wanted him to tell me he cared. To tell me he was sorry for leaving me. To tell me he would never leave me again. Of course, I knew I was asking for too much - this is Ronan after all.

He left this morning after locking the door behind him, as he always did every day before going to work. No one trusted me by myself. Anything sharp and dangerous had been removed from his room. I discovered that after the second day. The water in the tub was cut off – I guess to prevent me from drowning myself. Ronan really did think of everything. I wasn't going to kill myself, but I suppose he wouldn't know that since we haven't spoken at all.

By the time Ronan returned that evening, I had paced his room at least a thousand times, if not more. To say I was anxious was an understatement. I hated being left alone in his room, especially when I didn't have my medicine. What were they thinking leaving me here without anything to calm my mind? As soon as I saw Ronan step through the door, I felt my skin grow hot with annoyance, and the words flew from my mouth before I could stop them.

"You're an asshole!" I shouted angrily at him, making him stop and stare at me apprehensively. I continued pacing in front of him, biting at my fingernails nervously, trying to calm myself down.

Ronan slowly walked towards me, watching me closely as I scampered back and forth, carefully avoiding my path. "You left me here! You left me in this fucking room all day by myself!" I said, staring at him while I paced in front of him. He sat down on the bed and remained silent as I continued shouting at him. His silence was making me even more furious.

"Do you enjoy locking me up like some deranged animal?" I shouted, stopping in front of him. His eyes were heavy as he stared at me in silence. "You left me here alone. You keep avoiding me – like a – like a fucking coward. You're a goddamn coward, Ronan," I said as tears of anger began pooling in my eyes. His nostrils flared at my words.

"You left me on that fucking planet! I was tortured! I was raped! Look at me!" I cried as he looked away, glaring at the floor. "Look what they did to me! Why do you keep abandoning me?" I screamed hysterically. "What is so terrible about me? Why am I always left alone?" I cried, falling down to the ground.

My chest tightened painfully as I began having a panic attack, making me hyperventilate and wail uncontrollably at Ronan's feet. I felt his hands grip onto my shoulders, pulling me up as I continued crying "why?" over and over again. Before I realized what was happening, he was cradling me in his arms as he sat on the edge of the bed, holding me tenderly as I released every sad emotion left in my body. When the panic attack passed, I continued sobbing in his arms, holding onto him desperately in an effort to keep him from running away from me again.

"I should never have left you there," he said in a somber tone when I calmed down. "It is a decision I will forever regret." He added quietly. I couldn't help but scoff at his comment.

"Look at me, Ronan. I'm a freak," I sniffled.

"You are beautiful," he replied in a serious tone. I remained quiet in his arms, closing my eyes as I fought back another urge to cry. "Do not ever doubt that." He said more forcefully. I felt his chest rise as he took a long, deep breath, preparing himself to say something else.

"I cannot take away your suffering; but, I can pledge to protect you from this day forth. I will do what I must to keep you safe."

"So, what? You actually care about me?" I said with my eyes still closed.

"After all that has happened, must you even ask such a question?" He said in his soft, deep voice. I hesitantly opened my swollen, red eyes and looked up at him. "I feared you were dead, Silvia."

"I thought you weren't afraid of anything," I whispered. His eyes, which now shimmered in the soft, blue light, slowly roamed across my face, full of contemplation and sorrow.

"I was mistaken," he said after a moment of silence.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry to keep you guys waiting! I have been working like crazy and it's made me a very tired, lazy person. I wrote every day - even if it was just one or two sentences. I wanted this chapter to be longer, but I have already kept you guys waiting for so long.. I felt bad!

So, I really enjoyed writing this chapter because there was a big development between Silvia and Ronan. I would love to hear what you think about that. Silvia's got some cool new equipment as well. There's going to be a big change within the next chapter or two... things will get very interesting. I'm sure a lot of you are happy to see Mac-Varr dead - I know I am! :) Of course, there's still Hal-Dan and a whole bunch of other people Ronan still has to deal with. Times are definitely going to be tough.

Thanks again for the follows/reviews! I love reading your reviews... they make me so happy :) You guys are awesome and I'm so grateful you take the time to read my story. Again, I'm so sorry to have kept you guys waiting for so long! Hopefully the next chapter will not take over a month to post!