**Disclaimer: I do not own Zankyou no Terror or any of the characters in the anime. The title of the story is a lyric from the song "Von" by Yoko Kanno.**
Í Eilífri Hring (In an Eternal Circle)
Chapter V: Whirlwind of Color
"What are you doing, Twelve." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Nine's emotionless voice called out to him, hands latching to his arm, pulling him from the darkness ahead. Twelve whipped his head around, anger spiking as he attempted to shake off Nine. He must have been tailing him the entire time. "I was right to follow you."
"Do not get in my way, Nine." Twelve spat, losing control of his temper. "If I have to fight you to get to Lisa, I will."
"This wasn't my intention. Five acted on her own again." Nine stepped closer. "You already know what we had planned for her. Five is just speeding up the process. You should be grateful that she has decided to bloody her hands instead of leaving the task to you." That was it, Twelve exploded, landing a clean punch straight to Nine's jaw, knocking him backward and effectively freeing himself from him. Twelve turned his back to his fallen and former best friend, disgusted that it had come to this. I have to put a stop to this. Suddenly, he feels a hard blow to the back of his legs, losing his footing and crashing to the floor. Nine had kicked him. Twelve quickly got to his feet, attempted to strike him harder this time, Nine anticipated and dodged his punch, grabbing a box like object from his back pocket. He is too quick, Twelve barely registered the taser as Nine delivered a searing shock to Twelve's side. Twelve cried out in pain, his peripheral nervous system causing uncontrollable muscle spasms. Memories of the facility, began to unwillingly flash and flood Twelve's mind of the torture he had been subjected to. The colors, rising, falling and rushing over him in a sickening whirlwind of reds, blues, greens. Make it stop! Make it stop, the colors... the colors... the pain... Fragmented voices started to come to him. He missed the beginning of the conversation, instead remembering near the end.
"... Possibly exacerbate the pain threshold to the stimuli permanently." A German accent, blonde hair and tall pair of black boots tower above Twelve, whom is strapped to a table.
"Yes." Another voice replied. "The alters who were stressed, sick or intoxicated by temazepam experienced the desired result from the stimuli. Either that or psychosis when combined with mescaline."
"What do you see, Twelve?" The faceless person asked. Screaming... Someone was screaming. Who was screaming? Fear filled the boy, this German man was the worst of the monsters known as Dr. Green. He had to hurry up and answer him or else he would be tortured even more. Twelve lied to him, saying random colors. The monster narrowed his eyes, he knew Twelve was lying. There was more screaming, this time more guttural in nature.
"What do you see?"
Twelve couldn't focus because of the nightmarish screaming. What was wrong with them? It sounded horrible too, like a wounded animal. He opened his mouth to respond to the faceless people, stopping cold. Fierce waves of the worst pain, more than he had ever experienced in his entire life, ripped through his body, stealing his breath away. It was him. He was the one who was screaming in agony.
"Twelve?"
There were black spots, swimming in front of his eyes. The blackness, originated from these monsters... made him feel uneasy. There was a black fog around all of them. Then colors... colors washing over him, intense, threatening to drown him, the blood red, disgusting green, bone chilling blue. It was burning, blinding... painful. The pain so severe, he bent over and emptied the contents of his stomach. "Please... burns. It burns." Twelve gasped. "Make it... stop." They ignored his plea. "Program this one with more hyoscine." The monster said. The memory has come to an end.
Twelve lie, on his side, the convulsing finally nearing its end. Nine is nowhere in sight. Twelve shakily, lifted himself from the cold linoleum. He would get to Lisa whether he would die trying. This would be the only good thing he has ever done in his life. He was a murderer. He had never taken a life directly with his own two hands, but he was involved in the deaths of many of the children during the experiments. It had been out of self- preservation of his own life, but he was just as guilty. At heart, he was no different than Five. He had nothing, but his own interest at heart. Even right now, he wanted to forfeit the plan for all of the children at the facility for Lisa. Merely because he wanted her to live. He blinked and suddenly all 23 of the children were in the hall with him. Their faces mangled, bodies bloodied and limbs missing. He felt the weight of their expended lives on his shoulders. "I'm sorry I betrayed you." Twelve choked. "I was only a child!" It was true. This entire plan between the trio of them had been to avenge their deaths and reveal to the world the horrors of Japan's involvement in Project MK Ultra.
The sharp stench of blood was what hit first after Twelve opened the door. The sight of what lie beyond that door, truly a horror scene. Lisa lay face down, naked in a pool of her own blood, her hands a bloody mess. A bloodied hand saw at her feet. Anguish and horror, gripped Twelve, his heart squeezing so tightly as if it were about to stop. He feared for the worst. "Lisa!" Twelve screamed, lunging forward, not caring if this was just another one of Five's games. He reached her in just a few agonizing seconds. He fell to his knees, hands trembling uncontrollably as he pulled her to his lap. Her eyes are closed. Yes, this was his punishment for his sins. The only one he ever loved and ever wanted to protect, her life snuffed out right in front of him. This is what he deserved. This is what he deserved and yet he was still selfish. Please God... Twelve begged. If you are out there please just give me more time. More time with her. His entire life held no purpose until he met her. Her love is what gave his horrible existence finally some peace. Silent sobbing. Twelve's eyes snapped open out of his prayer. He doesn't know how he didn't notice it before, but there was a trail of blood from Lisa to the corner of the room. There in the corner most shadow of the room is Nine slumped on his knees, sobbing with Five in his arms. She is dead. In his arms, Twelve felt Lisa cough weakly. "Lisa!" Twelve cried. "Lisa stay with me!" Twelve wept, holding her tighter. A warm yellow undertone faintly glowed around her. "Twelve." Lisa opened her eyes gingerly. "Bomb."