[[ What? Three chapters in two days? You're already working on 44? Brit, how on earth can you possibly spoil us any more?!
...Yeah, I know. But, in my defense, I was on a serious roll, and I wanted to keep this train going while I had it. That, and it felt cruel to leave you hanging in suspense for too long... Soooo, you know the drill. I apologize in advance. I appreciate any comments I get. They give me life! 33 And I love you guys. Seriously. I write this for you.
Special thanks to my bro Jamie for encouraging me to write more. Seriously, you guys ought to be thanking him biiiiig time.
Anyways, Enjoy! ]]
As soon as the door closed behind her she felt a small weight being pressed onto her chest, a heaviness that she couldn't seem to shake. She swept her glacial blue eyes across the warehouse and saw husbands a and wives, parents and children, siblings and friends. These were all people who had someone waiting for them, someone who loved them and was worried for them, someone who was probably looking for them the same way she had gone looking for her brother. 'I found him, but at what cost..?' Her eyes darted to the disheveled blond in the center of the massive room, barking orders and spitting demands, and she found herself wondering, not for the first time, if she really ever found him at all. Sometimes, in the back of her mind, she'd find herself thinking that her brother was still lost somewhere.
"Kathleen!" She stiffened as his attention was once again on her, that weight in the pit of her chest tightening into something almost painful. Devon crossed the room to her in a few long strides, his stubble-covered jaw clenched tight with anger. "What are you doing out here? I thought I told you to get her ready." She nodded, reaching a hand up to nervously smooth out her platinum blonde tresses, wincing ever so slightly as she passed over the sore spot on her scalp. Taking only a moment to make sure her voice was steady, she stepped forward.
"You did. I was just making sure there wasn't anything out here that I could help out with." 'Because guilt isn't a feeling I particularly enjoy, and seeing her in such a pathetic state makes me feel bad,' was the unspoken continuation of her statement, a silent truth that she refused to voice. Her brother looked her over and scowled, thick brows furrowing as his lips pulled back into an odd half-smirk.
"You want to be helpful, sis?" She nodded, almost embarrassed at how eager she was because yes, she wanted to hear his praise again, wanted him to treat her kindly, like he used to. "Fine. After you get her strapped down and ready, you can take care of her phone for me. Fucking thing has been buzzing nonstop since around half an hour ago." The heat of irritation that colored his voice made her quick to nod in agreement, though her heart sank at his words a bit. She was still going to have to deal with Lena, and… well, she would do as she was told. She must not have replied quickly enough, though, because Devon was suddenly very close to her, hand gripping her arm just above her elbow as his crimson, bloodshot eyes were trained carefully on her face. "You'll do it. For me. Look back on all that I've done for you, Kathleen." She tensed in his grasp, pulling away slightly, and his smile spread wide across his face. "C'mon, sis. Don't let me down now…" He knew what would make her give, all too easily, and the glint of knowing in his eyes proclaimed that loud and clear. So as he held out the captive woman's cell phone, he already knew that she'd step forward and take it without argument, slipping it into the pocket of her jacket.
"...Of course, Devon. I won't let you down." He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek, stubble scratching her skin for a brief second before he pulled away, giving her a small but purposeful shove back toward the door she'd only just closed.
"Good. Now, get to it. We don't have much time now." She gave another slow nod and turned back toward the door, waiting until she heard her brother's footsteps retreat from her before opening it. Inside Lena was sat slumped in her chair, palm open as she stared, eyes wide and face a stark white, at the little razor blade that had been placed in her hand. The sound of the opening door startled her and she quickly closed her hand, wincing as she no doubt cut her own palm on the blade. Then those verdant eyes were focused on her, questioning, and it made that little place in her chest tighten even further. It felt...wrong. Sullying the other woman's name had been bad enough, but this…? That odd place inside that she didn't quite have a name for felt sick as she realized what she was going to be doing.
"Don't you understand, Kath? I'm the only person who loves you. In all of this wretched, disgusting world, I'm the only one who cares about you. Everyone else is lying...and why wouldn't they? Look at you. You're a disgrace. But that's okay, because I love you anyway, sis. I love y-"
Her eyes closed tightly against the memory, drawing in a small, slow breath to compose herself. 'He needs me to do this,' she told herself as she stepped closer to Lena, who shrank away in uncertainty and fear. 'He's all I have, and I... I have to do this for him.' She pulled the larger woman up from her seat by her bound wrists, ignoring the way she flinched from the pain of what was undoubtedly a serious case of ropeburn.
"Wh-where are we going?" she asked, her voice quiet, and Kathleen remained silent, perfectly painted red lips pressed into a thin line as she tried to keep her emotions inside. "Kathleen, please… p-please, don't do this-" She gave a sharp tug on the ropes and the auburn haired woman yelped softly in pain, voice falling silent. Briefly she wondered if she was supposed to blindfold her again before taking her, but it was certainly much easier this way. For whatever reason, Lena wasn't fighting back, even though Devon was gone now. 'She never did fight back, though, did she...?' That guilt was back again, gnawing at the back of her mind like a starved, rabid dog on an abandoned hambone, and she could feel its razor sharp fangs digging into her conscience. 'Helping my brother is the right thing to do. He's done so much for me. This is the right thing…' The two women walked down a long, empty hallway to another room, much further away from the main one where the other captives were kept. It was almost eerily quiet there, the only sounds being the scrapes and clicks of their combined footsteps, and Lena's labored breathing.
...Bzzzzzzt!
Kathleen flinched as something vibrated fiercely within her pocket, and she muttered a soft curse under her breath when she realized it was the phone. She couldn't help but be curious… Who was trying to message Lena? Was it her parents? Her siblings? Maybe her aggravatingly talkative friend? Her monster friends? Her 'boyfriend'...? She had so many people that cared about her, it could be any number of them. A cold spike of resentment and envy pierced her chest, making that oddly heavy place feel a little bit lighter, if only for a moment. 'Must be nice being so perfect all the time, having everyone adore you with every turn… It's sickening.' The phone buzzed again, almost seeming as if it were growing louder, more persistent, and it was with a huff of annoyance that she pulled the other woman into the open room at the end of the hallway, closing the door with a simple push behind them.
"O-oh god…" she heard Lena whisper, and she followed the redhead's gaze to the large chair sitting as the focal point in the very center of the room. It looked almost like those comfy chairs you'd see in an expensive dentist's office, but the addition of multiple straps and buckles made it seem more like something out of nightmares. Next to it was a small steel table with a tray, laid out with several steril-looking surgical tools. A single, tiny syringe sat just on the edge, the needle still covered by its protective plastic cap. The liquid inside was transparent, completely colorless to the point where, if Kathleen didn't know any better, she would think it was full of nothing more than water.
...Oh, but of course she knew better.
A loud sniffling pulled her light azure gaze, and she felt her chest clench uncomfortably as she watched large, fat tears roll down Lena's rounder cheeks. She wasn't supposed to feel guilty. This was...this was right! She was helping her brother. She was doing for Devon what he'd done for her for her whole life! Loving him, supporting him- "Please…" The voice that was normally so warm came out as little more than a chilled whisper, as if her voice had frozen within her throat. The normally radiant expression was replaced with something pallid and sickly, and Kathleen wondered, if only for a moment, if she was going to vomit. "Please don't d-do this…"
She pushed the weeping woman into the chair, receiving little resistance as she secured the straps across her shoulders, neck, forehead, and stomach. Her ankles went next, being set in stirrups that held them apart and secured with straps of their own, and Kathleen tried desperately not to think of the times her brother's men had come in after a failed testing and violated women in that very chair. 'Helping him is the right thing to do…' she told herself, again and again, though what was once 'stating a fact' now felt much more like convincing herself. She moved to untie the ropes binding Lena's wrists, revealing the ugly, raw burns that had been left behind, and she didn't need to guess why one hand was clenched and the other was not. She was actually surprised that the very razor she'd given hadn't been used against her yet. 'Still not willing to put up a fight… so pathetic.' As she moved to secure her arms she paused, turning her forearm over just enough to reveal a thin line, a scar, right beneath the wrinkle where her palm met her forearm.
That heavy place filled to the brim and she felt weighted down, paralyzed and sick. It must have shown on her face because Lena was looking at her, still crying, but that concerned look on her face made Kathleen feel nauseous. She quickly secured every strap, double-checking each one, and she quietly left the room to stand guard outside the door. As she found her place to lean against the doorframe the phone in her pocket vibrated loudly, startling her and pulling her from her inner torment, if only briefly.
"Who the hell is blowing up her phone?" she mumbled, withdrawing the device from her pocket and pressing the small button on the side to open it. The home screen popped up instantly, a picture of Lena and that skeleton she had danced with at the formal gathering in Taobh set as the wallpaper. The both of them were smiling brightly, so obviously happy, but the skeleton was looking not at the camera, but at the woman next to him. It almost looked like the little lights in his eyes were in the shape of love-hearts, and it made her feel both jealous and sick to her stomach. The phone proclaimed that there were "51 missed messages", as well as "24 missed calls". Kathleen frowned slightly, thumb hovering over the little text box-shaped icon, uncertainty settling in her chest. 'It wouldn't be completely wrong of me to… Maybe it'll give Devon some information on who to expect.' It was with that thought that she secured her decision and opened the messages.
She immediately wished she hadn't.
| Brit: Hey, I'm almost there. You out front? |
| Brit: Where you at? I've been driving around the building but I don't see you. |
| Brit: I'm gonna come in. |
| Brit: Papyrus says you ran out. You hiding out in front of another apartment building or something? |
| Brit: He told me what the fight was about. I'm gonna kick his ass into next week when I see him, I swear. |
| Brit: Or, tailbone...whatever, you know what I mean. |
| Brit: I'm kinda pissed that you didn't tell me about the whole assault thing. I know you don't like making people worry and all, but this was pretty serious… |
| Brit: I'm not mad at you, just the situation, I guess… |
| Brit: You gonna come back? I'm still at your apartment waiting. |
| Brit: I know you're upset right now but I need you to answer your phone. |
| Brit: Hey, come on. Answer your phone when I call! I know your phone isn't dead because it doesn't go straight to voicemail. |
| Brit: Okay seriously answer your phone. |
| Brit: Lena, answer your goddamn phone. |
| Brit: I've called you ten times, answer your fucking phone. |
| Brit: Im freaking out right now okay just please answer your phone please |
| Brit: probably being paranoid but i feel like something bad happened |
| Brit: please lena please respond and tell me youre ok |
| Brit: LENA ANSWER YOUR FUCKING PHONE RIGHT NOW |
| Brit: I'M FUCKING PISSED, I DON'T CARE IF YOU AND YOUR BOYFRIEND FOUGHT. |
| Brit: ANSWER. YOUR. FUCKING. PHONE. |
| Brit: pleaseplease i can't do this without you, we were supposed to deal with all of this bullshit together, please be okay |
| Brit: i'm going to call the police if you don't answer in ten minutes |
| Brit: i called the police and your gran. you better be okay or i swear |
| Brit: i love you so goddamn much please answer your phone please |
| Papyrus: HELLO FRIEND. I KNOW THAT YOU ARE UPSET, BUT RUNNING OUT IN THE RAIN IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU RETURNED HOME AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. |
| Papyrus: I WILL EVEN MAKE YOU YOUR FAVORITE PASTA ALFREDO WITH THE LITTLE BONE SHAPED NOODLES! |
| Papyrus: AND HOT CHOCOLATE. I KNOW THAT MY BROTHER MAKES THAT FOR YOU OFTEN. |
| Papyrus: IT WOULD APPEAR THAT WE ARE OUT OF HOT CHOCOLATE. SO, AS THE BEST FRIEND THAT I AM, I WILL RUN TO THE STORE VERY QUICKLY AND GET YOU SOME. |
| Papyrus: DO YOU WANT ME TO GET YOU ANYTHING ELSE WHILE I AM HERE? I KNOW THAT YOUR 'SHARK WEEK' DOES NOT YET START FOR APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER THREE DAYS, BUT THE HUMAN BRIT SAID THAT ICE CREAM IS GOOD FOR EMOTIONAL TURMOIL. WHAT KIND DO YOU LIKE BEST? |
| Papyrus: I DID NOT KNOW WHICH KIND OF ICE CREAM YOU LIKED THE MOST, SO I GOT A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. NO NEED TO THANK ME! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS OBVIOUSLY THE MOST THOUGHTFUL OF FRIENDS, AND IT IS MY DUTY TO DO WHAT I CAN TO CHEER YOU UP! |
| Papyrus: I KNOW THAT MY BROTHER IS BEING DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW, BUT HE DOES CARE FOR YOU VERY MUCH. AND HE HAS GONE THROUGH THINGS IN THE PAST THAT MAKE HIM WORRY MORE THAN HE SHOULD. |
| Papyrus: NOT THAT I AM ATTEMPTING TO DISREGARD HIS ACTIONS AND BEHAVIOR! HE IS BEING A BONEHEAD AND NUMBSKULL AND ANY OTHER NUMBER OF AWFUL SKELETON-PUNS THAT ONE CAN THINK OF FOR BEING FOOLISH. |
| Papyrus: I AM MERELY TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHY HE IS ACTING THIS WAY. |
| Papyrus: IT IS NOT ONLY YOU THAT HE HAS DONE THIS WITH. HE HAS NOT DONE THIS QUITE THIS BADLY IN A LONG, LONG TIME, BUT IT IS SOMETHING I HAVE HAD TO EXPERIENCE MYSELF BEFORE IN THE PAST. |
| Papyrus: JUST KNOW THAT HE WILL RETURN HOME AND APOLOGIZE AND ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU, AND THAT HE LOVES YOU VERY MUCH. |
| Papyrus: AND...I LOVE YOU, AS WELL. PLATONICALLY, OF COURSE! |
| Papyrus: I HAVE ARRIVED AT THE APARTMENT AND THE HUMAN BRIT IS HERE. SHE SAYS THAT SHE IS LOOKING FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU CALLED HER TO COME AND PICK YOU UP. YOU OUGHT TO KNOW THAT YOU ONLY NEED TO ASK ME AND I WOULD HAVE TAKEN YOU TO HER HOUSE MYSELF! |
| Papyrus: I...MAY HAVE TOLD HER ABOUT YOUR FIGHT WITH MY BROTHER. BUT ONLY BECAUSE SHE IS VERY PERSUASIVE! AND INTIMIDATING. AND SHE KEPT MAKING INNUENDO AND I GOT FLUSTERED AND I AM SORRY FOR SPEAKING WHEN IT WASN'T IN MY PLACE TO BUT SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU. |
| Papyrus: SHE IS BEGINNING TO GROW VERY WORRIED ABOUT YOUR ABSENCE. I DO NOT MEAN TO BE PUSHY, BUT PERHAPS YOU SHOULD RETURN HOME NOW? |
| Papyrus: BRIT IS INCREDIBLY VOCAL ABOUT HOW CONCERNED SHE IS. SHE'S STARTING TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING BAD HAVING HAPPENED. THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS BETTER THAN TO FALL PREY TO PARANOIA LIKE THAT! BUT...I AM BEGINNING TO WONDER WHY YOU DO NOT ANSWER YOUR PHONE. BRIT PUSHED ME TO CALL YOU ON MY OWN CELL PHONE, AND YOU DID NOT ANSWER IT. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO TALK, THEN THAT IS FINE! BUT PLEASE LET US KNOW THAT YOU ARE SAFE AND WELL. |
| Papyrus: I AM STARTING TO WORRY, AS WELL, NOW. I KNOW THAT YOU ARE UPSET WITH HIM, BUT IF I DO NOT GET A TEXT OR CALL FROM YOU WITHIN A HALF OF AN HOUR, THEN I WILL BE FORCED TO CALL SANS AND ASK IF HE KNOWS OF YOUR WHEREABOUTS. I HOPE YOU WILL NOT BE TOO UPSET WITH ME IF IT COMES TO THAT. |
| Papyrus: I HAVE GOTTEN A CALL FROM MUFFET. SHE APPARENTLY NEEDS TO MEET ME SOMEWHERE FOR SOMETHING, PROBABLY ABOUT WORK. I AM STILL AWAITING A MESSAGE OR PHONE CALL FROM YOU, FRIEND. KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHAT, I WISH FOR YOUR SAFETY AND WELLBEING ABOVE ALL ELSE. |
| Undyne: Hey! Papyrus texted me asking if I knew where you were. What's up? |
| Undyne: You get in a fight with your bonefriend? He's probably out bumming around at Grillby's. Papyrus said he wasn't home, so I'm just gonna assume that's what happened. |
| Undyne: Papyrus called me and I could hear Brit in the background. She sounds pretty upset. You should get back home so they can stop blubbering over you being out! |
| Undyne: Hey, I tried calling you, girly. Pick up the phone! |
| Undyne: Seriously, answer the phone. |
| Undyne: If you don't answer your phone this next time I call, I'm gonna kick your ass. |
| Undyne: Fuck it, I'm having Alphys track down your location through your phone's GPS. When I get there, get ready for some serious talk. I'm gonna cuddle the living hell out of you! |
| Undyne: Why the hell are you so far out of town? |
| Undyne: I'm not fucking around, human. Answer. The. Goddamn. PHONE. |
The weight felt like it was suffocating her, enough that she actually rested her free hand against her chest, pulling at her shirt and suit jacket to try and relieve the tension. It hurt...seeing how much Lena was cared for, and by monsters, even, of all things. She'd never truly had anything against the monsters, but Devon had. Then again, thinking back, she couldn't remember a time when her brother wasn't spitting obscenities at some other group. It was too shameful to admit that her brother was a stark racist, so she decided to turn the people he hated into the enemy. It made it a little easier to bear, easier to withstand hearing him speak so cruelly about people. 'Anymore, though, it seems like he hates everything…' That uneasy feeling came over her once again, but she was pulled away from it as the phone in her hand buzzed. A new message was flashing across the screen, and with a simple tap she opened it up to read.
| Sans: i don't know who's reading this. i don't know who you are or what you want, or why you think it was a good idea to kidnap my girlfriend. i could go on like liam neeson, say how i'll find you and kill you, but i'm not. that's too easy. |
Another small buzz, and Kathleen found herself staring, terrified as the phone spelled out a message that was written to her, without even knowing her name. Her hand trembled as she held the device tightly, praying she didn't drop it.
| Sans: what i can say is that i'm a monster. not like the species, but an actual, terrifying monster. i've crushed men under their own weight. i've got doorways spanning the length of space itself. i can summon things from a human's worst nightmare. if you let her go peacefully, then things will go much, much better for you. |
| Sans: but if you don't...well. i'll pass judgement on your soul. i'll see what kind of person you really are, and that'll decide your fate. |
| Sans: but if she's not alive and well when i get there then i'll see that you burn in hell |
The screen suddenly went black and Kathleen screamed, the phone clattering noisily from her hands as it spun across the tile, an empty battery flashing across the front before the device died completely. She slowly slid down to the floor until she sat against the door frame, hands shaking and eyes wide and rimmed with tears as she stared at the vacant screen where, only seconds before, the most intimidating threats were clear and on display for her. 'What do I do?' Distantly she could hear her brother's voice, yelling something unintelligible, and there were a few cries of pain from a few of the captured people in the other room. The weight in her chest grew to impossible levels, and just as a muffled sob came through the door behind her, she felt something solidify within her.
'I have to do what's right...' Getting to her feet, she paused, glancing at the phone with uneasiness before she scooped it up and stowed it away in her jacket pocket again. The door opened and she saw auburn hair whip around as Lena turned to see who was entering, and God, the amount of relief that was on the other woman's face made Kathleen feel an amount of guilt that she wasn't used to. She schooled her expression into one of indifference and walked around the chair, reaching for the table. Her fingertips brushed against the syringe, the glass smooth beneath her fingers, and she hesitated. But, no, she had to do what was right. Picking it up, she carefully removed the plastic cap and held the hypodermic up to the light, squinting as she looked for air bubbles floating around the liquid. She flicked the syringe, the bubbles gathering at the top, and she pushed on the plunger the tiniest bit to release them.
"Wh-what is th-that?" She turned to the woman held captive in front of her and gave a small smile, moving closer and pressing the needle to her forearm until it went just beneath the freckled skin.
"It'll make this whole process a lot easier on you." She injected the transparent fluid, waiting a few seconds for it to travel through the injection site, and slowly pulled the needle out. She mumbled a soft apology when Lena winced at the pain, but already she could see her eyelids growing heavy, the medication working. 'I have to help Devon...' Sighing out a quiet breath, she placed the needle back on the table and moved to stand against the wall, waiting for her brother to come.
'Humans were so disgusting,' they thought to themselves, sighing as they glanced over the room. Three more people had decided to try and escape, which meant that they'd had to rough up perfectly good vessels for no goddamn reason. And why? Because that stupid bitch wasn't thorough enough like they told her to be. Crimson eyes narrowed in irritation at the mere thought, but they didn't dare kill her. Not when she was a piece to their game. Even if she was completely useless outside of being an errand running vessel, she had some purpose.
"Y'think the Boss'll let us play around with that bitch he brought in earlier?" one of the men standing guard asked, and they could see the tent in his slacks from clear across the room. They sneered, 'How absolutely vile.' The man saw that he was being watched and quickly took off on another round of 'patrol', the others he'd been talking to dispersing to get back to their jobs, as well. Sure, this vessel may be perfectly fine with letting his men violate people like it was no big deal. Hell, they didn't even care enough about the human to stop them, if they were so keen on it. 'Not until after she kills that comic skeleton for me.' The thought brought such an acute sense of glee that they couldn't help the smile that spread wide across their face. Seeing that eternally smiling skull weep in sorrow as it slowly dissolved into dust... They'd enjoy the grit of it between their fingers as they relished in his death. Drawing in a slow breath, they calmed themselves. It wouldn't do well to start giggling in the midst of all these people, not when they were already beginning to act suspicious of them. No, they needed to wait. No sense in celebrating prematurely, afterall. First thing first.
They went to the hatch that stood out strongly from the flat grey concrete floors and wrenched it open, thankful for this vessel's strength, which made the task infinitely easy. The set of stairs that descended into darkness were traveled, two at a time, excitement leaking into every step, and it took everything in them not to break into a joyful, childish skip as they made their way for the store room. The door at the end of the long, dingy corridor was locked several times over, and, after rifling through the massive key ring in their pocket, they slammed the door open and trounced in. Inside, strapped to tables, were monster. A rabbit monster with what was once pristine white fur was curled on her side, her fur matted and filthy, spots missing where she had ripped it out in fits of madness. The others were a dragon monster, its maw strapped shut, a bear monster, and what looked like an over-sized hamster, its once very punkish hairstyle grown out and tangled. They were strapped up to machines that had been re-engineered, abominations changed to fit their needs instead of their intended use. Long, thick tubes were stuck into the monsters' flesh, white, glowing 'liquid' pouring through them to drip into large vials. The dragon monster gave a groan of anguish and, in a small flash of light, he suddenly dissolved, dust scattering across the medical table.
"Tch, weakling..." Seeing its fellow monster perish, the rabbit began crying out weakly, struggling futilely against her restraints as tears dampened the fur below her eyes. "Shut up!" they barked, watching as she flinched and trembled. They would have to yell at the person they'd left in charge of caring for the monsters. Not that being a captive was meant to be comfortable, but they weren't supposed to die...yet. Force-feeding them just enough that they persisted, continuing to produce magic that they could drain straight from their souls. 'They weren't worth keeping alive if they died so easily,' they reasoned coolly, grasping one of the warm vials and replacing it with a fresh, empty one. "I wonder how much I should use..." It was a truly puzzling thought. If they used too little, then the soul might not respond...but if they used too much, then the soul could overload and shatter. They'd seen both things happen and, although it made for an impressive light show, they weren't about to let this one die so easily. 'Although... Having a soulless husk to occupy might not be such a bad idea.' With an odd smile they opened one of the cabinets overhead, pulling down a large, clean hypodermic needle. They drew all of the 'liquid' magic into it, being sure not to miss a single drop, then they carelessly tossed the now empty vial to the ground, giggling as the monsters all flinched violently at the shattering sound of the glass.
They climbed the steps three at a time, giving a hearty glare at one of their men that had strayed too close to the hatch opening. Curiosity was a common fault of humanity, but the men knew better than to get too close to anything they'd been told to avoid. The man quickly scurried away, eager to avoid punishment, and the door to the basement was closed with a slam of finality. "I'm going to be busy in the back for a little while. Make sure no one gets within fifty yards of this building. Understood?" They spoke in a way that was loud, commanding, and all of his vessel's underlings nodded fervently. "Good." Turning on their heel, they strode into the room where he'd left the human, finding it now empty. A bit of a smile played at his lips. "Well well, looks like she did something right, for once..." A warm, fluttering feeling of pride that was most definitely not their own made them pause, scowling down at the ground and giving their head a firm shake. They couldn't let him come back just yet. Not until after the tests were complete.
The long dark corridor was traversed in seconds, their long legs making easy strides across the dank, musty cement floor, and they gave not even a second's pause before they thrust the door open. Kathleen jumped upright, giving them a smile that was far too nervous. "I see you did what I told you to. You didn't completely fuck this up afterall." Her smile faltered a bit, but she still looked the smallest bit pleased by the backhanded comment nonetheless. They shifted their eyes to the human secured in the chair, held up mostly by the straps binding her. Her face was slack and her eyes glazed over as if she were asleep with her eyes open. 'Good. She's been subdued enough. Now, time to see if this was all worth the trouble...' Giving Kathleen a gruff command to "stand back", they reached a hard, calloused hand out to rest just over the human's chest, fingers curling as if grasping something and pulled their arm backward. Immediately the room became bathed in jade-colored light, shining outward from the little green heart-shaped soul they'd just summoned. "Ugh, such a disgusting amount of Kindness..." they muttered under their breath, observing the brightly shining soul before them. It wasn't quite as bright as it could be, though they imagined that perhaps that was all due to current circumstances. They peered closely, leaning in, trying to find any tiny little obscure speck of darkness...but found none. Growling, they turned to glare over their shoulder at Kathleen, who was standing and staring in awe. "Get over here and hold this!" they spat vehemently, and she was quick to respond, rushing forward and reaching out to carefully take the floating soul in her hands. She drew in a sharp breath, her eyes going wide, but they didn't give her the chance to really process whatever it was she felt. They grasped the large hypodermic in both hands and raised it high overhead, grin turning almost manic as they hummed. "This might hurt a bit..." It was almost gleefully that they brought the needle down, stabbing it into the very center of the green heart.
Lena screamed, her muscles all reacting in time and tensing, straining against her bindings. The soul, too, fought against the action, writhing and shuddering in pain, and Kathleen released a breath that sounded more like a sob, fingers curling around the soul almost protectively. They ignored all of that, though, and pushed on the plunger of the needle, injecting the opaque, swirling magic into the very center of her being. The human fell silent, her eyes falling closed as her body went slack, and they thought for certain that she might have died.
Then, a burst of light, and everything faded into white.
[[ YEAh OKAY, SO I KNOW THAT IT'S A CLIFFHANGER, AND I'M SORRY. BUT HEY, I'M ALREADY WORKING ON CHAPTER 44, SO IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! ;;w;;
Come check out the blog (life-sans-sin dot tumblr dot com) and hit me up with an ask! Got requests for drabbles or one-shots off this series? Send 'em my way! I love you guys and would LOVE to hear from you! Thanks for sticking around so long, and thanks for reading! ]]