Chapter 17: The Unnamed Henchman
"Do you know this guy?" Jasper asked quietly as we sat around the body. We had dragged him into a small concrete room off of the main basement that had nothing in it. It was basically just a concrete cube with a strong door. It had probably been a storage room before I bought the house. We had then duck taped him to a chair. I had personally never actually questioned someone before, and I was mainly going off of, laughably, movies. Sure I was a fighter, but I wasn't gang-affiliated. As far as I knew, neither were the rest of us.
"No. But I know why he's here."
"Why?" asked Alice, perched next to me.
"To spy on us. Threaten us. Scare us. James sent him." That bastard always did like to play games. He wouldn't get any satisfaction over just ambushing us, because he got off on the fearful anticipation and dread that usually came with news of his intentions. I explained this for Alice, Edward, Rose, and Emmett's benefits.
"So this guy was supposed to freak us out?" The contempt was clear in Alice's voice. She couldn't be blamed. This guy was obviously new. James had a small gang that he liked to use to do whatever he wanted and to brag about. But it had little influence or manpower. Apparently he was trying to change that by recruiting a bunch of henchmen. He didn't even think that I was enough of a threat to send a properly trained one.
"Pretty much. He was probably going to sneak into my room while I slept and give me a warning about James. This was most likely his first assignment." I then explained the part about James' 'gang' , if you could even call them that.
Emmett was sprawled lazily out on the floor, Rose sitting next to him. "Why isn't he awake yet?" he asked. He then scooted over next to the still-unconscious guy and prodded him with his foot a bit. The Unnamed Henchman groaned and twitched his bound leg a little. Emmett prodded him some more. The UH groaned a little bit more and made shooing motions with his foot towards the general direction of Emmett's. I stifled a chuckle. Emmett's face was the picture of concentration. His eyebrows were knitted together, nose scrunched up, and his mouth in an adorable pout. It was teddy-bear cute. I couldn't help but notice that Rose seemed to think so too.
UH rolled his head a little bit and seemed to start coming back to the land of the conscious. He sat up, and Jasper and I immediately stood, the others following our lead. I didn't like being at the same level or lower than others, physically, if I could help it, and I could tell it was much the same for him. Although he probably had more luck with that concept than I did, since he was tall and I was kind of not. U.H. opened his eyes slowly and was treated to the sight of me, arms crossed and expressionless mask on my face. I had been told before that the two times that I was most scary were when I was really pissed off, and when I had no expression at all.
Jasper stood to my right, in a similar stance. Arms crossed, feet shoulder-width apart. He had his don't-fuck-with-me face on. I hadn't seen that look before. If it was directed at me, it might've actually been slightly intimidating. I knew that it would be downright scary to anybody else. Emmett stood to the right and slightly behind him, while Rose was in the same position but to my left. Alice and Edward brought up the rear, so that we formed an arrow shape with me and Jasper at the front. My friends all had their tough faces on, as well, except Rose, who had taken up her Ice Queen persona and looked completely indifferent. All in all, it was kind of an intimidating scene to wake up to. At least that was what I was counting on. Because really, I didn't want to have to torture him. But I would if I had to. I couldn't let my friends get hurt because of me.
"Hello, Sleeping Beauty," Jasper smirked. There wasn't any mirth in this smile, however. It was the kind of smile that promised bad things. Honestly, it made me a little more attracted to him than usual. I know, there's something wrong with me.
U.H.'s eyes went insanely wide. This was obviously more than he was expecting. He was probably expecting one barely competent fighter. James always did underestimate people. Or more like, he always overestimated himself. Well, there were six of us. And one of him. And he was nowhere near skilled enough to take all of us. I knew it, he knew it, we all knew it.
I took out one of my hidden knives and placed it delicately underneath his chin, just hard enough so that the blood came to the surface of the skin, but it didn't drip out. He gulped. Definitely new.
"Now, I don't know about you, but I don't like it when someone so rudely…breaks into my house, hmm?" I whispered in his ear. He shivered. "So, would you mind telling the class why you're here?" I was leaning in close next to him, so close I could see the goose bumps my breath left on his skin. I drew idle patterns on his skin with the tip of my knife, fascinated by the small trails it left behind on the surface of his neck. I slowly made my way upwards, so that my knife was now at the point where his neck met his chin, and he gulped again, a slight shiver making its way down his spine. I could tell he was scared for his life, and the sadistic side of me was hypnotized by the signs of his fear. "Well?" I practically purred.
He licked his lips and spoke in a parched voice. "Um, Ja-James. James sent me. I wasn't go-going to do anything! I swear! He-he just wanted me to-to scare you or something. W-warn you." I pressed the knife ever so gently against his jugular, making him stop speaking suddenly, breathing heavy.
"I guess it didn't exactly go the way you planned, now did it?" I chuckled darkly, my breath fanning softly across his cheek. It made him wince slightly, and I internally scoffed. Coward. I hadn't even done anything to him yet. I slinked over to his other side, leaning over next to his other ear. "You know what would make me so, very happy?" I asked. He nodded hesitantly. Good boy.
"If you told me…" I placed the knife delicately above his Adam's apple. "…everything that you know about James." He nodded again. He made a small squeaking sound, and I mentally rolled my eyes. This guy was almost too easily intimidated. I was going on some kind of trained instinct by now, and I had no idea what I was really doing. Although it felt like I had done something like this before, something that was pretty much the same thing, yet slightly different. I shook off that odd thought. I had never interrogated anybody before, as far as I knew.
"You gonna tell the lady anytime soon?" asked Jas, a hint of his drawl creeping through. He winked at him, but it wasn't the kind of mischievous wink that put you at ease. This wink promised dark things in the future, like his smirk had earlier. And I liked it. I really did.
UH gulped again, and opened his mouth to speak. "About time," Jas muttered.
"Nobody likes James that much, but we've all heard bad things about those who crossed him. So when he went around recruiting for his little gang, nobody said no. For my first assignment, he made me come here to warn you. He also told me to spy on you, and report back to him. He said there were only going to be two." He paused, looking a little confused by this, but, wisely, continued. "He said that one was a female, that went by Izzy but was actually Femme Nakita, the unbeatable street fighter. And that the other one was blonde, male, and kind of threatening-looking. He said that the second one never told anyone his name, and that he didn't have a fighter name, but he was also undefeated." I was slightly surprised about the whole name thing, but I didn't let it show.
"What do you know about James' plans?" I asked. I knew that James probably wouldn't have told him anything in case this exact scenario played out, but I had to make sure.
He shook his head, but then paused. He looked like maybe he was remembering something. He hesitated, before saying, "Well, he never told me anything, but I overheard him and this bitch named Victoria that she better not fuck up his plans again. Seemed like she had messed something up, so they had to postpone things until about three and a half months from now. Then he said that if she didn't screw anything up, she could get him." At this, he nodded his head towards Jasper. "Apparently she took a liking to him."
My anger flared higher. That bitch wanted Jasper? For some reason, I felt a spike of jealousy. I shook my head. I had no sort of claim on Jasper. I was just his friend, and didn't want him to have to suffer through being with that bitch, I told myself. Sure, said my inner bitch, but I shook her off.
"Well, you've been…very cooperative," I informed him, my voice a deadly calm. I had to work a little harder to keep my poker face, what with all the anger coursing through my veins, but I showed no outward signs. "Listen closely, because this is what you're going to do." I had every intention of making him cross James and be our inside source of information, but then I remembered how weak willed he was. I placed my knife back under his chin, and whispered in his ear.
"You are going to call James and tell him that you couldn't complete this task he has given you. And you will keep your mouth shut. Is that clear?" I hissed. He flinched and nodded his head meekly. I slunk back around his chair so that I was up in his face. "Good." He was far too scared to go against me, and I knew that. I smiled evilly, and his eyes widened even more. I then proceeded to knock his ass out again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Destiny~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After dragging the guy out far enough, and leaving him there, we all went back to my basement. All my friends slept here enough that they spent more time here than at their own houses. I knew that Emmett's Nonna was just happy that her son had what she called, 'positive influences', and Jasper and Edward's mom felt much the same. The rest of us didn't really have anyone. Alice and Rose had confided that even though they loved their mothers, since they were their mothers, they didn't really feel like family, and hadn't for a while. They even went so far as to say their mothers were probably just glad to be rid of them for a while. I understood how they felt, and made no comments on the subject.
Everyone had taken over a guest room, and had kind of their own 'rooms away from their rooms', if you will. Okay, that sounded stupid even in my head. Anyways, that's where they slept now, so that they didn't have to sleep on the couches and the floor. They even had their own closets where they kept clothes. I, of course, didn't mind. It was nice having all my friends pretty much living with me.
"So…I'm guessing we're not going to get to do my prank?" Emmett asked, effectively breaking the ice.
"For once Emmett, you're right." Oh, Rose. You know you love him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Destiny~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I knew I was going to have another one of those weird dreams tonight as soon as my head hit the pillow, just like I had last time.
Maria's been getting antsy lately. I've never had the displeasure of meetin' her yet, but I can tell, by the way the Major's been acting lately. He seems tenser than usual. Of course, I'm still relatively young, so I wouldn't know, but from all the heresay around the camp, he's the one who comes up with all the strategies that make Her so successful. He's the oldest around here, other than Her, yet he has no problem taking down us Newbies, who are apparently stronger and faster. I don't know about that. Apparently the job of talking her out of her crazy schemes falls to him as well. I keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open. I need to stay one step ahead. I need to know everything I can.
The guards are coming. They're early. I am filled with dread. My fears are confirmed by the grim looks on their faces. We are to fight.
I am standing on a large field full of snarling Newbies like me, although they are a lot more feral today, because we have been starved and promised our source of energy only if we win. They are all ready to go and hanging onto what little control they have by a thread. That thread is comprised of the threats of dismemberment that They have made. We are waiting for something. From what I know, I assume that we are waiting for the enemy army, also made up of Newbies, as starved and motivated as we are, although hopefully not as trained. I'm not fighting to win, I wouldn't give Her that satisfaction. I am merely fighting to survive. To do that, I know I will have to surrender my body to my dark side, but I can't surrender completely or else bad things will happen. I don't know what, exactly, but bad things. Since word got to Maria about my special talent, I know She most likely will not cull me with the other Yearlings when the time comes, but that doesn't change anything if I die on the battlefield.
Also because of my talent, I am not on the front line. I am positioned a little farther back, because apparently Maria does not want my gift to go to waste, and I know that the Newbies on the front line are practically dead. Or more like, re-dead.
The other army is coming into view. There are slightly fewer of them, this I can tell, although I don't know why. They are running towards us. I know that It will be starting soon. My first Battle. I take a deep breath in, filling my lungs with the scents of everything around me, although it is unnecessary. I close my eyes for just a second, my other senses on high alert to make up for the loss of sight. My darker side purrs gently as she is awakened, opening her tawny eyes. For some reason, I picture her as a panther, dark as midnight, curled around that little cage in the back of my mind that has started to rattle. She stretches, arching her back and flexing her lean muscle. Shaking her dark fur out, she chuckles in my brain.
She is now licking her paw smugly, and asks me if I've figured out her name yet. As she says it, it pops into my head. loki. Lowercase 'L'. Something tells me that's important. She purrs again, in approval, and I smirk. I let her fill my body until she is almost completely me. I hold onto that last part of me, though, because I need to be somewhat in control. I don't know how I know this, but, like everything else, I am certain of it.
At this point, the other Army has almost reached us. Newbie eyes turn towards Them. They hesitate for only a fraction of a second, and as soon as the other Army is exactly 24 feet and 6 inches, a measurement my Newbie brain provides me with, effortlessly, They give the signal to charge. Snarling body meets snarling body as our Armies clash. We surge forward, and as expected, our front line collapses. More and more of us fill the gap, and I know that casualties on both sides have only begun.
Amidst the chaos of it all, I stand, balanced on the balls of my feet, coiled for an attack. Suddenly, I let loki spring, and all I know is a mass of torn limbs. She is vicious, tearing apart any Newbies that come her way. I don't know whether the Newbie she is decimating is friend of foe. She tears them all apart. My eyes are narrowed, and black as coal, venom dripping down my chin. The cage at the back of my mind starts to rattle, but I know I can't let whatever it contains to escape, so I concentrate on holding it in. Another name pops into my mind. Loki. With a capital 'L'. Huh. I concentrate all my efforts on holding Loki in as loki tears, rips, and tosses the pieces of Newbie into a burning bonfire in the middle of the field.
Through her murderous rage, I see death and gore all around me. But I know it is not all me. Most of the other Newbies that came into this with me are dead. There are a few, but they are mostly crouched at the far right corner of the field, reattatching limbs and watching me warily. There is not one Newbie of the other side still alive. Slowly, loki retreats into my mind, curling herself around the caged Loki contentedly. I pant, unnecessarily, in the middle of the field. I slowly relax my fingers from their curled claws, and use my senses to scan the area for threats. My body still tense, I realize that They are all standing over by the injured Newbies, staring at me with slight fear and shock. Maybe a little awe.
I feel like I am coming down from a human adrenaline high, my lips curled into a deadly smile. I discover that while this life may be horrid, I quite like the rush of Death.
AN/: So, that's all for today! I was going to post this yesterday, but I didn't get it finished in time, so I figured, might as well save it for today! I want to thank TwilightAddict71484 for the whole "Loki" thing. Loki is apparently a Norse god, and is actually a very interesting character. Anyways, I couldn't be creative enough to come up with a different name for the third personality, so I just used the lowercase loki and the uppercase Loki to be two different sides of Dream Izzy. I also wanted to thank all of ya'll who reviewed. I didn't wanna get my hopes too high, since this is my first story, and all, but you truly made my day. And gave me motivation to write another chapter of this thing. So, thanks. *warm chocolate cookie neck hugs for everyone*