I am sorry for the tardiness! It took me awile to get what I wanted typed (I change my mind alot -.-) and I had a shitload of homework. Damn teachers are under the impression that I like wasting my time on their assignments...I swear, it is only the highschool teachers! I bet they plot in the teacher's lounge on how to waste their students' lives with education! That would explain so damn much! X( -sigh- It's mostly my history teacher, though...Also, I do have a job, so these things combined tend to leave you with little time, especially when you have a girlfriend.
Selene- ¿Mi amor, por qué malgasta usted todos tiempo con su vagando?
Me- ¡Ellos son quién quiere leer mis pensamientos!
Selene- ¡Aaaah...mi amor, tu es una idiota!
Me- ¿Pero por qué? ¡Tu es malo!
Selene- ¡La cara es una expresión mona otra vez!
Me- Gah! ¡Tu es loco!
...
...
...
Shizuru smiled chillingly at her blue-haired captive, an undeciferable glint in her crimson orbs. She met the arctic glare of the woman on the floor easily, conquering it with her own. This child won't last very long in torture, she thought as she gazed away from the averted emeralds, instead taking in her concealed womanly figure. A brief analysis -Shizuru was skilled in this area- suggested her age was around twenty and twenty-five and confirmed an extensive knowledge in hand-to-hand combat, as well as a constant use of hand-held weapons; the bruises on her knuckles and foreams and the light calluses on her knuckles and palms showed this. Shizuru also gathered the blunette horded a considerable amound of strength, stamina and endurance in herself, since she looked as if she was beaten for hours, nonstop. She was covered in bruises of all shapes and sizes, as well as cuts that still bled, but only a little. Hopefully, the girl was in enough pain where she will simply tell Shizuru what she wants to know.
But where would the fun in that be? She circled the blunette once before she ordered a gruff, "Stand up, prisoner."
When her command was not heeded, Shizuru swooped down like a hawk and took the prisoner by her long hair, eliciting a short cry, and dragged her up until she was eye-level. She stared at a totaled face uncaringly, silent until an eye opened, if only slightly. "When I tell you to do something, you do it. Understand, worthless filth?" Spit in the face was her answer.
My, my, my...such insolence. Shizuru smiled distortedly and wiped the saliva off of her cheek. "Ara, ara, you must be a glutton for punishment, my cute prisoner." At least, she would be if her face wasn't so badly beaten. At the grimace on her face, Shizuru knew she found a perfect place to prod laughed and pulled her along to the middle of the room, recieving almost no resistance. The girl was most likely too exhausted to fight against her. "You are such a weak little thing, aren't you, my cute prisoner?" She asked while she cuffed the blunette's wrists above her head to the chain hanging from the cieling. A glare was her answer. "I can't wait to break your spirit, little one." The glare grew in intensity.
She strode to the cabinet and surveyed the inside, searching for one thing only. She reached inside when she found it and returned to her place in front of the captive, leaving the cabinet open in the hopes of instilling intimidation, if not fear. The brunette noticed the way she cringed at the tools inside and grinned sadistically. I get to use every single one, too.
She moved closer until only an inch separated their noses.
"Let's get started, hm? Where is Otome-gem located?"
"You really wanna know?" An infuriating smirk crawled its way onto the blunette's lips. "It's hidden, but I guess you already know that."
Shizuru blinked in surprise, then repressed her emotions with a snarl. Insufferable wench!
"You want to play dirty? I'll play dirty, Kuga Natsuki." Shizuru growled, her eyes narrowed.
Forest greens widened. "How you know my name?"
A smirk. "I have my resourses, Na-tsu-ki." Another button?
Natsuki hissed.
Bingo.
"Fuck you, bitch."
Smack.
Natsuki's head was forced to the side, a bright red hand print glowing on her blotched skin. The hand that inflicted the sting brought her face frontward to stare into boiling rubies.
"No more games, you mangy dog. From now on, you either answer my questions with no sarcasm, or you face the consequences." Seeing the exasperation in defiant jade, Shizuru added, "I promise you, the pain you felt before in your previous questioning will be much, much worse." There was a fleeting flicker of fear. Shizuru smiled happily. "I'll give you one more chance. Where, exactly, is the location of Otome-gem? Last chance." Yet both of them knew Natsuki would not give up her secrets easily.
"Have fun, cruel viper."
Shizuru hmped and crouched down to shackle Natsuki's ankles, preventing her from attempting to attack her during the torture session. She stood up and pulled out a knife from her pocket, placing it threateningly against the rebel's jaw and forcing the blunette to tilt her head upwards, as if to move away from the pointed, sharpened steel. "Ara, I'm afraid I'm going to have to remove your shirt, Natsuki. We can't have anything to block this little toy," She held up a bladed whip for Natsuki to see. "from tearing into your flesh, now can we?" Insert disturbed chuckle.
Deep emeralds shone brightly against marred skin as they watched the amusement play about in the sea of crimson fire. Natsuki felt the cool blade against her skin as it sliced open her shirt from her clavicle to the hem. The motion was repeated on her sleeves, allowing the shirt to simply be pulled off of her torso and discarded carelessly onto the cement floor, leaving the blunette's upper body in only a fancy black lace bra.
A flicker of surprise showed in Shizuru's eyes. She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Ara, ara, what good taste in lingerie, my cute prisoner."
That annoying glint of mischief Natsuki didn't like was back in the brunette's eyes.
Without losing eye contact, Shizuru slowly and gently ran her palms up the refugee's sides, feeling the hard figure under her skin, and moved a breath away from Natsuki as her hands trailed over her breasts to rest just below her neck, delighting in the faint flush the woman's cheeks emanated. She could feel goosebumps rising on her torturee's skin, but whether it was from the cold, her touch, or both, she couldn't be sure. She leaned in, like she was going to kiss the rebel, then suddenly dug her nails into the soft skin. Natsuki yelped and jumped in surprise.
"I am sorely tempted to simply leave you be, -it would be a shame to waste," Shizuru had smirked here. "-such a beautiful woman- but I cannot. Nor can I go easy on you, as you are my very first victim. You see," Shizuru moved away and stared into Natsuki's eyes, disgruntling the young rebel with the haunt and distance from reality in them. "you have caught me during my most troubling times. I am afraid I am not in my correct state of mind, but that is why I am before you, preparing to tear you apart with no qualms: I am not quite sane at the moment." Another chilling smirk charmed her face. "Of course, no one knows this, and no one will, except for you, my cute prisoner. This will stay a secret between you and I until the day one of us dies." And by "one of us", she meant Natsuki.
Natsuki felt her heart start to pound as the edged whip was raised. Her eyes closed and her body tensed, fully expecting to feel a searing pain on her stomach. When her expectations were not met for several seconds, the blunette cracked an eye open, her muscles involuntarily relaxing a bit. Suddenly, white pain erupted across abdomen. Natsuki grit her teeth, barely suppressing her startled yelp. The thin red line left by the bladed leather stung fiercly, but she could take it easily.
She bit back tears and snarled at Shizuru, who was beginning to be swept up in her sadistic side, in her inner monster.
"Thrice a week, you will come before me for six hours." A harder slash added another red line to her torso, forming an 'x' with the previous cut. "Expect one full hour of that time to be tributed to this whip in my hand." The long piece of leather wrapped around Natsuki's arm before it was viciously yanked off, leaving deep gashes in its wake. This time, she could not hold back her cry of pain, nor the tears that trickled from the corners of her clenched eyelids. Thankfully, Shizuru didn't notice them. "Think of these hours as your very own personal Hell." These were Shizuru's final words that day, Natsuki could tell. Her voice had become too demonized to be playful as before. She was finally serious in her job.
An agonized scream rang through the prison.
...
...
...
Miyu sat up with a start. Her limbs were shaking ever so slightly. She felt so cold. After a few calming breaths, she laid back down and stared dazedly at the cieling. She had just experienced an android's version of a nightmare. While such a thing normally would not affect her, it was the fact that an android's nightmare was really just a horrible, true vision. And this is why so many murders and crimes were prevented after andoids came into use.
However, the definition that applied to humans was not the same definition applied to androids for the word "vision". To humans, a vision is a look into the future for things to come. To androids, a vision is a brain wave that overly-stressed and terrified brains give off. The only major downside to this is that the brain waves only make it to the androids that particular human cares for the most. But why hasn't Nao woken up?
(The mission had ended only several hours ago, and everyone was exhausted. Natsuki's capture sucked out the energy from her surviving soldiers and family, so rest was in order.)
She spoke too soon.
Nao cried out and suddenly flung her body to the side of the bed, denting the wall heavily. The loud crash no doubt attracted much attention.
In a flash, Miyu was beside the red-head, cradling her in her arms. As Nao sobbed into the light blue-haired woman's chest, Miyu whispered whatever comforting words she could think of, herself having been greatly disturbed by the vision.
A very familiar blunette was hung from the cieling by her wrists with handcuffs, which were attached to a thick, rusted chain. She looked to be held in some sort of medieval dungeon (in certainly looked like one). Gray bricks surrounded her, a bed with straps, and an open cabinet filled with all kinds of devious tools. The walls and floors -even the cieling!- looked to be stained with blood, if the dark spots clued anything. All-in-all, it was deffinitely NOT a welcoming sight. And neither was the only person in that chamber.
Dressed in only pants and a bra, the woman hung from the chain limply, almost lifelessly. She looked as if she had been beaten, killed, brought back to life, and then beaten again! The pants she wore were torn ragged and her bra was very near shreds, only just covering the major parts of her breasts. Her skin was one big, black and blue bruise, and whatever was untouched was a sickly yellow color. A thick, red substance oozed from the many tears, both jagged and clean, in her skin. The once silky blue tresses were matted with grime and blood, as well as sweat. It hung clumpily over her dropped head, covering her face.
Out of nowhere, a crack sounded. The woman's skin was ripped apart once more on her side, forcing blood and a strangled scream out of her throat. Her head had been thrown up to release the sound, and it was then when Miyu recognized who it was.
Natsuki...
A shudder traveled down her spine. She forced the memory into the dark recesses of her mind for the time being. It wouldn't do her any good to think of the gruesome vision at the moment. It most certainly wouldn't help her, or Nao, for that matter.
"Hush, Nao," Miyu murmured into her ear. "Calm yourself. You must remember that Natsuki is possibly the strongest woman alive, and she is alive, Nao."
Nao sputtered through her tears, "B-but I saw her, Miyu!" Green eyes found her own. "I saw her in that dungeon Hell! I saw her bloodied and near-death." More water welled in those shaky lime orbs. "I saw her being tortured..." She muttered in a disturbed whisper. "I saw her being tortured..." Her body shuddered.
Miyu held her tighter, resting her cheek against the side of Nao's head.
Several moments later, the door to the room slammed open, revealing armed men and women. Even if Otome-gem was undetected, anything suspicious was delt with before questions were asked. The loud crash caused by Nao's body striking the wall when not in any of the training rooms was way out of the oridinary, and no one dared to take a chance, especially with the capture of Kuga Natsuki. At the sight of Nao in Miyu's arms, however, the weapons lowered and everyone relaxed to an extent.
Mai, one of Natsuki's closest friends, pushed through the crowd of rebels into the room. She hastened over to the two androids, worry and concern evident in her violet orbs.
"What happened, Miyu?" She asked, falling to her knees. Her eyes flickered to Nao. "Is Nao okay?"
Suddenly, Nao cried, "I just had a nightmare!" Everyone's -other than Miyu's- eyes widened. "Natsuki is being tortured! I-I think she almost died."
Dread and shock filled the small room, suffocating Miyu.
Seven people -Nao, Miyu, Mai, Saeko, Sergay, Chie and the leader of Otome-gem- were seated in a small room made of white walls. They sat around a circular table, some fiddling nervously and the rest staring blankly at the table.
Saeko suddenly stood up, her chair falling back with a crash. Her emerald orbs blazed at Nao demandingly. "Well?" She snarled. "Are you going to tell me how she is?"
Nao flinched subtly, and Miyu hated Saeko at that moment. "I already told you what I saw," She stated quietly. "There is nothing more."
"LIAR!" Her fist banged on the metallic table.
Sergay stood up and rested his hand on his wife's shoulder. He silently calmed her with his eyes. After a searching gaze, Saeko's shoulders drooped and her head sagged, eyes downcast. She sat back down in the chair her husband set upright from the floor. The atmoshere was tense.
Sergay turned his attention to the leader of Otome-gem. "Is there something you can do to save Natsuki, Nagi-san?" He asked.
All attention was directed at Nagi. For a long moment, he was silent: pondering. His face remained neutral, his posture poised, giving away no hints as to what he was thinking.
Finally, he said, "Perhaps...it would be very difficult, the mission considerably impossible, but I believe there is the slightest chance of saving Natsuki-san." He nodded his head, white hair falling into his boyish, yet grown face. His light-red eyes were narrowed in thought. "First, we would have to send skilled agents to gather as much information that is possible. They would have to be human, since androids keep everything stored in their memory cards, and they would need to be skilled liars. Not to mention," Nagi's voice grew dark. "they shan't be fearful of death. The only option other than capture is death, and in this case, the only choice would be death."
A shocked, disbelieving silence ensued.
"Wh-What?" Saeko choked once the shock subsided. "Nagi-san, you can't be serious-"
"It would be the only way to ensure the security of Otome-gem," Chie interjected solemnly. "Natsuki can, no doubt, withstand any torture if in means keeping all of us safe; that's just how she is. The mission to save your daughter is essentially a suicide mission, because no one else probably holds the lives of others in as near high regard as Natsuki does to go as far as the torture she is going through. That is why they must be prepared to be able to end their own lives should they be captured."
Saeko looked stricked and torn. Her jade eyes were wide in a flurry of emotions and her skin was paler than usual. She seemed dazed. How could she throw away even more lives for just one, even if it was her daughter? She was not in a time where selfishness was without major consequence. She was in a time where one had to fight for one's own survival, no matter what. Caution was needed in whatever was done for the sake of survival, an lives were not to be taken lighting nowadays. They had to be treasured and put in high regard, since androids over-populated humans with a ratio of ten to about three. No life was to be taken lightly.
"Then...there's no other option that isn't so...threatening?" Saeko asked, her voice cracking.
Nagi shook his head. "We can only hope she lasts until we uncover that drive's secrets and reclaim our world once more. Sadly, there's not much chance of that, if her sessions are as brutal as Nao and Miyu claim."
No one spoke for what seemed to be an eternity.
"It's all up to fate, now." Chie muttered as she exited the stillness of the room.
...
...
...
Natsuki glowered at the woman in the white doctor's coat as she sprayed her wounds with a stinging disinfectant. She was dressed in only a new pair of panties and a simple black bra, since their were wounds just about everywhere on her body. Not long ago, the two men guarding the "Hell Hole", as she called it, had thrown her into the prison's infirmary to be cleaned and dressed in the common orange jumpsuit and white shirt that clothed the other prisoners in Hime-rem. She was more than glad to get the hell away from that demon who inflicted over two-thirds of her wounds. She's as beautiful as she is deadly.
Nearly half an hour later, Natsuki was brought to her cell -fully clothed- and was told her schedule. At seven a.m., she would be brought breakfast. At twelve, she would be brought lunch. At six p.m, she would be brough dinner. She was given no priveleges pertaining to leaving her cell, save for her showers, which she would get only after she went to see her personal demon whose last name, she learned, was Fujino.
"Brilliant," Natsuki grumbled to herself.
"Aw, it's not so bad being confined to one cell for the rest of your life." A voice stated from behind her.
Natsuki spun around, her body forced in a defensive stance. Her vision was filled with a teal-haired, gray-eyed woman who had a weird haircut where one side was longer than the other. She had fair skin and a pretty face that was currently pulled into a smirk. She was leaning against the bunk, the top half of her jumpsuit zipped open and tied around her waist; those things get hot.
Sensing no threat, Natsuki relaxed and stood up straight. "Who're you?"
The woman smiled. "Marguerite Tomoe. You?"
"Kuga."
Tomoe raised a brow. "No first name?"
Emeralds narrowed. "You don't need to know my first name." She said.
"Fine, fine," Tomoe shrugged. "You going to at least tell me why you're in the torture block?"
Natsuki's eyes widened in confusion. "Torture block?" She echoed.
"Y'know, the block where human threats to the A.I. bastards are put to be questioned and shit?"
"Oh," Natsuki muttered. "I'm an Otome, then."
Tomoe looked at her oddly. "A who-a-what-a?"
"An Otome." Natsuki repeated.
"What's an Otome?" Her cell mate asked.
Natsuki sighed and began to explain: "An Otome is a warrior from the underground refugee camp known as Otome-gem. I have a bunch of information the A.I. need to locate and destroy Otome-gem, thus the reason I'm being tortured."
"Ohhhh."
"What about you?" Natsuki asked.
Tomoe shrugged. "Oh, I'm just a simple terrorist who happens to know where every hidden human resistance camp is located," Seeing Natsuki's paniced look, she added, "Save for Otome-gem."
Visibly relieved, Natsuki's shoulders slumped. "Geez, y'really had me going, Marguerite." Suddenly, she perked up. "Every human resistance, you say?" Tomoe nodded, confused. "If I ever get rescued, you're are so coming with me. Nagi would deffinitly find a use for you."
The teal-haired terrorist rolled her eyes. "I feel so very honored," She said sarcasticly.
Natsuki gave her the evil eye, and Tomoe averted her gaze. Triumphantly, Natsuki limped closer to the bunk-bed, feeling weary all of a sudden. "Which is mine?"
"Bottom."
"Mm." The blunette let herself fall onto the cot, ignoring the white pain of her battered body as it roughly met the mattress. Oh my God, I'm so damn tired. Sleep came to her easily.
Shizuru thought back to when Natsuki was hauled out of the chamber to be washed and sterilized to prevent unwanted infection and death. After all, Kenjo-san wanted information from her. Once his goal was reached, he had told Shizuru, the girl's fate was in her hands. If she didn't talk over the course of six months, she was to be stoned to near-death with burning spheres of tightly compressed barbed wire. Her barely-alive body would then be fed to starved animals. Whatever was left would be left to rot in a desert.
The brunette shivered at the prospect of such a death. I do hope that nitwit gives within the months.
An exasperated sigh escaped her lips at the girl's stubbornness. It was only the first session, but Shizuru knew it would be difficult to get the girl to talk. Her loyalty to Otome-gem's inhabitants was quite troublesome. It must be broken, otherwise, Natsuki would never tell of Otome-gem's location, the number of refugees, or what they were planning. And that was NOT acceptable at all.
"Oh, Natsuki. I will make you tell me," Shizuru chuckled darkly. The light in the torture chamber began to fade. "One way, or another." Even as it became pitch black, her crimson eyes glowed strongly in the darkness until they, too, faded.
...
...
...
Sorry the chapter is kinda short. I didn't want to put too much info in one chapter or rush it. Plus, it seemed like a really good chappie ending. That is simply me, of course, but whatev's.
Thanks, Shane, for doing the torture scenes for me. Yours was much better than what I had in mind. Gore/Violence/Action aren't my strong points. And yes, I actually like Nagi and Tomoe. So bleh!
Anyways, on to the Omake!
Natsuki- Um, ow?
Shizuru- Oh, Natsuki! Please, forgive me x25!
Me- It's just a story Shiz-
Shizuru- Silence, you!
Midori-Sensei- -.- I don't think she's very happy with you, Blake.
Me- Ya think?
Ume-sama- She is deffinitly pissed. -nods head-
Midori-Sensei- ...Why are you a potato? O.o
Ume-sama- Say wha~? -looks down- SHANE!
Shane- Wha'd I do?
Ume-sama- I'm a freakin' potato!
Shane- I told you I thought of you as a potato once...
Ume-sama- And I wasn't happy with that!
Me- Shane, do I have to fire you from being my beta/omake maker?
Shane- NOOOOOO!
Me- Then turn Ume back into herself.
Shane- -grumbles- Fine.
Ume-sama- Yay! I'm back to my sexy self! X3
Midori-Sensei- Come, my children. We must punish Shane!
-A bunch of chibi Midoris pop out of the ground-
Midori-Sensei- ATTACK!1!11
-Chibi Midoris chase Shane with huge axes-
Ume-sama- Much better. XD
Natsuki- You said it.
Shizuru- These smoothies are quite delicious.
-Ume/Natsuki nod in agreement while watching Midori-Sensei and chibi Midoris chase Shane-
Shane- NOOOOO! I WANNA SMOOOOTHIE!
Blake- -sits next to Shizuru- This is your punishment, so shut the hell up!
Shane- BUT I DIDN'T EVEN MAKE UP THIS STORY! YOU DID, BLAKE!
-Midori-Sensei and chibi Midoris pause in attack-
Blake- But you made Ume into a potato, which is why they're chasing you.
-Midori-Sensei and chibi Midoris resume-
Natsuki- Want another one, babe?
Shizuru- Yes, my Natsuki.
-END-
Chapter Song:
Dark Angel: Pain's Invention; Madness
Chains shackle me
With truth I'm face to face
Backed up in between
A damp cage I remain
In the cell of numb despair
The chill engulfs my veins
There's only one notion that I revere
The only truth in life is pain
It levels and crushes at its free will
My doomed fate will soon be sealed
Pain's invention, madness
Preys behind my eyes
Pain's invention, madness
Now I realize
Pain's invention, madness
Though I'll not break free
Pain's invention, madness
Truth eternally
Beyond my grasp is a life
That I will never attain
Happiness, joy, not in sight
Supplanted by truth's dark reign
Physical, mental agony shows
Along which my life revolves
Either you feel it, or you don't
There are never lies involved
Clutching to my abnormality
Hand in hand with destiny
Pain's invention, madness
Preys behind my eyes
Pain's invention, madness
Now I realize
Pain's invention, madness
Though I'll not break free
Pain's invention, madness
Truth eternally
When you are pumping full of life
The one sensation that you have
Can penetrate through love or hate
Existence on a higher plane
In death and life, both the domains
Surrender totally to pain
I slip and claw and scream
It calls
Leave me alone with me
It yearns
I'm bleeding from my brain
It needs me
I'm helpless, trapped behind
Its walls
Tearing apart my mind
It burns
Upon my naked soul
It feeds
Streams of consciousness fill the page
As my nerve endings scream in rage
Deliver me to the darkest age
As DeSade sits at center stage
My flesh is but a portal now
To wisdom and truth I am avowed
Pain's invention, madness
Pain's invention, madness
Twisting through the door
Am I nevermore?
My breath I can feel
Therefore I am real
I've succumbed to there heinous sins
And I'll never be forgiven
Shackled and bound, my new life I've found
And I've tasted the fruits forbidden
I've craving more
Of pain's overtures
Liberation is near
And I have nothing to fear
In this journey of self-discovery
I have found the keys to be set free
In this wicked course, I've uncovered the force
That will keep me vital eternally
Pain's invention, madness
The force that preys behind my eyes
Pain's invention, madness upon me
Pain's invention, madness
It takes this long to realize
Pain's invention, madness, has set me free
Transcendency
Of mere mortality
Tortured infliction
Is now my addiction
Constant agony
Has created me
I am suffering
Through this atrocity
I'm not blind to what I might find
Squirming way down deep inside my labyrinthine mind
Inhibitions removed, replaced with scar tissue
And I'm punished with blades of my lobotomizing suit
I've sought this dream
In its violent extreme
Now my pleasure is clear
Though the lesson's severe
My will is strong, but I could be wrong
This new doctrine for which I've been searching all along is
The religion of truth through administration of pain
The body only takes so much before it drives the mind insane
As a matter of fact, my friend
I've come to my bitter end
It's not a torture rack I'm in
Though I can still pretend
It's a jacket of white with buckles and straps
Not a pleasure device at all
It keeps me safely under wraps
While I'm chained to this padded wall
Hear my cries...
You'll never know
What a nice song, aye? Read and REVIEW