Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners (Dark Angel, Fox, etc.) The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: I think that in order to avoid future confusions I need to explain a little bit the timeline of the story. We started on Chapter 01 during the night of Tuesday, chapters 02, 03 and part of 04 occurred during the same day. Wednesday arrived by the middle of chapter 04, and lasted during chapters 05 and 06. Then, chapter 07 started with a brand new Thursday. Resuming the facts, four day had passed since Biggs injected Alec on the bar.
Onto another note, a huge thanks to Kita for all the help and advices, I really appreciate them. To Jenna I really hope you enjoyed your holydays. And a special thanks to CherryTootsiePop who was the only reviewer of Chapter 07, it's always nice when people took time to leave a review :) .
With all that said, enjoy chapter 08 and let me know what you think so far..
Chapter 08
Fates Written In Red Tint
Friday 04:30 am
She could felt the trepidation as she kept running through the forest. The dry leaves on the ground echoed her steps, reminding her that she was going back to the same place she escaped from only six hours ago.
She needs to make it, there's no room for mistakes this time. No matter what, she can't let him die. Not because of her… not after all the things they had overcome.
It felt unfair to be so close of getting back her life only to have it taken away. She refused to believe this could be the end; she simply did not accept it.
She arrived at the top of the hill outside Manticore just in time to see pieces of burning bricks flying all around. Under the pale moon the air felt warm when it gently brushed her face, there was a flick of satisfaction on her eyes as she looked at the place she considered hell burn like hell itself.
The flames surrounded the concrete buildings, burning everything in its wake, cleaning the place and erasing the bad memories. The desperate screams pierced the silent night and made her realize the situation and its consequences. The fire had taken the barracks buildings, red and orange flames had advanced on the structures and she was able to hear the terrified cries of those who were trapped inside as they desperately banged the locked doors.
It was in that moment when she became aware of the implications of the fire. Desperation got a hold on her, as she run inside of what was left of the compound attempting to disengage the lock system of the cells. It was all in vain, the fire had damaged the computers and it was impossible to open the doors. The older woman had kept her word; Manticore was being cauterized with their population secured inside the building.
The screams sounded louder, beings suffering a great deal of pain, hopeless, desolated. The smell… the stench of burned skin, the pure essence of death.
Max woke up startled; it had been a dream, just a nightmare. Only that it wasn't, everything had happened not so long ago, and even now when she closed her eyes she could remembered that night. She could smell it; she could hear the pained howls of those who were burned alive.
Tears streaked down her face as she fought the desire to whimper, she bite down on her lower lip trying to stop them from falling. She knows it's useless… it doesn't matter how many tears she shed, it will never be enough to bring back to life all the transgenics who died that day.
People made mistakes all the time, its part of the human condition. Some are small, so small that is not even possible to recognize them as mistakes. Others are important enough that time is needed in order to heal the wounds they provoked.
Still, there is another kind of mistakes, those which can't be forgiven, no matter what penance is done. Missteps that follows you around during all your life, watching you from the shadows, reminding you that you screwed once and it will only be a matter of time before you'll do it again…before you hurt or even worst… kill someone again.
Whether you like it or not, it is bound to happen.
'You are poison. You destroy everyone that you love…' Renfro's voice repeats itself on her head over and over again.
Zack, Ben, Tinga, Logan… did she really manage to save Logan that day? He was alive but unreachable, so close and yet so far, it seemed to be the story of her life.
Every time she got closer to someone they inevitable ended up hurt. Maybe it was true and she was poison…
After all, she found Ben only to discover that the sweet boy she used to know had somehow turned into a serial killer. In the end she killed him. It really didn't matter if it had been an act of mercy because he asked her to do it, the thing was that she took his life as simply as that.
"Where no one ever gets punished" The smile on his face made her feel tempted to believe that he was not the same guy who killed all those people.
"And no one gets yelled at." She replied holding him, wishing for an instant they had never left Manticore, and he would have never turn into this person.
His eyes got lost in the space as he went back to the years when all of them were only kids…"And nobody disappears. And when you wake up in the morning, you can stay in bed as long as…"
The words died on his lips as she snapped his neck. Ben was gone.
Tinga, the only one who had what none of them could but still wanted. Tinga had managed to create a family of her own, she found a great guy and married him and then she got her baby boy. Her big sister had got her fairytale only to watch it turn into a tragedy when the princess died by the hand of the evil queen.
From the moment Zack found her things went down the hill for him. Even then, he kept coming back trying to convince her to leave with him and she always said no. He sacrificed himself over and over again to keep them safe, to keep her alive. She was alive because of him; it was his heart the one beating on her chest, the one keeping her alive and as thanks she had send him away in an attempt to keep safe the other man in her life.
Sometimes she wondered if things would have turned differently if she had left the city years ago. Would she have been responsible of Ben's death? Would Tinga have died the same way? Would they have attempted to take down Manticore?
Maybe now less people will be hurt if she would have left earlier, now it was too late and she would never know for sure.
She used to blame Manticore for everything that didn't work on her life, if people tracked her down it was Manticore's fault, if she ended up with a worthless guy as a result of a heat episode it was Manticore's mess. It had only been part of her logic that after burning Manticore down the only thing left for her was to place the blame on it all over again. It wasn't her fault that Manticore became Dante's inferno portray that night, therefore she reacted like she didn't care about it.
But lately she wasn't sure if Manticore was the only one to blame. She had been a key element in the chain events that happened that day, in fact she had acted like the trigger of it.
Sitting on her bed at night, comforted only by the shadows Max is able to face the events. It's the only moment when she let her tears fall down without stopping them, without pretending to be strong and tough, without pretending that she didn't care. Because every time she closed her eyes the screams reminded her that whether she like it or not she was part of it, and there's nothing she can do to change it.
Friday 05:30 am
He had been sitting on his couch exactly on the same spot for the last 3 hours. He had watched without real interest as the lights from the street were slowly replaced by the faint light of the sun. It didn't matter if it was a gray and cloudy day the sun never fails to make its entrance; it's one of the constants of life.
Last night he ended up on Sokolov's door, well to be precisely he ended up in his study. Evgraf was the kind of man that could entertain you with his stories for hours and yesterday had not been an exception to the rule. The older man successfully made him forget for a couple of hours the constant whirlwind in his mind and at the same time without his knowledge Evgraf had become a reassurance presence in his life.
Evgraf Sokolov was a real person, flesh and blood. He was the proof that Alec had not realized he needed at least until last night. Laying on his bed he finally accepted that he could no longer pretend that nothing had changed. He needed answers, and those were not going to be delivered at his door just because life was fair and good.
The idea had been on the back of his mind once the dreams continued. If it would have been a one-time-thing he would have easily forgot about it, but it wasn't the case and he couldn't continue living like this…in a façade, an illusion, something that was not real.
He was different and he wanted to know why. Alec needed to know what happened to the rest. How did he end up in Manticore from all the places?
The glass on his hand caught his attention; it had been a long time since he drank Vodka. The clear and transparent appearance of the drink always reminds him of water and for some weird reason he wasn't feeling comfortable thinking about water.
He couldn't breathe… his eyes were open but the images around him seemed blurred. He wasn't completely conscious but he realized that right now he was under the water and something was pushing him down, no matter how much he fought back it only seemed to be stronger than him and firmly decided of not letting him go.
How did he get into the water, and more important how was he going to get out of it?
He was getting anxious; the burning feeling on his lungs was a signal that he was running out of time. His head started to feel light and he knew that he couldn't faint, if he did then he will loose, he will die…and that's something he's not ready to do, not without a fight.
He kept struggling even if it was in vain, even if there was no real coordination on his movements. The pressure on his shoulders suddenly stopped, the water surrounding him turned red. The heaviness on his chest brought him back to reality and he swam on crimson waters using the last of his strength with the sole purpose of reaching the surface.
Air, he needed air.
He was so close, almost there… but it felt so far away and he was so tired. His eyes couldn't focus anymore and his arms and legs were not responding to his commands. He had been so close and yet so far. His mind was shooting down and the self preservation instinct took place, 'if you're unconscious the pain is less intense'.
Someone grabbed his shoulder and was bringing him up, away from the water. The next thing he knew was the feeling of someone breathing on him. Soft, there was something soft over his lips and a firm pressure on his chest.
His throat hurt and the salty water on his mouth was the only thing he was able to taste after coughing for five minutes. His eyes were sore and it took him a second to get used to the light, he was quite glad that now he could see images instead of blurry figures. As he looked up he found himself lost on the glassy shine of her sapphire eyes.
Had she been crying? The next thing that happened surprised him more than waking up under the water; he felt her arms around his neck. She was hugging him, and even if he was soaked he could definitely feel her tears. What exactly happened while he was out?
Alec shake the glass in his hand, the transparent liquid swirled inside. Now it was easier to remember things, but the things he wanted the most to remember were the ones he still was unable to recall.
He smiled at the memory; she had been awfully pissed of at the time. The strong taste of vodka made him remember that things had not always been peach and cream between them and that mission had become the milestone of their friendship.
Back at the time they were not exactly friends, being part of the same team even if it was the Elite did not meant that all of them were best pals. His relationship with Nicole until that moment has been strictly one of diplomatic tolerance, she would carry out with his orders because of his rank, but she will always spoke out her mind and if possible would find a way to provoke him. It used to amaze him how she was able to maintain the spoiled brat attitude without any negative consequences or repercussions.
Up until that day, they never had worked alone as a team, and when they were assigned together he had mentally prepared himself for a hard time. Finn was probably the closest to her; even May who was the most serious of them had a soft spot for the brat. But when it came to him it was always like a chemistry experiment, in close proximity they never failed to react and it typically was a negative reaction.
It happened exactly as it was expected, she infuriated him, he reacted and they almost got caught in the fire when their attention diverted from the mission to their argument. Her reaction afterward had surprised him. It was like the event had been a wake up call; she had spent the next hours in complete silence only speaking to answer his questions. Her performance during the rest of the mission had been outstanding as usual, but the lack of comments unnerved him to no end.
Worrying about her proved to be more distracting than arguing with her. He had been careless enough thinking about the possible reasons for her change of behavior that he completely failed to notice the guy that knocked him down. The next thing he remembered was waking up under the water.
His undoing that day had been her tears. Alec had never seen her crying before and that was a lot to say considering that he grew up with her. The terror in her eyes disturbed him; he never wanted to see that expression on her face again. His eyes closed as he remembered that day…
"I thought, he was…you're alive" Her words got cut by the hiccups as she kept holding onto him.
"I'm ok. Everything is all right." He tried to reassure her; instead, the words had the opposite effect and her back tensed.
"No it's not Alec. You almost died." Her voice was detached as she moved away from him. Her eyes avoided contact and he recognized the posture, whatever it was that made her lose control it was now being pushed away at an amazing speed. He was not going to let her do it.
"But I didn't. You saved me." Blue eyes got caught of guard by the comment and looked straight into his hazel ones. He gasped; he never had been so close to her face, her eyes were of a piercing azure blue that sent goose bumps on his skin. She nodded as a tentative smile found home on her face.
He opened his eyes half expecting to see her, the little girl with the bluest eyes he ever seen. But there was no one else in the room besides himself, at least not the seven-year-old Nicole of his memories.
They become friends after that day, gone were the constant fights and although she was still a brat he wouldn't have it any other way. Their strong connection was reinforced when three months later the two of them plus Finn and Biggs became members of the D1 and it went a step ahead when he chose her as his SIC.
If he wanted to find the answers he would have to speed up his search. Seattle had never been home and right now his only reason for staying in the city was finding the cure for Max.
He had already decided not leave the city before he returned her that favor. But now the things had changed and he no longer had time to waste, things will have to move quickly from now on.
Friday 06:00 am
It was early and the sky had too many clouds for her likeness, definitely not the wining combo for a first impression. Seattle seemed not to be really interested on getting brownie points from her.
The bright green eyes squinted at a spot on the window as her fingers drummed over her purse following the rhythm of the song she had been muttering for the last ten minutes.
May was feeling restless after spending twelve hours sitting on an airplane, there was too much energy on her body and she was dying to find a release.
As the cab passed by the streets she replayed on her mind all the information that would be needed for the next stage of the deprogramming process. No matter how many scenarios she created on her mind, or how many variables she included on them, there was simply no way to know if it would work. If they would be able to get him back.
May was aware that Alec had interacted with Sokolov only days ago, that single episode had been an unnecessary risk that she would have preferred not to take. By now, she was positive that Alec was at least aware that he had been part of the Elite; otherwise he wouldn't have been able to recognize the older man.
She had spent the last nine months gathering as much information as possible about the procedure; she even managed to get a hold of Fanning's mentor, Dr. Stephen Drake.
The old neurosurgeon had regretted his student's choice of a career. And while Drake had developed the foundations of the procedure that later on Fanning modified, in its origins it had been a project created for the reintegration of violent crimes' victims into the society. The memories they blocked were the ones related with the dramatic events in an attempt of erasing the traumas from the victims. The first results had been promising; however, a year later the project was dropped despite its apparent success only to be recovered by Fanning for Manticore's private use.
"In order to reverse the procedure the subject would need to be deprived of all the suppressors that are blocking the memories, in this specific case you will need to add another stage, as far as I understand there are also another kind of suppressors on the subject, isn't it Mrs. DuPont?".
May nodded unaffected at the question, her cover story had been carefully designed in order to place her as a member of an agency medical staff whom was attempting to reverse the procedure applied by Fanning to a particular subject.
"The subject might present an erratic behavior. Anxiety, insecurity and depression are the common symptoms during this stage. The memories would be distorted as well as the perception of reality; attacks of paranoia won't be unusual on the subject". May had listened carefully as Dr. Drake explained the most common scenario.
"The original process overlapped the subject's memories through intense psychological manipulation and the use of specific chemicals designed to break down the autonomy of the subject. Therefore, the vivid memories experimented by the subject during this stage will provoke stress and confusion to the point where the line of reality and fantasy could no longer be defined. Psychotic episodes of different intensity may occur during this period". Dr. Stephen Drake paused for an instant and looked at the young woman in front of him before continuing.
"If the subject is not part of the average men I strongly recommend you to increase the security measures, a normal individual could become aggressive but one of 'your' test subjects could turn into a time bomb. It's a risky procedure to be applied, best of lucks Mrs. DuPont."
Luck.
There was no way that she will put her trust on luck. It was as irrational and there was no logic to be followed. It wasn't a matter of luck; it was a matter of control of the situation and possible scenarios. Luck had nothing to do it.
The chemical components on the shot delivered by Biggs were designed to neuter the DNA suppressors on Alec's blood and according to the reports in a relatively short period of time Alec's body had got back to its natural condition. It was expected that the new found abilities will support and trigger new memories and she was positive that it had happened, Alec had recognized Sokolov.
The unexpected bump of the car took her by surprise. Looking at the window she sighed, years of living in the other part of the world made her forget that the country was still trying to recover from the pulse and by the look of it was having a hard time.
Ten minutes later they entered one of the remaining residential neighborhoods of the city, the view changed 180 degrees and it reminded her that as long as you have money things always look good even if you live surrounded by a disaster zone.
The car stopped in front of a classic building and she noticed that it had started raining. Without the little desire to get wet she opened the door and opened her umbrella before getting of the car.
Almost two years of uncertainty were finally coming to an end.
It will be over soon, for better or worse.
Friday 06:15 am
Neil watched at the clouded sky, he could almost smell the rain in the air. It looked like it would be another usual day in Seattle.
May should be arriving soon; he looked around the apartment inspecting if there might be something that he could have missed. The place was located in one of the residential areas of the city; one of the few neighbors that didn't look like a devastated zone. It was exactly the kind of apartment expected for the brand new intern of Seattle's Crawford Clinic, one of the most exclusive health centers of the country.
For May fitting in a role related with physicians was nothing new, even more it wasn't quite a role considering that she did held the degree of MD specialized on Immunology. Although, that was a fact that none of her teachers or the doctors she interacted with ever suspected about. For the world, she was the only daughter of a wealthy business man who had no problem financing his little girl dream of becoming a doctor.
For the Elite her specialization had been more than once the ace on solving a situation avoiding a real confrontation. During a mission there were few things that she was not able to obtain by using her knowledge. And if you were on the enemy side and successfully pissed her off, you get to meet a side of her that was truly unnerving and downright scary.
Neil had made that mistake once and the aftermath left him swearing to all that could be considered divine to never cross May again. Still, there were masochists like Biggs who just love to see May's fury in all its glory. Alec knew that as well as Finn and that was the fundamental reason of why Biggs and May were never paired together for a long term mission. The success rate always ended up compromised if the time frame of two days was surpassed. The bickering pair would usually complete the mission, but the collaterals they left behind were frequently worst than if the mission would have been abandoned on the first place.
CC and Nicole could also fall into the masochist category, the remaining females of the Elite had a knack for winding up May, especially Nicole who considered her personal mission to annoy May by implying the existence of a weird vibe between her and Biggs. Nicole had been barely ten years old at that time, but she had been quite aware of the impact of her comment and chose the precise voice tone that will enrage May the most. The girl's reasons were a mystery most part of the time.
Neil smiled as he recalled the events; the result of her transgression against May resulted on a three hours run around the complex and a sprained ankle when the branch she was standing on broke down.
The youngest member of the Elite was cool, calm and collected most part of the time, her outstanding abilities and performance placed her side by side with Alec, and once they learned to work together they were unstoppable. A perfect balance was achieved and mastered since the D1 assemble was formed.
Neil eyes followed the yellow taxi cab that stopped in front of the building, the first drops of water started to fall down. His view of the scene down on the street was interrupted by a dark blue umbrella that was opened by the person on the back seat.
May had finally arrived; the next phase will start soon.
Friday 06:20
"You could have picked me up at the airport". Neil looked at the door when he heard the comment and was greeted with May emerald eyes giving him a nasty look.
She had picked the lock of her own apartment; and he was tempted to remark the fact to her, apparently the mantra of the day was new home new lock to pick. At the last second he decided that it wasn't of a wise man to piss off a jet lagged female…
"And where would be the fun in that May?"
Green eyes rolled up as she let out a suffered sigh while mumbling. "In keeping all your limbs glued to your body"
Neil smiled at her reply and walked to the sofa where she was lying; he raised her feet from the cushions and sat on the empty space placing the appendages on his lap.
"Smart move boy, what are you going to ask?" she bit down the moan on her throat as he started to massage her right foot.
"Why do you assume I'm going to ask something?" He questioned as his fingers traced circular patterns over her skin.
She sighed loudly in response, "Because it's been like that since we were seven."
He chuckled in response and put more pressure on her skin. "I'm hurt May, deeply madly hmm does it sound like a song to you?"
"It's a song…god you're too good on this." She was completely relaxed; Neil was indeed too good for his own good when it comes to feet massages, so good that it was unfair that he knew those massages were her weakness.
"Biggs was supposed to run direct interaction with Alec at the place he works; I need your support on delegating the task to CC."
May opened her eyes and looked closely at the focused look on Neil's face. "Why? Doesn't it make more sense if you do it?"
Neil sighed and placed his hands over her feet. "I met Max, X5 452, at Sokolov's party, it would only arise unwanted suspicious if I ended up working as a bike messenger at her workplace only two days after the event."
"Ah, I see now. Still your argument is valid, why do you need my help?" May sat on the other end of the sofa and watched him.
"I need for you to suggest it." His tone was calm and neutral but not good enough to convince her.
"Oh my god, you want to avoid CC."
Neil would have never expected it from May, from CC probably but only under specific circumstances, from Nicole perhaps only if it was related to snakes, but never in a million of years he would have expected stoic and centered May to shriek like that at a simple sentence. His eardrums were hurting and there was a buzz inside his head.
"My god woman, I already knew that you have lungs and are able to scream there was no need for a live proof." His complaint was met with her laughter.
"Sorry, but it's just…ok I'm serious now… no it's not true. I need water."
Barefoot May escaped toward the kitchen leaving Neil sitting on the sofa and wondering why he ever thought that it could be a good idea to ask her help.
Three hours later
"Don't you have a job? It's about 09:00…" May asked her companion as she started hanging her clothes.
"I don't but Alec does, so yeah I'm leaving your place 'cold hearted woman'" He moved the pillow away from his face and rolled to the end of the bed.
"I said I was sorry and that I would do what you asked, don't be a baby about it."
"You laughed at my face for ten minutes, then you chocked on the water you were drinking and I had to help you, and what did you do after that? Oh yeah you laughed for another five more minutes…you 'Cold Hearted Woman'" His expression was the correct definition of puppy eyes and she couldn't help but smile at him.
"I'm sorry Neil. I didn't mean it like if it was fun. But you know that CC is probably the clueless person on the face of the earth when it comes to seeing the good guys. The girl is like a magnet for losers. And you being this worry and bothered, it was easier to laugh about it."
"So you are not against it?" He arched an eyebrow and waited for her answer.
"I know for sure that you won't hurt her intentionally, that's probably the biggest wall the rest of the guys had to pass. Besides I think you two might be good together."
Neil noticed that there was something indescribable on her eyes, a shadow as if she regretted something. When it comes to May it was better not push it, she would speak when she was ready. Deciding to focus the conversation back on the topic he replied, "If she does realize about it."
"She will, she's clueless not stupid." May smiled at him, giving him the approval as the big sister.
"I'll be going then, have fun at the Clinic."
He was out of the room before she could reply a word, but that was not something unusual about the three of them. There was a good reason for Nicole, Neil and Mark to be called the children of the winds. When air was your element, you might have the tendency to breeze in and out of people's lives at free will. "It's simply in your blood, you can fight it but you'll never win." Artemis' words reminded her.
Fire, Air, Water and Earth were the four elements that ruled inside the Elite, each generation of Elites had a regent element among them, and each member had a certain degree of control over their element. The control over the reigning element always falls upon only one member, the most powerful among the Elites.
Three remaining elements for nine remaining members.
Three members hold the power of an element, and among them one concentrates the major part of it while the other two had a proportional distribution of it.
Carefully selected by their natural inclination toward a specific element, the real training of the Elite started at the age of seven. Months had to pass before the first advances were visible; the months were followed then by years as each of them learned to control their element. Even if the Committee had not used Project Prometheus to obtain their goals, the members of the Elite would always be different from the rest of the people, it was in their blood and it was theirs destiny.
The D1 was nothing more than the reflection of the perfect balance achieved inside of the Elite. Fire, Air, Water and Earth were represented by each member. It had been like that since the beginning, and even if a disruption occurred, the balance was restored with the remaining three elements.
Until now.
The Reign of Fire had been interrupted and the balance had been corrupted. Not one but two elements were missing and the Elite and the Committee were running out of time trying to control the possible consequences. The D1 current formation had Water and Earth as the solely components, an imperfect balance that would not last for long.
Your mind can forget things and events, but your body had its own memory. And that was the reason of May's headache at the moment.
To realize that you had enhanced senses when you were already an enhanced human being was easier to accept than finding out by accident that you were able to do things you have only seen on movies.
As children they spent years learning to control and increase their special abilities, still like it happened with so many things in life emotions could alter this control.
If what Dr. Drake said was truth, Alec could be a time bomb in more than one sense.
Friday 08:30
The bodies moved with a feline grace… kick, block, hold, turn, twist, hold, and it started all over again. Precision was the key in this complex dance they seemed to be performing; the hits were delivered with deadly accuracy never making contact with the body of the attacker.
The purpose of the exercise was simple, to keep control during a fight.
The Committee had been testing them on these kind of physical exercises for weeks until the results were what they expected, perfect control on every movement they performed. During a fight every muscle was flexed or contracted with a clear target on mind, every kick or block followed a strategy designed and applied in a matter of seconds. The non physical-contact – rule was the last addition and demanded additional attention from them in order to control the strength of the hit delivered as well as the conditions of the environment. Early in the morning Finn had accidentally hit May and left her with a black eye after he slip on the wooden floor and lost his concentration along with his balance.
The kick was delivered with accurate precision only missing the head by five millimeters; two legs slide on the floor and swept away the right feet of the opponent, a hiss of pain could be heard as the body hit the floor. A hand is offered and taken seconds later as the fallen one rose from the floor.
A nod between the fighters indicated the beginning of another round. They walked in opposite directions of the room and stared at each other.
The grin on his face could only mean problems; the glint of danger is present on his hazel eyes. Her lips curved on a lopsided smile, as they took different positions.
His stance had changed and his right hand is resting on his left shoulder. Both of her palms are extended in front of her body acting as a shield as they looked at each other waiting for the other to make the first move.
Alec's eyes opened suddenly with the crash sound of the glass he had been holding as it hit the floor. A small piece of glass embedded itself in his hand and the blood drops appeared on his pale skin. He watched, mesmerized, as the drops multiplied and a thin river of blood ran onto his palm.
The look of the blood as it slowly covered his hand sickened him and he rushed into the bathroom. Whatever was left of food on his stomach was now on its way to the sewers. The blood on his hand had dried and the bitter taste on his mouth after ten minutes of throwing up was the only reminder of the episode.
He sat on the floor and rested his head against the wall. That had not been a normal reaction, he had seen blood before, lots of it to be precise and he had never reacted like that. Alec raised his hand and inspected it carefully, there was nothing left of the small cut; it was like it had never happened.
He walked back to the lounge of his apartment; the glass was still there…lying intact on the floor.
To be continued…