Deidara's heart thudded loudly against his chest, eyes snapping open as he gasped. He glanced around furtively, smelling rust and iron. But it was dark, and he couldn't see anything. Where was Itachi? The light had suddenly gone out.
"Oh you're awake."
Deidara's eyes widened. "K-Kabuto?"
The lights flashed on, revealing them to be in a squalid laboratory with a hazy green light flickering above. The lime-colored walls were stained brown, pieces of tile breaking off onto the floor. There was a table full of tools and cabinets full of medicine. There were ice boxes containing…body limbs? The smell of acid reeked throughout the room.
Standing across from him at the table was his friend, squirting a bit of liquid out of a syringe before turning to him. He smiled kindly and walked towards him. "Hello Deidara."
"What happened? Why am I-?" Deidara let out a sharp exhale of breath as he tried to move forward, only to be yanked back. His gaze snapped to his wrist and legs, strapped with metal and leather restraints. He couldn't get out.
Kabuto placed a hand on the blonde's neck, toying with the syringe in his other. "This should make you feel better," he said, stabbing the needle into Deidara' neck. He backed away.
Deidara felt his strength sap away, replaced with a feeling of being weighed down with lead as his neck bled. He forced his head up, trying to keep his eyes steady on the form of his friend. "Kabuto… why are you…? I don't understand what…" he felt too tired to continue on.
"You should close your eyes and rest," Kabuto advised him, his back facing the blonde as he fiddled with something on the table. "It would make things so much easier."
Deidara struggled fiercely against his restraints, trying to pull himself off the wall with a strength he didn't have. "What's going on? What did you do with Itachi?" His voice was high with panic. Suddenly he could hear and feel every little thing. His skin itched, his toes twitched, his heartbeat pounded mercilessly against his ribcage. "Answer me Kabuto!"
"Oh- you mean him?" Kabuto turned, holding a large piece of skinned flesh up in his hands. It was like a mask, drained of blood with bloody holes where the eyes should have been. Two distinct lines ran down its face, strings of muscle dangling at the bottom.
Deidara felt like gagging. "W-What the fuck is that?"
"You don't recognize him?" Kabuto questioningly stared at the flesh and then held it closer to the blonde. "It's Itachi- duh!"
Deidara threw up, murky and foul smelling bile pooling around his feet as he heaved, head spinning and praying that this was all just a terrible nightmare he would wake up from. I-Ita-
Kabuto pressed the slab of skin of to his face with both hands, whirling around and madly speaking aloud to himself. "Oh no mister, please don't kill me! I'm Uchiha Itachi! I'll do anything you ask! Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!" he angrily shouted, shaking his head wildly back and forth as if he were having a seizure.
Kabuto sneered, throwing the face against the rusted walls before turning back to Deidara. "I grow bored of ugly faces like those. I'd much rather have yours," he said, blood smeared all across his face. He reached forward, a scalpel appearing from in between his fingers. He cut a line across Deidara's forehead who was struggling to move back. "Now don't move," he disapprovingly said.
Deidara's breath hitched in the back of his throat, his airways clogging up painfully. It hurt to breathe, but he had to get away. He had to get away from this monster. He had to-
Kabuto grabbed the top of his forehead, digging a thumb underneath the skin's flab as he flipped it up. He grinned, starting to peel down, ripping the face off yet another victim as muscle tore, blood spurted, and muscle showed.
Deidara screamed, exposed nerves twitching from the oxygen contact.
And Kabuto pressed the new mask to his face.
~X~
Deidara blinked back into awareness, eyes wide and breathing erratic as he stood. He clutched a hand to his heart before hacking out blood, crashing to the ground. "Fuck…" he whispered. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" he screamed, grabbing his head as the images came flowing back.
Itachi immediately ran over, dispelling the illusion and crouching to rub soothing circles onto the blonde's back. "Shit. I usually don't use this on comrades in the squad. I shouldn't have even listened to you. I'm so sorry- are you okay?"
Glancing at his face, Deidara had to force himself not to gag. "U-Ugh." He sagged against Itachi's shoulder. "C-Couldn't you make y-your illusions a bit more h-happy," he practically chattered. "Fucking hell- you've done more than convince me…" His eyes suddenly widened.
Itachi shamefully averted his gaze. "I am sorry. What should I do to make it up to you?"
"Itachi." Deidara frantically grabbed the Uchiha's sleeve, forcing the other man to look at him. "I know what has to be done. I've got it un," he shakily breathed out, a dark light in his eye. "And you're going to train me."
~X~
Ring….Ring…Ring….
"Yes, yes? Hello?"
"Hello, it's me."
"Ah! I've been meaning to speak with you. I've heard you're familiar with someone called 'Deidara'?"
"…That would be correct."
"Good. I'll need you to lure him away from those in the night force. The best way to take something down is from the inside out. Orochimaru's double-agent will already be toying with the others in the Akatsuki. It'll be your job to get rid of that Deidara brat."
"You want me to kill him?"
"Do what you must. Orochimaru might want his body for testing."
"I'll take care of it."
"Fine- I have to get going now."
~X~
Kabuto frowned as the other line hung up. I didn't get the chance to back out…
He sighed, rubbing his brow tiredly before turning to lie down in his bed.
His headache had only grown worse.
~X~
Sasori closed his phone before facing his leader. "All done," he said.
Pein nodded from where he sat across from the redhead. "Good. Deidara should be taken care of by tomorrow."
Zetsu stepped out of the shadows, golden eyes gleaming. "Pein."
The orange-haired man looked at him. "Yes?"
Zetsu dipped his head. "Everything is taken care of on Orochimaru's side. Although I don't know what Kisame, Konan, and Kakuzu are up to- it shouldn't bother us. After Deidara is dealt with, we can make our move in the next day. Waiting any longer than that will be fatal to our members."
Pein hummed. "Excellent…"
Hidan stood outside the closed door, eyes wide and heart thudding in his chest. What the fuck?
Sasori's eyes flicked to the door. "Pein, Zetsu- it looks like we have an eavesdropper."
Hidan jolted, starting to run away.
Zetsu appeared in front of him, grinning mischievously. "Hello Hidan~"
~X~
Thirty minutes later had Hidan thoroughly traumatized, Kakuzu out of his lab, and Pein back upstairs closing the shop down from the day. Apparently Konan and Kisame had some work to finish up on.
Kakuzu glanced at his silver-haired partner, brows raised. They were in the back corner as usual, but Hidan hadn't said a word nor glared at him. "What's with you?" he asked.
Hidan shook his head. "Nothing dude."
Kakuzu frowned.
Itachi walked into the doors of Akatsuki Deals, a still pale Deidara by his side.
Pein looked up a the bell rang, frowning immediately and placing down the magazine he had been reading. "What happened to you two? Itachi- you were supposed to be back over two hours ago. And Deidara- you look very sick," he said.
Hidan and Kakuzu looked over from where they were sorting crates of antique bottles.
"Oi blondie!" Hidan called out in worry. "Where the fuck did you go?"
Kakuzu looked at Hidan in surprise.
"It's nothing important un," Deidara quietly muttered, stepping out of Itachi's reach and beginning to walk towards the back of the store. He could feel several pairs of eyes watching after him.
Pein watched as the blonde slowly walked away and then turned his gaze to the ever impassive raven. "Explain."
Itachi let out a tiny sigh. "It's better if we discuss this somewhere private," he said.
Pein narrowed his eyes.
A/N: If you felt like you were missing something, feel free to let me know.
I don't even know what happened myself *sighs*