A/N: As I continue to edit and revise my stories I will, when possible, replace the old, sloppy chapters with the new and freshly edited ones as soon as they are to my standards. You will see this note, along with possible variations of it, above all the chapters I have edited. Once all chapters are completely edited I will remove all author notes pertaining to the revision of the story.
Lokar sat at his desk. A daunting stack of various files and papers rested upon his desk. He had been hacking his way through, shortening it with a steady, moderate pace.
A ray of light began to seep through the window behind him. Lokar, deciding he had gotten a fair amount of work done, swiveled around to watch the sun sneak up the horizon. He leaned back in his chair.
After a few moments, he turned back around to his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a small, circular metal object. He flipped it over, revealing the Redakai Council's symbol. It was Nox's credentials. The silver artifact glistened in the morning light. The metal felt cool against his fingertips.
During their battle several weeks ago, her credentials had been knocked off her obi. He had spotted it, and then pocketed the object.
He began to fiddle around with the object. He chuckled softly to himself. He hadn't held the credentials of someone who was affiliated with the Redakai Council in such a long time. In fact, the last one he had ever touched was his very own. It filled him a brief sense of nostalgia. However, that time had long since passed. It was time to focus on the present.
"She'd make an excellent apprentice. We'd both benefit from such a partnership. It's a shame that she's too stubborn to realize that," he muttered to himself, brushing a fingertip over the silver. "I've been lenient. I've given her several chances to join my cause. How could she refuse?"
It wasn't a lie. As ruthless as he was, he had been lenient with disciplining Nox. He had been more than reasonable with the amount of privacy he granted her. He even stopped force-feeding her, after having her beg for it first, that is.
He had hoped that she would've turned by now. He had given her numerous opportunities to join his side. Despite his generosity, she had turned him down. He was more than willing to be civilized, but she had to work for it.
Perhaps his methods of persuasion were barbaric, he was well aware of that, but, nevertheless they were effective to an extent. He had managed to get bit and pieces of information out of her, and that was more than enough to satisfy his desire for results.
Every so often, he would personally bring her meals. Not only was it a way to insure that she was continuing to eat, but it was an effective way to gather information about the Redakai Council, Boaddai, and, very rarely, Maya.
Other than that, he wouldn't bother Nox. He left her alone, with only her thoughts to keep her company.
He had hoped that isolating her would push her to the point where she had no other choice other than to turn to him. Despite the two weeks of isolation, she showed little signs of breaking. It seemed as though it was her dedication and loyalty to Maya that kept her from joining his side.
"What am I supposed to do with you now, Miss Kenway?" Lokar mused to himself. "I can't hold you for ransom. After all," he smiled down at the artifact in his hand, "the Redakai Council has nothing I'm interested in. I doubt they would negotiate with me anyway."
He narrowed his eyes down at the object. He figured that killing her would prove to be messy. It could potentially instigate a war. That's something he didn't want. Not yet anyway.
"It's obvious that I can't force her to join me. She's far too resilient for that," he sighed. "Ah, yes. Her resilience," he chuckled.
Nox's resilience to every one of his attacks intrigued him. Not only was her resilience impressive, he found himself fascinated with her power. It intrigued him how she never used her power to its fullest extent.
The Dehaustor Technique allowed him to actually feel her power as well as steal it. It was nothing like he had ever seen or felt before. Her potential was far greater than the Redakai Council's, and, quite possibly, surpassed his own.
He would have made her his apprentice. He would have taught her how to control her power. He would have guided her in the arts of dark Kairu. He had hoped he would have the honor of training someone of her potential, but she had refused his offer.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be this astonished over someone's refusal to join him. However, these weren't normal circumstances.
He knew very well about the darkness she carried in her heart. Her affinity with the dark side of Kairu should have naturally drawn her to him. Yet, she managed to refuse. Even if she did not express her darkest desires, even if she caged them somewhere deep within her soul, she should have been more than enticed by his offer.
"How could someone as inexperienced as her manage to suppress her dark side so thoroughly?" he wondered out loud. "How could she have suppressed it to the point where it remains dormant inside of her?" he frowned. "It must've been accidental. No amateur would've been able to do such a thorough job."
He leaned back in his chair again, continuing to absentmindedly fiddle with the artifact. "After all," he grinned, "she doesn't seem to know how she did it herself. She must've been driven into desperation by her fears and insecurities to conceal her alignment with the dark side of Kairu." He let out a throaty chuckle. "Miss Kenway, you certainly are a piece of work."
He sighed, "I wonder if I could use her for… No. I shouldn't. The Shadow Warrior Experiments are far too risky." He glanced out of the window. "I was planning on disbanding that project…"
There had been several failures regarding this particular project. Each failure resulted in the test subject dying or having to be terminated. This made him more than certain that the experiment was a failure. Yet, he was beginning to think that it was worth giving it one more chance.
He honestly hoped that Nox would be his first successful experiment. Should she turn out to be a failure, she would ultimately be destroyed. Yet, her resilience convinced him that she would prove to be more successful than the other test subjects. He hoped that this would release her hate and draw her to the dark side. He would then teach her how to channel that pure, negative energy. His mind had been made up.
"It seems that it is the only option I have left," he sighed. "Then again, she does seem like a more promising test subject considering the fact that she's had some experience with darkened Kairu." He placed the silver buckle on his desk. "Hopefully my Shadow Warrior Experiment will prove successful this time. I'd hate to see her potential wasted."
He grabbed the com-unit on his desk, and pressed several buttons. He waited for a click before speaking into the device. "Professor Magni Drak'Noir," he said in low voice.
"Master Lokar," a voice crackled through. "What a pleasure it is to speak to you. How may I be of assistance?"
"Prepare the Shadow Warrior Experiment," Lokar ordered. He had picked up Nox's credentials once more. He began to fiddle with it again. "I want it ready within the next few hours."
There was a short pause. Only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard.
"Are you sure, sir?" the Professor's quivering voice was very low, almost like a whisper. "I thought you said that we were going to disband that project. So many failures…"
Lokar frowned and said sternly, "Is there going to be a problem?" His grip tightened around the silver object in his hand. He hated delays. He hated disobedience.
"No!" he nearly screeched. "Not at all. I was just… Just curious as to why you've decided to continue this project. Especially after all the pervious failures."
"Needless to say," Lokar smiled, glancing down at the silver object in his hand, "I believe I've found the perfect test subject."
"As you wish, Sir," the professor responded. "It'll be ready by high noon."
"Excellent," Lokar replied. He pressed a button and the device beeped. He placed the com-unit down on his desk, and then continued to fiddle with the artifact in his hand.
After a while, he placed the silver object down on his desk and then returned to his work. He had been working for an hour and a half when he finally got to the last file in the stack. It was Nox's medical report. He quickly skimmed the report and grinned when his eyes caught something that spiked his interest.
"Well, well, well," he chuckled to himself. "It seems that two weeks was all Miss Kenway needed to recover completely from the Dehaustor Technique. Such a resilient girl..." He leaned back in his chair and his smile widened. "Excellent. Everything will go according to plan."
In less than two hours he would begin his experiments. He wasn't about to check to see if the preparations had made yet. After all, he still had some time to kill. Not to mention how his subordinates knew very well that he does not tolerate failure to complete tasks on time.
Nox was lying on her cot. Her hands were behind her head as stared at the ceiling. Boredom had consumed her. She hated how Lokar left her with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company.
It's not like she wanted to talk to him or anyone else, for that matter, but she wouldn't have refused the opportunity of having a few books. Or a clock. She definitely wouldn't refuse a clock. Or maybe she would have. She was ambivalent about having access to a clock. On one hand, she wanted to know what time it was at any given moment. It would provide her with some sense of her surroundings. On the other hand, she figured having access to a clock might send her deeper into despair.
Her thoughts wandered until she started to think about Maya. She desperately missed Maya. She wondered what was going through the little girl's mind. She wondered if Maya was experiencing the same despair she, herself, was experiencing. She wondered if Boaddai would be able to comfort Maya. She wondered how long she had been here.
At least two weeks, Nox thought, using how many times they have feed her as a reference.
She continued to think and think. Her pale-blue eyes observed the stone grey ceiling. Nox had stared up at that ceiling so many times she knew every crack, line, and spot. She lost herself as she counted the cracks once more.
The sound of the disengaging lock on the metallic cell door drew Nox's attention. She knew that someone was entering her cell. Slowly the door slid opened.
She glanced over to see Lokar standing in the doorway.
His large frame cast a fearsome shadow on the young teen. She then noticed two guards were standing behind him. This wasn't abnormal. He'd visited several times since he had stopped force-feeding her.
"I see you've adjusted well to your new home," He smiled down at her.
The way Lokar had said home stirred something in Nox. However, she paid no attention to him and defiantly acknowledged his presence.
Lokar lowered his eyebrows at Nox's insolence, but still held a calm composer. "It is obvious that the Redakai Council isn't looking for you," he mocked. "If they were, Boaddai would be here trying to save you. Wouldn't he?"
Nox made a face but kept silent. He's trying to antagonize you… She thought to herself.
"You've already realized that, haven't you?" he laughed. Slowly he glided into the cell. "You have ruined my original plan," he said sternly. "You prevented me from getting what I want…" He swaggered his way to the middle of the chamber. "Not only have you delayed my original plan," he frowned, "but you kept me from meeting someone I've been meaning to meet."
"And what exactly was your plan?" Nox asked, still laying on her back. Though she spoke to directly to Lokar she didn't spare one look at the man.
"You haven't figured it out yet? I'm disappointed. A clever girl like such as yourself should've figured it out ages ago," he sneered.
She hated his belittlements, but remained as calm as she could. "Maya…" she uttered under her breath. "You mean to tell me, that whole attack on the tournament was simply just to kidnap Maya?" she asked brusquely.
"Precisely," Lokar's ominous eyes drilled into Nox.
She sat up, and asked with a frown, "Why do you care so much about Maya? Who is she to you?"
Her pale-blue eyes met the foreboding gaze of Lokar's amber eyes. She then noticed the sickening grin on Lokar's face. Something struck her hard in the chest. Something wasn't right. Something was definitely off. She felt the familiar, ominous skin crawling sensation creep its way up her neck and skull.
"In due time, I may answer that question, Miss Kenway," he scoffed. "Or should I say, Test Subject XIV?" his grin widened.
"What did you just call me?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Test Subject XIV," Lokar repeated, amusement in his voice.
Dread washed over Nox. She wasn't sure what Lokar meant by that, but she was certain it wasn't a good thing. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded. In an effort to make herself seem fearless, she straightened her posture.
He responded in a throaty chuckle, "You'll find out soon enough." He was amused by her efforts to make seem uninitiated. He watched the confusion, anger, and fear slowly unfold in her eyes.
Her thoughts were racing. Test Subject XIV? Great Kairu… Does he mean what I think he means?
Lokar brandished his hand, silently ordering the guards to grab Nox. Nox felt her heart beat rapidly as the guards approached her. Her instincts told her to run, but Lokar's gaze had her paralyzed. Suddenly she felt herself being hauled off the cot. When they started to drag her down the hallway, her instincts took control.
"Get your hands off me!" she hissed. "Where the Hell are you taking me?" she demanded. "Whatever you're planning, Lokar, you won't get away with it!" she growled like a feral animal while furiously fighting to free herself from the guards' grasps. When Lokar didn't respond, she grew more fearful and angrier. "Lokar, what the Hell are you planning to do to me?!" she spat.
Lokar responded in a soft chuckle, "You'll find out shortly."
"You…" she was seething with anger at this point to think rationally. "You're foul, loathsome, repulsive beast!" she snarled.
Suddenly Lokar stopped in his tracks. Lokar turned around slowly, a furry in his eyes Nox had never seen before. He watched her struggles increase, from the fear he invoked in her. He closed the gap between them with one stride, leaned down, and then grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes.
Nox slowly stopped struggling. She could feel his breath, cold and menacing, on her face. She hung limply in the guards' arms. The feelings of dread and panic were overwhelming.
"Listen to me, and listen well," he began firmly. "If need be, I'm more than happy to use you as leverage against Boaddai. I'm more than happy to use you as my own personal test subject."
Nox glared back at him intensely. She wanted to hit him so hard. He had no right to treat her this way. He had no right to use her as a test subject.
"Don't be a fool," he continued. "Don't think that, for one second, I'm keeping you alive because I need you. You're only alive, at the current moment, because it is beneficial to me." He paused to allow his words to sink in. "You're expendable," he spat coldly. "I'm more than willing to kill you myself if I decide you no longer useful to me."
Her eyes widened. She felt her heart sink. There was nothing she had control over. Nothing. Her life had spiraled out of control. Lokar held all the power. It was terrifying. She knew this from the start. Only, it had just become real to her. Her anger and fear had reached its limits.
"It just so happens," Lokar tightened his grip on her chin, drawing her attention back to him, "I already have gotten away with this multiple times before. Don't be a fool and think this time will be any different."
His hand shifted, so he was cupping her face. He gently squeezed her cheeks like one might do to a pet to show affection. Only, he was trying to make a fool out of her.
"You have no idea what's in store for you, my little test subject," he sneered. "I'll make this easy for you to understand. This will be, without a doubt, unpleasant for you. This will be even more unpleasant for you, however, if you continue to struggle. Not only that, but your petulance is unwelcome. I will not tolerate your insults any longer. Do I make myself clear?" He removed his hand from her face and straightened up. He glared down at her.
She hadn't noticed that she had been trembling up until now. Her fists were balled and her teeth were clenched. Over taken by rage, she spat, "You're a vile, disgusting, rotten, putrid creature." She would've regretted saying those things if she wasn't so enraged. She watched Lokar's face contort with fury. She knew he was going to hurt her. She was just too furious to care at the moment.
Before Nox knew what was happening, Lokar had a hand curled around her throat. He yanked her off her feet, out of the guards' grasps, and then shoved her against a stone wall. She let out a loud grunt when her head collided with the wall. It hurt. Her head ached and throbbed.
"You should learn when to hold your tongue," he hissed. "It will get you in trouble."
Whimpers and other sounds of distress escaped Nox's mouth. She tried to pry Lokar's hand off of her throat. To her dismay, his sturdy grip only tightened. Her lungs screaming for air as she trashed about wildly and aimlessly.
Lokar looked over her features. Her face was flushed and contorted. He curled his lips into that sinister smile that Nox had learned to dread.
She tried to kick him, but her legs couldn't reach. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Her instincts screamed to her to get Lokar's hand away from her throat.
She managed to croak out only a few words, "P-Please… Le… t… Let go." Panic surged through her body when she felt his grip tighten.
He was going to strangle her to death. He told her that he'd kill her. Why hadn't she listened? Her limbs were getting harder and harder to move. Her legs were dangling helplessly already. She pathetically tried to pry Lokar's hand from her neck with her fatigued hands. She felt her mind slipping. She was close to passing out. She was close to…
Suddenly, Lokar let go. Nox fell to the hard concrete floor at Lokar's feet. She lay on the floor, coughing and gasping for air. She stared at Lokar's feet through half-lidded eyes. Her body was shaking as she went into a violent coughing fit. The next thing she knew, she was being lifted off the floor by the guards. The continued to drag her down the hallway as she drifted out of consciousness.
Nox's eyes snapped open. She awoke with a splitting headache. The back of her head ached and throbbed. Her throat was sore and bruised. She slowly looked around.
It appeared that she was in a lab of some sort. Test tubes and beakers were strategically placed on the lab tables. Some were full of ingredients that Nox couldn't identify.
Chills ran through Nox. Her groggy mind had just remembered that Lokar had nearly strangled her to death just moments before. Or was it hours? She couldn't tell.
It then occurred to her that her limbs were strapped down to a metal table. She lifted her head and glanced down. It seemed like she were strapped to some kind of examination table.
Nox struggled to break free but her attempts were futile. The metal restraints dug into her wrists and ankles.
She glanced down at the restraints again. She noticed that the arm wraps she normally wore were missing. Her heart sunk. She stared down at the exposed the blue lightning bolt-like markings on her arms. Her eyes traveled down her left arm. She cringed when she noticed that a small portion of her inner forearm was visible. She twisted her arm so that her forearm was facing down, leaving her scars completely obscured.
"It all makes sense now," Lokar stepped out of the shadows. He had been observing her actions very closely. "You've definitely made a valiant effort to hide those ominous markings on your forearms from everyone. However, you failed to hide them from me."
Immediately Nox looked in Lokar's direction. Nox was horrorstruck. Being strapped down to a table made his menacing gaze much more intimidating. His face was nearly emotionless, but still managed to seem slightly fascinated.
"They are The Mark of the Dark Master. Although, I assume you already knew that," Lokar said smoothly as he glided over to what appeared to be some kind of control panel, "considering your lack of surprise and efforts to conceal them."
"How did you know I had them?" she asked shakily. She hated how her voice cracked.
"I first noticed them when Boaddai was holding you while you were unconscious. Your arm wraps were slightly unraveled at the time," he answered dismissively. He pressed a button on the control panel. Immediately antenna-like rods lowered from the ceiling till they were just a foot over Nox's head.
She felt her heart stop when she watched the ominous antenna-like rods extend over her head.
"I'm surprised you figured it out," Lokar continued. "Boaddai would never have told you. He would have kept your true potential hidden from you. I, myself, did not find out what the markings meant until I was twice your age. You're very clever." He glanced down at Nox. "Those markings make people like us special," a cruel smile danced across Lokar lips.
"I'm nothing like you!" Nox hissed.
"We are more alike than you realize," Lokar refuted with a chuckle. "I assume you're wondering why I have kept you alive for so long. As well as why I stopped using the attack when I could have easily killed you and taken your power for my own," he gazed down at Nox from behind the control panel. "You see, once I found out how powerful you were I couldn't just kill you. Especially not after your constant display of resilience. No, that would be waste of talent. Now I see your connection with the darker side of Kairu makes you the perfect test subject for my Shadow Warrior Experiment."
"I'm not your personal lab rat," Nox said defiantly.
"You don't have a choice," Lokar jeered.
Panic engulfed Nox. She knew she didn't have a choice. She was completely vulnerable and entirely at Lokar's mercy. She stared at Lokar in horror. On his face was the same disturbing expression of enjoyment he had while he force-fed her. This terrified Nox. Something bad and probably extremely painful was going to happen to her. She knew it.
"Master Lokar?" a low voice called. A tall, pale skinned man entered the lab. He wore a white howie lab coat, and red lensed welding goggles. He had shaggy, orange hair.
"Ah, yes, Professor Magni Drak'Noir. How nice of you to join us," Lokar greeted. "What is it you want? I'm about to begin my experiments."
"I know…" he uttered dismissively. "However, I was hoping to get a look at the…." His eyes landed on Nox, "specimen."
"Make it quick. I've a tight schedule," Lokar said firmly.
"Don't worry," the Professor replied. "I was planning on it."
The Professor observed Nox skeptically. He moved so he was near her head. Nox glowered at the Professor.
"I was expecting someone more," he frowned, "physically fit. She seems rather sickly to me. I'm not so sure she'll survive the Shadow Kairu injections. What makes her so different?"
Nox clenched her jaw tightly to prevent herself from saying something she would regret later.
"She has the mark of The Dark Master on her outer forearms. Not to mention she possesses an affinity with the darker side of Kairu," Lokar answered.
The Professor's frown deepened, "She's so pale."
"I'm albino," she spat. She hated how they talked about her. She hated how the acted as though she wasn't there. She hated how they acted like her presence wasn't worth acknowledging.
"So it can talk. How nice," the Professor sneered. "So," he brought his attention back to Lokar, "what are we calling this one?"
"Test Subject XIV," Lokar smiled.
"Hm… Seems fitting." The Professor brought a hand to his face, "How old is she? Where did you find her?"
"I believe she is fourteen-years-old. I retrieved this one during my attack on the tournament," Lokar explained. "She's one of Boaddai's students."
"Is this part of your personal agenda?" the Professor asked suspiciously.
"Not hardly," Lokar answered coldly. "I happened upon her by chance."
"I see. Well," the Professor smiled widely down at Nox, "I hope you don't mind if I take some more blood samples from her."
"Not at all. Just make it quick," Lokar said dismissively.
"Perfect!" he clasped his hands together. "I hope you don't have trypanophobia, Test Subject XIV," her chuckled.
He pulled out his equipment and began to head over to her left side. Lokar had unlocked the restraint on her left wrist. The Professor reached out and grabbed her arm. Nox made several protests, but he ignored them. He squeezed her wrist hard enough to bruise it when she tried to yank her arm away. The Professor grabbed her arm tightly and twisted it so her inner forearm was facing up. He held down her wrist and tied the tourniquet a few inches above her elbow. His mustard yellow eyes stared down at her arm.
"Get your hands off me," Nox hissed. The feeling of his cold fingertips against her flesh made her sick.
"Well, now, this is interesting," he smirked, ignoring her protests. "Seems as though Test Subject XIV has had a skirmish with self-harm."
She cringed when she felt him gently running his thumb over her scarred flesh. His touch was so gentle it startled Nox. "Get you filthy fingers away from me," she demanded.
"Now why would someone," he brushed his thumb over the nastiest scar, "such as yourself take a blade to your own flesh?" he asked almost too tenderly.
"Shut up," she snapped.
He touched her slightly bulging vein. It was ready. He cleaned the area with an alcohol pad, put a glove on his free hand, and then grabbed the needle. He began to bring it to Nox's flesh. She desperately yanked her arm away, nearly breaking through his grasp.
"Now, now, Test Subject XIV," he tsked softly. "You wouldn't want to make a mess, would you? I'd hate to have to repeat this procedure. Wouldn't you?"
"I'd rather not have it done at all," she grumbled. She hated how he spoke to her in such a condescending manner. She looked away when the needle pierced her flesh. She didn't need to see her own blood filling up the vial.
"Don't like the sight of your own blood?" the Professor mocked. "I'm not surprised. I'm certain seeing it in large quantities would," the bare hand he was using to hold down her wrist shifted, his thumb brushing over the veins in her wrist, "bring back unpleasant memories."
She grimaced. She wanted him to stop. His touch, his far too soft caresses, sent her over the edge. She would've cried if she wasn't so mortified. She would've said something if she hadn't been paralyzed with fear and disgust.
Lokar narrowed his eyes at the scene. He scowled. "Professor Magni Drak'Noir," he said coldly, "either hurry up or leave. I won't have you and your incessant squabbling delay my plans any further." His eyes were drilling harshly into the Professor.
"Sorry, Master Lokar. I just enjoy watching her facial expressions. They are quite amusing to watch," the Professor explained.
Lokar frowned and narrowed his eyes, "As much as I enjoy watching her squirm, I'd enjoy keeping on schedule."
"Yes, my apologies. I'm almost done," the Professor muttered.
It wasn't long before the Professor had taken two vials of her blood. Once he was done, Nox's wrist was strapped down to the table again.
The Professor turned and smiled at Lokar, "You might want to put a gag in her mouth unless you want her to strain her vocal cords. You know how hard the past test subjects have screamed."
"The way I see it, if she loses her voice, I won't have to listen to her persistent impertinent comments any longer," he remarked.
"So she's a sassy one, eh? That'll change soon enough," he said. He looked down at Nox with a grin, "Try not to die, Test Subject XIV. I'll be looking forward to the next time we meet!" He turned on his heel, bowed to Lokar, and then walked out of the laboratory.
Nox stared at the ceiling, watching the antenna-like rods above her head. She hopped she didn't have to see the Professor any time soon. She glanced at Lokar. His back was to her. He seemed to be making adjustments to some of the equipment.
"I must admit," Lokar began, "Professor Magni Drak'Noir's behavior was unacceptable and completely unprofessional. I'll be speaking with him. You needn't worry."
"As if you care," Nox mumbled to herself.
He frowned, and then sighed, "I may not like you, Test Subject XIV, but that doesn't mean I will permit my subordinates to treat you with such contempt."
Nox furrowed her brow. She didn't understand why Lokar was defending her. "You treat me with contempt," she remarked.
"Perhaps," he agreed. "Yet, I had no intentions," he turned to face her, "of making scornful comments about those scars you have." He watched her closely.
"Why?" she frowned. "You had no issue with making any other type of 'scornful comments' before."
"I am a man of morals," Lokar said curtly. "Perhaps those morals are not the same as yours, but they are morals nonetheless."
A silence passed over the room. Even though it lasted less than a minute, it felt like forever.
"Why… Why does he need my blood?" she gulped.
"So we can analyze it," Lokar answered, flipping various switches and pressing various buttons. He made his way over to a machine with screens and gauges. "Should this experiment succeed, the molecular structure of your DNA will be altered. That is, of course, should you survive."
Fear flooded through Nox. If she died, her last memory of Maya would be of the poor little girl, frightened beyond her wits, begging her not to die. If Nox died, she was never going to be able to tell Maya that none of this was her fault. Whatever Lokar was about to do, Nox made it her mission to survive. She had to. She had to get through whatever atrocities Lokar put her through. She had to, for Maya.
Lokar observed Nox as she tried to hide her fear and horror behind anger and hate. He returned to the control panel. "Shall we begin?" he smiled. He pressed a button.
A darkened version of Kairu erupted from the rods. The dark-purple lightning zapped its way into Nox's body. She shrieked. It felt as though her insides were on fire. It felt as though her blood were boiling. She thrashed back and forth violently. She tried to break free from the restraints to no avail. They were too strong. All she could do was writhe in pain.
Lokar's sadistic nature made watching this more than bearable. He grinned. Her Inner Kairu was compatible with shadow Kairu. His Shadow Kairu and her Inner Kairu would mesh well together. They wouldn't clash or resist each other. That meant she had no choice about absorbing the Shadow Kairu.
By forcing her to absorb his modified form of Kairu, it would enhance her power and abilities. It would turn her into a powerful Shadow Kairu Warrior. A warrior of darkness and one that will obey his every command. That would make her a secret weapon for him. One he would use against the Redakai Council and eventually help him take control of the universe. Nothing would be more enjoyable to Lokar than defeating the Redakai Council once and for all, especially with one of their former allies of by his side.
Nox clawed at the examination table till her fingers were nearly raw. Her throat burned and felt as though she had swallowed a wildfire. After what seemed like forever, the machine stopped when it had finally drained all of its Shadow Kairu reserves into Nox.
"Well," Lokar said, his voice nothing more than a distant, muffled noise, "it seems as though we've finished with this round of Shadow Kairu."
Nox tried to open her eyes. When she did, her vision was clouded with black spots. She tried to move, but her body would not comply. Every inch of her body ached. Dizzying pain swirled in her mind and it sounded as though she was under water. Fire coursed through her veins. A whirlwind of nothingness ran through her mind.
Finally, once the pain had subsided slightly, Nox was able to open her eyes. Lokar had his back to her. He seemed to be mixing different substances or something. Nox was still discombobulated.
As Nox was able to get a better look, she learned that Lokar was, in fact, mixing ingredients together in bottles of all different shapes and sizes. Nox tried to say something but all that came out was a small whimper. Her throat was too dry and hurt too much to speak.
"That unpleasant sensation is only temporary," Lokar said offhandedly, as he was preoccupied with his current task.
It took Nox a moment to understand what Lokar was saying.
"In time you will learn to love it," he sneered. "It appears this session was a success. After all," he put what he was brewing down and turned to Nox, "your body appears to have absorbed it all, without any rejection. Soon the Shadow Kairu that I've just injected you with will bond with your Inner Kairu."
Nox stared into Lokar's eyes with a mix of hate, fear, and pain. She wanted to say so many things with a very colorful vocabulary but couldn't. Her mouth wouldn't work. All that came out was a small whimper.
"Don't try to speak," Lokar said as he strode over to the control panel. "You'll lose your voice." He pressed a button. The restraints on Nox's wrists and ankles unlocked.
Lokar forced Nox to sit up and drink the medicine that made her insides burn. Then, with a bruising grip, he grabbed Nox's arm. He jerked her forward, forcing her to walk.
The floor felt frigid under her bare feet. The freezing surface sent waves of pain shooting up the souls of her feet. She stumbled along as Lokar dragged her into the hallway and pushed her into the guards' arms.
Even as the guards dragged her off to her cell, Nox felt some sort of happiness. She had survived. So far, at least. She wasn't sure if there were any side effects that would come along, but she would just have to get through them. Suddenly, she felt Lokar grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him.
"Don't get too excited," he warned. "This was only the first session. Yes, that's right," he smiled when he saw her eyes light up with fear again, "there will be more injections. Each one just as painful as the last."
"Bastard," Nox hissed through gritted teeth. Though she tried to sound angry, it came out more of a whimper. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was crazy. He was probably going to kill her with these crazy experiments.
Lokar grabbed Nox's bicep tightly, his other hand still holding her chin. He yanked her away from the guards and closer to him. "I thought I told you," he glared into her eyes, "to learn to hold your tongue."
One of the guards pressed the button near the side of the cell door. The lock disengaged and it slid open with a hiss.
With a hard push, Lokar shoved Nox into her cell. Nox crashed onto the floor and gave a yelp of pain and surprise. Lokar gave a throaty chuckle as the metal door shut. Once more, Nox was left alone to suffer.
The disturbance between her normal Inner Kairu and the foreign Shadow Kairu finally shocked her body. It crashed into her like a ton of bricks. The struggle between her Inner Kairu and the Shadow Kairu fighting for dominance and ultimately tangling together flipped Nox's world upside down. A war raged on inside of the teen to see what side would gain control. Not only did this cloud her senses, it left her extremely exhausted. After a moment of intense pain and shock of what had just happened, Nox passed out.