( For those of you who know me on RT [and if you don't, shame on you - come find me under "Stelladea" and say hi!], you know that this week is insanely busy for me. So... only a single chapter update this week... but I hope it won't disappoint. ;] -Stella )
With an inhuman scream of delight, O'Malley instantly transferred into Wash's helmet. The soft whoosh of Epsilon returning back to Meta was hardly audible over O'Malley's ecstatic din, but I was thankful that Wash would no longer be in pain… or, at least, I hoped that would be the case. I didn't think that torturing Wash was on the top of O'Malley's priority list anyway. He just wanted to get on with business. Unfortunately, I had no idea what the next step in his plan would entail. I only knew that the AIs and Meta had completed the first part successfully.
That was bad enough.
The moment the exchange took place, Wash grew still and kneeled on the ground, breathing heavily. However, his limbs no longer trembled and his breaths were steady.
"Well, well, well…" O'Malley said, his voice now coming from Wash. "I should probably give you a moment to…" His voice trailed off for a moment as he examined his new host's mind. "What?" O'Malley continued, surprise lining his voice. "No insanity? Not even a cell of brain damage?"
Wash's breathing slowed and O'Malley made a noise of frustration. "Well," he continued. "I suppose your pathetic human brain is stronger than I thought. I was certain that Epsilon would completely incapacitate you for me!"
Wash said nothing but stood up painlessly. He looked… completely fine. Except for his face. That look on his face… he was O'Malley's now.
"O'Malley!" I called, seething, from my spot beneath the tree. My knees shaking, I managed to stand up, leaning heavily against the trunk. My ribs throbbed in pain. "Congratulations. You have Wash. What do you want now?"
The rage AI chuckled. "Oh, just the usual. World domination and the like."
"God damn it!" I growled. "What are you going to do with him? What's the next part of your plan?"
O'Malley chuckled. "Why would I tell you? Ells, David invited me in. You saw it with your own eyes. The first step in our plan is complete. It took a lot of effort to get to this point, and I'm not going to give him up so easily. David and I have a lot to do together. Oh, yes. Quite a bit.
"Wash," O'Malley continued, now addressing his host. "You're working for me, now. Don't forget that. We have much to do."
The Freelancer nodded, his face emotionless. O'Malley was then silent as he transmitted the next part of his plan to Wash's mind. Wash looked up and through the forest—back in the direction of Blue base—as he listened carefully.
"They all must die. They know too much. Do you understand?" O'Malley said aloud when he was done.
I wanted Wash to resist. I wanted him to curse and rage at the AI and demand that he leave his mind.
Instead, Wash emitted a horrible evil chuckle that threw chills up my spine.
"No!" I cried. "O'Malley, don't! Don't hurt the others!"
O'Malley sighed evilly as Wash cracked his knuckles. "Don't hurt the others?" he asked mockingly. "Oh, Ells, I think it's time for a little fun. We're going to kill you all anyway, but… I do like playing with my food before eating it." He paused. "Why don't we start with your girlfriend, Washington?"
Wash's eyes locked onto mine, and my breathing quickened nervously. He slowly began stalking toward me, an evil grin spreading across his face.
"Wash… Wash!" I breathed. "Come on, you have to think straight! This isn't you!"
He continued to draw nearer to me, paying my words no attention.
"Come on, Ells. Don't you trust me?" He grinned darkly and held out his hand. I snatched my handcuffed wrists away and pressed myself into the tree.
"Stop it! Wash, you need to stop." I gulped nervously as he stealthily approached.
He continued to smile evilly. "What's wrong, beautiful? Scared?"
"No!" I squeaked. I gazed desperately to either side of where I was standing to somewhere I could escape, but I knew that, if I tried to move from leaning against the tree, I would collapse.
I was trapped.
"Just—just don't get any closer!"
"But why?" he stepped toward me again, less than a foot away. "Don't you care about me?" He paused, rolling his eyes. "Oh, right—you don't, do you?"
"Wh—what?" I gasped. I tried moving away from the tree but almost fell in the process. I had to scramble back against the trunk, panting heavily, to stay standing.
"Yes, yes…" O'Malley chuckled, egging Wash on. He showed Wash a flash of a memory, and the Freelancer let out a yell of rage and grabbed my wrists roughly.
"Do you have any idea how much I've been through?" he roared. "Epsilon—insanity—jail—everything! I lost everything! And you said you liked me better that way!"
What the hell was he talking about? "Wash… you… you don't know what you're saying," I said faintly.
"Don't listen to a thing she says," O'Malley laughed. "She's only trying to escape you—again. She just wants to go back to Tucker."
At this, Wash snarled angrily.
"Yes," O'Malley continued to whisper. "Why should that Blue idiot get the girl? Why shouldn't you get what you want as well?"
Wash was quiet for a moment.
"I should get what I want."
"Precisely…" O'Malley hissed evilly. "Come on, Washington. Get what you want before killing her. If you want her… take her."
Wash's eyes flashed with a look I never dreamed of seeing. I began panicking.
"D—Dammit, Wash!" I mustered the strength to utter, terrified. "D… Don't…"
Wash paid me no attention. He closed the remaining space between us instantly, one hand clasping tightly around the handcuffs. The other hand reached up and ripped off my helmet roughly, letting it fall to the ground with a loud clunk. He gripped my chin tightly in his free hand, forcing my face toward him.
"Wash… no…" The panicked words trailed off as the Freelancer's grip tightened. His face came closer and closer to mine. Instead of going for my lips, however, he tilted my face up and moved his mouth to breathe on my neck. Simultaneously, I felt his other hand drop my bound wrists and grab something on his armor; suddenly, I felt the blade of a knife as well as his breath on my neck.
"After the fun…" O'Malley whispered. "Kill her."
Wash moved in to press his lips against my skin… when he was interrupted by a loud voice behind him.
"You're a sick bastard, O'Malley."
Wash spun around and I watched over his shoulder as a black-armored soldier walked into view.
"Tucker!" I gasped. "Be careful! Wash is infected with O'Malley! He—"
"Tucker?" the black soldier interrupted me. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm not that turquoise idiot!"
My jaw dropped. That wasn't Tucker's voice. That wasn't even a guy's voice.
It was Tex.
Meta let out a snarl of surprise and tensed up as every single AI in his mind began talking excitedly at once. O'Malley yelped in surprise and joy, transferring out of Wash's head instantaneously.
"I have you now!" O'Malley cried in malicious pleasure, his voice now emanating from Tex's helmet.
"Yes, you do," she said savagely, turning to the shocked white soldier. "Meta, are you coming, or what?"
Meta collected himself instantly and followed Tex as she left the clearing, disappearing into the woods.
Unable to take this any longer, I fell to the grass, sobbing. I could handle most things. Drunk boys, robot clones, Tabasco sauce. But… but this…
"Eleven…" Wash croaked weakly, falling down next to me. "E—Ells…"
My body shook with sobs. I couldn't stop them.
"G—Go after them—" I stuttered through my tears. "G—Got to find—AIs—"
Wash looked back at the forest for a moment, but didn't stand up. "Later."
Slowly, hesitantly, he put both of his arms protectively around me. I tensed at first, attempting to scramble away from him, but my tears flowed so freely I could hardly breathe. I let him pull me gently into his lap as I continued my shaking and sobs.
"Eleven, I—" Wash's voice cracked. "I'm so sorry. So… so sorry."
I felt my mind go blank and my world go black.