A hiss
Curling in the mid-loom, mid-day, mid-light, hot air from the floors below wheezed out of a weary cracked pipe.
A tick and another and another.
He listened intently to it, shaping the sound.
It felt like skin being scratched. And again. And again.
As.
Each of the walls caught the clock. As it
Tick
Tick
Ticked.
On and on.
A hiss, Edward sucked on the smoke, held and released it. He took a swig of Jack Daniels and rolled his lips. They kept some damned amazing liquor in the underground forts. He was amazed someone hadn't come and found 'em all.
A scratch, he thought he heard. He jerked. His ears tuned to find it.
Nothing
A hiss
Tick tick tick tick
"…ahh…"
Thump thump thump
His headache stretched at the sides of Edward's skull
Pounding pounding
Thump
Thump
Scratch.
Scratch?
His hand made for the layer-barrelled gun and pulled it to his lap, protective like a pet.
Hissss
Tick-tick-tick
thump
Thump.
Scratch
Tick?
Tick!
Scratch-Godammit!
He sat up and paced the room.
You're tired, just go down stairs and get some coffee. Take a pill. Take a pill or something? But he didn't move for the door.
He paced …and paced
Clack clack clack. Something was in his boot.
Tick tick
Thump
wheeze
"…Mmmmmah…"
Something…? His hand tightened around the metal. This was his good gun. His gun from the old days, that he'd kept hidden. There was a time when he'd dreamt he'd never have to use it. How things changed.
He stopped statue still and listened. In an empty room everything seemed prepared to lunge at him. For no reason he could see, the man was suddenly very
Tick
Very
Tick
Afraid.
Tick-tick-tick
A breath, long and low…
They-
His armed hand was instantly at the cell door.
-hadn't been making much noise. Not lately.
It was them it was all them. Scratching like rats in there. It was driving him fucking crazy. He could just go in there and shoot that fucker in the head right now. He could. He actually could do exactly that right now. And there was nothing in this world to stop him. He was so exhilarated at the idea, it almost scared him. But he just couldn't… not now. That would be too easy, too quick, too good for the likes of that sick worthless piece of shit!
Tick
Tick
He was getting exhilarated. Groggily, he sat down. Edward couldn't remember that last time he'd slept, or even sat. He picked up the smouldering dogged end of his Borisso cigarette and swept the rest of it's spirits lung-ward.
Monica, little Monica… he never smoked in front of her, or tried not to, or told himself that he tried, something like that. Edward loosened the thought and stretch his hands.
"Mmm"
Hand on your gun, Edward…
"mmmnaugh!" "Mnnnnmmmm Veee! V…"
"Shhhshhshhh…"
"Shut up in there!"
…
Silence.
Silence?
Tick
Tick
Tok.
Hiss
hiss
Hiss
Thump
Thump?
A thought arose, one of a few frequenters, of how when one tries to evade a noise it perused them more then than ever. Is intoxicated fuming ticking hissing mind picked up in irritability like an engine. He felt like a time bomb.
Thump
Fucking hell!
"Urrmm" He put a hand to his head.
Whispering?
…whispers…
"Shut the fuck up!"
BANG!
"Fuck!"
Oh shit! Oh shit oh shit!
Tick tick tick
"Fuck fuck fuck!"
Faintly…laughing…
Pfft!
…
Hm!
Shh!
…
"You're so beautiful when you smile…"
With out thinking he had the key in hand and was fumbling for the lock.
Scratch
Thump
Scratch
"Rrrm"
BANG!
BAM!
BANG!
He had one foot in the door and was firing aimlessly into the concrete.
Two pierced the lone Evey's left side before the iron door collided
with Edward's skull and he was hurled loosely to the floor.
The tranquiliser gun clattered across the floor. Edward reached to his thigh for his revolver.
The good gun, grab the good gun!
A thick wall of muscle slid itself under Edwards neck and a second pushed his head to the ground.
"V! V don't kill him…" Evey sputtered weakly and then collapsed fully half naked onto the floor.
V held his till he passed out which didn't take long.
His own heavy breathing caught the attention of the terrorist.
He released…
…
Tick
Tick
Tick
Sigh-
Clack
He turned just in time to…
BANG!
…Thump
…be unconscious again.