Chapter Two Hundred and Two

...

Author's note: thank you for your well-wishes and patience during my surgery!

...

Ryuu woke up in pain, a hiss on his lips as he tried to move and more pain followed. An IV drip was beside his bed, but it clearly wasn't working if... oh, he was wearing a power-repressing cuff. It explained the pain, and he vaguely remembered debris from the exploding building hitting him as well, which probably hadn't helped either. He didn't remember what had happened after that, let alone how they'd come home, nor why he was wearing a power-repressing cuff.

The IV drip wasn't the only thing beside his bed, Ryuu realised a foggy second later, seeing his father sitting in a chair and either sleeping or meditating while he waited for Ry to wake up.

"Papa?"

Connor's eyes flew open at the raw whisper. "Ryuu? Are you okay? I'm so glad you're awake, son."

Ry smiled briefly, his lips cracked from intense heat. "I'm okay, Papa. You?"

Connor sighed and shook his head. "I've been worried sick ever since you fainted from blood loss after the building exploded."

That explained why he didn't remember what had happened after the explosion.

"You shouldn't have played with your opponent, Ryuu. I thought I was going to lose you over a stupid knife fight," Connor said, his voice trembling.

Connor hadn't meant to bring this up now; he had planned on discussing it when he was calmer and Ryuu wasn't in bed recovering with a power repressing cuff on his wrist. However, the words and anguish and hurt and worry all seemed to bubble out of his chest, his heart spilling out of his throat. When he closed his eyes, all Connor could see was the way Ry had collapsed right before the time stop. The explosion had barely registered in his mind as he'd watched his son collapse, Ry's hand pressed against a bloody wound in his side. Connor hoped he wouldn't regret the words now, and waited for his son's response.

Ry's eyes widened. "I didn't mean to! I didn't think he'd actually get me!"

"Even though a seer told you that exact thing?"

Ryuu felt guilty but continued talking, like he was hooked up to a truth serum rather than super morphine. "I was winning and, I dunno, it was fun."

"Fun?! This is your life, Ryuu, it's not a game! You could have died!"

Ry bit his tongue, his cheeks red, and looked down at his blanket. "I'm sorry, Papa. I was... You've... " he trailed off, sighing and trying to think of his words past the pain and drugs and fogginess. "You went on tours and survived worse than one guy with a knife. I just... I wanted to be brave like you."

Connor felt like he'd been stabbed and the knife had been twisted to boot. "Ryuu. It wasn't bravery. It was stupidity, desperation, and what I thought at the time was a lack of other options. I was trying to get away from my parents, and joining the Army was the only thing I could think of at the time. Joining the Special Forces was mostly to see if I could, and... None of it involved bravery, son," he admitted.

Ryuu felt like a rock had been lodged in his throat and he tried to breathe or swallow past the giant lump so he wouldn't cry.

"You don't have to prove anything, especially if it puts your life in danger. I can't lose you, not like this. I'm too young for you to die," Connor said lightly, trying to ease his own pounding heart and calm Ry as well.

"I'm too pretty to die," Ry said with a wavering smile and then promptly burst into tears.

Connor sighed and leaned over to hug his son to his chest. "It's all right, you're alive, and that's all that matters. But we're doing a session together with Doc and talking about this more, okay?"

Ryuu nodded in agreement and continued to cry against his father's chest. When he finally pulled away, he saw that Connor had been crying too, and looked around for tissues.

"I've got a sleeve, don't worry about me while you're the one lying in a hospital bed," Connor said, squeezing his hand.

"I'm sorry, Papa."

"Promise me you'll listen to the seer next time?" Connor asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ryuu sniffled and nodded. "Promise."

"Excuse me? I'm here to check on the patient."

Ryuu's eyes widened as he heard Alex's voice and he quickly wiped his eyes, and barely refrained from checking his hair while his father was sitting right there.

"Of course, come in. I'll give you your privacy and go scrounge up some food, good?"

"Good, thanks Papa," Ry said with a slight smile, his attention already on Alex.

Connor bit back a smile and closed the curtains behind him.

Alex's well-rehearsed lecture fled from his mind the instant he saw Ryuu with tear tracks on his cheeks and reddened eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Uh... kinda? The drugs are helping, but it still hurts."

Alex stepped forward, instantly in doctor mode rather than... anything else. "It shouldn't hurt, let me check the line," he said, frowning as he checked the bag, tube, and connection to the cannula in Ryuu's arm. "Ah, there. It's not letting it all through. Let me fix this."

Ryuu very pointedly stared straight ahead and did not think of how he'd pictured Alex's face during his last orgasm at the Hive.

"That should be fixed. I'll press this to send a full dosage through, then I'll check your vitals. If you still feel any pain by the time I'm done, let me know, okay?"

"Okay," Ryuu said, his voice a shy whisper.

Alex forced himself to be professional and thorough. There was no way his real first patient was going to die or risk an infection or have anything else go wrong because he hadn't done his job properly. Especially not Ryuu. Alex saw his heart rate elevated, but figured the crying and lecture he'd received from Connor was likely the cause.

Taking down the rest of Ryuu's vitals and comparing to his earlier results, Alex figured that he'd have a better indication once the full dose of super morphine had hit and started working properly. He looked at Ryuu, who was leaning back on the pillows with his eyes closed, his hands folded in his lap, and looking gorgeous despite everything. He still had the slice along his eyebrow removed, and while the scar itself was gone, the gap remained. It only added to his features and Alex fought the very unprofessional urge to smooth down his eyebrow with his thumb.

"Do I have to call you Doctor?" Ryuu asked suddenly, opening his eyes and looking at him.

"Uhh... No, I haven't graduated. Hell, I haven't started, technically."

"So should I call you Alex or do you want me to call you something else?"

Alex had to bite his tongue so he wouldn't answer with something ridiculous like 'sweetheart' or 'babe' or... Dear god, get a hold of yourself, Alex.

"Apprentice sounds cool, but kinda more magic than medicine, y'know?" Ry continued, unaware of Alex's thoughts.

"Magic isn't real," Alex said.

Ryuu grinned. "I bet people thought powers were magic ages ago."

Alex conceded with a nod. "How about intern? It's usually for graduates, but it's the lowest rank," he said with a shrug.

"Intern Plisetsky? Or Intern Alex?" Ry asked, his grin relaxing and eyes glazing as the full dose of morphine started to flow in his system.

"Intern Plisetsky is better. It's more... professional."

"That's good," Ryuu said, his words thick as exhaustion started to claim him.

"Do you feel any pain?" Alex prompted.

"No, Intern Plisetsky. Thank you for looking after me. You're good at this," Ryuu murmured, his eyes closing.

Alex felt like his cheeks burned red, and forced himself to think of his bodily response in medical terms. It was just a rush of blood through widened vessels, and increased blood flow. He needed to breathe, steady his heart rate, not think about Ryuu saying he could be good at other things -

"Intern Plisetsky?" Ryuu asked, his eyes wide open and pupils dilated.

"Yes?" Alex asked, a mantra of 'be professional' running through his mind.

"You're so pretty," Ryuu said earnestly, blinking once before falling asleep with a light snore.

Alex adjusted Ryuu's pillow gently so he wouldn't hurt his neck or continue snoring, and left with his cheeks burning red.

...

G woke up in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. The machines, smells, and sounds around him made it easy to understand that he was in hospital, but it still took G a few seconds to truly comprehend where he was. Why hadn't he died?!

"G? Y'all right there?" Bill asked, sitting in a chair beside his bed, and again, all G could do was stare uncomprehending.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice rough.

"Well, now I was hopin' you could tell me. Charlie and I came outta that building to find you an' Zephyr unconscious on the ground. You were a goat; you hate shiftin' in the city."

G shifted on the mattress, uncomfortable at the reminder. "Yes, I know. I wasn't going to let Zephyr kill you, was I?"

Bill seemed surprised by his answer. "Six other agents saw what was happenin' to me an' Charlie, an' they kept on drivin' without even a 'good luck' on their way."

"A month ago... hell, maybe this morning, I would've been the seventh. But I haven't been sleeping well, I've had this Super Godawful headache, and... I found photos of us together."

Bill nodded to the Polaroids sitting atop his clothes. "Those photos are the only reason I was allowed in here, so that's good timin' if I do say so myself."

G reached for the table where his clothes were sitting, and grabbed the Polaroids. "When did we take these, Bill?"

Several emotions flashed across Bill's face, and G thought he recognised surprise and disappointment, but he hadn't felt anything in so long that he wasn't quite sure.

"I... uh, we took most of those when we were going through the Super Bureau's training together. A few are later when... " Bill trailed off. "The machine was introduced in the mid-90s, so the last ones were in '94."

G looked at the photos, trying to work out how he felt for the first time in forever. "It was a long time ago."

"It was, and yet it feels like yesterday," Bill admitted.

Something like hope bloomed in G's chest and he fought the urge to rub his torso to ease the pain. "Do you..." G trailed off, uncertain if he should ask or whether he had a right. It had been more than twenty years, after all. Despite that, there was a feeling of pain and pure anguish as he thought of Bill moving on without him.

"Do I what, G?"

G shook his head briefly. "Never mind. Will a doctor be here soon?"

"I do mind. Finish the question, G. You know you can ask me anything," Bill prompted.

G felt his hands clenching the Polaroids, forced himself to relax and set the photos aside, his hands immediately clutching the blanket instead. He was nervous, that was new and familiar at the same time. Bill always seemed to make him tongue tied with little more than his presence and a smile. It had been so long.

"Do you still... care for me?" G asked, his voice cracking.

"G, you silly old goat. I love you more than I ever thought I could," Bill said, his voice soft and sweet as he reached out a hand to cover G's clenched fists.

G had no idea what he was feeling, but his body reacted anyway. Goosebumps trailed along his skin, his heart felt like it was being clenched in his hands rather than the blanket, tears formed in his eyes, and his throat felt blocked with a giant rock. He couldn't breathe and his own body was trying to kill him.

"G? Fuck, G, listen to me. Breathe through your nose. Focus, breathe. C'mon, in and out, you can do it."

Through the fog that his mind created, the haze and blurred vision, the pounding of his heart echoed in his eardrums, G heard Bill's voice. Breathe through his nose? He could do that. He could.

Inhaling took every bit of strength and concentration G had, but he managed. Bill coached him through breathing until his body stopped attacking him, and G collapsed back against the pillows and bed, his body trembling with the effort.

"Are you okay, G?"

"I ... don't know," G replied.

Bill squeezed his hands and let go, his touch and warmth lingering. G focused on his breathing and kept his gaze on his hands until the warmth had faded.

"I remember everything I did at the Super Bureau," he said, voice quiet. "How can you love me after the things I've done?"

Bill sighed. "G, I didn't get the B designation 'cause of my good looks and charming smile. The things you've done are probably just as bad as the things I've done. I won't judge you for them, I promise."

"How... it's been so long, Bill."

"It has. I don't want to waste another minute, how 'bout you?" Bill asked, reaching out to squeeze G's hand.

G squeezed his hand in return; he still wasn't sure what he was feeling, but he knew that he didn't want to lose Bill again.

...

Morana woke up feeling surprisingly well rested and refreshed considering she'd only slept from the airport to the morgue. Blinking a few times, it took her a moment to realise she was no longer in the limousine, and certainly wasn't at the morgue.

What the hell had happened to her?!

Sitting up, she immediately felt her body to ensure she hadn't been hurt or had her organs stolen while she was asleep. Relieved when there were no wounds and that her kidneys were safe, Morana got out of the bed and tiptoed over to the closed door. Her captors hadn't tied her up or hurt her, and she was about to make that everyone's problem.

" - kidnap someone!" a young woman snapped.

"I didn't kidnap her, she got into the limo willingly. It was more... misleading her. Besides, it's not like she can do anything with Barron anyway; the Pacifier took the extra lives away so he's dead-dead and can't be reanimated anymore."

There was a pause from the other person, and Morana frowned as she processed Honey's words herself. Barron Battle was dead-dead?!

"You never told us that was the result of the Pacifier, Honey," a young man said this time.

"I know; it would've led to too many moral arguments and we wouldn't have rescued anyone, not even Grant."

There was a soft sigh. "Fuck. Then it's worth it," the young man said, though Morana wasn't sure if he believed it for himself.

"Will you see to our guest while I organise Maleah's family, Honey?" the young woman asked.

"Of course. She's been listening at the door for long enough. Come on through, Morana; I'll explain what's going on before the horde descends," Honey said with a grin, turning to look at Morana directly.

The redheaded young woman smiled before leaving, the young man going with her. Not seeing much of a choice as the door was closed behind them, Morana stepped out of the room and into the lounge area. "Where am I?"

"That part you can't know yet. But take a seat and I'll explain everything else," Honey said, indicating to the lounge.

Taking note of the door the two young adults had left through in case she needed to make a quick exit, Morana sat down.

"We recently rescued a lot of people who were kept prisoner and being experimented on by the Super Bureau. In the rescue attempt, one of our friends was shot and died. We'd like you to bring her back."

It was far too short an explanation and raised far more questions than Morana anticipated, but she couldn't give voice to any of them, let alone process them all. "What?" was her shocked response instead.

"The Super Bureau has been kidnapping people and experimenting on them. This particular group were adults, but the last group were children," Honey said, right as a young bald boy walked into the room, as if on cue.

"Hi! I'm subject 081, and I can go into extreme and excruciating detail about the experiments they ran on us, but you'll have nightmares for months. So, please believe us so I don't have to relive it?" Zero asked.

He turned to face Honey and as Morana stared, still not sure what the hell was going on or how to process any of it, she saw the hole at the base of Zero's skull. It had been grafted over and was healing, but it was still obvious enough that she could see it clearly. It was a precise cut, the circle perfect and definitely not self-inflicted at that angle, and Morana knew it had been done by someone with medical training.

"Philomena and Philipe are here; they need help carrying in the chairs."

"Sport and Champ will help; use the intercom, not the phones."

"Thanks for checking, my innocent eyes could've been soiled," Zero said with a laugh, running off before Morana or Honey could say anything else.

"Is he yours?" Morana asked.

"Maybe one day, we haven't decided yet. Now, I should warn you: Maleah has eighteen siblings and two very loving parents. I'll be right here, so squeeze twice if you need a break, okay?" Honey said, offering a hand to her.

"Eighteen siblings?" Morana echoed incredulously, taking her hand and standing.

"It'll be twenty-one by the end of the month; Decima looks ready to pop, but the babies want more time with their mama."

Morana didn't get a chance to ask as the horde - as Honey had so aptly described them - descended.

"We're so glad you could be here and do this. We don't have much money, but I have five thousand in savings. Give me your details and I will transfer it straight away. My daughter is worth so much more," Barnabas said, hugging Morana firmly and thanking her again.

"Barney, you ask before hugging people," Decima berated, pulling him away and holding out a gloved hand for Morana to shake. "He is right, our Maleah is worth more and we would give it all to you for this miracle."

Maleah's brothers and sisters took up their own stories and thanks and anecdotes, some still red eyed and thick with grief while others looked relieved and happy for what Morana was about to do.

"Everyone, a moment, please!" Morana called out and despite her short stature and lavender pastel dress, the crowd fell silent at once. It was a rare response and Morana took a moment to appreciate the unusual power and peace. "I am contracted by the government of Maxville and I am not supposed to bring people back from the dead without a judge present. Has Maleah been tried and sentenced to a multiple life sentence?" Morana asked, looking around the group.

"She was killed, not caught," Kiara said, her voice hard and firm. "Are you saying you won't do it?"

Morana felt all eyes turn to her and she frantically squeezed Honey's hand twice.

"Luckily, Hyacinth has just arrived. Zero will bring her up, not to worry. Now, why don't we all head to Maleah's bed so Morana can see what she's working with?" Honey suggested.

Morana stayed stock still as they all filed out and did as Honey asked without question or reproach. When they were alone, she looked at Honey with wide eyes. "If she hasn't got a multiple life sentence, I can't legally - "

"We both know you've done it before, Morana."

Morana let go of Honey's hand like she'd been burnt. "How did you... "

Honey raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want to know?"

Morana felt her chin trembling and she quickly shook her head.

"Good. Now, let them keep their money and take mine instead: a hundred-thousand dollars for your work and your silence. You can be on the next flight back to your honeymoon and still have enough to pay off your student debt."

"A hundred thousand?" Morana asked, her jaw dropping.

"Maleah's worth every cent, and more. Now, Judge Salt is waiting with the rest of the family. Please, come with me."

"What if... what if I don't accept your bribe?"

Honey smiled. "You will. If you break your silence, I will break you."

Morana felt a cold shiver run down her spine and knew that Honey meant it sincerely. She was also right that Morana would accept the bribe, but she wished Honey sounded quite so certain about it without even giving her a chance to consider. Swallowing hard, Morana nodded. "Please, lead me to the deceased."

"Wise decision, Morana. This way," Honey said, leading her towards the hospital wing where they all awaited a miracle.

...

"How long until the reanimator arrives?" Jetstream asked impatiently.

The coroner didn't appreciate her question or tone, but he was concerned: Morana's flight had landed an hour ago, and it should have been more than enough time to get to the morgue. "Perhaps her flight was delayed. The last flight was arriving from Hawaii. I'll check the site."

"Has anyone organised a driver for her?" Judge Pepper asked through a yawn. He was getting too old for these midnight sessions.

"A driver? I think you overestimate the budget we have for luxuries like that, Judge Pepper. We're an underfunded government department, not politicians," the coroner said with a derisive snort of amusement. "We're lucky to employ Morana as it is. New York's morgue is trying to steal her away by offering to triple her salary; if she accepts, we won't have anyone on staff," Marvin trailed off, shook his head, then tried to refresh the site again. "Sorry. The wifi is slower than the dead, I can - "

"I'll go to the airport and pick her up myself. It will be faster, and we can all go home sooner rather than later," Jetstream said when Judge Pepper yawned again.

"Uh, all right. She's five foot, wears purple, and has blonde hair," Marvin described.

With a firm nod, Jetstream flew out of the room, morgue, and building, and headed over to the airport. She remembered the last time she'd been here; she'd been part of a charity race to fly faster than a plane, and had won by a mile. The time before that, she and Steve had been returning from Hawaii after winning the Realtor Service Award.

Looking at the arrivals board, Jetstream saw a flight for Hawaii had recently landed and let out a sigh of relief. The flight had been delayed, after all. Not certain how to get the reanimator's attention with the crowd in the airport, Jetstream saw several people holding signs. Most looked to be drivers, so they had the group's attention as people eagerly looked for their name among the signs. Jetstream headed to one driver who had just found his client and smiled.

"Good evening, citizen. Can I have your sign?"

Both the driver and client's eyes went wide at Jetstream's presence, and the sign was offered without protest. Several people did double-takes as they saw the world's most beloved superhero in the airport.

Jetstream ignored them all for the moment, trying to remember the reanimator's name. Something starting with M? Morticia? Morgan? Morven? Morleigh? No, none of those sounded right. She was sure it ended with an 'a', so... Morgana? That had to be it. Taking a marker from her utility belt, Jetstream wrote the name on the sign, and held it up as she stood with the group of drivers.

The crowd were tired or deemed drivers unworthy of their notice, as they all seemed to look at the signs rather than faces. Jetstream had never felt more invisible in her life. A few people noticed, but it certainly wasn't the number of people she expected, and none of them even tried to approach her.

"I'm Morgana; did I win a prize?" a woman asked, looking between the sign and Jetstream in amazement.

Great, she was a comedian. Jetstream fought the urge to roll her eyes and instead smiled at the woman. Five foot four, dressed in black, and her hair was black as well. Maybe she'd dyed her hair? And did she really expect a man to notice her height accurately? As to the purple, well, it didn't make sense for someone to wear one colour all the time.

"We need to go; you're needed for an emergency," Jetstream said, holding a hand out.

Morgana seemed surprised but nodded and took her hand and held her suitcase in the other. "All right. I'll do whatever I can to help."

Jetstream held Morgana and flew out of the airport and back to the morgue.

They arrived in under a minute, Jetstream setting her guest down. Morgana's eyes went wide at the sight of the morgue and dead body on the metal table. Then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed in a dead faint.

"The flight wasn't that fast; is she all right?"

The coroner hurried over to check. "What's her name?"

Jetstream scoffed. "Morgana. She's your colleague, you should know that already."

"My colleague is Morana, so I'm not surprised this poor citizen fainted on seeing a dead body like this!" the coroner snapped.

He stood, hurried to a cabinet, took out a small bottle and uncapped it, hurrying back to the woman's side. He waved the bottle beneath her nose gently, and the woman came to with a shudder, still paler than she should have been.

"What... what happened? Where am I?" Morgana asked, looking around, eyes widening when she saw Jetstream and the Commander. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, no, this was all a misunderstanding. I'm Marvin. Let's get you something warm to drink before the shock sets in, okay, Morgana? Keep your eyes on me, there you go. Do you prefer tea or coffee?" he asked, picking up her suitcase.

"Oh, uh, tea. Thank you," Morgana said as she was led out of the room, still utterly confused as to what was happening.

Jetstream felt the eyes of the judge and the Commander judging her, and clenched her jaw. "If that wasn't his colleague, where is she then? There were no people matching that description at the airport."

Judge Pepper frowned. "Maybe she has a phone we can call to see where she is. Were there any traffic accidents you saw on the way here?"

"I didn't look. I can go check now," Jetstream said with a firm nod, flying out before anyone could stop her.

"Now, what were you saying about your golf handicap?" Judge Pepper asked, grinning at the Commander.

...

The closer they got to the Sanctuary, the worse Pat felt. He hadn't heard anything from anyone and they should have been home for hours by this point. The burger he'd eaten hours before had settled like lead in his stomach, and seeing the destruction and debris around Maxville didn't help his nerves or churning stomach. He saw the car from AAA Construction a street over and knew that his father would be out there helping with the cleanup, but his mother was still navigating around office chairs on this street, careful of glass and debris from Super God knew where.

"Looks like they had a time of it, eh, lad?" Ellie asked, breaking the quiet tension with a grin.

"Yeah, I think so. Zephyr is probably to blame for the changed skyline; I don't think any other prisoners could bring down multiple buildings. Unless Baron Battle decided to destroy buildings, but it's not his usual M.O."

"Aye, good point; none of the chairs are charred like they would be from a power like his. See, that looks brand new. Someone could make a killin' from selling second-hand office furniture after today."

Pat nodded in agreement, distracted as he saw the Sanctuary building a few blocks over. The building itself was still standing, but who knew what horrors he might find on the inside? He itched with the desire to get out of the car and run there himself, though he logically knew it wouldn't be faster. After the results of France, it was highly likely that everyone was injured in some way and being treated by Ida; Dr. Spattle was only one person and even though they'd set aside an entire floor for Warren, Layla, and their friends to keep them separate to whomever they rescued, there might have been more urgent injuries among those that were rescued. It was entirely possible that all of his friends were still melted down while waiting to be treated, and that's why they hadn't messaged him yet.

"Almost there, lad. Couple more minutes, depending on the furniture in the road," Ellie said, reaching over to squeeze his hand.

"I know. I still wish we were there already."

"Don't blame you; I've been worried for hours an' I ain't even dating anyone or part of the main friendship group like you are. I'm surprised ye ain't turned yerself inside out by now."

"Don't tempt me," Pat said with a brief and lacklustre smile.

Ellie nodded to the car's radio. "We should have reception now."

"Not much point this close, is there?"

"All depends on what's on the radio, don't ye think?"

He couldn't fault his mother's logic, so Pat turned the radio on, moving across to the news station.

" - Battle killed in bank explosion earlier today. The judicial court is waiting for his resurrection tonight so he can be re-tried in the morning. A judge and jury will decide whether Baron Battle has learnt anything from his last incarceration or if more life sentences are needed for the supervillain's past and recent crimes to be absolved."

"I don't envy the poor bastards stuck on jury duty for Baron Battle's resurrection retrial," Ellie said with a shudder.

"Don't jinx it."

She scoffed, navigating around a filing cabinet and desk that had a giant crack running down the middle of it. "Like they'd let me on the jury in the first place. I'm very vocal about my stance about multiple life sentences."

"Mm, I remember the PR scandal."

"So does my PR team. Now, I can drop you by the elevator or you can wait an extra minute while I park and come up with you. Up to you, lad."

"I want to go up and see everyone right now, but I'll wait for you. They'll probably make me wait until you're there anyway," Pat said with a shrug, trying to sound nonchalant like he didn't want to climb the side of the building if that was even a minute faster.

Ellie didn't look as though she believed him, but nodded and continued driving through the littered streets as fast as safely possible.

After what felt like hours, they finally arrived at the Sanctuary building, the driveway into the underground parking lot thankfully clear, and Ellie parked by the elevators.

"This isn't a proper parking space, Ma," Pat said even as he took his belt off and opened the door.

Ellie would have responded if the elevator doors hadn't opened at that moment.

A short woman in a purple dress ran out of the elevator, her eyes wide. "Please! You have to help me! I've been kidnapped!"

Pat and Ellie glanced at each other, both coming to the same conclusion: if the woman had been brought to the Sanctuary, there was likely a reason for it.

"Oh, no. That's awful! What's your name?" Pat asked, his tone light as he stepped out of the car and moved forward to take the woman's hand in a comforting gesture.

"I'm Morana. Thank you so much," she said, her lip trembling and eyes watering.

"What were they trying to make you do, lass?" Ellie asked, stepping around to join them.

Morana sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "They... they were trying to make me use my power. She bribed me, but... I'm legally not meant to, and even if I did back then, I didn't have a choice then and I do now. I should now," she added with a weak resolve.

"What's your power, lass? Go on, you can tell us," Ellie added, patting the woman's hand and giving her a gentle smile.

Morana swallowed hard and decided to trust her saviours. "I... I bring people back to life."

"Oh? Who were you meant to bring back?" Pat asked, his light tone gone in an instant.

Morana was still busy drying her eyes and feeling the overwhelming sense of relief that she was going to be rescued that she didn't see, hear, or realise the tension Pat obviously felt. "I... I don't remember her name. It was a big family; there were so many people that no one saw me slip out the door," she sniffled.

Pat felt like he was frozen solid all at once, desperate to run inside and find out what had happened, who had died, and yet he couldn't move an inch.

"Go on, lad. I've got her," Ellie said with a firm nod, wrapping an arm around Morana.

Her words were the catalyst for Pat to move and he all but stumbled over to the elevator, pressing the call button, and stepping inside even as the doors opened, practically slamming the level his friends should be on.

Morana frowned at his sudden departure and looked at the woman properly now that her eyes were dry and emotions were settling. She frowned as she realised she recognised her saviour, but not how or from where. "Do I know you?"

"Aye, most likely, lass. Now, let's go get all of this sorted out, hmm?" Ellie offered in a generous tone, squeezing Morana gently and leading her towards the elevator as it opened again.

Zero grinned at Ellie and Morana, the reanimator confused and realisation starting to sink in. "Don't worry, it won't take long, and then you won't remember a thing."

Morana's eyes widened and she tried to get out of Ellie's grasp. Ellie's hold tightened and as they stepped into the elevator, the doors closed behind them.

"Who was it, lad?" Ellie asked, keeping her hold on Morana, even as she started to scream uselessly for help.

"PLEASE HELP!"

Zero hesitated for a second, then sighed. "Maleah."

"HELP!"

"Oh, that poor lass. I can't imagine how her poor family must be feeling," Ellie tutted with a sad shake of her head, ignoring Morana's cries.

"HELP ME!"

"Come along, stop yelling; quick, quick," Zero said, ushering both women out of the elevator and down the landing.

Morana wrenched herself out of Ellie's grip and tried to run again, but this time was stopped by a vine from the lobby's waterfall. Her eyes widened at the extremely far too big to be natural vine that blocked the hallway, her jaw dropping.

"Morana? We heard you screaming for help; thank you for your patience while we healed," a redheaded young woman said with a smile.

A brunette young man joined her, and with a brief press against the vine - like he was pushing away an overeager puppy, rather than a monstrous vine - it rejoined the rest of the waterfall with an eerie silence that Morana did not like one little bit.

"Are you going to save me?" she asked, her voice trembling as she glanced over at Ellie who certainly hadn't been the saviour she had expected.

"No, we're not. We are going to hurt you, though," the redhead said, her words so sweet and charming that it took a few seconds for the actual words to sink in properly.

"What?!" Morana asked, but it was too late: both the redhead and brunette were by her side, and she knew that this time there would be no escape.

...

End of the two hundred and second chapter!

Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed it.