The next morning, if one could even call it that, given there was no indication of time down in the bunker.
It felt like Ezra had been down there forever, when it had really only been almost two days.
"Aye, kid." He heard Griffin say, before he jabbed Ezra with his foot. "Wake up."
Ezra's eyes open, and he sits up. When he does, he's met with exhaustion and pain. The bruising on his arm and stomach had just gotten worse. He felt like he was about to throw up, a wave of nausea overtaking him.
His fingers tense around his moms ring that was still on his right hand index finger.
Something like cloth hits Ezra in the face.
"Here." Griffin tosses him more clothes. "Put these on."
Ezra rubs his eyes, and looks down at the clothes. A loose, light brown, almost pinkish shirt, baggy black pants, a red belt with a gold-colored metal buckle, and a pair of black boots with multiple lighter gray straps.
Black seemed to be a big thing around here. Maybe they were real good friends with those dark themed pirates that had kidnapped him and brought him here.
They probably were.
The clothes looked old and a tad bit worn out, but they were in better condition then his current.. situation.
"If those don't fit, don't start complaining." Griffin says as he turns his back to Ezra. "And hurry up, we have places to be." He warns without the slightest bit of sympathy.
Ezra stands up, his whole body feeling sore. The last thing he needed to do was anger one of his captors.
Ezra lets out a short breath, slipping a hand under his shirt. He flinched at the touch. His skin was showing signs of bruising, and it wasn't looking good.
"Ow-" Ezra winced, as he stumbled out of the room, leaning against the concrete wall.
Everyone stares at him for a moment.
"You alright, lad?" Husk asks while putting down the crates he was holding.
"I…" Ezra covers his mouth with a single hand. It hurts, everything hurts so much. He tried to speak, but he couldn't get anything out.
"You didn't think he caught something?" Griffin backed away from him. "There's a ton of chemicals down here. Do you think he's dying?"
As much as Ezra wanted to tell Griffin to stop, but he couldn't speak out of fear of throwing his guts up.
Henry stared at him from his far away corner, noticing Ezra's look of distress.
"Hmm…" he scratched his chin. "Come here, boy." He said, gesturing with his hand for Ezra to come forward.
Ezra obliged, his hands still over his mouth. He practically jumped over the two steps as he quickly made his way to Henry.
"Did something happen on your arrival." Henry began firing questions, giving Ezra no time to answer. "Was the mask not put on properly?"
Wait, he knew about those strange gas masks?
"Hm." Henry leaned closer. "You don't seem like the kinda kid that would put up much of a fight." He said, shrugging as he studied Ezra's face closely. "Did you get injured when you were taken?"
Ezra paused, hesitating to answer. He then nods.
"Well, then." Henry turned back to his desk and began quickly organizing his tools. "I suppose we best pay Victor a visit then."
Griffin groaned when he heard the name.
"Oh, come on!" Griffin said defensively. "The kid can just walk it off!"
Ezra really didn't want to be on these people's bad side, especially Griffins.
"Y-yeah!" Ezra backed Griffin up, trying hard to look convincing. "I'm fine-"
Henry looks Griffin dead in the eye and jabbed a finger into Ezra's side, making Ezra wince.
"Hm?" Henry waited for any more objections, to which there were none. "Besides, it was bound to happen sometime, might as well get it over with."
"Ugh, but Victor's so…" Griffin glanced at Ezra before he spoke again, choosing his words wisely. "Off."
Ezra got the sudden feeling that this Victor guy was not someone you want to meet
"Aye," Husk interjected. "But it's best we just do it now, right? No reason to wait any longer than we should."
Henry gets up and walks towards the sealed door that leads to the rest of the bunker.
Griffin ran a hand down his neck, acting very resistant.
"Yeah, but…"
"The quicker we leave, the quicker it gets done." Henry states. "Come along, boy." He says to Ezra, not waiting to see if the boy will follow as he walks out the door. "Husk, you stay here, Griffin, with me."
Griffin let out an irritated groan, like a child being told no, but he follows Ezra out the door.
L-o-9-3 also follows silently and closely behind them.
"Lupe." Griffin stops and looks at her, his expression slipping into one of concern.
Lupe?
Henry freezes in his tracks. He looked behind him.
"You're coming?" His voice went soft as he approached her. "You don't have to, I know your relationship with Victor is-"
"I'm fine, Henry." She says. "I am perfectly fine with accompanying you. I should have checked Ezra for injuries when he first arrived. I take responsibility-"
"Don't. You aren't responsible for this." Henry said. "You don't have to come."
"I will." She says. She glances at Ezra, before looking back at Henry. "I will."
Henry was silent for a moment, examining her face for anything, but she stayed stoic.
"Alright." Henry nodded, continuing on.
Ezra had no idea where they were going, but they had left the bunker, busy as it was, and into another dark hallway, like Ezra wasn't sick of those already.
Ezra walked behind Henry and Griffin as they talked, falling back next to Lupe.
Griffin was once again arguing about not wanting to go and Henry was dismissing his complaints.
But Ezra blocked them out, trying to focus on something else. The whispers and faint sounds in the hallway made him wary, making him subconsciously move closer to Lupe for protection.
"I thought you didn't have a name?" Ezra whispered to Lupe.
"I don't." She replied. Ezra looked up at her, confused.
"But he just called you Lupe-"
"He did." Lupe said. She didn't speak anymore after that, leaving Ezra both confused and a bit shocked.
After what felt like an hour, they finally reached another metal door.
Ezra let out a shaky sigh.
Not again, he thought.
The walls rumbled, and a small 'ding' echoed as the two metal doors began sliding open, one going one way, and one going the other.
Ezra half expected another room full of mechanics, but no. This time it was just a small room, small enough to be a closet.
It was an elevator, something Ezra had only heard about. Terrible how his first time in one of these contraptions is during the time his death begins to crawl near.
How unfortunate could this be, that his end lies behind every creeping corner. That his life is in the hands of people he hardly knew.
At least Husk pretended to like him. But Ezra could see it in their eyes.
'Eyes are the gateway to the soul' He used to hear people say, and he could tell by the way Henry looked regretful to see him, how Griffin looked at him with resentment, and how Husk is filled with remorse everytime looks his way.
There was nothing in Lupe's eyes, they were drained of a spark of life that should be there.
He felt like he had caused some unspoken balance to shift, and the longer he was there, it continued to break.
What was even worse was the awkward tension as they all piled into the elevator and crammed together, standing silently for several minutes, shifting around uncomfortably, entertained by their own thoughts.
The elevator began to go up, rumbling at first, until the movement ceased.
Griffin coughed and cleared his throat awkwardly as he shifted around. Ezra fidgeted with his mothers ring uncomfortably.
Thankfully, soon the crushing tension was released as the elevator halted, and opened, revealing another hallway. But at least this one wasn't as endless as the last one, because there was another door at the end of it, with two guards on either side.
As they approached, the guard straightened, their metal spears hitting the ground with an authoritative 'thud'.
"Gentleman." Henry nodded to each of them. "I require a word with the physician."
"Which one?" One of the guards asked, in that same lifeless, robotic tone that disguised their real voices..
"Is this visitation authorized by Irene Maddox?" The guard asked, pulling up a data pad.
Ezra's head tilted as he looked up at the guard.
Irene?
"Not yet." Henry replied casually. "But do believe me, it's for a great cause."
"If it's not authorized, we can't let you, or your team, through." The guard said.
"State your reason for your visitation request." The other guard interjected before things got too heated.
"It seems one of your own wasn't too careful about how they handled my apprentice." Henry said, his voice low and threatening, no longer as calm and gentle as it was a moment ago.
If Ezra wasn't paying attention, he wouldn't have noticed two guards slightly shrinking back as Henry leaned forward.
"Maddox will know of this interaction, and of your insubordination." Henry threatened, taking a step closer.
"Yes, Mr. Black." Both guards said simultaneously, clearing the way.
Mr. Black? Ezra looked up at Henry with a curious and suspicious look.
One of the guards turns to a keypad on the wall, punching a few of the numbered buttons.
"Victor Hyde, you have visitors." The guard said over the intercom.
"Ooo~ Patients at this hour?" Someone said in a sing-song voice from the other side.
A man appeared as the metal door slid open, and Ezra quickly understood Griffin's hesitation to come here.
The man was, well, to put it lightly, hardly a man at all. He wore a black plague mask, but somehow one could still see his bright red eyes through the red stained glass.
He wore a gray waistcoat over a white dress shirt, red ruffled tie, black gloves that were tight on his clawed fingers, and gray pants that matched the waistcoat, along with a black belt that held numerous objects like tweezers and a few other things Ezra couldn't identify.
He had short, star white hair, slicked back, a few strands hanging over his mask.
So, this was Victor Hyde.
Ezra couldn't tell what he was. He had a normal human physique, but he had sharp claws, and those eyes of his…
Ezra's pupils became sharp slits. His ears slightly pin back, and his tail tightly wraps around his own leg.
There was something wrong with this man.
Something really wrong.
"Oh." Victor let out a disappointed hum as he stared blank at the group in front of him.
"It's you."
"Mhm." Henry put on an obviously fake smile as he glared at Victor.
Griffin, Lupe, and Ezra stood uncomfortably in the background.
"Is Maddox with you?" Victor asked sweetly, putting his hands together. He glanced around, looking for any sight of their tentacle haired boss.
"No." Henry replied, sickly sweet, but bitter.
Ezra looked away, eyes wide and lips in a tight line.
Mm, the tension.
"Well," Victor faked another smile. "That's quite unfortunate."
Griffin's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head, but he stayed silent. Lupe shifted behind Ezra and Griffin, hiding herself away from Victor's eyes.
Victor noticed this, eyes widening and smile growing when he saw her.
"Ah, my precious android!" Victor said, staring directly at Lupe.
Lupe took a step back, her stoic face replaced with an expression of fear.
"Have you come to return it to me?" Victor smiled.
Griffin moved in front of Lupe, holding a protective arm in front of her.
Victor laughed softly, awaiting an answer as he smiled smugly.
"No." Henry said firmly, moving Victor's attention away from Lupe and back to him.
"Then what could be so important that the great Henry Black had decided to drag himself and his sorry excuse of a team all the way up here to meet with my humble presence?" Victor put a curled finger to his chin as he pretended to think.
That's when he noticed Ezra standing quietly behind Henry.
"Oh! And, who's this?" Victor pushed Henry away with a single hand, leaning closer to Ezra.
"U-um-" but before Ezra could introduce himself, Henry interjected, forcing Victor away.
"None of your business." Henry spoke, his tone of voice didn't do well to hide his anger.
"Hm? Isn't it, though?" Victor hummed, sounding a tad bit amused. "I can only assume you brought him here for a reason and one reason only."
Henry let out an irritated sound.
"Ok, fine, yes." He said, giving up his stoic demeanor. "The boy got injured during his recruitment and he's in need of a check before he can get to work, any more questions?"
Victor began to laugh.
"Don't tell me-" he said through fits of laughter as he held onto the door frame. He looked up at Henry with an amused face. "Is this another assistant?"
Everyone around tensed, and Ezra glanced around at Lupe's, Griffin's and Henry's expressions with confusion.
Another assistant?
"Oh, this is adorable!" Victor laughed, standing straight. He leaned closer to Henry. "Maddox is really letting you go?"
Victor let out a series of uncontrolled giggles. He put a hand over his mouth but it didn't hide his growing smile.
"Oh, how unfortunate."
Victor straightened his waistcoat, and collected himself. He gestured for Ezra to step inside.
"Come along, child."
Ezra looked around, hoping for some objections. When there were none, Ezra carefully stepped into the room, caution in every step.
Henry tried walking in behind Ezra, but Victor stopped him, placing a firm hand on his chest.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Victor said in a sing-song voice. "Not you."
"You can't-" Henry tried to object, but Victor cut him off.
"No, only the patients can be allowed in." Victor replied, allowing Ezra through. He snapped at Henry. "Now, be a good little pest, and wait patiently."
Without any further fight from Henry, Victor closed the metal door, walking behind Ezra.
The room was huge, bigger than Henry's workspace. It was filled with medical machinery and a few surgery beds.
The dim overhead lights flickered every few minutes.
There was also a faint buzzing, it almost sounded like it was coming from the walls of vents, or maybe perhaps the medical machinery itself.
Around the circular shaped room, there were tanks that let out a blue light. On closer inspection, multiple lunar eels swim around in the tanks, sparkling with electricity.
It all felt a bit too surreal for Ezra. As he slowly walked behind Victor, Ezra was getting all sorts of creeps from this place.
This is something that Alani or Ruckus would force him to check out, their adventurous spirit greatly outweighed his own.
But here he was.
It only fed into his far fetched theory that this was all a long and vivid dream.
"Come, come!" Victor sang, taking the lead. As they walked further into the room, a few androids looked their way. They looked exactly like Lupe, but with different markings and a lot more bumps and dents in their metal frame. They look void of anything, no emotion or conscious thought.
"Now, what seems to be the problem, child?" Victor asked.
"Um…" Ezra turns his attention back to Victor. He keeps himself at a safe distance from the doctor. He mumbled his answer under his breath.
"Speak up, boy, we don't have time for that." Victor says, snapping his fingers impatiently.
"It's just my arm and stomach…" Ezra says a bit louder.
"Let's have a look, then!" He says, bending somewhat down to his height. His demeanor was friendly, yet still coming off as creepy.
"Um, ok." Ezra took off his jacket, holding it tightly in his arms.
"Hm…" Victor put a finger to his chin as he examined Ezra's arm, pulling up his sleeve, poking at the arm. "Well, it's not dislocated, or broken… slight bruising. You're lucky the damage is minimal, could have been a lot worse."
Victor pulled away and stood back up. "I can only imagine Henry didn't notice until your work quality began to falter, correct?" He smiled as he trashed Henry's name.
"I haven't started… working yet." Ezra replied, more confused than ever.
"Oh!" Victor sounded surprised. "How long have you been here…?"
"Uh… 2 days.." Ezra paused. "I think."
Victor's eyes remained wide. He was quiet, remembering something as he stared at Ezra.
"Oh! Now I understand why you're here!" Victor said with a laugh. He placed his hand between Ezra's neck and shoulder. His thumb dug into Ezra's collar bone as he inspected it closely, for some strange reason… "That makes more sense, I wouldn't forget a face like yours!"
"What…?"
"Tell me boy," Victor got up and personal again. He pulled a pair of tweezers off of his belt. He grabbed Ezra's wrist. "How fond are you of those lovely claws of yours? Ooo, or what about those fangs?"
Ezra flinched back, stumbling a few steps away. "V-very fond.."
"Hm.." Victor stared at him, thinking to himself. "Shame."
Victor turned away, hooking the tweezers back onto his belt.
"I'll have my assistant treat the rest of your injuries, I must retrieve something from the back!" Victor said, making his way to a supply closet. "Chop, chop, people!"
Suddenly someone firmly grabbed Ezra's shoulder, causing him to flinch back.
It was a Zirrelian. Zirrelians are a race resembling multi-tentacled sea slugs.
They had desaturated blue skin, and tired yellow eyes with heavy eye bags. They wore a black jacket with short sleeves, a red and yellow striped shirt, and gray pants. They wore a black mask that covered their lower face and neck.
"H-hi." Ezra choked out, entire body freezing in place, feeling like his heart had stopped beating.
They gestured with the nod of their head to a medical table.
Ezra gulped, following them, keeping his eyes on the door at all times.
They grabbed a roll of medical tape and some gauze and signaled for Ezra to come closer.
Ezra stepped forward. The Zirrelian grabbed his injured arm, pulling it towards them, and began wrapping the gauze around it. The gauze was warm against Ezra's skin.
The Zirrelian touch was unnaturally cold, sending shivers down Ezra's spine.
"Stay still, almost done." The Zirrelian said, keeping their words and phrases short and simple. Their voice was rough and hoarse from not being used enough.
Ezra hadn't even moved, but he nodded, and held his breath in fear of accidentally moving an inch.
"Hm." They said, moving away. It was done, the gauze was tied neatly against Ezra's arm.
Ezra looked at it, then looked at the Zirrelian.
"T-thanks." He said quietly.
The Zirrelian didn't respond, staring at him before turning his attention to the medical table.
The Zirrelian pulled out a clipboard and pen, and carelessly threw them onto the medical berth. They sat down, holding the clipboard in one hand and the pen in the other.
"Name?" They asked. Their voice hoarse from lack of use, just like Lupe's.
"Um…" Ezra spoke hesitantly. "Ezra Calico."
"Age?"
"13.."
"Way of recruitment?"
"Uh… kidnapped?"
The Zirrelian looked up from the clipboard and stared at him blankly. Then they sat the clipboard and pen down, and placed another object on the counter.
A deck of cards sat on the table, old and overused.
"You play?" The Zirrelian asked.
"Depends on the game…" Ezra replied nervously, watching as they pulled out the cards.
The Zirrelian stared at him for a long moment.
"Orion's Belt." They said, looking down at the cards as they began shuffling them.
Orion's Belt was a game of knowledge and memory. Knowing what stars are in the Orion's Belt are key to winning, but it's more than just that.
Each player will get a turn to pick 3 cards from their own deck, with only one being a part of Orion's Belt. Then the player will flip the cards over and shuffle them, while the opposing player tries to keep track of the correct card.
If a player isn't fully aware of the stars in Orion's Belt, then they have 3 strikes to get it right when they call a win. If they are in fact wrong, the other player automatically wins.
A simple game. It's considered child's play by many, but Ezra felt relieved it wasn't something complex.
"I know it." Ezra said. They both took a seat on some high chairs and began playing on the medical table.
The cards were just basic playing cards, with Ace, numbers 1-10, queen, king, and the joker. They all had stars and their names written on them with black marker. Ezra could barely read them, but he'd make do.
The game went on for a few minutes. Ezra had a chance of winning multiple times, but he couldn't gain the courage to speak, letting the game go on longer than it should have.
Ezra picked a card from the Zirrelian's 3 card choices. It was an ace, with the word "Rigel" written on it.
"Can I call you Ace? If that's ok?" Ezra asked the Zirrelian, slightly hoping for an answer. It would be easier having a name for Ezra to call them in his head.
The Zirrelian didn't respond, just shrugged, which Ezra decided was a yes.
They didn't speak anymore, continuing the game like that interruption never happened.
"Playing children's games?" Victor came out of nowhere, peaking over Ezra's shoulder. He was unnaturally happier compared to the other residents on Scylla.
"Assistant!" Victor clapped his hands together. The Zirrelian- Ace, stood up.
"It seems…" Victor slowly walked towards them, hands together. "That our dear patient hasn't been introduced into our system! Make yourself useful and go get the iron, won't you?"
Ace stiffened. Then they nodded, and disappeared from Ezra's line of sight.
"The what-" Ezra said quietly, looking at Victor for some type of answer. He was cut off.
"Come along, child!" Victor placed two firm hands on Ezra's shoulders, ushering him into a separate room.
This other room was illuminated by red lights, and a raging furnace. Counters covered half of the room, while a medical table sat on its lonesome in a corner. Knives, tweezers, and such, lined the walls.
Numerous glass bottles filled with collections of body parts sat on the shelves.
The faint scent of blood and burning coal filled Ezra's senses.
Ezra immediately felt ill- iller.
Something in his gut was telling him to leave, run, getaway.
It was too late, the door shut behind him.
"Now, boy.." Victor said softly, amusement in his words. "I do apologize.."
"Wait-"
"But, orders are orders..." Victor straps on two white gloves, preparing himself to get his hands dirty. Ace comes up behind Ezra, grabbing him with their tentacle arms, holding him in place.
Ezra squirms, but the fight is useless. He looks up at Victor in pure fear.
Victor walked over to the furnace, humming a catchy tune as he pulled out a…
A branding iron.
"I do hope you'll come to understand…"
"N-no, no! Wait, please-" No amount of begging could save him now. Ezra tried to run, but Ace grabbed him and held him in place.
"It hurts more if you struggle." Victor tells him. There was too much glee in his voice.
Ezra was shoved onto a medical table. Ace used one of their hands to hold Ezra's shoulders down. Ace's elbow was pressed into Ezra's throat, keeping his head back.
Ezra gagged at the metallic smell of the dry blood staining the surface of the medical table.
Ace used their other hand to pull down Ezra's shirt collar, exposing the right side of his chest.
"Come on- please, don't! No-" Ezra struggled through tears and muffled screams. "No! Please, ugh- no!"
Nor Victor or Ace spoke.
Under the mask, Victor was watching with sick joy as Ezra put up a fruitless effort to fight, while Ace looked away, no hint of remorse or guilt in their eyes, like they had been drained of empathy.
"Please, no-"
The back of Ezra's head was pressed into the medical table, and with Ace's elbow choking him, his begs for mercy were silenced.
Just when he thought this was the worse it could get, he felt a burning sensation against his skin. But as soon as it came, the burning felt freezing cold, like it wasn't there at all.
But he couldn't feel anything.
Trying to hold down a scream, he gasped, putting up another struggle, to no avail.
In one swift movement, he was forced into a tub of water from chest up.
He tried pushing himself up, but Ace held him down with a firm hand on the back of his neck.
His head felt like it was about to explode. The urge to breath forced him to open his mouth, allowing water to seep past his teeth and down his throat.
He was yanked out of the water by his hair. His eyes were squeezed shut as he was gasping for air. There was a burning sensation in his throat, but was it from the tears or the fact he almost drowned?
These people had no intent to kill him, or at least they had no reason to.
They could have killed him for amusement alone.
Victor came up behind him, placing both of his hands on Ezra's shoulders, shaking him encouragingly, like Ezra would agree with his delusional fantasy.
"Now," Victor's voice never faltered, continuing to speak in that sickly sweet pitch. "That wasn't too bad, was it?"
Victor lets go of him, and stands.
"Get him fixed up." Victor told his assistant, his sing-song tone suddenly becoming cold and harsh. "Henry will have a heart attack if he sees his new pet is a half drenched mess."
"Not that I don't want that." Victor laughed as he thought out loud. Suddenly, the sounds of multiple bangs in the metal door echoed throughout the medical facility.
Victor groaned in annoyance. "By the stars, be patient! I'm coming!"
He quickly walked out of the room, heading straight for the door.
Ace pulled Ezra to his feet. Ezra was completely dazed, still coughing up some water.
Next thing he knew, he was being pulled- no, dragged out of the separate room they were in, and back into the main area.
Henry continued banging on the door, a small feeling of worry in his chest for the child that lays victim in there. "Victor, for the love of-"
"Henry!" Victor smiled as he swung the door open. Both his hands were placed firmly on each side of the door frame. "Do be considerate that I can not be at your beckoning call every five minutes."
"Where the hell is he, Victor?" Henry took a threatening step forward.
Victor remained calm, knowing Henry wouldn't push his luck. Griffin on the other hand… let's just hope Lupe is strong enough to hold him back.
"You worry too much, he's completely fine." Victor rolled his eyes, still all too visible under his mask.
Victor looked behind the crowd of angry engineers, and his eyes marveled at the familiar blue-faced devil that had captured his heart.
"Maddox!" Victor smiled widely, folding his hands together. "What a wonderful surprise!"
Henry, Lupe, and Griffin turn to see Maddox, with one hand behind his back while the other holds a smoking cigarette, and that never faltering smirk of his as he watches them stress over Ezra.
"Ah, Victor, it's been too long!" Maddox smiled, gently taking Victor's hand into his own.
It wasn't in a normal handshake kinda way, it was… something else.
"Don't tell me you came all the way down just to see me!" Victor said, the tips of his fingers pressing into his chest.
"Actually," Maddox pulls away. "I'm here to see the boy."
"Ah- what?" Victor looked bewildered, and slightly enraged.
"Did the procedure go well?" Maddox asked. Henry looked at him, staring at him like he had just insulted the Terran Empire's late Queen.
"What…?" Henry let out.
"Ah, yes, you'll have to forgive me for taking slight… drastic measures, hm?"
"What the hell did you do-" Griffin yelled, trying to break free of Lupe's grasp.
One cold, silent stare from Maddox made Griffin shut up.
"Now, where was I? Ah yes, the boy." Maddox returned to his calm demeanor. "Where is he?"
This was the single time anyone had seen Victor lose his 'collected' overly-friendly persona.
"I- um- right here!"
Victor moved out of the doorway, allowing Ace to shove the still gasping-for-air Ezra through the door.
Henry caught Ezra before he could completely fall to the floor, landing both of them on their knees.
Ezra laid limp in Henry's arms, clutching into him like his life depended on it.
Whatever Henry was saying, Ezra couldn't hear it. He couldn't hear anything. Everything was muffled and blurred, and it all sounded backwards.
He felt Henry's arm instinctively tighten around him, and Ezra heard him start yelling. He's also pretty sure he can hear Griffin cursing in the background.
"Maddox, what is this!?" Henry yelled, looking up at Maddox.
Ezra gained the consciousness to look down at the scar on his chest.
The symbol burned into his skin, he really couldn't make it out right away, but it looked like some type of tentacle faced monster.
He felt himself grow limp again, and he fell back into Henry's arms.
"Well, I figured that I might as well have him permanently integrated into our system." Maddox explained. He kneeled down in front of Henry, looking him in the eyes with a soft smile. "It's not like he's going anywhere anytime soon."
Henry glared at him, baring his teeth. Had he not been holding Ezra, he looked like he might have lunged at Maddox's neck.
But he wouldn't. Henry shifted his gaze to the ground, a sign of defeat. An amused huff left Maddox as he stood back up.
"Now, I believe we all have better things to do, hm?" Maddox said.
"Y-yes!" Victor nodded, trying to hide his growing frustration from failing to get Maddox's attention.
"I must be off, I have some… important meetings to attend." Maddox says, nodding to both Henry's team and Victor.
As Maddox walked past, he gave Griffin and Lupe a small smile, pissing off Griffin even more.
Henry pulled his attention away from everyone else, looking down at the child in his arms.
"Boy." Henry lightly shook him. He pulled Ezra away from him, but kept his hands on Ezra's shoulders. "Boy, can you hear me?"
There was silence for a few seconds until Ezra's body began to react normally again.
He breaks out in tears. He lowers his head, and falls into quiet sobs.
Henry pulls away in a moment of shock. Not knowing what to do with the crying boy, Henry looks to Lupe for assistance.
Lupe makes eye contact with him. She shrugs.
Henry looks at Ezra again. He awkwardly places his hand on the boy's back.
"Alright, boy… enough of that." Henry says, attempting to stand up. He grabs Ezra by the arms and pulls him up with him.
Henry looked up at Victor, who was clearly seething under his mask.
He subconsciously pulls Ezra closer. Then he turns both of them away from Victor and his prison.
"It's time to go."
-
The walk back to their sanctuary was a quiet and awkward one. Not even the faint rhythmic hum of the underground facility they were in was soothing.
Of course, there were the sounds of Ezra's quiet but heavy breathing that hitched ever once in a while. It did nothing but make the other three feel a tad bit more guilty.
But all their lips were sealed.
The journey from Victor's hold and back to Henry's… whatever it was, felt like it had taken hours, but once they reached the entrance, it suddenly only felt like seconds.
"Ey, guys-" Husk tried to greet them, but paused as Ezra quickly rushed past him into the room behind the curtains.
Husk watches as Ezra disappears into the other room. He looks back and finds some very sour and regretful faces trying to maintain their stoic facade.
"What's this?" Husk asked, his voice meddling in concern.
"The visit went splendidly." Griffin said sarcastically, waking to his corner to mope.
"It… could have gone better." Henry replied. He ran a hand down his face, his other hand on his waist. His claws moved through his hair and he sighed.
"No zats" Griffin yelled from across their small living space. 'Zats' was a cuss word from Griffin's home planet that he used quite often, along with many other off-world profanities that have taken up his vocabulary.
Henry scoffed, shaking his head. Both of his hands rested on his hips.
"Anyone gonna fill me in?" Husk asked, looking around at the 3 of them.
Henry noticed the ladle in Husk's hand and the dirty apron around his waist.
"Are you… cooking?" Henry asked, drawn away from Husk's original statement.
"Well, yes." Husk confirmed. "I thought after the appointment, you lot would be hungry, and I made extras last night, but now, it looks like nobody is up to eating." He said, still confused about the situation.
Henry sighed again.
"We had business to attend to." Henry says vaguely. He sits down on a stool next to Husk. He had a strange expression on his face. It was a mix of stoicism and regret, and Husk immediately knew something was wrong.
"What did Victor do, Henry?" Husk asked, a sense of dread and concern overtaking him.
"He branded him." Lupe cut in. She held up her arm, showing off her metal wrist that held its own branding mark.
Husk's eyes widened, and glanced at their shared sleeping quarters. He was filled with the thought of Ezra crawling up in his bed, in agonizing pain, but trying his best not to scream out of fear of them.
"Shouldn't we do something?" Husk asked urgently.
Lupe and Henry stared at each other quietly.
"I'll go check on him." Lupe broke the silence. "To make sure his wound is going to heal properly."
Henry or Husk didn't try to stop her as she too disappeared behind the curtains.
"Ezra?" Lupe called out quietly and softly as she entered the dark room, the only source of light coming from the warm light that seeped through the cracks of the curtains.
It didn't take long to find Ezra. He was curled up in a heap on the bed he had been given, clutching his left hand close to his chest.
He was deathly silent, holding back sobs. His chest frantically moved up and down with his hitched breaths.
"Ezra." She repeated. She walked towards him. She looked down at him with a stoic, yet soft, look.
The android crouched down on one knee, which caused Ezra to scoot away from her. She froze. She slowly held out her hand. "Can I see it, please?"
Ezra stared at her. His right hand had been covering one of his eyes, and into half of his other eye. Lupe could see his single green eye and slanted pale pupil between his middle and ring finger.
She's seen that look before. It was a mixture of fear and almost madness.
Lupe moved her metal fingers, gesturing for him to hold out his hand to her.
He, ever so reluctantly, inched his hand closer to hers. His sniffs from crying and hitched breaths become more clear once he removes his hand from his face.
That hand settles on his chest, over his other hand. They shield his scar, hiding it from the world. But surprisingly, his hands lower to his sides.
Lupe sees how damaged his shirt was, it was falling off his right shoulder at this point. Lupe slowly reached her hand out.
Ezra flinched when he felt how cold Lupe's fingers felt on his bare skin.
Lupe examined the burn closely.
"Hm.. did you struggle against him when he did it?" Lupe asked, not looking up to meet Ezra's eyes.
Ezra paused for a moment. She must be talking about Victor. He nods. "Y-yes." He says, his voice is hoarse and dry.
Lupe didn't say anything. She continued to inspect the branding mark. "It should heal fine." She said, standing up.
She walks over to two barrels, and kneels next to it. She pulls out a dusty white metal box that was wedged far between the barrels.
She dusts it off with a single hand, then stands back up. She was still, seemingly in deep thought as she looked over the box.
She exhaled a shaky breath.
She walked over to Ezra. She sat on her knees, placing the box in her lap. She opened it, and on further inspection, it turned out to be a med kit.
There were two rolls of gauze, a small pair of scissors and some other things Ezra didn't recognize.
Lupe pulled out one of the rolls of gauzes. "It will sting. It will hurt. And it will be uncomfortable." Lupe states, carefully unrolling the bandages.
Ezra stared at her, a bit expectedly, and a bit dumbfounded.
Thanks for the heads up…
She took out a small metal tin from the box as well. She opened it, and spread some cold, gooey substance on Ezra's wound.
It stung. Ezra bit his lip to even out the pain.
She held the banged up, and gave Ezra a look. Ezra is quick to understand, and takes his shirt off.
Lupe then carefully wrapped the bandages around his chest. When she finished, they were tight around his body. Ezra moved his right shoulder a bit, trying to loosen the bandages slightly.
"Don't." Lupe warns. "Your branding is still new. It will take weeks to heal." She informs him. That just makes him feel even worse. "Let's just hope your nerves are still somewhat functional."
Now he wanted to throw up.
Ezra stays quiet. He can hear the faint sound of his heart beating in his chest.
Why can't this all just be an elaborate nightmare?
Ezra pulled his hand away from Lupe's gentle touch and mumbled a quiet, "Thank you."
Lupe didn't respond. She stood up, and stared at him for a moment before walking away.
Everyone was so distant. But then again, what did Ezra expect? They were kidnappers helping a trafficker planet thrive. They couldn't care for him.
They couldn't even bat an eye at his pain and suffering.
Ezra let out a quiet sigh. But not quiet enough, because Lupe heard it, and stopped in her tracks. She turned her head so she could look at him, but her body stayed still.
"Griffin has graciously given up some of his old clothes to you." She said, her optics narrowing somewhat.
Ezra's eyes went wide.
He's 100% sure Griffin didn't like him, so why would he give him clothes?
"They're next to… your bed." She added. She once again stared at him for a long moment, before leaving him alone.
Ezra's gaze turns to the floor, and he spits the clothes that Griffin threw at him earlier.
Ezra doesn't respond to Lupe. He just silently stares at the clothes.
He extends his hand out, carefully reaching for the shirt.
He pulls the shift close to him, feeling the soft fabric on both hands.
"Thank you, Lupe." Ezra said quietly, continuing to look at the clothes.
Lupe was taken aback, but quickly pulled herself together. She walked out, giving him some privacy.
Ezra stood up, clutching the shirt tightly. He begins to slip one of his arms out of his jacket. The jacket was more like a blanket, if anything. It almost reached down to his knees and it really did cover him like a blanket.
Not that he minded. It was so… cold down here.
He took his jacket off entirely, plopping it into his bed.
He slips his boots off, one after the other.
He begins to put the new set of clothes on. It felt amazing to feel somewhat clean.
The shirt was loose on his neckline and shoulders, and so were the sleeves. It reminds him of the shirts Alani used to wear when she wasn't forced to attend fancy events or parties.
He finished putting the rest of the clothes on. They were a bit too big for him, but he's forced to manage. He slides the belt on which helps the pants stay up and keeps the shirt tucked.
He puts his coat back on, feeling the cold begin to leave as he dragged the rough yet soft inner fabrics of the jacket over his shoulders.
All while doing this he can feel the lingering feeling of burning flesh.
After he was dressed, he looked around the dark room.
Should he…
Should he go out there?
That's a bad idea, right?
He can't talk to those people, they probably hurt people.
But as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.
He finds himself watching idly, a single eye peeking through the curtains, watching Husk, Griffin, and Lupe as they sit on stools and boxes in a circle around a lantern that lights up the dark room.
He doesn't know why the room is always kept in such shadow, but it wasn't really revelvent at the moment.
Griffin, Husk and Lupe spoke in whispers, all leaning closer together.
No doubt they were talking about him with how many nervous glances were sent in his way.
When their eyes looked elsewhere, Ezra put one foot outside the curtain. They remained glued to their own conversations, and Ezra slipped one foot out the curtain.
Their attention remained off him and he was halfway out, but he still kept part of his body in the shared sleeping quarters in case he had to duck back in… again.
Husk looks in Ezra's direction again, and goes quiet. The others look as well after Husk's momentary silence.
All eyes were on him now.
He holds his injured hand close to his chest, his mouth slightly agape as he urgently looks for something to say.
"Hellos, lad." Husk greets him with a small nod. He straightens up in his seat, looking around awkwardly. His left hand rested on his left knee, and his right foot seemed to shake nervously.
Despite Husk's intimidating size and name, he didn't seem like someone that had the want to kill.
But that doesn't mean he hasn't.
"Hi." Ezra blurred out, his voice sounding a bit high pitched and shaky.
Awkward silence.
"Come on here, lad." Husk scoots over on the bench he was sitting on, making space. He gestured for him to take a seat next to him.
Ezra hesitates, but after noticing their blank stares, he walks rather quickly to take a place next to Husk, and with every step, his chest burns.
He felt so small next to them.
He felt Husk put a hand on his shoulder.
"So, uh, lad…" Husk struggled to find the right words. "How's that burn doing?"
Ezra looks away, his left hand covering his right one. "Fine."
More awkward silence.
"You like the clothes?" Husk asked. He was the only one trying to keep the conversation going. Lupe and Griffin seemed too uncomfortable to speak.
"They're…" Ezra looks at Griffin for a single second before his gaze falls to the floor. "Fine."
"Great." Husk smiles.
Griffin scoffs. Everyone looks up at him as he stands up and shoves his hands in his pant pockets.
"Griffin, where are you-"
"I'm not gonna waste any more of my time." Griffin cuts him off. He was staring at Ezra, but it was more of an angry glare.
Then he began storming off into their sleeping quarters.
Husk stands up, holding out an arm as if to try and stop Griffin. "It's very early, are you sure you want to go to bed-"
Griffin stops at the curtain, but keeps his back facing them.
"Yes." Griffin replied coldly. "We've got work in the morning. Might as well."
He slipped behind the curtain wall, disappearing from their line of sight, leaving only Husk, Lupe and Ezra together.
Ezra felt like caving in on himself. He was beginning to feel nausea again and his body started to tremble. He pulls his knees to his chest, his tail tangling between his legs.
His head aches, as does his wrist. He doesn't look up from the ground as his arms wrap around his legs for some sort of comfort.
"Uh…" Husk sat back down as he broke the silence that had settled between them. "How
about you tell us about your life, lad."
Ezra couldn't help but be sarcastic.
"Well, recently I've been kidnapped to who knows where and forced underground with no way home."
"Ah." Husk replied, cringing slightly. He placed his hands on his knees. He leaned forward, trying to show Ezra he was listening. "How about before that?"
Ezra's ears perked up, his eyes widening.
Before that?
"Um…" Ezra still stared at the ground. His hands gripped the wooden bench. "I… I was traveling with my legal guardian on the Escardian Jewel."
Eleanor was his legal guardian, right?
Yeah, he's pretty sure.
"The Escardian Jewel?" Husk asked in a questioning tone.
"It's a merchant ship. It was pretty popular with the upper class." Ezra explained.
"Was your legal guardian a passenger or a worker?"
Ezra was quiet for a moment.
"Passenger." He says, no emotion in his voice.
"So, I can only assume you and your parent had some money?" Husk said with a raised eyebrow.
"She wasn't my mom." Ezra snaps quietly, turning away from him.
Lupe and Husk looked at eachother, then back at Ezra.
"She not much of the parental sort?" Husk asks in an almost comforting sorta voice.
"No. She was more of the take me away from everything I knew, sort." Ezra says. Ok. Maybe he was bitter, but he doesn't think that's wrong. "I was more of a servant anyways."
"Oh yeah? And what did you do?" Husk questions.
"I just… was there, I guess." Ezra sighs. His face rests in his left hand. "Never really had a reason for being there. I just accompanied to all her fancy parties and stuff. The cruise ship we were on had a bunch of things like that, with dancing and stuff like that."
Lupe seemed entranced with the mention of the parties and dancing with how her optics became more expressive and wide.
"But, um.. I just stayed in the background." Ezra told them. "Sorry if it's, uh, anticlimactic."
"It's fine, lad. Sounds like you've had more life experience than the most of us." Husk laughs kindly.
"I guess…"
"Griffin might know a bit about the whole working directly for the upper class thing, maybe you should talk to him."
"I'm… good." Ezra looks away.
Lupe finally says something.
"I don't think that would be a good idea."
"Well, you know Griffin.." Husk tried to excuse Griffin's actions. "He's always been… testy."
"Husk, don't." Lupe says, her soft voice finally earning some edge. That's when she got up. "Perhaps Griffin is right. No doubt we will have to presume as normal tomorrow."
"Ah. Right." Husk responds, disappointment in his voice.
Lupe nodded, and made her way to her charging station. That's when Ezra finally noticed Henry.
Henry was in his work place. He was hanging upside down, clawed feet effortlessly hanging onto a metal pipe. His wings were tightly around him as he presumably slept.
It was a strange sight.
But of course not as strange as everything else Ezra has seen so far.
Other than the sounds of faint metallic swirls and a strange soft humming noise, everything was quiet as neither Husk or Ezra had said a word.
But suddenly, Husk got up. He grabbed a bowl of soup from nearby and a rusty spoon. He then walks back and hands them to Ezra.
"Eat up, lad." Husk says. He begins cleaning up the dinner mess, stacking bowls and whiling much away. "Put some meat on those bones, eh?" He said, with a humorous tone.
Ezra doesn't respond, he just stares at the soup filled bowl in his hands. From what he could see, he was broth, a few vegetables, and some type of meat.
He really didn't pay attention to the last bowl he ate because he was so hungry, he didn't even care.
He filled his spook with a bit of broth and a big piece of meat. He blew on it softly.
He looked at it, trying to hide his suspicion, not knowing if Husk was looking or not.
He opens his mouth slightly, but he hesitates to put the spoon in his mouth.
Could it be poisoned?
No, that doesn't make sense, the last bowl wasn't poisoned.
Or was it?
But he was really hungry. He hadn't eaten anything today. Well, he hasn't really eaten anything at all in the past week.
At least it didn't smell completely horrible.
He ignored his thoughts, shoving the spoon in his mouth.
The meat was… poppy? it felt hard yet it caved in the moment Ezra sunk his teeth into the meat. It also tasted bland, and a bit undercooked.
Why was he suddenly so picky?
Maybe all that 'rich people food' Eleanor and Alani would sneak him had turned him into a food critic.
He's eaten worse..
The more bites he has, the more the void in his stomach grows and he becomes hungrier. Everytime he swallowed, he could feel his branding mark tighten. He practically snarfs the entire thing down in less than two minutes.
"Woah, easy there, lad." Husk says with a chuckle. "Savor it, we've only got limited supplies."
Ezra looks up at him and nods, but he stays quiet.
Husk begins to feel uneasy with the prolonged silence, and sits across from Ezra.
"Phft…" He exhales awkwardly. "What do kids your age do these days, huh?"
Ezra shrugged, not meeting his gaze.
"Hm. Well, my kids were already three when I left, so I really have no idea." Husk says, bittersweet. He speaks calmly, like it doesn't bother him all that much, but you can tell it pains him.
"Kids?" Ezra looks at him. "You have kids?"
"Aye." Husk smiles softly. He leans forward, his elbows rest on his knees and his hands linked together. "Two. Lights of my life they are."
He paused, thinking for a moment.
Husk sits up straight, his hands parting and falling lazily against his legs.
He wasn't about to unload all his traumas and regrets onto a child.
"So… you like, uh, stories?" Husk asks sheepishly.
Ezra tilts his head to the side, a bit confused. He shrugs without a word.
"Eh, sorry, lad." Husk apologizes, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I've been rushing 'ya, haven't I?"
"What do you mean?" Ezra asked, finally speaking.
"Everyone here-" Husk rephrases, "This team is just trying to… to live, and it just gets… harder, sometimes."
It gets harder?
But they make life harder for everyone else- look at how many people they've kidnapped and… and killed.
"Did I make everything worse?" Ezra asks, looking away as he rubs his wrist.
"W-what? No! No, lad, that's not it." Husk reassured him. "We're just… processing a lot of things right now."
"Hm." Ezra looks at the ground.
"Trust me, lad." Husk said, his voice becoming half serious and half concerned. "We're not gonna hurt you."
Ezra turned away. He placed a hand over his shirt where the branding scar would be.
That's debatable.
Husk saw this, and looked incredibly guilty with how he stared silently at Ezra, his mouth slightly agape but no words came out.
Husk sighed, turning his head away in what Ezra can only assume is pity.
But why pity him?
They hurt him. They can't feel bad after what they've done. They must have known what would happen, right?
They must have known.
It wouldn't make sense if they didn't.
They knew.
Even though Ezra can barely feel the burn infecting his skin, he can still feel the tightening mess of the skin around it. How everytime his heart pumped, he could feel it against his chest.
He felt so sick every time it happened.
He couldn't bare it any longer.
He held his face in his hands, indulging himself in darkness. Tears welled in his eyes as he held back hoarse gasps.
He curled up, his knees hovering above the ground as they tucked themselves closer to his chest. His face fell against his arms while his hands tangled up in his hair.
"Lad- are you alright?" Husk asks, urgent concern in his voice.
Husk reached out his hand. It lightly graces Ezra's shoulder, but Ezra flinches away. His arms fall, revealing a tear stricken face.
They stare at each other, no words falling out of their gasped mouths. Nothing but fast breaths and shocked looks.
Ezra's hands go to cover up his face again
"Please… let me go home." Ezra said through broken sobs. "Just let me go home.."
"I just wanna go home…" He whispers.
Husk sighed, looking to the ground.
"You and me both, lad."
Ezra looks up, eyes wide, tears streaming down his face. "What do you mean?"
Husk looks at him with a somber expression, guilt-ridden and tired.
"No one on Scylla is here willingly." Husk reveals. "Unless you're close and personal with Maddox."
"Or a pirate." Husk adds.
Ezra's interest peaked. His tears begin to dry, and only a sore lump is left in his throat.
"P-pirates?"
"Aye. Above grounds full of them." Husk explains. "At least the majority is. Sometimes it's thieves, criminals, assassins."
"Oh." Ezra stared at him, dumbfounded. Oh, his life just got so much worse. Underground was already horrible, but now the surface is filled with dirty liars and cheats.
Ezra wiped the crying residue from his face with his sleeve.
Stop crying. He thought. Stop.
"I told 'ya, lad." Husk says. "It's bad down here, but unfortunately it's also bad up there."
Nothing can be worse than what Ezra's seen so far.
"Why?" Ezra asks.
"Excuse me, lad?"
"Why is this happening?" Ezra asks again. He looks at his shoes, eyes tired and wet.
Husk sighed and shook his head. "There's no… excusing it, lad. It's just the way things are."
"But why?" Ezra pleads for a better answer.
"I don't know." Husk admits, shrugging his big shoulders. "But there's no changing it.
There was a momentary pause between them.
"How long have you been here?"
"3 years." Husk replies, voice tired and emotionally drained.
3 years!?
The feeling in his chest was of knowing. He knew there was a chance he couldn't make it out, but he didn't think…
He's never going home…
"I… shouldn't have told you that." Husk says, noticing Ezra's distraught face.
"It's fine." Ezra lied. His face stayed expressionless but tears filled his eyes again. "It's fine." He repeats.
"Oh, lad…"
"It's fine." Ezra says again, but quieter this time.
"No, no, it's not fine." Husk states, voice a bit more authoritative as he spoke. His hand carefully sits on Ezra's shoulder as Husk leaned closer. "You're just a boy, lad."
Husk takes one long look at Ezra's youthful face.
"By the gods, how old are you?" Husk whispered. Their voices became so quiet that not Griffin and Henry, who were most likely pretending to sleep, couldn't hear them.
"13." Ezra says.
"13!?" Husk gasps quietly. He looks horrified.
Ezra nods, confirming his statement.
Both of Husk's hands strongly grasped Ezra's arms, squeezing him together.
"What in the worlds are you doing here, lad!?" Husk asks, shaking him lightly. "Not even Griffin was this young when he got here."
"I don't think there's an age range in getting taken." Ezra said, tensing under Husk's touch.
Husk pulls away. His hands covered his face as he sat hunched over. "You're way too young to live a life like this." He mumbled.
Ezra stayed quiet, not letting all the things he wanted to say slip out.
Husk sighs again for the last time. He stands up.
"You should probably be heading off to bed with the others, lad." Husk says.
Ezr still didn't say anything. He was still on edge around Husk, despite Husk not giving Ezra a real definitive reason to distrust him.
There was a part of Ezra that didn't want to be left alone without Husk. So far, Husk is the only one that has vouched for him. Everyone else doesn't seem to like Ezra that much.
Ezra stands up, avoiding eye contact. He walks over to their sleeping quarters. As he feels his fingers touch the curtain door, his heart begins pounding.
What if Griffin's awake?
"You need anything else, lad?" Husk asks.
"No." Ezra replied simply, his back facing Husk. He didn't turn around. His hand tightly gripped the curtain and pulled it back just enough to let him inside.
"Ah.. alright then."
There was no response as Ezra entered the other room.
"Night, lad."
No response.
-
"I don't get it!" Victor yelled in frustration. Ace and the multiple medical bots Victor owned had steered clear of his tantrum, standing several feet away, either hiding behind medical tanks and boxes or eachother.
"That boy isn't even gonna last a few days!" Victor says, throwing a bottle of green liquid on the floor. "So, what's the point!?"
He seemed to calm down after the glass bottle was destroyed on impact, its contents spilling onto the floor.
"It's not like the boy won't be thrown out like the last one!" Victor said in an annoyed tone as he placed his hands on his hips. But then he began thinking out loud with his finger curled up on his chin.
"Then again... if Maddox's request to brand him was more than just a slight jab at Henry, that means the boy could end up being a… permanent installment."
Victor thinks even further. He begins to pace back and forth. "Which means… Henry is getting replaced."
Everything was silent as Victor stared at the floor in shock.
He began to laugh.
Then his laughing became hysterical.
-
"Cap'n?"
The gray furred Vulpe (fox) woman knocked on the door with her knuckles timidly yet firmly.
She was small yet nicely built and muscular.
She wore a red colored, sleeveless crossover shirt. Above that, she wore a long black vest that went just below her waist. Over the vest, she wore a brown laced corset.
A red clock wrapped around her waist over the corset. She wore black pants and low black boats that had a golden buckle but also a red cloth wrapped around it as well.
Her messy bangs covered one of her navy blue eyes. The rest of her hair was held back in a low ponytail
"Yes." The Captain said from the other side of the door to the Captain's quarters. It was obvious by his tone of voice he was seething.
Nora gulped, knowing of her Captain's… mood swings. She knew that even though her relationship with the Captain was closer than the common mangy mutts of the crew, that wouldn't save her from his unpredictable outbursts.
"W-we've got confirmation about the Escardian Jewel." Nora stated, trying to keep her voice from noticeably shaking.
There was silence on the other side.
Nora moved out of the way of the doorway in case the Captain decided to blast the door with a single bullet from his pistol.
"Enter." The tone of voice was menacing, but also uncharacteristically calm. Nora hesitated even opening the door. But she also knew that the Captain didn't have any time to find a new sailing master.
She let out a breath and opened the door.
"Captain Flint." She greeted as she walked into the room with a confident stride.
Flint's lavish chair was turned away from desk and from her.
One of his arms rested of the armrest and one of his legs was crossed over the other
She notices B.E.N standing next to Flint. He gives her knowing looks and nervous expressions as a way to signal to her to "tread carefully".
She nodded at B.E.N before turning her attention to the back of Flint's chair, staring directly at the back of his head that she could see.
When Flint didn't speak, Nora began to explain further.
"It was just like we suspected." Nora said, her face calm and stoic. "Someone else got to the Escardian Jewel before us."
"Who?" Flint asks, his six eyed gaze heavy on the wall in front of him.
"Rumor has it that it was The Trinity." Nora replied. Her arms were glued to her sides as he eyes Flint's resting hand intently.
"Their Captain don't kill people." Flint said. "At least not to that extent. Not unless there's something in it for her."
"It was an organized attack, Captain." Nora explained, crossing her arms while her chest filled with an uneasy feeling. "Maybe it was just a coincidence."
"That was no coincidence." Flint snapped, but his back remained turned. "We had been tracking that ship since it set sail, and then we find it burning and sinking into the void. Everything was under lock and key, there was no way she could have gotten there before us."
Flint sighed.
"Bane would never just slaughter an entire ship without reason." Flint spoke, almost softly. "She's too 'honorable' to do something like that on her own."
"What are you thinking?" Nora asked, easing an eyebrow.
"She's being paid." Flint responds, leaning back in his chair, bringing his arm off the armrest and to his jawline.
"Bane's stubborn." Nora noted. "She wouldn't do something like that for a couple coins."
"Aye." Flint says. "But I only know one man who would make such a request to anyone getting so desperate."
"You don't actually think…"
"I know." Flint stood up. "Set course for Scylla."
He turned to Nora with a look on his face that made him seem like he was about to shoot the next person who walked through the door.
He slammed his hands on his desk.
"I think it's time we paid Maddox a visit."
