Chapter 24: Ready For War - 2WEI, Joznez, Kataem

CW/TW! This chapter mentions talk of mental rape and torture as seen from the previous chapter.

Day 9: 11:02

Mai

Mai knew she was in the astral plane the second her eyes closed in the real world and opened in the familiar empty space. She looked around quickly. "Gene? Are you here?" She called out.

"Mai!" His voice rang out. She whipped around and saw him standing there with relief on his face.

"Gene!" She ran to him and gave him a tight hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She cried. "Naru also says thank you for protecting me."

"Of course! How could I not? I promised to help protect you." They let go but he still held her hand. "I'll be honest, that was the hardest thing I think I've ever done. Extending myself down to the real world like that. I can see how spirits often lose sight of themselves when they do that. I almost killed that bastard!"

"I'm glad you didn't. I would not want to explain to Naru that we'd have to exercise you," she said.

Gene giggled. "So what happened after?" He asked, "I was so exhausted I came up here and rested. You calling out to me just now woke me up."

Her face fell. "Gene," she started and then trailed off.

"Wait Mai, what's going on with your spiritual aura?" Gene asked, looking intensely at her.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I can't tell the difference between your aura and my brother's. It's like it's melded into one! How did you two do that?! What could you two have done that would've-" He cut himself off as his eyes flew wide. "Wait…. Did…did you two…? You know? Do…?"

Mai blushed harder than she ever thought she could. She looked down at her feet and shuffled a bit. "Maybe…" she whispered.

Just when she thought Gene's eyes couldn't get any wider, they did. He smiled big and wide and reached out and picked Mai off the ground and spun her around. "YES! FINALLY! I'm so happy for you two!" He laughed jovially. "Welcome to the Davis family Mai!" He hugged her so tight she wondered if it was possible to suffocate a spirit.

She smiled so wide as tears of joy came down. "I'm glad I have your blessing Gene," she said.

"You've always had it. I'm just glad my idiot brother got his head out of his ass long enough to do something about his feelings for you!" He laughed. He looked at her carefully. "Something else has happened. What happened, Mai?"

"My powers expanded. I can apparently use telepathy on others. I didn't know about it until this morning. There were so many voices and noises around us both it started to hurt. Naru tried to help me concentrate on him, but I heard Alaina's thoughts. They were so terrible. Disgusting. Morbid…. Evil," she began shaking in fear and rage.

Gene fell silent. "What did you do when you heard them?" He asked darkly.

"I went into a rage. I performed the nine cuts on her, cut her face open, and punched the shit out of her. I told her I'd kill her. I was able to focus the PK into a singular point in my hand and hold it there. Naru shielded me as well. He used his PK and my aura to create a PK shield. It made a bullet disintegrate midair," she said.

Gene's eyes went wide. "You two are a powerhouse couple. This is leagues beyond anything we ever did."

"But Alaina found out I was reading her thoughts. She sent so many thoughts to me at once I got overwhelmed. I saw so much Gene. I felt them. They were all so real. Naru shielded me, and the doctor got them to all leave. He said something about a seizure? I was pretty out of it by then," she finished.

"I don't think I've ever heard of anyone as evil as this. You two have to escape. Tonight if possible," Gene said.

"That was my thought too. I'm still trying to get the images she forced me to see out of my head. It made me throw up. I wanted to kill her, Gene," Mai said, holding herself around her stomach.

Gene pulled her into a hug. "I know, Mai. I know. Do you need help dealing with telepathy? I've done some research on it when…well when I was alive."

"Yes, please! I can't deal with everyone's thoughts at once," she said, with a sigh of relief.

"Alright, well the first thing…"

-o-

Day 9: 11:45

Naru

He hasn't been able to stop shaking since the incident. He tried to recall just what happened and just would have caused Mai to go into a rage, unlike anything he'd ever seen from her.

He knew something had changed with Mai when she started holding her head and grimacing in pain. He reached out through their bond and felt pain, confusion, and feelings of being overwhelmed. When she said that she could hear everyone's thoughts, he knew that that was why she was overwhelmed.

He tried to get her to focus on him and only his voice. Which worked for 5 seconds. Then he caught on to her feelings again and was hit like a truck with feelings of rage. He's seen her get mad, furious even, but never rage. Wrathful even.

"Mai, what is happening? What did you hear?" He asked through the bond. She said nothing. "Mai, talk to me, what did you hear?" He tried again. Nothing. She let go of him and faced Alaina. The rage increased. "Mai-"

Suddenly she rushed forward. "RIN! PYŌ! TŌ! SHA! KAI! JIN! RETSU! ZAI! ZEN!" She screamed, before barreling into Alaina. "MAI!" She was landing blow after blow on her. He looked around and saw one gunman raise his rifle and take aim at her.

"I'll kill you if you touch him!" Mai yelled holding her own PK in a fixed point on her hand ready to fire.

Rage and a need to protect surged through him. He raised his hand and his eyes glowed silver; using her aura and his own PK sent out a single thought: protect Mai. A silver shield shielded Mai right when the gunman fired. The round hit the shield and his PK destroyed it.

He shook his head. Mai would never want to kill anyone. What could Alaina have thought of that would cause Mai to become enraged in such a way? To become so enraged that she would be willing to forget where she was and the situation she was in with him, just to try and, what, kill Alaina and try to get away with it unharmed? It couldn't have been good. She said Alaina wanted to do something to him?

Right after he was sure that Mai had fallen asleep after he placed her in bed, he had talked to Dr. Hiroa.

"Dr. Hiroa, whatever Mai heard, whatever she saw, it couldn't have been good. We need to speed up our escape," he said.

"I agree. I'll get everything set up. You guys won't see me for a while but rest assured, I will be back."

Dr. Hiroa left their room, and all was silent once again.

That was a while ago now, and Mai still hadn't woken up. He wondered what she was dreaming about. Was she dreaming? Or maybe in the astral plane talking with Gene? He thought he'd give it a try and try to go there with her. Catch her up to speed. He lay down on the bed next to her, brought his head to hers, and connected to their bond.

He opened his eyes into the astral plane and looked around. "Mai? Gene?" He called out.

"Naru! Over here!" He heard Mai's voice behind him. There they were. The two most important people in his whole life. Standing there waiting for him. She began running up to him and he smiled and held his arms out. She leaped into his arms and he spun once around with her. He pulled her into a kiss and held her to him.

"Mai, I was so worried! Are you ok?" He asked, looking her over.

She giggled, "Naru. I'm ok. Gene was just teaching me some ways to deal with my expanding telepathy. That way what happened today won't happen again."

"She's a model student, Noll. Just as stubborn as you are," Gene said walking up to the two of them. He put a hand on his shoulder and leaned into his ear. "I'm so happy for you brother! You've needed someone like her for so long."

Naru looked at Gene and pulled him into the hug too. "Thank you. Thank you for saving her yesterday. Thank you for being there when I couldn't," he said tearfully.

Gene smiled. "That's what a brother is supposed to do. I promised to protect her, too. It was terrifying being back inside a metal room again. I truly don't know how we survived that all those years. I did go a little overboard on Akio though," he said scratching the back of his head. "Though, not as bad as what she did to Alaina today."

"Mai," he said looking back at her, "what got you so enraged today? I've never seen you like that."

She looked down and shuffled uncomfortably. "I'm sorry you saw that part of me. I…was just so upset by what she thought that…well I saw red. I wanted her dead. Right then. I can't…say what she said exactly. It was…too much."

"Please, I need to know just what we're dealing with here," he implored. "It was horrible enough to make you enraged for the first time that I've ever seen. You were nearly shot, Mai! She forced you into a seizure from what she forced you to see…I know it's terrible, but Mai I haven't stopped shaking since. Please…tell us what you heard."

She took a deep breath and trembled. Gene put a hand on her back. She took another deep breath and said the worst thing Naru had ever heard in his life.

"'Maybe I can get more money if I…" she stopped and closed her eyes and scrunched her face, "breed the girl first and sell the kid? Or maybe I can…" she began trembling, "force Dr. Davis to breed her and then," she whimpered, "sell the kid? Before they're gone though I'm definitely going to fuck Dr. Davis," Mai's voice quivered and hitched on that last sentence. "Maybe the kid he gives me can be just as powerful. If they give me trouble I'll-" Tears were now flowing in abundance, "I'll let Akio fuck the girl next to me!'"

Mai fell to her knees and sobbed. Naru and Gene looked at each other in abject horror. Did they really just hear what they think they just heard Mai say? Naru dropped down and brought Mai to him and held her. Gene kneeled down and rubbed her back.

"When she overloaded my mind, she showed me. She showed me what she would do to us. All of it. It was like I had gone through weeks of torture in a matter of milliseconds. And I felt it! I was being raped next to you and there was no more light in your eyes. You were dead! She made me feel and see a child. It was our child Naru. The child was just born and these men ripped them away from me! I was bleeding and they left me to die! And Alaina…she was laughing in my head…she was laughing the whole time…I begged for her to stop…but she just laughed!" she sobbed.

The Davis brothers were known for being calm, studious, well-mannered, and logical. One being a little bit more charismatic than the other. But overall very well in control of themselves and their emotions. But at everything that Mai just said, both became as enraged as she had gotten. They both knew that Mai only ever got really upset when things involved children. They both hated it as well, but this was personal now. On top of that, Mai's abilities were growing and the first thing she dealt with with these new abilities was pure torment and mental rape. They both began fuming.

"She forced Mai to witness and feel herself being raped?! And killing my own brother?! She's a sadist!" Gene said, shaking with rage.

"She would have me rape Mai…" Naru said darkly, "She would have me rape her and get her pregnant…just to sell our own child…and she forced Mai to see and feel that happening," Naru had angry tears running down his face. "She mind-raped Mai. I'm going to kill her."

"Why would she do this? This has to be beyond money at this point," Gene asked shakily.

"She's obsessed with me. This is more than just money. She craves power that she can't understand. And I'm that source to her. I got that impression from when she was talking to Mai," Naru said, his body shaking with rage.

"That's why I said I'd kill her if she touched you," Mai whispered. He looked down at her and saw her face contorted in rage with angry tears flowing down her face. "I saw what she wants to do to you. I will die before I let that happen."

"I think I speak for Noll and myself when I say we won't let either of those two things happen," Gene said.

Naru leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Dr. Hiroa is working on speeding up our escape. We'll be home soon." He asked.

"Home…I'm more than ready to go home. Thank you, Gene. For everything," she said.

"Kick some ass you two. Throw in a punch for me too please."

-o-

They both opened their eyes, still holding each other. Mai had dried tears on her face from everything earlier. Her face is dirty from fighting on the ground, and her hair is disheveled.

'Still the most beautiful woman in the world,' he thought. He leaned forward and kissed her gently.

"N-Naru," she moaned. He leaned down and started kissing her neck. "Oliver!" He maneuvered himself atop her and kissed harder and rougher. He kept going like this until she was a writhing mess underneath him. After a few minutes of rough kissing, he sat up and admired his work. Mai panting heavily, her lips slightly swollen, and her neck and throat red and bruised in semi-circular patterns.

'Why haven't I done this sooner? Why was I denying myself this much pleasure? Why was I denying her this much pleasure?!' He thought.

'Because we're both idiots,' Came her cheeky reply.

A moan at the door caused them both to look up quickly. Naru's blood boiled. Akio was standing in the doorway palming himself through his pants while staring at the two of them. When he looked at Naru he grinned maliciously.

"Oh please, no need to stop on my account Dr. Davis," he drawled, "I was actually enjoying the show. Thinking about how it would have been so nice to hear those sounds from that sweetheart as she's bouncing on-" Akio was cut off by Naru jumping out of bed and rushing up. He caught him by surprise and pinned him to the wall by the throat.

"You sick bastard! I should kill you!" he growled.

"Only if you want to get shot before you can blink," Akio choked out, reaching down and gripping his pistol.

"No!" He heard Mai scream through the bond.

He loosened his grip but didn't completely let go. "What do you want?" He growled out.

"I came to see how that sweetheart is doing," he started.

"Stop calling her that!" He snarled, pushing him into the wall.

"I wanted to see…if she's recovered! But the doctor…left for the day. Probably went to see his daughter…I came to also offer a deal…" He was turning red in the face from his choking.

"What deal?" Mai questioned angrily. She got up and went to stand just behind Naru. He released his grip slightly so he could talk.

Akio looked at her and smiled. "It's simple really. Come work for me instead. I saw what you did to Alaina up close. It was quite…arousing. You won't be sold, and you know just what to expect. In exchange, Dr. Davis, I ask that you…share your little girlfriend here. Think of it as…an equivalent exchange."

Naru was seething, but Mai went up to Akio and put her hand on his head. Her hand began glowing gold and she muttered, "Disgusting old man. You will forget why you came here. You will forget what you've seen. Leave."

Akio's eyes flashed gold and then back to brown and he slacked in Naru's grip. "I don't know why I came here. I'm leaving now." He let him go and he walked out the door to their room and shut the door.

"Mai, that was incredible! How did you-" he turned to look at her and saw her turn pale, and she held her stomach. Her breathing increased. He knew that look too well. "Bathroom. Now."

He was able to get her in there just in time for her to throw up in the toilet. He rubbed her back as she heaved. There wasn't much anyway. She had already thrown up her breakfast earlier. Now there was hardly anything in her. He worried about her dehydrating at this rate. Once she was done she sat on the floor exhausted and panting heavily. She began whimpering and he pulled her into an embrace. He rocked with her back and forth trying to soothe her.

"It's over, you're OK, you're safe. I've got you," he whispered.

"That took a lot out of me. I feel woozy," she said.

"Let's get you to bed and rest a bit." He got her up and held his arm there for her balance. Once he got her lying down he asked, "What exactly did you do to get him to leave?"

"Well, I had a thought while in the astral plane. Gene was telling me about how the brain controls everything; our thoughts, feelings, and actions right?" He nodded. "It's done through little electrical jolts. So I just used a little imagination and the slightest amount of PK to essentially implant a thought. Shift his brain in a certain direction. He technically thought it himself, but only through deep mental manipulation. Naru, why are you staring at me like that?"

He was impressed, amazed, and horrified all at the same time. He had never thought of that before. To him, it was always just manipulating bigger and bigger objects. He never in his life thought about manipulating the micro-electrical jolts on the neurons in the brain! She is discovering abilities with his PK that he has never thought of before. He'll have to explore that once they are out of here.

"It's just…a little terrifying to think about," he said.

"I don't want to do things like that, but I felt so disgusted, so vulnerable; I felt like it was the only thing I could do without making things worse," she said, holding her stomach. "I'm in so much pain. And I feel so drained."

He put his hand on her face and had a singular thought: heal. It's always been Mai doing this, but in that moment he felt he could as well. She took a deep breath and smiled.

"Thank you," she said.

"Always, love."