Gavin opened his eyes groggily, taking in a tired breath as he stretched. He blinked and sat up as he realised he'd been moved. The last thing he remembered was resting his chin on the porcelain edge of the toilet bowl, fully expecting another bout of violent vomiting. He'd been a weak, shivering wreck, suffering the aftershocks of multiple panic attacks. Even now, he felt like shit. His head was dull and foggy as he tried to figure out exactly what had happened. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was probably the Jack android who'd moved him.
He was still fully dressed, only his jacket had been removed this time, along with his shoes. The duvet had been tucked up to his chin and fell to his waist as he pushed himself up. The lights were still on, so he had no trouble seeing as he looked around the deserted room. There was a domed metal cover the size of a plate on the small round table. He paused warily, distrustful of whatever lay beneath. It wouldn't make sense for them to poison him, so the food was probably safe to eat. Should I, though? Was it a sign of giving in to eat the food they gave him? He'd already given in by agreeing to go along with this. It also made sense to keep his strength up in the event he got the chance to escape. With that in mind, he padded across and lifted the dome.
There was a bowl of soup beneath. It was still warm as he touched the side of the bowl. Barely. It had clearly been sitting for a while. He sat and lifted the spoon, hating the fact that it actually tasted good. It was a hearty cabbage and beef soup made with thick stock. There was bread and butter to eat with it, too. It was heavy enough to be filling, but not so heavy that it would upset his already sensitive stomach. He wasn't sure whether the sickness came from his panic attacks or the drug he'd been dosed with earlier. Either way, eating seemed to help.
After eating, he took a more thorough look at his surroundings to confirm there was no escape route. Opening the drawers and wardrobe, he was disturbed to find his own clothes, or clothes that looked like his usual daily choices. There were V-neck tops made of the same soft wool, all in the same muted colours he liked to wear. The jeans were in his usual straight-legged style, in the same dark blue colour. Even the socks and pants were all his chosen brands and styles. He slammed the drawer shut and took in a deep breath as he moved across to the bathroom.
Bathrooms usually needed extractors or vents, so they didn't steam up and let mould fester. Looking up confirmed there was an extractor fan. Unfortunately, it was tiny. Even if there was a vent behind it, it would be too small for him to climb into. The tub was solid and sealed, so no way for him to get beneath that and under the floor. There probably wasn't much of a space there anyway, and even less likelihood he'd be able to crawl through it and get out somewhere else. Same for the sink and toilet. Tapping the walls pretty much confirmed they were solid stone, built into the foundations of whatever sat above.
Going to the tiled room next door was worse. Tugging the chains, he found they were strong and heavy, with thick shackles at the end. They were bolted to the wall with thick screws, more than strong enough to restrain a human, maybe an android, too. The tiles had been cleaned, likely with bleach, but he swore he could still see the barest hint of pink between some tiles, especially those around the small drain. The drain was barely big enough to fit his fist through, so absolutely not an escape route. There was no extractor in this small room, making the air feel thick and stale. The thought of what happened in there sent a shiver down his spine.
He sighed as he shut the door and returned to pace his bedroom. Should I even be trying to escape? I promised to give myself over completely…That was the deal. That he'd come voluntarily and accept whatever this sicko wanted to do to him, and in exchange, Nines and everyone else would be safe. The Hickory Killer and his pet android wouldn't go after them. Did that agreement extend to after he was dead as well? Phck, I should have thought of that…He had no reason to believe the Hickory Killer would do something so devious though. He'd have no reason to. The only time he'd gone after Nines and the others was to get to him. There'd be no payoff doing it once he was dead.
A creeping chill trickled down his spine at the thought. Once I'm dead…phck…He'd always done his best not to think about that. Even though he'd never really been in love with life, that didn't mean he wasn't afraid of dying. It wasn't really dying that got to him. It was how it would happen. What would it feel like? Would it hurt? How slow would it be? Would he be alone and scared? Those answers all seemed a lot more certain now that he was in the grasp of a serial killer. That scared him more. He took another deep breath, fighting off the tightening feeling in his chest.
He must have been asleep for a few hours. Did that mean the Hickory Killer was back? That he was somewhere up above with the Jack android? Were there cameras? He hadn't noticed any, but they could easily be hidden somewhere. Maybe in the light fixtures. Not all the small spotlights were turned on. The thought made him shudder. If he was watching, then he knew he was awake. How long would it be before he came down to meet him in person? He'd want to collect his prize at some point. Phck…Stressing himself wouldn't help.
"Phck-phck-phck…" He walked to the table and sat, legs bouncing as he bent over and breathed. How long was he going to be down here? Was the killer going to string it out for a few weeks? There were enough clothes in the drawers to last at least a month. Was his torture going to be that slow? Probably. The Hickory Killer had spent years stalking and playing with him. It wouldn't make sense to end things so quickly. He laced his fingers in his hair, gripping hard against the fearful trembles that wracked his body.
"Gavin." The sound chilled him to the bone. His head jerked up at the sound of Aaron's voice, breaths quickening as he pushed to his feet, though he knew there was nowhere to run. The black-clad figure let out a silken chuckle at his skittish reaction. He was dressed the same as last time. The same black jeans and hoodie, the same leather gloves, with the same formless black mask over his face. He was still using the voice changer, mocking him with Aaron's silken tones. The Jack android had entered behind him, likely to protect him should Gavin try anything. That probably wouldn't be a problem. He was frozen to the spot like a deer in headlights. "I knew you'd come to me one day."
"Y-you made me come," Gavin stammered in a voice that came out a lot smaller than he'd intended. He sounded like a scared little kid. He felt like one, too. It was instinctive as he backed off while the Hickory Killer approached the small table. The Jack android stopped a foot or so behind, looming like a bodyguard. Gavin didn't exactly press himself against the wall, but he did stand quite a way back from the table. The Hickory Killer crossed his legs and laced his fingers, sitting leisurely in the second chair.
"I understand why you believe that…Please." He gestured invitingly at the chair across from him. Gavin didn't move from his place near the wall, green eyes flicking between the Hickory Killer and his pet android. "You will not be harmed…Sit." It wasn't quite an invitation this time. The tone was sharper. More severe. Gavin swallowed the lump in his throat and gingerly pulled out the second chair to sit down. He dragged it a little away from the table, eyes still flicking between his captors distrustfully. The Jack android seemed more subdued than earlier. Colder. More robotic. He didn't even seem to look at him as he stood awaiting instructions.
The Hickory Killer regarded him with an air of calculated interest. Without being able to see his face, it was hard to imagine exactly what was going on behind that mask. Was he disappointed? Did he regret bringing him here and finding him to be so plain and ordinary? Did it bother him that he was fucking terrified? Maybe he got off on it. Did he revel in his successful manipulation? Was he bored? Was he contemplating his next move? Planning where to make his first cut? Gavin shuddered at the thought.
"You may believe that I brought you here, but the truth, Gavin…The truth is that you knew you didn't belong there…You knew you were different from the day we met. I've been watching you, Gavin. All this time. The hours you've spent poring over my gifts. Your obsession with my work. It isn't me you've been hunting all this time. You've been trying to find your own path." Gavin balked at the very thought. That wasn't true at all! The mere suggestion that they could be similar in any way made him recoil. He'd spent hours with the evidence because he was trying to find clues and get some leads. Seeing this sicko behind bars was his obsession. Or dead…He wouldn't complain either way. "I know you feel it, Gavin…The power…The control…The thrill of being in that position. Of having that choice. I know the thought of it consumes you at night until you just can't sleep. You think about it over and over." Was he talking about Chloe now? Damn fucking straight that kept him up at night! How could it not?
"You made me kill her! Of course it keeps me up at night!"
"I made you do nothing. Ending her existence was entirely your choice, and what a choice it was! You can still feel it, can't you? The slide of her power core as you removed it. Her thirium warming your fingers. Her final shuddering breaths. The first kill always lingers…" Gavin felt sick from the reminder. He remembered how he'd cried as he'd held her. He remembered the sickening, oily blue on his skin. The fading hum of her systems shutting down. She'd felt so much heavier once the life had left her body. It had been the kindest thing to do. It's what Chloe had wanted. She'd begged him to do it! There was no way of knowing that Nines was so close! He'd done the right thing! Chloe told him he'd done the right thing! Even if it was the right choice, it's still a choice I made. I ended her life. His skin crawled as he remembered twisting out her core. He'd held it and stared at it, knowing that if he just put it back, then Chloe would live. He'd chosen not to. Had he felt power in that moment? Maybe. All he knew with certainty was that it had felt horrible.
"I-I didn't-I'm-not like that!" Despite his insistence, the Hickory Killer seemed to think otherwise. He sighed as if he were talking to an unruly child. As if Gavin had disappointed him somehow. Gavin didn't give a shit if he was disappointed.
"I know you fully believe that, but don't worry…I'm here to show you." Bile rise in his throat at the suggestion. What the fuck did that even mean? Show him what? He couldn't help trembling as he leaned back in his seat. The Hickory Killer stood and slowly walked around the table, removing the barrier between them. Gavin fought the urge to get up and run. He wouldn't get far with the Jack android between him and the door anyway. The Hickory Killer stopped right in front of him. Gavin swallowed the lump in his throat, heart racing as he leaned as far away as he could.
"Wh-what are you going to do to me?" He wasn't sure he even wanted an answer to that question. It wouldn't be anything good. He took in a sharp breath, fighting the urge to flinch as a soft, leather clad hand reached out to cradle his chin and lift his head. The touch was gentle, like an affectionate caress. Gavin could feel his heart thudding at the analytical stare he was getting, each beat slamming his ribs like a death knell. Blue…The Hickory Killer's eyes were blue.
"Like the phoenix, Gavin, you will be reborn." He didn't know much about mythical creatures, but he was pretty sure the phoenix had to die in a fire before it was reborn. Phck, I don't like the sound of that. "I can see your potential…All I need to do is bring it out, to teach you, and you will be…magnificent."