Chapter 37 - Arbitrate Fates, Pt. 1
Speed and Chiara descend further into the hidden underground passageway. Still coughing and being nauseated from the intense scent of roasted rot and ash, the female stoat continued to hold onto the hedgehog. Covering her mouth with her free hand while being led to an unknown place, she felt she was at the mercy of the amputee. Feeling that he kept a firm arm around her for support, her mind began to ponder.
'...I kind of get the feeling...' she said in her head. Carefully going down the steps, the illumination around them began to dim more.
'Once he obtains what ever it is down here...he will leave me behind.'
A wonder about what his opinion of her seeped into her mind. A faint voice in her subconscious whispered that she was only a large pest. Knowing that was the devil's advocate of herself, it made her royally angry. Only able to glare at him, she faltered from seeing the crimson ring looking down the steps. Seeing it never sway or break from its focus, she began to calm down a little. Able to clear her consciousness to focus, doubt began to slowly creep inside her.
Conjuring certain memories and actions that he did, it was both in the past and the present. Blinking with her left eye and assessing all interactions she had with Speed, it made her contemplate if he really thought of her in a negative light. The dangers she got into since finding out he could speak, he had kept her alive. The time he took out a street gang and intimidated the police chief was entertaining. The remembrance of getting punched in the gut and knocked the wind out made her lose any humor.
However in that same memory, he carried her instead of leave her to the shifty individuals of the flea market. Thinking of the other events and how dreadful and shitty they were, he hadn't got her killed. Shaking her head mentally, the amount of good and bad she thought of him canceled each other out. When it came to getting her eye repaired, Chiara tried hard to figure out the benefits from it. Noticing that the temperature had not really changed, a faint red haze was seen in front of her. Seeing that it was from his cybernetic eye, it brought her mental brooding back.
Having the eye not hurt anymore, was good. Being able to see again, was positive. The ability to see dead souls, witness the grueling ways they died, and being able to hear them, the aspect of those things turned her stomach inside out. Even mentally discussing with herself to adapt and take it, the paranoia and fear she had of ghosts gripped her harshly. The consideration of ripping out her fixed eye kept going through her mind. Having freedom and solitude from not having to see wandering translucent corpses repeated in her brain. It sounded like a solution to end her problem.
Blinking from sensing him slowing down a little, she focused back at the present. Reaching the bottom of the steps, no illumination was at the bottom. Seeing only slivers of light from where they came from, it was dark despite the glow from his synthetic eye. Breathing through her nose, the foul odor of death was stronger down here. Cringing her nose and keeping her hand covering her nose and mouth, it seemed like this place was tied to the psycho dungeon that went up in a blaze. Finding courage to open her right eye once, she moved her head to be downcast.
'I know there will be ghosts around him...and it will be a swarm,' she mentally told herself. Getting ready, she opened her right eye. Staring at the ground and waiting, there were no ghosts around them. Blinking from confusion, she moved her eyes together to look around. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary for an underground hallway, she slowly looked up at him. Seeing nothing had changed caused her to veer her head back a little.
'...where...where are they?' she wondered. Glancing behind them and up the stairs to the light, no phantoms were seen.
'...for ghosts to go away from an individual...that means this place is,' she continued. Turning her head to look forward from feeling him shift a little, she stared at what was in front of her.
"...!?" Chiara reacted with instant fright. Fur standing on end and eyes going wide, she shut her right eye quickly. Pressing her lips together, she murderously gripped Speed.
'WHAT HELLHOLE IS DOWN HERE!?' she mentally screamed in her mind. 'WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT THING IN THE MIDDLE!?'
"...Chiara...listen carefully..." Speed whispered. Moving forward at a slow and steady pace, she felt small tension in his arm. Thinking that it was from the strain of supporting her while carrying the food container in his left hand, she looked at him. Despite only seeing an outline of him, his robotic eye was slowly doing sweeps left and right.
"...I need a...favor from you..."
"...a...f-favor?" Chiara repeated in the same volume.
Walking in step with him, his sentry eye painted where they were. It seemed so far to be a hallway of some kind; however, it could only illuminate a few feet in front of them. The dull crimson glow would fade to darkness outside of its range. Trying to calm herself down, the apprehension gnawed heavily at her. It was telling her to escape. Pushing her mind to not give in, she stayed put and opened her mouth.
"...why...?"
"...I know...I do not deserve...a favor from you,' he began. Slightly pulling her to his right, both began to turn. Blinking in surprise, the pathway turned to the right. Her mind began to ponder how he knew, but was stopped when he continued.
"...but for safe passage...in here...I am asking..."
"W-What do you mean...safe pass-"
"...shit..." the amputee swore under his breath. Stopping and not moving, she did the same. Seeing the red eye of his lock onto something ahead of them, it began to slowly pulsate its illuminating light. Feeling him shift slightly, he brought his face against hers. Instead of veering back, she perked her ears and felt her senses on high alert.
"...walkway...to...the...left...ahead..." he spoke in a bedroom voice.
"...okay..." the stoat responded. After walking cautiously a short distance, an opening appeared. Both turned into the pathway and continued. Losing all illumination from the surface, only his eyes was lighting the way. It added a layer of suspense and fear that she was already having. Almost to the same level of when she was in the oubliette. Looking with her left eye, the walls seemed to have narrowed a bit in the desolate passageway.
"...what's...here?" she breathed her question.
"...product...from...experiments..." he began. Both of their footsteps were barely audible as they walked lightly in step.
"...you...mean...like...ones...in...dungeon?"
"...yes..."
"...how...messed...up...is...it?"
"...similar...to...wall...dweller...in...staircase...but...worse..." he replied cautiously.
Gently pulling her a little, both stopped at the same time. Seeing that a crossway was in front of them, Speed slowly peered down the right pathway. Following his movements, she looked down in the same direction. Despite only seeing a red haze reach a meter, the rest was covered in blackness. Remaining still and listening, there seemed to be muffled sounds further down. The aroma of organic hell seemed to increase from just being in the hallway.
"...is...s-!?" Chiara began to whisper. Feeling him turning his head towards her, he quickly mashed his right cheek to her mouth. Pulling her back and rotating with her, both stood parallel to the wall back in the narrow walkway they were in. Startled and glancing up, she froze and stared. His crimson eye bored at her with cold intensity.
"...p...a...s...s...a...g...e...w...a...y...s...d...o...n...o...t...s...p...e...a...k..." the amputee threated with an airy voice. Though barely above a whisper, his demeanor was grave.
'WHAT THE HELL IS IN HERE IF HE'S SO CAUTIOUS!?' she blared in her mind. Feeling herself getting gripped hard with dread, she moved her head up and down. Not breaking eye contact, Speed slowly pulled away from her face. Both heard an elaborate and deep exhale of air coming from one of the passageways.
"...aaaaahhhhhhhhh..." an unknown creature spoke. Its voice bounced and reverberated off the walls creating overtone layers.
"...vvvviiiissssiiiitttoooorrrrsss...c...o...m...e...j...o...i...n...m...e..."
"...!?" the female reacted with fear. Hairs on the back of her neck stood on end immediately.
"...Chiara...the favor...yes or no?" the hedgehog whispered. Looking at her and seeing only her left eye moving towards him, she remained still. Seeing her blink, he just blinked back. Deciding to take a risk, he moved his left arm to be around her waist. Watching the woman glance at what he did then back at his face, he turned his head.
"...play...along...don't...break...eye contact..." Speed breathed then pulled her along.
Feeling her tense up and walking forward, both walked side by side. Turning right and going down the next hallway, there seemed to be a slowly growing orange tinge further down. Only walking several feet, the walls felt like they ended and they reached an open room. Not sure of the size due to poor visibility, the warm light was seen on the opposite of the room. However, a large silhouette off center on the chamber floor drew their attention. Seeing movement and mild amount of light, the figure's face was seen.
"...!?" Chiara suppressed her horror hard. The sight of the individual shot apprehension through her veins starting from her feet and going up. Feeling it infecting her and spreading, she willed herself to fight it. Pressing herself a little more into Speed, he did not move her away or remove his arm.
'...f...u...c...k...' she thought to herself. Mentally cringing hard and wanting to run away, she didn't know what face she was making. Other than feeling immensely tense, she knew that it probably had a terrified expression.
The being a couple of yards away had a large and lanky frame. Its body showed emaciation and starvation from what could be seen. Shadows and light played on its face to show the sunken areas on its neck, cheeks, and eyes. Appearing to be an ape like anthropomorph, identifying it was hard to determine in the dark room. Chewing on something that sounded difficult to cut through, it appeared to be a limb of some sorts.
What really stroke terror inside of the female stoat was the person's eyes. Unable to see the eyes, the sunken look made them appear to be missing. However, they were there from seeing piercing color irises. Frost white surrounding the quarter size pupils, its sclera had no color other than blackness. On top of the peculiar appearance, the way it was staring at them was unyielding. As if the person would let loose at any given moment. A monster waiting for the opportunity to attack its prey in front of it.
"...a...h...Vvveeerrrmmmiiilllliiiooonnnn...W...i...t...n...e...ssssss," it spoke. Being in the same room as the creature, its voice was deep, airy, sinister, and lethargic.
"...hello...Abolic..." Speed spoke in a stern and unfriendly tone. "...still...alive...in your...den...yes?"
"..." the hybrid beast gave a slow intake of air. Its eyes shined more as if it was primed to explode.
"...y...o...u...c...a...n...sssssspppppeeeeeaaaaakkkkkk?" it questioned. Hearing skin fold, the outline of its face changed. Seeing its cheeks get pulled up, both the stoat and hedgehog saw a hideous grin. A liquid shine appeared on where its teeth would be.
"...deeeccceeeeiiiivvvveeeerrrr..."
"...implant...of...another...tongue..." Speed corrected with a blink of his right eye. His cybernetic one continued to bore at it while slowly pulsating.
"...heh...ehe...heh...EHE...HEH..." the being chuckled in a raspy tone. Its face and wicked expression never looked away from them like a haunted statue.
'I'm going to kill 'em,' Chiara spoke in her mind. Still forcing herself to not move, break away, or react to this creature, cold sweat was forming on her back.
'I'm going to kill this asshole if that disgusting freak tries to eat me.'
"...Abolic..." Speed called. The monstrosity stopped its mild laughter; however, the nasty grin and eerie shine of its eyes remained. Seeing mild movement from the amputee's hand, the white irises moved down diagonally like a robot.
"...food...in...container...if...hungry..."
"...w...h...a...t...a...b...o...u...t...t...h...a...t...m...e...a...t...?" the being asked slowly looking up to view the woman's face.
'FUCKIN' KNEW IT! PLAY ALONG HE SAYS!' the female raged in her mind. Trying to combat the terror treading into her chest, she scowled at the creature.
"Fuck you buddy! I'll kick your ass," she snarled. Hugging Speed's waist with her right arm, she placed her left hand on his chest.
"This SOB is the only man that eats me. Go eat your own dick if you're desperate!"
"..." the hedgehog reacted with remaining still. Despite his right eye blink out of reflex from what just happened, he did not break eye contact with the other being. The crimson ring also did not move either. Thankfully, it had not pulsated hard enough to cause bleeding again.
"..." Abolic reacted with continuing to stare at the two. Blinking from seeing the female let go of Vermilion, she snatched the box out of his left hand. Plopping it on the ground, she put her foot on it. Pushing it hard, it slid on the floor to be closer to the hybrid. Without pausing, she grabbed Speed's left arm and pulled him.
"Let's blow this joint Vem. Lost all the fun of killing suckers since comin' down here."
"...fine..."
"..." the creature remained still while the other two moved. Watching them with its eyes moving only, they were heading towards the passageway to the right of it.
'I hope to god that was enough,' Chiara thought. Seeking further willpower to not run or panic, she kept walking in a confident stride. Mentally debating with herself if the stunt she pulled would increase or decrease survival, she glanced at the hedgehog. His reaction was stoic and calm. Though not entirely reassuring, his mechanical implant was still glowing and pulsating.
'Though he doesn't seem too affected, that metal head attachment is still blinking...must mean that freak of nature is still a high threat,' she said in her head. Seeing that both of his eyes looked forward, she turned back to the direction they were walking. Just getting in front of the hallway opening on the left wall of the room, both of their ears perked up. A distant sound of a metal clank came. It seemed to come from further down in the passageway.
Without hesitation or warning, Speed got out of her grip on his arm. Instantly thinking the worse from his action, she felt his forearm go across her collar bones. Pushing on her to walk left instead of forward, the female glanced back. Seeing him getting in front of her while looking back towards the center of the room, she noticed why. Immediately getting directly behind him, fast crawling was heard from where the creature was. Seeing Abolic's form, it was out of proportions of what would be considered normal.
Its arms were as tall as an average human. The ham hands had lost its muscle revealing long and thick bony structures enclosed with gaunt looking skin. Moving like a spider would with only two front legs, the monster dragged its lower half on the ground. The sound of wet meat and cloth came as it was getting closer. When it got in front of the passageway they were about to go into, Chiara and Speed could see why it was crawling without using its legs. It wasn't due to the curved spine that was protruding from its skin.
Two blood clotted stumps were seen from its mid thighs. Instead of medical bandage and cloth, crimson stained fur pelts were stapled to its skin and covered the decapitation. It seemed to act as a pad and protection from the wounds reopening. Abolic only breathed at them as it entered the hallway. Not registering any pain on its face, it had the same hideous smile. Once out of sight, the two only hear the heavily placed hands echoing from the darkened passageway. About to release the air she was holding; numerous whimpering was heard coming down the same pathway.
'Is this...the prison cells...for that dungeon?' Chiara pondered feeling goosebumps flare on her skin.
Feeling Speed move as if he was tracking, he turned to her while staring down where the creature went. As if his arm was independent from what he was currently doing, it moved to be on her back. Without saying anything, he put his hand on her left shoulder and began walking backwards. Following a little, he turned around and let go of her. Moving to be beside him, his focus was at where the monster was sitting.
"...hey..." she whispered leaning her face closer to his.
"...what...?" he responded with glancing at her.
"...what...the...hell...happened...to...the...freak's...legs?"
"..." Speed answered by stopping. Stopping as well and looking at him, his eyes glanced down at the floor. Moving her head down as well, the food container she slid was there. However, there was something else seen in the orangish haze illumination. She immediately felt her tail stiffened as she became overly tense.
On the floor beside the box were two lanky legs. Detached from a body, there were as long as the monster's arms. From how both of them appeared, the limbs seemed to have been ripped out. Various bloody wounds were seen over both to which a majority of them were teeth and claw marks. The thought of someone decapitating their own body parts to feed off of was more than insane to her. Watching movement next to her, the hedgehog's hand reached down and grabbed the container.
"...let's...move..." he whispered. Standing up straight and walking to the wall opposite from where they came into the room, Chiara got out of her stupor. Getting next to him and grabbing his arm, they walked in step again.
"...w-was...that thing...eating its legs!?" the female breathed in fright and disbelief.
"...yes...it was..." the hedgehog acknowledge. Making it to the wall, there was a doorway to the right a little.
"...remember...no...speaking...in...hallways..."
"..." the stoat reacted with pulling on his arm. Getting him to stop and glance at her, she got closer.
"Why the hell...did you come down here!?" she stressed squeezing his arm. "Are you outta your god damn mind!?"
"...this was an...old blast bunker..."
"...it still holds...many preservatives...non-perishable food supplies..." he answered calmly. Glancing behind them for only a brief moment, he stared back at her with both eyes.
"...okay...I can get that...but...you knew that nut job was down here."
"...I assumed Abolic...died...from the fire...or starvation."
"Starvation? Someone was feeding it!?" Chiara continued feeling like she was living in a horror story.
"...S.O.S...the other sisters...not Malaria...rarely feed it...wanted to keep...its survival mode...active..." Speed began then slowly turned his head to the left. Doing a small head lift, she glanced over. From only seeing so far in the red glow, everything within sight gave a dead void aura.
"...there was a...hidden wall in...one of the sister's room...it led here...from that hallway."
"...do I...even want to know...why you know?"
"...in captivity of S.O.S...I was thrown...in here," he continued. Looking back at the pathway that the abomination went, it had gone quiet. Feeling her regrip his arm, he glanced back at her. Seeing her stand in front of him uncomfortably, he continued.
"...met Abolic here...when he was...saner..."
"...a victim from experimentation...drug addiction..."
"...he is more of...a maniacal version now...than what he was...already doing in the past."
"...what...did...he...do...befor-"
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" a death scream sounded before it gurgled to nothing.
"...!?" Chiara reacted with turning around. Staring at the darkness to find the hallway entrance, a deep and airy cackling choke was heard.
"Wwwwwhhhhyyy...aaaaarrreeee...yyyooouuuu...eeessscccaaaappppiinnnnnggg...THESISTERSWILLNOTALLOWIT!" Abolic spoke loudly before barbarically screaming. His voice bounced off all the walls and echoed. It made it sound like they were inside of a monster roaring.
"...let's...move..." he whispered tensely. "...we...walk...pass...two...intersections...ahead..."
"...left...on...third...right...on...next...forward...for...three..."
"...don't...speak...in...hallways..." he added in a stern voice. Seeing her turn around and looked rattled, she got in front of his face.
"...YOU...LISTEN..." the stoat threatened back. She was pushing anger and frustration hard to mask the terror she felt. Getting nose to nose, she pushed her nose into his.
"...that thing...touches...licks...or tries...to eat me...I will...kill you."
"..." the amputee stared blankly not fazed by her statement. "...okay..."
'I FREAKIN' HATE YOU!' she screamed in her head.
Entering the hallway they were standing in front of, they proceeded forward. Staying close to each other and looking ahead, the scent in the air began to change. Instead of the smell of cooked bio-decay, it had morphed to a rust smell at first. Quickly encompassing the two, stale air and bodily waste attacked them when passing by metal doors. Each gave the appearance of a gate. Several bars going up and down the door frame with cross sections to hold them in place.
Many rooms appeared from Speed's sweeping red eye including other things. Not going up close to them to see inside, she observed faint glowing beads of various colors. It indicated that there were things alive down here based on some of the silhouettes. Despite that, anything else in the rooms was lost in the null illumination. As if staring into individual windows of an abyss knowing some unknown being was inside. Deciding to forgo finding out about the prisoners, she got back beside the amputee.
After reaching another intersection, they glanced both ways before continuing forward. Hearing soft breathing, there was also mild thuds on a door. Chiara glanced to her right to see another containment cell. A dark silhouette was headbutting on the opposite side of its door. Seeing no beads or glow for eyes, it continued as both walked passed it.
Reaching the second crossway, Speed slowed down to a stop. Halting as well and watching him, he began to peer down the left and right hallways. Seeing him turn back to the left, he stared longer down that pathway. Listening to the environment around her, her ears perked a little from hearing something. Sounds of heavy dragging was emitting. Blinking and looking behind her, it seemed to come from down the pathway they came from.
'Which way...is that thing heading?' she wondered. Turning back to him, the hedgehog had moved around to be facing the corner. His robot eye was staring down where she was looking while the other was looking at where he stared. Shaking her head a little to get the image of his eyes moving independently, she got behind him. Facing the opposite corner in the intersection, she focused her ears on the other two pathways.
Not hearing the sounds of weighted crawling from the passageways, it was clearer if she turned her head left or right. Freezing, a slow and deep airy breath emitted nearby. Flinching and taking a step back, the woman bumped into pointy quills. Feeling better that it was Speed's, she refocused and kept her ears open. Seeing movement to her left of a shadow, faint glowing orbs for eyes appeared at a barred door. As if the individual grabbed the metal poles, it made faint creaks.
"..." a soft gasp was heard from that direction. Feeling movement behind her, the amputee's pointy quills on the back of his head turned.
"...i...t...s...V...e...r...m...i...l...i...o...n...W...i...t...n...e...s...s..." a weak voice sounded. Audible enough for both Speed and Chiara, it seemed to stir their surroundings. More movement was heard followed by inhales of air.
"...Vermilion..."
"...v...e...r...m...i...l...i...o...n..."
"...Veeeeerrrrrmmm...iiiiillll..."
"...V...e...R...m...YYYYYYYY..."
"...where...did...you...go...?"
"...did...you...escape...?"
"...h...e...l...p...u...s...b...l...o...o...d...o...b...s...e...r...v...e...r..."
"...where...is...that...cooked...meat...?"
"...vermy...VeRmY...vErMy...VERYM..."
"..." Chiara reacted with her fur standing on end.
Feeling a nudge and turning to it, it was Speed. Seeing his red glow turned toward going forward again, she nodded. Walking and matching his pace, she noticed that a majority of the prisoners were up and standing behind their containment doors. A couple had their arms outreached as if to grab him or her. All of them were whispering his nickname while staring at him. Echoing through the hallways and deafening the sound of their footsteps, it gave an overall haunting vibe.
'If these prisoners know him...then that means...they have been held captive for years,' the woman pondered .
Shaking the thought from her head, both stopped from hearing something growing. Faster placed thuds were getting closer to their location. Seeing him not move any faster, she ignored the meek calls and continued forward. Coming up to the next intersection, it only had two directions. Reaching it and glancing to the right, it was blocked off. Based on the debris, the ceiling collapsed on it.
Moving into the left one, the whispers from behind came to an abrupt halt. Continue to walk in a period of suspense, she flinched from something getting slammed hard. As if a wet ballon popped in the distance, Chiara moved right next to Speed. Following the directions of what he gave at the following intersections, the sounds of slaughter were echoing behind them with a dying voice filling the still air.