(Tw: whipping, torture)

Consecuences

Violet and Dash were dragged from the devices, their bodies weak and trembling, their damaged eyes still bleeding and throbbing. They were taken into a room with two posts on the center of it, the guards shoved them forward.

They were attached with metal clamps to the sides of the posts, Dash's arms were in a 90 degree position, with his hand above his head, two clamps for his upper arms and two for his forearms; his nose almost touched the post. Vi's remaining arm was locked in a similar position while her stump was clamped to the other side.

The scientist stood closer, observing with detached interest. "Whipping is such a classic form of discipline," he said, motioning to the guards. "It's efficient and effective. Let's see how long our little supers can keep their composure."

Hearing this Violet and Dash exchanged a terrified glance, Vi's one good eye swollen with unshed tears. His face mirrored hers: pale and etched with fear. For a brief moment, their gazes locked. Neither said a word, but the unspoken concern between them was deafening.

The first lash cracked through the air like a gunshot, slicing across Dash's back. He flinched violently, causing more pain to his injured eye, his body jerking forward as pain radiated through him. Violet winced at the sound, the instinct to protect him surging within her despite her own helplessness.

When the second lash struck her, she bit down on her lip so hard it bled. The force of it made her stumble against her restraints, and she squeezed her eyes shut, causing another surge of pain in her throbbing eye socket. A quiet whimper escaped her, and she immediately hated herself for it.

For the first few strikes, they both tried to stay silent, biting down on the instinct to scream. Dash's breaths came in short, sharp bursts, his face twisting in agony. Violet squeezed her eyes shut, grinding her teeth as she tried to focus on anything other than the fire spreading across her back.

But the strikes continued, each one harder than the last.

Dash's screams came first, ragged and raw as he finally gave in to the overwhelming pain.

"Stop—" Dash managed to gasp out between cries, his voice cracking. "Please, stop…"

Violet followed, her sobs muffled as she buried her face against the post she was tied to. Each strike was agony, the throbbing in their injured eye sockets amplifying the torment.

"Aw, they're finally breaking," one guard sneered. "Guess you're not so tough now, huh?"

Then it happened. One of the guards, careless or cruel, swung the whip too far to the left, and it snapped on Violet's fresh wound from her amputated arm.

Dash's heart stopped in his chest. His body went cold as he saw Violet's entire form flinch with the blow, her face contorted in agony. She screamed louder than ever, and for a moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped.

"HEY!" Dash bellowed, his voice cracking. "Don't! Don't hit her there! You sick bastards!" His body strained against his restraints, desperation overriding his pain.

The guards exchanged amused glances, their smirks widening. One of them tilted his head mockingly. "Oh, hit her here, you mean?" With deliberate cruelty, the whip lashed across Violet's stump again.

Violet let out a choked scream, her legs buckling as tears streamed down her face. Dash lost it. "Stop it! STOP IT!" he screamed, his voice breaking. "Leave her alone!"

"Aww, look at that. Li'l bro is worried about his sis" one guard said mockingly. "How sweet. Too bad we're not taking requests."

They struck Violet's stump again, her body jerking violently as she let out another scream. Dash couldn't hold back his own tears anymore.

"Please!" Dash cried, his voice pleading. He could feel his entire body shaking, his anger and helplessness boiling over. He wasn't strong enough to stop them. "I'll do anything. Just, don't hurt her! Hit me instead, damn it!"

Violet shook her head weakly, her good eye glistening with tears as she tried to lift it to look at him. "Dash… don't…" she murmured, her voice barely audible through her sobs.

The guards ignored them both, continuing the punishment until both siblings hung limp against their restraints, their cries reduced to faint whimpers. Blood soaked their tattered clothes, and their bodies trembled with every labored breath.

When the guards finally stepped back, one of them smirked. "Done already?" another asked.

"No," The scientist replied, his tone icy. "Get them ready for the next punishment. They're not done paying yet."

The siblings were unstrapped from the posts, their bodies collapsing to the floor.

Dash's body felt heavy, his bruised muscles screaming in protest as the guards dragged him and Violet into yet another chamber. He tried to focus, but the sharp stabs of pain radiating from his back and the lingering ache in his eye socket made it hard to think.

Violet was slumped beside him, her head hanging limply as her legs barely moved under her weight. The blood from her reopened stump stained the floor beneath her. Her breathing was shallow, and her lips trembled with every exhale.

Dash lifted his head weakly and froze.

Shackles lined with sharp, painful looking spikes on the inside were shown mockingly by one of the guards, their jagged edges gleaming under the harsh fluorescent light. His heart dropped into his stomach.

The guards noticed his reaction immediately. One leaned closer, grinning cruelly. "What's the matter, kid? Never seen these before? You're in for a treat."

Dash's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists. He wanted to say something, to muster even the smallest bit of defiance, but the words died in his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut as the guards grabbed the shackles, his breath quickening.

But the sound of footsteps moving past him made his eyes snap open.

The guards weren't heading for him. They were heading for Violet.

Dash's stomach dropped. "No… no, don't—" he rasped, his voice weak from the last punishment. He tried to push himself up, but his limbs gave out beneath him, his body too battered to move.

The guard who had teased him earlier glanced back, his smirk growing wider. "Ladies first… Don't worry, kid. You'll get your turn soon."

Violet was too weak to lift her head. Her body hung limply, barely supported by the guards dragging her forward.

The first shackle clamped around her wrist, the spikes digging into her skin. She let out a muffled cry, her body jerking in reflex. The guard smirked, tightening it further.

When they reached for her stump, Violet whimpered weakly, her remaining eye wide with fear. The guard handling her paused, glancing at Dash with a smirk. "Bet this is the part you don't want to see, huh?"

"No! Don't!" Dash yelled, his voice cracking. He tried again to push himself up, his muscles screaming in protest, but this time a guard held him down. "Stop it! Don't hurt her!"

The guard ignored him and forced the shackle over her stump. Violet's body convulsed as the jagged metal pressed into the tender, raw flesh, ripping into it further, her body shaking violently. Violet's breath came in shallow gasps, each motion making the pain unbearable, but she didn't scream. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

They weren't finished. The guards pulled her arms behind her back, forcing her shoulders into an unnatural position. They moved on to her ankles, fastening the spiked cuffs and pulling her legs into a deep squat. Violet's head lolled forward, but one guard grabbed her by the suppression collar and attached a chain to the front of it. She felt the tension in her muscles as they yanked the chain, pulling her neck forward and forcing her into an excruciating position.

One of the guards looked down at her, mocking her obvious discomfort. "What's the matter, sweetheart? You look uncomfortable. Let's make sure you really feel it."

To Dash's horror, the guard gave the chain a sharp tug, jerking Violet's neck forward. This time, she couldn't hold back the scream that tore from her lips, her body trembling as fresh blood dripped from the shackles.

The other guard chuckled, glancing back at Dash. "You watching, kid? Maybe next time you'll learn to press the damn button."

Dash's vision blurred with tears as Violet's earlier words echoed in his mind: You don't know how cruel their punishments are.

She was right. He didn't know. He hadn't understood what they'd done to her after their escape attempt. How much she'd endured.

And now, seeing her like this—broken, trembling, enduring agony on top of everything else—he felt a crushing wave of guilt.

Her eye ended up injured anyway, he thought bitterly. If I had just pressed the button… if I had just listened to her…

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice trembling. Tears streamed down his face as he watched Violet endure the torment meant for both of them. "I'm so sorry, Vi…" But Vi couldn't hear him due to the guard laughs.

Dash didn't have time to dwell on his guilt. The guards were on him now, dragging him forward. They locked the first shackle around his wrist, and the sharp spikes dug into his flesh. He bit down hard, refusing to cry out, even as blood began to drip from the wounds.

Dash rasped, his voice cracking as they shoved him toward another set of spiked shackles. His arms flailed weakly, but the guards easily overpowered him, snapping the cold, jagged restraints around his wrists. The moment the spikes bit into his skin, a sharp hiss of pain escaped him, but he bit down hard, refusing to cry out.

The guards forced his arms behind his back, the jagged spikes digging deeper with every movement. Dash winced, his teeth grinding together as they moved down to his ankles, locking the cruel devices in place and forcing his legs into an awkward squat. His muscles burned almost instantly, trembling from the strain.

"Not so fast," one guard said with a smirk, grabbing a chain and attaching it to Dash's suppression collar. He yanked the chain hard, pulling Dash's neck forward, locking him into the same agonizing position as Violet. Dash gasped as the movement sent a sharp pain shooting down his spine.

"Looking good, kid," the guard sneered, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "You're a real tough guy, huh?"

Dash's body trembled violently, the spikes biting deeper into his skin with every movement. His breaths came out in short, panicked gasps as he tried to shift into a position that hurt less, but there was no escape from the pain.

"Stay still," the guard barked, and before Dash could react, a heavy boot slammed down on the back of his head, forcing his face toward the floor. A strangled cry escaped him as the spikes in his wrists and ankles dug deeper, and his neck screamed in protest from the sudden force.

"Get off him!" Violet barked, her voice hoarse but fierce. She tried to move, but the restraints made even breathing a painful effort. "Leave him alone, you coward!"

The guard chuckled, lifting his boot off Dash's head only to nudge him mockingly with it. "Looks like the sister's got some fight left. Only speaks up when we mess with you, huh, kid?"

Why? he thought bitterly. Why does she only react when it's me? Why won't she save her strength for herself?

The scientist finally stepped forward, his cold eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he addressed the guards. "That's enough for now," he said. "Leave them. Let them marinate in their positions for the next ten hours. We'll see how defiant they are after that."

"Have fun, you two" The guards laughed as they filed out of the room, slamming the heavy door shut behind them.

Dash's whole body ached, his muscles screaming as the spikes dug into his flesh. He turned his head as much as he could, glancing at Violet. Her head was bowed, her body trembling with every shallow closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain, but it was impossible.

Ten hours.

He wasn't sure they were going to make it.