- MATURED TRIGGER WARNING -
Some scenes in this first half of the chapter describe homophobia and supposed self-harm or suicide.These may be sensitive to some readers.
" We are threatened with suffering from three directions: from our body, which is doomed to decay..., from the external world which may rage against us with overwhelming and merciless force of destruction, and finally from our relations with other men... This last source is perhaps more painful to use than any other. "
-Sigmund Freud
(Dream Sequence)
In the most aesthetic and luxurious area of the slave den, the pink Kree man with wavy golden locks busied walking on the white walled hallway and pushed a large cart, holding some two wooden crates. He looked around and saw the female slaves in white long sleeved gowns fell in a queue and waited for their turn in meeting their new handlers. Amnon-Selah felt sorry and sadly sighed at them when he paused walking and pushing.
" I wonder why Kasius had brought them here, " he thought deeply.
Without any notice, he was being grabbed and pulled by a long reptilian tail with sharp spikes and wounds. Amnon was struggling to break free and angrily moaning. He looked around and saw it was SCP-682 who dragged him away. The Kree was terrified in seeing him and remembering those horrible experiences at the MTF Facility in California. The indestructible lizard was evilly grinning and dragging him away.
" LET ME GO! LET ME GO! " Amnon sharply cried.
" Well, it's about time to see your new handler, " 682 scoffed. " He is surely waiting for your unlikely meeting. "
Amnon-Selah tried to break free from the mad lizard's clutches, but he couldn't. The grip of 682 was not that easy to let go. He was brought to a queue of female slaves, being matched and paired to each male handler. Amnon was the only male who was brought to the prostitute's area. He was indignantly glaring at SCP-682 and angrily clenched his both fists.
" 682, Damn you! Why did you bring me here for Hala's Sakes?! " the pink Kree heatedly spat.
" You will meet your highest bidder, " the indestructible lizard spoke and darkly chuckled.
" I'll purchase this blonde humanoid man for 100 Billion Pamas, " a deep male voice echoed.
Amnon moved his head around and got terrified where the voice had come from. He was twitching his eyes and shaking in fear when he saw another lizard with the same height and build as him. He had hard orange scales. The reptilian gave the Kree slave a seductive grin and paid the blue skinned overlord the amount.
" Amnon-Selah the pink Kree is sold to our highest bidder, Draco Nephtys, " Kasius confirmed.
" Just perfect, " Draco smirked and stood from his seat where the bidders were sitting.
SCP-682 released his victim and violently pushed him. Amnon fell down on the floor and moaned. The other lizard Draco smiled and helped the pink Kree to stand up. Then, he cupped his left hand on the humanoid man's face. Amnon became more uncomfortable and shaking than ever. He was sweating profusely, nervously gulping, and slowly stepping away from his new handler.
" What's the matter? " Draco flirtingly asked and smirked. " You don't want to be with me?! "
" Get away from me! Get away from me! "
" No, Amnon-Selah, you can't get away from me! " he laughed and tightly held the Kree man's hands. " You're mine and I love you! I will bring you into my paradise, free from such darkness, skirmish, and horror of this slave den! I will not make you my slave, but my main man! "
Amnon widened his eyes in fear when Kasius and SCP- 682 watched him being dragged away. Draco was about to place his lips as the pink Kree grimaced and mumbled in gibberish to his fear.
(PARIS, FRANCE: 1:45 AM)
The blonde pink Kree quickly sat up from his bed, wearing his blue pajamas and shirt. He widened his eyes in shock and thought that nightmare was another illusion. Still vivid from his mind, it was bringing back his memories of his tormentors. Amnon felt shaking and weeping uncontrollably. His nightmare haunted him even more than ever. The images of SCP-682, Kasius, and Draco Nephthys were still lingering in his thoughts.
He left his bed and closed the door, walking down the stairs and reaching the kitchen. Amnon took a knife and thought of quickly ending his life. The horrors from the MTF Facility in California and New York slave den were still present and flashing into his mind. The pink Kree held the knife's blade and pointed into his right wrist. He was very sure that slicing the pulse would cut off his existence. His torment would end for good.
" Mom, Master..."Amnon wept and thought." I can't take this anymore! I knew you both wanted to have a family together, but my dark past is hindering me right now! I'm sorry! "
The pink Kree was about to commit suicide when he heard some footsteps from the stairs and placed the blade on his skin. His parents noticed him preparing to cut his life. Amnon was bitterly weeping and threatening to show them. Old Methu-Selah and Carol widened their eyes in shock.
" STAY AWAY FROM ME, LET ME DIE! " Amnon cried. " I CAN'T STAY HERE ANYMORE! "
" AMNON, STOP THIS! " the Kree Eternal stressedly exclaimed.
" KID, PUT THE KNIFE DOWN! " Carol added. " PLEASE LISTEN TO US! "
" WHY DON'T YOU TWO LET ME DIE! I DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE AT ALL! "
" Amnon, please put down that knife, " his mother calmly spoke. " Nobody's asking you to kill yourself. We're here. "
" YOU TWO NEVER CAME TO SAVE ME! I WAS A HORRIBLE PERSON! I KILLED PEOPLE! I GOT HARMED HARSHLY! "
The Kree Eternal secretly read his son's mind and sensed such tremendous trauma and gloominess which he had not expressed for some time. Methu-Selah deeply thought of how he could pacify the young man and prevent him from taking his life. Carol kept talking and convincing Amnon, but she was also thinking of how to grab the knife away from him.
" Amnon, listen to me, " the elderly half-Kree lady answered. " Your old man and I are here to help you. We're not going to hurt you. Please put that knife down! "
" NEVER! "
" Carol, he's doing it! " Methu-Selah warned.
" THIS IS OVER, MOM! I..."
Amnon readied himself to slice his right wrist as his father instantly tackled him down. Then, his mother grabbed the knife from her son away from him and kept at the knives shelves. The young pink Kree was loudly yelling and struggling to break free when his father tightly hugged him. Carol joined the father and son, embracing was bitterly weeping and leaning at his parents as he felt weak and helpless after that call of death was prevented when love had entered and broke its curse. The warmth of their light soul was pacifying him. It took hours of letting him cry and releasing his negative emotions, waiting for him to return to his senses.
Moments later, Methu-Selah carried his son onto the couch, letting him sit down. Carol took a cold glass of water for him to drink. Amnon held the glass and slowly drank. His parents waited for him to finish his cold liquid intake. They looked at him with concern and exchanged glances.
" Methie, have you seen why he did it? " Carol curiously asked.
" It was a grimm nightmare, " the Kree Eternal seriously replied and watched his son in silence. " I'd rather let him speak as we're going to ask him some questions. "
" It's just we have to be careful of what we are going to ask him. I'm afraid we have done something that triggered him. "
" I have to be mindful of those, but we will let him open up instead. "
" Right. "
Amnon had returned to his senses and was pacified when he sadly looked at his parents and broke his silence, " Mom, Master, I'm sorry if I..."
" Why? What's the matter? " his mother asked.
" You saw what I did. I was about to take my life for good, " he humbly confessed. " I wasn't in the right mind. I just..."
" Son, can you tell us what happened? " his father asked and continued the thought.
Amnon heavily sighed and composed his thoughts, trying to recall from his illusion, " It was just a dark illusion of those memories back in the slave den. I was there working when I saw a long line of slave girls waiting for their turn. Then, 682 grabbed and took me to them. He had just let me stay there and waited for the highest bidder who bought me. Kasius was there too and received the money from my new handler. "
" Tell us, who? " Carol asked.
Amnon deeply thought and sighed as he remembered his other tormentor and molester from the slave den. That was around four months ago before he got brainwashed. It was the same lizard man from his dream who took him from the bidding of the prostitutes. In reality, he was not being sold as a Kree-682 hybrid, but he was being stalked and harmed. The young pink Kree refused to mention his darkest days in the slave den. This time, he had no choice but to speak up and tell his parents the truth.
" Amnon? " Methu-Selah noticed his son's long silence and called his attention. " We're sorry if we..."
" It's okay, " Amnon instantly spoke. " His name was Draco Nephthys, one of Kasius's men. "
" Goodness, Kid! " Carol raised her voice in shock and gently rubbed her son's back as she sat down beside him. " What did he do to you? You should have told us this before. "
" If SCP-682 is a vile being, there's another despicable one who tried to pursue me carnally back in Kasius' lair. I couldn't forget how horrible he was. I never wanted to do what he asked me to do. All I did was to ignore his wishes, but he kept stalking and seducing me. I was so afraid to confront him. "
" How come? " Methu-Selah asked with concern.
" Master, it's too sensitive to let you know, " Amnon heavily sighed and bowed in shame. " That dream earlier reminded me how terrible he was. If only I had the ability to forget what happened, I should have..."
" Son, we will give you time to tell your story, " he calmly understood and replied. " For now, you have to get some sleep. It's Sunday morning. "
" Your master and I decided to sit beside you and watch you sleep, " Carol interjected and gently combed her son's locks. " If ever you would experience those nightmares, understand? "
" Yes, mom, " Amnon nodded no furiously.
" Good, let's get some sleep, " she kissed his right cheek.
The young blonde slowly stood up with his parents and headed into the stairs, going to his room. Amnon noticed that the wall clock's shorthand was pointing at three as its long hand was directly going to twelve. He was yawning and covering his mouth when he slacked down on his bed. His father carefully covered his son using the blanket. Then his mother kept rubbing his back and hummed a tune to put him to sleep like she used to before.
Finally, Amnon was in his deep and peaceful slumber, lying in a fetal position. His parents watched him as they sighed in relief and remained awake. Carol gently rubbed her son's wavy golden locks and quietly took a deep breath. Methu-Selah continued rubbing his boy's back.
" Surely, he hasn't told us the entirety of his experiences in the slave den, " he lowly spoke.
" I think he's not ready to open everything, " she replied and placed both of her hands on lap after combing his hair. " His nightmare has made him trigger his suicide attempt. Methie, I understand now why he needs your help. "
" I understood that, Carol. We are here to help him until he's ready. "
" Do you think he could surpass this? "
Methu-Selah eyed his son and placed his hand on the young pink Kree's shoulder. He thought deeply and saw visions of Amnon's future without him and Carol. Then, he gently rubbed his son's head and turned to his girlfriend.
" He's too young, Carol. He has been experiencing very rough early years. It will take a long time for him to recover from that phase, " he seriously answered. " For now, we have to be there for him until he matures and becomes independent. "
" Right, " she nodded. " I know for sure he will overcome this. "
(HOURS LATER: MTF FACILITY)
Amnon finished researching and writing some notes from the books and articles in the library which he had missed during those days of his absence. He spent half-day there and decided to return to his family at the flat before sunset. The pink Kree ignored that nightmare from last night and tried to act normal as possible which he wanted to focus on his assignments.
He looked at the clock and thought," It's just 1:30 in the afternoon. Maybe, I should spend my remaining time in the target shooting area to practice or talk to anybody. "
Amnon sat and leaned on the chocolate leather couch and watched the MTF troopers and Rebel Forces members coming and going. He remained silent and killed his time, thinking of what he could do. Suddenly, he never noticed a tall elderly man with a white scanty hair sitting beside him, wearing a navy blue jacket and a pair of slacks aside from his white shirt. His right hand was holding a vibranium cane. The young pink Kree curiously tilted his head when the elder sincerely smiled at him.
" Hello? " Amnon shyly greeted the old man.
" Hello there, Kid, " he cheerfully greeted the younger gentleman and gently placed his left hand on the boy's shoulder. " Surely, this is a fine Sunday afternoon to stay here in this place. "
" Yes, sir. "
" I see, " the old man nodded and changed his topic. " You know I really miss the good ol' days before those aliens made an entire mess in our world. I'm glad these MTF Troopers and Rebel Forces found me hiding back in Sokovia. "
" Sokovia? I have heard of that place before, but I have never been there before. "
" So, you travelled the world during this invasion? "
" Yes, sir. I ended up here, " Amnon nodded and sadly spoke. " It's a long story. Just early morning, I committed suicide after waking up from that nightmare and then my mother and her boyfriend stopped me from doing it..."
The old man felt sorry for the young Kree man and remained silent upon hearing it. He looked at Amnon with concern and empathy as he wanted to know everything.
" I'm sorry to hear that, Kid, " he sincerely answered. " By the sound of it, you really need some help. "
" I guess so, " Amnon nodded no furiously.
" Well, I volunteer some counseling with a resident psychiatrist here. We do some one on one and group sessions. You will be meeting some people like you. They are experiencing trauma and mental health issues before and during the invasion. Perhaps, you can listen to them or tell us about your experiences, boy? We're willing to listen. Don't worry, we won't tell anybody. We prioritize your privacy. We're starting today, if you want to join. "
Amnon was nonspeaking and interested at the old man's invitation. Perhaps, this was the only way to overcome his prolonged trauma. He intently looked at the elder and began composing his thoughts before speaking.
" By the way, I forgot to introduce myself, " the elder continued and offered a handshake " My name's Steve Rogers, former Captain America. "
The pink Kree widened his shock as he couldn't believe his favorite Avenger was sitting beside him. Amnon had known about Captain America from a French article and then a wax display at his visit in the Louvre museum. He intently stared at the same azure eyes from the former Avenger. Elder Steve Rogers reached more than a hundred years old, but he looked like around eighty or ninety years old.
" Kid?! " Elder Rogers called his attention and smiled. " Are you okay? "
" You're...Captain America?! Great Steve Rogers?! " Amnon exclaimed in awe. " I can't believe it's you who's sitting and talking beside me! How come? "
" You're right, " the former Avenger chuckled and nodded. " I guess I will be explaining more later on. "
" Sir, we have a lot to talk about. I'm one of your biggest fans! I have read and heard stories about you! " the young Kree man shook his hands to the elderly man happily exclaimed. " My name's Amnon Montmartre. I'm so honored to meet you, Captain Rogers! "
" Do tell. I'm glad to meet you, Amnon. Perhaps, you should come with me in the group session. We're going to talk later. "
" Yes, sir. "