The nurse didn't speak or make eye contact with me as she fixed the table and directed me to sit with a wave of her hand. I sat down and extended my arm for her. She quickly prepped the needle before sticking it in my arm, and filling the five vials with my blood. She finished up by handing me a cotton ball to place on the puncture wound, and then scurrying out of the room like a mouse avoiding a predator.
I was once again left alone, but this time I was more angry than worried. I didn’t even want to imagine what was happening to my guys, and no matter how hard I tried to communicate with Tristan, nothing seemed to be reaching him. No food or water was offered to me, but that was probably another one of his sick tests.
Finally, when I was ready to collapse with exhaustion, the door opened again. This time the man was flanked by two huge bodyguards, both in black tactical gear with assault rifles on their shoulders. I didn't bother to worry, he didn’t want me dead. That thought alone let some of my tension melt away. I had to focus if I wanted to find a way out, and I had every intention of making it out of here alive, and with Tristan and Aeson.
The guards grabbed me roughly, pulling me down the hall with them. I complied, my eyes scanning the corridors for an escape as my magic danced along my skin. I tried to keep it contained, but from the random grunts and tighter holds from the guards, I was doing a shit job of it. Why can I use mine, but Tristan can’t?
‘Tristan?!’ I tried, begging him internally to answer.
‘Don’t, Kitten,’ he said, before the link slammed shut. His answer hurt, but I knew he wouldn't say it without reason.
We stopped at another door, and this time my guys were in there. Anger flared even higher when I saw they were both in what looked like electric chairs. How fucking dare they? My vicious glare turned back to the head of this house of horrors, but he didn't look in the least bit worried about me.
"Doc, you want us over there?" one of his goons asked, hitching a thumb over his shoulder at Tristan and Aeson. Their mouths were taped over, but their eyes were matching pools of terror. Doc… wait, wasn’t the bounty from a Doc? I couldn’t remember his name when I recounted the story to the guys, but now that he said it, I knew it was the same one.
"Yes, it will keep our subject in line. She's a bit stronger than our usual batch," he said casually, taking my arm from them and roughly dragging me to the nearby table. After squirting some sort of gel in his hand, he slicked back my hair with it, the sterile smelling goo making me gag. He looked down at me in annoyance and a hint of warning, like I could control my body's reactions. I stared back at him with dead eyes, watching every move he made. Something in his face was familiar to me, more so than just remembering him from his recent attempt at abducting me on the beach.
"Now, come to this chair. I even moved it to give your friends a show," he said with a dark chuckle. Wanting to push his buttons even more, I couldn't stop myself from blurting a response.
"Boyfriends. We aren't just friends," I countered, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
"All the more fun, then. It must run in the family," he mumbled, but he looked more pleased than I was comfortable with as he shoved me in the chair and tightened the bindings around me. Not wanting my guys to see, I mouthed an apology before moving the sha
dows to only surround them, hoping the guards didn't notice. Currently their beady, greedy eyes were focused on me, the promise of pain too enticing for them to look away.
"Let's see how strong your body is. Just a bit of poison," Doc said casually, pulling out a needle full of a bright yellow liquid. Fuck that! As soon as I fought hard against the needle, trying to scoot away despite my restraints, the guys let out heartbreaking screams, calming my fight. I stopped in my chair, sitting still and waiting for my fate, a small tear slipping down my cheek.
"You're despicable," I hissed before falling silent. My teeth clenched in my jaw, refusing to show him any further bursts of emotion. If I even make it far enough for that to be an issue.
"Oh, that hurts," he laughed, plunging the liquid into my veins. A whimper escaped, despite my best efforts, and the poison coursed through my veins like he’d injected liquid ice. I started to shake and sweat at the same time, nausea overtaking me, until I started vomiting all over myself. As my body started to convulse, my ability to hold the shadows waned, giving the guys a full view of my torture. Not exactly the view you want to give your new boyfriends.
Ice and fire continued to battle within my body, making me weaker and sicker by the minute. All I knew was agony as the torture drove on and on, my consciousness going in and out before they finally grew bored.
"It'll wear off in twenty more minutes, and then we'll be back for round two. Mimics are supposed to be stronger than the average supernatural creature, so we’ll see how strong you are when I come back," Doc said, sounding annoyed like I was being a nuisance on purpose. The moment the doors closed, the guys started fighting against their restraints, their voices trying to keep me awake.
‘Kitten, don't fall asleep. Stay with us, we're coming,’ Tristan pleaded through gritted teeth, pushing and pulling against the chains securing him to the chair.
‘I'm getting us out of here, Baby, I promise,’ Aeson said as he tried to use his power against the restraints. The fire danced along the metal, but it refused to give way. As the time ticked on, the poison faded, but another round of nausea hit me, making me vomit again. Man, I just want a shower and to be safe. Please, let us get out of here.
The men came back in just as Aeson's chain snapped with an audible clink. Thankfully, it was behind him, so they didn't even glance over. The guards and Doc converged on me as one, releasing me and forcing me over to a covered table. As soon as pulled the covering off, I noticed it wasn't a table at all, but an aquarium of sorts, with a water tap hooked up to the lid. They opened the top of the tank before shoving me in unceremoniously. The weird nightgown I woke up in floated around me, and my eyes narrowed as I shoved it down, refusing to give these assholes the pleasure of seeing my nakedness. Fucking, creeps!
My gills formed faster than they had the last time, and I let myself slip into the sensation of using them instead of fighting it. If I don’t fight, at least I can keep this sicko from the joy of seeing me in pain. The acrid water worked through my lungs as I breathed in and out, settling on the bottom of the tank to sit and wait. What is this? Something tastes off about this water. My heart beat rapidly in my chest, wondering what they did to the water, and what they had planned for me. My scales formed along my skin as I stared at Doc and his men, my siren side growing stronger with each lungful of water. A weird sensation moved up my legs, but looking down I noticed nothing was different yet, except the scales there were slightly thicker. The doctor moved forward, a device in his hand and a sinister smile in place. Is this what the little girl had to live through, day after day? The thought settled like a weight on my chest as I imagined shoving them in here, then saving everyone else. I was sure if they had her, and they had me, that there were plenty more imprisoned here as well.
Please let us get out of here alive.
May ?
Unknown
Lennox
When the lightning arced through the water, I felt like this truly was my personal hell. They had taken away the safety I felt in water by turning it into a siren torture chamber. As the white, hot electricity pierced through me, I let out an unrestrained scream, the noise garbled in the water around me. As the scream left me, the water swirled away like I'd let out a cyclone with my yell, the area around it wavering like a mirage. Apparently that pleased them, but I saw it as my chance to escape. They all talked excitedly and took notes for a moment before turning another wave of electricity on, a cruel excited gleam in their eyes that fueled my anger and steeled my resolve. This time, with my scream, I pushed out power, not willing to let them torture me or my guys any more. Fuck this. I'm no victim, and today they are gonna learn.
When the cyclone of power touched the glass, it instantly shattered, flying into my torturers and knocking them down. I didn't hesitate, knowing this was my only shot at freedom. I punched, channeling shifter strength as I heaved my fist into Doc's face, before turning to the others. I felt nothing in that moment, except invincible. The power and adrenaline were a strong drug, and the whole scene felt like an out of body experience, like I was simply an onlooker in a twisted movie. I couldn't move around well, but I didn’t have time to assess that right now, so I chose to fight instead. Thankfully, they fell into a cluster, clearly trying to protect Doc.
Warm blood coated my hands as I fought the last man who was clinging to consciousness. His fist connected with my jaw before I covered his eyes in shadows and landed one final blow to his temple, his face going slack immediately. I stared down at the mess I'd made, unable to look away. Glass glittered in the industrial lighting overhead, covering every available surface. The floor was coated in rivulets of blood that ranged from deep red to watery pink as it mixed with the contents of my exploded tank. Internally, I was panicking.
You're a monster.