[writing] Project Chaos - Chapter Twelve

[djtenku]

Title: No Mercy
Word Count: 2358
Summary: Faint. Tear. Pain

The base of SrØkus-RejaviØ was now at the mercy of the blizzard. Trees were bending over at the might of Mother Nature’s cold breath; clumps of snow fell from the silver-lined sky and quickly amassed, blocking entrances and exits, and caking the spotlights, plunging the base into total darkness. Even the molten material in the Furnace building became cooler.

The howls of the wind became muffled deep inside the sub-building’s halls, and rumbles of thunder rattled the metallic walls. The specks of blood were now dull and frozen; tiny crystals lined the edges, almost shaping them. The winds eventually subsided, and there was total silence.

Shin opened a bleary sapphire eye, staring at the dark marble floor. It wasn’t until moments later that her vision focused on a bright, expanding pool of crimson, but longer to recognize what had happened. It was her blood spilling out. She was mildly surprised she wasn’t dead yet; slowly she sat up, attempting to cover up the hole and leaned back onto the wall, shuddering. Despite her blood being warm, she felt cold and out of place; she looked upon her fingers and they were a light blue.

She then heard a voice continuously calling her name – distant at first until her hearing stopped buzzing, and answered. “Yeah?”

+Shina!+ Meeko exclaimed. +I’ve been trying to call you for an hour! What happened?+

Shin closed her eyes for a moment. “Good news or bad news; which one do you want first?”

+Good news,+ she replied, after a considerable pause.

Shin winced as she inhaled. “Good news is that I got Mr. Xander out of his…cell and we’re in no vicinity of any enemy sentry. In fact, we’re in the one place that they probably wouldn’t expect to look.”

+Which is?+

“Women’s bathroom,” she said with a short laugh. She was relieved when she heard the doctor snicker.

+How’s Mr. Xander?+

Shin glanced up at the weapons president. “He’s out right now. I’m not sure he’s alright; he has some deep cuts. A little TLC should help out a bit, I think.” She paused to cough, and cringed.

Meeko’s voice dropped, somber. +And the bad news?+

“Well…” Shin considered her words, careful not to stress out the young doctor any more, if possible. “We were ambushed by the Screamers,” she started, “ at the start of the blizzard. Long story short, my leg is torn up and my s-side is messed up. Hell, their rounds went straight through my armor. It’s pretty much useless now…that’s w-why I didn’t answer.

“I don’t know how much I l-lost though…”

+You need treatment immediately,+ Meeko urged. +You’re in shock and if you don’t stop it, you’ll bleed out and die. Is there any type of medicine around?+

Shin cried out as she attempted to stand up, body disagreeing with her movement. “I passed by a station earlier,” she said through gritted teeth. “I know where exactly where it is.”

+Can you stand?+ Michael asked, stoic as ever.

Shin laughed again, forced. “That’s the most bastard question I’ve ever heard, Oni. I’m not at my breaking point, y’know. Heard anything from the boys yet?”

Meeko leaned back into her chair, putting a hand to her head. “Last we heard was about forty minutes ago,” she said. “Long story short, Rowan had to be…”She gave a thoughtful pause, considering her words. “…subdued by physical means so he’s out of the question. We hadn’t heard from Kento since; the radio cut out.”

+The Screamers…+ Shin trailed off for a moment. +I hope he didn’t get caught. I’m at the station now; w-what do I n-need?+

“Stay with me,” Meeko said. “You need to get disinfectants, bandages, and any painkillers. You still know how to use them?”

+Uh-huh. There’s some rations too…+ Shin absently grabbed two small white tubes and inspected them until she saw the words

Corrosive Gel

Use only in extreme emergencies!

+Meek, what’s Corrosive Gel?+

Meeko sat up. “It’s a new type of medicine, or rather disinfectant,” she started. “CG eats away at the infected or dead skin while at the same time healing it with a genetically inhanced coagulation agent. The fastest time it’s been clocked is about a minute and a half. It also acts like glue so you don’t have to worry about anything opening up again, that is, if you don’t do anything to stressful.”

+Easier said than done,+ Shin said, gathering up the items and limping back towards the safekeeping place. +Anything else I need to know about it?+

Meeko hesitated. “Well…there is one catch to it. The reason why there is a warning is because that the gel has only been applied to comatose burn victims. It was originally made for them to help accelerate the process. They…they couldn’t feel the pain of it; there hasn’t been a case of applying it to a conscious person.”

+Isn’t this grand? If it’s the only way to stop the bleeding, I’ll use it.+

“Please be careful with it,” she said. “After you apply it, allow at least an hour or two to recoperate before moving anywhere else. Even so, according to the radar, there is a massive blizzard.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Shin said quietly before cutting the link. The metal joint pads clinked and rung as they landed on the floor, as did the soaked armored vest. She removed the black thermal top and saw the puncture wound looked wider than before, and her left shoulder was a deeper violet than before. She grimaced and nearly doubled over as another jolt of pain tore through.

Shuddering, she tore open the dressing packet and the gel tube and diligently applied it. At first, nothing happened, and wondered if the warning was pure exaggeration. The sickness and vertigo nearly stopped at once and she almost felt better. Suddenly, her skin started to burn, festering by the second. It stung, like another bullet went through again, and spread rapidly, burrowing in deep and eating the skin.

Shin watched in horror before letting loose a shriek of anguish.

-

Darkness.

He had no sense of direction, and pressure was everywhere. There was no sound, except his faint ragged breathing. At least I’m alive, he told himself. His ears were still ringing from the high-pitched sound. Something rattled everytime he moved, and something tightened around his ankles, wrists, and neck. What the hell was that? The real question was where was he; he only remembered coming out of the damn elevator and blacking out.

Kento started to worry when he heard a distant cry; it sounded like it was nearby, but muffled. It sent a chill down his spine. Something’s happened to her. He didn’t know what, but the questions he started to form in his foggy mind started to gnaw at him. She can handle herself, a voice reasoned. She’s safe…

It stopped all together when he heard footsteps. “So, you’re awake now,” the gritty voice of Lang said. “I was afraid that the shock was too much.”

The sudden shock of light forced Kento to shut his eyes a moment longer before focusing on the Wolves leader. Everything else was a mute grey – something that of a morgue room. The lights were dim now, and only revealed the stark outline of Lang. Two other outlines were completely shrouded in the dark, but he concentrated on him moreso. Kento finally realized he was standing up slightly above Lang. The shackles and chains clinked together as he moved again – the cold steel digging into his skin slightly.

Lang tsked at the sight, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you; there’s wires on your limbs. One good move and –“ he made the gesture of slitting the throat and made a tearing noise. “And it tightens each time. I wouldn’t waste my energy with that.”

Kento relaxed slightly after giving consideration. “What are you going to do?”

“Torture you,” Lang said bluntly. He smiled at the flicker of disgust and shock. “More of a game, really. Y’know, I’m not doing this for any information. You’re after Chaos - taking it back rather, and you’re going to rescue that useless man. Oh, and you’re going to kill the rest of us.” He motioned into the darkness at the outlines. “Stop me if I’m wrong.”

Lang snorted. “Typical response – silence.” He casually glanced at the back of one of his hands, remarking at the metallic rings around his knuckles. Each had an inch long spike jutting at the top, sharpened and thin at the tip. “Spare me the heroics, boy. I know where your teammates are. One word will kill them both.” Then, he added, “I’m sure you don’t want anything to happen to them, especially that woman. For all I know, she probably bled out. A shame really.”

The Ace squad leader lurched forward, ignoring the painful constriction. “If you so much as look at her wrong…”

“Or what?” Lang sneered. “I’ll suppose you’ll stop me, Guardian?”

It was up until that point that he didn’t feel the comfort of the bandanna. Instead, it was wound tight around Lang’s bicep, torn and inversed. Lang took a step forward, the spikes gleaming in the dull light. “After this game, you’ll probably be dead. ‘Warrior’, it’s called – something I learned in Russia. All you have to do is endure my little test, with nothing but pure will. If you simply run out of it or surrender in any way, you and your friends will die. However, if you live, you are a warrior. You’re a different case though.”

Before Kento could say anything, much less do anything, Lang struck. The cold, metal spikes bit deep into his abdomen and dug upwards for several seconds; the sudden shock of it caused him to jolt, and the wires constricted moreso than usual. He didn’t say anything, much to Lang’s dismay.

“Not a vocal one, are you?” He backed away and flicked off the blood that had gotten on to his hand remarking at the long streak he’d made. “Used to it?”

Kento barely heard the question,. “If you can say that,” he rasped.

“Those scars – who gave them to you?”

Why was he asking questions at a time like this? Just humor the damn guy, a voice said defeatedly, causing him to grimace in disgust. “A man who’s now dead,” Kento replied curtly, “but I also gave them to myself.”

Lang nodded in consideration. “So you’re the one who killed Dusle. I was surprised to hear that- about him being alive up until that point anyway.” He gave a beastly smile. “He didn’t give you enough.”

Kento lost sight of him as he moved elsewhere, preparing for the worst. A yell was caught in his throat as Lang struck again – this time with both fists to his sides and moved the spikes slowly as possible. Blood started to trickle down his wrists as the wires drove into his skin.

Lang chuckled. “Remember what I told you. They’ll dig deeper till there is nothing left. You’re resilient like a warrior, I’ll give you that.”

“I…am…one,” Kento whispered.

Lang gave a sharp laugh. “No, you’re not…I say you are. Everyone thinks they are, but they aren’t. Warriors are born, not made by one insignificant change in their lives. I am the definition of a warrior!”

“What makes you think that?”

Lang scowled and drove the spikes just below the back of his neck, eliciting an inhuman roar. “I don’t even know where to begin with, the trials I went through. Death followed me since the day I was born; no one expected me to live, especially after my village was destroyed. For years, I struggled to maintain my existance. I had to fight to survive.”

“Y…ou expect me to believe that bullshit story? I’m not stupid.” The rest of his words were lost as the spikes ran down the path of his spine, tearing apart skin and most likely muscle.

When the ripping stopped, he watched Lang entered his blurred field of vision. He thought he was staring into the face of a tiger – a deep feral scowl lined his dark face. Hate and a glimmer of pain shined in his eyes. “I should kill you right now,” Lang said, pushing the spikes right up to Kento’s neck. “But that would only be out of pure anger; that’s not a vaild reason, now is it? Let me tell you something. I’ll release you.” He ignored the shocked reaction. “I remembered you telling me that I should finish what I started. I know I’ll not have this oppurtunity again.

“If you survive getting out of this room and we meet again, we will fight ‘till only one of us is left standing. No tricks. Got it?”

Kento couldn’t believe it. He didn’t think his own words would save him. He could only nod in stupor. Lang smiled, and backhanded him, leaving four thin but deep streaks over his old scar and disappeared into the darkness.

Lang glanced at Taka, who stood leaning against the wall; he surmised that Roya left sometime ago, going elsewhere. “Release him,” he said as he walked out.

Taka narrowed his eyes. Your own pride and anger will get you killed, he didn’t say. He also wondered what changed his demeanor so quickly, but dismissed the thought. Taka unraveled five colored strings off his left hand, dispelling the wires around the squad leader’s limbs and neck, and the chains that extended into the darkness, and disappeared.

Kento coughed violently after he crashed to the floor, and took in much needed air. Pain and reality started to set in as he looked down at his stomach, and attempted to cover up the wound. He began to think about the damage done to his back; it burned as if the bastard splashed acid on him, but at the same time, he was glad that he was able to feel something.

He glared at his hand, glancing at the deep ring mark of the wire, and then clenched it tightly as the urge to fight grew a little more.