[OLD] Blood On Fire (A Hermitcraft AU)

Chapter Nine: Trapped

"LET HIM GO!!"

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!"

"STOP-"

Xay shuddered, not from the cold, when he recognized the voice.

Xisuma.

Memories flooded through him, and hot anger burned in his stomach. However, Xay pushed past his fury and concentrated on the distant conversation.

"This is horrible!"

"Sir, this is what we have to do to ensure that he and everyone else is safe."

"LOCKING HIM UP LIKE A RABID ANIMAL?!"

"Excuse me, but we're going to need you to please calm down."

"Calm- are you absolutely insane?!"

"We know what we're doing, okay?"

"Then what are you doing?!"

"We're neutralizing his powers until we figure out how to extract them."

"Let me talk to him."

"That's not-"

"Let me talk to him."

Xay flinched at the venom behind Xisuma's last outburst. Peeling open his eyes, the first thing that he noticed was the cuff on his wrist. As his senses slowly drifted back, he felt a tiny bit of pain from the same general area as the band on his wrist. Examining it closer, he realized that there was some kind of needle jabbing into his skin, which was attached to some kind of tube.

Peering at the cuff and the tube a couple more times, he realized that it was some kind of horribly violent blood test. It didn't hurt, however, but probably because he was growing numb from the cold.

And that was when he finally realized where he was.

In a room, all walls white except the one in front of him.

The one in front of him was made of glass.

Behind the glass was a hallway.

I'm in a testing room.

Like some sort of human zoo.

They can just come and... watch me.

It's exactly what I imagined, but that's not good.

...I didn't think that my over dramatic imagination would ever be some sort of reality.

I wonder what they want from me...

Are they going to just destroy my power, or take it for themselves?

A part of me hopes for the former...

Is that selfish?

Definitely.

Xay sighed, then buried his face in his hands, hating the empty, gaping hole inside.

I'm a freak, and now everyone knows.

It's all my fault, and there's nothing I can do.

I'm trapped.

The lights flickered, and Xay glared at the ceiling.

Thank you, he thought dryly. For emphasizing my point.

Xay snapped his fingers, sighing knowingly when no fire generated. His power pulled heat from the air, but, well, there wasn't enough heat to pull for a flame to generate. Xay had already known that would happen, but it was worth a shot.

Well, if more friction generates a bigger blaze... then maybe more'll work?

Xay rubbed his hands together vigorously, like most people did when they were cold. Tiny sparks flew from his hands, but they vanished into the air.

Xay stared at his gloves, an idea forming in his head.

Should I... take them off?

Xay hesitated, then slowly peeled the fabric off. He ran his bare hand on the wall, and gaped at the feeling.

Xay almost never took his gloves off, and when he did, the only thing that touched his bare hand was water.

Nothing else.

Xay sighed and pulled the glove back on, shuddering at the feeling.

What use is it? Xay thought. Even if I do set a fire, what happens? Nothing.

The lights flickered again, this time going out for a couple of seconds. Xay glanced up, curious.

Probably just a faulty lightbulb.

The lights flickered once, twice, and then...

They stayed out, plunging the whole building into darkness.

The entire building.

Suddenly, there was a crash and a scream.

Xay's eyes widened, a thousand thoughts racing through him at once.

What's going on?!

The lights flicked on, then off again, making Xay feel like he was in a horror movie.

Out of nowhere, pain blistered up throughout him, drawing a shriek. Xay fell to the floor, and before he could do anything else-

Everything went red.

uH Oh

-Storm