Reapers - Master of Souls (Reapers Chronicles Book III)

3 - Salvaged

He was cut off by the noise of something pounding against metal. But this time, it was coming from the lobby.

"What is that?" Millie asked.

For a few seconds, the noise stopped.

"What the-" Hector started to say before a huge rectangular piece of metal crashed through the Helcium panels and into the room. It screeched angrily against the floor, smashing rows of cloning tanks.

The only source of light was the emergency lamp in the lobby. I blinked rapidly, forcing my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

The rectangular piece of metal was actually the vault door.

I heard someone shouting, "Halt!"

Then the familiars in the lobby started screaming in ways that made my skin crawl. Furnishings were smashed. There were noises of struggle. Blood splattered on the remaining glass panels. Then it became really quiet.

Something round hurtled into the laboratory and rolled to a stop near Hector's feet.

It was a severed head. Eyes wide. Mouth open in mid-scream. Blood.

I staggered away from the door of my tank, pressing a hand on my mouth to prevent the whimpers from coming out.

The severed head began to smolder, its embers turning into a handful of fireflies.

Hector cursed under his breath.

I could hear someone approaching. They were dead; Cairo's familiars. Now, whatever killed them was heading straight to us.

Frantically, I knocked on the glass. "Let me out of here, Hector! It's coming. Please, let me out."

It was as if he hadn't heard me. Millie just stood there awaiting orders and giving me a rueful look.

A form came in through the broken panel. Broken glass crunched under his feet with his every step.

"Please... H-help," I sobbed under my breath, hoping Hector would grow a heart.

Suddenly, Millie shrieked. Then she was gone.

There was a crash at the back of the room: an entire row of tanks smashed to smithereens.

I cupped my hands around my eyes and squinted through the darkness.

Buried up to her chest in broken glass and twisted metal was Millie. Blood trickled down the side of her mouth. She gasped, dark eyes wide with bewilderment before pain could register on her face.

"Master..." she rasped, her one free hand reaching out in the dark. "M-master..."

Now with the Helcium panels shattered, the nullification effect on immortal abilities had also seemed to weaken. Hector didn't even lift a finger to help his familiar. Instead, he summoned his scythe.

His Eleven mark glowed in the dark. On his hands materialized what looked like a pair of four-pronged torture device, each with a foot-long handle. The long, sharp metal spikes were curved, resembling claws.

"Show yourself!" Hector yelled.

From the back of the room, Millie let out one last shaky cry. Then she fell quiet.

A shrill wail bounced off the walls, making me wince.

Before I could think 'Swarth', the creature swooped down on Hector. Its claws dug into his shoulders. He groaned in pain as it hovered upwards, taking him with it.

Was it the Swarth that attacked Millie and killed Cairo's familiars? Impossible. The attack came from the outside. The Swarth must have escaped when the vault door hit the tanks.

Yelling in pain, Hector thrust his weapon against the Swarth's arm. It lost its grip on him, letting out a piercing cry. He tumbled on a pile of broken tanks.

It was eerily silent. I couldn't see the Swarth. It was too dark. How I wished I had my acute senses, but I was still trapped in this stupid Helcium tank.

"H-hector?" I whispered, my voice shaking. "Hector, are you still there?"

A loud knock startled me. I reeled backwards and fell on my butt.

The Swarth pressed its pale face against the glass door, her wide brown eyes so intense they left a warm spot on my forehead. She beat the door with her fists, shrieking hatefully. When that proved to be ineffectual, she clawed on it. The sound hurt my teeth.

I covered my ears and curled as far away from the door as possible.

"She's not going to kill you. She's not going to kill you," I frantically mumbled to myself. But then, I saw the murderous intent in her eyes. "Or maybe she is."

From the rubble, Hector pushed himself up. He limped behind the Swarth and drew his weapon, aiming for the head.

The creature whipped its head over its shoulder before Hector could strike. It shot up, shrieking so loud the glass door cracked. Then, it whizzed past Hector and out of the lab.

Breathing heavily, Hector shuffled towards the console and turned on some sort of power bank. He feverishly restarted the programs he was working on.

"What the hell are you still doing?" I demanded. "Let me go!"

He wiped the blood trickling from his brow with the back of his hand and momentarily lifted his gaze from the monitor. "I'm just finishing what has to be done. Don't misunderstand, Aramis. This is nothing personal," he smiled. "It just so happens that I really need your soul. So no hard feelings, alright?"

Tears came out in a steady stream from my eyes. I thought I wasn't afraid. But now, I wasn't so sure anymore.

This must be it, I thought. I never thought I would be put down this way. Being killed as a wraith should have been a better way to go. At least I could have taken down as much enemies as I could with me.

I shook my head, wallowing in my own helplessness. "You're just like your father!"

"Why, thank you," he laughed, fingers still working. "If it's any consolation, when I'm done with you, maybe you could finally be with Vincent in Oblivion. At least, you will both be put out of your misery. See? It's a win-win situation."

He couldn't be right. Vincent couldn't be dead. He was supposed to be stronger than any Undead army. This was Vincent he was talking about. The guy was supposed to be indestructible.

I fell to my knees, my tears dotting the floor. "Damn you!"

"Well, I already am," he answered matter-of-factly. "Now, why don't you stay very still for me so I can extract your-"

"Try pushing one more button, Hector and I swear your head rolls on the floor," said a gruff baritone voice.

I began sobbing the moment I heard his voice. More so when I saw his face, the melancholy in his depthless pale eyes.

By some miracle, he had somehow survived the Undead attack. The bruises, cuts and burns from weeks of torture were still obvious. Other than that, he was okay. And what's more, he came for me.

"Oh God! You came!" I cried out loud, my voice cracking. "Oh my God! Please help. Help me!"

"Not God... Yet. " One corner of his lips pulled up ever so slightly. "Call me Vincent."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry for the late update, guys. Been down in the dumps lately. But lemme make it up to you by making a midweek update. Please don't hate me. And for those who are wondering why I wasn't responding to DMs, I'm very sorry. It takes long to answer everything with me not being online most of the time. I am occasionally on twitter (@Simply_shim) and facebook (/ReapersChronicles) if you ever feel a little chatty. Thanks again to the people who commented on the last chapter to extend their condolences. Your understanding and words of encouragement means a lot to me. xoxo Shim PS. Credits to AnythingAnEverything for the banner