Syndicate of tribulation

Chapter 28

Don't get me started on all the random details he told us that could have been omitted, but maybe he was anxious we knew he was hiding something.

Eustace and I accepted the mission and walked out the room, not before side-eyeing a mumbling Blake, biting his fingernails, almost making himself bleed.

We walked out of the building and saw King and Tyro being realised from black handcuffs, made out of a strange material.

Don't tell him I said this, but I really missed them. You can tell King, but certainly not Tyro.

"Hey!" Eustace screeched, overjoyed, and throwing her arms around King, who laughed and hugged her back. Tyro stood off the side looking awkward as King tried to drag him into the hug.

"How have you guys been?" I asked them, genuinely curious about the repercussions of their actions. King was about to say something when Tyro nudged her with his elbow, "we've been good" he answered for them.

Why is everyone acting so weird?

Domo and Amo exited the building and saw the dangerous duo. They both screeched and ran up to hug Tyro and King.

That's right. Tyro too.

Tyro pushed Amo off him with a murderous glint in his eyes, but Amo simply blew him an air kiss which was met with an eye roll. Like brother's, adorable.

I wonder if I have siblings.

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The house was once again lively, filled with chatter and laughter over the dining room table. No one asked King and Tyro what happened to them again.

"So, they just wanted to brief Amo and I about our weapons and they wanted Amo to make some weapons for them, and me to try them out, cool right?" Domo announced, with a smile on her face when Eustace asked what happened in HQ.

But now it was our turn to answer the question.

The table fell silent as they awaited our response. I peeked at Eustace, who was already looking at me with a begging look in her eyes.

She wants to tell them. Despite us both being sworn to secrecy.

Oh well.

I nodded discreetly and Eustace commenced, telling them every little detail of the encounter. Every eye twitch, any lip bite, any eye shakiness. She is very observant. She recounted the story perfectly, I felt like I was there again.

The smiles vanished, along with the jolly atmosphere. Eustace told the story too perfectly and now everyone could feel the unease that we both felt.

"He is lying" Amo voiced, we all nodded in unison – coming to the same conclusion. "Amo, you know that thing I wanted you to make, have you done that yet?" Tyro asked, looking over at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "Only got 2 so far" Amo replied, and Tyro nodded and whispered 'enough'.

We all gathered in Amo's room, I had never seen it before, but it was exactly as I expected it to be. I felt like I had been here before – or maybe it's PTSD from my upbringing. Test tubes, conical flask – they littered the shelves. Syringes, titration, vials of unknown substances littering the desk.

I started to hyperventilate as the memories that I had pushed to the furthest part of my minds slowly started to seep through the wall I had built. Before anyone knew what had happened, I threw up the same vile substance that had plagued my insides since I got here. It had significantly reduced, but not stopped.

I heard some shouting before the darkness, I found so comforting, embraced me tenderly.

When I woke up, I was in my bed and Eustace was sitting next to me, with the rest of the team surrounding us.

"Long story short, we put a chip in your back molars that uses magnetic waves and is undetectable by sensors so we can track you on your trip" Amo said, smiling as he wrote something on a clipboard he was holding.

Is he purposely trying to trigger my PTSD. "Also Dax, I found out what that substance you were vomiting is, and I know how to neutralise it so you can stop" he continued, putting the clipboard down as he noticed my shallow breaths as I looked at it.

I know scientist are meant to be my enemies, but Amo is my friend, he wouldn't hurt me. Right?

He handed me a pill bottle and inside were only 2 pills. "Take one now and the other tomorrow. It will neutralise the acid inside you, but you have to wait for one to... flush out before you take the other." Amo explained.

"If you sense you are in danger on the mission, clench your jaw very hard twice and this will send a homing signal to us and your location" Tyro voiced, "we will come and find you no matter what" Domo added, whilst King nodded with a soft smile on her face.

Her scar had gotten lighter, but the distinct shape of a lightning bolt was still etched in her skin but not it looked cool instead of painful.

These are my friends; they wouldn't hurt me.

I peered at Eustace beside me and smiled at her.

Why do I still feel like a sitting duck?