persistence / oncest fic

iii.

Reed :

Am I supposed to know what to say? I'm humiliated, and I suppose I thought I left that behind me.

It's fine. My next move is to make sure he understands his role here. As a prisoner. Nothing more and nothing less. Perhaps less.

Now, I have paperwork to complete. And I will get the information I need, and as you all should very well know, if it's the last thing I'll do.

Once :

How am I? Glad you asked-- incredibly happy. Overjoyed. Did you see the look on his face?

He's taken so much from my family, I'm glad to give a little pushback. More than happy.

Obviously this is a big moment for me. You can't just shit talk Greed to his face. Not without serious reprocussions, and with that said, I am kind of scared now.

Don't get why I didn't think about that before. I believe him when he says things can get worse. I'll have to work harder and faster than ever from now on.

Alright, before you go, let me show you something.
This idiot left loose screws on the vent cover-- and with a bit of work, some broken fingernails, and you know, sheer terror, I got it off! Don't tell him. Seriously.

Reed :

Do I think Once is getting out of here alive? No, not at this rate. Not anymore.

I won't talk about this garbage anymore. To be honest, hearing his tirade was more annoying than infuriating, and amusing rather than intimidating. You get what I'm saying? It was like hearing a dog bark.

Alright, I'm over this. I'm not affected.

Thneedtowne Factory :

The air was murky with the smell of smoke and churned earth, and a slightly sweaty, metallic stench. The factory before Greed lay in ruins.

He walked slowly towards the metal door (almost completely ripped off it's hinges) as if fighting the current of a dream. His hands were cold as he pushed aside the door.

He stared at the foyer's walls, all covered in scorch marks and what appeared to be deep scratches, those were lower. A table with fliers and brochures had been upturned and burned. Greed noted with a hint of disdain the smashed windows, and that was the only emotion until he saw the clump.

It was dark and lumpy, profusely exalting a deep crimson liquid. Atop the stinking mass was a blood-soaked thneed in his favorite shade, jade green.

Now Greed felt he was in a nightmare, and the only thing slightly coherent from that point on was the vomit, stumbling, and the feeling of his palm against the deep scores in the wall.

Greed collapsed. There were more bodies in the factory, though not nearly as disfigured as factory manager Clyde Fink's. Now the sun had set.

Perhaps you want to know why Greed made a personal visit to the factory. Well, let me tell you about Don Horton. After all, he survived this.

Don Horton's workday ended as the Lorax's crusade began. He was finishing a report in his office next to the needle-threader when he heard the creak of tearing metal and piercing screams.
He knew to let well enough alone, think what you may, and dived straight for the operation cupboard. He opened the latch and slid into the compartment, squishing painfully against the buttons and levers. The heat was dreadful.

Soon enough, rebels found their way into the room and began smashing the machine, poor Don suffered terrible burns in that little box. He lay there for three hours, before crawling out and towards the front hall.

To his good fortune, the place was deserted. He picked the padlock on the side door with his screwdriver and pulled it open after what seemed like years. Inside was the assaulting chemical odor, not to mention the terrible sight strewn all over the floor.

Don told Greed that he had dragged the victims of the gassing into the back hall and tried to bandage their bloody fingers with scraps of his uniform. "They just wouldn't come around," He had told Greed at the hospital.

Naturally, Greed had to step in himself. And that he did, though he's incapacited at the moment.

Once :

I overheard Greed's brothers talking about the Thneedtowne factory, and i'll start by trying to explain how angry I am that I couldn't be there causing the trouble. Apparently it was more gruesome than ever before.

Then I heard that Greed was confined to his room due to sickness from just being present, and not that the fact he had a private doctor visiting worried me, but I started to wonder how bad things really were. I'm kind of excited. This must mean The Lorax is serious about my situation.

In other news, I'm trying to work out which vents to crawl through in order to get out. It's tough work. And it doesn't help that the guards open my door every 15 minutes.

Greed :

What I saw was shocking, to say the absolute very least. Never would I ever have expected this sort of thing from The Lorax. I was sure this would always remain petty thievery and protests. I  had always been the, uhm, killer.

I... I will say that i'm at a loss for how to combat this. I've started having a drink or two every evening, as it helps with the nightmares. I honestly didn't think he was capable of such... well, I don't know. Now I realize that I must take extra precautions with Once.

I won't speak on this anymore tonight. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get drunk-- I mean, go to sleep. 'Night.

(A/N: sorry for lateness!! I know this took a weird turn but i hope you like it anyways, I myself want to see where this will go lol. Thanks! xx - tee)