I just have to keep going.
Daniel stumbles, falling against the nearby wall, loosing his grip on the soaken floor, the residual liquid; still covered by the darkness of the never ending loops of the corridors.
None of this is real.
Pausing for air, he grips his sweat ridden clothes, yanking onto his shirt, clambering up, not giving a chance to think, pushing his legs into motion whilst the ominous rumble echos from behind him.
This isn't real, I just have to keep going. Remember what dad said.
A slight laughter follows by, sending shivers down his back. Nevertheless, Daniel keeps running, his chest tightening by every second, his breaths getting more excruciating while the noise gets closer.
Just keep running, it'll stop right?
His legs grow weaker, suddenly becoming limp, making him stumble over, yet again, falling down. "Shit." Daniel barely stops himself landing face first, resting against his knuckles and legs.
Maybe I should give in. This is endless.
The noises grow louder than before, so Daniel just lays there, pressing his face into the cold floor, the taste of metal hitting his tongue, mixed in with his own saliva, making him retch at the foul taste.
"So pathetic."
Something leans behind him, slowly pressing their hand against the floor besides his face, tapping slowly. Daniel tenses up, feeling the gust of stale breath hit his neck.
"You not going to say hello? Didn't your family treat you better?"
However, Daniel remains quiet, losing his tense posture to be replaced by submission. Sighing in defeat, Daniel almost chuckles towards the action, ignoring his fear. "No time for introductions, your here to kill me right?" Daniel asks, his whispering, empty tone being almost inaudible through the constant tapping besides him. The stranger doesn't respond, the painfully loud tapping becoming to a still hault.
No point in being scared of death anymore is there.
Daniel's mind wanders around, remembering back to when he left his family to follow his career, however the experiences around this faculty leaves him empty, even though it's been less that a month since his arrival.
"Get up, your pathetic whining is weak."
Something grabs Daniel's coat, yanking him up right, causing his body and brain to lose focus, and stumble, waving his arms around to get balance back. A sudden urge to turn around lingers in his mind, yet he refuses to do so, knowing this isn't even real, something purely his mind is making up.
Yet it feels that real.
"Your not the newbie I picked out, get a grip."
The tone of voice startles him to stagger forwards in shock, swinging his body around to find sukuna standing there, his body and stance just defining his strength. Daniel staggers back again, spotting his glare watching him carefully. His head feels heavy, whilst breathing becomes a chore for him. "Why are you here?" Daniel rasps, grabbing his shirt, as it tightens around his chest, making his breathing become even more ragged and painful. "I wouldn't imagine you of all people... to appear in my dreams or nightmares." He adds, coughing slighty. However, sukuna remains stern, unlike his normal behaviour. Maybe this is a nightmare, wouldn't surprise me.
"Yet you did, so sort yourself out, you need to wake up. I'm the least of your concerns." Sukuna snaps back, dropping his arms down to his sides, bending down slighty to grab Daniel's collar, making sure Daniel's fear heightens as he stays on his level of eye contact. "Learn who's actually the threat next time." Sukuna adds, before tossing Daniel against the wall, the force and splitting surge of pain sending Daniel into darkness.
For what feels like a second, Daniel becomes blinded by a sharp pin of light, squeezing his eyes shut whilst his body comes back to reality. Subtle murmurs of voices echo around him, yet his senses aren't back fully, causing them to be indecipherable. A numb throbbing pain begins to pound against his head, yet, he can't naturally grab his head in discomfort, as something keeps his arms and legs down against something cold, almost like metal.
"You owe me! Told you he'd live!" A familiar voice pounds through his skull, as he tries to come back to his senses, his eyes focusing to the light shining on top of him, being similar to a dentists lamp, blaring over him in a poorly lit room.
"He's survival rate was over 80%, the chances of him dying was low nevertheless, therefore I owe you nothing." Another voice.
Daniel glances down at his body, making sure it's still all there, although his battered and torn lab coat hides the possibility of almost anything, a slight relief washes over him knowing he at least has all his limbs. Although the relief is short lived, as shadows start to walk towards him, most being either guards or scientists, however the well known smirk of ryu alongside alphas stern expression leaves him understanding that he didn't come out unscathed.
"I did what you wanted, let him go now bitch." Alpha spits, tossing a far away shadow a file, leaving Daniel lost and confused. Ryu wanders over, grabbing his jawline, pushing his face around whilst dismissing any guards around the room. Alpha uncomfortably shuffles towards the other side of the room, keeping more an eye on ryu rather that Daniel.
"So, what was the results? I did the surgery so I should at least know." Ryu asks, tracing the scar across Daniel's face from his last attack, with sukuna. Alpha remains quiet, deciding to remove the restraints around his arms, whilst daniel spots the room to be in much more of decrepit state than most other rooms, with this one almost covered by what he hopes as mould rather that anything else, the harshly blackened walls look almost burnt from years of abuse, leaving Daniel in utter fear.
"Doesn't concern you. Only me, and sukuna." Alpha replies, looseningthe rest of the restraints. Daniel pauses for a moment, glancing at them both, in fear of one attacking him. Alpha glances at ryu again, before reaching his hand out helping Daniel awkwardly stand up.
Ryu merely smiles, although a hint of distaste resonates on her face, for even a moment, that Daniel spots, therefore let's go of alphas help as quickly as possible. "Wait, you did this!? You tricked me here didn't you?" Daniel suddenly remembers, stepping aback from alpha, whilst glancing at ryu, "the whole test was something you planned and for what? We almost died!" Daniel yells, leaving alpha shocked for a second, knowing this isn't usually how Daniel reacts. Even ryu watches him in eager curiosity.
"The plan was to just get you over to a secure room so I could see something. Ryu planned my brothers escape as a little 'fun' experiment." Alpha replies, still never straying from the same stern tone. Daniel remains alert, although he's body is still trying to come back fully, whilst his confusion leaves too many unanswered questions.
"So what did you do, and why should I even believe what you said. I was stupid to even follow you." Daniel mutters, pausing on his own words. Alpha doesn't respond, but Daniel spots hidden remorse in his face, yet doesn't bother unlike his urge to want to.
"Something wasn't right, with anything around you. Sukunas unpredictable attack, under sakuras command or not, the way karmas snake didn't see you as a threat, all after the blood transfusion and the scar you got from sakura." Alpha sighs, pausing. "Ryu wanted to know why so ordered me by using miyako as her benefactor and boss to well...." Alpha pauses, rubbing the back of his neck, pausing and sighing, his stature becoming more friendlier, almost reluctant to finish the sentence.
"He asked yours truly to leave you on deaths door to see how your body would react, physically and mentally." Ryu declares, with more joy than needed, "So I did, cut you open like a pinata, poisoned, burnt, left you to bleed out, was a sight I'll say." Ryu adds, grinning.
Daniel's mind goes blank, his entire body goes stiff and cold. Hearing that your dying is normally a traumatic experience, leaving you unable to comprehend what was said, however Daniel just forgets how to function. Ryu remains smiling, crossing her arms, unlike alpha who looks away, dragging his hand against the chair like table Daniel was such on.
"That's a face of pure hopelessness. It's beautiful isn't it Alex, just like old days." Ryu chuckles, wandering over to Daniel, swiftly grabbing his shoulders from behind, watching alpha. "First your brother, now your new friend, remember that? How much despair karma had when you asked me to keep him down?" Ryu taunts, leaning her head on Daniel's, using her height as a advantage.
Daniel doesn't even express a concern, as his body feels as if everything is touching him, his senses causing his body to shudder at any touch, a over reaction to his clothes brushing against his skin; usually unnoticed by people, such as the sound of someone breathing, his heart beat thudding against his ribs, the piercing light burning his eyes.
Alpha remains quiet, still refusing to look at either of them. "Always looking away aren't you? Come on look at your feat of science! How you used those around you as test sub-" ryu gets cut off short, as alpha rushes at her with the same unnatural speed like before, grasping her shirt, yanking her away from Daniel's frozen body, and pushing her against the floor. Ryu hides her reaction upon impact, spotting Daniel slowly turn around at the sight. "That's the Alex I enrolled. Welcome back." Ryu spits, still smirking.
"You forced me to do it, besides he's dead, I have more important matters." Alpha repiles, standing back up, before looking at daniel, back to his normal posture. "We need to get back to the room, curfew is up, rather not hear what they'd say if we're caught." Alpha adds, grabbing Daniel's arm to shake him back into reality. Daniel jolts, yanking his arm back, grabbing it as if he's burnt his arm.
Daniel says nothing, remaining in shock and pain, his head still thudding heavily. Alpha takes the gesture, walking towards the doorway, making sure he stays in front so Daniel follows him. Ryu on the other hand stands up, brushing herself down. "For being so easy to spot, you sure love hiding." She mutters, looking at miyako who remains stern.
"I'm here to observe. Your close to a sanction. We both know rule one is to not provoke anyone of a status like Alex." Miyako repiles, pausing. "Besides he's never been this protective since karma. Let him have a friend, just because you have none." Miyako adds, watching ryus expression linger on disgust. "Your second in command, remember your place," she adds, walking away. Ryu spits on the ground, wiping a small speck of blood off of her face.
"Remember your place, yadda yadda, please." Ryu sarcastically remarks, walking out of the room.
......
"Their back." Sakura sighs, turning her back to the door, whilst sukuna and delta pause, spotting alpha and Daniel walking back in. Delta doesn't even hesitate, bolting to alpha, hugging him concerned. Alpha pauses, in shock, whilst sakura rolls her eyes.
"I thought they would have killed you." Delta mutters, letting go, "what happened, after..... what I did." Delta pauses, still shaken by the ordeal, making Daniel step aside, why does he act so, soft? When he's literally caused this. Daniel shakes the idea away, confused to the sudden hatred towards him. what did they do.
"I'm glad your safe, both of you." Sukuna states from the back, letting Daniel spot the intense amount of burns around his face and neck, pausing for a moment. Sakura briskly walks past Daniel, making him on purpose feel guilty, knowing sukuna took all the attacks to protect him. Guess they have a point, must be because I'm weak.
"What happened to sukuna then? And they wouldn't have killed me, too much of a asset." Alpha asks, glancing at delta and sukuna for a moment, not caring about ryu not being here. Daniel remains still, just as curious, although sakura takes offense when sukuna just shrugs it off, still somehow trying to stay friendly.
"Supposedly I took more than I could handle." He jokes, trying to change the mood.
"He took too many hits for that mistake, left his body to almost give in. Now the majority of his body is scarred, thanks to that." Sakura remarks, whilst sukuna flinches at the obvious insult.
"I could handle it, in a slower succession is all. I'm not that weak remember?" Sukuna replies, only to get sakura to slap him in the face, taking everyone aback. Sukuna takes it, like normal, much to eveyones dismay. Sakura glances at the group, before grabbing his face, looking at sukuna.
"You was fucking unconscious, I thought you'd die idoit. Don't fucking do it again. Your kill line is faulty remember." Sakura whispers, making sure nobody else heard. Sukuna sighs, guilty.
"I understand." Sukuna replies, his attempt of a upbeat mood disappears almost immediately leaving the group in a tense atmosphere of guilt.
"So, depression aside, we have company with people we should be scared of." Ryu suddenly declares, stepping into the room. "Some rat told their leader delta killed half the guards in this sector and now dear old scary general wants a word." She adds, shrugging.
"She's just outside as well."