Author's Note: YO what is GOOD baCK WITH ANOTHER UPLOAD! But unfortunately i come with bad news: i don't think I can update next week, because i'll be heading for vacation for the week! I'll try my hardest to, so this is just a heads up if you don't see an update next week! and that is all ENJOY
"Savea?"
He asked, waiting anxiously outside her room, tapping his foot on the ground nervously, his hands tapping on the container he had placed her food in, the warm, raven black plastic box sealed with a matching cover, a bottle filled with water balanced on top. His lips twitched, restraining themselves from speaking out the secret he had to spill behind closed doors. Behind the door, he could hear the familiar voice of the famous actor, Finlay Hopkins, uttering empty promises to another female actress, Rose Sanchez as the classic, iconic love story, Kisses from a Hoverbug, played in her room: a movie that she only watched when she was absolutely devastated.
She had come back a few hours ago while he had been away on a mission to the Deep Caverns with Dark Heart, to take the prisoner the Dark Bane had been prepping for Project Praelia. She had been weak, staggering due to blood loss, her vision cloudy, fuzzy. But she still held a cocky smirk on her face as he cuffed her hands behind her back, her messy, disarray hair hanging from her head, matted in her own blood. He just dismissed her crazed, deranged rambling as delirium as he took her back to Ataro's base, her wounds ghastly and infected, distracting him well enough. When he came back, he heard Savea was back from the mission, going to see her before the guards stopped him, telling him what happened when she came back. How she locked herself in, sobbing and crying on the floor. How she broke the spines of two soldiers from the pure force of her powers. How she hasn't come out ever since.
He stood outside her door nervously, a flurry of emotions filling his head. His signature slug chirped on his shoulder reassuringly, the ghoul gesturing to the door, telling him to try again. He nodded, holding up his hand, taking in a deep breath before knocking on the door once again.
"Savea, it's me, Twist." He called once again, seconds that seemed like hours passing before the door knob twisted open, the door opening at the very slightest. Twist nudged the door open slightly, closing it behind him, looking up at Savea. He was so used to seeing her with that raven black mask on, her hair in a ponytail like she always wore it, even before they got involved in this mess. But this time, her crimson red irises weren't the only thing that glowed red, for her eyes were red and puffy, bags hanging under them. Her nose was bright red as she stared at the television screen, her eyes lacking emotion, huddled in blankets, her hair messy and disarray. Her face, which often looked healthy, despite the dark energy flowing in her veins, was gaunt and pale, her once rosy cheeks starting to sink in. Her mask lay on her bedside table, lonely, forgotten.
From what he had seen, the broadcast has been successful, the signal for Phase Three had been set into motion. It was the only thing that plagued social media, the only thing news reporters had been talking about. And according to the guards, Savea hadn't eaten ever since she came back, she barely drank, shouts and pleas were heard from inside her room in the dark of the night, before the audio from a movie played in the background. They also said she didn't say a word ever since she came back, she just barricaded herself here.
Twist made his way to her, careful not to step on the many documents and blueprints litterring the floor, the plans for Project Praelia, an unstoppable warrior who was more skilled than Savea covering nearly every inch of the floor. He shuddered as he tried to push away every thought of that plan away from his mind, his heart filling with guilt as he remembered the poor girl he brought back being prepped further for Project Praelia, how she was about to suffer Savea's fate later today. He arrived at het bedside, sitting down beside her on the bed, turning towards her, placing the container in front of her crosslegged figure.
"Savea, please, eat something." Twist pleaded her sat next to the broken girl on the bed. She stared at the movie as it faded off to an end, the black and white credits rolling as a piano played a cheery, 90's tune, off key with the tone of the room. Twist sighed, taking the remote and turning off the awful movie, the room now ringing with silence. She looked downwards, her hand gently pushing away the container of food, her thin, skeletal fingers nudging it away before curling inwards.
"How can you still be so kind to me?" She asked, her hoarse, fragile voice shattering with her words, tears starting to build up in her crimson red eyes. Twist placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her,
"Savea, what you had to do was-"
"I killed him, Twist, I killed a man with a fucking smile on my face!" She screamed, turning away from him. Twist looked downwards as he debated telling her Leo's state, asking if it was worth the possibility of triggering a panic attack, or reassuring her.
"Savea, you need to know something." Twist told her on impulse, and she looked up at him, pulling her blanket closer to her. Twist took in a deep breath, exhaling it through his mouth. No turning back now.
"I went to Bonnie Springs Hospital undercover today, and..." He paused as he tried to find the right words to use. She glanced at Twist, turning her head slightly towards the blond boy, her mind too numb to concentrate on much.
"You didn't kill him." He told her, and her eyes went wide with shock, before she scoffed, looking downwards.
"You're lying, I know you are, I'm not that good. Only one person could ever be that good." She quickly dismissed, fear starting to crawl up behind her back as she hugged her knees closer to her, looking away. Of course, she felt guilt for killing people. She did feel remorse and pain from ending the lives of many. And she desperately wanted to believe him, she ached for those words to bring a sinking sense of relief washing over her, she yearned for the calmness and solace those words would have given her.
But she just couldn't find it in her, and Twist knew it.
He had disguised himself as a nurse and went to Room 131, the room Leo often was put in. Twist watched through the window as Leo lay on the hospital bed, unconscious, breathing with the help of countless tubes and machines, his eyes shut, his complexion pale, shining with sweat as a weak heartbeat showed a jagged line on the machine's screen.
And his heart ached to see Alana there too.
How she loyally sat by his side, she held his hand in her own ones, sobbing her heart out as she prayed for the impossible. How her lips moved as she looked at him, all the love in the world in her eyes at the sight of him. He wanted her to look at him that way, he wanted to see anything other than hate when he looked in her eyes.
But most of all, he wanted her to be happy.
Twist had seen Leo's report. He barely had a chance at life, with little to no hope of ever waking up, the doctors terrifed of taking him off life support. One of the major veins in his neck was scratched, nearly ripping apart. He had been slammed against the wall, causing head trauma, bruising at the throat due to strangulation.
"You really are. Half an inch deeper and you would have broke his windpipe, but you got an important vein, and he suffered head trauma, did a lot of damage to his brainHe's on life support in an intensive care unit, but Archer went off the radar, too many Defenders trying to find him. They don't think he's gonna make it this time, but he isn't dead." I informed her, telling the situation exactly like it was. She stiffened, her eyes widening, her face turning deathly pale with dread. She frantically waved her arms around in absolute fear, tears starting to build up in her eyes.
"No, no, no, Ataro's gonna find out I didn't kill him, he's gonna make me go back to the chair, I-" Twist tried to comfort her, grabbing her shaking hands, holding in his own.
"Savea, please, he isn't gonna know, they'll keep it on the down low." He desperately tried to reassure, but he had to hide the fact that he was scared too. Savea's panic attacks petrified him to the core, seeing one of the best slingers he ever knew break down and cry at Ataro's name, it terrified him.
"You don't understand, he sees everything, he knows everything, he'll kill me, he'll kill me!" She emphasized, scrambling back, terrified, her eyes darting back and forth, her body trembling.
"Savea, you're having a panic attack, Ataro isn't going to find out, he's too busy with the plans on Project Praelia to notice. Don't worry, okay?" Dread built up in her chest, his words fading away into noise, her heart thumping rapidly as her breaths turned quick and irregular, her body trembling with fear, and just for a few seconds, she was that young girl again in the alleyway, her eyes filled with that same fear he saw now, flinching away from him when all he wanted was to give her a piece of bread.
He wrapped her in his embrace, hugging her tightly one hand on her back, one on the back of her head, bringing her closer to him as she tried to calm herself down. She hugged him back tight, clinging onto him as if he could keep her safe from all harm.
"Yeah, just focus on breathing, okay? Everything's okay, everything's fine." He comforted, holding her close to him as she quietly sobbed into his chest, the sobs softening and toning down as seconds and minutes ticked past, her tight grip on his body loosening, tears no longer falling down her cheeks when she parted, accepting a tissue from Twist.
"Thanks, Twist." She thanked, before blowing her nose with the tissue, using her gravity powers to place the snot filled tissue into the dustbin.
"It was never a burden and it's never going to be a burden, Savea. We're a team. We've always had been." Twist reminded her with a small smile, his hand on her shoulder, before it fell to his side, and he sat next to his childhood best friend, handing her the water bottle. As he saw her shaking, terrified, another emotion besides fear filled his heart: guilt. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be here, she wouldn't have dark energy surging through her veins. She wouldn't be forced to kill so many, she wouldn't suffer like this.
"Sav, can I tell you something?" He asked as he took off his boots, bringing his feet up on the bed, sitting crosslegged. She nodded wordlessly as she opened the water bottle, drinking some water, waiting for him to speak. He took in a deep breath, drops of sweat soaking his palms.
"Remember that note I wrote to Leo, the day I gave him that potion?" She set down the bottle, screwing the cap shut, before continuing,
"The one where you said you loved Alana? To be honest, that was bullshit, didn't you try to crush her under some rocks at one point?" She asked, and he chuckled at her bluntness, something he always appreciated.
"Well, I heard from the guards you made a pretty good illusion of me, and you've always been a good actress." He complimented her, small smiles on their faces as fond memories surfaced in his mind, memories of the time she won her first slinging competition against that big, large, burly man, purely by deceit, electricity, and quick hands. Her proud smile as she bought them a proper lunch for the first time in forever, the prize money enough to feed them for a month, at least. He smiled at those memories, memories he held dear, when times were simpler. Before he accepted that job as a mercenary for Blakk all those years ago, never knowing he brought himself into a world of agony and pain. Before Blakk knew about Savea, before she accepted a job as a spy for Blakk after many days of Twist and Savea debating over it. He had dragged her into this mess, all because they wanted to escape this life. A life on the streets, a life that made them go hungry. A life that she was trapped in.
"But that isn't what I wanna tell you." He told her, his smile faltering, before it disappeared from his face, the thing he came to tell her plaguing his mind, causing his words to be stuck in his throat. Savea saw the sadness in his eyes, her eyes filling with worry for her friend.
"What did you want to tell me?" She asked, turning her body to him, leaning forward slightly in a mix of concern and curiousity. Twist sighed, his eyes unable to meet hers. Guilt hung over him like a looming cloud, especially after he saw her just now, terrified because of Ataro, because of Project Praelia, staring emotionlessly at the screen, with red, puffy, emotionless eyes. All he ever wanted was for them to have an apartment together, to stop worrying about their next meal and empty stomachs, to sleep with a roof over their heads, to have good, warm clothes on their backs. All he wanted was for her to escape the wretched life she was given, to be able to spend everyday with her, instead of every night.
He never wanted this.
"I thought I always loved..." He started, the name stuck in his throat. He hadn't uttered her name in nearly two years, ever since he was ghouled, every memory of her hurt him. He remembered how the portal closed as she reached out to him, their eyes meeting for one last time before they were seperated by the barrier, how their lips met for the first and last time before he shot a Hoverblade at her, whisking her out to safety, away from him.
"You know who I'm talking about." He sighed, hanging his head, staring at his feet.
"Yeah, continue."
"Even when it was just the three of us, you, me, her, I always did everything I could for her, I got up in this entire mess for her. All I wanted wad to have enough money to get her out of that vicious cycle. And all I've done..." He stopped, unable to continue as he realized the tears starting to form in his eyes, his nose starting to tint red.
"All I've done is drag you down with me." His voice cracked as the words slipped out of his mouth, finally admitting a truth he had been denying for six years. Savea was left speechless at his statement as Twist dwelled in his guilt. She tried to deny it, but once she thought about it, it couldn't leave her head.
"Twist..." She trailed off, placing a hand in his shoulder as she tried to find the words to comfort him, no words coming to mind.
"You never wanted this, I never wanted this, and I'm sorry you had to go through so much pain because of me, to have electricity turn from your favourite thing in the world to your worst nightmare." He apologized, tears falling from his crimson red eyes, landing on her bedsheets, invisible on the black sheets.
"Twist." She firmly called, trying to calm him down, trying to get him to stop, trying to do something.
"I've spent so much time trying to protect her I never stopped to see how much you've been suffering trying to help me, how my stupid actions do nothing but hurt you again and again-"
"Twist, stop." She pleaded, tears streaming down his face.
"And everything I've been doing, I've been trying to protect her but it's only hurting you, and I never wanted to-" He was interrupted with lips colliding with his, the spontaneous kiss stopping his train of thought as she quickly parted from him, sitting back on her bed.
"I'll admit it. I never wanted this." She brought her knees closer to her chest,
"But I did it all anyway, because..." She looked down at her feet, her fingers tracing a name on her socks, the words stuck in her throat. Words she always wanted to say out loud, ever since that incident four years ago,
"I love you, Twist." She finally admitted, and now it was her turn to look at her feet. Twist's jaw nearly fell open in shock as his eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to ask why she never told him, but he closed it once he realized: he had been so obssessed over her, he didn't realize. He didn't realize how at peace he felt with her, how much his heart ached to see Savea upset. He spent so long pining after her, he didn't realize the one that loved him stood by his side ever since they met all those years ago in that alleyway.
"Savea." He muttered, shifting his body so he kneeled on all fours in front of her, lifting her chin so her eyes met his. And time seemed to stop as he gazed at her eyes, her lips, only now noticing the beauty she hid under all the cruel smiles she was forced to plaster on her face, the beauty under the crismon red irises that were like dancing flames under the soft orange, red and pink light that shone from her ceiling. He leaned in, and she leaned forward.
Their lips met, sparks flying between the two.
And as they were trapped in a spell of love and pain, as they held each other in their arms, their silence spoke volumes, everything they both ever wanted to say in the silence. That they both didn't want this. That they both wanted out of a life of evil and hate.
That they wanted to escape this life,
together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I love you, Alana Caelum." His voice echoed in her memory, his hands holding mine.
"LEO, NO!! PLEASE, COME BACK!!" She screamed as she struggled against the webs.
She broke free, running into the chaos, searching desperately for him.
But when she found him, life was stolen from him, the twisted smile of death herself, the edge of her silver grey daggers touching his throat-
"Alana." A voice snapped her out of her thoughts. A steady beeping sound was heard in the distance, the cooling air of the room brushing at her skin. The thoughts faded from her mind as it's focus drifted away from what happened a few hours ago, and back to reality. She looked up at the source of the voice, her cyan blue eyes meeting a sad smile etched upon thin lips.
"Last thing you need right now is Junjie mothering you after that scene, so I came." Maie told her as she dragged up a chair and sat down beside her, turning the chair so the back of the chair was in front of her as she leaned on it, her arms crossed on top of the back of the chair. Alana looked downwards, unable to meet Maie's eyes as she remembered how she shoved and pushed Junjie away, how she screamed at him, telling him he doesn't know how it feels to lose someone that important to him. Her heart filled with guilt as she remembered the hurt in his eyes, the tears that fell down his cheeks as he walked away silently, Maie running after him.
"But he's right." She admitted sadly, and Alana stiffened herself as Junjie's pleads replayed in her head as clear as crystal: Come home. Eat something. Take a shower, get some sleep, he'll still be here when you get back.
"Maie, I'm not-" She started, but Maie quickly interrupted, holding up a hand to silence her before she told Alana,
"I know, I know. You wanna stay with him. You wanna make sure you're there when he wakes up, you want to see him wake up and get better. All of us want that, kid. Heck, I'll lose my arm again to see him on his feet and okay. And it's honourable that you wanna be here with him, it really is." She admitted, her raven black eyes drifting away from hers, turning sad as she was forced to admit,
"But it's only been a few hours since it happened, he'll be unconscious for at least a day for his body to heal." She looked into Alana's eyes, the voids of darkness in her eyes staring back at her as Maie asked her,
"And when he does wake up, would he want to see you like this? Upset, tired, looking like a train wreck?" She blalantly asked Alana, gesturing at her bruised up arms, the blood staining her clothes, the dirt and grime on her gear. Alana looked down at her gear, realizing she was right, but one look back at Leo silenced her again.
"Go home, eat proper food. Get at least eight hours of sleep. And then come back, refreshed, at least." She pleaded Alana, and for the first time in three years, Alana saw through the many walls Maie put up after Ally's death. She saw the person under all the acting, all the swear words and impressions. She saw someone she knew for years, one of her best friends.
"But Leo-" Alana asked as she looked back at him worriedly, and Maie put up a hand, reassuring her,
"Will be watched by me, until you get back. You'll be the first to know if anything happens. I won't leave his side if it means you're taking care of yourself." She told Alana truthfully with complete seriousness, her eyes serious, stern, hard, before she finally softened.
"Just get some rest, kid." Maie pleaded, her tough, gangster like demeanour cracking as she placed her steel hand on Alana's shoulder. Alana sighed in defeat, finally accpeting that Maie was right. Alana stood up, looking back at the unconscious figure, his eyes unmoving, his body still.
"I'll come back soon, okay?" Alana muttered to Leo, her voice soft and fragile, barely piercing the silence as Maie smiled with relief, waiting by the door. With a heavy heart, Alana walked out of Leo's hospital room, the door closing shut behind her. Her footsteps echoed in the empty halls, each step sounding through the hallways as she walked further and further away from Leo, her heart heacy with worry. No one talked to her as she took a hidden exit, leading her to where she parked Midnight, mounting and riding off into the forest, finding her way to Wild Spores Cavern, where the hideout lay.
As she rode back, she tried desperately to fill her mind with memories of happier times, of Leo singing her his favourite song, of Trixie beating Kord at every video game, of Junjie and her dancing at the dance game in the arcade. She grabbed at every happy memory she could get, clinging on to all the memories that put a smile on her face, trying to stop the tears from forming lines on her cheeks.
But every single one was filled with her fallen friends.
She vividly remembered how all of them ran out of the Deep Caverns, soaked in blood as Leo half carried, half dragged an unconscious Junjie out of the Deep Caverns, exhausted, nearly collapsing himself. Trixie guiding a traumatized and abused Eli out as Kord covered them, all of them covered in blood, Tiffy and Johnny running out, both of them holding Cyan back from jumping into the Deep Caverns, screaming his name as the portal closed. Johnny telling me what happened later, how they were all tortured, how Aquito was burnt alive in the Dark Water, how John was ripped apart, how Pronto was ripped open, monsters eating his insides before his skull was smashed with a hammer. How Cyan joined Dr Blakk and Ataro, trying to collect information, how she watched all of them get tortured against her will how she finally snapped with a Thrasher sliced off Ashley's head. She remembered how Ally plummeted down into the chasm, the nights spent crying and grieving, blood drippng down Leo's wrists, nights spent in tears, bandages covered by his fingerless gloves. She remembered how Aquito tried to stay strong, forcing a small smile onto his face as he tried to comfort his distraught sister.
Her heart ached as the thoughts in her head changed to the memories she had with the Shadow Siblings, how she, Trixie and Ashley went out shopping for the undercover mission at the masquerade ball, how that day out was one of the precious, light hearted memories of a dark time. How endless nights nearing the Defeat Of Thaddeus Blakk were spent sparring away with Aquito, having deep talks about his life on the street taking care of Ashley, how Blakk ruined their lives.
And that's when a lightbulb went off in her head. It was an insane idea, one she would have only considered even carrying it out in desperate times.
But these were considered desperate times.
She steered Midnight away from the path leading to the Shane Hideout, changing the direction of the mighty wolf, revving up her mighty mechabeast to charge straight for the Dark Periphery.
She arrived at the eerie, spooky forest in no time, the shadows lurking around each tree not fazing her one small bit as she dismounted Midnight, walking to the center of the clearing. As if on cue, hundreds of Shadow Clan Members appeared out of the shadows, mutterings and exclaims of shock echoing through the cavern, grimacing as the words Bullseye and Shane rung through the Shadow Clan. Alana's fist clenched as the murmurs of the Shadow Clan circled around her. Their leader finally appeared into the fray, standing tall in front of them.
"Silence, all of you!" A voice rang through the cavern, and all the whispers and mutterings stopped immeidately as the Shadow Clan bowed to their leader. Alana's fist unclenched, four blood red crescent moons on her palm.
"Alana Caelum, what brings you here tonight?" The Shadow Clan leader asked Alana warily, his eyes narrowing in question. Alana responded quickly,
"The Héroe Ritual. You gave Aerosl Héroe a blood transfusion with half a pint of Shadow Clan blood to save his life. Correct?" Alana asked bluntly, her cyan blue eyes glaring into the Shadow Clan Leader's eyes intimidatingly, throwing him an ice cold enough to shake anyone to the core. The Shadow Clan Leader frowned, but nodded,
"Indeed, Alana Caelum, but we have not performed it since." Alana's eyes lit up as she heard the name, and she supressed her smile as she told the Shadow Clan Leader,
"Well, I need to perform it now. Leo Shane is-"
"We are aware of Leo Shane's state, Alana Caelum. But in all due respect, you cannot just barge into the Dark Periphery asking for whatever you wish-" He was interrupted by a blast of energy erupting from a stomp of Alana's foot, sand and wind rising as a cloud, every Shadow Clan member knocked onto their backs from the pure energy.
"I will not repeat myself. I need the apparatus for the Héroe Ritual. Now." She growled, and a few Shadow Clan members scampered away to gather what she needed. She glared directly into the Shadow Clan Leader's cold, unforgiving eyes, challenging him to try and stop her, but his harsh look softened as he asked,
"Are you sure you want to do this to him?" She opened her mouth to answer, but for a few seconds, she doubted her answer. It's true; she wanted Leo alive, she needed Leo, like everyone else did. She loved him more than she could ever love anyone else, she couldn't even think of life without him.
"Yes." She answered firmly.
"Alana Caelum, it is fated that anyone who had the blood of the Shadow Clan will have misfortune befall them if they are not worthy." The Shadow Clan Leader warned her, but she snapped rudely,
"You did it for Allyson's ancestors, what makes Leo different? And if Leo isn't worthy, no one is."
"Alana Caelum, you are thinking irrationally-"
"Give it to me."
"Alana Caelum-"
"I SAID GIVE IT TO ME!!" She screamed, and the ShadownClan grew silent as the apparatus was placed at her feet, in a basket woven with leaves and tree branches. Inside the basket held all the thingds needed to carry out the Héroe Ritual: a jar of neon green, glowing liquid, bines blessed by the Shadow Clan
"You are making a terrible mistake."
"Thank you for the ingredients." She thanked bitterly, before storming off, Midnight waiting eagerly for her. She mounted Midnight, steering her on the path that led back to Bonnie Springs Hospital. She tapped on the control board on Midnight, scrolling through the contacts before she found the one she had been looking for, tapping on it as the signal transferred to her earpiece.
"Alana, aren't you-" Sam's voice asked worriedly through the earpiece, and Alana grimly responded,
"I need a favour. Get Maie out of Leo's room and get whatever you need for a blood transfusion." There was no sound on the other line for a few seconds, before Sam asked,
"Alana, what are you-"
"I'll explain when I get there, just please." Alana begged, and silence rang through the other end of the call before she confidently stated,
"Okay. I have faith in you, Alana." Alana gave Sam a quick thank you, before speeding up her midnight black and light blue mecha beast, bolting for the rooms. Basket in hand, she arrived at Bonnie Springs Cavern, quickly parking the mecha beast and running up to the Defenders Ward, arriving just in time to see Sam and Maie arguing.
"Sam, back off, she asked me to-" Maie protested as she tried to push past Sam as gently as she could, trying to get back into the room. As I walked closer to them, Maie looked at Alana in surprise, not expecting to see her.
"Maie, it's fine. Leave." Alana quickly reassured, walking towards the room
"Alana, what-" She asked, but she stopped once she peeked inside the basket, recognizing the symbols in the leaves, the glowing green blood. She gasped as her eyes grew wide. Maie tried to make a grab for the basket, but she held it away from Maie, quickly loading her Arachnet, Webs, into her blaster, shooting her at Maie. The slug pushed Maie to the wall, pinning her to the wall with a thick layer of sticky webs.
"Alana, what the fuck are you doing?!" Maie exclamed as she struggled against the webs, trying desperately break free of the webs. She ignored Maie, the two of them quickly going inside Leo's hospital room, closing the door.
"Alana, is that-" Sam asked worriedly as she turned to her. Alana placed the container on the table, the glowing container filled with a neon green, glowing substance.
"Shadow Clan blood. Allyson's ancestor had a blood transfusion with Shadow Clan blood, and it saved his life. It's how Ashley, Aquito and Allyson had Shadow Clan blood in the first place." Alana rambled as she wrapped the vines around Leo's arms like the ritual said. Leo had once considered doing it to Junjie after they escaped the Deep Caverns to save his life, but it turned out to be unnessesary.
"How did you get it?" Sam asked in amazement, her hands taking the jar in her hands, examining it in wonder.
"That's not important. You researched about Shadow Clan blood and it's effects on humans. We both know this is the only way to help him." She told her, and the blood from Sam's face drained as she realized what Alana wanted her to do.
"Alana, this could kill him." She tried to reason, but Alana shot back,
"I said the same for Arden and you still did it!" Her dark, chocolate brown eyes filled with guilt as the name of Martin's son escaped her lips, the name of her colleague and best friend causing sadness to ripple through her.
"Yeah, but it wasn't pure Shadow Clan blood, and he was only four years old, the energy would have had time to develop in his body! This?! It could kill him!" Sam protested.
"There's still a chance he'll live!"
"It's only a 25% chance-"
"It's a chance I'm willing to take, he's already dying like this!" Alana pleaded, tears streaming down her eyes, her soft, fragile voice shattering as she begged,
"Please, it'll work. The Shadow Clan said it will." Alana tried to reassure, and Sam nearly said no. But she took one more look at Leo, rememberimg how happy he made Alana, how the three of them laughed away in disguise at a nearby cafe, how he didn't hesitate to deck a perverted asshole in the face for staring at Sam's body with desire.
"This isn't tested, you know." Sam tried one last time to dissuade her.
"Please, Sam, I can't lose anyone else." Alana stated, and Sam looked towards her best friend. It barely saved Arden, and she was the head of the Defenders Department. She could lose the position she worked so hard if anything went wrong after the blood was in Leo. And he could die.
But he could also live. And if she lost her position, it was worth it.
"Okay." Sam finally gave in, carefully inserting a needle into one of Leo's blood vessels, hooking it up with the machine. She poured the blood into an empty bag, putting everything together, turning the machine on. Almost immediately, his back arched up, his eyes snapping open, glowing green as the vines around his wrists and hands glowed green, wisps and shadows surrounding him as the blood went into his system, the last drop falling into his blood. He immediately relaxed, his eyes falling shut, the vines falling from his wrists. His body grew still, unmoving.
But his statistics went back to normal.
Alana and Sam sighed in relief, Alana collapsing into a chair as tears of relief sprung to her eyes. It worked. Sam herself leaned against the wall, recovering from the shock and relief, storing away everything. Alana stood up, walking over to Leo, looking at the new Shadow Clan marking on on the back of his hand. It was the sign for loyalty.
The two of them exited the room, Sam wheeling away the things she needed for the blood transfusion, and as Alana closed the door, a voice from behind her startled her.
"Alana, what the fuck have you done?!" Maie screamed furiously as she finally managed to cut herself free from the webs, breaking free, storming to Alana.
"Maie, he's gonna be okay." Alana reassured, but Maie shouted,
"What did you do?!"
"I knew what I was doing, I-" Alana tried to assure.
"I can't believe you." She whispered angrily, her left hand shaking with rage as she pushed past Alana, looking into the room. She softened up once she saw Leo's improving statistics, how his heart slowly developed a healthy rhythm, his breathing levels back to normal, his chest rising up and down steadily. Her eyes drifted to the glowing green sign on Leo's hand, and Alana never saw Maie more furious. She looked downwards, her left hand clenched into a fist, trembling with fury.
"You're just so willing to keep him alive, no matter how much of him you lose." She growled, before she stormed past the two of them, out of the Defenders Ward, pushing the doors open, a crack resounding as her right arm cracked the wood, her footsteps fading off into the distance. Alana looked at her, dread in their eyes as they glanced at Leo in his ward, his physical condition improving. Maie had a point. If they were going to lose an part of him, was it worth saving everything else?
Was it worth it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Savea's hands shook as she took the prisoner to the ghouling chamber.
Even in her weakened, wounded state, she frightened Savea to the core. Her strikingly cold eyes glared daggers into her back, sending chills up her spine, goosebumps decorating her skin. Three other guards stood on her left, right and back and she was carried by the newfound gravity powers that finally manifested into her, stopping her from running, escaping. Heavy shackles bound her hands and legs together in case Savea's powers faltered, but just being in her mere presence terrified her.
"So, what do your nefarious plans have to do with me?" She asked irritatedly, as if she didn't feel a world of pain, as her wounds, both infected and newly made, caused searing pain to her. Savea clasped her hands together, trying to stop them from shaking, trying to sound brave as she responded,
"That's what you're gonna find out, you wretch." The girl bebind her chuckled amusedly,
"Oh, I'm the wretch?" She asked her unbelievingly, before she smirked.
"Hate to break it to you, but the rest of Slugterra's got a different opinion on who's the wretch here." She retorted with a cocky smirk riddling her lips.
"Shut your mouth." Savea snapped, turning her head to the right as she addressed the prisoner, before trudging forward. The prisoner grinned with delight, knowing how terrified Savea was of her. Despite her wounded state, despite how weak she looked, she knew she won. She saw how Savea's hands trembled, how they clenched and unclenched, how her power wavered.
"Or what, huh?" The prisoner challenged, leaning forward, resisting her power easily.
"What are you gonna do to me, Savea?" She taunted the scared girl. She remembered Savea, how she easily backed down, how she ran. How she always runs away.
"Shut up." Savea snapped.
"What can you do to me?" She taunted, and Savea turned around, screaming angrily,
"I SAID SHUT UP!!" A force threw all the soldiers and the prisoner back, the four of them landing on the floor. The prisoner turned her body so she fell on her arm instead of her back, getting up slowly, wincing due to her wounds.
"Or what, Savea? You can't even say my damn name." She provoked, preparing herself for any attack Savea was going to throw at her, collected and calm as Savea slammed her body against the wall, holding her up with her powers.
"But I can cause you worlds of pain!" Savea threatened angrily, unsheathing her crimson red daggers, aiming each egdge at each side of her throat. The prisoner smiled, chuckling as she stood there, unfazed by Savea. She looked up at Savea, looking into her crimson red eyes. Savea may have tried to look intimidating, but her facade didn't fool her. She saw how Savea's hands shook when she held her daggers, she saw the fear in her eyes, how her body caved inwards in fear. And despite being chained up, weakened to the point where she could barely walk, she had won.
"Cause me all the pain you want. Because no amount of torture could ever change the monster you truly are." Her tone grew serious as her smile faded, her teeth baring, her eyes strikingly horrifying.
"So you can pretend all you fucking want." She snarled, before her hands moved like lightning, quickly grabbing Savea's wrists and yanking them away, the daggers off her throat. She landed on the floor, using most of her energy to jump up, kicking a stunned Savea in her chest with both feet as she fell, quickly rising to her feet.
"But you'll never truly best me." She taunted, leaning closer to the Masked Damsel, a cocky grin all over her expression.
"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, YOU BITCH!!" Savea screamed, slamming her against the wall once again, her head hitting the wall, causing her world to spin as Savea thrust her hand out, a force closing into the prisoner's throat, shutting off her airways rapidly.
"Savea, sweetheart." A familliar voice sent chills down the prisoner's spine, and the both of them looked at the person at the end of the hallway. The woman's irises were coloured crimson red, her skin sick and ghastly, her hair pure white. The prisoner didn't recognize the woman, but she knew the slug sitting on her shoulder all too well.
"Ataro, I'm s-sorry, I-" Savea stammered, terrified, but Ataro ignored her, walking past Savea, standing in front of the chained up, weak prisoner.
"You touch her, and you're dead, girl." He snarled, but she stood in front of him, her fists shaking with anger as she recognized that voice. The voice of the monster that destroyed her home. Who killed thousands of people and millions of slugs.
"You touch me and you'll wish you're dead!" She screamed, leaning towards the slug and spitting in his face. The slug flinced in disgust, and she smiled.
"Keep on walking!" He barked, and the prisoner was lifted off the ground and restrained by Savea's powers once again, the three soldiers and Savea getting up, walking to their destination.
"You say that all you want now, but when we're done with you, little girl..." He laughed darkly as they arrived, at a thick, steel door. He nodded at Savea, and Savea reluctantly threw her in. The prisoner got up, looking around, her eyes growing wide as she recognized her surroundings. The Dark Water capsules, the empty room, the mirror on one wall. She looked behind her, a man in a gask mask and protective wear ready with an array of torturing instruments.
"You'll finally be the perfect warrior." Ataro cackled as he slammed the door shut, the rest of the soldiers, Savea and Ataro going into another room, a room where they could watch her suffer. The prisoner knew her fate once she was thrown in the room. The prisoner recognized everything all too well.
She was being ghouled.
"ATARO, YOU FUCKER!" She screamed, running towards the glass, hitting at the bulletproof glass with her handcuffs. Ataro grinned as he stared back at her.
"YOU'LL REGRET THIS!!"
"Will I, sweetheart?" He muttered to himself, and Savea looked at the girl she was previously afraid of, seeing the huge man grab her as she struggled against him, striking her with a whip. She dodged, running to the glass, but the man grabbed her by the stomach, pulling her back. The prisoner knew what she would become, she knew what would happen to her, what Ataro would use her for.
But it was too late.
"ATARO!"
Ally: well would you look at that, they kinda fucked
Aquito: you know,,,, I'm willing to question if we're still friends,,,,