The rain finally has stopped and the power came back on once Celena locks up the loft. She made sure all of the candles were blown out before they left. Roman was walking towards his car with Celena following him and, suddenly, he felt sick to his stomach as flash backs rushed into his head. Seeing his cousin with Matthew . It made him sick to his stomach.
Celena gasps as Roman skids to a halt and vomits on the ground.
"Are you ok?" She asks, places a hand on his back.
Roman spits and uses a cloth to wipes his mouth. He said nothing, but waves it off and heads for his car. Celena walks with him, but was very worried for Roman.
Celena tried to get the keys from him but yanks his hand back and gets into the driver's seat.
She was alarmed with the way he was acting. He drove way over the speed limit and was sniffing coke with his house keys left and right.
"Roman, please, slow down." She begs.
"That asshole thinks he can fuck my cousin after I warned him? That son of a bitch! He's not good enough for her! And that pu**y gypsy trash thinks I can't help. I'm way over my game?! Ha!" Roman's voice echoes in Celena's head.
"Fucking gypsy. Fuck him. Fuck him." Roman mutters angrily.
"And that bitch of a doctor saying all that bullshit about God doesn't want you to be happy. What the fuck does that mean? Fucking bitch!" Roman screams with rage. But what really concerned her was the harsh whispers that blended with his thoughts.
"Fuck you! Fuck you, you little fucking faggot!" He snarls and sniffs more coke.
"Roman. Roman!" Celena shouts on fear when they turned a corner and a fallen tree laid in the road right in front of them.
Roman slams on the brakes and turns the wheel to avoid hitting the tree, but the slam of the breaks caused him to hit his head against the wheel and Celena's back slammed against the seat.
Panting in shock, Celena groans in pain and looks over at Roman.
"Roman, are you ok?" She asks him gently.
Roman groans in pain and reaches to touch his bleeding head. It wasn't bad, he'll live but, he felt terrible for endangering Celena.
"I'm ok. Are you ok? I'm so sorry. Everything is just so fucked up. I..." He gives her an apologetic look.
Celena slaps his face, shocking the hell out of him with that move.
"Feel better?" Celena asks, rubbing her sore neck.
"I needed that. Thanks." Roman tries to restart the car, but it just whines then dies at each crank. "Fuck! Fuck!" He slams his hands over the steering wheel in annoyance, and sighs in defeat. Resting his sore head against the wheel. He finally yanks the door open as Celena gets out.
Celena rotates her neck and groans. Roman slams the door and paces over to her, placing his hands around her neck to check her.
"Are you ok?"
She nods, "Just a bit sore. What about you? You might have a concussion." She reaches and barely touches his wound, making him wince.
"I'm ok. Just pissed." He rubs his eyes and gets out his cell to call AAA, but freezes when he sees the White Tower within walking distance. He had a choice. Call AAA and wait god knows how long those dumb fucks take or just go to the tower and find out what is going on in that place.
With scoff, he drops his cell and walks towards the tower, but making sure Celena follows him.
"Come on." He gestures her to take his hand. Even high, he could still hear those annoying voices, but she helps him.
Together, they headed for the tower. Celena just hopes they'll find some answers. Without hurting anyone.
As soon as they reached a door, Roman yanks it open and let's Celena go in first and goes through the metal detector, but they were stopped by a security guard.
"Can I help you?" He asks, but Roman ignores him and pulls Celena to follow him.
The guard jumps out of his seat to stop him, grabbing his arm.
"Hey!"
Roam turns and glares at the guard, "You know who I am." He states.
Celena watches as the guard falls into Roman's gaze, swaying a little. She knew he was doing the 'look'.
"Why don't you sit the fuck down?" He demand and yanks the guard's security card off his belt and uses it for the door.
Celena watches the guard slowly walk backwards and falls into his chair. She turns and heads for the door as Roman leaves it open for her. The first door they took was the testing lab. Celena gasps and covers her mouth in shock. Every shelf she saw, every table had cages and jars of animals they have been or are testing. They walked by connecting labs and saw scientists testing something on a live animal. But, the poor thing died right there after they injected whatever the hell they had in that syringe. Celena looks away with sympathy. She couldn't watch anymore.
They tried another way and found a big door that was labeled as top secret signs. This could be what they're looking for. Roman tries the card on the door, but it wouldn't work. He grunts in frustration as he smashes the buttons on the code panel and points at some storage shelves nearby.
"See if you can find anything that could open it." He says as he tears through one of the metal shelves, but Celena stood in disbelief. When he pulls out a torch, he turns to towards the lock, but stops when he sees Celena's face. "What?"
"Did you forget I can move things with my mind? I think a lock would have fallen into that category."
Roman realizes how he forgot and laughs, his eyes were so dilated. He was beyond high, he was fucked. And that worried Celena. He sniffs, "Ok, you open it."
"I would sooner you didn't." A voice speaks up behind them, making Celena jump and rushes to Roman. Roman shoves Celena behind him and holds the flaming torch up in protection, but sees it was Dr. Pryce.
" Stay the fuck away from us!" Roman shouts.
But, Pryce carried a calming vibe, showing no fear, "Please give it to me. I don't think either of us would enjoying explaining to Olivia...how you lost a hand."
But, Roman didn't back down, he wanted answers, "What's back there? Is it Ouroboros?"
Ignoring Roman's questions, Pryce sighs in disappointment when Roman shows he wasn't going to put down his weapon, "Frankly, you don't even have to give it to me. I would just be substantially more comfortable...if you extinguished it."
"Ouroboros." Celena speaks up.
Pryce snaps his eyes to Celena and shakes his head in confusion, wondering where she hear that word, "I'm sorry?"
"The fucking snake." Roman demands and turns to the window that separated him from the secrets behind the door, and draws a circle over and over with his blood over the clear glass. "What is it? Why is it in my dreams? In our dreams!"
Pryce eyes them with curiousity, "What a fascinating thing to ask."
"He's getting closer towards his destiny. Olivia will be delighted to hear that. But, it's not fair for him to be so confused with what he is. Project Ouroboros must be remained a secret till it's perfected."
"He knows what Project Ouroboros is. He's thinking about it." Celena says.
Pryce frowns at her, surprised at what he just heard.
"I can make you tell me." Roman snarls.
Pryce averts his eyes away from Roman's glare, giving away his knowledge with Roman's ability, "I would sooner you didn't. Unless you plan on rearranging your positron emissions, you'll have to let me through." Pyrce says as he eyes the fire on the torch.
Roman sighs and turns off the fire, putting it down as Pryce unlocks the door with his card and eye scanner. He opens the door and heads inside with Celena and Roman following behind.
They walked down a long hallway and Pryce sends them an apologetic look, "I apologize for the walk. Where we are going, there are certain electromagnetic irregularities that make elevators problematic. When Jacob Godfrey first saw Henry Bessemer's revolutionary new process for making steel, he said the words, 'Mr. Bessemer, I'd like to buy the future'. Your father said the same words to me our first meeting, when I was a pariah of my own community. It's quite a mantle being passed on to you, young man." He says as he shows them a huge lab with warm golden fluorescent lights and a large cement chamber with small window on it. A bright light glowed through the tiny window, penetrating the soft glow of lights above them.
"You think I don't know that?" Roman scoffs and walks towards the chamber.
Celena looks all around in wonder, "What is this place?" She asks.
Roman points at the block, "What is this?"
"Exactly what it looks like. This is Project Ouroboros, Roman." Pryce answers as Roman turn back to look into the window.
"Oh, my god. You--!" "Roman!" Roman turns fast at Celena's panicked voice, but Pryce surprises Roman by grabbing him by the neck and holds him up in the air. Roman fights, but Pryce was too strong for him and feels a needle jamming into his skin.
Celena watches in horror as Roman goes limp in Pryce's grip.
"You can see why we're rather sensitive about it." He says and let's go of Roman to fall to the ground.
Pryce turns towards Celena as he hears the rumbling. She glares at him with such anger and waves her arm with a yell. Sending him flying across the room and slamming against the concrete wall. Cracking the wall with his back.
Pryce groaned in pain as he struggles to get up. He watches Celena rush to Roman's side and shakes him.
"Roman? Roman!" She slaps his face. He wouldn't wake up. Her lip trembles as angry tears streamed down her face. She looks up him with a furious look, "What did you do?" She gets to her feet, "What did you do?!" Celena shouts as she lifts a hand, sending Pryce floating into the air.
Pryce grips his neck as he feels a force closing off his air, as if he was being choked. His feet dangling in the air as if he was trying to find some source to help him. He struggles to get free, but he was trapped.
"He...was...out...of control! You saw him!" Pryce struggles out his words. "I was only...trying to protect him from himself. It's just....ugh...a sedative."
Panting in anger, Celena grits her teeth, trying to calm herself. He was right. Roman was losing control. The coke. The rage was eating him. But, seeing those animals before, being injected with God knows what, it just scared her to death when she saw him injecting whatever into Roman.
With a grunt, she lets go of Pryce, letting him fall to the floor. He laid there coughing a fit as he takes in air. He looks up at Celena in wonder. Watching the blood trickle down her nose. Just like Roman when he uses his powers. "What are you?" He smiles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As morning rose, Peter wakes up from his deep, peaceful slumber and sighs as he stretches. For some odd reason, he woke up in a great mood. He felt like the world was smiling down on him. As if he could shit gold. He gets up, bathes and dresses to meet his mother in the kitchen as she was setting up breakfast. He surprises her with a kiss on the cheek and grabs some cereal and milk. She looks impressed and hands him a spoon and a bowl.
"An appetite. Someone has replaced this rake with a child of mine." She teases. Pete chuckles, surprising her more, "And it smiles."
"You know that feeling when you have a toothache and you don't know how bad it is..." He swallows the food in his mouth, "Until it's gone?" He asks.
"Yep. Well, I wasn't gonna say anything, but I think you're better off without this tooth." Lynda says, chuckling.
Peter turns to his mother with another smile, "Can I have some juice?"
"Yeah." She turns to grab a glass and juice from the fridge, till Peter gotten a phone call. He check the caller ID and sees it was Celena calling. He sighs softly as he thinks about the argument he had with her and Roman the other day after school. He didn't mean to be an asshole, he just wanted to protect his friends. Protect her.
Lynda places his glass next too him and sighs when she sees Celena's name, "Trouble in paradise?" She asks.
Peter was silent, but Lynda knew his silence. Sometimes they never needed words. Their mother/son bond spoke for them. She brushes his hair out of his face, "You're gonna have to apologize one day."
Peter nods, "Maybe that should be today." He says.
Lynda nods, "I believe so, too."
Peter gets up and answers his phone, heading outside to talk with Celena.
"Ok, before you say anything, let me speak. I was an asshole. I know. And I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to push you and Roman away. It's just..." He stops and sighs. "The vargulf...we have no idea still who it is and it scares me to death. I just don't want anything to happen to you...or anyone else. I'm sorry. Okay?" He sighs as he lets out everything and waits for her to talk. But, he was startled to hear sniffling and soft weeping. "Cell?"
"You're right. You were an asshole. But, it doesn't matter anymore." Celena's voice breaks as she stood by Roman as he lies in the hospital bed with wires attached to him. Helping him breathe and IV to keep him hydrated.
Peter frowns, "What's wrong?"
Celena wipes her tears and swallows back a cry as she looks at a unconscious Roman, "It's Roman."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After explaining to Peter what happened with Roman, leaving out important details, she cuts the call and sits back on her stool and holds on to Roman's hand. She could hear him shouting in his mind.
"Hey! Hey! Let me out of here! Let me out of here! Let me out of here! Let me out of here, you fucking maniac!"
She could even hear the voices of the past, Pryce's voice before he knocked out Roman.
"That is Project Ouroboros."
Suddenly, the door opens and Pryce walks in with Olivia following behind him. Olivia spots Celena and eyes her with a glare, but turns to see Roman lying on the bed. Pryce watches Celena's face, seeing the redness and dried tears on her cheeks, but he knew not to piss her off or upset her.
Olivia sighs sadly and strokes Roman's face, "My beautiful boy."
"He was agitated and clearly had been using narcotics. I was afraid he was a danger to himself, but I only gave him a sedative. His brain activity is normal and there's no physiological explanation for his condition. And we're on Norman's turf now, but I suspect he's had a severe psychic break. He's preventing himself from waking up."
Celena rubs her mouth and rests her chin on her knuckles as she hears the same bullshit he told her before, plus how she must keep his work a secret as he will keep her abilities a secret.
"He's coming home, Johann." Olivia states and turns, but stops when Pryce speaks up.
"I would strongly advise against that. His condition needs to be monitored." He argues.
"He's coming home." She says again, sending him cold glare that says she means business.
Pryce gives her annoying look and his up lip twitches in anger, but he shoves it back since he is powerless to her mercy.
"Very well. I'll arrange the transport and send a nurse by the hour to check on his vital signs. Unless you want to be the one to wipe his ass as well." Pryce says with a sneer.
Olivia seemed unaffected by his remark, but even Celena could see the smoke steaming out of her ears.
"Oh, and I would suggest that his lady friend joins you. You definitely could use her help when you need it." Pryce says as he looks over to Celena, giving Olivia a double meaning.
Olivia frowns, "And what help could she do besides give my son what every woman could give him?" She gives Celena a evil smile.
Celena's lip twitches with anger, feeling the rumbling build, but Pryce holds up his hand to stop her. She sighs and looks away. He gestures Olivia to follow him. He takes her to the security surveillance office and takes out a USB drive and inserts it. He types on the keyboard and straightens as he plays the CCTV from last night.
"Roman!" The video begins with Celena screaming for Roman as she watches Dr. Pryce lift him in the air and sedates him. Olivia watches with a cigarette in her hand and tilts her head in curiosity when rumbling was made in the speakers. She watches Pryce letting go of her son, but Celena yells and flings out her arm and sends Pryce flying across the room. Olivia gasps in wonder. Especially, when Celena had Pryce floating in the air.
Pryce rewinds the video to the part where the rumbling was made.
"You hear that? That rumbling?" He places the video on repeat it play the sounds over and over for Olivia to catch it. "Her whole body is sending off a sonic vibration. On a massive scale. Look at this." He types a command in his computer and scans Celena's body. "See that?" Infrared mode changes on the screen, showing how Celena's body lights up, starting at her head, then shoots to the hand she uses to lift Pryce up. "Whatever she is, it starts in her mind, then moves through her nerves and muscles. Look how she lights up." Pryce watches in wonder over and over how Celena's body lights up brightly. "I never seen anything like it."
Olivia smirks at the ideas floating in her head, "And I never seen that look on your face." She chuckles evilly at the sight of Pryce hovering in the air, gripping his throat.
Pryce grimaces at the memories, "And it's not best to upset her. If she wants to be with Roman, let her be. Get on her good side, who knows what you'll get in return." He smirks and watches Olivia thinking it over. She inhales her cigarette and blows out a cloud of smoke in his face.
"Very well. Just have my son ready to come home as soon as possible." She says and walks back to Roman's room. Celena was still sitting next to him, but refuses to look up. To look anywhere besides his face.
Olivia watches Celena's body language, her emotions towards her son. Now, that she knows a little more about the little emo, she's seeing a new shade of light towards her son's destiny. She begins thinking of the grandchildren they could produce together. A litter of hybrid upirs and whatever she is. Powerful race and they'll be hers.
Celena sighs as she rubs her thumb over Roman's knuckles.
Olivia sends Celena a smile amusing smile, "To see a love as strong as Romeo and Juliet, is a refreshing vision than seeing another wasted teenage crush during these modern years." She inhales her cigarette and exhales slowly. "But, in this case, the Juliet is like the Romeo. An exiled, unloved being, till she finally finds her reason for living. Her Romeo." She reaches and strokes Roman's hair. "My son deserves the best in life, even though he refuses it. He rather run away from what he's destined for than face it like a man. Just like his father." She chuckles bitterly. She turns to look at Celena, truly look at her, "I believe you are right for him. Despite how...different lifestyles we share, but you are good for him. He needs a good woman to keep his stones where they belong." She takes in another breath of smoke and slowly exhales it.
Celena guesses that was her way of saying she had permission to date her son. But, she needs to figure who she wants first.
Soon, the transport for Roman was ready and Olivia gave Celena a ride to the Godfrey mansion. Once they arrived, Shelly was waiting for them with a worried look. Celena rushes to Shelley and gives her a tight hug. Shelley's face was soaked from the tears she shed once she heard about her brother's incident.
"He's gonna be ok. You hear me? He's gonna be ok." Celena says as she looks up at Shelley's worried look.
Shelley nods, believing her promise. Together, they watched the EMTs unload Roman out of the Institute's van and rolls him into the house. Apparently, Olivia had Pryce to call ahead to have everything set up. Shelley was told to carry Roman to her room, where they had the personal hospital bed and monitors set up for him. Celena helped dress Roman in comfortable pajamas and watched the nurses insert and patch everything up so he could be properly monitored.
"The first thing he'll feel when he wakes up will be the warmth of the sun on his face." Olivia states as the three of them stood around the hospital bed, looking down at Roman.
Celena holds on to his hand still and holds on to Shelley's as well.
"It'll be a pleasant feeling. He'll wonder that he ever felt ill. Perhaps there'll be a song of a bird, a mourning dove. I saw a pair just yesterday. They haven't all gone yet." Olivia continues to play the worried mother card, but Celena could see right through he. Olivia takes Shelley's other hand and gives her a comforting grip, "Strength and sorrow, give no thus to those you love the most." Then, she let's go and leaves.
"Can you tell him to wake up?" Shelley types with her phone, asking Celena.
"It won't work that way, Shelley. I think Dr. Pryce is right. It's up to him." Celena bites her nails, but turns and gives Shelley and comforting grip. "But, don't worry, I'm gonna help him find his way home. I promise."
Shelley gives her a sad smile and types in her phone, looking at Roman with pleading eyes.
"Come back. You promised you wouldn't leave me. I need you. Come back...Come back."
Celena wipes a coming tear as she thinks about the past. When Andrew was still alive. When Matt left. When Steve passed. She could sympathize with her.
"What is he dreaming about?" Shelley asks.
Celena sighs and listens carefully, hearing Roman's frustrated voice echoes in her mind.
"You could have at least left me my fucking cigarettes! I could really use a ***damn cigarette right now!"
Celena couldn't help but laugh, "He wants a cigarette." She laughs harder.
Shelley joins in her laughter and shakes her head, thinking that's so like her brother.
"What else?" Shelley asks.
Celena frowns when she hears a girls voice. Someone very young. The voice seemed familiar.
"Sometimes I think that the only thing that ever really made you happy was your dead father's car."
The image of a beautiful girl flashes in Celena' s mind. She was average height. 16 years old. Long Brown hair. Innocent face. But, her eyes carried knowledge. Her entire body glowed brightly. As if she was angel sent to him.
"Who are you?" Roman's voice echoes.
"I'm the one who took your cigarettes. You know I hate how much you smoke." The girl states, her voice echoing with Roman's.
"Who are you?"
"Oh, please...Oh, please."
"Where am I?"
"In my room, breaking my heart, you jerk...Breaking my heart, you jerk..."
Celena snaps her eyes to Shelley and slowly smiles when she hears her true voice echoing in Roman's mind.
"Come back...Come back..."
"Shelley?"
"Come back..."
"He's dreaming now about you." Celena smiles, watching Shelley smile and let's out a small sob.
Celena gently pulls her to sit next to her, still smiling big with her, "You're guiding him. And he made you so beautiful. The way he sees you for who you are."
Shelley sniffles softly and types on her phone, "Can you make me see?" She points at Celena's head.
Celena sighs, "I can try."
Celena raises her hand to Shelley's head, pressing her fingers against her temple. She calls the powers and focuses. The rumbling begins and Shelley closes her eyes, welcoming the vision.
"Come back to me, Roman. Come back. In my room, breaking my heart, you jerk."
Shelley gasps and sobs harder. Everything electric in the room was going haywire because of Shelley's emotions. She gets up, sobbing and rushes to hug Roman tightly. Crying against his chest. Celena gets up and hugs her from behind.
"He has you by his side, he'll find his way home. We'll keep talking and help him if he gets lost." Celena says softly as she continues to hold on to Shelley as she cries.
Celena continues to listen to the conversation in Roman's mind.
"You need to do what you came here to do."
"What is that?"
"You need to turn those pretty eyes inward toward the monster ripping you apart. Destroy the Dragon before its fire burns you alive!"
Celena frowns when she hears that.