#i restrained myself from making a 'saying this he threw away his large knife' joke

[okanefutan]

@stovthearted asked: " kiryu vc: i love you don't kill me "

     ❝ ⸺ . . . I beg your pardon? ❞

[slytherinbarnes]

Sub Rosa [80]

ix. what you take with you 

Pairing: Bellamy Blake x reader

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: mentions of blood, violence, fighting, language.

Summary: Two unexpected people join you in your captivity.

a/n: NUMBER 80??!! HOW DO WE ONLY HAVE 20 LEFT???? LIKE W H A T? also this is one of my favorite chapters so I’m excited to share it with you!!! the taglist for this series is open! I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think!!!

previous chapter // season masterlist // series masterlist

Time passes in the cave slowly as you wait for something to happen. Anything really. But your captivity is largely uneventful after your initial escape. Most of the Children of Gabriel ignore you as they go past, moving in and out of the cave, and only once does one of them interact with you, a few hours into your captivity. She grabs your head and tugs it forward, checking for a mind drive scar, and when she finds none she informs the others and leaves you alone again. 

Sometime after dark, something finally starts to happen. 

There’s a commotion in the cave, and people rush past you and towards the door, some of them talking about new hostages as they go. You stand, moving as close to the door as you can, eyes trained on it as you await the arrival of whoever else they found. You finally see movement towards the entrance to the cave, and you watch two people being led inside, bags over their heads. You feel your heartbeat quicken, wondering if you know who they are, but you don't have to wonder for long because the taller of the two figures mutters, “I need to see Gabriel.”

You feel a rush of relief, and worry, at the sound of your boyfriend’s voice, and you call out, “Bellamy?”

He calls your name back, and then the bag is pulled off his head, the two of you looking at each other in shock. Bellamy’s face drops when he sees the blood smeared on your face, and you shake your head a little trying to let him know that it’s nothing to worry about. You tug against your chains, trying to reach him, and he launches himself towards you, slipping from his captors grip. He rushes across the cave to you, his arms wrapping around you for half a second before he is yanked away and you’re rewarded with a hard slap. You let out a sound of pain, groaning at the familiar metallic taste washing over your tongue, and you turn and spit the blood from your mouth, before looking up with a glare, eyes landing on the person who slapped you. 

You almost roll your eyes when you realize it’s Asher, who now has black warpaint smudged around his eyes. He smiles at you, clearly enjoying his torment of you. “What? Do you have something to say?”

You let your anger get the best of you and you search your head for the nickname used in Sanctum that you’re sure will hurt him, coupled with a reminder of the insult he threw your way before knocking you out. “Yeah, how’d a Null get past the radiation shield anyways? Your red blood isn't good for anything.”

The insult hurts him, as intended, but it earns you another smack, this time accompanied by Bellamy’s struggling cry of protest. You keep your sound of pain at bay this time and turn your glare back to the man, who smirks at you. “I slipped out the same time your boyfriend did, he was just too busy to notice.”

You look at Bellamy, who looks like he has a million things he wants to ask you, but you’re cut off by a voice muttering, “Ew, what’s that smell?”

You look over to the second hooded figure, and watch as they tug the bag off Josephine’s head. She looks around in disgust before her eyes find you, taking in your appearance, and she scoffs, “God, you look like shit.”

Josephine’s presence seems to remind Bellamy that there is more at stake here, and he looks at the man standing beside you. “Which one of you is Gabriel? We have information critical to your cause.”

Josephine laughs, “Their cause is a joke.”

“Quiet!”

But Josephine doesn't stop, she just continues her taunting with a smirk. “Do you think that dressing up in scary costumes helps your cause? We laugh at you in Sanctum.”

“Why aren't you laughing now?”

The same woman from the alleyway, a blonde with warpaint, pulls out a sword and points it at Josephine. She doesn't flinch, but you can see Bellamy start to worry, and he calls out, “Just wait. They can make hosts, as many as they want.”

Asher turns to look at you in shock, Bellamy reiterating the same information you initially offered him, verifying it before your 24 hours is up. You smirk at him a little and mutter, “Told you.”

He glares at you before turning to look at Bellamy. “Details, or your rude friend dies.”

Bellamy shakes his head. “I don't think so.”

The man pulls out your Grounder knife and holds it to your throat, giving Bellamy a sinister smile. “Something tells me we could make you talk.”

“Touch her, and I'll tell you nothing.” You can see Bellamy fighting against his rising anxiety, trying to seem like the one in control, despite the fact that all of you are restrained and you have a knife at your throat for the second time in the last few hours. “You don't have long before the 12 Primes are back. Gabriel gets the details, no one else.”

The man grinds out, “There were 13.” He tosses you to the ground and yells to the others, “Chain them up! If the old man doesn't respond, you die.”

They chain Bellamy to your left and Josephine to your right, and all of you watch as one of the Children of Gabriel grabs a radio and starts to speak into it, walking out the cave as he does. “Jericho to Providence. We have a prisoner that claims Primes can now make hosts. If you're out there…”

You don't hear the rest, the man now out of sight, the rest of the children dispersed, the three of you now alone. You look to the entrance of the cave in confusion, thinking of the failure all of you have had with radios up to this point, a fact that you are well aware of, despite your limited time on this moon. So how come people born and raised here don't know the same fact? You look over at Bellamy, who looks equally confused, and you voice the question you're both thinking. “Radios don't work on this moon, how could they not know that?”

“They work in one place.”

You and Bellamy look over at Josephine, catching onto something in her tone. She leans her head back against the wall, eyes on the ceiling, looking anxious and afraid. “What is it?”

“If they're calling Gabriel, that means he's alive.”

Bellamy, sensing a deeper history, asks, “What's the deal with you two?”

“What? Are we gonna be friends now?”

He lets out a soft snort of laughter, “Doubtful.”

She glances at both of you, taking you in, before she turns away again, focusing her gaze on the wall in front of her. “I've been in love with Gabriel for 236 years, the last 70 of which he's been trying to kill me. You know, relationships.”

You and Bellamy share a look, glad that your relationship hasn't featured any murder attempts. Well, there was an attempt during the eclipse, but that’s not the same thing. You look back to Josephine when you hear a strange tapping sound, your eyes falling to her finger, tapping Morse Code against the cuff. Bellamy and Josephine notice too, and she nods, “Morse code, huh? She's crafty, I'll give her that.”

She focuses on the Morse Code, spelling out the translation as her finger moves. “B-o-o-h-o-o. That's harsh.”

You smile at your twin’s quip, until your brain starts to realize something. You look at Josephine with curiosity, aware that if Clarke is cracking jokes about Josephine’s love life, then she can hear Josephine talking about her love life. “She can hear us?”

“It would seem so, which means the wall separating our minds is almost gone. When that happens, she'll stroke out, I'll download, and you can say goodbye to your genocidal twin.”

“Let me talk to her.”

She gives you a condescending look, “I'd have to give over control for that, so no.”

“But she can hear me?”

“Yes, she can hear you.” She rolls her eyes at you and the hopeful expression on your face. “For God's sake, just say what you want to say.”

You think of all the things you want to say to Clarke, all the things you want to tell her in case you have to say goodbye, but then you realize you don't want to say goodbye. You can’t say goodbye. No matter what it takes, no after what you have to do, you will save your twin's life, the way she has saved yours and countless others on multiple occasions. Which is why you settle on, “I won't let you die.”

You’re serious when you say it, the words a promise to the Universe that you will do what needs to be done. Josephine seems taken aback by your fervor, maybe even a little jealous, but you see her hand absentmindedly rub her wrist, the same wrist that usually holds your twin’s bracelet. You smile for a second, but then the bracelet reminds you of Madi, who is supposed to be here right now. You turn to face Bellamy, fighting back your worry. “Wait, where are the others?”

“Back in Sanctum. Josephine cut Murphy so Emori stayed behind with him, and Echo stayed behind to make sure the others are safe. We never found Madi before we had to leave, and Jackson, Miller, and Jordan were late. We didn't have time to wait because the guards were closing in, so I grabbed Josephine and we escaped.” He moves closer to you, his chains reaching yours, thankfully, allowing the two of you to sit close. His voice drops to a whisper as he lifts his hands to caress your face, finger running across the dried up blood, brows furrowed with worry. “I didn't want to leave you behind, but when you didn't show up and the guards were about to grab us, I thought about what’s best for everyone and decided that saving Clarke is important.”

You smile at him, letting him know you aren’t upset that he left you behind. Because technically you were already out of Sanctum. “You’re right, saving Clarke is important, and it’s exactly what I wanted you to do. Clarke’s trapped in her head and her body is a ticking time bomb. I can take care of myself.”

He smiles at you, eyes falling on the blood again, its presence only further convincing him of what you're saying. “I know you can, because you’re strong. Stronger than any of us.”

The two of you kiss, his touch light and affectionate, but you pull away when someone behind you exclaims, “Oh, barf. Get a room.”

You roll your eyes at Josephine and mutter, “Go float yourself.”

“Funny, your sister said the same thing to me when we first met.”

You ignore her and slide down to the ground, leaning against the wall, and Bellamy does the same, the three of you sitting in silence for a few hours. You see no one in those few hours, and eventually the three of you fall asleep, resting the best you can on the cold hard ground of the cave, with you and Bellamy huddled close to fight off the slight chill in the air.

You wake a few hours later, sometime after sunrise, according to the small amount of light filtering into the cave, and when you open your eyes and look at Bellamy, you find that he’s already looking at you. Despite your circumstances, despite the possibility that you, Clarke, Josephine, and Bellamy could possibly die in a few hours, you feel a rush of peace looking up at his face, and the distinct feeling that everything is right in the world. Bellamy must feel it too, because he leans in to kiss you, soft and sweet, reminding you just how much you love his morning kisses. And his afternoon kisses, and his evening kisses, and his happy kisses, and his sad ones, his comforting ones, his passionate ones. Every kiss from Bellamy is better than the one before it, and you’re sure you could spend your entire life doing nothing but kissing him and you’d still die happy.  

Bellamy pulls away and looks down at you with a smile. “To other people, you are the moon. The radiant natshana that lights up even the darkest of nights, but to me, you’re everything. The moon, the sun, the stars. You’re the air I breathe and the love in my heart. You are every leaf, every tree, every moon, planet, and galaxy in this endless Universe. You are everything to me, and you have completely captured my heart from the moment that I met you, though I tried to deny it at first.”

The two of you laugh softly as you remember the animosity that you shared in the beginning. Bellamy starts to sit up, pulling you up with him, both of you turning to face each other as you do. You can tell he has more that he wants to say to you, and though you don't understand why you're getting this declaration of love now, you accept it with a smile. “I have never been loved by someone the way you love me, and I know I’m incredibly lucky that I get to have this. That I get to have you. You have loved me at my best, and you have loved me at my very worst, and even when I am lost and struggling, still you’re there, loving me through it all. You have the biggest heart, one that is so full of love that you are so eager to give, and I love you for that. I love your strength, your vulnerability, your kindness, your beauty. I love everything about you, and I just want to give you the world. I want to protect you, and love you, and make you happy until I draw my last breath. And I’ve been waiting to tell you all of this, waiting for the perfect moment during our new life of peace, but I’m starting to worry that I won’t get that chance. I can't tell you how many times I’ve seen you laying beside me, injured, looking like you’re on the brink of death, and when I couldn't find you yesterday, I nearly lost it. So I’m going to do this while I can, while you’re in front of me, alive and okay.”

He reaches up to push your hair away from your face and you close your eyes and lean into his touch, smiling. When you open your eyes again, his hand is extended between the two of you, a small ring held out in his palm. It’s beautiful; a small round sapphire surrounded by a perimeter of tiny diamonds, all situated on a thin gold band. You look up at Bellamy in shock, his expression one of complete adoration as he whispers, “Will you marry me?”

You look between him and the ring, wondering if he’s joking, but when you meet his eyes again, you can see that he’s completely serious, and still anxiously awaiting your answer. Your face splits into a grin and you practically lunge towards him, pulling him into a hug before peppering kisses all over his face. He laughs, one of those bright pretty ones that you wish you could capture in a bottle and keep forever, and his voice is light with happiness when he says, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

You kiss him softly on the lips, pulling away just enough to whisper, against them, “Yes.”

His smile gets even wider, and he pulls you in for another hug, before leaning back and holding up the ring again. He takes your hand and slides it onto your left ring finger, both of you marveling at the perfect fit. You admire the ring, and the way it looks on your finger, and he whispers, “It was my mother’s.”

You look up at him, your eyes growing wide. “Oh, Bellamy.”

But he smiles, sadness unable to reach him in this moment. “She gave it to me before she was floated, told me to give it to the girl that captures my heart. I didn’t have it when I hopped on the dropship, but when I went back to the ring with the others, I went looking for it. I’ve had it with me everyday since I left you on Earth, carrying it with me to remind myself of the girl that captured my heart.”

You feel tears well up in your eyes, and you start to lean in for another kiss when a voice behind you stops you in your tracks. “Ugh, again? Are the two of you capable of keeping it in your pants long enough for us to get out of here?”

You and Bellamy both cut back, “Shut up, Josephine.”

She holds her hands up in mock surrender before sitting up from her sleeping position, resting her head against the cave wall again. You see a smirk pass over her features and you give her a questioning look. “What?”

“My father was a fool for letting you people stay. All that time spent building a sanctuary for the human race, and he destroys it because of the most human thing of all...love.” She shakes her head before she smirks again, “I mean, who can blame him? I am awesome. It's just…”

She trails off, looking at you and Bellamy, still pressed close together. “Well, one look at the two of you, and he should have known how this would end. Guess I'm just saying all this because I know so much about both of you now.”

You nod your head, giving her a sarcastic look. “Oh, you do, huh?”

She hums in agreement, looking between you and Bellamy again. “Take the three of you, for instance. Now that's a weird relationship, isn't it? First, the twins hate each other when they land on Earth, and then Bellamy wants to kill both of you just to save his own ass, even though it means the genocide of your own people on the Ark. Then you two shack up, and Bellamy and Clarke become besties, all of you bonding over the actual genocide at Mount Weather.”

She lifts her hand, pretending to push a fake lever, “Together.”

You roll your eyes as she continues on, “Bellamy locks her up, she locks you both up, he leaves you and Clarke on Earth, she leaves you both to die in the fighting pits. I mean, it's exhausting, frankly.”

You snort, “Tell me about it.”

Bellamy leans his head against the wall, turning his gaze away from her. “You're wrong about how this ends, by the way. First, we get you back into your mind drive, and then we'll use it for a peace deal with your father.”

“Your belief in yourself is cute. But unfortunately, putting aside about a thousand variables, chief among them Clarke's newfound evangelical, do better-ism, making it impossible for her to accept a peace deal with those awful body snatchers, all four of us are gonna die in this cave.”

Bellamy nods, convinced that this is not where your story ends. “Yeah, okay. We'll see.”

She turns to glare at him, “Okay, now your confidence is just pissing me off.”

Bellamy looks at her like he’s about to respond, but suddenly the energy in the room changes. Seconds later you can hear the sound of approaching voices, and all three of you stand, looking towards the entrance to the cave. Asher comes in first, leading the rest, and he points his sword at you, commanding, “Gag the prisoners.”

He yells into the cave, for the others hidden deep inside, “Everybody up! The Sanctum riders are coming!”

You and Bellamy exchange a look as a few of the guards walk over to you, ready to gag you. They head to Josephine first, grabbing her harshly to hold her still, but she fights against them, yelling, “Get away from me!”

One of the men hits her hard and she falls to the ground. When they pull her back to her feet, a small line of black blood drips from her mouth, giving her status away. You whisper, “Shit.”

Chaos erupts after that, and the blonde woman starts to yell, “She's got the blood! She's got the blood!”

Asher comes over and looks at Josephine, eyeing the blood dripping from her mouth. “Put her on her knees.”

You know what’s gonna happen next, because they did the same thing to you hours ago. You look at Bellamy in alarm before turning and yelling, “Leave her alone!”

They force her to her knees and lift her hair, revealing the short scar on the back of her neck. Your stomach drops as they announce to the group, “She's a Prime! Unchain her, put her there.”

Asher motions to a flat rock nearby, and they unchain Josephine and drag her over to it, ignoring your begging, “Don't do this, please!”

Bellamy adds, “The drive in her head, it's Josephine!”

The name seems to make things worse, because the guard at Josephine’s back shoves her forcefully down, pressing her face into the rock. She mutters, “Not helping.”

“Think! As long as she's alive, you have leverage over Russell!”

Asher looks at Bellamy, his expression neutral, clearly not swayed by the thought of leverage. “This is not a negotiation, it's a war. The answer is Death to Primes!”

You and Bellamy watch in horror as he lifts his sword, fully intending to bring it down and chop off your twin's head, killing her once and for all. You rack your brain trying to think of anything to save her, and as you watch the sword start to lower, Josephine yells out, “Wait!”

The sword freezes in midair, and she exclaims, “Gabriel loves her. Is this what he would want?”

Her? The word hits you like a freight train, and you look at the blonde on the rock with a smile, hoping that the hunch you have is correct. You watch as she turns and kicks the leg of the man holding her in place, breaking it in half. He cries out in pain and releases her, giving her just enough time to dodge the sword that comes down onto the rock, missing her head by inches. She uses Asher’s surprise to grab him and swing him towards the rock, slamming his head into it and dropping him to the ground. Then she takes his sword and kills the man that is running to meet her, leaving only the blonde woman that you first met in Sanctum. But she makes quick work of her too, slicing her throat with the sword, stepping around the fallen body to look at you and Bellamy.

You look at her with a smile of realization, recognizing your twin anywhere. “Clarke?”

She smiles at you, “La lune.”

She bends down and grabs a set of keys as Bellamy looks at her in shock, “She gave you control?”

“It was either that or get her head cut off.”

She runs towards you, fumbling with the ring of keys, trying to find the one that fits your restraints. Deeper in the cave, the other Children of Gabriel have been alerted to your attempts at freedom, and you all look towards the sound of the approaching voices, watching shadows as they bounce off the wall, running closer. “I heard something! This way.”

You close your hands over Clarke’s, stilling her movements, “We don't have time, you have to run!”

“No!” She shakes her head hard, her expression pulling into one of desperation. “I'm not leaving you.”

“You have to! We’re running out of time. Go find Gabriel, we’ll come find you.”

She looks like she wants to argue, but the approaching voices continue to grow louder, and she knows you're right. She slips the keys into your hand, before wrapping one hand around yours and reaching out to wrap one hand around Bellamy’s. “Congratulations. I love you both.”

You smile at her briefly, the expression dropping when the voices are right around the corner, “Go! Now!”

She nods and gives you one last look before turning and running away, straight out of the cave and into the woods. Seconds later a group of people runs past you, heading outside as Asher yells at them, “It's Josephine Prime. Kill her before she gets to the rise. Do not let them get her back to Sanctum! Go!”

They all file out of the cave, leaving their injured leader behind, and you turn to Bellamy, who is looking at you with worry. “What now?”

“Now,” you open your palm, letting the handcuff keys hang down into view, giving him a mischievous grin as you do, “We get the hell out of here.”

He grins back at you, ready to raise hell with his fiance, ready to escape this cave and make things right.

Ready to show the Primes, and the Children of Gabriel, that they picked the wrong group of people to mess with.

-

next chapter

[susiequaz12]

Carrot Top- 2: Splice

It’s part 2! The story is moving along, and hopefully I can write a bit more soon. Again I’m gonna tag @imagination1reality0 (and if you want me to tag you in future posts let me know.

Also, Andrew might be referred to as “boy” sometimes, but in the storyline he is almost 20. (It’s just a way to differentiate between him and the other characters.)

CW: Manhandling, gagged, beating, mention of bullying, restrained.

The sun had climbed over the horizon and was heading towards the center of the sky by the time the minivan pulled up to the long, gray building.

Keeping just the gag on, they removed every other thing that kept him bound to the seat of the car. Once he was released he fell as dead weight in their arms. Apart from initially knocking him unconscious, they had drugged him a few times. Most of it should be wearing off soon. 

Two of the men carried Andrew through the hallways of the building while the driver took the van away once everyone had exited. The building was mildly busy on a saturday morning. Guards shuffling about, other prisoners following blindly as they were shuffled like cattle from one place to the next. The sight of an unconscious body being dragged through miles of hallways was not unfamiliar. 

As they walked, Andrew slowly began to gain consciousness. His eyes could barely make out faint shades of gray and white, and endless hallways of doors and rooms. They finally stopped in a hallway that smelled vaguely of chlorine and cleaning solution.

Andrew was conscious enough to realize he wasn’t bound or tied up anymore, and took the opportunity that he saw. As he tried to wrench his arms free from their grip, one of the men pulled out the same stick from earlier, stretching it out to its full length. With a strong arm he threw Andrew to the ground, placing a knee on his back, one arm holding his wrists into the floor, the other using the end of the stick at the back of his neck. Adding just enough pressure so that he wouldn't move. Andrew's chest rose and fell heavily, pressing into the cold floor, and the man leaned down, speaking directly into his ear.

"Listen. If you want to make things easier for yourself, than do as you’re told. Take these clothes, and go into the room. The door will be locked for no longer than two and a half minutes. You have that long to change into your clothes, leaving your other belongings inside. Understood?" Andrew didn't move or say anything, a look of hatred on his face. The man pushed the end of the stick a bit further into the back of his neck and Andrew winced. 

He nodded, he understood. 

The man eased off of Andrew but maintained a steady grip on his arm. The second man handed Andrew a small bundle of clothes before shoving him into the tight room. 

The first thing he did once his arms were free was rip off that gag, spitting the soggy cloth onto the floor. His mouth was free, and he was grateful. The room was about the size of a small closet, or a bathroom stall. There was nothing but a bench built into the wall that Andrew nearly collapsed onto. 

He looked through the bundle of clothes he was given. It was barely anything, was what it was. All it consisted of was a pair of standard cotton boxers, and some grey cotton Capri pants, with elastic that fit right underneath his knee. As Andrew slipped the pants on he realized they were a perfect fit. Not just your standard size, but tailored specifically to him. That was no easy feat. His light weight, plus long legs and height made shopping for any clothes incredibly difficult.

Feeling that he would be too exposed with just the capris, he kept his t-shirt on and quickly retied a shoelace that had come undone, just as the man started banging on the door. He could hear it unlocking and the room was small enough that just by reaching in, the man was able to grab him by the arm and pull him out. The man glanced him over, and was obviously displeased. 

He pulled out his stick again and knocked Andrew down, whacking him in the side of his legs before he had a chance to realize what he did wrong.

Andrew yelped, crumpling to the floor, but that pain was quickly replaced by anger as he was forced face-first onto the ground.

“I thought you understood?” The man said, his knees digging into Andrew’s back. The stick laid flat against the back of his neck, ensuring Andrew wouldn’t try to get up and fight back. “You’ll learn like the others soon enough.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, Andrew saw the second man come over, and his shoes and socks were soon untied and removed from his feet. A shiver ran down his spine as he heard the unsheathing of a knife from behind him.

“Wait, no! Don’t, I-” 

He braced himself for pain but instead felt cold air, hearing a ripping sound as his shirt was torn down the back. They pulled him to his feet and the remains of his t-shirt fell to the floor in front of him.

He stared at it for a second. “Now that’s just mean.” Andrew stated, shaking his head as his arms were pulled behind him once more. “That was one of my favorite shirts!” He tried to rip his arm out of the man’s grasp, but it was just grabbed tighter, pulled backwards at an angle that made him yelp. He screamed, yelling obscenities at the man holding him.

The man just shook his head and waved the other man over once more. As his arms were pulled backwards, the man shoved the same filthy rag into Andrew’s mouth. It was cold and soggy from his own spit, making him feel nauseous. He grumbled as the strip of fabric was tied around his head, getting tangled is his curly hair.

With one man on each arm holding him tightly, they continued walking.

It was a large building. Multiple wings. The next few minutes of walking consisted of more struggle. His arms were pulled so tight behind his back, that he was almost lifted off of the floor, and his steps more closely resembled stumbles. At one point, Andrew got so frustrated that the man kicked him in the back of the knee hard enough to make him crumple to the floor. He was then dragged by his arms for a distance until he could regain his footing. 

Eventually, they made it to his office. To Splice.

“We’re here.” The man stated. 

By this point, Andrew had beads of sweat pouring over his neck and shoulders, and down his spine. His face was red out of anger, and lack of breath.

They knocked, and the door was soon opened by another guard standing inside the room. Andrew was thrust forward into the office of the man known as Splice. He sat at a large desk, filled with papers, and ornamented with various tools and contraptions that looked intimidating at a first glance. 

As soon as Andrew saw him, he refused to make eye contact. Instead choosing to turn his eyes towards the ceiling, defiantly. This man was a disgrace to the family, and had betrayed Andrew and his friends.

For that, he had not earned his respect. 

Splice stood up from his desk, waving the man holding Andrew's arms to remove the gag and to back away. Once that was done, without anyone holding him back, Andrew stood still: silent. Looking straight up as Splice circled around him. Noticing the flushed skin and beads of sweat, Splice spoke. 

"Well I hope you didn't bruise him up or beat him too bad. I was hoping to get the first few beatings and scars in myself." Splice laughed at his own joke and went back to inspecting the boy. 

As Splice turned towards him, Andrew would turn away. Obviously avoiding eye contact. Splice soon caught on to his little game, and proceeded to make a joke out of it. Trying to look into his face and get his attention. Eventually Splice grabbed Andrew by the chin and his forced his face downwards to look him in the eye. Their eyes were two complete sets. They perfectly matched each other, both the same shade of greenish brown. If Andrew’s hair had been smooth and brown, instead of curly and ginger, he could have looked just like a younger version of Splice.

With his arms free, Andrew reached up quickly to strike him across the face, but Splice grabbed his wrist sharply in his hand, and did the same with the other as Andrew tried for a second punch. Holding both of his wrists, Splice threw him to the ground and he landed with a soft thud on the carpet. The guard in the room immediately pulled out a matching stick that the previous ones had as well, as if ready to use it at Splice’s command. 

He considered it for a second, as a dazed Andrew started to rise to his feet, and then looked at the guard and nodded. 

Raising the stick, he struck Andrew across the shoulder, across the side of his arm. Andrew rolled back to the floor, unfortunately leaving his back exposed. The guard struck over and over again. Each time, a soft “oof”, or a muffled groan could be heard, intertwined with shaky breaths.  He rolled over again, tucking his knees into his chest, but the guard struck him right in the ribs. A loud cracking could be heard and Andrew’s chest heaved into the air with the measure of pain, trying to breathe in air like a drowning man. 

After a few more blows, Splice raised his hand in the air and the brutality stopped. The guard stepped back to his post by the door.

Andrew laid on his back on the cool carpet, his eyes drooping, every inch of his body throbbing. His chest seemed to be on fire with the pain in his ribs, making it harder to breathe.

Splice knelt down next to him on the floor. Andrew’s eyes were glossy and filled with tears that were leaking down his face.

“I heard you’ve been causing problems all day.” The man trailed a finger down Andrew’s face, catching a trail of tears. He stood up to his full height before wiping his finger on the side of his pants. He stared down at Andrew.  “Fortunately for me, that means it’ll take longer for you to break. Unfortunately for you, I get to be creative.” He called the guard over and he pulled Andrew to his feet. “For now, enjoy your nap. You’ll need it.” 

Andrew struggled to regain footing and dignity as he was half-walked, half-dragged out of the office.

“Don’t give him a bed just yet.” Splice instructed. “He can have one once he’s earned it.”

The guard nodded and Andrew was dragged out of the room. 

His mind was racing, but not just with the pain he’d just received. But you throw that in a blender with his humiliation, frustration, and embarrassment, and you have yourself a depression milkshake.

This was just another bully, he told himself. Just another old highschool bully who’d call him a freak, corner him after school, slap his books away. It was another beating, another normal day. This was nothing he couldn’t get through. He had gone through similar before: kicks, and punches and spits. Those couldn’t be too far off from a metal rod right? He’d feel better once he woke up. He always did. 

After what felt like miles of walking, Andrew was led into a different room. Bigger than the shower room, but smaller than the average bedroom. There was nothing, only a door, and two chains attached to the wall. 

Andrew grumbled underneath his breath, shaking his head. Just let him sleep on the floor, please. Too tired to fight back, he did his best to maintain his footing as one arm, and then the next, was attached to the cuffs on the ends of the chains. His hands hung loosely by his sides, but his legs quivered underneath his weight. It wasn’t long before his knees buckled and he fell onto the floor. The chains pulled his arms upward above his head, but at least he was sitting. He leaned his head up against the wall and tried to ignore the throbbing in his arms that soon began. 

He didn’t stay awake for very long. It wasn’t soon after he sat down that his eyelids closed and he succumbed to unconsciousness.