Asylum *HF* Chapter 10
By collaborative
Without warning, it charged her and leaped into the air to pounce. Siren was stunned. She didn't have her shield up as the wolf brought her down. She turned the fall into a back roll that sent the creature into a wall. It was up in an instant and stalking her.
"Mom?" Her voice wavered. She feared that in her madness. Hope wouldn't recognize her own daughter. "Mom, please..." She looked ready to pounce. Siren was so focused on what was in front of her that she didn't hear the guard behind her.
Two shots. The first hit her low in the back right shoulder. The second grazed the left side of her head. She fell with a cry of pain. Her back felt afire. She felt blood saturating both the back and front of the shoulder and realized that the shot had gone clean through. Blood and tears clouded her vision, though she was enduring the pain in silence. She tried to regain herself. She heard a low snarl, a clicking of claws on concrete and a scream that turned into a gurgling sound. She wiped the blood from her eyes and turned to see the guard’s throat ripped out. Beside him knelt her mother, bathed in the blood of her victims, and shaking uncontrollably.
Siren ran to her, ignoring her own pain. "Mom, are you alright?" She knelt next to her mother. Hope was looking at nothing in particular. She was muttering something unintelligible. Siren was wiping blood from her mother's face when she looked into her eyes. There was no recognition there. There was no sanity there. Siren felt tears creeping into her own vision and she blinked them back fiercely. Then, suddenly, her mother saw her.
"C-Celeste?" she whispered.
Siren was startled to hear her mother speak her name. She stared at her a moment not knowing what to do. Then her arms were around her mother. She remembered. Nothing could have made her happier. Unfortunately, that would be short lived. Her mother gently pushed out of the embrace and looked at her daughter, then at the carnage that surrounded her.
"What's wrong?" Siren asked. "C'mon. I'm going to get you out of here."
"No," Hope answered gently.
"Mom, you can't stay here. We've got to go."
"I can't go with you." Siren was dumbfounded. What in the world could make her want to stay? her mother's gaze become distant, disturbed. "I see it all the time. When I sleep, when I'm awake. I can feel it," she shuddered. "I can see.... him."
"Who...Markus? Mom, he won't hurt you anymore. I promise you. I will keep you safe from him."
But Hope shook her head. "No, not him." Siren was about to protest again when it hit her. The visions. The history preceding her family. And him. Hellgoat. Her mother was seeing it all. Even as she sat there, it was in her mind. "Celeste.... I am insane. I know it in the moments of sanity that I do experience. That is my fate. you are different from me, from the rest."
"Mom..." Tears streamed down Siren's face. "I can help you. Please let me..."
"NO!" Hope lashed out one moment, then seemed to cower against the wall the next. "I...I'm sorry." She was crying. "Please help me. Don't let me suffer this any longer."
"I'd do anything to prevent that."
"Then kill me." Siren was stunned. "I cannot endure this any longer. Please..."
Siren turned away. "I would do anything you asked. Why do you ask this of me?" She fought to keep the sob out of her voice, but her last word cracked a bit.
"For mercy. For love."
Siren turned back. For the moment she was looking at one of the sanest people alive. But that could change at any moment. She knew there was no help...no hope. And in that moment, there was only one wish. To be free of the suffering. To die.
"Free me..."
Siren closed her eyes as the tears came faster. "I love you," she whispered. Numbly, her finger pulled back on the trigger. One shot. The thump of a body falling to the floor. "I always will." She turned away before opening her eyes. She was not sure she could survive the sight of what she had done, even though her heart told her it was right. She would not leave her mother here though. When this mess was over she would come back. She would bury her mother beside her father. But that would have to after they got the whole situation secure. And for now, as torn as she was emotionally, there was a job to do and someone was going to pay.
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Mysty had been amazed that she had maintained her illusion long enough to get outside. She hadn't expected to run right into Daemon. His weapon raised, he was looking for the person he had felt. She let the illusion drop and nearly passed out in the process. He steadied her and began asking her a dozen questions that she scarcely heard. Realizing that she was almost spent he called someone over to take her.
"Okay. You're out. Scrib'll take you back to one of the transports."
"Like Hell," she muttered. Daemon ignored her since it seemed obvious she didn't have enough energy to really flout his orders. Scrib did proceed to lead her towards one of the transports. Mysty stopped and refused to move any farther.
"What th' feck do ye think yer doin'?"
"I'm going back."
"Th' bloody hell ye are! Yer in no shape to be in there."
"I'm not leaving them in there while I'm safe outside. Besides. I have a score to settle." She wrenched her arm from Tracy's grasp and took to the air. The drugs were starting to wear off and the short rest had renewed some of her energy. She was looking for a window in which to enter when she saw Rage decimating a knot of guards. Using her tk, she blew away the bars and glass to help Rage finish the last of the offenders. Blasting the enemy was not only easy, it was fun. They became disorganized and scattered. Mysty was enjoying their terror.
"Don't run! Don't run!" she called mockingly as she killed a few more. One man was so desperate to escape that he actually dove out the shattered window. The drop was three stories. "Well fine then. Ruin my fun!" she called out sarcastically. "Asshole!" she yelled out the window and at the man's still and broken body on the ground. Rage finished the last one and was eagerly looking for more victims.
Mysty reached out with her senses and searched for the twisted mind she knew was Markus. When she found him she turned to Rage. "C'mon. Let's go fuck up our wonderful host, shall we?"
Rage giggled at the idea and followed Mysty.
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Siren had channeled all her emotions into the battle. She ignored her wounds, which were healing, though it was slow. Her movements were fluid, reflexive and lethal. She refused to hide, to be defensive. She charged at her enemies, hitting each with accurate three round bursts. When she would have been surrounded and killed, her shield kept her safe as she proceeded on. And when her weapons were empty, she chose to fight on her own merit. A ripped off slab of metal served as a knife. She could have used her shifting, but at the moment, she was enjoying this.
When she saw other mutants too incapacitated by drugs to fight and pinned by constant weapon's fire, she changed her approach. She became immersed in the familiar blackish purple fog and emerged as a powerful and angry looking black gryphon. Reared up on hind legs, claws out and wings cupped defensively, she let out a battle scream that was somewhere between a roar and the cry of an eagle.
That got the guards attention. She leaped forward, pouncing on the terrified men and ripping them apart with claws and beak. Flesh and blood as well as other innards now decorated the hall.
Once finished, she changed back and told the mutants how to get out. It was the way Rage had gone so she hoped there was no opposition left. More troops were, however coming towards them from the interior. She picked up some weapons. Not like these assholes needed them anymore. Again, she charged into battle and no way were they going to survive it.
_ _ _ _ _ _
MG saw Siren pick up the weapons. She called to her, but the girl's focus was only on the threat before her. She watched her charge screaming at the men. She watched in shock as the girl made short work of the threat. She wasn't suicidal. She was skilled. Her movements were like second nature, automatic. She and Hawkeye made it a point to watch all the sims the members of their court performed, and never had she seen anything like this from Siren. She wasn't sure the girl even knew how to use a gun until now. That, and it just seemed so out of personality for her. She was keeping secrets and MG considered bringing up when this was over.
But for now, MG decided to join in the fun, as it seemed the party was getting bigger. She was cautious to approach, but when Siren saw her and continued on, she knew she could fight without fear of being shot at by the girl. MG also felt the exhilaration of good old-fashioned fighting. So long as they could, why not? Both were giving their all, but Siren seemed to be giving a bit more. She seemed to want these people dead beyond the point of her survival and rescue. It was vengeful.
Well, if I'd been locked in here for three weeks having God-knows-what done to me, I'd be pissed too.
They carried on. Lost in a rhythm of death and destruction. They helped those they could along the way, but continued on to new threats. Though oblivious to time or body count, MG was vaguely curious as to where Siren was leading them. She would have asked if there had been time, but there wasn't. So, she followed on, trusting that Siren knew exactly where she was going.
_ _ _ _ _ _
Loki had, of course, been thoroughly enjoying himself. He had broken into the medical lab and had found, much to his delight, the nurse who had been giving him all those awful drugs and chemical injections. She was there with a few of her colleagues. From the looks of it, they were clearing the place out and about to split. She paled when she saw him enter.
"Why doctor. You look ill." He closed the door and locked it. "I'm sure we can find something in here to make you feel better." He was grinning with malicious intent.
"S-stay away from me you monster," she stammered, backing away.
"Aww...doc. I just want to take care of you like you did for me. It's the least I could do."
One of her male companions leaped at Loki and was met with a well-placed bullet. Loki didn't kill him; only prevent him from becoming bothersome. A lame man would have a hard time trying that again. So, as an insurance policy, he shot them all in the knees. He had once been informed that that was the most painful place to be shot. Of course, he could have done without the proof, but it had been interesting to say the least.
Loki put an arm around the sobbing nurse. "Now why did I have to do that? I mean, we're all friends here right? You guys have let me live here rent free. You fed and clothed me. You even got me to quit smoking." Loki let out a mock sob. "I look on you like family, like parents even." He released her and moved to one of the many medicinal storage cabinets. "Now, lets see what I can get to ease your pain." He began reading the labels aloud as if contemplating which would do the best job. "So many choices..." he pondered. Then with the flourish of a five year old, he scooped up an armful of bottles and dropped them on a nearby counter. "We'll just use them all. No sense in risking failure."
He gathered up six syringes and proceeded to fill them with substances that he would pick randomly. He had no idea what he combined with what. All he cared about was that once finished, he had a concoction for each person there. When he turned to the group, he saw that one doctor had almost pulled himself to the door. Loki grinned and walked over to the man.
"Ah. Ah.... you can't go anywhere until you've had your medicine." Before the man could cry out, Loki jabbed the needle into the man's neck and emptied it. For a few moments nothing happened. Then the man began to seizure. His convulsions started slow, but soon began to gain in intensity.
"OOoooo.... that was a good one. I should have written it down." He turned to the others. "Ok, who's next?" He asked in a professional voice.
One by one, each got their injections with varied results. Some seizured, some went comatose, and some died instantly. He saved the nurse for last. She was in hysterics.
"P-please d-don't kill me," she sobbed. "I'll do anything! A-anything! Please!!"
He watched for a moment, his face expressionless. Suddenly he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up off the floor. She let out a small cry, but was too terrified to any more.
"Do you believe in God?" he asked viciously. She was stunned by the question and didn't know what to do. "You should, you're looking at him." He then slipped the needle into her neck. "See you in eternity bitch."
Every muscle in her body tensed up and contorted. She couldn't scream. She couldn't breath. Then she too began to convulsions and foaming at the mouth. He watched until she lay there in death, nerves causing some muscle to continue to twitch. Satisfied, he began to head for the door. He was a little surprised when Hawkeye burst in though. The king surveyed the lab and it's dead occupants. He then looked back at Loki with an odd gaze.
"I have a feeling I don't want to know," he said with a hint of humor.
"Aw, you know I'm gonna tell you all the gory details. No doubt it could make an interesting story some day."
With that, they left to find the others.
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