They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

I stumble along in darkness. The hands wrap around in my arms are hard. Creepily bone hard. I imagine this Wayne Rec Center was in the middle of the city, I heard the rattle of fence. A gate opened, along with hurried voices and strange shuffles of feet. 

My feet scrape against the pebbles of stones and sand. Then the surface change into metal surface. The place around me suddenly turned quiet. Only our feet echoed loudly. At my left, Lista said,

"Dan, prepare our prisoners." I stopped midway. 

Prisoners…he don't mean Magnus and Seven? 

"Hey, keep walking kid." Lista pushed me forward. The two skully warriors who had my arms drag me with them, forcing my feet to stumble with the chains tugging on my skin. We've crossed narrow hallways and catwalks, sometimes they need to squeeze themselves around me so we'll fit. 

After taking a sharp turn, we finally stop. Lista removed my hood. I looked around. The room was fairly dark and small. There's controls in front me. Lista snapped his fingers and I'm immobile again. 

He shoved me to sit in front of a glass wall. Gazing at what seems to be an operating room. There's two set of beds, Surgical tools, headlights, and three people in surgical gowns, head caps and mask standing with their hands clasped in front of them.

I watch Dad joined the other three. He takes seat on the metal chair beside the three and offered his arm. 

Lista took the mic at my left and shouted to the standing three to start. The two beds have white sheets draped over them. They removed it. I can't understand why Lista is staring at me with a nasty grin on his face. Not until I saw whose lying in the two beds. 

It was Magnus and Seven. They're stripped of clothes. Only bandages wrapped Seven's chest and their lower parts. I fight against the invisible bindings around me to not move. I forced my strength to come out I began to shake violently. 

"I thought you should see this." Lista said. One of the people in surgical gowns draw out blood from Dad using syringe. He then punctured it to Seven's neck. I watched in dread. Black root like liquids spread into her temples, to her arms and into her legs.

She gasped. Her crimson eyes rounded in intense pain. She convulsed. Chains bind her arms and legs. Unable her to get out. They took another shot and injected it to Magnus. He reacted like Seven. 

Their lips are trembling, I can't hear anything, but I reckon they've been biting their tongue off. Just so they won't scream. Preventing these people the satisfaction of seeing them suffer. 

For thirty minutes, I helplessly watch them in that state. My mouth tasted sour. Sudden urge to barf came to my stomach. But I can't move. I can't do anything to help them. 

After the body writhing episode, they put chains around Seven and Magnus bandage wrapped bodies. They're still weak when they get up. Lista put on a white plain mask with three holes for eyes and mouth and drag me off my feet. 

"There's still more if you're wondering." 

I can't see his expression but I can detect he's smirking under that mask. I grunt under my throat. 

"Oh, you want to take part? Hmm, that will be tricky." Lista navigated between corridors with high walls they look like they'll collapsed on me in any second. 

"You're Dad has been receiving your powers ever since we train you against the Beasts. I'm sure you've noticed no adrenaline rush resurfaced in your veins recently in your fights. That's because of my efforts in transforming him. Making him the strongest Auf, feeding directly to your blessing. He's also our key in making your friends lives difficult." 

I processed his words. Letting it sink in and trying to make sense out of it. Which is surprising to do in my current chained state. 

"You modified Dad. Killing two birds with one stone in the process. You know my blessing can kill any Auf, any Faery, almost any living being in the vicinity without intending to. And you covet it. You knew ripping me off of my Mark won't work. You tested your son to confirm that."

"Good," Lista said, not denying anything.

"Your boss won't be able to yield the 'Death blessing' in this state. In fact, not only your boss, your entire race needed this blessing didn't you? Because you can kill anyone with it. Even the Deities themselves. So you look for other alternative to obtain it…" 

I think back at the Koha technique Magnus yield. And his stories how he use it to dispel any mana or blessing shot in his way. Defending himself.

"First is, confining me here. You can control me by torturing my friends. No…in fact you plan to control me right through Dad. But something changed in him that made you conceive the idea of making him my substitute." 

Lista snap his fingers. He shoved me next to the two skully warriors following us and he perform a very awkward Moonwalk dance. 

"As expected from you Lance, you're quick to catch up. It was actually on the night you arrived in Chicago. I notice the changes in Dan. He's usual Auf abilities increased, he's having this floating aura that killed my plant with a slight touch. I was shocked at first. Wonder how that happened. I conducted experiments on him. And found that you unconsciously instilled some part of your blessing to his body the moment you cast that black wave back in Opra." 

I grimaced. 

"Cool wasn't it? Because of your little outburst, many people were affected. Magnus was greatly weakened back then. Seven fought hard to cure him, protect him from the 'Twylyth' army of Aufs… then I arrived at the scene to save the day. I bound Seven in chains, I didn't let Magnus recover from his wound. I brought them to Chicago. Did you know I also tried to extract some blessing from her but failed? Hers was kinda complicated and more annoying. With the plants manipulation and all. So unlike yours." Lista lean closer until our faces were inch away.

"I could understand why. You should've heed their warnings, Lance. 'Never trust anyone'. But you still trust old little daddy and his meek genius best friend~" he sings sang. 

"Now look where it brought you!" He grabbed me by the cuff of my neck and shove me inside the dark room with hard metal walls.