Retaliation

Chapter 7 Damn Heart

*Warning!* Blood and mentions and torture.

Here I was staring into the dark purple eyes of Bombshell. 

Unlike our last encounter, I could sense a mix of emotions like fear and confusion radiating from her. It also looked like she hasn't gotten any sleep as dark bags had formed under her bloodshot eyes. It was then that I realized that her eyes were being forced open by clamps that kept her from blinking at all. Attached to her head and face were big panels that locked her into place. Similar-looking panels were also attached to her limbs and across her chest.  As I examined her bindings more closely I noticed a faint buzzing sound was coming from them. I recognized it all too well. Her whole body was currently being blasted with bolts of electricity, most likely to lock her muscles in place so she couldn't break out. 

"You... not so powerful now are you?" I growled. 

I myself was feeling a bit nervous yet angry. I knew she could easily kill me if given the chance, yet here she was held down. I could easily kill her if only I knew how. I knew better than to do anything rash and risk her potentially breaking free. 

My eyes landed on a nearby open laptop. It looked like it was connected to the huge screen displayed in front of us. As I neared it I heard faint grunts and hisses from behind me. I turned around to see Bombshell glaring at me as if telling me to stay away from the laptop. I was no longer scared, I knew she couldn't get to me so I took another step. Her warnings were becoming increasingly louder as I got closer, and I could physically see her struggling more. Thankfully, the electricity was doing its job and keeping me safe. I could only imagine the insane amount of voltage in order to keep her still. 

"Knock it off," I ordered.

It looked like the laptop was about to play a video before it was abandoned. The file of the video was simply named "code numbers." I hesitated to play it because I was worried the audio might attract some unwanted attention. But between the alarm and the gunfire, I think DRAKO had their hands full at the moment.

I hit the play button and what followed was a barrage of horrid imagery. They were clips of excessive fighting and violence. The background noise was just as bad. It looked like a recording rather than a movie. There were bodies of multiple species littering the ground and blood of multiple colors staining the dirt. The ones that were still alive were being sought after by an unseen attacker and as soon as they were caught they were ruthlessly beaten to death. I was immediately hit with flashbacks, it was so distinctly similar to what happened to me. 

It was then that edited audio began to play over the clip. 

"8." 

I recognized that voice immediately, it was none other than that creep Folxex. It seemed like Bombshell did too, as she began to scream despite her jaw being locked shut. 

That tone though... it sounded too familiar...

This whole time, for months,  I was hearing her pain. Before I had felt bad for and empathized with whoever was subjected to such horrors. But now...I didn't know what to feel.  

"0." 

Her screams began to increase in decibels. If people couldn't hear the video they would definitely hear her. I quickly paused the video and ran up to her. Her screams stopped for a brief second for her to somehow let out an audible word.

"Stop." She begged. 

She was in great pain, and part of me was inhumanly enjoying it. The other part was sickened by this torture. I panicked and looked for something to shut her up. I managed to find an abandoned lab coat on a desk drawer and hastily tied it to her head and around her mouth, careful enough to not accidentally touch her. Even though I could still hear her it was at a quieter volume. I noticed she was breathing rather heavily and I made the mistake of looking into her teary eyes. They were filled with anger and I could see tiny white lights flickering in the middle of them.