Darkness rising

Broken

It's been almost five months since Silas had captured Jack. Silas had tried to get some information out of the said boy. But all his attempts to break the raven haired teen ended in failure. Silas realised that the methods he was using won't be enough to break Jack. So he decided to try something else. Silas was currently monitoring his captive through CCTV. He slightly smiled as he noticed the method was proving effective. His attention was soon drawn to somewhere else when he heard some heavy footsteps approaching him. He sighed as he anticipated that a situation like this might occur at some point.

"Silas!" Airachnid growled from the spot where she was standing behind the said man.

"Airachnid. What do I owe for this visit?" Silas calmly asked as he turned around to face the Spider-bot.

The femme in question clearly looked pissed off. The glare she was sending towards his direction was enough indication for him to know he had to play his cards wisely or else today may turn into a rather regretful day for him.

"What have you done with Jack? Why am I not allowed to visit him?" Airachnid demanded.

"Airachnid, I assure you that nothing too serious has been done to Mr. Darby. He is still alive and fine, mostly." Silas answered. Even though he hid it, he was afraid of the Spider-bot standing in front of him.

"As for why you're not allowed to meet him, well your previous meetings with him didn't exactly turn out the way I expected. You refuse to interrogate him. And currently he is receiving some special treatment, because of which I can't allow anyone to meet him." Silas finished.

"What do you mean by special treatment?" Airachnid asked.

Just then her optics fell on the computer screens. Her optics widened as she watched what was being displayed on the screens. The screen showed Jack, tied on a berth. Similar to how she had seen him last time. But this time he had his hands covered with what seems to be thick gloves. He had more restraints on him, restricting all of his movements. His eyes also seemed to be covered with something.

"What have you done to him?" Airachnid asked, feeling slightly horrified and extremely angry at the leader of MECH.

"Don't worry, Airachnid. It's just an improved interrogation method used by many agencies out there, including the CIA. And the best part, It won't even do him any physical harm while effectively getting the information out of him." Silas told him.

Airachnid turned to face the human and glared at him.

"Now listen here Silas, I may have tolerated you and your men torturing my Jack, but if anything happens to him that I don't like,........ I will be holding your head as a trophy." Airachnid said with an edge in her voice as she bent down so that her head was slightly in level with the human.

"Why do you care about the boy so much?"

The sudden question from Silas caught her off-guard. She stood up straight and turned away from the said man as she walked a few steps away from him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Airachnid calmly said.

"Don't take me as a fool, Airachnid. I've seen how you get distressed over that boy. Not a few months ago you wanted to mount his head on a wall as a trophy. And now, you are concerned about him."

Airachnid didn't look at Silas. She simply walked out of the room. Silas watched her leave and when she was out of his view he went back to the screens.

(At Jack's cell)

Jack didn't know how to describe what he was feeling. Fear, dread, anger, despair, helpless, alone. There were just so many emotions. It's almost a month since he had experienced any sort of contact. Oh, how he wished to be free from these restraints, to see light, to feel something. He would even take a torture session over this. The utter loneliness had started to have some effect on him. He was getting mad. Slowly slipping away from reality. He wanted to talk to someone so badly, to hear a voice that isn't his own. But he was left alone. In this silent cell with his inner demons, which have started to resurface. The more time went by the more he started doubting everything. Did the bots really abandon him? Was he really that worthless to everyone he ever cared about? Did Arcee really betray him? He tried to block out the voices in his head that kept telling him that his doubts are true.

But it started to become harder and harder and harder. Until at one point he couldn't block them out anymore. He realised that all his life he had just been living up to people's expectations. No matter whoever it was. They expected something from him and when he failed to live up to that, they abandoned him. He was crushed by the betrayal he had felt from the Autobots, from his mother, from his friends, from Optimus,....... from Arcee. It was at that moment when something happened to Jackson Darby. Something inside him snapped.

"PLEASE STOP THIS!! I WILL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!! JUST PLEASE STOP THIS!!" Jack yelled out.

A few minutes later he heard a familiar mechanical noise. Silas walked inside the cell with two of his men following him.

"So, Mr. Darby, I heard you wanted an audience." Silas said.

"I-I will tell you….. whatever you want. Just p-please, please stop this. I can't, I can't take it anymore." Jack weakly said.

"Sure Mr. Darby. But first tell me where are your Autobot friends staying?" Silas asked.

"They-they are in an abandoned missile silo hidden in a hill, in the desert at the north-east of Jasper."

"Hmmm, interesting. I will surely check out that place soon. Thank you for your cooperation Mr. Darby. I wish you did that earlier. You wouldn't have to go through all this then." Silas said.

Jack stayed silent at the remark. He felt hot tears rolling down his cheeks. Silas grinned in satisfaction as he observed the teen in front of him. He did it. He had broken Jackson Darby.