Project Dead

8) the Realization (Written by: GraveyardSiren)

Anyone else feel like there's something seriously off with this?" Eun-seong's voice sounded, breaking everyone out of their daze.

Jackson stopped dead in his tracks. "What? What do you mean?"

Eun-seong sighed. "Well, we've caught all of them..." She gestured to the cell-block. "But, we never once got Damien and Wolfram... you know, the ones we were trying to find in the first place."

Bethany's eyes grew wide. "She's right."

Fred cursed. "Dammit! I noticed the group looked a little small."

Jackson breathed, his yellow eyes wide. "...We never noticed Wolfram and Damien weren't there once..." He then held his hands to his face, signifying he was embarrassed with what he noticed–or rather the lack of what he noticed.

Dan approached Jackson, patting and rubbing his back, trying to reassure the team leader.

Ochard, who was sitting on a table, huffed. "And knowing my cousin, he's bound to be planning something rotten."

Xanthus pulled a face. "What kind of 'rotten thing'?" The vampire then questioned.

Ochard then told him, "Well, we're talking 'take over the whole goddamn planet' rotten."

Xanthus sighed. "Dammit."

Ochard stood, pacing. "Yeah, dammit's right. And if he's working with my brother, Perry..." He drifted off.

Ethan asked, quizzical, "You didn't finish. What will happen if he's working with your brother?"

Ochard swallowed, not turning to face the group. He didn't present them with the grim look in his eyes. "Then the planet and all the realms are fucked."

The group exchanged concerned and worried murmurs.

Ochard slowly stocked toward the cell block as if he was deep in thought. The demon quickly turned to face the group. "We need to interrogate the prisoners. They're bound to know something."

Jackson, Fred, and Bethany exchanged glances with each other before looking back to Ochard.

Jackson said, "Yes. We'll try that." He paused before saying, "We'll need multiple people to interrogate different creatures in hope for the best results." The werewolf began to dish out jobs to the rest of the group.

Jason, who wasn't near the rest of the group at all, sat at a table, tapping his nails against the table. He hung his head.

Zak, who was speaking with Xanthus, looked over to Jason and then back to Xanthus. He held a finger up. "Could you give me a moment?"

Xanthus nodded and walked away.

Zak then headed in the direction of Jason. "Are you okay?"

Jason's head slowly rose. His blond bangs were droopy. His red eyes looked pained, but dead at the same time. "Why would it even matter to you?"

"Jason, what? It would matter to me. We're friends. I just want to see if you-" Zak was cut off.

Jason stood, pushing past Zak. "I'd love to chat, but I've got work to do." The fourteen-year-old headed down the corridor–he'd be fifteen in October.

Zak called after him, "You know the cells are down the other way, right?"

But, Jason never answered him.

─┉─¡! • !¡─┉─

Ochard entered the room he'd be interogating Velgan.

Velgan was family, so the group had let Ochard interogate her alone.

Ochard swallowed, closing the door. "Velgan."