Dark Angel (A 001 prequel story)

19 - A Way Out

"My head hurts" Eleven said pressing a palm against her temple.
It had been a long, tiring day for the children.
Mine too, Rose wanted to reply, but she bit her tongue. She had watched the children duelling with their telekinesis powers again.
"It's over for today" Rose comforted her, taking her to her little, lonely bed "You've been amazing today".
The girl didn't believe her "But I've failed with the lights. And I was thrown against the wall for four times".
The bad images that her words evoked haunted Rose. She could barely watch that disturbing show. Yet she had to silently stand and watch numbly, just like the rest of the staff.
Rose grabbed a napkin and wiped the blood that was again falling from the girl's nose.
"Every failure will make you stronger. You are willing to learn. That's what matters. Just don't stop trying" she placed a clean napkin in her little hands "Keep it, in case your nose starts to bleed again".
Eleven held her head up hoping to stop the bleeding, but she looked so tired that she could pass out at any moment.
"Here. For your headache" Henry offered a glass with medicines melted into water.
"Thanks" the girl swallowed thirstily and handed the emptied glass.
"Now take some rest. And don't forget to ring the bell in case you feel something's wrong" Henry pointed at the emergency botton over her bed.
They exchanged goodnights, then the adults left the room.

Rose leaned against the wall, watching Henry turning off the light and closing delicately the door.
"What?" he asked when he noticed her staring.
"How can you be still so good after all that was done to you?" she said softly.
He extended a hand to her and she grabbed it. And together they walked down the corridor.
"It's just my duty" he justified.
"It's more than that. The other orderlies are not so caring" she pointed out. Then realized that maybe it was because he was one of them, one of the test subjects. But she couldn't say it aloud.
Since she learned all those secrets, she had walked carefully in public, fearing that eventually someone would understand that she knew.
But she didn't notice anything unusual. She wasn't escorted anymore. No suspicious looks.
And it wasn't hard anymore to sneak somewhere private with Henry.
"Maybe it's you who's teaching me to be caring" he replied leading her to their safe storage room "You love the children and you hate what they are being through".
"I hate more what has been done to you" when he stopped in front of her, she caressed his face then explored more of his skin, until she touched the bulge behind his ear. She tried to sense how it worked, feeling it interacting with his nervous system.
"How does it stop you from using your powers?".
He grabbed her hand but didn't remove it from there.
"When I feel the need to use my skills, I get a sort of feedback that stops me".
She froze, guessing what he was unwilling to say aloud "You get an electric shock? It must be painful".
His lips thinned "Sometimes the headaches seem capable of break my skull. But I'm still alive".
She rejected the idea that he had to live like that.
"I've been thinking if I can remove it without hurting you, maybe with my powers. I just don't know how it will set an alarm and how much time we would have to escape. And if there's a way out".
He pulled her hand away from his neck and pressed it against his lips "I appreciate it, but you're not trained enough. You would unwilling break my neck instead of just pulling the thing out".
She shivered "I guess you're right".
"It's not a bad plan. But you're new to powers that you weren't even aware that were in you" he said softly "While some children had been here since they were born".
"So you could ask some of the children to help you?" it didn't sound too bad and she wondered if the children knew that he was controlled by that device implanted in his neck. But was it why he was so loving to them? She doubted it.
"I don't know yet" he said dismissively, letting his fingers play with her hair "You just started to find out what you're capable of. You've been trained to be special. I'm sure you would even scare me eventually, once you realize your full potential".
She scoffed "I think you overestimate me. How many times I was near to be killed?".
He shook his head "You've never been trained properly. Suppressing your powers for most of your life weakened you. But now that you're awakening, things will be different. You now see the invisible forces and know how to bend them to your will. Your brain has an advanced gift of recording images and sounds that normally would be forgotten and erased when sleeping. Soon you will visit the black void more easily and you can spy or visit people there, make people see what you want them to see...".
Although his words were so appealing, she raised her hands to stop him. He was depicting her like she could become a sort of goddess. When she felt like a silly chumsy girl who was madly in love and didn't know how to handle it.
"That's too much. You make me so nervous because what if I prove you wrong?".
He chuckled pulling her hands down "Never fear to disappoint me. You are amazing. You just need to see the whole picture of yourself, after being blind for all these years. But we can't allow Brenner to abuse you. What would you do if you were like Terry? Eleven's mother?".
She stiffened at the disturbing memories.
"I would never let Brenner do that".
"But you're caged here" he insisted "He just needs to drug us both and lock us into a room. The medicines will force us, enhancing our lust. And once you'll give birth to a child, our child, how would you be?".
She closed her eyes, shaking her head "Henry, it's too disturbing. Stop".
She felt him press his forehead against hers "I can visualize it as well. I've been thinking of all the possible scenarios for us. And none of them is a happy ending. Not with you caged here. But what I can't imagine is how you would react after our child is stolen and we'd still be trapped here? Would you hate me?".
Shaking, she breathed deeply, keeping her eyes closed as terrible thoughts tormented her.
"I couldn't survive something like that" she admitted, the sorrow choking her "I would ask you to kill me. I wouldn't hate you for something that isn't your fault".
His breathing turned heavy as hers.
"I would never want to kill you. But if it is to save you from that agony, I would and then kill myself" he wrapped his arms around her and held her there.
Sobs shook her as she struggled to recover from the disturbing images he had made her picture.
"This is a nightmare".
He nodded "Then you understand that we need to get out of this hell".

A/N

Saturday 20th August 2022

Someone's being tired of that hell of a lab and wants to blow it up 👀💥

Time's running out 🕰

Try to be ready for what's coming next 🥺