Dragoned in Half

Drinks on Me-Morbius

  The curves of the road on the way back to the facility are taken slowly on my return. For once, I am in no rush to get back. I don't immediately look forward to the next mission. At this moment I have no thirst for blood. My eyes look around and see the scenery that I have driven so many times before in a new light. The way that I feel right now worries me. I am going to have to put my plan into motion sooner than I thought. I will also have to do it without knowing what the good doctor is up to.
 
  As the forest around me starts to grow more familiar my skin gets itchy. My senses go on high alert as I look around in the trees. I slow the vehicle as I sniff the air in search for danger. Something feels different this time. I allow the car to roll to a stop as I contemplate my choices. This foreboding sense has gotten worse the closer to the facility I got. If anything, it just confirms my suspicions that I won't be leaving this facility alive.
 
  A life debt is owed for the many that we have taken. If we are able to save the lives of our mate and brother, then I would consider our life a success. We will live on through their bond.
 
  His words ring out in my mind and for once I don't tense at hearing his voice. I agree with him whole heartedly but I just don't know what it is. I have always thought of death as a means to an end. It was a way to end my suffering and the suffering that I caused in the world. Death would be my freedom from this place and from the life that I was raised to have. Now the thought of leaving this world causes a foreign ache in my chest.
 
  Use it. That pain is our emotion for the live that we were dealt. It's what we will need to face the battles that are coming. It is our fuel to the fire that will burn this world down that has been so unkind to our species. That pain is our redemption.
 
  "You are a pretty chatty fellow, aren't you?" I ask him with a quirk of my brow. "You think that some pretty words and stuff is going to give me courage? Well, save it. I get all the courage that I need from the memory of the torture I received at his hands. Now he will die at the end of mine" I vow to him.
 
  I step on the gas pedal and we fly forward to the gates of the facility. The guard takes one look at me and immediately lets me in without a second glance. The trust that they have in me will be their downfall. Once I park the car I enter through the door of the facility. Once inside the room pressurizes. If someone were to sneak in, it would take them about thirty seconds to die unless they find the keypad. I search the walls for the reflection of it and enter my code immediately.
 
  The deadly air leaves the room and a door opens. As soon as I am through it, I take a deep breath of the stagnant air of the facility. I search the halls and am happy to see that no one is near. With another deep breath I push all the new feelings away and I settle into my role here. I walk the halls leisurely as I head to the doctor's office. I grimace in disgust as so many nearly run to clear a path for me. I used to find glory in this. In this moment I only feel shame as the taste of their fear settles into my nose.
 
  I pause briefly when I see that his office is already open. Without a moment more of hesitation I make my way into the entrance and lean on the door jam. The conversation amongst the doctor and one of his apprentices instantly halts as soon as they notice my presence. They close the folder in which they were looking at and lean away from the desk as if they have been doing something bad. I watch as they share a look and the good doctor shakes his head in a subtle fashion.
 
  I break eye contact with the pair of them and reach into my pocket to collect one of my knives. The weight of it in my palm is one that I find comforting. The silence in the air of the office is stifling. I want nothing more than to give my report and leave but we have always done things this way. He ask questions and I provide the answers. He gives orders and I follow them. If I want things to seem normal then I need to keep up the act of the way I was. That folder is something that I am going to have to get my hands on.
 
  "Can you read the title of that folder without revealing yourself?" I ask my dragon.
 
  "Not from this distance. You would need to get at least two feet closer" he states. I make the conscious decision to look down as he speaks just in case his eyes flash. I set a reminder to look in the mirror as we have a conversation as soon as I can.
 
  The apprentice doctor finally decides to do something in the silence as I wait. "We will see you in the labs later" he states as he gives the good doctor a meaningful look. The Doctor waves him out of the room as he takes a seat at his desk. My brain works quickly as I try to think of a way to get into the room. I haven't been past the door jam in nearly a decade. I know that if I just waltz right in then it would look suspicious.
 
  "What did you find?" he ask as he leans forward while interlacing his fingers on top of his desk.
 
  "The Merman was nowhere to be found when I got there. I did have an interesting conversation with a young kelpie though" I tell him as an answer while  put my knife away. "A young kelpie who is now dead I might add" I grin at him showing all teeth as he rolls his eyes.
 
  I have always found it peculiar that he trained and tortured me to be a killer but would always grow irritated when I talked about my pleasure in the sport. I have already been lying to him for years so to tell this small one is easy. I also needed a way to explain away the wrinkled nature of my clothes. As a person who prides themselves on always being the impeccable soldier, in this state, I look like crap.
 
  "A kelpie. Interesting. What were your findings?" he ask as he moves the folder once more on his desk. I spy the decanter on the other side of the room and decide that at the moment I could really use a drink. I have only taken one from this specific set twice before. I would need to tell him something good in order to deserve a drink. This is the reason holding onto information is so valuable.
 
  I don't make eye contact as I step over to pour myself a drink. I watch the brown liquid go into the glass and I swirl it around. I shoot the shot straight and cherish the pain of the burn that it brings. I sit the cup on the felt where I grabbed it from and return the decanter back to its original spot. When I turn to face him this time, it is with an evil grin on my face.
 
  "It seems that they were more successful with the prisoners that you delivered than we thought. Not only did Xander the alpha dragon find his mate, but every head of clan did" I state with satisfaction. His eyebrows shoot high on his forehead as he absorbs what I just said. I knew that he would find this tidbit interesting. When I found out three weeks ago, I knew that it was gold.
 
  He stands from his desk as he also comes over to the decanter set. I fiddle with my knives in their sleeves as he pours himself a drink and pours me another. I raise an eyebrow in his direction as he clinks his glass against mine. As many drinks as I have had in his presence he has never once toasted or placed his glass against mine.
 
  My beast has grown suspicious of the action also and lends his senses to me while we sniff the drink. I should have taken a precaution and sniffed the first drink. If there is something in this alcohol one could only hope that I have not already been succumbed to the effects of it since we don't smell anything now. I watch as he downs the shot in his glass and then I do the same.
 
  "You have done well in your time here. I do believe that we can start to give you a more proper role in this facility now" he states. My facial expression stays blank as I arch an eyebrow in his direction. I have no idea what he could possible mean by that. He has always told me that as his prized assassin I had one of the best parts to play here. I am the action, and I get things done. I look down at the glass once more before I go to make eye contact with him.
 
  "Are you picking up anything here?" I ask my dragon.
 
  The silence is almost deafening inside my head. I would expect him to answer quickly because we don't know his reaction when we speak. "Hmm. I like to think that I have the role that was made for me now" I tell him as I go to set my glass down. The simple maneuver makes me feel a bit slow and sluggish. I look at the good doctors face to see him wearing the biggest grin that I have ever seen. I quickly catch myself on the wall next to his alcohol when he starts to laugh loudly as my growl rips through the air.
 
  Loud footsteps come marching this way as the room start to spin around me. A knife is unsheathed from my pants as fast as I can grab it. Just as I hear the steps enter the entryway of the office I send it hurdling at chest height right through the opening of the door. I reach for another as I see Kevin my fellow dragon understudy clutch his chest as blood sprays from his mouth. The smile he was wearing quickly dies as he gets a look at the knife made from my fortified scales.
 
  As he drops to his knees I send another knife hurdling through the air as black spot fill my vision and I involuntarily take a knee. My upper body sags against the wall as Marcum catches the knife in his shoulder. I reach to get another knife from its sheath as more bodies fill the room but am unable to make my limbs cooperate. A solid punch from Marcum slams across my cheek. Whatever was given to me seems to be working because I don't even feel the punch as I am lifted by two other men from the floor.
 
  A throat is cleared and Marcum quickly leaves my line of sight. I try to glare at the good doctor as he comes before me but have no idea if my facial muscles react the way that I want them to. I do know that if looks could kill, then he would be dead a thousand times over from the look in my eyes. He deserves death and always has. I should have taken the opportunity to kill him way before this. He glances back to the door way at Kevin's body and shakes his head.
 
  "The poor thing was never fit to take your place anyway. He did make quite the effort though. Pity. Now where was I? Oh right. You really put your foot in this mess now boy. After the way that I raised you, you would think you would learn not to cross me. Now your mate, your brother, and yourself can pay for your betrayal. Welcome to the other side of the facility. I think you will enjoy your time much more as one of my......patients" He ends with a loud cackle as he walks away. My mind races as I try to see a way out of this. Before I can fully process the thought another punch hits me square in the face and its lights out.