Lastland AU: Lost Memory, Lost Time, Lost in Space

Death by a Thousand Cuts (Blazar)

Prequel Segment: Timeline (A)lpha

"NO! STOP!" Iris clutched the sides of her head, overcome by visions of Storm being tortured. Tears sprung into Iris' purple eyes. Poor Storm was nothing but a hollow husk of the person she used to be, having spent what felt like eternity under the cruel claws of some of their most longstanding enemies, informally named "Corruptors". They experimented on her, wishing to know how much a healthy human body could take.

Storm grit her teeth, hissing and recoiling in pain as she was poked and prodded. It was hard to tell how much of the Corruptors' work was scientific, and how much was sadistic. They were studying the Astro, Blazar, and Celestial "principles"—the Ternary Principle—an observed phenomena that granted all biotic matter one of the three aforementioned principles.

It was not yet understood what they were, or what they did, but what was noted was that, especially in combat, Astro had an advantage over Blazar, Blazar over Celestial, and Celestial Astro. The more intelligent the lifeform, the more capable it was of learning and shifting between the principles. The Corruptors were more than happy to test it out on Storm.

The current observed and recorded differences were minute, but the standing hypotheses were that those with a proclivity for self-based improvement (such as physical improvement or increased defenses) were more likely to be Astro (which was often represented by the color blue). Those who were aggressive and forceful, who liked to shape reality and fate to their will, were more likely to be Blazar (represented by red). Then healers, those interested not in protection like Astro, but restoration, were Celestials (yellow).

Each was a natural aspect of combat and life, which was why they were called the Ternary Principle. Determining what one's "birth-principle" was, though, was still speculation. There were as many lifeforms that broke the conventions as there were that followed them. But theories could become fact over time. It just took a lot of experimentation first, tests and retests. That was what made Storm so valuable.

A chill ran down the Storm's spine. Even though Iris was nowhere near by, they shared a bond—a connection—that allowed them to sense one another's thoughts and feelings. It was getting harder and harder by the day as Storm grew weaker and weaker, but to hear Iris' cry piercing through her mental fog slowly made Storm realize that perhaps Iris was closer by than she thought.

I've NEVER heard her sound like that before... Storm thought. Then for the first and only time in her life, the 30-year-old prayed, and prayed that she would never have to hear Iris sound like that ever again. Storm didn't even register that Iris was crying out for her. She could only lie there in a pool of her own blood, broken and almost naked, completely undignified, the mental fog rolling back in...

Then Iris' cry brought her back to the present for a second time. "I said... ENOUGH!" The hairs on Storm's body stood on edge. There was silence for a moment, then she heard an awful sound of metal grating on metal, harsh, as if it was being crushed, then the wall gave in. The moment the tiny figure in the new "doorway" saw Storm's miserable form, lying helpless beneath spindly claws and pinchers, she lost it.

"You'll pay in BLOOD for what you've done!" she cried, purple eyes beginning to glow.

"Iris... no..." Storm managed to raise her head just enough to meet Iris' burning gaze. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Despite herself, just for a moment, Iris faltered. To hear Storm pleading so softly yet insistently...

"My love... what have they done to you...?" Her face was obscured behind a space helmet, but Storm could hear Iris in her mind. A shiver ran down her spine, but for the first time in a long time, it wasn't from dread, but relief, peace, and familiarity. All she wanted was Iris, and to be with Iris. Nothing and no one else mattered anymore, not even the Corruptors.

Iris could feel the bliss radiating through Storm's shattered, fraying mind, just from seeing her walk in. It did nothing but reinforce Iris' righteous fury. Likewise, she knew that Storm was just worried about her.

Even though YOU'RE the one that's been tortured for so long, all you can think about is how to get ME out of here. Tears blurred Iris' purple-tinted vision again, but she angrily blinked them away. She had to focus!

Storm could sense that Iris wouldn't back down. She groaned through her teeth, struggling to drag herself closer to Iris, even though it was useless. She still tried to protest, both against her injuries and the Corruptor.

Iris did the same. "Don't hurt her... You have everything you could possibly want, so what do you have to gain from killing her?"

"The satisfaction of watching YOU break," the Corruptor replied with a cruel smile, and both of them cast their gazes at the struggling, squirming warrior woman lying before them. "How quaint..." They begged for each other. Iris couldn't contain a wince, then the Corruptor lunged at Storm.

In a panic, Iris did the same. "Iris!" She heard Storm cry out for her again, but this time, nothing could stop her.

"I SAID, LEAVE HER ALONE!" The tiny soldier bellowed. Stronger than she looked, she was able to withstand the Corruptor's first attack. Then, she reached out to Storm and spoke in her mind again. "Rise, Storm, rise!" Like a puppet on strings, Storm's body obeyed.

Storm inhaled sharply as she felt strength and power surge through her body, the likes of which she hadn't felt since before her kidnap. She gasped again as her vision slowly tinted purple, like Iris'. She was activating the full force of their bond, and Storm was more than happy to do the same, clawing her way desperately to Iris, physically and mentally, drunk on the power and anger Iris sent her.

The Corruptor could only blink its eight red eyes in surprise. "Such a total bond?" Their kind was known to fuse with matter, literally and metaphorically, and the Corruptor knew Iris was a hybrid, part human and part Corruptor. That was part of why the Corruptors were just as interested in seeing her break as they were Storm. Either way, it would be educational. Well, now, the Corruptor was learning its lesson the hard way.

"I TOLD you, not to UNDERESTIMATE ME!" Iris thrust a hand forward, and Storm lunged. Even though her body was still broken and scarred, bloody and bruised, bones and muscles exposed, she moved as though she was at her physical peak, and she felt no pain. With Iris by her side, the battle was over with terrifying speed. But Iris wasn't done yet. The Corruptor's death was going to be long, painful, and slow. Death by a thousand cuts just as they nearly did to Storm! Eye for eye, life for life! Iris gave a mad laugh, but first...

After subduing the Corruptor, the purple flames in her gaze died down. She released her hold on Storm, and Storm slumped to the ground.

"Oh, Storm, I'm so sorry...! I- I- I-!" Overcome with emotion, she choked up. I'm so, so sorry...

"No, you did what you had to..." Storm managed to smile weakly up at Iris, and it only made Iris cry harder, but she kept herself quiet.

Focus on Storm. When Storm's eyes fluttered shut with pain, Iris quickly drew some of her own blood. As a Corruptor hybrid, her blood coagulated faster and carried nutrients better than human blood. As a human hybrid, her blood was enough of a match to match Storm's. She dripped some of the blood, a barely-visible purple tinge to it, onto Storm's larger wounds, and several minutes later, the woman's body relaxed.

Storm sighed, eyes still closed. "Thank you, Iris."

Iris smiled sadly at her as she watched Storm's face relax. "Rest well." She kissed Storm's forehead. My love...

AN: Another Stormris/Lastland AU, yay, LOL! This time it's a space opera in the new universe of Solestar! Plus more Gifted lore!