𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐄, ERIK LEHNSHERR

𝑻𝑾𝑬𝑵𝑻𝒀-𝑶𝑵𝑬

Mack had left hours ago, leaving Kara a mess of fresh burn marks and a tough punch to the jaw and temple. She wondered how someone could harbor so much anger and force it upon someone else as many times as he tortured her.

She was in her usual position, still hanging limp and numb with her wrists being bound by chains that'd dug into her skin and tore through her flesh. She realized if someone had looked at her wrists, they'd think she cut herself for a living, hoping to kill herself and end it all. She wished it was just that.

Her chest barely moved as small breaths exited through her mouth. Her eyes were closed, much to her dismay due to the burn mark down her eyelid and cheekbone. It had been throbbing painfully for the last few hours since he had done it.

Saliva collected under her tongue and mixed in with the blood from the hit against her jaw, which drooled past her lips and down to the dried blood puddle. She noticed the puddle had expanded over the past two months, which in turn got thicker, as well.

Her white shirt, now torn further and hanging loosely in scraps over her torso, showed the scars and burn marks as well as her black bra underneath. She was surprised that it hadn't been touched by anything her father had done to her.

The room was dark and she could hear the bustling footsteps outside of the door due to how enhanced her hearing had come to play out. She figured it was because there were no noises inside the gray walls she was imprisoned in that made the noise outside louder for her.

As she hung there, barely breathing, she somehow felt at peace knowing she was escaping into the treasure of darkness. It was like a hand was weaving her in between the forest that led to what she craved most.

If she looked closely, she could find her mother standing there, waiting for her to take the next step. She looked down at her feet and it was like she was paralyzed at that moment, not being able to move.

She grunted, trying to force her feet to move but to no avail, she stayed standing there. She let out a huff and glanced back up at the woman waiting for her, a saddened expression across her face.

"You've still got time to live, my dove. Don't give up just yet, something is waiting on you outside that door."

A blaring noise sounded throughout the room, waking Kara from whatever dream or hallucination she was experiencing. The alarm on the ceiling began flashing red as the building shook.

Kara recalled her mother's words and stubbornly huffed again, not understanding why she was so quick to dismiss her of walking over that bridge to engulf the woman in her arms.

She listened closely to what was happening outside of the room, hearing the yells and stomps on the ground. She assumed something had gone wrong with an experiment and now the subject soldier was loose somewhere around the building.

—

"This is what you saw?" Klaus questioned Charles as they stood yards away from the building, figuring the people inside would know they were there if they stepped foot any closer on the property.

"Yes. Kara's in there somewhere. We need to get in and get out." Charles replied, glancing over at the two by his side.

Both of their faces screwed up in disapproval, Klaus speaking first. "There's no get in and get out, Charles. I'm finding my father and I'm going to kill him with my bare hands. I won't stop until I find her, even if I have to kill everyone in my way."

Erik nodded, "Charles, they've hurt Kara. They need to be punished."

"We don't know how many people are in there. If we go in there without a plan, there's no telling what type of weapons Mack has made for Mutants. He could kill us and I'm not risking that trying to find Kara." He explained, knowing deep down they were not one for listening.