The Salvation Hunt

XVIII. The Chemical Elimination of All Things Painful (via medical malpractice)

Get up, damn you!

A shrill voice cut through the air and jolted both Nova and Volta from their trance.

"What–" Volta barely managed to say before a searing pain tore through his skull. He fell to his knees next to Nova, who was doing the same. "Argh!! Why does this keep happening!?" Was there any way to have things happen in the mind prison without excruciating pain following it?

Nova did no better. Her first scream was a short one, a sudden gasp of surprise cutting it off, agonised silence as the last of the air in her lungs emptied, then a longer, horrified choking only punctuated by sobbing gasps for air.

The mental electrocution paused momentarily. The two managed to look up to see the visage of their assailants now replaced with swirling, blurry black miasmas like a void now stood where... whatever they had been fighting used to be.

I don't know what you're seeing in there Vol, said the voice, desperation tinting its words, but I'm going to get you out. Nova, you too. Hang in there.

"Mr Joule," Nova staggered towards him. The two stumbled into each other and clung on for support. The fabric of Volta's clothes scratching softly against her palms was the only thing keeping her sane at this point. "I think your brother is trying to talk to us."

Volta tilted his head up. "Wyatt?"

No response. Seemed like this was a one way line.

Phago, you bastard, what did you make me do? I'll kill you if they don't make it, I swear to whatever god Nova serves I'll do it.

"I should have a word with him about that," Volta mumbled absentmindedly. "Oi, Nova."

"Here."

"What were we doing?"

She didn't know. "I can't remember."

Holy shit, Wyatt sounded more and more panicked. With not just any verbal filter going out the window and letting just about any swear word through into their collective consciousness, his resolve seemed to flicker dangerously as he grappled with the gravity of the situation. Holy shit. Oh my god. Please don't be dead.

"We're not," Volta replied under his breath as he looked around and let his eyes settle on the black patches of... nothing. "Seems like Wyatt's doing this." He gestured to the gaping wound in his shoulder that seemed to have been cauterised shut violently. "Just in time, too. Thank goodness."

Nova took a step closer. "I'm not so sure. I cannot help but feel that something of mine has been taken from me."

As if responding to her, Wyatt's internal monologue echoed throughout the empty colosseum.

This was such a bad idea, what am I doing?! There's no TIME, Wyatt. FOCUS!!! Phago's not waking up for a while so I'm on my own with this. Okay, think. THINK! I have his notes on psychic magic–it's not psionic magic, but it's fine. It's still magic. I know magic. I'm actually good at magic. Yeah! Okay. Breathe. Breathe. Okay. You got this. First–

Nova suddenly sank to one knee. Her forehead brushed against the ground as she doubled over now with only one hand for support.

–TAKE your fucking Gloom Wards.

Through her swimming vision, Nova watched as a sudden light seemed to return to Volta's eyes. Faintly, slowly, he breathed like drawing breath brought relief with it for the first time since she met him.

A moment passed as he took another deep breath. "I hate to admit it, but I think I really needed that."

Nova nodded weakly. She smiled through gritted teeth and with as much sincerity she could muster through what felt like being poisoned. "Happy for you."

"He might have stuck one on you for good measure," he explained as he crouched next to her and put a hand on her back. "You'll get used to it and it will go away eventually," he offered.

Nova, please, Wyatt's voice now cracked with desperation. His shaky breath stuttered his words as he slapped something else onto her. We need you. I need you out here, man. My brother's dying and I'm scared, okay? Please come back. I miss you.

A pang of guilt stabbed at her as Wyatt's desperate ramblings dissolved into pathetic, wet muttering.

Didn't you say it was your duty or whatever to help people? Isn't that your whole thing? I'm people. I don't even need a hero or whatever, I just need you. I just don't want to be alone in this. I can't read half of these notes–WHAT is a synapse?

Volta dipped his head. Nova took his hands in hers and gave them a reassuring squeeze as they only could look on helplessly as Wyatt continued to fumble around with their sanity with his own steadily depleting.

Something else now touched his voice. Ominously, he monologued with a new sense of unexplained direction.

I don't care if I have to invent a completely new kind of magic. I don't care if people get mad at me for not following academia. I'll go back to school if I have to. I graduated in three years, I can do it again. I'll even do it their way if I have to. I'll re-learn magic the old and boring way. I'll do anything the academia wants me to, just please don't take my brother away from me.

Before the subject of his ramblings shifted too erratically, he turned his attention back to his family.

Phago warned me about accidentally lobotomising you guys, and I don't know what that means, but I'll try my best not to do that. Just come back alive. I'll get you out of this, even if I have to personally remove parts of your mind to take away your sadness. If Nova wasn't already there, I would have climbed in and fought your mind demons and casted fireball on them if I had to.

"Wait, what did he say about lobotomy?" Volta snapped to attention and gave Nova a wary look.

"I don't want parts of my mind taken away," Nova said hastily. "Is that what those void spaces are? Those black silhouettes?"

Volta paled. "Oh, no."

---A Note from the Author---

Ahhhh sorry for posting late!! Uni just started and I'm already swamped with work. It's been really fun meeting new friends and making sure I stay on top of assignments but that means I didn't have a lot of time to think about TSH these couple days.

I'm settling in just fine though so hopefully once I get used to my new schedule I will be back on schedule. Until then I hope you guys like the story and thank you for being so patient!! See you next chapter!

-Clay