Rogues

Episode 43 | Zagan

⚠TW: Extreme gore. If you are not comfortable reading this, please skip the initial flashback in this chapter⚠

"Avicii?"

Zagan glanced up at the Superior next to him, hatred and pain burning in his eyes. The Superior clearly noticed but simply sighed, turning back to the other two ghouls who'd just entered the room.

Their auras were unnerving to look at, as if someone had torn them into pieces and then tried to put them back together. They were misshapen and disturbing. No worse than Zagan's was now.

The first ghoul was short with dark hair, his amber eyes lacking the burning rage of his element. He was disturbingly calm for a ghoul with such a broken aura, the cracks shimmering with every casual smile that failed to reach his eyes.

His companion was different, a slightly taller ghoulette with ginger hair and tired navy eyes. Her body shook with suppressed pain and discomfort, every step sending a shiver up her spine.

"Avicii, I would like to introduce you to Pyro and Quedda," the Superior continued. "The three of you, as well as two others, will make up our Field Team. This will be explained in detail to you all later."

Zagan tried to force a polite smile towards the two as he took Pyro's hand in greeting, stepping closer and feeling the gravity of his body pulling against the weight of his boots. Pain shot threw him and he saw Pyro wince as he squeezed the fire ghoul's hand.

His smile faultered and he let go immediately. "Sorry. Didn't mean to." He hadn't meant for the words to sound so insincere. His mind was simply preoccupied with the straining pain around his ankles. His heavily weighted boots were currently the only things keeping him from floating to the ceiling.

The fire ghoul straightened, watching the Superior leave before regarding Zagan with a skeptical look. "Pyro. Conversion of the Rage into thermal energy." That certainly explained the lack of anger.

His companion followed suit, moving on instinct to shake Zagan's hand before deciding otherwise. "Quedda. Touch-induced atomic restructuring into a liquid." That certainly did not explain her pain.

Zagan sighed, glaring up at the surveillance camera he'd just noticed in the top corner of the room. "Avicii. Body weight of below zero."

As if his sentence had served as a reminder, pain shot through his ankles again as his own lack of weight pulled against his boots. His skin and flesh felt stretched where his body fought not to be torn apart completely.

"Below zero? How does that work?" Pyro questioned. "Wouldn't you just float away?"

Zagan winced again. The pain was getting worse and a single glance down confirmed that his skin was beginning to tear around his ankles. "I should. And I dont think weighted boots was a good idea to keep me on the floor."

Pyro and Quedda exchanged glances before looking down, the water ghoulette recoiling in shock and her companion averted his gaze abruptly.

There was blood now. Accompanied by the unmistakable sound of ripping flesh. Zagan wined in pain, dropping down and holding onto his legs. A scream tore through him as the bones connecting his legs to his feet cracked and split in two.

Quedda ran past him and out of the room, screaming for the Superior to come back and help. Pyro knelt next to him, rubbing his shoulders and pulling him close. It did nothing to stop the tearing flesh but Zagan found himself clinging to the little comfort the fire ghoul was able to offer.