Stockholm Syndrome

Primeval

(A/N: Thanks for 500 followers dudes :))
My heart pounds as my feet hit the concrete ground, the scream still echoing around my brain. Derp runs beside me, a little faster due to his wiry legs being a little longer than my own. The darkness around us is suffocating, tugging at my body as if to slow me down. I glimpse a light up ahead. A lit brazier. Contorting shadows on the wall. Rose? I glance over just in time, to see Derp's eyes going red.
***
I whipped my head around, the person who'd grabbed me is gone. I panted for breath. Oh lord that was terrifying. Did I hallucinate that? Then, I heard another clank of chains; metal scraping against the damp wallpaper on my wall. I stared at my crumpled bed covers, mind filled with the unforgiving sense of terror. I could smell the bitter scent of my own fear. A hoarse intake of shallow breath in my ear. "Fear is such a strange thing. An animal that cannot be tamed. A simple thought that can trigger a whole relapse on the body itself. I can smell it on you, you know." My eyes widen a little. "J-Joseph?" Cold, so cold fingers crept up my arm. His voice sounded like Ian's, but with an almost robotic hint to it, like his words were being controlled. "Not, even, close." Then a laugh so cold it was like ice being scraped against my bone as I heard it.
***
I struggle, hitting Randel as I fight for escape. I heard Rose scream just now, confirming my worst fears. Something had gotten to her before I had. I heard footsteps approaching at a rapid pace and suddenly Randel was torn away from me. I heard him swear and lash out at something. I saw a flash of blue in the rusty light of the flickering brazier and then Ian was in front of me. "You ok dude?" I blink. How strange that even after everything he's been forced through, he'd still retained his sense of compassion. "Yeah, I-I'm ok. Is that-" We both whip round, starting in fear as an inhuman howl of anger and bloodlust penetrates the thick darkness. Randel cries out and drops his scalpel as Derp steps into the light over him. It's been a while since I've felt true fear with Derp seeing as he's become considerably more docile with Ian around, but now, as I stare into his mad eyes, I see that was all a mask. The damage was done truly to his brain, and now he has relinquished his grip on his own emotions, releasing Subject 304. The experiment that was always meant to prevail over Joseph.

He seizes Randel by the throat, teeth bared and eyes rolling in his skull. I stare, penetrated by terror. Ian's eyes are full of fear as Derp's seem to bleed from the crimson iris' with hatred. "S-Subject- put me down this instant!" A flicker passes over Derp's face, but it may have just been the light of the brazier, his twisted voice a soft, menacing growl. "You call me Subject, like I'm just a lesson being taught. Like a sick joke being played on someone. That I am worth only what you think I am. Well I am not your subject, no longer." He throws him down hard onto the floor. His rasping tones send shivers crawling down my spine. He's scaring me. A maniacal laugh tears free from him as he snarls, his hand clenching his knife hilt hard enough to whiten the knuckles. Ian bolts away from my side and disappears. I cast my gaze after him but it's all dark around us but for this pool of light. The same light that glimmers over Derp's twisted expression of bloodlust and hatred. He raises the knife, grabbing the front of Randel's lab coat, panting as he presses the blade to Randel's throat. "M-Max! D-do something! Help me!" One of Derp's eyes slide over, looking at me. I swallow hard. I...don't want, to help Randel. I want to see his blood. On the knife. On the floor.

Derp's face twists, lips peeling back into a sick grin as he too realises I'm not going to prevent this. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrap round Derp's neck, yanking him backwards, away from Randel. Derp chokes, dropping the knife as he puts his hands to aiding escape from the person's grip. I struggle to my feet, the paralysis of Subject's wrathful gaze having worn off. The hands are followed by a trim of a blue undershirt and black jacket sleeves. Ian. I see his face lit in a flash by the brazier. Eyes narrowed, teeth gritted in determination as he tightened his grip. "C'mon Derp come back to me! This isn't y-" The knife is suddenly back in Derp's grip. Flashing silver in the light. Then crimson. Ian hits the ground, crying out. Blood splatters against his hand as he holds it to his shoulder, eyes shut, skin paling. Derp- no, Subject, stands over him, a menacing glare in his eyes. "How do you know who I am or who I'm not?" Ian chokes back a sob. Randel watches beside me, eyes glimmering as he waits for his creation to slit Ian's throat.

To finish what was started. To do his dirty work. Ian raises his head, looking up at Subject with pain brimmed eyes. "I know, b-because I, love you." I hear a sharp intake of breath from Randel. Another flicker across Subject's face, only this time, it's not the light. "I-Ian?" Sky Eyes. They dilate in fear, but he forces a smile. "Yeah Derp, it's me-" "No!" I stand up as Randel does, shifting to move protectively in front of Ian and Derp. Derp's head turns to look at his oppressor. "Master? Creator? Or enslaver?..." He snarls, saliva gurgling in the back of his throat as he twitches. Staring straight back into the black eyes of his old enemy. "Enslaver." Randel shoves me aside, grabbing Ian by the back of his jacket and dragging him to his feet beside him and holding a scalpel to his throat. I back away. Standing beside Derp. He doesn't move, just stares with those wild crimson eyes of his. Ian struggles, whimpering as the blade slices a delicate sheaf of skin from his neck. I see Derp's hand twitch. He doesn't even move as he breathes. Randel narrows his eyes, grinning. "See Subject, you're weak. You care for this pathetic individual, don't you? But I could kill him. Right. Here. Right. Now." I see a flash of fear in Derp's eyes.
***
I shot up and threw my door open, summoning my courage before looking behind me. Nothing. Nobody. But I was sure I'd been attacked... Suddenly I heard a distant snarl and a cry of fear. I frowned, walking out into the corridor and jogging towards the sounds. I followed the glimmers of metal and flame, shadows cast and twisted on the walls.
***
"Please. Don't hurt my Sky Eyes." Randel's eyes darken. "Your Sky Eyes? Oh how I despise you Subject. You were my one chance at revenge, and you couldn't even do that. And instead of making this man suffer as I was planning to, you went soft." I saw Derp's jaw set. Something rising up inside of him. I had a sudden urge to warn Randel of what he was provoking. Ian grit his teeth, breathing hard and shallow through his nose as the scalpel slowly cuts deeper into his throat. I know he's scared. We stand at a standstill for a few moments. Derp staring hard at Randel. Ian staring at the ceiling, as if willing a god to appear from the heavens and save him. There was no god in this place though. Praying to them had never helped me. I stare at Derp. Trying to read what he'll do. Randel sighs. "Believe me Subject, this is for your own good. Besides, it'll be easier for me to clone from a body that's no longer, resisting." Ian's eyes widen. The scalpel draws blood. Suddenly every muscle tightens up in Derp's body; his eyes darkening and hands clenching into fists. A blur of shadow in the light. An hoarse, enraged, inhuman screech of fury. Randel yells. Ian screams. I see blood splatter across the stone floor. The scalpel is dripping with it. I hear footsteps behind me and see Derp illuminated in the light, knife in hand, stabbing downwards. Hearing Randel yelling in agony. Rose suddenly appears beside me, screaming at Derp to stop. Why would she want him to stop though? We could all be rid of Randel for good... We could be free- Rose slaps me and my mimd jerks back into reality. I drop to Ian's side. I can't see. There's shadows on everything. I see his hand though. Pale and twitching. Derp is still howling in bloodlust. The sound is chilling and ignites animalistic desires from deep inside of me. The primeval urge to slaughter and devour.

Rose darts over to him. "Joseph stop!" Randel screams again and I feel tears of fear prick at my eyes. There's a monster behind me right now. At this very second, Derp isn't with us. Not even as Subject 304. He's become something else entirely. The entire pinnacle of human nature. The animal we all try to hide. I whip round and grab Rose, pulling her back. Then Derp stands up. His crooked eyes are wild and bloodshot, face twisted mid-snarl, a terrifying growl rumbling from the depths of his throat. Randel is unmoving, blood pooling around him. Derp is trembling, unable to contain what's inside of him any longer. He looks past me, to Ian's shaking form. The brazier light throws dark ridges of shadow across his face, deepening the darkness brooding in his eyes. The knife is in his hand. Bloody and shining in the grim firelight. His mouth twists in a grin. "No more, words. Master is no longer my Master." He laughs, a chilling sound that grips my breath in my throat. "And now Sky Eyes, can be mine." He laughs again. Rose and I look at eachother in terror. Something tells me that if he gets to Ian, then Sky Eyes won't want to be his. Not while he's like this. I back up and manage to haul Ian to his feet. I see the blood from his cut throat congealing in the slit. I shudder. "Ian you gotta move ok? Derp isn't here anymore, and what is here is going to kill us." Ian's eyes force themselves open, the piercing blue iris' glistening with fear. Rose stands before Derp. The only thing stopping him from getting to us. Her eyes are filled with tears. "Please Joseph. Don't let it-" He grabs her by the throat. She grips his hand with hers, sobbing, staring into his beastly eyes. She chokes out her words weakly. "To think I once, l-loved you." My eyes widen.

Wh-what?