The Nemesis Syndrome

10. Leo

A dull thumping resounded in the back of his head, and Leo groaned as his eyes opened, immediately shutting them when he was attacked by the bright light.

"Good, you're awake."

Leo vaguely recognised the voice, and opened his eyes slowly, taking his time to become accustomed to the light.

Leo went to move, but a sharp pain in his wrists prevented him from doing so. He glanced down, fear seeping into his stomach as he struggled against the binds that taped him to the bed. "Wha - who - let me go!"

The voice chuckled again and Leo glanced around, searching for it. He craned his neck to look around the room, hoping that if he struggled enough, then one of the padded binds would snap.

He was in a glass room, empty except for the bed that lay in the middle and a single protruding circle in front of him on the wall. A camera, Leo thought, they're watching me. When he glanced to his right, he realised that another room neighboured his, allowing him to look through into it.

A small woman lay on the bed, the room set out exactly like his. Her head was turned away from him, and the soft rise and fall of her chest let Leo know she was alive. Unconscious, but alive. He knew her, he thought, she was familiar.

"No!" He growled when he realised who it was, "No!" He thrashed around on the bed, pulling at the leather that tied him to the medical bed.

"Calm down, Mr Jenson, or we'll calm you down ourselves, and believe me, you won't like the methods."

Leo stilled, eyes staying on the neighbouring room as he spoke, "Why don't you come down and give me those threats?"

Leo knew he was inviting his own funeral, his father had never taught him how to escape from being bound, because he had never thought it to happen. He was meant to fight and to get out. That was all. But now he was part of something much bigger, and Leo had no idea how to act. He knew that his parents didn't know, they wouldn't have known about this - they had two different people - but Leo had never been prepared for this.

The man chuckled and the sound caused chills to run up his spine, "Don't worry," He said, "Someone will be down to join you shortly."

Leo cursed silently at himself and glanced around the room. There was nothing, but Leo's eyes kept searching for something, anything. When he found nothing, his eyes travelled down to his wrist and he twisted his hand, hoping to loosen the binds.

The pressure slowly lifted from his wrists and Leo smirked inwardly, this was a good start.

"- be on guard and bring the injection..." A female mutter filled the room, causing Leo to crane his neck to look for the sound.

"Who are you?" Leo growled, letting his head lie back on the pillow as they came around to his side, cutting off his view of the girl in the other cell.

She was dark skinned, though not as dark as Leo's mother, but she was pretty, and had dark eyes. "I'm afraid I can't say," she spoke, her voice different than what Leo knew, it had a slight lilt to it and she pronounced the words differently, "Look, Mr Jenson, we don't want to hurt you, we just want to study you, so we can understand the Soulmate Nemesis."

"Great way you've got of showing that," Leo spat, "let us go."

"I can't." She frowned, "I'll try not to make this any more uncomfortable."

She pressed something to her left, and the bed lifted up slightly before bending Leo forward, propping him into a relaxed sitting position. "Why are you doing this?"

"To understand you better." She spoke softly.

Something opened in the room, a door perhaps, one that Leo couldn't see because of his position, and a pair of feet tapped against the white floor.

"Ma'am," an older gentleman entered the room, hair greying and eyes slanted, but not a single wrinkle on him except for those around his eyes; crows feet, his mother called them. He handed her something, a small box, no - it was more like a case.

She nodded her thanks and Leo's eyes stayed on the man until he his neck was hurting.

"What is that?" Leo struggled, heart rate accelerating when she produced a thin cylinder of liquid with a rather large needle.

"Relax, Mr Jenson," she looked frustrated as she grabbed his arm. Leo continued to thrash under her, jerking his body away from her.

She sighed in frustration, pressing another button on her left. "I didn't want to do this."

Leo sighed, hoping that she would leave, but his body stiffened when two sets of heavy footsteps filled the room. "No," Leo struggled, yanking at the binds, "No,"

"Restrain him," she sounded bored, and the kind exterior she had first put on melted away.

"No," He repeated, though this time fear was seeping into his voice as he panted. Large, heavy hands dropped on his shoulders and legs, and one of the men, dressed in a dark grey, pulled another restraint across his knees, locking them into place. "Don't - no!"

Another restraint across his chest, locking his arms to his sides.

"Subject 43, Leo Jenson," she spoke as she turned to the camera, and Leo's eyes drifted to the right as a sliver of movement caught his attention. The girl's head turned, and he locked eyes with her. Leo hardened his features as he looked at her and she frowned, confused as she locked around the room. She struggled against her bonds and Leo glanced away, he couldn't get involved with her. Hell, she was reason they got drugged and were in this mess in the first place!

Leo glanced at her as the woman, the doctor, stopped speaking and began to cut off his view of Eliza. She was screaming, face screwed up and she shook and trashed against the bed violently. Leo's heart dropped but he gritted his teeth, choosing instead to glare at the doctor.

"Drug 45, being administered now." She spoke loudly, and Leo trashed once more before the hands gripped at his arm, pinning him to the bed and rendering him unable to move.

Leo watched as the needle disappeared into his skin, a soft pinch and he felt the drugs leak into his bloodstream. Nothing happened at first, then it started. A deep burning and so much pain. Leo screamed, struggling against the bonds as his body reacted to the pain. It was as if someone had injected fire into him and Leo felt it move as the drugs flowed and spread throughout his body. He screwed his eyes shut, blocking out the light as he gritted his teeth, harsh groans escaping his lips as he attempted to bite back the pain. Tears stung his eyes and when he opened them again, the people were gone and he was lying flat on his back.

The pain continued though, and it was incessant as it was cruel. He let out another scream, back arching at the pain and then convulsing into himself as the bonds stopped him. Tears leaked from his eyes and when he looked at Eliza, her mouth was open and eyes sorrowful. Unable to look at that, Leo turned away, groaning as another wave of pain struck his body.

"I suppose we've made you suffer enough." The voice sounded out again, but Leo barely heard it through his heart pounding in his ears.

A low hiss came from the ceiling, and a green vapour clouded before dropping lower. "No," Leo turned his head, eyes meeting Eliza's. He let his eyes fall past her, looking through her rather than at her. He would rather be in pain, rather suffer than be knocked out again. What if he woke up somewhere else? What if they killed him?

Leo struggle, turning his head as he tried to bury his nose and mouth in his cushion, to filter the vapour, to stop himself from inhaling it. His neck hurt, but he tried, but with each inhale, he found his limbs getting weaker and his head rested on his pillow, unable to move it. No, Leo thought blearily, I have to stay awake... I have to get out of here...

The green eyes amidst the dull vapour was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.