The Nemesis Syndrome

14. Leo

Leo gritted his teeth and paced the cell. Eliza's anguished cries filled his ears and Leo clasped his hands together again, wringing them. His body felt sluggish and tired, and he knew he should sleep, but he couldn't - wouldn't until Eliza came back, until he knew she was safe.

He didn't know why he cared, why now, and why her, out of all people. Maybe it was because this was inhumane, that everything that was happening to them was cruel and quite possibly, illegal. Yeah, it was that. Or it was whatever they had been injected with.

Then, the screams stopped, and Leo's heart dropped to his stomach. Was that a good thing, a bad? Had they killed her? Knocked her out? Leo's heart began pounding in his chest and he breathed slowly, trying to keep it steady, he couldn't let the doctors see him get affected by this.

Leo slumped to the floor, bringing his knees up and resting his elbows on them as he placed his head into his hands.

Then, the door slammed open and Leo jumped to his feet, "What did you do? Who are you? What did you do to her? Eliza, are you alright?"

The man was gentle as he placed Eliza down and something surged through Leo before he squashed it, "What did you do?" Eliza grabbed the man's hand and Leo gritted his teeth, falling silent as she muttered to him. Then the man flinched and sped from the room, door clicking shut behind him. What did she say to him?

"Eliza?" Leo tried again, quieter this time.

"Leave me alone."

Leo felt a pang of hurt run through him, but he supposed he deserved that. He deserved all the hurtful comments she gave him, he had killed her, broke her physically. She deserved someone better than him. Why her? He wanted to scream. But the scream died in his throat when she winced.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked. Stop caring, he commanded himself.

She laughed bitterly, and in that moment Leo knew just how broken she was.

He did that. This was all his fault. She was innocent, another human, just like him.

"I heard you screaming." Leo said softly, more to himself than to her.

She rolled, and turned to face the wall.

Leo swallowed down his emotions and stepped back, sliding down the wall opposite her and lifting his knees. His body begged for sleep, for some safety from this, and Leo had a half mind to give in. She was the reason they were here, he repeated to himself like a mantra, it's all her fault. But something stopped him from falling asleep though his eyelids were heavy and limbs difficult to move, Leo stayed awake, watching over his Soulmate Nemesis.

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Something clattered and Leo glanced to the door, watching a plate slide into the room, and then another following it. Eliza jolted awake and Leo kept his mouth shut, letting her stir awake.

She groaned and her head fell back as she turned to her back.

"I think the foods here," Leo muttered quietly, voice slurring slightly from his tiredness.

Eliza sat up, and the lack of groaning from pain eased his worry somehow. Why did he care? Stop! Leo growled inwardly.

"Right." Eliza replied in a clipped tone. She sat up slowly, pushing the other covered plate to Leo without a word.

Leo bit back his anger, why was she angry at him? He wasn't the one who did this! Leo reached out, moving to his knees in order to get it when his hand hit the field and shooting pain shot through his fingertips and hand.