In the Eye of the Cosmos

Chapter Ten

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting you here," he states, dry voice hindering my silence.

I stare at the bruises crawling up his arm and the dried blood taking over his cream shirt. I stare at them so hard it makes me sick to my stomach, "What did they do to you here?"

He steps a little closer, the glass the separating us, his glare so deep my stomach begins to flip, "Who the hell are you?"

I say it sterner this time, "What did you do?"

He sighs, his chest barely rising. I can almost feel his pain. "Long story short, General Atticus Briar is a terrible person."

"What did he do?"

The boy leans against the cell wall, his now hopeful eyes boring into mine, "I'll tell you if you get me out of here."

"I'll get you out of here once you tell me."

He chuckles, his perfect smile forming a large dimple on his right cheek. Damnit, he's so -

"You're very...persistent."

I know I am. 

"And you're extremely cocky," I say frustrated. He laughs, clearly amused by the situation, the most amusement he's had in ages probably, "now, can you tell me what you did to make those guards shoot and beat  you that night outside the training grounds?"

The amusement fades off his face - quick, "How do you know about that?"

"Because I was there, standing on top of that tall building across from where you were taken. I saw everything, and ever since then, I've been wanting to find you, find out what was so bad that they did this to you."

"Wow, you are persistent, huh?" 

"Enough jokes twat, do you want to get out of here or not?" I spit, rolling my eyes in annoyance.

 "Okay okay jeez!" he clears his throat nonchalantly, "I - uh, I got into Briar's computer and, found some bad stuff. I printed out as much as I could, determined to exploit his plans but then, I got caught and...the rest is history."

"What is it! What did you find?" I question, my voice dripping in curiosity.

His face drops to the floor, a strange gloom overpowering his sudden expression, dark eyes sparkling in a remote emptiness. 

Pain.

He is feeling pain.

He is in pain.

"I...uh...I-um," he stutters, azure eyes still glued to the floor.

"You know what?" I say, making my way to the cell's keypad,"I'm going to see for myself."

"What?" He snaps, his face twisting into shock. Thank goodness.

"Yup - and you, are going to help me."

His eyes travel to the keypad and then to me, attempting to unlock the very thing restricting him from his freedom. I can see his gleaming smile from the corner of my eye, "Try 09615."

I steal a quick glance, grinning at his manner, now more confident than ever. I quickly shift my gaze towards the keypad, my hands swinging from number to number. It shakes in rejection - it's the wrong code. I try to make out any possible signs on the board, fingerprints perhaps, or some indented keys but I see nothing. 

Absolutely nothing -

Oh, but I do. 

Opposite the cell leans a small metal rod, probably an untouched piece of piping. I yank it off the wall and face the cell, looking at the boy as I do so, "Watch out."