Haven Uprising

I'm Not Too Fond of Torture, Thanks

I didn't fight them. There wasn't really much point. Even if I wasn't a pacifist, they were stronger, bigger and there were more of them than there were of us.
Tia looked at me, and I was sad to see that even she'd lost most of the hope that'd shone there before. She looked like she was on the verge of giving up, hair pretty messy and that protective anger gone. But she'd never give up. She was Celestia Edgely. She couldn't give up. That was the one thing that was beyond her.
Our flag T-shirts were like the last sheds of any defiance we'd had in the beginning.
At least any type of top couldn't give up, right?
"It's gonna be okay,"Tia assured me, giving me a smile that couldn't seem to lie, even to itself.
I nodded, returning the smile.
"You're never going to win,"Tia spat at Vindicator, but she just ignored the jab.

The soldiers took us back inside that room; probably the same one as before judging by the blood on the back of one of the tables. They were more upright now, thankfully, so I wouldn't just be seeing the celing.
Two strapped me in, and another two did the same to Celestia, neither being gentle enough.
The metal bands were cold all around me, and the one on my belly was far too tight.

Nicol walked back in the door, allowing the soldiers to pass through it again, before shutting it behind him with a clang that sounded rather final.
He stood to attention, watching Vindicator carefully.
I looked at her standing in front of me, but she just stared at Nicol, whispering orders. There wasn't any use in being hostile here, so I made conversation.

"What are the walls?"I asked her, not gently, but not angrily either.
"You won't understand,"She replied, the mask still making her sound like a darth vader copycat,"With your narrow worldview an-"
"Try me,"I shot back without a trace of humor.
"Haven's original government made a layer of protection around it,"She replied, seemingly annoyed,"Then swore all of its citizens to secrecy. Complicated yet?"
"Very,"I retorted. Haven didn't have any layer of protection at all. There was the circle of the city, then just a near infinite expanse of water beyond the buildings. That was all I knew. All anyone knew. Why would I trust a dictator anyway. She was probably lying but I couldn't help being curious,"Protection from what?"
Vindicator looked at me now,"The world as you know it is a lie, a huge cover up of absoloutely everything outside. When do you think climate change stopped?"
"Like twenty-fifty?"Celestia guessed, and I was grateful she didn't keep up the angry act. We needed information,"I think?"
"Wrong,"Vindicator shot back,"Nobody ever stopped it. The entire atmosphere has been ravaged, rendering most of the planet a wasteland. The chemical war only made it worse."

Nicol took out a syringe, one of those empty ones for blood extraction.
He moved towards Celestia, which was pretty worrying.

"This doesn't look much like a wasteland,"I replied, wincing as the needle went in.
"It's okay,"Tia mouthed back expressionlessly
"Because of the walls!"Vindicator finished,"The walls were built around the entierity of Haven to protect it in twenty-fifty after the chemical war, and it flourished as a small independent community for decades. But now we need to expand, and we can't do that with the walls in place."
This was all pretty fucking far-fetched in so many ways. I glanced at Tia and she seemed just as confused as I did.
"Why the fuck would we need to expand?"Tia asked her with a laugh on her lips,"And where did all the other people go?"
"For one thing, to save the Earth,"Tall, Dark and Ugly replied,"And for another- Haven will get overcrowded eventually, and we will need more space. As for the other people, nobody has found any evidence to suggest where they went. It is extremely difficult to survive outside of the walls."
"Yeah... I don't believe any of that shit,"Tia retorted,"Especially not coming from you."
Vindicator ignored her, turning to Nicol.

"Tia?"I began quietly,"Are you okay?"
"Oh fuck no,"She laughed,"I'm strapped to a cold table, being stabbed with needles."
"What do you think they'll do to us after this?"
"Honestly...I wouldn't be surprised if she killed us- if she succeeds. Which she won't."

That was dark.
I didn't want Celestia to die.
Ever.
"No- Autumn please don't cry,"Tia whispered gently, as I realised that was exactly what I was doing.

"Hook her up, leave him. I don't need his powers, but hers will work,"Vindicator ordered, retreating to near the door, as Nicol approached again.
"Bet you're regretting tripping me up now,"He hissed defiantly, attatching some sticky electrodes to Tia's temples.
"Not in the slightest,"She shot back, grinning despite the fear in her eyes.

This felt like an evil scientist experiment, and I really didn't like it.
I followed the wires with my eyes, seeing them trail back and connect to some of the computer screens.
"Commencing Protocol X, test 69,"Vindicator prompted, Nicol going back to the screens and sitting down.

"Test-"Nicol looked directly into Celestia's eyes,"Begin."
He pressed something and I could only watch in horror as white energy crackled through the wires, hitting Tia with a scream.

She writhed in pain, her entire body lit up with lightning, eyes wide and staring at me for solace.
I looked back, helpless to do anything.

Vindicator and Nicol just watched.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO HER!???"I yelled, feeling Celestia's agony,"STOP."
That didn't work at all.

I looked back at Celestia, only noticing a ball of light- faint but still there- hovering over her chest.
I had no idea what it was, but it looked important.

"I will hunt you down the second I get free,"I vowed, useless red lines spreading over my skin, far deeper than they probably should,"And I will hurt you."
The second the words left my mouth I regretted it. I doubted I could. But they didn't know that.
The cuts hurt. A lot. But I couldn't let them kill her.

Then it abruptly stopped, and I followed, Nicol announcing triumphantly, a grin on his disgusting face,"Test 69 successful."
"You've done well doctor,"Vindicator congratulated, opening the door,"All there is left to do is to prepare the armour. You may do as you please with the tranny. You will not be disturbed."
"Thank you, ma'am,"Nicol returned, as she left, the door closing soundlessly behind her.

Celestia took deep breaths, glaring at Nicol."That. Hurt,"She spoke quiety though gritted teeth.
"Tia are you okay?"I checked, kind of weak from that much power expenditure.
"Well I am now. I guess,"She returned,"It was like they took part of me...."

"So,"Nicol interrupted, holding up a scalpel,"How did you change your body?"
"That is none of your buisness,"Tia defended.
"I really want to know,"He added, coming closer to me, eyeing my body like an exhibition,"And luckily, I have the means to do so."
"Do Not Touch her,"Celestia growled, voice edging on fury.
With my arms bound, there really wasn't much way to do anything.

"How real can a trap get?"Nicol laughed, scalpel touching the waistband of my shorts and cutting downwards.

I heard Tia surge against the restraints next to me, but my eyes were fixed on what he was doing.

Disgust mixed with anger coiled inside of me, reminding me that this was My Fault.
If I'd gotten Celestia out of pride sooner, we wouldn't be here.
If I'd convinced her not to go, maybe if I just hadn't lost the glove.
If I hadn't killed anyone we wouldn't be here.

If... If I wasn't trans-

I deserved this.

I felt a breath of cold air touch me, as Nicol began,"You look pretty realist-"
A blur flew through the air, and Nicol fell sideways with a sickening crack, the scalpel flying out of his hand and embedding itself in the solid metal door somehow

"Sorry we're late,"Valkyrie apologised, standing up and rubbing her fist from the impact,"And sorry you almost had to endure that."

"Valk!"I exclaimed, as both mine and Celestia's bonds snapped free. I fell out of the restraints, hitting the floor.
"Ow,"I said quietly, as my head hit the ground.

I felt myself being lifted, and I looked back into Celestia's eyes. Anger, fear, sadness and a multitude of other emotions swirled around in their golden expanses.
She kissed me on the lips, and I kissed back, feeling her tears where our cheeks touched.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything,"She whispered as I wiped her tears away.
"I'm sorry for being so useless,"I replied, fighting to keep my voice even,"This whole mess is my fault."
"You're not useless, Autumn,"She assured me,"None of this is your fault in any way, and don't ever tell yourself that it is, cuz it's not."
I curled into her, shutting my eyes to everything else that was happening; just enjoying her feel.

We could get out of this.

Somehow.