The Last Colony

Part 24

Mark coughed again, glancing around his small dirt cell, before asking War in a dry scratchy voice. "What are you going to do to me...? Kill me?" War brushed his long blood red bangs off his face, answering coolly. "No. I don't kill people..." War grabbed Mark's jaw, leaning in closer to hiss over his dry lips. "Death is a release, not a punishment. My job is to drag you through the flaming coals of hell... And when your body is blackened and charred... I'll tear off the burned flesh and do it again and again... Over and over, until you just learn to deal with the pain. Then I give you over to Death and he'll kill you." War rose to his feet, shoving Mark across the floor. Mark spit the fowl taste in his mouth from the tear gas, slowly sitting back up as he mumbled out. "So, you're their torturer. Why are you hurting Zero...? Isn't he one of you?" War removed a beautiful dagger from his armored boot, turning it over in his hand as he seriously said aloud. "He's not mine. That hunk of flesh belongs to Conquest. He's a runaway. And he's facing his punishment. When I'm done with him... He'll never run away from my brother again."

Mark watched War's lips curl into a devilish grin, when he pointed his dagger at him and said in a smooth threatening tone. "What you should be asking yourself right now is... If I do THAT to the runaways... What do I do to the ones with the balls to threaten my brother?" Mark adjusted on his knees more comfortably without saying a word, but kept his eyes on War. War brought the tip of the dagger to rest under Mark's chin, tilting his head up more. Looking down at him with unreadable eyes, War added in an almost casual tone. "Medieval torture has always fascinated me. It simply amazes me how much the body will endure. You really learn a lot about a person by what kind of pain they can handle. I can usually tell by looking at them what will break them... but you. You're a hard one to read." Mark didn't blink or move. His instincts were telling him that this guy was waiting for him to try something. Craving it. Behind those red eyes of his was a monster. Mark was afraid that any sudden moves would set him off.

War slid the flat of the blade across the underside of Mark's chin, then without warning, he spun on his heel and threw his dagger toward Zero. The blade impaled itself right next to Zero's throat, nicking his neck enough to make him bleed but not be life threatening. Zero tugged on his wrist restraints though, letting out a soft whine as he leaned away from the dagger as much as he could. Mark held his breath but tried not to show how it affected him. For as the blade impaled itself in the wall, War had turned his head to see HIS reaction to it. Mark didn't know what terrified him more. The fact that War was intimately skilled with his blades... Or that War had only done it to get a rise from him. War let out a soft chuckle, purring out with amusement. "Look at the self-control on you." War stood to face him, taking a defensive stance. Mark told himself that he wasn't going to fight a crazy person like War. War was the type that got off on hurting others. War tilted his head to the side, letting his bangs fall before his eyes as he cooed out darkly. "I heard my brother has a thing for your... lover was it? This 'Sean' you care so much for. I wonder... If I nailed him before nailing him to a cross, would you mind?"

Mark bolted to his feet, unable to resist the challenge. War stood his ground without flinching, grinning wickedly as he purred out under his breath. "There it is. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show me your primal side." Mark limped forward, growling out through his clenched teeth. "You touch him, and I'll break every fucking bone in your body." War raised his hands, beckoning Mark to come at him with a smug grin. Mark's muscles tensed, but he held himself back. War stepped forward, teasing him as he brought his face close to his and stated out sternly. "Such big talk from a cornered dog... but where's your bite?" Mark clenched his fists, forcing himself to lower his eyes. War snorted with disappointment, then headbutted him in the face. Mark fell to his knees, clutching his nose as his vision blurred. He couldn't help feeling like he deserved that. War grabbed the back of Mark's neck, yanking his head back as he raised his hand and showed him the slender blade that popped out from the gauntlet.