First Sin: The Runaway Experiments (Finale)

--- ??? ---

All around her was a fog of darkness, figures shifting in and out of it as they all watched her with judgemental eyes. Hating her for being so weak, for allowing them to suffer for so long.

One in particular stood in front of her seemingly unmoving, save for the occasional full body twitch before returning to its emotionless visage.

She shivered, hating the fact that she knew this was both real and fake at the same time, the numerous claw marks across her body more than proving that point.

“W-what do you w-want?” She asked the shadow that stood apart from the rest, knowing that there was a reason they dragged her here and that for once it wasn’t to berate and torment her.

She was too scared of them to believe this was a good thing.

The shadow slowly tilted its head as it watched her, before all around her a thousand voices said, “TrUsT tHe ONe tO sAve uS.”

--- Bellatrix ---

When the darkness of her mind finally began to recede, allowing her back into consciousness of the waking world, the first thing she noticed was that she wasn’t in pain. Which for her was a notable rarity.

(Scarl must’ve attacked the guards when they tried to take me again.)

Given how she was on the… generator -phantom pain spasmed across her entire body- for so long she couldn’t count the days, that sounded like what her sister would do if they tried to put her back on it.

She wasn’t sure why but that sounded wrong, and-

(They continued down the halls, Scarlet ripping another one of the guards apart before dragging her along as her other-selves continued to whisper into her ears, some warning her that this guard still lived while others warned her of more to come.

“Left, the guards are trying to cut us off.”

Her sister stopped mid step before immediately changing course on her word alone, trusting her more than she trusted her other-selves.

They continued like this through the white walled maze that they’d been imprisoned in for so very long, Scarlet attacking any guards they crossed and her other-selves guiding them in the hopes of escaping unlike their previous attempts. And eventually they reached the final stretch of the maze, her other-selves’ power letting her know how close she was to the freedom of the night filled air.

Sadly like those previous attempts they once more found a small army of guards waiting to recapture them.

Scarlet fought to protect them, and did well cutting a path through the guards and their monstrous machines. At least until one guard managed to attack her and her sister broke away from their path to freedom to save her, an action that she just knew would cost them their freedom.

A realization that led to an even more terrifying revelation. (If she didn’t have to protect me, Scarl could be free.)

As that thought washed over her, and the tide guards began to drown her sister’s best efforts, she came to a decision.

Her other-selves resisted, refusing to work with her just as they always did, but this time rather than giving up and letting them tell her what to do, she demanded they do as she commanded. And with a force of will she had them grab Scarlet and throw her sister out of their personal hell, even if it meant damning herself to live through it by herself.)

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-Her eyes shot open, darting around the room.

“Hey, hey, hey, you’re okay.” A comfortingly familiar voice told her.

“Scarl?” She whispered, finding her sister curled protectively around her. “W-why are you, d-did they capture you?”

“No.” Her sister smiled before laughing. “We’re free.”

“W-what?” She blinked.

“We’re free.” Scarl said again as she rubbed their foreheads together. “We’re finally free!”

“We’re free…” She repeated, not quite believing it even as her eyes took in the room so unlike anything the labs had within. “H-how?”

“I…” Scarlet’s face scrunched up in thought as she licked her teeth. “When I got free, this guy… he found me, and… he helped me save you, but… you were in bad shape so he took us here and the… lady here, helped me fix you.”

“That’s…” All of that was good news, even if she knew her sister was trying to keep it simple for whatever reason. In fact, it was such good news that she still wasn’t all that sure she could process it, which is why all she could say was, “We’re free…”

“Yes, we are.” Scarlet smiled once more.

After a moment to simply bask in that revelation a knocking sound drew both of their attention to a nearby door, where a dark haired man with a violent scar over one of his eyes and bloodstains on his clothes stood.

Her first instinct was to tense at the man’s entrance, but given how her sister barely reacted to his appearance, she quickly realized this must be ‘the guy’ who helped rescue her. Something underlined by the fact that her other-selves saw no reason to warn her of him being a threat.

“Right, uh, good to see you’re both, um, good.” The man noted with more than little awkwardness.

“We are.” Scarlet nodded, holding her just a bit closer, less to protect her and more to assure herself of Bellatrix’s presence.

“That’s good…” The man nodded, back before clapping his hands together. “Right, uh, there was this… thing… that I kind of wanted to talk to you two about.”

“What thing?” Scarlet frowned, more curious than angry for once.

The man swung his arms at his sides. “Uh, what, uh, what exactly is your plan going forward?”

“Our plan?” Scarlet repeated.

“Uh, now that you’re uh, both free… what are you planning to do?” The man elaborated.

She… She didn’t actually know, for so long their only goal had been getting free of the labs that she’d never thought about what would come after, and given the look on Scarlet’s face she didn’t know either.

Part of her wanted to try tracking down her parents, but… she knew enough about the labs to know that wasn’t a good idea. Less because she’d be putting them in danger, and more because she knew whatever she found wouldn’t be pretty. Something the memory of the time they’d injected another subject’s Malice filled blood into their parents made sure she wouldn’t forget.

(Flesh tore as bone pierced through flesh and skin burnt away as blood leaked from their eyes and a haunting death rattle tore through the air, carrying on for far longer than any merciful or even a cruel death ever would.)

The man must’ve understood their faces given the sigh he let out. “Figured that was the case…”

Silence fell over them, as she slowly began to panic over all of the things she didn’t know. Given how young she’d been taken, she had no idea how to take care of herself and she knew Scarlet wasn’t much better. Hell, she had no idea how Scarlet had even survived however long she had before rescuing her from the labs.

“If you, uh, if you want… I’ve uh, I’ve got a couple spare rooms you can crash in…” The man offered. “At, at least until you figure out what you’re going to do next.”

Some part of her vaguely remembered something about ‘stranger danger’ from when she was a child, but at the same time the man had already rescued her from the labs and she very much doubted whatever he had planned for her could be worse. (And if he does try anything I’ll have Scarlet with me.)

A quick glance towards her sister revealed a frown that immediately had her suspicions raising about the man’s offer, at least until Scarlet said, “Didn’t they blow up your house?”

That… was another thing to be concerned about. (Later.)

“Well, yeah.” The man nodded, scratching at a scar on his neck. “But when you’ve been a Mask as long as I have you learn to keep a few backup bases. The one I was thinking we could move into is in the middle of the Way and under the highway making it easier to get everywhere else faster.”

She wasn’t actually sure what he meant by any of that, but she guessed it sounded good.

Her sister gave her a curious look, asking her opinion, to which she could only shrug. (It’s your call sis.)

Scarlet seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding. “It’s not like we have anywhere else to go right now.”