Seth had been here before. He was sure of it. The gray stoned walls and set of iron bars all looked back at him with a ghost of mockery. If he weren’t chained he would’ve already broken out. For this was a place that still haunted his dreams. The ones filled with a blue eyed girl, fiery hair and a braid of straw.
Head hung low he had a great view of the patches stuck to his skin, put there to monitor his vitals and God knows what else. Those Abrax freaks and their experiments. One day he’d take everything away from them. They’d die with their precious laboratories and their experiments would all go down the drain.
Metal creaked and footsteps filled the room. Seth’s lips quirked up. This was his favorite part of the day. He liked to call it the Hognose Hour because it was the one moment of the day his foolish guard would bring him food and water. Seth didn’t know the man’s real name, and he refused to tell, so he stuck to calling him Hognose.
It took Hognose nine seconds to reach his cell from the set of steel doors down the hall. Hognose was a broad man with a striking beard and an even bigger nose. It was rounded like a pig’s and rough like a bear’s. His large feet did nothing to hide his limp, which Seth guessed was due to a prosthetic, and his heavy footfalls rang like music to the ears.
“Did you miss me already, Hognose?” Seth lifted his head, showing off his fierce grin. “Because I have to say, I deeply missed you.”
“Quiet.”
Seth’s smile didn’t shake. “Come on, don't be like that. I know you like me too. Otherwise you would have begged them for a different job.”
Hognose glared but said nothing as he pulled a pair of keys out of his pocket. The cell door was shoved open with Hognose’s free hand, the other holding a tray for Seth’s food, and the large man stumbled in, practically tripping over his feet. A few stray grains of rice fell to the floor in the tussle. And Seth didn’t bother keeping in his laugh. Part of him knew he made Hognose nervous and nothing was more entertaining than watching him try to hide it.
“Quiet Mallax scum,” Hognose yelled. After each word his face gained a shade of red.
Seth tilted his head to the side so it rested against his chained arm. He regarded Hognose with soft eyes and an air of innocence. Or as much innocence could be hidden behind his wicked smile.
Tentatively, Hognose approached. Seth remained still, not wanting to spook the poor animal, and instead zeroed in on the wooden spoon atop the tray.
Interesting. It wasn’t the best but Seth could use that.
Hognose set the tray on the floor to pull out a syringe. Seth frowned. He hated this part. It was bad enough he had no clue what substance slashed inside the needle pointed shot he received each day, but whatever it was always made him feel weak. His body would grow tired, limps hard to move, and then break out into a cold sweat. It reminded him of when he would grow sick as a child. Though that was a feeling that evaded him since his first entrapment inside the labs.
The needle pierced the skin of his arm, sending prickles of ice down his flesh. Seth tried to fight it but his healing only ever slowed the effects of the clear chemical injections. But he could still act as if it didn’t hurt. He had perfected that particular skill over the years.
Hognose placed the empty syringe back in his pocket and grabbed the food from the floor. Like a fool, he held out the tray, elbow locked and shoulders back, activity staying as far as possible. Guess the tough act could only last so long.
Seth sniffled a laugh. If he wasn’t chained to the ceiling he would have doubled over. This was why Hognose Hour was his favorite. “How do you expect me to eat that?” He wiggled his hands for emphasis. “You’re gonna have to feed me yourself.” Honestly, he should’ve known this by now.
Hognose blushed even harder. He was so easy to throw off it was like talking to a child. Meaty hands latched onto the spoon, scooped up rice, and shoved it into Seth’s mouth. Rather harshly he might add.
Seth almost choked on the miniscule pieces of grain. So much so it was hard to not only contain his coughs but keep up an antagonizing grin.
He reared his head back. “Easy!” Then after a moment he regained composure. “You don’t have to be so rough. I’m not your wife.”
Hognose whacked him with the spoon, causing it to crack and splinter. Seth's cheek was red from the force, as if it had been a whip instead of a dinner utensil. But he carried on as though unbothered.
“That’s not how you fed someone,” he said with a click of his tongue. “I would've thought you knew better.”
Once again Hognose shoved the spoon into his mouth, albeit slightly gentler. Seth tried to remain quiet through the whole ordeal. He had gotten what he wanted with Hognose’s first initial strike but it was difficult not to insult him further. Seth eyed the half broken spoon, then the bowl of rice, already nearing its end, and finally how close Hognose stood next to him.
When Hognose moved to feed him again, Seth dodged the rounded end and clamped his teeth down on the handle. The wood was torn out of Hognose’s grip and then whipped across his face, breaking on impact. Splinters fell to the floor and Hognose staggered back, cradling the side of his face.
For a moment Seth relished in his small act of retribution, a single shard of splintered wood in his mouth, but quickly moved on to his real goal. Seth curled his tongue around the rogue piece and hid it further inside his mouth. By the time Hognose reared back on him, throwing a punch to his stomach, Seth had all he needed.
“Next time you won’t get any food!” Hognose threw a finger at his face. “Nasty pig.” Then he stomped out of the cell, emphasizing his moves as he locked it, and exited down the hall.
Seth found the irony of Hognose calling him a pig highly amusing. It almost made him forgive him for the hit against his gut. But Seth had more important things to focus on.
Carefully, Seth poked the splinter out of his mouth and titled his head towards one of his arms currently chained. The hold wasn't high enough to carry him off the floor and allowed him to move his hand just about the same position as his skull. Seth wrapped the chain around his hand so it lifted him off the ground. He was able to get a clear view of the lock and swiftly went to work. He positioned the splinter inside and began moving the wood with his tongue, listening intently for any clicks.
Ever since he was child, picking locks had been second nature to him. Malcolm used to give him challenges when they were little. Asking him to do the impossible because he found it amusing how determined Seth would try. One game after another, Seth would play and enhance his skills. Because of it, he knew he could escape anywhere. And once he got out of this cell, he’d take Emryn and Malcolm and the three would never have to see the inside of an Abrax compound again.
Stolen novel; please report.
The lock finally clicked open and Seth smiled. One down, one to go.
Getting out would require a complete knowledge of the layout and the locations of every armed soldier guarding this prison. Seth needed a way to explore. Getting his chains off was the first step. He knew he’d be able to pick the cell lock with the same method. Wherever he was right now was lacking in modern technology. It was likely this section of the base was one not often used. There were cracks in the wall and rust on the chains. Why they thought this would actually hold him, he didn’t know. It was another mistake he’d have to relish in. Seth was suddenly grateful the Abrax military was so stupid.
The second cuff came off as easily as the first. Seth approached the bars of his cell and peered down the hall, rubbing the sore spot on his arm. There didn’t look to be any air vents he could use to map the area in. Finding Emryn would prove a bit harder than he initially thought. Seth paced his cell, needing to summon a new way of thinking.
Although the facility was destroyed on his end, they’d likely place Emryn in a more advanced area due to her power. She would also be placed as far from him as possible. Not only that but his current cell looked as though it was the only one in this wing of the building. Seth knew his squad had demolished every Abrax base capable of properly holding him. And he was likely in the remnants of one now. There was nowhere else he could be kept, other than back at their main base. But they wouldn’t risk the safety of civilians again. Meaning all he had to do now was force their hand.
If he destroyed this cell they’d have no choice to place him closer to Emryn. Seth stopped his pacing and grinned. Now he only needed to figure out how to build a small bomb. If Abrax stuck to the same routine as the last few days he wouldn’t have to wait long before a team of scientists dragged him out.
Seth carefully linked the chains around his wrist, careful not to lock them, and put on the act of a worn out prisoner. With the chemicals in his bloodstream it wasn’t hard to act tired but at the same time he needed to focus his energy on stopping the progress of the injection. His eyes fluttered closed as he felt the warm blood move throughout his body. The cold substance was still near his arm due to his previous precautions. Now he just needed to keep it from his heart while his advanced antibodies worked on eradicating the foreign chemicals. After days of the same thing, Seth had grown accustomed to fighting the injection’s after effects off.
Then Seth waited.
The steel doors creaked open once again, this time by a team of eager doctors ready to poke and prod at Seth until he bled gold. Rough hands hooked around his biceps. He faked a comatose state, keeping his eyes vacant and dull while the team dragged him out of the cell, seemingly limp and scattered.
“Did the chains break?” one voice asked.
“Must’ve,” the other answered, too optimistic for Seth’s tastes, then added, “Luckily after his body was drugged.”
Oh to be so ignorant. Seth wished he too had the brain of a child. It would make life far less stressful.
When they finally reached the lad he was placed on a table, too harsh for his liking but beggars can’t be choosers. The team of doctors got to work hooking him up to tubes and machines, the mix of cold metal and warm valves caused his skin to prickle with odd sensations. Then his head was turned to the side. One device was placed inside his ear and he was immediately flooded with a loud buzz as it made rhythmic vibrations. Maybe their goal this time was to overstimulate him. If so it was working.
Seth took the opportunity to gaze at the cabinets near the back wall where numerous chemicals were being stored. After spending hours with his mother as a child, Seth knew what each vial and glass held. The smells potent and fused but not enough to trick his advanced senses. That knowledge combined with the array of colors and the context of previous experiments gave him a pretty good gauge of what chemicals were being kept in there. Then he looked for any cameras. But like his cell, there were none. They were still in the neglected side of the facility at least.
“Secure the restraints.”
Right. He had almost forgotten.
His eyes trailed to one of the nearby tables. Scalpels, drills, knives; all of which he could use for the next part of his plan. And as soon as the gloved hands found his skin again he launched into action. Heavy machines fell from the force as he disconnected from them and warm liquid pooled on the floor from the various tubes falling from the patches adorning his flesh.
The nearest doctors screamed and staggered back. Seth disregarded her for the table and grabbed the closest blade. A few doctors, who had previously gotten closer with the hopes of controlling him, flinched when he held it out.
“Come any closer and I’ll gut you like the senseless pigs you are.” They froze and held their hands up, surrendering to his threats like mice in a cage. None looked as though they wanted to test his bloodlust. And none were brave enough to try.
Seth jabbed the knife and signaled for them to step back. They followed his instructions fervently but never took their eyes off him. Once he was contemptuous with the space between them, Seth did something they hadn’t sensed. He stabbed his arm.
The blood trickled down like rain then poured when he twisted the knife. He felt the earlier chemical leave his body, it felt like he was finally breathing again. Like air filled his lungs for the first time in ages. The drops hit the floor one after the other, Seth smiling greater the bigger the puddle at his feet became. And the shocked faces of the freakish doctors made it all the more worth it.
His lips turned up as he felt his skin knit itself back together. It was his own version of a high. The assurance that nothing could truly hurt him. Every time he healed he felt immortal.
“That’s better,” he sighed. He rolled his head back, cracking his neck and relaxing.
“What did you do?” Seth recognized the man’s voice as the same ignorant one from earlier and smirked. He stepped closer and leaned down to where the man was cowering on the floor. But the doctor turned away when he got close, hiding behind his hands.
Seth tucked the knife under the man’s chin and guided his face toward him. His head tilted at the man’s tearful gaze and shaking form, then curled his lips back with a sneer. “I did what you created me to do,” he laughed. But the doctor looked confused. Seth rolled his eyes then moved in closer. “I thought you people wanted weapons.” The knife moved gently in his hand, tracing the man’s throat. “Let me show how successful you were.”
Something clicked. And the sound echoed in his ears despite the metal still there. Seth threw the knife. Doctors in the cross hairs ducked out of the way screaming as the blade hit its mark in the radio at a scientist’s hip. The nearest doctor took the opportunity to throw his hands around Seth’s torso. But he was too weak.
Seth tossed the man to the side almost effortlessly. When it came to strength there were very few who rivaled him and he would not be taken down by a scrawny man in a lab coat. He marched toward the group, who flinched with every step he took, and retrieved the knife.
“Your first mistake was thinking you were better,” he said. “Your second was the absence of guards.” He twirled the blade, watching the way the light gleamed off the tip. “If anyone moves from this spot, I send this into your skull.”
“What are you planning on doing?” one asked as she shook from his proximity. Seth ignored her and latched onto the closest person. With a hand around their throat, Seth slammed them to the ground and they were out cold. The others screamed as Seth incapacitated them one by one. Some tried to flee but were too slow, the knife landed in the first one’s head. He tried not to take pleasure in it but something about the labs always pulled out a wicked side of him. Their touch had tainted his soul those months all those years ago. He vowed to never let them hurt him again. And soon they were all silent.
Seth turned his attention to the vials near the wall. He tried to recount the pranks he pulled when he was younger, when he was scolded for playing with dangerous compounds and destroying his mother’s tent. He kept an ear on the doctors as he moved to closely examine the chemicals, grabbing the ones he deemed useful and shoving them into a bowl he found nearby. He then gathered spare vials and containers. It wouldn’t be the best bomb he made but it would have to do.
Carefully he mixed the contents, going off of scent and appearance to identify the right amounts and chemicals. He made an extra effort not to move any too harshly to not set them off. If they exploded now his whole plan would fail.
The finished chemical bombs were placed in the waistband of his pants before he stepped out into the hall. He didn’t have much time until Abrax realized what had happened and sent over soldiers to restrain him again. He would need to do this quickly.
Seth traced his steps back to his cell then removed the first vial. He aggressively shook it in his hand before throwing it inside and ducking away. The vial had a brief glow before it exploded on impact. The blast that followed was fused with an echo as the metal bars splintered and the walls crumbled. Seth didn’t have time to enjoy his victory and ran to the next cell. He repeated the process for every containment unit he found. Running and navigating the area in a fog of dust and rubble.
A bullet pierced his back, twisting inside his flesh and sending pain down his body. More shots fired without warning. Some went straight through him while others lodged themselves into his muscles and bones. Seth could barely turn around to see the soldiers attacking him. None of his vital spots had been hit but the shear pain made it hard to be grateful. They were going to take him alive. And if his plan had succeeded, they were going to take him to Emryn.