Skyfall Chapter 23 - Re-read!
23 Kato and I played with energy and fire for the next few hours. I would have gladly done this all day, but he needed to train some other guards and assassins. He said I could stay, but I was too restless to sit and observe. I decided to shower off the smell of flames and smoke before I went to lunch. The gym showers were empty when I arrived. It had been so long since I was last here, and I took a few minutes to reflect on the past. Memories of the first time I had used the showers, after my pain tolerance test, crossed my mind as I slipped my shorts off and turned the water on. The steam was thick in the chilled, dry air. I stepped into the jet of warm water. It felt like it had been so long since that time, but in reality it hadn't been long at all. The way time seemed to slow one day and pass swiftly by the next was frustrating, and I was beginning to grow tired of waiting. Only one day had passed in my week of waiting...I wished I didn't have to wait for the eclipse. I wasn't sure how I was going to keep myself from starting trouble with Misha. Hale is gone now. I thought. Maybe I should just run... I sighed and inhaled deeply. The steam in the shower filled my lungs and made it difficult to breathe. I felt dizzy and tired. A door slammed in the distance, which woke me up a bit. Quickly, I finished washing my fur off and shut the water off. With a shake, I rid myself of the excess water and ran the towel over my body to attempt to dry off. My fur was thick and soaked, and the towel didn't help much. I wandered over to the locker that I used before in case it still had my things in it. As I expected, there was a new lock on it and I couldn't open it. I sighed and picked up my dirty boxers and shorts and slipped them on. The air outside of the shower was cold, so I put on the jacket that I had brought as well. I stepped outside the showers and walked towards the dining hall. For the first time in a while, I actually felt hungry and ready for a meal. I reached the main entrance, and noticed a white lab coat tossed on the ground near the large, glass doors. Curious, I wandered over to it and picked it up. I brought it close to my face to examine it. Misha's unmistakable scent filled my nostrils when I inhaled. What was his coat doing here? I glanced outside at the icy wasteland that the courtyard had become, and noticed deep footprints pressed into the otherwise-perfect powder. I squinted my eyes at a black shape in the distance, was that a shoe? I glanced over at the dining hall entrance and sighed before turning back to the doors. This can't be good... I thought to myself as I stepped outside. I shivered in the brisk air and my misty breaths were rapid. My fur was still soaked from the shower, and the snow was cold and sharp on my exposed paw pads. The snow became deeper the farther I walked, nearly past my knees in some places. I followed Misha's erratic footprints and made my way up towards the lookout point. I attempted to use the foot holes that Misha had already made, but they were too irregularly placed and smeared around from what looked like him staggering around. When I passed his shoe I wondered if I should pick it up, but then I saw his t-shirt, and went for that instead. My muscles jerked and shivered violently in attempt to warm my body up, and my wet fur became crusted with ice and snow. I snatched up the t-shirt Misha had tossed into the snow and sighed. "I better not find him naked and dead somewhere." I mumbled to myself. I continued to follow his footsteps, looking out at the vast, white world that the snow had created. Everything looked completely different. Kato was right. It was beautiful. As beautiful as the landscape was, the stillness of the air was eerie. The silence added to my worry, and I began to walk faster in the thick snow. By now my paws were covered in clumps of snow and ice that stuck to my wet fur, and my feet were numb while my legs burned from the frigid cold. Finally, I made it to the lookout point, where the footsteps ended. I stepped on something sharp and jumped, looking down to see a needle sticking out of the snow. I picked up the empty syringe and glanced up towards my favorite tree, where Misha sat in his boxers. He was silent, and didn't seem to notice me. His face held a vacant expression out towards the valley. My eyes followed his gaze, and I gasped. The sea of grass had become a perfect, white pool. I imagined what it would be like to fly and dive into snow so perfect and thick. It bubbled up in round shapes where the terrain changed, but didn't lose the seamless, smooth contours. The sight was incredible. I had never seen anything so flawless. Nervously, I forced myself to turn my attention back to Misha. He wasn't shivering. He was mostly still and looked dead, but I saw his chest rise and fall with small breaths that came out of his nostrils in puffs. "Misha...?" I asked, stepping towards the base of the tree. His eyes slowly met mine. "Decipher." "What..." I began, looking down to the syringe and the t-shirt that I held. "What are you doing out here?" He smirked. I took a moment to look at his pale face. I noticed that the side of his face was bruised where I had smashed it into the wall, and the deep purple was very apparent against the rest of his pale skin. I swallowed with a tinge of guilt. "Misha!" I yelled. "Come on." "I'm fine." He sighed, but his words were slurred. "I'm just testing it..." I held up the syringe. "This? Are you testing this?" I asked. "What was it?" "The phoenix." Misha smirked again. "I never thought to try being a phoenix before. Feels warm." I stared at Misha. My paws had gone numb and were feeling warm, maybe that was happening to him? There was no way he was actually warm. His skin was patched with red blotches and the rest of him was pale and turning shades of bluish gray. Misha stared at me, "I can see why you like being so warm." I tossed the syringe aside and climbed up next to him. "Here, put this on." I said as I held his t-shirt out towards him. I wasn't sure what he meant by his phoenix comment, but I assumed he had tried to become a phoenix. I remembered Kato, shivering in the cold, and became confused. Even if he had succeeded in becoming a phoenix, he should be more susceptible to the cold now... "Why?" He asked. "Because you're freezing. You just don't realize it." I sighed. "That's not what I mean." Misha said, letting his black, dead eyes rest on mine. "I don't know what you mean." I said as I moved closer to him. "Come on...I think we should go inside." "Why are you helping me?" Misha said flatly, narrowing his sunken eyes. "I didn't ask. I didn't make you, just like I didn't ask for you to cling to me and beg for my attention." My ears fell and I stared at him. "I made a mistake." "Go back where it's warm!" He shouted. He pointed his finger at me and leaned closer. "They warned me not to touch you. So I triiiied to stay away!" He let out a laugh, "but you just kept comin' at me! What was I supposed to do? Things were going to be different this time, but look what's happened...Fuck. I guess you like the cold." Before I could think about what he said, Misha stood up on the branch shakily and stepped towards the edge. I jerked forward, grabbed his arm, and dropped his shirt. I watched as the white t-shirt floated down into the valley and disappeared into the snow. He looked back at me and smiled weakly. "What?" He asked. "Don't want me to die?" "No. I don't." I snarled, looking down at the mounds of snow. He probably wouldn't die if he fell, but he would be injured, and I didn't think I would be able to make the treacherous climb back up the icy cliff side. "You never answered my question." "I don't know!" I yelled. "I guess I feel responsible for you. I wouldn't want Hale to punish me for you hurting yourself." "Yeah. Hale loves me." He said, sounding sarcastic. "Misha, please, let's just go back..." Misha gave me a terrifying, emotionless grin. "They warned you, too." He tipped himself over the edge of the branch. My feet slipped and we both went spiraling off the edge. I gripped onto the branch with my free arm and was barely able to stop myself from sliding off the slick bark. I looked down to Misha, who I was still grasping onto. He didn't seem to have any reaction to what was happening. The moment was surreal, and I briefly considered just letting go and falling into the white pools. I stared at Misha's eyes, which were darker than I'd ever seen before, black pits contrasting against his ghost-white skin. With a groan, I swung my leg back up towards the branch and carefully pulled Misha back up. I dragged him off of the branch and tossed him onto the snowy plateau. When I released him, I felt my claws stick to his flesh. I noticed scratches in his arm, but his body was too cold to release any blood. I collapsed next to him and panted heavily. My muscles burned, but I was freezing. My hands weren't working as well as they should have been; all my joints felt sticky. "Misha." I panted. "Come on. Let's go." Misha remained motionless in the snow, and I sighed. He wouldn't be getting up. I lifted myself up out of the snow and tried to shake it off my crusty fur. I grabbed Misha and pulled him up. His body was dead weight, and he wouldn't even walk with me supporting him. "COME ON!" I yelled. "I'm sorry." I ignored his apology; I couldn't afford to believe he meant it. I sighed and scanned the energy I had left. I tried to reach the bit of fire Kato and I had been playing with, and was able to warm my frozen muscles just enough. I brushed the snow off of Misha's naked chest and wrapped him in my jacket. I carried him back down towards the lab. What are you doing, Decipher? My mind questioned me. Just let him die. "No. He doesn't deserve to die." I mumbled out loud to myself. "He deserves worse." Misha stirred in response but his eyes had closed and he seemed to be unconscious. His weak body convulsed on occasion with a shiver, but remained still most of the way. I glanced down at his still, dying figure. It would be so easy. My mind taunted me. So much easier than what you're doing. I staggered forward. Using the holes that I made on the way up, I was able to descend rather quickly, which was good because my energy was almost gone. My muscles began to sting again, and the cold against my chest was making it difficult to breathe. Finally, the courtyard was in sight. I saw a few guards making their way outside the building. "Help!" I cried out. Both of them were wearing helmets, and I didn't think I recognized either of them. They ran over to me. "What happened?" One of them demanded. "I don't know. I followed his footsteps to the lookout point and found him sitting naked in the snow." I said, shivering violently when I stood still. "Your I.D.?" I sighed. "Two-fifty-seven." I moved my shoulder towards the man to flash him the number. The guard helped carry Misha and led me inside, while the other one spoke into an electric device and called for Caliber. I was numb all over when I entered the lab. My body burned at the sudden change in temperature as the ice that stuck to me began to thaw. I watched the guard carry Misha into the medical wing. "What did you do?" Caliber snapped. I glared at him. "I just fucking saved Misha's undeserving ass." "I'm sorry." Caliber sighed. "I'm just worried about this...I don't want you to get into trouble, and after what you pulled the other night..." I sighed and wobbled. Caliber reached out and helped support me. "Come on. You should take a warm shower." My skin was already tingling and burning all over, I didn't want to make it warmer, but I agreed. Caliber led me into the gym showers and helped me step out of my clothes. "Are you going to be alright alone? I need to check up on Misha and make sure there's no serious damage." "I'll be fine." I mumbled. He dashed out, leaving me in the empty showers. I turned on the water and let the warmth flow over me. It caused me body to sting and burn intensely. I whined as my muscles defrosted. I sank down and sat on the floor of the shower, leaning my back against the wall as the warm water stung my body. I felt ashamed and confused by my choices. I never should have caused trouble... After a while, my body began to feel normal again, and I did not want to move anymore. The cold had exhausted me. I sat under the warm water stream until I heard someone else entering the shower area. I slowly stood and shut the water off, snatching a clean towel and wrapping it around myself as I tried to shake as much water off of myself as I could. I glanced up to see Kato entering the showers. "Hey, what are you still doing in here?" He asked with a puzzled expression. "I...Misha was out in the snow. I had to carry him back." I mumbled as I staggered out of the shower. "I'm still so cold. Fur was so wet...doesn't dry." "Whoa, hey." Kato said, offering me a hand. "Do you need medical attention?" My head was aching and I had an ache in my stomach that might have been from hunger. I shook my head. "I don't really know." "It's alright." He said as he took my hand and led me into the dressing area. "Here, let's get you more dried off." He grabbed another towel and began rubbing my back as I sank down on the bench by the lockers. I began to shiver again. "Having long fur like this must be a pain in the cold." Kato laughed, "You went out in the snow like this?" I nodded weakly. "I saw Misha's coat by the door...and found him naked at the lookout point." I mumbled. Kato stopped drying me and looked me in the eyes. "Oh." He said with a surprised facial expression. "What...was he doing?" "There was an empty syringe...he said something about a phoenix and it feeling warm. He said he could see why I liked it." I paused, deciding not to tell him the rest. I was just barely piecing together the conversation. Was Misha jealous of Kato, or did he want me to be with Kato instead of him? He told me to go back to where it was warm... At that moment, I felt Kato's warm energy flowing through my body as he helped dry me off. I stared up at him and swallowed hard. "Interesting." Kato said. He probably knew what Misha meant as well, but neither of us were ready to discuss it. "Do you think he was finally able to make a serum that worked?" I shook my head. "No. He was clearly still cold." I sighed. "Besides, aren't phoenixes more susceptible to cold?" He nodded, and we both became silent. I wasn't sure what else to say...Kato was smart, he would be able to figure out as much as I had, even without me telling him all the details. I was tempted to ask about Misha's history with Kato, or his perspective on phoenixes, but I resisted. "How are you feeling?" Kato asked as he pulled away. His warmth went with him, and I shivered again. "Fine, but cold." "Here." Kato said, holding out his hand. "I'll use some fire to help dry you off." I placed my hand in his, and welcomed the warmth that spread through my muscles. The heat melted the tension in my cold, stiff muscles, and I felt my fur bristle. After a few moments, I felt a shockwave of heat go through me, and all my fur was sticking up off of me. Kato laughed and took his hand away as I shook myself off in attempt to settle my frizzy fur. His warmth stayed with my muscles this time. I smiled. "Sorry." He laughed. I snorted. "At least I'm dry." I said with a small smile. "Have you eaten?" "Nope. I just got done training, and was about to shower." Kato said. "But if I don't smell too bad, I suppose I can come eat with you, first." "I don't smell a thing." I assured him, but I didn't lean too close to find out. We stood up and walked towards the dining hall. "How was training?" I asked in attempt to make small talk and keep my mind off of more serious matters. "Fine." I sighed. "Are you as tired of waiting as I am?" Kato nodded and sent me a pleading look. "I'm worried." "Me too." We entered the dining hall, and Kato pointed to a table. "Go sit down." He said, "I'll bring you some soup." I nodded and sank down into an isolated table. There were a lot of people around, it seemed like everyone was having a late lunch today. I habitually looked around for Misha, and then realized that he must be in the medical wing. I wondered if I should check up on him... Kato sat down across from me and slid a bowl towards me. "This soup is delicious." He said with a smile. "Perfect for cold weather." "Oh, thanks." I said as I took the spoon and began to eat it. The soup was salty with a tinge of savory meat, with a creamy base. It warmed my body as I ate it, and made me even more relaxed than the shower had. My stomach began to feel much better as I ate. Kato was dipping a sandwich into his soup, and glanced up at me to smile every now and then. "Feeling better?" I nodded. "I feel amazing." I let out a content sigh once I was finished and leaned back in my chair, sitting there with my eyes closed. I felt like I was going to pass out. "You should probably get some rest." Kato said, shaking me out of my daze. I didn't want to move, but I slowly opened my eyes. Realizing I should probably check on Misha, I leaned forward and sighed. "Can you make it back to you room?" Kato asked. I shook my head. "I need to check on Misha..." "Why? He's in the medical facility, they'll take care of him." "I just want to make sure everything's alright." I mumbled. "Are you worried that you'll be blamed for something?" "Kind of..." I shrugged, "I don't know. I'm just curious as to what exactly happened. Plus, they might have some questions for me...I was the only one out there." Kato looked skeptical, and I knew what he was worried about. "I'm just confused." I said. "I just want to know what's going through his head...and honestly it probably was my fault. I shouldn't have told him off like that the other day, now he's unstable!" "It's not your fault he's crazy!" "Maybe it is!" I shouted without thinking. We both fell silent. I stood up. "Look, I just have to go. I just need to make sure everything is still okay. I'm just stressed." "Do you really feel responsible for him, Decipher?" "I don't know..." I sighed. "It's not like that. I just wonder if I can do something, anything! Maybe I can help him somehow. I have to try." Kato nodded. "Well...alright." He said, staring at me with a concerned look. "I'll see you later. Don't worry, I won't do anything irrational. I haven't forgotten what he's done." I said as gathered my dishes and stood up. "Thanks for everything, Kato." He nodded in response and watched me walk away. I sighed, unsure of how to ease his worries. I wasn't sure why I was obsessed with figuring out what had happened, but I was curious. Did I feel guilty? Perhaps... It was clear that Misha felt some sort of jealousy towards Kato, but what was it? I did not think Misha was jealous that I liked Kato...I hadn't really shown any sort of outward attraction for him...perhaps Misha wanted to be more like Kato. I shook my head as I walked towards the medical wing. My steps weren't as steady as I would have liked them to be; I was still exhausted. I made my way to the reception desk, where the young nurse I had seen the other day sat. "I am looking for Misha." I said to her. She glanced up. "Who?" "Misha Aras...or Doctor Aras." Referring to him that way left a bitter taste in my mouth. "Oh, of course." She smiled. "He's in room twenty." I walked down the hall and found the room labeled with the number. The door was closed. I briefly considered just leaving, but my curiosity wouldn't let me. I opened the door to see Misha passed out in the bed with some tubes connected to his veins. I wandered over to him. He was covered in a few blankets, and his skin was still pale. He remained still and lifeless. For some reason, this sight troubled me. How can I even care? I asked myself as I stared at his still body. I only saved him because I want him to have a worse fate than death... I tried to convince myself, but I wondered if that was the truth. I wasn't sure anymore. I looked down at his still body again, and saw that his arm was bandaged where I had grabbed on to him to save him. I wondered what he was thinking about, and then remembered when Hale had invaded my thoughts using energy. Perhaps I could do the same thing. I could look into his brain cells and examine the memories that way... Carefully, I lifted my hand up and examined it. My energy was shaky, chaotic...I shouldn't be attempting this right now. My hand moved down towards Misha's forehead, and I rested my padded fingertips on him. My energy began to probe at him without thought. So many small details guarded what I was looking for, and disjointed thoughts assaulted my inexperienced mind. Formulas for serums...poisons, learning how to poison different creatures, how to kill them, how to heal them...learning how to alter different creatures, failed suicide attempt? Hale is upset. Fuck. Hale won't like this...oh no... I'm so sorry. I'll be better. My energy latched on to that thought and began to paint a picture. A clear image of Hale holding Misha in a headlock flashed in my head. He then poured a glass of deep, red blood down Misha's throat. Misha was coughing and the blood was dripping from his mouth as Hale poured it in. The sight was disturbingly messy. Hale then bit into Misha's neck and hissed a sharp, terrifying sound. When he pulled away from Misha, the wound was huge. His blood was spurting out all over the floor and his bones were showing. Hale released Misha, who began to vomit the blood and writhe around on the floor. "What the fuck are you." Hale hissed. I yelled out from the strain in my head. My eyes were squeezed shut, and all I saw was jumbled images of blood splattered against flesh and Hale's sharp fangs. I ripped myself away from Misha, who had begun to toss and turn. I tried to blink away the memory as more images flashed through my mind, these images were blurry, but I could have sworn I saw Hale holding Misha close to his crotch...but wait...I stopped my mind there, and refused to explore the image further. I attempted to recover, but the memory I had accessed had left me shaking and feeling ill myself. I sank down in the chair next to Misha's bedside and stared at his neck as he squirmed around...his skin was flawless, as if the wound had never occurred. I glanced down at my own scarred arm and wondered how he had healed so flawlessly. I looked at his shoulder and realized the knife wound from Sheila had disappeared completely, yet when I touched the area where I had been stabbed, there was a bump under the fur where the scar sat. Misha jerked upright and began to heave and cough. I glanced around and quickly grabbed the trash bin as he began to vomit. He retched violently, and gasped for air. When he was done, he sat panting and stared up at me. I sat the trash bin down and stared at him nervously.
"Decipher?" He asked. I nodded, unsure of how to feel. He reached a shaking hand towards me and pet my chest. I allowed him to do so for a moment, but staggered backwards after a bit. He's not a good man. You can't pity him. I reminded myself. Don't you dare forget what he did to you. A doctor came into the room with a flustered look. "What's going on in here?" "He just vomited." I said, swallowing hard as I tried to make my own nausea subside. The doctor nodded and began speaking with Misha, who answered his questions, but kept his dark, wide eyes on me. I slowly stepped out of the room. With a deep breath, I blinked hard as I tried to center myself back in reality. Misha was something else; even Hale wanted to know what he was. Did the lab drugs heal him up so well? I don't think they could have...his skin is so perfect, so flawless...and his young face...How old was he? Sure, he had looked younger during his relationship with the werewolf he killed, but not young enough to account for the years that had passed...and were he and Hale lovers? I wanted to slap the thought out of my mind, but my curiosity wandered on it for just a moment. Misha had been with so many men, why was that? How could Hale ever put up with Misha's shit? Misha was not a normal human. He had to be lying about what he was really searching for; he didn't need a way to become nonhuman. My thoughts tormented me as I walked back towards my room in a daze. Why had my hatred suddenly melted into curiosity? Why was I feeling like I couldn't resist knowing Misha more? I shivered at the thought. Perhaps the magic compulsion was affecting my thoughts. "I have to get out of here." I whispered to myself. "I have to get away from him." I entered my room and collapsed onto my bed with a blank stare. The cold air and the fading sunlight sent chills through my body. I wrapped myself in my blanket and tried to silence my fearful mind, but the image of Hale's sharp fangs and Misha's flawless skin stained with blood continued to cut into my head. Don't you dare. My mind growled at me. Don't you dare forget.