Skyfall Chapter 27
27 I stirred in the blankets, haunted by the early morning light. I felt like last night marked the end of the life I knew here. Caliber and I had said goodbye, I didn't know where Kato was, or if he was even alright, and tonight was the one chance I had to leave. If we failed, Hale would surely lock us in the basement and break us into nothing. Caliber was right, Hale respected the rules of his twisted game, and if we lost...he'd make sure it was over for us. I wasn't prepared for this day to happen. I tossed and turned in uneasy rest until the sun illuminated my bedroom, and then forced myself to get up. Judging by the position of the sun in the sky, this was about the time Kato was usually up and at breakfast. I slowly stood and felt the cold morning light wash over me. With a deep breath, I tried to prepare for the day. I found my clothes and dressed in the usual, black pants with a warm undershirt and my jacket on top. My hand wandered to the dagger that was still inside my pocket. I focused on the energy within the blade, but it remained silent and refused to give up any of its secrets. Frustrated, I began my descent towards the dining hall. I was too anxious to eat, but I was hoping to find Kato there. When I reached the main entrance, I noticed there were more guards than usual patrolling around, dressed in full armor. I nervously wandered into the dining hall. Kato was sitting in the corner against the wall, sipping on some kind of hot drink. I quickly approached him. His head turned to look at me as I approached. I opened my mouth, but realized I couldn't speak out loud anymore, especially not with all these guards wandering around.What happened last night? I asked him mentally.Just an exam. His voice seemed troubled in my mind as he sipped his drink. "Good morning, Decipher." "Good morning..." I said, taking the seat across from him. He looked distressed. You seem upset. What's going on? Did he drug you again? Kato let out a heavy sigh and stared towards the ceiling for a moment. Nothing, I'm just nervous. He said, closing his eyes. No, Misha didn't drug me...don't worry. I'm fine. I could tell he was bothered, but he wasn't going to talk about it. I sighed. "What are your plans for the day?" I asked out loud, noticing that a guard had wandered closer to our table. "I just got done with some an early training session." Kato said, staring off into space. "I was going to take a warm shower and try to relax myself." I nodded. Honestly, a warm shower felt good right now. All my muscles were tense and ached. "Would you mind if I joined you?" I asked. Kato paused mid-sip and stared at me with a curious expression, and then shook his head. "Not at all." "I could use a relaxing shower myself." I said, trying to justify taking a shower at the same time as him, mostly to myself. Kato stretched his arms and stood up, remaining silent as he began to walk. I followed him to the gym showers. We entered the locker room, and Kato began to strip his clothes off. He quickly disrobed, and then wrapped a towel around himself before entering the shower area. I removed my layers of warm clothes, and shivered as the cold air rushed over my exposed body. I grabbed a towel and followed him into the showers. There were a few other people here today, and the area was steamy and warm. I saw Kato in an empty row, and wandered towards him. For a moment, I considered leaving an empty shower between us, but then I remembered when Caliber had first met me, and decided it was socially acceptable to choose the one right next to him. I slipped into the shower and turned the hot water on, basking in the warmth. Kato was scrubbing dirt from his muscled arms when I looked over at him. I watched him wash off and absorb the warmth of the water. He became much more relaxed as the warm water pooled down him. He looked over at me, catching me staring at him. This time, I didn't feel embarrassed. Watching Kato relax didn't feel wrong. He smiled at me softly. I sighed and began to wash myself off.So. You ready for this? My ears pricked forward at his voice in my head. Not really. I admitted, glancing over at him again. My eyes wandered down his body as I checked him for injuries. He seemed almost completely healed, except a few dark bruises spotted across his ribcage, and his wrists. Had he been bound?It's okay. His voice chimed. I looked up to see him staring at my face. I don't think this is something you can ever be ready for. Our eyes locked together for a few moments. The hot water ran down my back and soothed my muscles as Kato's golden eyes warmed my soul...but something still felt cold about the moment. I felt a strange longing for Kato, but wasn't quite sure how to act on it. Someone walked past us on their way out and distracted me, and Kato went back to washing himself off. I sighed and finished scrubbing myself off as well, cleaning out my long fur as best I could. I looked down at the scar that remained from Hale, and let the warm water soothe that area. Kato shut off the water and wrapped the towel around himself before walking back into the locker room. I closed my eyes and let out a strained breath. My heart felt tense in my chest as I stayed beneath the steamy water. Eventually, I shut off my shower and shook the water from my fur. I met Kato in the locker room, shivering as my wet fur chilled in the cold air. I rigorously rubbed the towel across my body, but my fur remained damp. I glanced up at Kato, who was already half-dressed. "Hey, Kato..." I said timidly. "If you have enough energy, could you...help me dry off?" He finished buttoning his pants and looked up at me with a smile. "Sure thing." I probably could have done it myself, but I craved Kato's warmth. His energy felt so peaceful, and I needed that right now. I sat down on the bench as Kato moved closer to me. He remained standing and brought my hand up to his bare chest. I touched his smooth skin, feeling the warmth dance around my cold hand. After a few moments, I felt the beating of his heart, deep and steady in my palm. He began sending me energy. My fur bristled with the warmth as the water evaporated from it. I shivered from the sensation. Kato seemed to notice, and sent a stronger wave of heat through me. He reached his other arm towards my chest, and gently placed his hand on it. The feeling was intensely warm and relaxing as his energy swirled into my chest. My hand twitched, and I gripped onto his shoulder to support myself as all of my muscles relaxed. I let out a heavy sigh of relief. His heartbeat increased, I could feel it pulsating through my entire arm as his excitement built. He stared into my eyes and lowered his head near mine. I watched the fire in his eyes spark to life for a few brief moments as he smiled. His hand stroked my chest a few times, and my own heartbeat began to increase. My heart felt tense again as my body tried to remain calm. I swallowed hard, and my ears pinned back. Abruptly, Kato pulled away with a sad expression. A cold sensation washed over me. I was left staring up at him, timidly watching him and hoping for more. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, turning away to find his shirt. I sat frozen and confused. I wanted to keep feeling him...to keep feeling warm and safe, and to keep seeing his smile. But it was gone. The moment had turned cold again; I had ruined it. I looked around the empty locker room, and began to put my own clothes on. Kato finished dressing and looked back at me. "Are you alright?" I swallowed hard. "Yeah." I whispered, staring at him for a long moment before thinking; You shouldn't be sorry. I want to feel your warmth. I want you...but I just don't know how to keep myself from the panic that I feel. Part of me knew Kato would hear the thought, it was partially directed at him. Still, I was too ashamed and afraid to actually say it. Whispering the words to him in my mind was the only way I could communicate how I felt. Kato wasn't Misha; he would never hurt me...and yet I couldn't stop my body from panicking. His eyes looked sad and full of longing again, and he nodded. "Don't rush yourself, Decipher." He said. "Take all the time you need. I'll always be there for you." I blinked a few times to assure myself I wasn't dreaming. I didn't deserve someone like Kato. "I have a meeting with Hale." He sighed. "Wish me luck, and be careful today." Shaken out of the surreal moment, I nodded. It took a moment to process what he had said, my heart skipping a beat at the mention of Hale. He quickly left, probably so that I wouldn't protest. I watched Kato walk out, leaving me alone. I sighed, Kato knew what he was doing...he would be fine. I took a few deep breaths, and then decided it was time to try and force myself to eat. The dining hall was mostly empty now, and I didn't see anyone I recognized in the late breakfast crowd. I quietly forced down some food, and then decided to look for Caliber. I searched for guards that were about Caliber's height. I noticed one that was talking to someone else, and decided to investigate. Before I reached him, I was stopped by another guard. "You have an appointment with doctor Aras this morning." He said, pointing towards the medical wing. "Please make your way over there now." I nodded nervously, quickly walking away from the guard. They were making me nervous. I entered the medical wing and stopped at the reception desk. The woman behind the desk looked up at me with a fake smile. "Hello!" She greeted me. I nodded in response, and turned to see Misha walking towards me.Today's the day. I reminded myself. I have to kill you. "Decipher!" He said, holding his hands out. "You're looking well." My ears pinned back at his words. I couldn't imagine that to be true, but I didn't think too hard about it. My tail swished behind me in a nervous, aggressive gesture. "Well, come on in." Misha said, gesturing me towards one of the smaller rooms. I sighed and followed him in. He closed the door behind us, and the familiar click of the lock snapped in my ears. I watched him carefully as he scribbled down some notes on his stack of papers. His face seemed much more solemn now that we were alone. He told me to sit on the cushioned table, and I obeyed. I put my hand in my jacket pocket and gripped the dagger...maybe I would make this quick. "What did you do to Kato?" I asked in attempt to break the silence and begin this ordeal. Surprised, Misha looked up at me. "I didn't...do anything." "More lies." I hissed, my fingers clutching the hilt. "I healed Kato, Decipher." He whispered. "I thought you'd be happy." I felt guilty for a moment, and sighed. "What happened during his exam last night?" Misha's eyes had darkened to the inky black that I had seen when I found him in the snow. He bit his lip and thought for a moment, looking concerned. "Just an exam." He finally said. "Why? Is something wrong?" I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, releasing the dagger. When I opened my eyes, Misha was staring at me with a hurt expression. I guess it wasn't fair to blame him when I didn't have any evidence, and he had saved Kato. He also didn't drug Kato again, which surprised me. "Decipher?" He asked, shaking me from my thoughts. "I'm sorry that happened to Kato, but I promise, I was just trying to make him better...I know how much he means to you. I didn't do any harm to him." "So you did this for me?" I asked, still suspicious. He nodded; his eyes seemed to brighten for a moment. Somehow, I suddenly felt calm. "Of course." He whispered. "I want to do everything for you." Misha moved closer to me and placed his hand on my chest, making me inhale sharply. Slowly, he moved his hand across my shoulders and slipped my jacket down my arms. I allowed it, unsure of how to fight it at this point. My mind was dull and calm, and I couldn't think straight. Next, he slipped my undershirt off and ran his face across my fur, pausing when he reached my heart. He gently pushed my body back, and I fell against the cushioned table, looking up at the man I should have killed long ago. My body ached as he ran his hands down my bare chest. My heart began to thump heavily under his touch, and I realized he was somehow controlling my emotions. I looked into his eyes, and saw that they were deep, black pits once more. It was strange...I tried to panic, but my body refused to be shaken from its calm, relaxed state. I realized I needed to be afraid, and to stop him, and yet I couldn't. I closed my eyes in attempt to focus. This felt more intense than the magic compulsion; Misha had to be using some sort of incubus power. Although my mood was affected, my thoughts didn't seem to be, yet. Misha was removing his own clothes when I looked back at him. He stripped off his lab coat and shirt before leaning his naked torso over me. With a deep breath, he rested his head on my chest for a moment. He seemed tired. Perhaps he's exhausted from trying to keep me calm. I thought. I can't let him get any sexual energy...I have to get to my dagger. I reached my hand up and placed it on his chest, feeling the smooth, fragile skin. He moved closer into me, and I felt his hands wander down to the button on my pants. I needed to stop him, otherwise he was going to get away with this. "Wait." I said, gently pushing him off me. "What about Hale? Am I going to die tonight, Misha?" Misha looked down at me and tilted his head with a smile. "No. You'll be fine." "What?" I said, doubtful. "What do you mean?" "He doesn't need to use you anymore..." Misha whispered, kissing my chest and moving down towards my crotch again. "Just relax...everything's going to be fine." His words seemed to soothe my mind, and my head sank back as he moved down my body and began to undress me. I gripped the sides of the table, trying to force myself to react, but I was quickly losing control of everything. Even my mind was starting to trust Misha. My hands ran down his body involuntarily, and my mind writhed in confusion. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to retain some sort of focus, but my body was beginning to become excited at the thought of his touch. Suddenly, I felt his energy beneath my hand, and focused on that. I let my energy intertwine with his in attempt to stop his incubus powers from controlling me. I felt his shaking, excited energy twist into my arm, and allowed my mind to wander into his thoughts. He felt nervous, fearful. I fixated on the energy, and was able to break away from him for a moment. I rolled off the table and dove for my jacket, retrieving the dagger. Before he could stop me, I turned and drove the blade into him. He screamed out as I slammed the blade through his bicep, pinning him against the wall. The dagger blade seemed to ignite with some kind of life, and began to glow a brilliant, cerulean blue. My mind was tossed into Misha's, and suddenly an image formed and blocked my vision of the real world. Kato was sitting in a room much like this one, with his arms bound behind his back. He was staring towards the ground with a defeated expression. "Are you going to drug me again?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the ground. "No." Misha said as he examined a vial of blood. He set the vial down and moved closer to Kato. "I don't want to do that to you yet." "If I give you what you want," Kato exhaled deeply, "will you leave him alone?" Misha nodded and moved closer to Kato's crotch. He was lying. Besides the fact that Misha was currently violating me, I could feel his true intent as I observed the memory. Suddenly, I realized that this had occurred before Hale had poisoned me. This was the night before Kato had been sent out to check the perimeter....Wait. Hale didn't poison me? Misha's thoughts poured into my mind...When Hale came to visit me, he injected me with a premade serum Misha had mixed. The serum contained wolfsbane, which Misha knew would harm me. Hale had made an incision but probably assumed it would heal. He was unaware that he was poisoning me with the injection... Misha was then able to take me to the basement and heal me, a perfect opportunity to make himself look like my hero. I watched as Misha brought his hand up to my face as he told me, "You've been poisoned, Decipher! Hale's a vampire!", and I believed him. I felt how pleased he was with himself for tricking me...fucking bastard. He put those images into my mind, making me believe Hale was responsible for everything. Even I had succumbed to blaming Hale. But why had he gone after Kato and given him an antidote to begin with? I felt sick as I discovered the answer. Misha had given Kato an antidote so that he could feed on his phoenix energy one more time. He was planning on convincing Hale to kill Kato at one point, so he figured he might as well savor the phoenix power one last time. My pulse throbbed in my head as the thoughts filled my mind. Misha had bribed Kato, telling him that he could have a little bit of extra energy if Misha would let him suck him...but he had to hide this from Hale. He knew that Kato wouldn't have enough energy to cause trouble, but Hale would notice something was off if he got too close. Misha had overheard a guard talking about signs of slithurms being in the area, and so he told Hale that he should sent Kato out, but left out the bit about the slithurms. Misha had hoped Kato would either be killed, or injured, giving Misha an excuse to give him an antidote. He used Kato's injury as an excuse to cover up what he had done. Hale had nothing to do with Misha's actions this time.I'm sorry you'll soon be dead. Misha thought to himself as he began to stroke at Kato. I'm sorry I had to save him over you. My heart welled with panic, causing me to lose focus. I couldn't see Misha's thoughts past this...all I knew was that he somehow convinced Hale to sacrifice Kato instead of me, and then raped Kato as a goodbye. I yelled out as my mind jerked away from the memory. My mind was still processing the jumbled thoughts I had just discovered. I glared into Misha's eyes as he whined in pain, and ripped the dagger out of his arm swiftly. I tossed the dagger aside, I wouldn't need it. "You convinced Hale to kill Kato instead of me?" I snarled. Misha stumbled away from me. "No! That was Hale's plan all along!" "Stop lying already!" I slammed my hand into his neck and gripped tight. "I can see your thoughts." I hissed through grit teeth. "What did you do to me?! Did you think I wouldn't find out you were tricking me into loving you?" "Stop!" Misha yelled. My body froze and began to lock up. My fingers swiped away from him, but left a trail of scratches along his neck. Fuck. I whined. No no no... "Decipher..." Misha said with a shaky breath, gripping his arm with a wince. "Calm down. Everything's okay. We're going to be okay. I know it hurts now, but soon you won't even remember Kato. Now, I need you to help me..." My body began to calm itself, and my eyes narrowed. How could he be serious? Was he planning on wiping my memory, and trying to build a new, controlled version of me? I couldn't believe it. My face twisted into a silent snarl, and my muscles shook against his commands. Now he needed some kind of sexual interaction to heal, and I was sure he'd want some kind of revenge...Suddenly, an idea sparked into my head. A sick, twisted thought that gave me a chance at making it out of here. "I didn't want it to be like this..." He whispered. "Did you want me to love you?" I whispered back. "Do you want me to love you like you've loved me?" I locked onto that thought, and focused on the pain he had caused me. I begged you to stop. I thought. But you just kept going. You're about to know what that's like. "Yeah...love me." He whispered, running his hands through my fur. I glanced down to his arm, and noticed that his excitement seemed to partially heal the stab wound. Now that he'd commanded me, I'd have no choice but to hurt him...and this time, I would kill him. I stopped fighting the command. My body twitched in response and gripped his sides, pulling him in closer to me. I ripped his pants off with a rough tug and pushed him up against the wall. I paused momentarily as he began to move his hands up and down my body again, pulling my boxers down. Was this really something I wanted to be responsible for? I let out a low growl, and let the wolf take over. My tip was already sticking out of my sheath, and Misha was already moving down to stroke at it. I let him lick and stroke at me until the stab wound had stopped bleeding. I was going to make him suffer, and I didn't want him bleeding out on me. My body trembled as my bones shifted and my joints cracked as they transformed into the beast. I growled and snatched his body with my pawed hands, flinging him towards the table. Quickly, I pinned him down against it, and lowered myself over him, brining my teeth close to his face. He struggled, which triggered my command. My claws dug into his back as I held him down. "Wait, Decipher..." He whined. "What are you doing?" I snarled again. Misha sounded just like I had, and the wolf wouldn't pity him. The wolf left deep red streaks down his back, which bled as he struggled under my now-sticky paws. My face leaned down and licked at the fresh blood. I could feel more memories of the awful things he had done swirling around in his panicked energy, but I was no longer curious. It didn't matter anymore. There was no way he could redeem himself at this point. I let my mind disconnect as the wolf tore into him, slamming his body against the table while he yelled out in pain. The wolf silenced him by wrapping his arm around Misha's face, choking his screams as teeth sank into his flesh. I felt a strange combination of satisfaction and disgust as the rage pulsed through my body and crushed Misha's. His ribs cracked one by one as the wolf pressed him into the table. Claws dug and tore into the table, teeth raked against flesh. I distanced my mind from the carnage. Misha's healing kept him alive, but he was quickly growing weak from the pain and blood loss. His body couldn't regenerate that quickly. The wolf was careful in his destruction of Misha's body, keeping him alive and alert through the torture. The wolf slammed into Misha one final time and howled. The sound echoed and travelled, I was sure the entire floor would have heard it. Slowly, the wolf pulled away from Misha's broken body with a satiated growl. His skin was stained red, and his bones had been crushed. Now, he laid across the torn table, blood oozing down the sides and pooling at my feet. I spun him around and snarled, lifting his weak, trembling body up toward my face. He stared at me with tears in his black eyes, blood dripping down his creased eyebrow. He let out a choked breath. "Des..." He wheezed. "I'm sorr.." His voice cut off with a violent cough, splattering blood against my face. He couldn't speak any more. His mouth and nose were dripping with a constant flow of red. His eyes stared at me with a defeated expression, and within them, I saw myself. I looked into the reflection in his dark eyes, and saw the blood dripping out of my mouth. Finish it. Suddenly, my body felt like my own again. The wolf was still full of rage, but the command was gone, and I felt strangely empty as the energy left me. The magic compulsion Reck had programmed into my mind was gone now, and anything I did from this point on would be no one's fault but my own. He waited in silence as I held his dying body. He wasn't going to beg for forgiveness anymore. He wanted to die. I froze. Finish it! The voice screamed. I let the blood pour out of my numb mouth, and I slowly lowered his body down. I set him on the ground, and he fell forward onto his knees as I kept a hold of his neck. I bent down close to him, pinning my ears back as my eyes locked with his. I was going to end this properly.I wish you weren't so fucking evil. I whispered, bringing my jaws to his throat. I growled and took his neck in my teeth. Goodbye, Misha. I loved you. I applied the pressure, and felt his skin tear under my sharp fangs. The blinding, cerulean light filled my vision again. Suddenly, my mind was hurled into another dimension. I felt Misha's slowing heartbeat under my teeth as my soul rushed into him. I felt his worthlessness, his fear and obsession to control everything that he could. I felt the way he admired Hale, and begged for his approval. I felt his desire, the craving he felt when he had first taken advantage of me. I felt the way he gave up on himself, and decided he would always be a monster. I felt the hopelessness, and the longing he felt when he realized I really did love him. And I realized I had become no better than him. You have a choice. The Goddess was there, waiting for me to decide. I closed my eyes. I felt my internal scanner activate. The feeling startled me. My mind focused on the structure of Misha's body, and how he was built. My internal scanner pinpointed the structures and cells that made him an incubus. If I destroy this... I thought. He will have nothing to blame but himself. But I still couldn't let Misha just walk away from what he'd done. I allowed my energy to snake into the areas of his body that contained the cells. I began to rework his body. I was no longer aware of the physical realm as I focused on the inky-black cells, tearing them apart. He wouldn't live unless I could replace these cells... I searched deep within my own DNA, and pulled pieces out to replace the dying pieces of Misha. I yelled out in pain as I ripped pieces of myself away. His body became infected with my DNA, and soon he would completely transform into the thing I once was. Misha would become something he didn't understand, a new kind of monster, something completely alien. He would only be able to free himself when he changed. Goddess. I cried out. Help me.
My mind felt still and empty as I explained to the Goddess what I wanted. Words could not communicate the vision I had...I only wanted to give him another chance. I felt the Goddess's calming presence in my head as she agreed to help me complete my task. My mind snapped back into reality, where I was holding Misha's bleeding, naked body as he vomited blood. His blood poured down my hands and arms, staining them red. He screamed and rolled around on the ground as I released his body. I backed away from him as he tossed and turned, smearing red across the white canvas. His hand reached out and gripped onto my leg before his body became limp. I watched as familiar black markings etched themselves up his arms, spreading through his entire body. Soon, he would be an alien. The silence slowly began to set in. I stared down at his limp, broken body as the markings claimed him. Misha now had a choice. If he chose to live, he would have to take responsibility for what he had done. The Goddess would direct him and give him an opportunity to redeem himself. Once he had truly repented, he would be free. I wasn't sure what this meant to the Goddess, but I allowed her to decide. I could do no more for him. For a moment, I wondered if he was willing to change, or if he would rather just live with his punishment. Now that Misha could no longer manipulate thoughts, it would be easy for Hale to see into his mind and discover his lies and betrayal. Hale would surely torment him for the rest of his life, especially since he had taken an alien form. My eyes wandered across the streaks and splatters of blood, and I held my hands in front of my face. I let my gaze observe the crimson splashes and smears across my stomach and legs... I was covered in his blood. I would never make it out of the medical wing without someone seeing me, and they would discover Misha shortly after. But there was nothing they could do for him now, he would be completely transformed in less than a few hours... The shock began to set in. I felt sick as my body began to return to its regular form. I staggered over to the sink. With shaking hands and blurred vision, I tried to rinse some of the blood off of me. My paws left red prints as I stepped. I became dizzy and fell over the sink, barely catching myself with my dripping hands. The water only spread the blood and made it fade to rust. My heart was throbbing in my chest, and I felt like I needed to vomit out my internal organs. My body heaved and wretched as red liquid forced itself up my throat. Guilt quickly replaced the rage. I looked down at my crotch with a disgusted expression. I immediately began to feel horrible about what I had done. My eyes wandered to my dagger, which had shattered against the floor. Devastated, I bent down with a shaking breath, reaching out to touch the fragmented pieces. Before I could touch the pieces, a noise outside the door made my head jerk upwards. I swallowed hard. Fuck. It was time to run.