x
Trevor looked at Wren regretfully. Having her chained up after finally letting go of her past...what kind of brother was he? No. It was that pneumarian's fault. It may be his mindscape, but he didn't conjure this – this monitor with a twisted personality. He'd never hurt her.
I can do this, he told himself. I'll just answer the questions so she doesn't get hurt. I can take it without dying. That pneumarian's underestimating me.
[I can assure you that is not the case.] The monitor expressed.
Trevor was taken aback. It can read his thoughts?
[Let's see if your resolve is as firm as you boast. Do you enjoy your evolution from being human?]
"Easy. Yes," Trevor answered confidently. "Everything about being a klevonian is better than being a human. Why wouldn't I?"
In the next moment, a compartment from the tile floor opened, and a red boxing glove rose.
"Is this a joke?" Trevor laughed, but it was cut when the fist impacted his stomach, forcing his breath out.
He was surprised by the pain; though not overwhelming, it hurt more than it should have. The others looked at each other in confusion.
"Why'd that hurt so much?" Trevor coughed, unable to lean over.
"They made you human..." Damien answered, watching him closely.
"They made each of us human," Arne added. "That's why our powers are gone."
"Trevor..." Wren looked at her brother with concern. Now, they understood why each question could be fatal.
[Next question: Do you remember the last time you were human?]
Trevor looked at Wren. The others, he figured he could stomach being hurt. Not his sister.
He inhaled.
"Yes. It was the day I was saved," he answered, remembering the day Avarice and Wren found him.
Another compartment on the floor opened. This time, he couldn't see anything come out, but in the next instant, two sharp pieces of metal were shot into his shoulders. It happened so fast that his brain didn't realize what had happened until he saw the metal sticking out of him.
Slowly, the realization set in, along with the abrupt pain.
"Fughhh!" Trevor howled in pain as he smashed the back of his head against the wall, hoping the pain could distract him from the pain that flared in his shoulders.
"Jesus...," he whimpered as he hung his head, perspiring.
[Funny. I don't recall you ever being a religious man. Perhaps you'll rise to the occasion and sacrifice yourself for the sake of others, too.]
"Just shut up and move on to the next question," Trevor said defiantly.
[Very well. Question four: How does a rat survive slaughter?]
Trevor felt a twinge of memory spur somewhere deep within. His jaw clenched.
"What does that mean? I don't know," he responded, subconsciously suppressing the memory.
Not even 30 seconds later, Arne was struck hard in the face by a fist wearing a pair of familiar brass knuckles. Arne's face was instantly bloodied and bruised from the impact, and their head hung listlessly.
"Arne was knocked unconscious with one blow?" Naomi said, panic dripping in her voice.
Trevor winced as he looked away. He didn't care much for any of them, but the time he spent trapped in slumber helped him reflect on his past. Before, he'd blow a city up and not think twice about it, but that wasn't him anymore. Watching Arne, the pain in the ass who defeated him, in this state somehow made him feel uncomfortable.
[How does a rat survive slaughter?]
Trevor felt a memory trying to surface again, but it was suppressed once more.
"I don't know what that means!" he yelled.
Without hesitation, Arne was suddenly run through the stomach with a machete. Their restraints unlocked, allowing Arne to fall to the floor as blood pooled from their wound.
"ARNE!" Damien and Naomi called out as they struggled against their restraints.
"She actually killed one of us..." Wren uttered as she looked at Arne's lifeless body, bewildered.
"I thought she said she was a friend of Viraa's," Naomi said in disbelief.
"And you thought that meant you were safe!?" Wren exclaimed. "She lied! Or you don't know Viraa as well as you think you do. Either way, we're screwed. Either we die or Trevor. Should've just left us in our cell..."
[Question five: Can cheese lure in rats?]
"What? Is this just a game to you!?" Trevor yelled angrily.
[...]
"Yes! Yes...I guess. What is this?"
Next, a crowbar rose slowly from the floor. It was being held by a pair of mechanical arms.
Trevor's eyes widened.
"Wait. Hold on a sec..."
Ignoring his hesitance, the arms swung the crowbar, hitting both of his legs twice until they broke.
Trevor cried out as his legs were in an agony unlike anything he could remember ever experiencing. He wanted to curl up and bring them to his chest, but they hung there as blood began to leak from them.
His vision started to become blurry from the pain as he became light-headed.
Suddenly, he felt a rush of energy as his eyes opened wide in awareness. In his thigh was a syringe of adrenaline.
[Can't have you sleeping. Question six: Do you like cheese?]
The monitor was mocking him. Trevor's expression became grim.
"No," he said flatly.
[Tsk tsk tsk. Not true.]
A 20-handed device rose from the floor before Naomi as her restraint shifted her into a sitting position with her hands extended. Quickly and with no wasted movements, the device gripped each of her fingernails and ripped them from her fingers.
Naomi cried out as tears ran down her face. As she bled, the monitor moved on.
Trevor looked at Naomi, writhing in pain with sympathy.
"Naomi! Breathe through the pain." Damien veered at the glass wall with murderous intent, but he remained quiet. Observant. He knew empty threats were pointless right now.
[Question seven: Cana rat feel regret? Remorse?]
6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKPdTm0qCO
