Armand pretended he didn't notice Yuki as she burst through the door. He'd prepared his place to give him the time he needed, with an emergency button readily pressed, soldiers would file into the room, and Armand would lower the glass suspended from the ceiling, concealed also with a folding privacy wall, used normally for surgical operations, revamped to be protective. Drones hung readily from the ceiling, LEDs glowing red and ready to fire at any intruder. "She won't understand. Though I'm not sure you will either." He glanced at her for a moment, cutting her skin, watching her reaction intently. When her pain was back to a moderate condition and her healing caused her less discomfort, the testing would end.
(Yess I will be going to bed at some point here soonish so it'll give you guys some good time.)
(Hey back sorry I was at church) "So, Petree." Nyir gazed levelly at her. "Have you heard about Kodiak? And his situation?"
Rowan screamed as soon as the knife cut into her skin, struggled to yank and twist her arm away. She couldn't move it, held down by restraints. Making eye contact with Yuki she let out a pathetic wail, a cry for help.
“You can’t do this to her! She trusts you and you go and get a knife and slit her wrists! You may think you’re a healer, but you’re just like me!”, Yuki screamed.
No good. Too sensitive. The scream split his head, he put down the scalpel, her skin bubbling back into place. He had to re-cut the skin to insert the needle for the protein killer, injecting that, then a new protein, giving it a moment to settle in, ignoring Yuki's cries. She would heal, and he'd take the scalpel again. Though now the scalpel's blade was not strong enough to penetrate her skin. He moved to a sharper blade with serated edges and sawed into her arm in a different spot. He hoped it'd be over soon.
“Don’t you go ignoring me, you bloodthirsty monster! I should have killed you the first chance I got! I thought you would be better than this, after what you have gone through. I though you would understand!”, Yuki continued to yell.
Rowan let out an almost primal howl deep from her throat. It cut off, her voice cracking and becoming more high pitched. "Please." Rowan begged quietly. "M-Make it stop." She croaked.
Yuki pounded the cell. She knew she could break it. She wondered if she could in time to save Rowan.
"I can't Rowan. I have to." The first response from his mouth since this began. He was hoping he could utter the six words confidently, though it came out cracked and weak. His head ached from her screams, but he continued, pulling another protein after eradicating the other one, a spinning blade bearing down on her arm now, skipping the now futile knife. He'd fix his mistake whether Rowan would forgive him or not. He had to find the answer, his leader was becoming impatient.
Rowan felt faint, from just the sight of the blade, let alone the loud whirring noise it made as Armand sliced open her arm. She let out an earsplitting shriek as agony shot through her body. All she could do afterwards was whimper weakly, her voice to hoarse now to form words.
Yuki screamed as she destroyed the cell. The cuts in her knuckles reopened and blood was already dripping from her stinging knuckles. “I will kill you for what you have done to Rowan! She should never have trusted you! I should have taken her to a real healer! I shouldn’t have trusted you!” Her yelling was pointless. She continued to yell even though her she felt she was losing her voice. I will never be silenced! Not until President Harris is dead and I can finally kill myself! Armand will pay with his life for what he is doing to Rowan!
He had one more chance. Armand was frustrated beyond words. He killed the protein, waiting. He stared at the vial, processing it with his eyes as if they could change it into some magical formula. He injected it quickly, before her wound closed up and allowed her to heal before taking the power tool to her skin again. Her skin was still more resistant than it should have been, it didn't look like it was working..
Rowan closed her eyes tightly, the whirring of the knife ringing in her ears. Her small body was wracked with sobs. She clenched her teeth so hard she thought they might break. Seconds passed as Rowan waitedfor the excruciating pain. Nothing happened. Then a few more. Still nothing. Rowan slowly opened her eyes, uncertain of what she was going to find. She felt a small jolt of pain, but nothing more. It caught her by surprise and she let out a startled yelp. Looking down, she saw Armand had cut her skin open much like before. She stared up at him sniffling and wide eyed.
Yuki finally broke through the cell. She looked over at Armand. Her eyes were filled with rage. “You’re no better than the people who tortured us! You deserve to die just like them and President Harris”, she yelled.
Armand tossed the tool and placed both hands on either side of his head. He breathed hard, his head split with a headache, so after his surprise subsided he allowed it to drop to the table. He suppressed tears, sobs. He was so angry. He pressed a button and the walls raised, the broken ones falling clumsily to the ground when the hinges couldn't bring them back up. He picked his head up, training his eyes on Yuki. "Then for f***'s sake, kill me." he cursed.
"Yuki, d-don't hurt him." Rowan croaked, staring at her friend. She was still restrained. If Yuki decided to attack then there was nothing she could do to stop her. "Neither of you are monsters. Please, Yuki."
“What did he do to make you think this way!? How could you trust him after all he’s done to you!?”, she asked Rowan, hatred still glowing in her eyes.
"That's a lie." He growled at Rowan, suddenly feeling the urge to feel something, gripping the knife and flipping it, shoving it into his hand, uttering a small angry cry. He didn't know if he could feel it; adrenaline was pumping through him and it numbed him. He hated it. He removed the knife and tore her restraints away, moving to his desk and entering his new notes with one hand, clenching the other and letting it bleed, ignoring the other two.
"He was trying to fix his mistake, Yuki. It's the only way he knows how to help. Just like killing President Harris is the only way you know how to help the rebels." Rowan shot back. She eyed Armand warily, watching him bleed. "Please don't do this, Yuki. I don't want anymore yelling and fighting. My head hurts." She sniffled. Rowan was worn out and traumatized. The tests had left her exhausted. Grabbing a roll of gauze, Rowan walked over to Armand and set it down forcefully next to him. "You did what you had to." Her voice quavered. With that she turn to Yuki.
“I don’t know what to believe here.”, Yuki said in a shaky voice. She looked down at the scars up her wrist. “It reminds me too much of what happed to me.” Yuki ran out of the room.
He gripped the gauze roll, immediately soaking it with blood. "I don't know why you defend me. She isn't wrong." Her trust was making him sick, mixing with the uneasiness he already felt. He rolled the bandage around his hand pulling it taut, grunting at the sting of his broken flesh.
"Yes she is. You are too. You're both just blind." Rowan sighed, staring after Yuki. It felt like all the progress she'd made with her was now lost. "I swear I'm going to find her a purpose." She muttered, turning back to Armand.
"I don't know what's wrong with you. You're standing next to me despite what just happened. If I didn't find the protein in that vial, you'd be locked up until I was ready to try again." he finalized his notes, moving to clean up the mess he'd made.
