When I awaken, I find myself strapped to a table with my legs suspended in the air by stirrups, like those found in an OB/GYN’s office. My head pounds with pain and confusion.
Wha…where am I?
I’m in a sterile white room. My wings are bound to the table with metal clamps like those holding my naked body to the cold surface. Standing at the foot of the table, between my legs, is Vincent.
“Y’know, Vinnie, you’re not very creative if you’re going to rape me.”
“Don’t worry, my dear, I’d never be so crude.”
I growl a little, remembering the poor people I’d come across in those retched halls.
“Oh, I see. You’re not crude enough to RAPE me, but you’re willing to torture people to the breaking point and rob them, not only of their minds, but of their sight, too? What’s stopping you, sicko? Can’t get it up? Or maybe you jerked off one too many times and you actually did yank the lil’ thing off! What, you couldn’t get it back on? Always knew you were nothin’ but a lil’ sawed off bitch boy!”
He gets a twisted little grin on his face. “That’s what I love about you, dark angel. Your spirit. Even finding your love dead and killing your equivalent merely weeks later wouldn’t break you.”
My eyes widen.
How…? Bastard musta been going through my memories!
“That, my sweet butterfly,” he continues, reaching up to caress my jaw and grinning when seeing the shock on my face when I find I can’t even unsheathe my claws, “is why you are the one to carry my children.”
“…your WHAT?!”
“Within your womb rest three embryos.” He lays a hand on my thus far flat belly. “They were made of your egg and my seed, then implanted back into your body. That remarkable healing factor of yours prevented you from permanent injury.”
I lie there in shock.
Me? A…a mom? To children that aren’t Raph’s?! HELL NO!!
I jerk against my restraints, not wanting these parasites in my body.
“Oh no, flower, no. You must rest. You will be big with my children soon, and you needen’t hurt them.”
“Damn you! I’m not some piece of meat or helpless butterfly or flower that you seem to want me to be! Get away from me!! Bastard!”
“You do realize you’re screaming at the father of your children.”
I growl, shaking with rage in my restraints. “You didn’t put embryos in my body! You put demon spawn in! You son of a bitch…”
“Perhaps you will be calmer in the morning, my dear.” He turns to go before pausing and looking back to me. “Oh, and by the way, our children will only take about five days to finish growing within you.”
My eyes widen. “I’ll burst open!”
“Oh, worry not, my dear, we have that taken care of. Your beauty is a rare one, and it would not be fit to marr it forever.” He turns to leave again, pausing at the door long enough to look back at me. “I wish you good night, my dear. May you dream of our future children; I will be.” With that, he turns out the light, closing the door behind himself and leaving me in the darkness, alone with my fear and sorrow.
After an unknown period, I must have transitioned from helpless tears to exhausted sleep, because I’m torn from dreams of a monster bursting out of my stomach by lights and sirens screaming their protest into the night.
When I open my eyes, I discover that I had been moved into a more comfortable position. Now I’m flat on my back with a cushion under me and a thin blanket thrown over me. I’m still bound firmly enough so I can’t move. I manage to look down at myself and see with horror that my belly is already taking a more rounded shape. It’s then that I notice how sick I’m feeling.
Oh gods, I don’t think I’ve ever been this scared in
my life. I wonder what’s going on…
I look around, and during the brief flashes of illumination, I see that I’m in a room much like the other room. I also notice that there are cameras watching me from every angle.
Heh…guess they don’t want their preggie prize escaping…
Lastly, I see a form huddled in one of the corners.
I wonder if that’s one of those poor people from the tunnel…
“Hello?” I call softly, not quite knowing what else to say.
The figure rises and comes to the bedside. It’s the same girl I talked to before. Replacing the rags I first saw her in is a simple, unflattering gray dress, and she’s impeccably clean.
“Yes, mistress?” she asks in her dead voice.
“Mistress?”
She nods. “You bear the All Powerful One’s children, and I am your slave.”
“My what?! Slave? Nonononono…who made you my slave?”
“The All Powerful One.”
“Figures…look, sweetie, you really don’t have to stick around here if you don’t want to. I mean, I’m no better or worse than you are…”
“I must stay. If I leave, I will die.”
“Even if you took me with you?”
She nods, and I sigh.
“Well, ok…will you answer questions?”
“Yes, Mistress.”
I shudder. “Please don’t call me that. I’m HLM.”
“Yes, Mistress HLM.”
“Uh…no…just HLM.”
Confusion is the first emotion I ever see cross her face.
Man…I didn’t even mean to confuse the poor thing either…
“Uhm…how about you call me whatever you’re most comfortable calling me.”
She nods again.
“Ok…what’s your name?”
“The Master calls me Rose.”
Now that her hair’s clean, I can see that it’s light pink, vaguely similar to the color of the flower she’s named for.
Wonder why this loser has such an obsession with flowers…maybe he’s a disgruntled gardener or something…
“That’s a pretty name, Rose. Now why are all these lights and sirens going?”
She doesn’t respond to the compliment, but does answer with, “There are intruders on the ship.”
Part
Twelve
Part Fourteen
Mind Index