Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Blood Fetish ❯ Chapter 1
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.08.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.08.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress
Category: Yaoi, anime, Gundam Wing, TWT
Warning: Major angst, Dark, Torture, Shonen ai
Pairings: 1+2, mention of 3x4, will be 1x2
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
Blood Fetish
Part 1
Quatre hung limp against the wall, the chains on his wrists the only thing keeping him suspened off the floor. Blood was drying on the side of his face from where the guards had hit him and he'd yet to regain consciousness. Trowa watched the boy with a mixture of concern and fury from where he was chained next to him. On the other side of the pale boy Wufei was also monitoring Quatre's breathing anxiously. Only Heero was calm, but that was just a facade. Inside he was in turmoil. It was impossible to believe that they'd all been captured, but it was the fact that Duo was not there that had him on edge. The longhaired boy hadn't been mentioned by the soldiers who'd chained them, and Heero still didn't know if he'd been captured or not.
As much as he liked the gentle Arabian, he wasn't as worried about him as he was about the missing pilot. He knew Quatre was breathing. He couldn't even say that much about Duo. Glaring, he looked up at the cuffs that held his wrist chained above him. They weren't locked by a key, even if he'd had lock-picks, but were instead controlled by a switch on the other side of the room, far out of reach. The room itself had Heero worried as well, as he could smell blood in it, see the dried splashes on the cement floor that either hadn't been washed, or hadn't come clean. This was no ordinary torture room.
Glancing upward, his eyes locked onto the pole that hung down from the ceiling in the center of the room, a hook on the end of it. If they hadn't caught the American pilot, they had a chance of getting out, although Heero couldn't imagine what the boy would be able to do against a defense that had managed to catch the four of them. Alone, they had no hope of escaping. When the door to the cell was opened, Heero blanked his expression as his calculating eyes moved over the tall man who entered. Taking in the coiled whip attached to the man's belt, Heero gave an inward groan. //That explains the blood.// Reminding himself that they weren't likely to be killed, he waited to see what the man would do.
Like a shark, the man moved immediately to Quatre, one hand wiping at the drying liquid on the boy's face. Stiffening despite his helplessness, Trowa watched the man lift his hand to his mouth, tasting the blood on his fingers before turning his head to look at the green-eyed pilot. Seeing the boy's fury, he smiled and moved closer to Quatre, leaning down to run his tongue over the boy's
cheek.
Watching Trowa, Heero marveled at his restraint. An eye still on the tall boy, the man gripped Quatre's chin, lifting his head so he could look at the boy. In an unexpected move, he slapped him, giving a disappointed sigh when he didn't react. Letting Quatre's head fall to his chest, the man moved back so he could see the three conscious pilots. Reaching up, he fingered the hook lightly as he looked from one boy to the other. "I prefer someone who'll give me a good show.
Any volunteers?"
Before he could continue, there was a low buzzing sound and he whirled with an irritated growl and stalked to the door opening it with obvious anger. Heero was the first to see who was on the other side and his heart sank as he saw Duo flanked by two soldiers. Wide eyes moving over the other pilots, Duo winced as he met Heero's furious gaze. 'I'm sorry,' he mouthed quickly, then the man in front of him gripped his shoulder and he drew in his breath painfully. Eyes shining at the blood from the boy's bullet wound, the man dismissed the guards and caught the cuffs holding Duo's wrists together. Pulling him into the room, he smiled at the pilots before gripping the boy's arms and lifting him so the hook caught the cuffs, holding the boy so his feet barely touched the ground.
Turning, he went to shut the door. Looking up at the hook, Duo's eyes widened before he glanced at the cobalt-eyed pilot again. 'Gomen, Heero. Gomen.' Flinching at the boy's anger, he dropped his eyes as he waited. He'd had no choice, it wasn't his fault he'd been caught, but he wasn't going to try explaining that to Heero. Crossing the room to stand in front of the boy, the man hit him across the face, gripping his braid and pulling his head back so
Duo met his brown eyes, the man standing a good foot taller than him.
Enjoying the fight he could see in the boy, the man released his grip. "Don't move your head," he warned, pulling a small razor blade out of a pocket on his belt. Pulling the high collar of Duo's shirt away from his neck, he cut through the cloth, moving over his wounded shoulder and up to his wrist. He then cut the other side, not reacting when Duo drew in his breath sharply, his shirt falling to the floor to reveal places along his arm where the blade had cut skin. Seeing the blood, the man licked his lips, again using the boy's hair to make him meet his gaze. "There's something about it. Blood is the life of man." Pushing the boy's head to the side abruptly, he licked the line of blood, not seeing the incredulous expression on Duo's face as he stared at him out of the corner of his eye.
Pulling back, he moved around the boy so he stood behind him. Catching sight of six long scars, the man let out a bark of laughter. "This'll make it harder for you," he said, smiling as his hands moved lightly over the scars, tracing one with a fingertip. "Scarred skin doesn't bleed as easily." Seeing Heero's eyes narrow, the man smirked again, moving to where Duo could see him. "They didn't know? Well, don't worry, there'll be no secrets here."
Looking at the chained boys, his eyes latched on to Quatre who moved his head slowly, blinking groggily. Smirking as the boy caught sight of Duo, the man nodded sharply. "I was hoping you'd join us. As soon as I...break...this one, it'll be your turn." Turning to Duo, the man waved his hand, gesturing to the blonde boy. "Say something to him."
Eyes meeting Quatre's, Duo looked to Trowa and managed a small tight smile. "Ninmu ryoukai."
Glaring, the man shoved the boy in front of him, pulling him up again when he fell back. "In English."
Steeling himself, Duo met the man's gaze, his own violet eyes shooting sparks. "No."
Eyes widening, the man drew his fist back, letting it fly and hitting Duo in the face so blood trickled down his chin. Gripping his long braid, the man pulled his head up, tongue flicking out to lap up the thin trail of red. Opening the boy's clenched teeth, he moved closer, not kissing him so much as tasting the blood in his mouth. Duo's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the narrowed brown eyes so close to his, then he winced as the man bit down viciously on his bottom lip, cutting it with his teeth.
Moving back a bit, he smiled at the blood that ran down the boy's neck. "Won't be getting any more smart remarks out of *that* mouth, eh? Now," taking the whip, he unfurled it with relish, gripping the long tail and bringing it up to the boy's face, running it lightly over the bloody lip and causing Duo to wince again. "That's salt. It's an old tradition, salting the leather. It takes time, but it's well worth it." Pulling Duo's braid over his shoulder so it hung down his chest, the man moved behind him, cracking the whip in the air and laughing when Duo flinched.
Bringing the whip down lightly on the boy's back, he chuckled as Duo's head lowered and his shoulders hunched. Then he brought it down again so the tip cut into the back of his neck, laughing when the boy's head rose. "You'll have to keep your head up if you want me to stay only on your back, boy. Much better," he said lightly when Duo slowly raised his head, eyes closed tightly so he wouldn't see the other pilots. Swinging the whip with years of expertise, the man made a small, satisfied sound at the thin line of blood before striking the boy again.
From where he stood, Heero couldn't tell how badly the man was cutting Duo. The Death Scythe pilot had yet to scream, but his face was white and his skin was growing paler with each blow. Staring at the boy's pain-wrought face and tightly closed eyes, Heero was grateful to his own numbness. The helplessness and fury had given way to a cold, dead feeling inside him and he took solace in it although each muffled cry that escaped Duo's lips threatened to crack that barrier. When the man paused, Heero watched the closed eyes fervently. He didn't know what he was hoping to see there, all he knew was that he wanted to see Duo's eyes and he couldn't.
Examining his work, the man moved his hands over the boy's back, making a tisking sound when Duo flinched forward and away from his touch. Sliding an arm around the boy's waist, he held him still as his other hand pressed roughly on the criss-crossed slashes, sighing when the quiet boy let out a choked cry. Screams were to be expected, but he didn't need them to know he was doing well. The blood was evidence enough. Coating both hands, he moved to stand in front of his victim, the other pilots forgotten for the moment. "Open your eyes," he ordered briskly, smiling when he saw the violet depths still had fight in them. Holding his blood-covered hands up in front of the boy, he smirked. "This is you."
Staring at the obviously insane man, Duo couldn't keep his eyes open as those bloody hands approached his face, grimacing when he felt the thick wetness being smeared on his cheeks. //Why the *hell* would he do that?! Jesus...that's a lot of blood...// Not opening his eyes, Duo grimaced again at the feel of it on his face, longing to wipe it off on his arms but not daring to. Then the man hit him again with the whip, the leather stinging his cuts and making him want to scream. Choking back the cry that tried to get past his lips, his entire being focused on the three things that were most important. //Postpone the others' torture as long as possible, keep my head up...and breathe. Why do I keep forgetting to breathe...?//
As the torture resumed, Heero noticed something that shattered his numbness. A small pool of blood was collecting at Duo's feet. Biting back a cry of his own, his eyes flew to Duo's blood-smeared face, the soldier in him noting exactly how pale the boy's skin was. The only thing that kept him from screaming at the man was the fear that he'd make things worse. //They don't want us dead. Why doesn't he stop?! Can't he see that he won't break him?!// Looking at Duo, his breath caught in his throat as the boy's face slowly relaxed, his head sagging forward as his legs gave out beneath him and he hung limp from the hook holding his cuffs. //Stubborn fool...why did he fight so long...?//
Hitting the boy's neck when his head fell, the man waited for him to jerk it back up, frowning when he didn't move. He walked around the boy, pushing his chin up and slapping him roughly in hopes of waking him. "I know you're awake." Shoving Duo's head to the side, he bit roughly into the junction of neck and shoulder, the boy's flinch proving he was right. "Open your eyes or I'll go to one of your friends. Is that what you want?" When the boy didn't move, he buried his fist in his stomach, grunting in disgust as he turned to the others. Eyes narrowing, he caught the not quite hidden relief in their gazes and shook his head. "On second thought, maybe just a bit more before I let you down."
Turning back to the limp boy, he moved behind him, bringing the whip down in the hardest hit yet. Lurching forward, Duo took an audibly ragged breath, his eyes opening to the smallest of slits as he struggled to stand. Then the man hit him with another forceful blow and he sagged, his eyes meeting Wufei's for a brief second before he went limp again.
"Yamero! Stop!"
The man froze in utter surprise as he met Heero's desperate gaze. "No," he said lightly, laughing at the boy's outrageous order. Bringing the whip back, he swung it again.
"Enough!"
Pausing, he looked at Quatre in disbelief.
"You're killing him!" the blonde boy screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Look at him! He's *bleeding* to death."
"And you may not have noticed," Trowa put in, voice cold, eyes shining with unconcealed hate. "But he's stopped breathing."
"Duo?! No! Duo!!"
Eyes wide, the man stared at the dark-haired boy who was tearing at his wrists as if he would pull them off. Then his wary eyes moved to the still boy before him as he stepped around him, his hand moving to his neck. Swallowing sharply, he stiffened in obvious fear, not glancing at the pilots as he turned, dropping the whip and bolting for the door. He jerked it open and left the room at a run.
"Duo..." Staring at the limp form in the center of the room, Heero seemed to cave in on himself. Letting out a strangled moan, he lowered his head as tears filled his eyes.
"He's gone."
Trowa and Quatre turned at the same time to gape at Wufei's calm expression. Ignoring them, he stared at Duo.
"Wake up, he's gone."
Convinced he'd lost it, the two boy's looked at each other. It wasn't until they heard the Chinese boy give a sigh of relief that they glanced back at him, eyes widening as they followed his gaze to see Duo slowly getting to his feet. Head snapping up at Quatre's glad cry, Heero stared in disbelief as the American stood on his tiptoes, trying to get enough height to get off the hook. Not being tall enough, he crouched as much as he could and jumped up, falling heavily to the ground as he cleared the hook. Still unable to believe he was alive, it took Heero a moment before he realized Duo wasn't moving.
"Duo!"
Lifting his head weakly, the longhaired boy slowly made it to his knees, his glazed eyes moving toward the open door of the cell and the switch on the wall. Heero's eyes widened at the thick blood that coated the boy's back as if painted on, then Duo finally got to his feet, stumbling across the room and hitting the switch with the palm of his hand before crumpling boneless to the floor.
* * *
TBC
Warning: Major angst, Dark, Torture, Shonen ai
Pairings: 1+2, mention of 3x4, will be 1x2
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
Blood Fetish
Part 1
Quatre hung limp against the wall, the chains on his wrists the only thing keeping him suspened off the floor. Blood was drying on the side of his face from where the guards had hit him and he'd yet to regain consciousness. Trowa watched the boy with a mixture of concern and fury from where he was chained next to him. On the other side of the pale boy Wufei was also monitoring Quatre's breathing anxiously. Only Heero was calm, but that was just a facade. Inside he was in turmoil. It was impossible to believe that they'd all been captured, but it was the fact that Duo was not there that had him on edge. The longhaired boy hadn't been mentioned by the soldiers who'd chained them, and Heero still didn't know if he'd been captured or not.
As much as he liked the gentle Arabian, he wasn't as worried about him as he was about the missing pilot. He knew Quatre was breathing. He couldn't even say that much about Duo. Glaring, he looked up at the cuffs that held his wrist chained above him. They weren't locked by a key, even if he'd had lock-picks, but were instead controlled by a switch on the other side of the room, far out of reach. The room itself had Heero worried as well, as he could smell blood in it, see the dried splashes on the cement floor that either hadn't been washed, or hadn't come clean. This was no ordinary torture room.
Glancing upward, his eyes locked onto the pole that hung down from the ceiling in the center of the room, a hook on the end of it. If they hadn't caught the American pilot, they had a chance of getting out, although Heero couldn't imagine what the boy would be able to do against a defense that had managed to catch the four of them. Alone, they had no hope of escaping. When the door to the cell was opened, Heero blanked his expression as his calculating eyes moved over the tall man who entered. Taking in the coiled whip attached to the man's belt, Heero gave an inward groan. //That explains the blood.// Reminding himself that they weren't likely to be killed, he waited to see what the man would do.
Like a shark, the man moved immediately to Quatre, one hand wiping at the drying liquid on the boy's face. Stiffening despite his helplessness, Trowa watched the man lift his hand to his mouth, tasting the blood on his fingers before turning his head to look at the green-eyed pilot. Seeing the boy's fury, he smiled and moved closer to Quatre, leaning down to run his tongue over the boy's
cheek.
Watching Trowa, Heero marveled at his restraint. An eye still on the tall boy, the man gripped Quatre's chin, lifting his head so he could look at the boy. In an unexpected move, he slapped him, giving a disappointed sigh when he didn't react. Letting Quatre's head fall to his chest, the man moved back so he could see the three conscious pilots. Reaching up, he fingered the hook lightly as he looked from one boy to the other. "I prefer someone who'll give me a good show.
Any volunteers?"
Before he could continue, there was a low buzzing sound and he whirled with an irritated growl and stalked to the door opening it with obvious anger. Heero was the first to see who was on the other side and his heart sank as he saw Duo flanked by two soldiers. Wide eyes moving over the other pilots, Duo winced as he met Heero's furious gaze. 'I'm sorry,' he mouthed quickly, then the man in front of him gripped his shoulder and he drew in his breath painfully. Eyes shining at the blood from the boy's bullet wound, the man dismissed the guards and caught the cuffs holding Duo's wrists together. Pulling him into the room, he smiled at the pilots before gripping the boy's arms and lifting him so the hook caught the cuffs, holding the boy so his feet barely touched the ground.
Turning, he went to shut the door. Looking up at the hook, Duo's eyes widened before he glanced at the cobalt-eyed pilot again. 'Gomen, Heero. Gomen.' Flinching at the boy's anger, he dropped his eyes as he waited. He'd had no choice, it wasn't his fault he'd been caught, but he wasn't going to try explaining that to Heero. Crossing the room to stand in front of the boy, the man hit him across the face, gripping his braid and pulling his head back so
Duo met his brown eyes, the man standing a good foot taller than him.
Enjoying the fight he could see in the boy, the man released his grip. "Don't move your head," he warned, pulling a small razor blade out of a pocket on his belt. Pulling the high collar of Duo's shirt away from his neck, he cut through the cloth, moving over his wounded shoulder and up to his wrist. He then cut the other side, not reacting when Duo drew in his breath sharply, his shirt falling to the floor to reveal places along his arm where the blade had cut skin. Seeing the blood, the man licked his lips, again using the boy's hair to make him meet his gaze. "There's something about it. Blood is the life of man." Pushing the boy's head to the side abruptly, he licked the line of blood, not seeing the incredulous expression on Duo's face as he stared at him out of the corner of his eye.
Pulling back, he moved around the boy so he stood behind him. Catching sight of six long scars, the man let out a bark of laughter. "This'll make it harder for you," he said, smiling as his hands moved lightly over the scars, tracing one with a fingertip. "Scarred skin doesn't bleed as easily." Seeing Heero's eyes narrow, the man smirked again, moving to where Duo could see him. "They didn't know? Well, don't worry, there'll be no secrets here."
Looking at the chained boys, his eyes latched on to Quatre who moved his head slowly, blinking groggily. Smirking as the boy caught sight of Duo, the man nodded sharply. "I was hoping you'd join us. As soon as I...break...this one, it'll be your turn." Turning to Duo, the man waved his hand, gesturing to the blonde boy. "Say something to him."
Eyes meeting Quatre's, Duo looked to Trowa and managed a small tight smile. "Ninmu ryoukai."
Glaring, the man shoved the boy in front of him, pulling him up again when he fell back. "In English."
Steeling himself, Duo met the man's gaze, his own violet eyes shooting sparks. "No."
Eyes widening, the man drew his fist back, letting it fly and hitting Duo in the face so blood trickled down his chin. Gripping his long braid, the man pulled his head up, tongue flicking out to lap up the thin trail of red. Opening the boy's clenched teeth, he moved closer, not kissing him so much as tasting the blood in his mouth. Duo's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the narrowed brown eyes so close to his, then he winced as the man bit down viciously on his bottom lip, cutting it with his teeth.
Moving back a bit, he smiled at the blood that ran down the boy's neck. "Won't be getting any more smart remarks out of *that* mouth, eh? Now," taking the whip, he unfurled it with relish, gripping the long tail and bringing it up to the boy's face, running it lightly over the bloody lip and causing Duo to wince again. "That's salt. It's an old tradition, salting the leather. It takes time, but it's well worth it." Pulling Duo's braid over his shoulder so it hung down his chest, the man moved behind him, cracking the whip in the air and laughing when Duo flinched.
Bringing the whip down lightly on the boy's back, he chuckled as Duo's head lowered and his shoulders hunched. Then he brought it down again so the tip cut into the back of his neck, laughing when the boy's head rose. "You'll have to keep your head up if you want me to stay only on your back, boy. Much better," he said lightly when Duo slowly raised his head, eyes closed tightly so he wouldn't see the other pilots. Swinging the whip with years of expertise, the man made a small, satisfied sound at the thin line of blood before striking the boy again.
From where he stood, Heero couldn't tell how badly the man was cutting Duo. The Death Scythe pilot had yet to scream, but his face was white and his skin was growing paler with each blow. Staring at the boy's pain-wrought face and tightly closed eyes, Heero was grateful to his own numbness. The helplessness and fury had given way to a cold, dead feeling inside him and he took solace in it although each muffled cry that escaped Duo's lips threatened to crack that barrier. When the man paused, Heero watched the closed eyes fervently. He didn't know what he was hoping to see there, all he knew was that he wanted to see Duo's eyes and he couldn't.
Examining his work, the man moved his hands over the boy's back, making a tisking sound when Duo flinched forward and away from his touch. Sliding an arm around the boy's waist, he held him still as his other hand pressed roughly on the criss-crossed slashes, sighing when the quiet boy let out a choked cry. Screams were to be expected, but he didn't need them to know he was doing well. The blood was evidence enough. Coating both hands, he moved to stand in front of his victim, the other pilots forgotten for the moment. "Open your eyes," he ordered briskly, smiling when he saw the violet depths still had fight in them. Holding his blood-covered hands up in front of the boy, he smirked. "This is you."
Staring at the obviously insane man, Duo couldn't keep his eyes open as those bloody hands approached his face, grimacing when he felt the thick wetness being smeared on his cheeks. //Why the *hell* would he do that?! Jesus...that's a lot of blood...// Not opening his eyes, Duo grimaced again at the feel of it on his face, longing to wipe it off on his arms but not daring to. Then the man hit him again with the whip, the leather stinging his cuts and making him want to scream. Choking back the cry that tried to get past his lips, his entire being focused on the three things that were most important. //Postpone the others' torture as long as possible, keep my head up...and breathe. Why do I keep forgetting to breathe...?//
As the torture resumed, Heero noticed something that shattered his numbness. A small pool of blood was collecting at Duo's feet. Biting back a cry of his own, his eyes flew to Duo's blood-smeared face, the soldier in him noting exactly how pale the boy's skin was. The only thing that kept him from screaming at the man was the fear that he'd make things worse. //They don't want us dead. Why doesn't he stop?! Can't he see that he won't break him?!// Looking at Duo, his breath caught in his throat as the boy's face slowly relaxed, his head sagging forward as his legs gave out beneath him and he hung limp from the hook holding his cuffs. //Stubborn fool...why did he fight so long...?//
Hitting the boy's neck when his head fell, the man waited for him to jerk it back up, frowning when he didn't move. He walked around the boy, pushing his chin up and slapping him roughly in hopes of waking him. "I know you're awake." Shoving Duo's head to the side, he bit roughly into the junction of neck and shoulder, the boy's flinch proving he was right. "Open your eyes or I'll go to one of your friends. Is that what you want?" When the boy didn't move, he buried his fist in his stomach, grunting in disgust as he turned to the others. Eyes narrowing, he caught the not quite hidden relief in their gazes and shook his head. "On second thought, maybe just a bit more before I let you down."
Turning back to the limp boy, he moved behind him, bringing the whip down in the hardest hit yet. Lurching forward, Duo took an audibly ragged breath, his eyes opening to the smallest of slits as he struggled to stand. Then the man hit him with another forceful blow and he sagged, his eyes meeting Wufei's for a brief second before he went limp again.
"Yamero! Stop!"
The man froze in utter surprise as he met Heero's desperate gaze. "No," he said lightly, laughing at the boy's outrageous order. Bringing the whip back, he swung it again.
"Enough!"
Pausing, he looked at Quatre in disbelief.
"You're killing him!" the blonde boy screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Look at him! He's *bleeding* to death."
"And you may not have noticed," Trowa put in, voice cold, eyes shining with unconcealed hate. "But he's stopped breathing."
"Duo?! No! Duo!!"
Eyes wide, the man stared at the dark-haired boy who was tearing at his wrists as if he would pull them off. Then his wary eyes moved to the still boy before him as he stepped around him, his hand moving to his neck. Swallowing sharply, he stiffened in obvious fear, not glancing at the pilots as he turned, dropping the whip and bolting for the door. He jerked it open and left the room at a run.
"Duo..." Staring at the limp form in the center of the room, Heero seemed to cave in on himself. Letting out a strangled moan, he lowered his head as tears filled his eyes.
"He's gone."
Trowa and Quatre turned at the same time to gape at Wufei's calm expression. Ignoring them, he stared at Duo.
"Wake up, he's gone."
Convinced he'd lost it, the two boy's looked at each other. It wasn't until they heard the Chinese boy give a sigh of relief that they glanced back at him, eyes widening as they followed his gaze to see Duo slowly getting to his feet. Head snapping up at Quatre's glad cry, Heero stared in disbelief as the American stood on his tiptoes, trying to get enough height to get off the hook. Not being tall enough, he crouched as much as he could and jumped up, falling heavily to the ground as he cleared the hook. Still unable to believe he was alive, it took Heero a moment before he realized Duo wasn't moving.
"Duo!"
Lifting his head weakly, the longhaired boy slowly made it to his knees, his glazed eyes moving toward the open door of the cell and the switch on the wall. Heero's eyes widened at the thick blood that coated the boy's back as if painted on, then Duo finally got to his feet, stumbling across the room and hitting the switch with the palm of his hand before crumpling boneless to the floor.
* * *
TBC