Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Wastes ❯ Chapter Thirty ( Chapter 30 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Farrah rolled her eyes, freezing as she felt her throat tightening. Her eyes widened as she looked over at Maven. A frown creasing her lips as she pushed down on his mind. "Very well then. I will dispense with the formalities. We are in need of your abilities. If you supply us with what we want you will be free to go."

"You're threats are useless," she smiled. "I can feel you in there," she whispered to Maven. "There you are...trying so hard." She pressed her forehead to his and pushed his hair from his eyes. "I'll be with you every step of the way just like I promised. I can't put you on the right path but I will stand beside you on the journey."

"I'm not threatening you," Farrah sighed, growing annoyed with this. "I'm offering you a chance to have everything you've ever wanted and more. You want the forests? There could be millions like this. The animals would be safe with places to go, food to eat, and water to drink."

She paused at that. Could that really happen? Laying her head on Maven's chest, she snuggled into him. "And Maven?"

"That's not my decision," she stated honestly.

"Who's is it?”

"Shepherd's...and his," she said nodding toward Maven.

"He would choose to come with me. He already promised. I want to talk to this Shepherd man."

"Very well then." She waved her hand and Maven stepped away from her and put back on his mask. Farrah then pointed to the door. "Follow me."

Skyla took the mask off him and threw it to the ground. Taking his hand, she followed behind Farrah.

Farrah stopped as she saw that. Rolling her eyes, she snapped her fingers. Maven pulled away from Skyla and went to get his mask. "Don't make this any harder than it is."

"It isn't hard. You don't give him free will. If anything, you are the one in the wrong."

"I am simply reminding him of who he really is. That's all. You're the one who made him think he was anything different."

"I didn't do anything. I love him. He did the rest."

"And the sweet lies you told him about he and I? How he killed himself because of our love. How you told him you loved him. How you told him how his bird wanted you to be with him."

"I do love him. And at first Zenith did want us together. Those things I told him about you and him...you planted those with your gift. A gift you abuse," she said with narrow eyes.

Farrah smiled and shrugged. "A girl has to use the talents she's blessed with."

"Not for personal gain. And you know that! They are gifts! Gifts to help people!"

"And what better way to help people than to find the vault?"

Skyla stopped walking. Reaching into Farrah's memories she read them like documents then stepped back. "I won't help you. I won't show you. I would rather die."

Farrah smirked and looked at her. "And just why is that?"

"You and Shepherd have plans to use the vault to control the world. People would do anything to have clean air to breath and healthy babies in the women’s' bellies... Shepherd wants to offer the world the vault for complete submission and you want me to look in the future and find it." She fisted her hands. "I will never do it! Never!"

Farrah walked up to, smiling as she cupped her face. "And what if I told you that Maven was the only one who could open the vault?"

"People like you die alone and bitter. I won't help you."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." She looked at Maven. "Heel boy."

Maven's body twisted and contorted as he grasped his head and pain and fell to the ground screaming.

"Stop it! Stop!" Skyla cried. "Please!"

"Help us," she whispered.

"Why don't you just do that to me? He doesn't have to be in this! Please! Stop it!"

Maven's screams got louder as his body writhed, twisting at unusual angles. "Because, if you felt the pain you would consider yourself a martyr. If he feels the pain, you will blame yourself. As you rightfully should. His pain is caused by you."

"Fine! I'll do it! Just let him go!"

"Not until you give me the location."

"Just stop hurting him!"

She sighed and snapped her fingers. Maven stopped moving, his breathing heavy and strained.

Skyla rushed to him, cradling him on the ground. "I'm sorry...I'm so weak...." she whispered and she cried on him. "I'll fix this...."

"Oh please. Enough with the water works. He'll be fine. He's felt worse. Now get with reading the future."

"It's not that easy..." she said as she stroked Maven's head. "I can only see a few hours into the future. On very rare occasions I can see weeks or months or years...but I can't force it."

"That's quite alright. We have ways of evoking powers. You didn't honestly think that Xenomorphs were naturally as powerful as he was? It takes years of discipline and drugs to get like this."

Skyla closed her eyes. How did things end up like this? Now that Farrah was here...she could see Maven's real past...and Farrah's future. She hoped it would lead to death. Reaching in her mind, she focused on Farrah. Maybe she could find an escape route. However, after a few minutes, she got something else. She looked at Farrah. "Your powers don't work on me...it's why you have forced me to do anything," she smiled. This information could save her life.

Farrah smiled. "Such a clever girl you are. You are correct. For some reason you are immune to my powers. Of course as I have already demonstrated, there are other ways to control you."

"I wouldn't call it control. You have yet to get what you want. If it wasn't for Maven...you would be nothing." She smiled bigger. "In fact, I would say Maven owes you and Shepherd."

"Oh yes. Maven owes us a great deal. He owes us the air he breathes, the blood in his veins, and his incredible power. That is why he belongs to us."

"Living things don't belong to anyone. And you know that's not what I meant."

"Do I?" She smiled and glanced at Maven, who started convulsing in pain. "I say jump, he jumps. I say beg, he begs. I say die...." She smiled as his body suddenly went rigid.

"Stop it!" Skyla screamed.

"I just want you to remember who is the boss here," she said, suddenly Maven started breathing again.

Skyla pressed her forehead to his as she held his head in her lap. "I will fix this," she whispered as her tears feel on his face. "I will get you free. If I have to die trying to get into the future, I will do it."

"That's what I want to hear," Farrah smiled. "Now then. Let's go talk to Shepherd shall we?"

Skyla forced herself to leaveMaven as she followed Farrah down the hall.

Farrah stopped and pointed to a large office. "He's right there waiting for you. I'd be courteous if I was you. I'm the nicer of the two."

Skyla shot her a glare then walked into the room. The office was huge...but it was cold. It was suffocating. Just like all the other rooms, too much metal and too far from nature.

"Skyla. I'm glad to see that you've come to your senses," Shepherd said, staring out the window behind his desk, his back to her.

Even his voice was cold. She pressed her hand to the wall to make herself steady. "I never came to 'my senses' as you call it. I'm doing it for Maven..."

"Whatever your reasons are, I'm glad that you're helping us." He turned to look at her, offering her a smile. Going to his desk, he pulled out a needle filled with black liquid. "Do you know what this?"

"Yes. I saw it already."

"Good. Then I won't have to explain it to you. Role up your sleeve."

"I...have to take it now?" she said softly. "But I have things...to say."

"My dear. What could you possibly want to say?"

"If I do this...can Maven go free? Can you give him his free will and let him go?"

He sighed and put the needle down. "Very well. If that is the price I must pay then so be it. If you give me the vault, the Maven will be free from all of this."

"How can I trust you?"

He smiled. "Yes. That must be annoying for you. Not being able to read my past or future." He paused as he thought about that. Going to his wall, he opened up a device and held it up. "Do you know what this?"

"No."

"It's a truth device of sorts. It will tell you if my intentions are pure and my words honest."

"And how do I know that thing works or that you have programmed it so that you can lie with it on?"

He set it down and beckoned her to touch it. "See for yourself. Say anything and watch it change."

She hesitated. Her hand reached out and she touched it. "I will keep my promise...to Maven..."

The light shone a bright green. "Now tell a lie," he whispered.

"My name is Lana..."

The light turned red. "See? It works just fine."

"Alright..." She pulled her hand from it. "Promise you will let him go. You will free his mind and let him go. As long as he is safe and free, I will do whatever you say..."

He placed his hand on the pad. "I promise you, that once we have the vault in our possession he will be free from us." The light turned green.

"Safe and alive. You won't have anyone harm him ever again."

"I promise. Once we find the find the vault he will be safe and alive."

She nodded. "When can I speak to him? I mean...without psycho lady."

"You mean without her controlling him?"

"Yes...the way he was before you pull his collar."

"I'll make you a deal. You can speak to him just as soon as you give me a location for the vault. That should give you proper motivation to find it."

She looked at the needle. "How many...will I have to take?"

"That depends on you. Don't worry. It probably won't be enough to have any long term effects like those on Maven. I'll be honest, the fingernails and eyes weren't nearly as bad of side effects as I thought. Well, that and being crazy." He chuckled as he picked up the needle. "Are you ready?"

She was making a mistake. A deal with the devil. She knew that. It made her heart ache. Slowly, she pulled her shirt down over her shoulder to her arm. "Yes..." she said softly.

He smiled and slipped the needle down into her flesh, pushing the black liquid into her body.

She hissed and started thinking of Maven as tears rolled down her cheeks while she closed her eyes. It burned. Her hands moved to his shoulders as her body began to shake. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself over and over about why she was doing this. Maven. Maven. Maven. Around her, Shepherd's furniture began to rise.

Shepherd looked around, surprised as everything started to move. "Interesting," he whispered.

She went to her knees. Bits and pieces of the next few minutes to the next few hours rushed in her head. Her body felt heavy. She missed Maven.

"Think of the vault," he ordered as he cupped her face.

The vault? What vault? She looked at the door; the door flew off the hinges. She wanted Maven.

His grip on her face tightened as guards began to rush in. "The vault! Focus on the vault!

"Maven!" she screamed and he shot away from her. "Maven!" she grabbed her head as she cried. She could see Farrah forcing Maven to be in pain...to say things...to do things... It was all in his future for the next few hours. "Leave him alone!"

He reached up and smacked her across the face, watching her fall to the ground. "Stupid bitch. It seems that her powers help her to channel other people's abilities. We might be keeping her longer than planned."

Skyla cried out as she hit the ground. She knew that was going to happen. She knew she was going to get hit. She didn't care. Struggling to stand, she started to the door. Aimed to find and kill Farrah. "Maven..."

He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back down. "Sedate her!" He ordered as guards forced her down and pushed another needle into her.

She cried and thrashed. Her mind pushed against them. Two men flew in the air, slamming into walls. She glanced at Shepherd her eyes hardening. His hand bent back, twisting and cracking. That was all she could do before she passed out.

He sighed as he looked down at the wires coming from his hand. "Damn. That's going to take some time to prepare. Oh well. Guess it paid to be safe. Get her out of my site. When she wakes up bring her back."

Skyla woke in the forest but she had a chain on her ankle that chained her to the tree. She had lost the privilege to play in it. Rolling in the grass she figured the only reason she was in the forest at all was because she had to be without losing focus and being in pain. They would want her in perfect shape to find their precious vault. Her hand went to her cheek as she laid in the grass. It was sore. She knew why. They would come for her in a second. She knew that too.

"She's awake."

Shepherd smirked and nodded. "Excellent." He went down to the forest area and opened the door. "How are you feeling after your nap?"

"Hello Shepherd," she said as she laid on the grass on her side. "No...I don't know where it's at."

"Well that is a pity. Perhaps another boost will help you."

She said nothing. If she objected he would force it in her. It was easier just to sit up and pull her sleeve down. "How is your metal hand?"

"Oh it is quite functional," he assured her. He pushed the needle into her again and waited for it to take effect.

She rolled her eyes back and took a deep breath. Thinking of Evana, she pulled at the chain and broke it from her ankle then rubbed it lightly. She smiled. Evana...they were on their way to Xavier. He already had a plan.

He looked down at the broken chain and sighed. "Why do I have the feeling that you're not even trying to look for the vault?"

"At this moment, no I am not. Having your little boost makes it difficult to focus. I know what is going to happen in the next few hours. I can see it clearly. It's more than I've ever done before. However...I have to train myself to see further. Otherwise I will strain myself and die. What good will I be to you if I'm dead?"

"I see. Then you shall have time to focus. While you are focusing I will go and see how Maven is doing." He smiled as he turned and started for the door.

"Asking to see him is out of the question I assume..."

"But of course."

"Wouldn't want me to tap in that pretty power Farrah has and use him against you. Very smart," she smirked. She felt power, cocky, and smug. It wasn't like her. And she didn't like it. Then again...Farrah wasn't always the way she was either. The drug changes you.

"Oh, it's not that. I don't want him killing you before you have a chance to give me the vault."

"Killing me? Have you ordered my death already? Do I make you that nervous?"

"Not at all. I find your company very delightful. It's just that he's just taken his medicine. He's rather violent afterward. Seems that it doesn't agree with him."

"Regardless, keeping him from me is cruel. How can I think of the vault when I'm thinking of him?"

"Yes. I thought of that." He reached into his pocket and tossed something on the ground. "A picture for you. I took it before coming here. Something to help you sleep." He shrugged and opened the door.

Maven's head was thrown back in pain, his eyes jet black and black veins spreading through his face, blood seeped from his lips and nose.

The picture froze in her hand and she threw it at the door, watching it shatter. "Hurry up, Xavier...I can't keep doing this..." she whispered to herself.