Erza didn't know how long she was unconscious, hours or days? Her head was foggy, and she struggled to clear her mind to think clearly. What was the last thing she remembered? A faint metal clinking sound was heard. Her head snapped up as she looked around. The battle. The horrible attack on the academy.
She remembered running to Gavin in the great arena after he collapsed in the final moments of the fight. Then she remembered the blonde-haired man at the hospital in a white doctor's coat. He injected something into her. Her body was slow and sluggish to respond as she tried to move and heard the clinking of metal on metal. She froze her movements as she looked down. She was seated in a metal chair with chains wrapped around her arms and legs. Her head was throbbing as she slowly regained mental clarity.
The face of the blonde-haired man was still foggy in her mind's eye. Her heart rate increased, sending blood flowing through her veins. The adrenaline surged in her body as she pulled on the cuffs that secured her body to the chair and chains. No matter how hard she pulled or yanked the cuffs and chains would not break. Erza noticed that her body still reacted like it was slow, or sluggish. It was as if her muscles and body weighed three times what it should. She shook her head as she tried to clear her thoughts.
A feint drip sound was heard behind her. She turned her head to see water dripping from a busted pipe in the wall. The room she was in was basic and didn't have much. From what she could see with the faint lights in the ceiling, the walls were made from some kind of metal, discolored as if exposed to the elements for a long time. There was a single simple table a few feet next to Erza that had a variety of instruments laid out across the top. Each one promises untold amounts of pain.
Could those be torture tools? Erza wondered as her heart rate began to speed up slightly. This was not good, not only was she captured by some unknown enemy, but she was in danger and her unborn child was in danger. That thought set her anger off, but she refused to allow it to show. She had to remain in control if she had any kind of chance to get out of this situation alive.
She continued to struggle with the chains holding her in place when suddenly the metal door at the end of the room opened and a tall man with red hair strode confidently in. He had so much natural energy it almost seemed like he was giddy. Erza noticed he acted like a kid at the candy store – spending a week's allowance on whatever he wanted. She glared at him as she struggled against her restraints, refusing to take her eyes off him.
"Oh, don't give me that look little animal," the man said as he practically skipped over and slapped her across the face. Searing, white-hot pain exploded through her head as it snapped to the side from the blow. Her vision flashed white for a moment as her senses reeled from the impact. "Oh, I wonder exactly what might happen next," he said with obvious relish as he ru d his hands together while looking at her. His voice was like nails on a chalk board to Erza, high pitched and whining. Each word promises untold horrors to come. She shook her head, her matted hair sticking to her damp skin.
"Oh, we are going to have some incredible fun, you and I," he said with an unexpected coldness in his voice. The sound and thoughts that came to her mind made Erza shiver with revulsion and fear. She had to find a way out of here. She tried to focus her mana; to shift into her white werecat form, summon some magic, do anything to fight off this maniac in front of her.
"Get off of me," she snarled in her fury as she bucked against his touch. His skin was cold and clammy. Her stomach threatened to empty itself, but whether from the man or her pregnancy she didn't know.
It made her skin crawl to even be near this man. The man laughed as he grabbed her roughly by the chin, his fingers digging into her skin like a frozen vice, no doubt bruising her skin. He jerked her head to face him, his breath reeking of alcohol as he breathed through his open mouth, sour and hot as he glared at her.
He let go of her chin, bruises already forming from his fingers as he reached back and backhanded her. Erza let out an involuntary cry of pain as she saw stars from the blow. She struggled against the chains, bucking forward to reach the man. That was twice the man struck her.
Twice.
She was no helpless victim. She was a shifter; and a powerful one. Yet, for whatever reason, she couldn't feel the flow of mana inside her. Without access to her mana, all her training, practice, and everything she had learned was useless. She was nothing more than a human right now until the drug wore off.
She could taste the blood from her busted lip. She licked her lips and offered the man a wry grin. Her eyes glowed a golden red as she spoke softly. "I will get free from here, and when I do; I will bathe in your entrails." Her voice was whisper soft, without any trace of rage, hatred or the violence to come. That's what was most terrifying. It was calm, cool and collected as she regarded her tormentor.
Gavin, please, where are you, my love. I need you, she thought as she refused to give up. She couldn't afford to give in to fear or terror. It wasn't just her life at risk.
She would fight however she could against this man. Gavin was out there. She knew he wouldn't rest until he rescued her. With that thought in mind she remembered something.
The bond! She thought in memory of the recent ability they all acquired before the tournament. She had a magical connection through the ancient pack magic. In theory she should be able to contact any of the others, but especially Helena, her Beta, in the pack. She closed her eyes and struggled to connect with her mana flow.
Someone had to hear her. Someone had to be able to connect through the pack magic. With her eyes closed, she should be able to vaguely sense the manaflow of herself and her pack. Some kind of connection should be obvious. But all she saw in her minds eye; was pitch black nothingness. No warm glow of mana colors, no faint line of magic in the direction of the members. Nothing. That froze her heart, as it meant she couldn't reach them, nor could they reach out to her.
"Do not bother trying to break these chains," the man said, interrupting her thoughts and bringing her back to the present. "You've been given a special cocktail we created to prevent someone like you from using their mana," the red-haired man said with a boisterous laugh, the sound nauseating to her sensitive stomach and hearing.
He was delighted to see the fire in Erza's eyes. It was fierce and intimidating. He couldn't wait to put it out. To break her. Physically, mentally and emotionally. In every sense of the word. The challenge alone was almost intoxicating for him. His last visitor didn't last very long. He was truly saddened by their loss. He just hoped this animal would last a bit longer for his enjoyment.
"I love that look in your eyes woman," the man said with a grin plastered on his face. His eyes lit up with unspoken desires and thoughts. "I can't wait to watch it dim and vanish altogether," he continued as he walked over to the table with various instruments laid on top.
"Do what you want, but remember my promise you bastard," Erza said. In any other circumstances, she would be proud she kept her voice level and without cracking. She refused to acknowledge it; but she was terrified. How long could her body last until she was rescued? What will happen to their child?
She was shaken from her thoughts as a searing pain burned through her leg. She gritted her teeth and fought back the urge to cry out. Warm liquid ran down her leg from the deep cut the man made on her thigh and it soaked her pants.
It burned like fire, coursing through her veins.
The man continued laughing at the obvious pain on her face. He danced around her in joy, clapping his hands together like a child.
He leaned in a little too close to her face, and before he could begin mocking or insulting her, Erza snapped her head forward and smashed into his nose. The sound of crunching cartilage satisfying to Erza's ears. Her own skull exploded with pain, but she decided it was worth it. He let out a curse of pain as he jumped back, his hand shooting to cover his face as blood gushed through his closed fingers, staining his skin and clothes.
"It looks like I'm not the only that can bleed red," Erza mocked with a satisfied grin on her face. Her body still burned from where the man made his incision, but at least she was able to inflict some pain in return. She would take this small victory.
His hand came free, revealing a face covered with blood from an nose that was obviously broken. He snarled at her in response as he gripped the bridge of his nose. "Laugh while you can, that just cost you more than you could imagine," he snarled in her face as he pulled a hood over her head and everything went black for Erza once more.