…movement.
Movement?
He’s being…
moved?
“...Sorry aboot this.” He feels a tug on his arm. A…tourniquet? “It'll trigger an alarm an tracker, an needs tae gae.” A sharp, burning pain radiates on his left arm as…he assumes, it’s being cut off. He knows that irritated, angry scottish feminine voice….
Lady Degona?
Wh…what?
A wet slap hits the linoleum floor. What? How did she… “Dinnae think A'll be able tae brin thon back, but A'll dae whit A can. Dick, get ower here. A neit thon blanket.” His head feels fuzzy, and he still can’t see really well, but the comfort of being held is such a nice, stark contrast from the cell. She runs, wrapping him in a cloth as he fades back into the darkness,”A think the fuck no ye wet sock, wake the fuck up for richt now, lad.” She gently slaps him, attempting to wake him up, making him groan. Doors slam open as she books it even faster, and a metal door clangs open, having her lurch inside. A car engine?”Richard, kick it intae hich gear. A'll heal him.” She sits beside him as the car lurches to life, sirens going off. He can feel a warmth going through him as she begins drawing on his skin,”A dinnae have much mana at the moment, sorry aboot thon doctor. It took most o't tae knock most o the guards oot. A'll juist make sure ye dinnae dee on the way back.”
Faint voices, some cursing, others unfamiliar, danced on the periphery of his awareness. They lulled him back to sleep, but this time, Lady Degona did not awaken him. There was a sense of trust, a belief that he would be safe, that carried him into slumber.
He would be all right. Even in his unconscious state, he could feel the sharpness of Lady Degona's nails gently running through his hair as the van swerved through the labyrinthine streets. The streets were filled with uncertainty, the van becoming a battleground of its own. Sirens wailed, and the streets echoed with the thundering pursuit of soldiers. Degona's magic flared to life, creating a protective barrier around the vehicle as the attackers closed in.
"Richard, gun it." she said urgently, her voice unwavering. She knew that just removing the tracker and knocking out some guards wouldn’t stop them, "Tak us throuch thon alley. We'll lose thaim thare." Richard nods, his knuckles a ghastly white as he grips the wheel. Steering the van into a narrow alleyway, the walls looming in closer and closer as they drove. The soldiers, now in hot pursuit on foot, were relentless, their shouts filling the night. They were armed and determined to recapture their prisoner; dead or alive - General’s orders. The van's engine roared, and the chase continued.
As the alleyway grew darker, and the van's engine drowned out the sounds of the chase, hope flickered in the hearts of the pair still conscious. They had outmaneuvered their pursuers, slipping away into the shadows and comfort of the alley the silence peppered by the engine struggling along. Neither of them would know how they slipped away from them. Degona sighs, her anxiety still on her shoulders…though they’ve escaped them now, it’d only be a matter of time until they’d return.
After what feels like an eternity, she cradles the sleeping man in her arms once more as the stolen van screeches to a halt. Her memory sputters as she attempts to remember what apartment he was at as she races towards the danchi's elevator, jabbing the eighth-floor button with her elbow. Time was of the essence.
"Come on, elevator, move it ye fuck!” she muttered impatiently under her breath. The elevator chimed, and she sprinted down the corridor, gently placing the sleeping doctor on the floor mat before one of the apartment doors. She pounded forcefully on the door with all her might, then rang the buzzer, causing it to shake violently. Someone had to be home. Her heart raced as she dashed back to the elevator before launching herself down the emergency stairs with a spell to slow her descent.
There was a reason she always returned to him. She still didn’t know why, but…
They were even now.
The door is ripped off the wall and tossed aside as Goss stares at Eden. A lump on the ground, swaddled in a homemade blanket.
HOLY FUCKING SHIT .
He snatches him carefully, tossing his primed weapon aside mindlessly. Yes, it’s still loaded but at the moment, not quite a concern. He’s…alive. Somehow. How did the general not-
“Goss vhy dit you-” Lilith stands, still drunk as a fucking skunk,”oh my gods. I'm kallink zee night krev. Jerome fix zat fukkink door” Lilith scrambles slamming into the wall as she attempts to find her phone. How did he escape? Who brought him here? So many questions pop up in her mind as she speed dials.Jerome freezes, a sinking feeling making him sick.
Tanner’s still missing
A chemical punch to the brain rouses Eden back to the world of the living, making him scrunch his face up. Peroxide seeps into his sinuses and the steady beep of a cardiac monitor helps break up some of the silence as the smell assaults his senses. He’s not dead. Or… he’s in hell. Only one way to find out.
He lifts his head, but the soreness of his neck, back and limbs gently pulls him back to the bed - the firm pillow he lays on just such a nice support at the moment,
“Careful now. Ye're still healin.” He…whispers. Is he dead? Goss doesn’t whisper. Ever. Eden opens his eyes to find his apartment bedroom, blurry to hell and back. Goss just watches, having been woken at the spike of Eden’s pulse. He can’t bear to let him out of his grip; especially with the reminder of him not fighting enough to keep him from the raid. Never again. It was an absolute clusterfuck of chaos as the night crew arrived in the apartment, attempting to pry Eden from his grip, but they relented as they took good care of him and his missing arm, busted face and…. Gods. The General must have gotten even more aggressive with time. Eden finally opens his eye, the other bandaged completely, and blurrily sees Goss’ face,
“How are…how did I…” Goss just waits, letting Eden stumble through attempting to ask something. He must have hit his head sometime during all that happened,
“...we don’t know. Lilith?” He calls out, Eden cringing at the loudness. Eden attempts to push goss away with his…stub? He stares at the stub, more confused than paniced. Lilith saunters in, closing her phone and sitting down by the bed, moving the IV pole out the way,
“Shtill nothink from tanner, goss” She scowls, and Eden looks over to her. She’s still blurry. Did the punch out fuck his vision forever, or is it just…all that trauma?
“...wait. Tanner…tanner’s not here?” Shit. Are they joking? She leans forward, and Goss looks to Eden as he thinks. If he’s not here, where is he?
“what do sie mean ‘tanner’s not here?’” Lilith demands, worry seeping through her. The doctor attempts to push himself off of goss to sit up; Goss supporting him with his forearm,
“We were separated after the raid. He’s…” Dead. More than likely. Or Degona didn’t realize he was there too. Though, if she was able to rescue him- then she must have known, or at least searched. Lilith nods, understanding that…he’s probably long gone by now,
“I see.” Goss tightens his grip on Eden. Whoever saved Eden must have gotten Tanner. There would be no reason they wouldn’t. Now’s not the time to really think about that,
“He shoud probably rest. Don’t want him stressin oot ower much.” Eden tries to push him away, then pauses again,”Richt…white van droppit ye aff. No sure wha, but ye were missin thon arm whan we found ye.” Eden just…nods, then looks at Goss, staring at him. Why…was he snuggled up to his side like that? How long was he like this?
A knock at the front door breaks the silence.
Was that Tanner? The person that saved Eden? Or… the military?
Another knock sends Jerome to answer it, struggling to hold Goss’ loaded weapon.
“Is that loaded, or are ya just happy to see meh?” It’s Huxley, and his fucking timing. Lilith looks…really annoyed, and stands, peeking down the hall as Huxley begins looking around,
“...Vhat do ve ove zee pleasure?” her voice is so cold and she’s so…so tired of this already. Huxley turns to her. So he was here. Lucky guess of his.
“Aah heard ow-wah fantastic doctor managed to escape out of his confines. Aah wanted to talk to him, see how he’s doin'.” She stiffens, and her face contorts as Jerome struggles to put the gun down without setting it off. Huxley makes his way down the hall and claps, “...for someone who spent a month and some change there, you look fantastic doctor.” Eden just grunts in reply. Could he fuck right off? Today is already a clusterfuck, but to add Huxley to the mix is even worse. Huxley nods,”Own that note, aah'm quite glad you’re all safe 'n sound- 'n that most of ya were able to come out of this unharmed. Aah would lak to talk with ow-wah fantastic doctor privately.” He motions to Goss, who doesn’t move. Lilith huffs and walks out to the living room, “...ya can stand out en the hallway. Aah just want to talk with him briefly.” Goss grumbles some curses, and very…very gently untangles a grumbling Eden from his side before stepping away. Eden groans again, and Huxley closes the door, “...I’m sure ya know what i’m 'unna ask.” That’s what he’s worried about. Well, of course he is. Fucker.
“I didn’t.” he coughs, his voice crackling as he coughs,”...Didn’t say a word.” Huxley nods, and slowly steps closer towards Eden,”It’s why they kicked the shit out of me.” Huxley nods again,
“...right. That’s beh-cuz you’d know the consequences of speakin' up, yes?” his eyes flickers down to the doctor’s injuries as he nods silently,”Good.” he leans forward, getting quite close to Eden’s face,”...“Don’t ever doubt that aah could make your life a livin' hell, more than it already is.” his voice is hushed as he stares into the bruised eye, Eden remaining silent. Huxley clears his throat, before straightening back up and going back to where he once was standing,”Ya can come back en.” Goss immediately thunders back in, carefully scooping up Eden and holding onto him tight. Huxley leans out the door,”Y'all should come en as well.” Lilith stares daggers at Huxley before doing so, looking more pissed than usual, and Huxley clears his “throat”,”So, to reward everyone fo-wah handlin' that situation very well, as well as to keep ow-wah fantastic man safe fo-wah the time being, we’ll be headin' to a private resort own the northern islands of orvanbian khagarate…as reward. Free drinks-” He looks to Lilith,”beautiful beaches 'n forests, 'n all expenses paid. Pack up…because you’re leavin' en a few weeks.” He adjusts his cufflinks, and nods. Jerome folds his arms. This is not only random, generous and very expensive…but,
“Where’s Tanner, sir?” Huxley pauses and looks to those in the room Right…the short one,
“Well, aah must be off. I’m a very busy man…but, enjoy your vacation all. Ya may see meh about they-yur as well.” He waves to them as he just…fucks off. That answers that….they guess.
