The Liberal Assassin

Once more I found myself staring at white ceiling. How long had it been since that failed electrocution chamber of torture? Before an answer could be derived the cell door was released and a man wearing a doctor's coat entered. That was odd. Why would they be so nice to a prisoner? Was I rescued?

My hopes were smothered when a familiar face followed the medical practitioner. Never have I wanted Arvin gone as quickly as I now did. After hiding from me for so long, the sc.u.m decided to show his ugly face in my state of weakness. How despicable.

Arvin eyed the doctor as the man did his check-up. I didn't know if it was a good sign that the old timer was showing some signs of humanity but I took what I could get.

"He's good to go. A little malnourished but otherwise fit, no injuries discovered and his heartbeat is strong."

As the doctor left, I glanced around to see if this was my chance to escape. Rion appeared just as the doctor left the door and my heart sank.

"You didn't think we would let you go so easily did you?" the well-built man smirked at my obviously crestfallen looks.

"Why did you bring a doctor?"

Arvin snorted. "If it wasn't for somebody who died during the torture session, there wouldn't be a need for a doctor."

Die? Did somebody die? Did they fall in the water or something?

"For all your super healing abilities, they didn't make your heart restart after it stopped from the shock. What a useless ability," Rion mocked.

Putting two and two together, I figured I may or may not have met death and escaped him in the worst timing possible. It was surprising that life took me back even after all my sins. I thought death would have wanted me for keeps.

A guard walked in with a strange looking object. The object was a pole, thinner on the bottom and thicker at the top that was as long as Rion's forearm. What were these people up to now?

"Last chance," Rion warned as he took the 'pole'. "Where is the evidence?"

I sighed in resignation, not wanting to waste my breath with an answer everyone knew.

Taking my silence as consent to proceed with the next torture, Rion walked out. Left with only Arvin in the room and yours truly chained to a bed, many things could happen although unlikely.

"This," Arvin explained, "is going down your throat. Have you ever tried testing how much your gag reflex can take? I guess not. Good news for you, I'm going to test that out for you right now."

I paled. This is one sick torture I can't believe he managed to come up with. My jaw was going to break and my insides would be stirred to pulp making the regeneration ability useless! If I was lucky to live through it, there was no doubt I would be paralysed for life with severe disabilities.

Summoning pseudo courage in possibly the last moments of a sane Titus Crowley, I gave a shaky grin. "I have confidence in my oral abilities but I'm afraid you're not my type, sir."

***

"So," Arvin growled as I clung onto the remaining strands of consciousness. The diabolic man grinned in a way that made me feel ill at ease.

"Where is the evidence?"

At this point, there was no doubt in my mind that the man wouldn't hesitate to kill me even if I told him the truth. I held my tongue and saw the expression on his face darken. The broken bones, except for my jaw, had not been set and were not healing right. Any more abuse to my battered body and it's back to the maker. The only silver lining was how most my organs remained intact but my ribcage and some of my spine were definitely smashed.

"Stop," Rion's voice echoed in the else silent cell. "We need him alive to talk."

Arvin glared at the icy blond haired man who wasn't intimidated by his glare. The edges of Rion's lips twitched and curled upwards when Arvin gave me a childish kick to the already shattered ribs. I was too tired to even groan at the pain. Like a rag doll, I fell over to the side and heard the footsteps grow further away.

The door closed behind them, leaving me to the silence in pain and agony. If they were asking for the evidence, I was sure Khronos still had it. The name brought useless thoughts in my moment of helplessness. Nostalgia and probably homesickness made the bulk of the gap in my heart.

I wondered if the madman would be able to locate me. I would hate for my body to rot in this stinking base along with the gloating faces of those two monsters.

Too weak to move from all the energy it took to heal my wounds, sleep claimed me swiftly. Sweet mercy took pity on me at last and despite the horrible pain, I managed to earn some wistful rest.

***

Warm.

The hands that were shaking me were warm and they felt vaguely familiar.

Still disoriented, I tried to jerk away only to be assaulted with a fresh wave of pain. An involuntary m.o.a.n left me as I was lifted off the floor into strong arms. Unable to put up any form of resistance, I left my life to fate. None of it mattered anymore. The one thing on my mind wasn't the evidence, the plan or the people. It was how I felt like I was finally safe, away from all that pain and from the cold. The smell of snow and steel made me smile.

I was home.