***NEED WORK

Red.

In that one instant every thought in my mind seemed to take on that vicious color. My whole body burned as if acid was pumping through my veins, and my head pulsed violently with malice.

I want to kill them all.

I was already closing my hand around the first guy’s throat when he finally noticed me. Too late---

“---dumb and useless…Aren’t you, you freak?”

My right fist connected with the guy’s jaw with an oddly satisfying crunch. A flare of vindication shot through me, but it was short lived as it passed quickly. A loud painful crack sounded, and the guy let out a strangled cry.

Kharma.

“Hey---What the---”

My eyes flickered to my left and caught the bewildered, wide-eyed Black Suit. Recognition kicked in half a second later, my mind on overdrive.

“Eh, it can heal like us, right? Don’t play too close of a care.”

My muscles twitched in anger and the grip I had on the first guy’s throat tightened. Disgusted, I yanked him towards me by his neck and kneed him right into his ribs. I heard another strangled sound from him before I tossed him aside.

My eyes were already locked onto my next target as I lunged. I saw the guy’s eyes grow wider, frozen in place as my fist shot forward---

“Move, Torres!”

I saw my target’s expression harden before he swiftly pulled to the side, just dodging my blow. He stumbled, taking a few clumsy steps away from me. He then started to turn.

I don’t think so.

My arm shot forward, grabbing onto this ‘Torres’ guy’s elbow. With one sharp yank his frame was twisted back around. At the same moment, I started swinging.
I caught a glimpse of his wide-eyed expression before the back of my fist collided with the side of his face.

How pathetic.

Suddenly, there was a loud sound behind me and I wheeled around. The third guy was in the air, diving right at my back---
My arms came up just in time to deflect a blow from his punch. I dodged two more before I swung a kick around. That he dodged smoothly, leaping back a bit.
I took the moment to take in his face.

The interrogator.

“I don’t know what your problem is, but you weren’t thinking, attacking the higher class.” he said in a calm voice. “You won’t get away with it; what you’re doing is considered an offen---”

I lunged at him, not caring for what he had to say or his tone.

Crazy.
It was one way of describing the feeling. Blinded by rage like I’ve never felt before. Reckless and unhinged, with only one thing on my mind: killing intent.

My fist was deflected with a sharp swipe, knocking me slightly off balance. I felt myself tilting, my foot scrambling to recover.
That was the only opening he needed.

Suddenly, he ducked down, moving so fast at I was caught off guard. The next thing I know something swung into my right ankle, swiping me literally off my feet. All I could do was brace myself---
My back connected with the floor soundly and roughly, knocking the air right out of my lungs. I gasped, feeling my diaphragm spasm in pain.
I wasn’t allowed the time to recover.

I was still dazed and gasping when I felt myself pinned to the floor by this dense pressure that practically threatened to cave my ribcage in. It certainly didn’t help me breathe any better.
Within moments, I realized the cause.
The Interrogator had me stuck to the floor, his knee keeping me in place as he was practically kneeling right on my ribcage on one leg. I saw him pull his right arm back and sharply jab forward right at my face.
I just managed to cock my head to the side to avoid getting hit, his fist finding the marble floor rather than my jaw. I took this opportunity to take hold of his wrist and with all my strength, yank the guy off of me.
Pulling him off worked out fine, but he decided to grab on and take me with him, his finger gripped tightly onto my jacket collar. I tried prying him off, but I couldn’t.

We were both sent sprawling across the smooth floor, tangled and in a heap or limbs. But I was the one to recover first.
While his hands stubbornly clung to my jacket, I twisted around so this time I was the one hovering over him. I reached out with both hands and took hold of his jacket collar. Then, inhaling sharply, I roughly ranked the guy up off the floor and brought my head down at the same time.
Our foreheads collided with a solid crack, and I felt the hand drop from my jacket.

Fuck thinking; I’m using my head.

Suddenly, two hands took hold of me from behind, their fingers digging firmly into my shoulders. Instinctively, I started fighting, but was almost immediately yanked off of the guy I just head-butted.

“You little rat!” I heard a voice snarl, right behind my head.

Before I could shoot out a smart ass comment, or make my next move, I found myself lifted completely off the ground in a very tight chokehold, gasping for air once again. As I fought, I caught my second target, Torres, swinging right at me.
I felt the rock-hard punch collide right below my sternum, the force feeling like I just took a truck to the gut. I gagged, unable to bend or defend myself in the headlock.
“Hold him, Faus.” Torres growled.
I felt ‘Faus’ tighten his grip around my neck, his thick arms crushing tighter around my throat.
An odd, unhealthy sound whistled through my constricted airway, and I started to see black dots as I started to black out. But not before I started to see ‘Torres’ advancing.

It was just like this---
They hurt her…they hurt her…

My legs swung forward, connecting with the approaching guy’s chest. I kicked hard, and he was thrown off his feet. I let my legs swing back harshly, my heels kicking back to hit my captor’s knees. He let out a cry of pain and stumbled.
“Vardavit!” he swore.

I felt myself get shoved forward, thrown back onto my feet. My head was still spinning from the lack of oxygen that I didn’t see the big guy, ‘Faus’ reach out and grab me by my shoulders.
“You bastard!” I heard him snarl.

Something hard connected with my left side at such a great force that the blow drilled all the way into my chest cavity. I was sent airborne, too stunned to react. I could feel my body twisting mid-flight like a rag doll, at the mercy of physics.

My right shoulder hit the floor first, followed by the rest of my body. I heard myself gag, the impact ramming into me harshly. But I can still feel myself sliding across the polished stone.
I was in too much pain to stop myself---

A firm, yet soft touch landed right between my shoulder blades, stopping the momentum of my body. I heaved and gasped, willing my lungs to expand as my bleary vision automatically drifted up to look at me.

Sir Ravador gazed down at me, his expression almost stunned as he was kneeling behind me. His young face was unreadable, his lips pressed into a hard line.
“Zavius.” he said.
That was all he said, but his tone was filled with concern and question. I continued to gasp for air, my lungs still burning as I tried to force myself to get back up.

“Sir Elder Ravador!”

The voice shot through the air, cutting through the still silence that had suddenly taken over. The voice was of the one I recognized as my second target’s.
“Please step back; he’s a fiend!”

---A fiend.

”Who is the real fiend here?”

My voice came out at a staggering tone, ripping through the air in its layered tone. Smooth, yet jagged. Calm, yet erratic. Multiple tones, all tied by one common thread…
---Fury.
I shot up, completely renewed.
“You deserved all of what you just got and more!” I snarled.

Sir Ravador’s hands clamped down on my shoulders, holding me back.
“At ease, Zavius!” I heard him say urgently.
I fought against Sir Ravador’s restraining grip.
“Where is she? What have you done to her? Where are you keeping her? Let her go!”
Torres was kneeling beside the interrogator, who was still knocked out on the ground.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Faus demanded.
“Don’t play stupid.” I spat out. “You know exactly what I’m talking about!”
Faus scoffed, sneering nastily at me.
“You’re off of it.” he shot back, starting to turn away. “Freak.”

---Freak.

“She heals like us, acts like us, sleeps, breathes and even looks like us. But she isn’t one of us…Aren’t you, you freak?”

My voice came out dark and hushed, almost like a strong whisper as I echoed his words. But it was enough to make the Blacksuit stop dead in his tracks. From the edge of my vision, I saw the interrogator stir.

“I saw the whole thing.” I hissed. “The dark keep, the questioning, the orders from your boss.”
I saw Faus twist back around, his eyes narrowing. I went on.
“You interrogated her in secret, using any hand to get the information out of her. That was your order, so long as you don’t break her jaw.”
I spat out in disgust.
“We need it talking, not blubbering. It, it, it, it IT. That’s what you all called her, as if she wasn’t even worthy of breathing.”

Red. Crazy. Unhinged. I must’ve sounded completely insane when this dark, humorless laugh slipped out of me. Soft, barely a chuckle, I felt a surge of inexplicable glee come over me.
“Only you ended up disregarding that direct order, didn’t you, Faus? Beating on the weaker make you feel all tough, huh?”
I saw his jaw visibly clench and his shoulders curl forward in an offensive stance.
I smirked.

That’s it, grab the bait.

Come on, just snap already. All I needed was one swing, one punch to get me going. I’m going to break every bone in their body. String them up and beat them to the inch of their lives. And I am going to return what they gave her by tenfold.
My fingers curled into a fist on the floor in front of me, itching to get my hands on the first guy to come swinging.
I was going to kill them.

At that thought I smiled.

Something blurred, just a few feet before me. My eyes flickered up and saw Faus, diving down to my level. His arm was pulled back, his right hand tensed into a claw---

A sudden, powerful breeze shattered the still air in a massive blow, nearly knocking me back down to the floor. I froze, my whole body turning to stone defensively in reaction. I felt myself go numb when I saw the pure white fabric flicker right in front of my face.

Sir Elder Ravador stood with his back to me, coming in between me and Faus. The breeze died down, and his Supremacy regalia robes settling.
“Sir,” I breathed out.
I heard Sir Elder breathe out quietly, almost sighing.
“I’ve witnessed enough.” he spoke calmly.
There was some shuffling behind Faus, which made me turn my glare past him. The other two Blacksuits were now back on their feet, Torres supporting the guy I had knocked out earlier.

“Ah, Blain; I see you have finally come to.” Sir Ravador noted.

Something about his tone threw me off; it was too neutral, too calm.
I saw the interrogator, now identified as ‘Blain’ look up, his body stiff and guarded.
“Sir,” he replied cautiously.
So he noticed it too.
Sir Ravador wasted no time getting to the point.
“Now that you are awake, I will have you answer to me. What is going on?” he asked, speaking with a tone of authority.

Now it was all too clear, there was no denying the sudden chill that took hold of the whole Atrium. I saw the interrogator swallow visibly, blanched.
“Sir, as you saw, that guy---”
Sir Ravador lifted a hand, cutting him off sharply.
“I will take full responsibility for my pupil’s actions.” he spoke, his voice like cold steel. “What I want to know is about your secret interrogation, the one I do not recall authorizing.”
“We need answers, Sir.” Faus said. He too stood stiffly guarded, forcing his ground under his superior’s chilled gaze. I now noticed he was slightly slurring his words. “It’s necessary for the security of the Four Gates, and the People we protect.”

Rage flared in me yet again at his words.
“Cut the shit; like you could care about the welfare of the People.” I snarled. “You need to have a soul to feel and care.”
“Zavius, calm down.” Sir Elder said.
“I can’t!” I growled, my eyes not leaving Faus. “Where is she? Tell me where you are keeping her! She better be alright or so help me---”

“Zavius!”

Suddenly, there was something warm hovering over my face, the soft touch curving over my eyes.

“At ease.”

I went to argue back but suddenly, and oh so obediently, the rage slipped away and I felt myself go loose. In the corner of my mind, I recognized the drowsy feeling.
The last thing I heard before I slipped into unconsciousness was a steely multiple-layer toned commanded sounding in the air.

“Now…speak.”