"Ugh," a heavy sound tore from her throat. She fought to regain her bearings, her mind splintering into a thousand pieces. Around her, only rubble remained. The Ebony—Kojo's most prized possession—was ripped to shreds. Kojo, meanwhile, frantically salvaged parts of his ship, as if searching for something vital. He no longer wore his face mask.
"What happened? Agh, my head…" she asked, gritting her teeth against the pain.
"We crash-landed. Not my best work, to be honest. My ship got blown apart, but thankfully we survived. Can't say the same for my darling."
"Who would've thought you'd be betrayed though?" she added softly.
This remark outraged Kojo who had store some pent up rage inside himself for quite a while.
"This is all you fault, lady!" he yelled "Everything was going according to my plan until you showed up. Had you not walked into the Ebony unannounced, we wouldn't be in this mess!"
"It's not like that was my intention. I just needed to find you. There's a lot we need to discuss."
"Discuss? Lady, I don't even know you!" he commented while he continued his search.
"How about we change that? My name is Blessing Prince, and I have a very important-"
Kojo barely registered her. "The core! It has to be here. If we lost the core, I've lost everything!" His hands worked with desperate speed, tossing aside mangled metal and sparking wires. Then, with a triumphant shout, he pulled a pulsating, palm-sized orb from the wreckage.
"Yes! I found it! We're not totally dead in the water!" A wide, ecstatic grin spread across his face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Three dark shapes descended from the sky, their engines whining ominously. Void Rider drones.
"Get down!" Kojo hissed, grabbing her hand. "They're searching the site." He pulled her low behind a jagged piece of the Ebony's hull, pressing her against the cold metal as the whirring of the drones grew louder overhead. He quickly put his mask back on his face. She could feel the vibration of their search beams sweeping across the ground nearby. Kojo held her tightly, his breath shallow, his eyes fixed on the sky above their meager cover.
The drones circled for what felt like an eternity, their lights probing every shadow, every twisted piece of metal. But after a few agonizing minutes, their whining engines began to fade, rising higher and higher until only the vast silence of the wasteland remained. Kojo let out a slow, shaky breath.
"They're gone," he whispered, finally relaxing his grip on her hand. He still didn't move, listening intently to the quiet. "For now."
Kojo finally stirred, his grip firm on her hand. "Alright, let's see what we're dealing with." He pulled her up, and as they rose above their meager cover, a collective gasp escaped their lips. They weren't alone. Dozens of figures, clad in scavenged armor and brandishing crude weapons, emerged from behind every scrap of wreckage, every dune, forming a ragged circle around them.
Kojo let out a wry chuckle, shaking his head slowly. "Well, it seems I spoke too soon."
A hulking man, twice Kojo's height, stepped forward. "Heh, look what we have here. The boss would like to see this." His gaze fell on Blessing. "This one is pretty beautiful, isn't she? She might fetch a good price in the red-light district."
"Shut it!" a cranky lady with a buzz cut snapped, her fist flying to connect with the man's jaw. As he stumbled back, she added, "Until we know who these 'guests' are, no one is selling anyone."
Kojo stepped forward, his expression calm. "I don't know who you are, but perhaps I can interest you in a cheque?" he said, attempting to weasel himself out of this situation.
"Cheque? That's cute. Cuff them!" the cranky lady commanded.
In an instant, two figures from the ragged circle closed in. One roughly grabbed Kojo, while the other seized Blessing. They first snapped on a set of rusty, standard-issue cuffs.
Then, they slid two peculiar, alien-looking bracelets onto their wrists. The bracelets were made of a smooth, dark alloy and pulsed with a faint green light. Now cuffed and branded with the strange devices, Kojo and Blessing were led away. Hours later, Kojo's world became nothing but pain, his body writhing under the cruel hands of his captor.
"Argghhhhhhhhh!" Kojo groaned, enduring torture at the hands of a beautiful, fair-skinned woman.
"You've proven to be quite the handful. Cooperation would end this," she remarked.
"Inasmuch as this hurts, I've been told to never trust a torturer in sandals," the mercenary retorted, his voice laced with pain.
His words struck a chord. His tormentor, despite her deadly skills, wore sandals, an unusual choice.
"Imagine the pain if you mishandled a tool on your toes," he continued.
"How sweet of you to care for my feet," she replied, "almost makes me reconsider chopping off your fingers."
"Perhaps castration is preferable?" she gestured.
"Losing a few fingers seems less daunting," he countered, his neon-screened mask conveying a hint of fear.
The torturer moved closer, but the door burst open, revealing a burly, bald man with a glowing purple gaze.
"Vanessa, any progress?" he demanded.
"Resilient. Three broken ribs, internal bleeding, dislocated shoulder, severe burns, fractured fingers, shattered kneecap. He's conscious, but barely," she reported.
"Nothing?" the burly man questioned.
"He's tough."
"What do I tell the boss?" he fretted.
"Figure it out, Rolland. I'm taking a break," Vanessa declared, as she left the room.
"Keep an eye on him, will you?"
In a nearby break-room, Vanessa encountered Petra, a demi-human colleague.
"Things aren't going well, are they?" Petra observed.
"What gave me away?" Vanessa asked, taking a sip of wine.
"The daylight drinking. You really need to cut back on that." Petra remarked.
"Humph. How's the red hair doing?" Vanessa continued.
"She's at the Boss's office. We got no clue on what's happening in there." responded a little man with a ginormous pompadour.
"Thanks for the intel, Elvis. Hopefully, he's having it better than I am."
Elsewhere, Blessing Prince sat before the Tainted's boss, a towering giant with a long mustache and bushy brows.
"I apologize for my how badly you were treated on your way here. My associates can be rough," the boss began. "I've been told you're just a bystander who got caught in this."
Blessing remained silent, her anxiety mounting. The boss approached the curtains, allowing light to flood the room.
"The man I hold is wanted. The King's Men have issued a reward for his capture. I need your help to find a relic he possesses: the World Map--cubic in nature."
Blessing averted her gaze, her face flushed.
"Come on, you can tell me. There's nothing to fear."
Blessing remained silent.
"How about this?" the boss offered. "Write down anything you know."
Blessing took a deep breath.
"I was too preoccupied by the fear of dying to notice anything," she stated.
"And, you're sure?" the boss inquired skeptically.
"Absolutely," Blessing asserted, her voice unwavering.
"Your heartbeat suggests otherwise," the boss countered, listening intently.
"It's irregular because I'm being interrogated by a scary giant." Blessing reasoned.
"A scary giant?" The boss chuckled, a sound that rumbled deep in his chest. "I assure you, I'm quite amiable. Just a bit… persistent. Besides, you must have seen something. Even a glimpse, a color, a direction? Anything to help us understand why Kojo was carrying that core."
Blessing shook her head, her gaze fixed on a point just past his shoulder. "I swear, I was focused on staying alive. It was all a blur."
"A blur, hmm?" The boss's tone hardened, the amusement draining from his voice. His eyes narrowed, suddenly devoid of warmth. "Well, perhaps a little clarity is in order then."
The boss produced a grotesque barnacle in the center of his left palm, from which erupted a ball of fire.
"I know you're hiding something. Tell me what I need to know, or you'll become cinders," he threatened.
"I truly don't know anything!" Blessing insisted.
"Why would I risk my life for a stranger?" she argued.
"I'd believe you, but your context is lacking," the boss retorted.
"I left out details because you're intimidating!" Blessing retorted.
"Intimidating?"
"It's not the look, sir, it's your demeanor. It's not welcoming."
"Welcoming?" he said, sounding puzzled.
"Yes. You tried to get me to open up, but you failed miserably. Try opening interrogations with a joke."
"A joke? No one will take me seriously."
"I beg to differ."
"And I'm supposed to take interrogation advice from you?" The boss scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm and incredulity, a short, sharp burst of air escaping his nose.
"Think of it as a suggestion." she followed up
"Uh-huh. Back to our earlier discussion, you don't seem to be providing any meaningful information.
Fortunately for you, my daughter has made me develop a soft spot for women. Consider your death averted," he declared.
"Not that I was ever going to kill you from the beginning" he said with a smug look.
"I beg your pardon?" Blessing asked, oblivious about what he meant by his comment.
"You see," the boss began, his voice low and measured, "your fate is intertwined with Kojo's by an invention known as the Hell's Captive. Those bound by it are inseparable. Keeping you too far from Kojo will result in your mutual demise. Similarly, your demise will inevitably lead to his. My men installed this device onto you in the form of a bracelet when they found you."
"And here I thought it was a gift. Very clever. Hypothetically, if any of us escapes and makes a run for it pass a certain distance, we'll both go...?"
"Boom." the boss replied with a devilish grin.
"Here I thought this day couldn't get any better."
"Calm down, Miss. As I recall, the bounty specifically demands his capture 'alive.' Surely, I wouldn't jeopardize that lucrative reward by eliminating you. Just consider the hell's captive as a backup plan. My captive is no mere man."
He paused, a chilling glint in his eyes.
"You believe you've bested us?" she quipped.
"I possess the means to inflict excruciating pain upon you, far worse than death. Yet, I refrain from doing so, for you have not wronged me personally. My conflict with Kojo, the masked individual I've apprehended, extends far beyond the confines of a mere bounty."
"Coud've just said yes," she whispered .
Intrigued by the unexpected development, she inquired, 'What were his transgressions?'"
"That's a personal vendetta," the boss replied dismissively. "Has nothing to do with you."
"Very well. If I may ask, what are your intentions for me?" she wished to know.
"I'll still need you held in solitary confinement."
"Elvis!" the boss called out, summoning his subordinate.
"That's my cue," he told Vanessa and Petra before entering the boss's office.
"Yes boss?" Elvis inquired.
"Escort Ms. Prince to her enclosure. Ensure she's guarded. We wouldn't want her escaping, would we?"
"No sir. I'll do as ordered."
"Good. Move along now."
Simultaneously, Vanessa made her way back to the torture chamber, brandishing a test tube filled with an ethereal, blue-glowing liquid. With ease, Vanessa carefully transferred the luminescent fluid from the test tube into a pre-sterilized syringe.
"What's with the ominous looking serum?" Kojo asked.
"Oh this. Just a little friend I got from the Black Market. It's known as the Night's Embrace."
"Okay. Name's not bad. What exactly does it do? Some kind of aphrodisiac?"
"Temper your enthusiasm," Vanessa cautioned, closing the distance between them. "The serum interacts with the body's inherent bio-electric field, often termed the 'aura,' inducing a unique chemical cascade that transiently modifies brain function. This reaction specifically targets the cerebral regions governing memory and speech, particularly suppressing those centers responsible for deception and false recollection. Consequently, the subject is rendered incapable of fabricating or distorting information – their utterances are confined to their genuine, conscious beliefs.
While the serum compels veracity, it does not coerce the subject into divulging information, affording them the prerogative of silence. In more potent formulations, the serum exhibits the capacity to augment memory retrieval, occasionally unlocking repressed or forgotten details. This characteristic renders it an invaluable asset for investigators and those seeking precise, unadulterated information."
"A rather lengthy explanation," Kojo remarked. "So, essentially, it's a form of truth serum."
"Indeed," Vanessa concurred. "Essentially, it is."
"If you possessed this truth serum, why resort to such extreme measures as torture?" he queried.
"Personal preference," she replied succinctly.
"That's diabolical."
"Oh come on now. Don't tell me you didn't have any fun?"
"Fun? You've treated me worse than 99.9% of my enemies!
You're one messed up lady. Doubt anyone would willing end up this way. What happened to you?" he questioned.
"I'd rather not talk about it..." she trailed off, approaching him with the syringe.
Accidentally slipping on some blood, Vanessa dropped the syringe directly into her foot.
"I hate to be that guy but I told you so." the masked man remarked.
Vanessa retrieved the syringe, grimacing in pain.
"F@#K!" she exclaimed.
"You alright?" he gently probed.
Vanessa sat down, breathing heavily.
"Do you have any idea how expensive that was?" she lamented.
"How could I be so careless?" she muttered, puzzled by her own actions.
Overwhelmed by the serum's effects, Vanessa turned to her captive, her demeanor softening.
"Sometimes, I wonder how things turned out like this. I never wanted to be a torturer," she confessed.
"Oh shit. She's venting now. Must be the effect of the serum." he observed.
"As a child, I dreamt of being an astrologist. I was obsessed with the cosmos. My mother, a single parent, supported my dreams. We lived in a small, peaceful town. But peace is momentary. I'll never forget the day the stars misaligned. It was a cold winter night. Blood and snow had become a lovely mix. A crew of criminals called 'The Bringers of Death' decimated my town--"
"Sorry to interrupt the story but I personally believe they could've gone with a better name. You don't have to add Death to the group name just to strike fear into the hearts of your victims. Rookie mistake. They could've gone with something like "The Hollow Dragons" or The Brotherhood.
Although The Brotherhood might be an issue if they have some women-"
"Ahem." Vanessa coughed up, queuing Kojo about his interruption.
"Oh right. Sorry about that. Carry on with the tale."
"Alright. Now where was I? Right, The Bringers of Death." she recalled.
"My mother hid me in a bunker, sacrificing herself to protect me. I stayed there for days, alone and terrified. Then, Richaun Davis, a bounty hunter pursuing the Bringers of Death, found me. He took me in, raised me, and taught me how to fight. We hunted down the crew that massacred my people. I enjoyed carving them up. Once you go down that path, there's no return."
"Wow. That's horrible. I mean, that backstory won't make top 20 in my book but it's definitely gonna be 50-ish," he commented.
"Mhm," Vanessa mumbled.
"Pretty insane how you just opened up to me. Almost makes us buddies."
"Don't push your luck. I'm still going to torture you."
"Could you at least give me some time to recuperate?"
"Sure. The serum gave me a headache. This'll do us both good."
"See you in an hour?"
"You have 10 minutes." she declared.
"I can work with that." Kojo stated.