Lio
"Hey Magnus.. ," I yawned, walking into his office loudly. He stands up and hugs me, rubbing my head.
"You havent been sleeping well, have you?," He whispered. He pulled me back, pressing a hand to my head.
"No.. I've been dealing with some things lately," I responded. He gave me a look.
"You're feverish. Sit down," He ordered. I shrugged him off, collapsing in one of his chairs.
"I dont want to be alone... Can I sleep here while you work?" I asked. He nodded, grabbing a blanket from the closet, tucking me in. I close my eyes, letting the feeling of his fingers in my hair comfort me.
"You're really starting to worry me Lionel," He muttered. I opened my eyes, giving him a fake smile.
"I'm sorry Magnus... I dont want to... You know I love you, rohht?," I asked in a mumble. He leant down and kissed my forehead, moving backwards.
"Yeah I know... Get some rest. I promise I wont leave you alone,"
"Aww... Lionel... Are you afraid of little old me?," Once more, I'm locked in the depths of my own mind. I scream shake, trying to wake up. But nothing happens.
Is this hell?
She walks up to me, her face morphing until once again, it's me.
"Miss me... You fake," He growled under his breath, almost like knives slashing stone. I push him away from me, falling to the floor.
"Why wont you ever stop!! WHY CANT YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!," I cried. He kneeled, reaching out to me.
"Because Lionel... You aren't being truthful... ," He slithered around me like a snake.
"You need me... You're weak without me-," He murmurs into my ears, his voice echoing in my head. Everything sounds so distorted.
"Remember Lio.... Remember this room," All of the sudden, I'm surrounded by a room sprayed with blood. I turned, and then I'm stuck in a chair. Chains tied to my ankles and wrists.
"NO!! LET ME OUT!-" I struggled against the chains, flickers of pain coursing my body. He walked up to me, his face morphing once more into a familiar black haired woman I havent seen in years.
"Lyra," I choked. I screamed my throat raw, yanking at the chains. I need to get away.
"Oh Darling... Dont you remember how this works?," She asked in a bittersweet tone, moving and sitting on my lap. She brings a knife up to my cheek, tears burn in my eyes.
"You know what comes next Lionel... You know all the heartache that follows this moment... YOUR ULTIMATE ROOT OF DESPAIR!," she cackles, throwing her head back. She runs her soft fingers along my tear stained cheeks, her knife pressing to my throat.
"Oh Darling!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVE THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE!!," She cried. She moved away from me, kneeling down.
"If you hadn't been so weak then... In this moment... If you had gotten free.... This wouldnt have happened," She moved, stalking into the darkness of my mind.
"NO DONT LEAVE ME!! I DONT WANT TO BE ALONE HERE!," I screamed, my throat burning with pain. I hang my head, glaring down at the blood stained floor.
"Stay back... Lio," A voice murmured. I gasped, looking up. In front of me I could see myself frozen, My foster mother Standing between me and Flare, her weak body already tattered enough as it is.
"You remember this... Dont you," Her voiced crowed, back in my ear once again. I turned away, trying to hide the scene from my view.
"Stop it..," I cried weakly, clenching my eyes shut.
"Its gonna happen Lionel... Time... and Time... and Time again... Hes going to kill them all... Just like he killed me... and you're going to be too weak holding me back," Her voice changed once more, into a creepier version of my own.
"This world is rotten to the core... Filled to the brink with Parasites like Flare... Parasites who will kill our friends... Our family.... Our loved ones.... Are you willing to let that happen?," He demanded. I choked back a sob, shaking my head.
"How are you gonna keep your word... Lionel Hall.... ," He demanded. I shook him off, struggling against my chains.
"I- I," I faltered, hanging my head. He hissed behind my, reaching up and touching my eye again.
"Poor Lionel Hall.... Always the victim... Isnt that what she taught you? To ignore your instincts... ," He chuckled slowly in my ear. I shook my head, struggling to cut out his voice.
"Stop!," I roared. He grinned, forcing himself into my vision. His eyes seemed to glow eerily, like two pools of blood, his fingers and toes covered in scars.
"OR WHAT LIONEL!! You'll kill me!! HA!! You dont have it in you... Even if you did," He grabbed my by the throat, clenching with his whole might. I gasped, struggling against him.
"IM FAR SUPERIOR DAMMIT!!! IF I had been in control all these years.... Magnus wouldnt have messed with us.... We wouldnt have been kidnapped... Michelle Hall would still be alive," He snarled. He grabbed my hair, yanking my head back.
I looked up into his eyes... Our eyes.
"How long are you gonna keep playing the victim? How long, are you gonna sit back and cry yourself to sleep and rely on everyone else to take care of you?," He demanded. I clenched my eyes shut, gripping the chains around my wrists.
"You're not fit for this cruel world... I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did... Heh... If I had it my way, I'd have been in control years ago... I am the original! I am the one who deserves to be unleashed! Not this pretentious goody two shoes act you've built up around us... Remember what happened that day Lionel?," He asked. Behind him I could see myself on the ground crying, my lip bbn leeding, eyes bruised. My mother leaned down smirking, raising her fist again.
"N-no," I stammered. I watched in awe as something in my figure snapped.
"It was so joyous to finally be free-," The other me crowed. I watched as the child version of myself looked up with a sadistic smile. In a matter of seconds, My mother was out cold. I had walked to the phone, picking it up and dialing a number.
I choked back a sob, my eyes widening.
"I was the one who put her away?," I demanded almost breathlessly. He smirked, kneeling down next to me.
"We were the ones who put her away. You accepted your issues for a little while... But then you forgot about me- The monster under your bed. But when we were one... Working together like that day... We ended our own sufferings... Because we weren't weak anymore! ," He reached up, touching my cheek with a sadistic grin.
"What do you say Lionel... Are you a Hall? Or a Valdez...."
I gasped, sitting upright, my eyes burning with tears. Magnus was holding me tightly, running his finger through my hair as I sobbed, clenching my chest.
"Dont make me go back there!," I cried, clenching my temples. My ears rang, as if his laugh still scorched my eardrums.
"Lio... you need to sleep... I'm worried," He froze, looking down at my fingers. I looked down as well, noting the way the skin around my finger nail turned black. My eyes widened as it spread, darkening further until it reached my knuckle... Just one finger..
"Whats... happening... to me?," I gasped between breaths. The world around me became dizzying. My breath growing heavier.
Pain... Blood... Pain.... Fingers... Pain... Toes..
. Pain... Eyes... Pain... Knives... Lyra... Lyra... LYRA... LYRA!!
I hunched over clenching my eye as my chest started to burn.
"LIO BREATHE!," I could hear Magnus... But it was so far away... He was so far away.. Revenge... Blood... So much pain.
"Come on Lio!," Magnus begged. He rubbed my back with his hands.
"Its your own weakness that drove us here," A voice murmured in my head. I turned, looking up at Magnus.
"It's ok Lio... I'm here... You're going to be ok," He promised. I nodded my head, breathing shakily... Get yourself under control. I slowed my breathing, clearing my mind... No more voices... No more craziness... Just Laying with Magnus... no more fear in my heart.
I'm safe here.
Magnus
The next day, Lio Eren, Sarah, Ryan and I all stand in front of a tall building, back in our home town. DaytonVille...
I havent been here since that day... My last fight with Flare. Lio managed to heal it fairly easily, but that doesnt change the fact I shattered my arm... In some ways it will never be the same again.
I look down at my palms. Seeing Lio like that yesterday reminds me of how negligent I've been... As a boyfriend and a friend. I shouldve tried harder to be there for him... I looked up at Lio, seeing his eyes focused solely on the PD. I'm scared for him.
A man walked out of the building, followed by about six younger teenagers... Barely a few years younger than us.
"Welcome. My name is Federal Agent Michael, and these are the men and women you'll be joining up with. You will become acquainted with them over time, so we dont have any time to waste for formal introductions. Flare has already made his move. Decay has been spotted all around town, and I've noticed an increase in missing persons. According to medical records, they all got a vaccine that gave them incredible powers. I believe Transfer is building up an arsenal of powers he can give to his partners in crime, excluding Flare. Mask has already taken out two quadrants of our men who were sent to keep an eye on them. None survived," He debriefed us, handing all ten of us folders. I opened it, looking down at the photo of the mask guy. My blood went cold.
Could it be him.... No... He went missing years ago. But maybe that's why hes hiding his face... Eithout the mask I'm positive we can identify him.
I turned my focus back to Agent Michael, who glanced at his watch.
"If you manage to close this case once and for all, you'll all be paid handsomely for your service. However your lives are not Guaranteed. If you encounter an SS+ rated, or anyone ranked above SS, you have the order to kill on sight. This has become bigger than it shouldve been in the first place and if it keeps up, we'll have a crumbled society on our hands," Lios lips twitched when he mentioned killing them... Or was it just my imagination.
"One last thing... If you interfere with our investigation in any negative way-," He craned his head back at us, a devilish smirk pulling at his lips.
"I'll charge you with the heaviest crimes I can think of... Dont even try it," He hissed before entering the building.
A blonde girl who was sucking on a lollipop grinned.
"Let me show you inside, shall we?,"