Note: Here it is. The last one. I know I’m a day late. (well 2 days late since it’s almost 4 in the morning). But here it is.
Luigi pushed Amber forward. “Keep running.” They were almost there. Maybe pops wasn’t such a paranoid bastard when he built a panic room. Luigi glanced backwards. They managed to get a decent headstart. It was a massive takeover. The men were too well-armed to be rebels. Who the fuck were these people?
Gunshots resounded behind them. Fuck. “Don’t fucking stop.” They had to get to the panic room and then they would think of what to do next. Only the three of them could open the door. No one had access; not even the head of security. They just had to get in. The both of them had to get in there and then they’d figure something out.
A pit settled in Luigi’s gut knowing it was just the two of them. Where the hell did Pavi run off to? He wasn’t in GeneCo; that much Luigi knew. But he had no idea where his idiot brother went. He didn’t need his brother coming back to this mess. Or worse… What if someone followed him and-
A sharp pain shot through his back. Luigi collapsed forward.
“Brother!”
His back hurt. He had to stand. He had to move.
His sister stared at him in fear. Her eyes darted behind him then back at him. She turned and ran towards the panic room door. She keyed in the code. The door flew open. “Brother.” She turned towards him.
Luigi couldn’t move. No matter how hard he tried to force himself to move. He tried pushing himself upwards but that was all he could do.
Amber looked up behind him once more and her eyes widened. She ran into the panic room. She refused to meet his eyes as the doors slammed shut.
Something clenched in Luigi’s chest. He would have told her to get in there but… To see her leave him so willingly. Fuck. They were all out for themselves. Why should he have expected any different? Damnit. It shouldn’t hurt as much as it did.
Pain shot through his hand.
“Drop the gun.”
Luigi closed his eyes and released the gun.
“Get to your feet.”
Luigi turned his head and just glared. There were a dozen armed men before him.
The man with his foot on his hand reached out and grabbed his hair. He pulled. “I said get up.”
Luigi grunted. He couldn’t move. But fuck if he was telling them that. “Fuck you.”
The man pulled him upwards.
Pain shot through his back. A gun was placed at his chin “Fuck you.”
“I don’t need you. Open the panic room.”
They needed Amber. Why would the rebels need her? A mass slaughter proved their point. No, they were too well-armed for rebels. “I can’t open the door. Once its shut with someone inside, only the person inside can open it.” Luigi sneered.
“You’re lying.” The man dug his finger into the bullet wound in his back.
“Fuck.” Pain shot through his entire spine. A sharp shooting pain shot through his legs. He couldn’t move his legs. “Why the fuck would I lie?”
The man cocked the gun. “Then we don’t need you.”
“Wait.” Another man said and sauntered up to him. “I have an idea.”
***
Amber sat on the ground, hugging her knees to her. She left her brother out there. She left her brother to die. She hugged her knees closer. She left her brother out there to die.
No. He was shot. He wouldn’t have made it. He couldn’t even stand. She couldn’t have dragged him into this room. There wasn’t anything she could do. She would have died as well.
Excuses. All excuses. She was scared. She didn’t want to get caught. So she ran. She ran and left her brother out there. She left her brother out there alone.
Her watch rang. “Incoming call from Luigi Largo.”
He got out. He must have found somewhere to hide. He was alright. She answered the watch. “Brother.”
“Amber Sweet.”
Her heart fell. That wasn’t her brother. They had her brother. They had her brother. She gave them her brother.
“Ms Sweet. I think you understand the significance of me having this watch.”
“Is…is he alive?”
“For now.” There was a pause and she heard her brother curse in pain.
Amber closed her eyes. They had her brother. “What do you want?”
“I just need you to open the door.”
If she opened the door, they would kill her. They needed her because she was CEO. They needed her dead.
“Are you listening to me, Ms Sweet?” The voice was cold, professional.
If she opened the door, they would kill the both of them. They would not leave Luigi alive. They would kill them both.
“If you don’t open the door, I will kill your brother.”
“That slut doesn’t give a fuck about me.”
Amber clenched her eyes shut. Tears pricked at her eyes. Brother, that’s not true. That’s not true.
“Ms Sweet.” The voice warned.
“You won’t let him go. If I open this door, you won’t let him go.”
“I just need you Ms Sweet. I have no use for your brother.”
He was lying. What would killing only her do? The rebels would wipe them all out. He was lying. “I don’t believe you.”
“Have it your way, Ms Sweet.” A gun cocked.
No. No. Let him go. Please let him go. Please.
A scream of pain echoed through the line.
Amber froze. What were they… what were they doing?
Another scream.
Amber’s blood ran cold.
“Are you going to open the door now, Ms Sweet? We have plenty of time.”
Amber’s lip trembled. No. Not this. They were torturing her brother. They were trying to force her to open the door.
“Ms Sweet, are you even there?”
Another scream echoed through the line.
Amber whimpered.
“I heard that.”
Amber clenched her eyes shut. No. They couldn’t know it was affecting her. They would hurt him more. They would hurt him more.
Another scream. This one worse than any of the others.
Amber clamped her hand over her mouth. Tears streamed down her face. Stop this. Please stop this. Stop this.
“I told you.” The voice was trembling. “That fucking slut doesn’t give a fuck about me. End this now.”
Amber slammed her head against her knee. That isn’t true, brother. That isn’t true.
“You want this to end, tell your sister to open the fucking door.”
Luigi screamed again.
Stop. Stop. Stop.
“How…do you expect me…to convince her?”
“Figure it out.”
Luigi screamed again.
Amber clamped her hand tighter as sobs fought to escape her lips.
“Fine. If your sister won’t open the door, then you open it.”
“I…told you. I can’t…open it…from this side…once there’s someone…in there.”
Liar. That son of a bitch was lying. That son of a bitch was- Amber’s shoulder’s shook as the quiet sobs wrecked her body.
“Then pray your sister finds mercy.”
Luigi screamed once more.
“Stop.” She choked out. “Please just stop. I’ll open the door. Please just stop.” Full blown sobs wrecked her as she no longer forced herself to stay silent.
“That’s all you had to-” The man was cut off. “Mother-”
A shot rang out.
A chill ran down Amber’s spine. “Lu?”
“Fuck. Find Pavi Largo. NOW!”
Fear filled Amber’s gut. “Lu?”
“End that fucking call.”
“Brother…”
The call was cut off.
“No.” Amber couldn’t breathe. A choked cry of pain escaped her lips. “No.” She pulled her knees tighter to her. “No.”
***
Pavi watched his sister draped over the couch. She was humming to herself. He approached her and she didn’t react to him. Her pupils were constricted. She was high…again. He sighed and sat in the armchair opposite her. He wanted to talk to her when she was sober but…she was never sober. Not since the attack on GeneCo.
Guilt filled Pavi’s chest and he forced it back. He should have been here. Maybe things would have turned out differently if he was here. He had taken the day off and was at the other side of town when he heard what had happened. He rushed back to GeneCo but the GeneCops didn’t let him go inside. He could only wait outside; not knowing if his siblings were alive or dead.
And then when they took back GeneCo…
The GeneCops found him first. They tried to cover him up; told him not to look. He can still see his brother’s broken body: bones broken, fingers cut off, skin flayed. He was already stiff by the time they got to him. But Pavi still wonders if they had just taken back GeneCo sooner…maybe…
They couldn’t find sorella anywhere. He was so scared. Where could they have put his sister? It was then when Pavi realized where they had found Luigi’s body; in front of the panic room.
He opened the door to find his sister curled on the ground in a foetal position. She didn’t answer his questions. She just laid there sobbing. She was inconsolable. She refused to say anything to him. Pavi couldn’t do anything but hold her as she sobbed in his chest. And then…and then Amber started using again. Pavi should have stopped her. He should have realized…
“Sorella?” His voice was quiet; not wanting to startle her.
Amber stopped humming. But she didn’t reply him. She just stared at the ceiling.
“Sorella, you have to talk to me.”
“What do you want me to say, brother?”
She was lucid enough to hold a conversation. That would have to do he supposed. “You need to talk about what happened.”
“No.”
“Sorella, you can’t keep doing this.”
“Doing what?”
“You’ve been clean for over a year.”
Amber didn’t say anything.
“Please, sorella. I know it’s hard. But you need to stop this.”
“If I’m not high, I keep hearing him scream.”
“I know it’s hard, sorella.”
“Maybe he’s punishing me, brother. He won’t leave me alone because he wants to see me suffer.”
“Sorella, he wouldn’t want this.”
Amber sat up. “How would you know?”
“Because I know fratello. He wouldn’t want to see you like this.”
Amber smiled sardonically. “I left him to die. I closed the door right behind me, leaving him outside.”
Pavi froze. She had to be lying. She wouldn’t have…
“And then the screams started. All I had to do was open that fucking door. But I was so scared. I couldn’t even open that door.”
“They would have killed you both.”
“You don’t know that!” Amber shook. “You can’t know that. We thought rebels. But they weren’t…they weren’t…”
The President’s men. They wanted to force Amber to sign away GeneCo. As soon as the GeneCops found the evidence… That bastard would rot in jail for the rest of his miserable life.
“They didn’t need him. They just needed me. If I had opened the door, he’d still be here.”
“Sorella, please.” He tried to touch her but she pulled away from him. “You don’t know that. They would have most likely killed you both as soon as they got what they wanted.”
“You won’t tell me how he died, Paviche. You won’t tell me what they did to him. You didn’t let me see him until they fixed him up.”
“Sorella…” Pavi sighed. “I told you they shot him in the back and in the head.”
“Where? Where in the head?”
Pavi closed his eyes. Right temple. But his sister didn’t need to know that. The guilt she felt was already crushing her. “Back of the head. Execution style.”
“Liar.” She hissed.
“Sorella.” He grabbed her arm and didn’t let her pull away.
“I may as well have killed him myself.” She looked at him. “So tell me, brother. How am I supposed to deal with that without Z? How am I supposed to deal with what I’ve done?” She fell back into the chair and grabbed her head.
Pavi sat next to his sister and pulled her towards him. “He wouldn’t blame you, sorella.”
“He thought I hated him. He thought I didn’t care…” She buried her face into Pavi’s chest.
“He knows you love, sorella.”
“How do you know? How do you know?”
Pavi closed his eyes. Bullet wound: right temple. Angle consistent with- “Because he knew you would open the door.”
Amber shook harder and sobbed painfully into his chest.
Luigi rubbed his head. The fucking migraine wasn’t going away no matter how many fucking pills he took. He downed his 11th cup of coffee for the day. It wasn’t helping. It didn’t matter how black it was, it wasn’t keeping his fucking eyes open. Luigi slammed his pen down. The words were beginning to blur. Maybe he should get some sleep tonight.
He glanced at the document and sighed. He picked up the pen. He had to get this done. The deadline was coming up and it was nowhere near ready.
He shouted for his assistant to bring him another cup of coffee. He reminded himself not to stab this one. This one knew how to make coffee. He didn’t need to go through another 15 to find one who could make a decent cup. No one answered. Right the bastard only worked till midnight. He swore the boy nearly cried when he told him his working hours. He had to remind himself then that the boy was the only one who could make a decent cup of coffee.
His head screamed at him once more. Fuck. He was not getting any work done like this. He placed his head on the table. He just needed the migraine to go away. He could work through everything else. He took a breath and forced himself to sit upright. Just another hour or two. Then he would go to bed.
***
Pavi headed to the GeneCo offices. It was the 4th night in a row that Luigi had stayed in the office overnight. He would head back in the mornings, take a shower, and head back to the office. His assistant told him that Luigi had been missing meals as well. Pavi sighed. Luigi had stopped working like this since papa died. Then suddenly, over the last few weeks, he’d started all over again.
What was Luigi working on anyway? He knew Amber had cut down his workload once she realized what their brother was doing. So what the hell was keeping his brother so busy?
Pavi entered Luigi’s office and sighed. His brother was asleep at his desk. He was hunched up at the desk; one arm below his head, the other wrapped around it. His back and neck were going to kill him tomorrow, he guaranteed it. Pavi grabbed Luigi’s coat hanging on the rack and draped it over his brother. Or maybe he should wake him? But knowing his idiot brother, he wouldn’t go back to bed. He would just continue working. What the hell was his brother working on?
Luigi was lying on a document open before him. Pavi pulled it carefully; trying not to wake his brother. He looked at it and froze.
Attempts 20 and 21: Failed. Faces still refuse to hold. Nerves are able to connect but blood supply still unable to be established. Subjects complained of constant severe, sharp pain up to the point the face rotted off.
‘Blood vessels too small? Increase blood vessel diameter by 1mm, bury deeper into the muscles.’ Was haphazardly written in pen below it.
Attempts 22 and 23: Failed. Removed old blood vessels and nerves, replaced with synthetic. Random fasciculation of muscles in the face. Blood vessels still won’t hold. Faces rotted at a faster rate. No sensation in the face.
Synthetic material not sensitive enough. Too many muscles. Synthetic works for nerves in arms. Remove nerves in arm and replace the nerves in the face. Replace arm nerves with synthetic. Nerves in arms too huge. Hand nerves may run to similar problem.
Attempts-
Luigi stirred. Fuck. Pavi closed the document and placed it on the table with the other stacks of company documents. “Pavi? What are you? Fuck.” Luigi squinted. “Turn off the lights.”
Pavi obliged. The room fell into darkness. “You need-a rest, fratello. Go to bed.”
“What time is it?”
“It’s-a nearly 4 in the morning.”
“Fuck.” Luigi rubbed his head. “I have to be up in 2 hours anyway.”
“I’m-a sure sorella would give you the day off.”
“Too much work to be done.” Luigi muttered but he still hadn’t lifted his head off the table.
Pavi grabbed the stack of documents on Luigi’s desk. “If-a you refuse to rest, fratello. I will-a burn all these documents.”
Luigi straightened. He cursed and grabbed his head. “That’s the only copy.”
That, not those. “Then you will-a do as you’re told. When’s the last-a time you slept, fratello?”
“I just slept.”
“I meant-a through the night, like a normal person.”
“I don’t remember.”
“You’re going to kill yourself like this.”
“I’m fine.”
“You haven’t-a joined us for a meal in almost 2 weeks.”
“I eat here.”
“Barely.”
“I need to get that done.”
“What the hell is-a so important, fratello?” Pavi reached for the files.
“Don’t!”
Pavi skipped the first file. He opened the second. “This is-a just the budget, fratello. Just-a get the finance manager to look it over.”
“He has. I just need to approve it. Now give them back.”
Pavi closed the file. “No. I’m-a keeping these until you’ve had a proper rest.”
“Pavi.” Luigi growled.
“I’m-a telling Sorella you’re taking the day off. You better be there for dinner or the files are going up-a in smoke.”
“Pavi!”
Pavi left the room. “Buona notte, fratello.”
***
“Pavi, I need those documents back.”
Pavi turned to see his brother stalking up to him. “It’s-a been one day, fratello.” But Luigi must have listened to him and had a proper rest. He looked slightly better than the previous day…well this morning technically.
“I’ve slept. I’ve eaten dinner with the two of you idiots. I’ve done what you wanted. Now give it back.”
“The Pavi has-a already approved the budget, fratello. It-a wasn’t that complicated.”
Luigi stiffened. “You went through my stuff?”
“Just the budget. The Pavi was-a too lazy to read the others.”
Luigi relaxed. “I don’t need you doing my work for me.”
“One more day, fratello. You still-a look like shit.”
“That wasn’t the deal.”
“There was-a no deal. The Pavi will-a give you back the documents once The Pavi feels you have sufficiently rested.”
“At least give me the documents. Everything is in there. All the work is halted-” Luigi cut himself off.
“The work can-a wait a couple of days.”
“The deadline is fucking coming up.”
What deadline? Why would there be a deadline? It doesn’t make sense. “I don’t-a care, fratello.”
“This isn’t your fucking business.”
“I’d-a rather you not-a work yourself to death, fratello.”
“I told you, I’m fine. I’ve had my rest.”
“Just-a sit down and drink-a with the Pavi.”
“I have things to do.”
“That-a you can’t do without those documents.” He poured his brother a drink.
Luigi sighed and sat next to him. “Tomorrow. At the very least tomorrow.”
“The work will still-a be there next-a week.”
“I’m working on a tight schedule. The deadline is the end of the month.”
Something in Pavi’s chest clenched. Why was there a deadline? “Are you sick, fratello?”
“What? No. I told you, I’m fine.”
“Why a deadline?”
“I know you barely work, but everything has a deadline.”
“Not this. Why would this…” What month was it? September? There wasn’t a new election or law changes they had to worry about for their research. Why end of September? What was-
Oh.
Pavi started laughing.
“The fuck’s wrong with you?”
“A birthday present. Fuck, fratello. You fucking scared me to death.”
“What are you-” Luigi froze. “You read the document.”
“I just-a wanted to see what you were so busy with, fratello.”
Luigi shot down his drink and said nothing.
“Fratello,” Pavi sighed. “The Pavi has-a looked like this for almost 20 years now. There is-a no rush.”
“I should have started this much earlier.”
“What-a was missing?”
“Test subjects.”
Pavi laughed. “Papa wouldn’t have let you hear the end of it.”
“Please. He would just be annoyed he didn’t think about it first.”
“Why didn’t-a you tell The Pavi?”
“I didn’t want to get your hopes up. Nothing has even come close.”
“Fratello I… It’s been 20 years. It’s-a ok if it doesn’t work.”
“I know. But the least I can do is try.”
“Maybe. But not-a like this, fratello. There’s no deadline. Don’t-a kill yourself over this.”
“You’re being a fucking drama queen.”
“Not-a sleeping and not-a eating is not-a healthy.”
“Yes mom.”
“Fratello, I’m-a serious. There’s-a no rush.”
Luigi opened his mouth to argue more.
Pavi changed tactics. “I miss-a talking like this. Or us eating together as a family.”
Luigi sighed. “Fine. I’ll come home for dinner and drinks. Then I’ll head back to work.”
“Sleep fratello. You forgot sleep.”
“It’s a waste of time to sleep. I can do so much more if I don’t sleep.”
“Sleep is-a important, fratello. What’s so bad about sleeping anyway?”
Luigi sighed. “The nightmares get worse around this time. I’d rather not sleep.”
Pavi fell silent.
“It’s why you were up so late yesterday right? I can hear you scream sometimes.”
Pavi closed his eyes. “It’s-a been 20 years.”
“I know.”
“It-a doesn’t make sense.”
Luigi didn’t say anything. He just filled both their glasses.
“I don’t-a just dream of that day though.”
“What else could be half as traumatizing?”
Pavi was silent. “Being left alone. Mama’s gone; papa’s gone. Everyone we’ve ever known is-a dead…even if it is-a thanks to papa. I just-a…I don’t-a want to lose anyone else.”
“Pavi…”
“The face can-a wait fratello. It won’t-a stop the nightmares. I just…I just don’t-a want you killing yourself over it.”
Luigi sighed. “I’m not going anywhere, Pavi.”
“You can’t-a promise that. Mama never intended to leave. Papa didn’t intend to leave. But they did.”
“Paviche…”
Pavi gave his brother back the document. “I know you need-a this, fratello. But-a not like this please. Next year. You can-a work on it. But there’s-a no rush.”
“Carmela owes me a fuckton of annual leaves. I’ll work on this up to dinner, alright?”
Pavi sighed. It was a compromise he supposed. “Fine. Only if you promise to join The Pavi for-a lunch as-a well.”
“I’m going to be sick of seeing your face.”
“I’ll-a get a new one.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Pavi pouted. “The Pavi is-a bored eating alone.”
“Bullshit. You have the Genterns entertaining you.” Luigi sighed. “I don’t need a babysitter, Pavi. I don’t need you running around making sure I don’t kill myself.”
“I know. But it-a helps.”
Luigi looked at the document in his hand. He sighed and placed it to the side. He poured himself another drink and refilled Pavi’s. “Last drink. Then bed.”
Note: Sequel to Day 23. I didn’t feel like leaving the story there. I felt that there was so much whump potential in the aftermath. I’m late again cause this was just so difficult to write. Same warnings apply. Nothing too explicit but Non-Con, NSFW, torture warnings still apply even if just in a brief flashback.
Luigi watched the last of the guests leave. The President had been rushed to the hospital where he had been pronounced dead on arrival. Luigi approached his brother. “What the fuck is going on, Pavi?”
Pavi turned to him, face serious. “Follow me, fratello. You’re not going to like this.”
“Like what?”
But Pavi didn’t say anything. He headed towards the lift and Luigi followed. Pavi was never this serious. Luigi didn’t like this. And the repeated comments about the President’s drink. Did Pavi do something to it?
Luigi followed Pavi into Dr Smith’s office where the girl Pavi was with earlier was sitting quietly. “What is this, Pavi? You wanted to keep the President’s girl so you killed him?”
Pavi didn’t say anything. He just passed him a sheet of paper.
Blood test 1 and Blood test 2 (Amber Sweet): 100% match.
“What…what the fuck is this!?”
“I don’t-a think sorella ran away. I think-a he took her.”
Luigi looked at his brother then back at the girl. “Amber?”
The girl didn’t look at him; her eyes were on the floor.
“Look at me, you stupid slut!”
The girl flinched and cowered from him.
“Fratello!”
The girl just curled into herself and shook.
“Is this some sort of fucking prank?”
“No.” Pavi bent before her. “She doesn’t seem to remember anything.” Pavi placed her gentle hand on hers. She flinched but didn’t pull away.
“What did he do to her?”
“I don’t-a know. But he deserved much worse than-a what he got.”
“Carmela.”
The girl’s brows furrowed. Did she…did she recognize that?
“Mela, do you know where you are?”
“Mara. My name’s Mara.”
“Mela, do you know where you are?”
She nodded. “GeneCo. I…I need to get back to the Master. He will punish me.”
Something in Luigi’s chest flared. “Punish?” He growled.
Pavi gave him a warning look. “He is-a dead. He won’t-a touch you anymore.”
The girl’s brow furrowed. “Dead?”
“Si. You’re safe now. You’re home.”
“Home?” She looked around then settled on Pavi. “Do I belong to you now, sir?”
Luigi’s hand clenched into a fist. What did that bastard do to his sister?
“No, sorella. You’re safe. You’re home now.”
“Safe?”
This wasn’t his sister. This wasn’t his fucking sister.
“I’ll be good. I’ll do anything you want.”
“No one will-a hurt you here.”
“If I’m good. I know. Just listen and I won’t be punished.”
Luigi couldn’t take this. He left the office. Rage filled him. If only the bastard wasn’t dead. He punched the wall. He imagined it was the bastard’s face. He punched the wall once more.
“Fratello?”
“He deserved more than what he got.”
“I know. But-a we couldn’t get caught. And it had-a to be tonight. Or he would-a take her back.”
Luigi punched the wall once more. “What were you doing with her?”
“He offered her to The Pavi to have fun with.”
Luigi punched the wall once more with a firm crack. Pain radiated up his arm. He let out a growl and slid to the ground. “1 fucking year. He took her for 1 fucking year and we didn’t-” He slid to the ground.
“The forgery was-a perfect. We searched everywhere. It wasn’t-a like we didn’t search. If she looked like-a that as soon as he took her, we would have never recognized her.”
“How did you figure it out?”
“It was-a an accident. I spoke Italian and-a she responded. I would have-a never figured it out otherwise.”
“I want to tear him apart!”
“He’s-a dead.”
“He got off too fucking easy.”
“I know. But-a sorella is the priority now.”
“What can we do, Paviche?”
“Just-a remind her who she is. Remind her she is-a safe. That’s-a all we can do.”
“How the fuck did we fuck up so badly?”
“I don’t-a know, fratello.”
***
“Good. You’re finally awake.”
She opened her eyes. No. Why was she back here? She tried to move but she was tied down to the bed.
Her master ran a hand down her cheek. “You’ve been a very naughty girl, pet. You tried to run away.”
No. She got out. She got out. Why was she still here?
Her master held up a metal stick. He stroked her with it. “I told you, if you were a good girl, you won’t get hurt. It seems you still need to learn.”
There was a sound of something crackling. A sharp pain shot through her. She screamed as her body shook and convulsed. As soon the pain started, it stopped. She breathed heavily.
“Beg me to stop.”
She wanted to beg but her throat was stuck. She couldn’t say anything.
The sound of crackling and another sharp pain shot through her. But it didn’t stop. She arched and screamed and convulsed but it didn’t stop. Please stop. Please. The pain disappeared. She crumpled to the bed, sobbing.
“Oh, is the Ice Queen crying? Go on then, beg me to stop. It’ll end so much faster.”
Her mouth still refused to move. “Fuck you.” No, she didn’t want to make him angry. Why was she making him angry?
He grinned. Another shot of pain filled her. She shook and shook. He was going to kill her. She felt her heart thump painfully in her chest. He was going to kill her. Her limbs contorted; her back arched. The pain stopped and she slumped downwards. Her heart was beating funny. Why was its rhythm off?
“Is that all you can take?”
“Please.”
He grinned. “See, you can learn. That’s all you have to do pet.”
Her heart was skipping beats. She couldn’t breathe. She-
The metal rod was forced inside her.
A scream escaped her lips before she could stop it.
“Don’t struggle. You don’t want me to accidentally push the button do you?”
A whimper escaped her lips.
“Now you’re going to be a good girl. And if you bite me again, I will turn on the cattle prod while its inside you.”
Something was forced into her mouth. She choked as she felt it at the back of her throat. She gagged. She couldn’t breathe. She wasn’t here. She wasn’t here. She wasn’t-
***
“Sorella, wake up. You’re having a nightmare. Sorella.”
Her eyes shot opened and she backed away. “Don’t touch me.” She shrunk back.
“Ok, sorella. I’m-a not touching you. Just-a breathe.”
She wasn’t in that room. She was…she was… Where was she? Why was she here? The master would punish her. The master would… She looked up to the masked man. Right. He was her new master. She yelled at him. He would punish her. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Sorella, there’s-a nothing to apologize for. Just-a calm down.”
He was going to hurt her. He was going to punish her. She tried to back away but there was nowhere she could go. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“I’m not-a going to hurt you, sorella.”
“Please. I’ll be good. I’ll be good.”
“Sorella…”
“Please. I’ll do anything.”
Arms surrounded her. He was going to hurt her. He was going to punish her. She fell still waiting for the pain.
Nothing happened. The arms didn’t let her go. But there was no pain. This…this felt familiar. This shouldn’t feel right but it did. She felt safe. She felt safe.
***
“-lease.”
Luigi sighed as he entered the hospital room Amber was staying at. Dr Smith wanted to keep an eye on her. He didn’t want to do any surgery on her until she was well enough to consent. Luigi had asked him to report what he had found. Dr Smith just gave him a dark look and refused. No matter how much he threatened him, he refused.
“What’s going on?”
She turned to him. “Please. I’ve been good. I’ve done everything you ask. I get Z if I’m good. Please.”
“Fuck.”
She flinched.
“Fratello…”
“Shit, I hadn’t…” He took a breath to calm himself down.
“Please sir. I’ll do anything you want. Just give me Z.” She approached him carefully. She dropped to her knees before him.
Luigi looked away. He couldn’t see his sister like this.
“I’ll do anything you want. Just give me Z. Anything you like.”
A hand touched his groin and unzipped his pants.
“Motherfucker!” He shoved her back. “Don’t fucking do that!”
Amber was sprawled on the ground. She was staring at him in fear.
“Fratello, calm down.”
He hadn’t meant. He hadn’t… Fuck he could do this. He couldn’t watch this. He left the room. He found the dent in the wall. He punched it. Again. And again. And ag-
“Stop it fratello, your fingers have barely set.” A hand grabbed his wrist.
“Don’t fucking touch me.” He snatched his hand back and sent it into the wall again and again. He let out a frustrated scream. Crack. There. He was satisfied. He looked at his hand. It had turned purple once more. Good.
“Damnit, fratello. Dr Smith will-a put you on a full cast if-a you keep doing that.”
“I can’t…I can’t deal with her like this. You fucking deal with her.”
“You don’t-a get to walk away.”
“I’m not… I can’t fucking see her like that.”
“It’s-a difficult for me to see her like that as-a well. But it doesn’t-a mean you get to abandon her.”
“I’m not-”
“She needs-a us.”
Pain shot through his hand as he roughly zipped up his pants. He knew…he knew what The President did to her. But to see it, to actually realize… He slammed his left hand into the wall.
“Is-a one fractured hand not-a enough?”
“If I can’t punish that bastard-”
“You’ll-a punish yourself?”
Luigi froze. “We should have found her.”
“This won’t-a change what happened. But we can-a help sorella now.”
“How?”
“I don’t-a know, fratello. But running away is-a definitely not it.”
Luigi closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine, Paviche.” He headed back to Amber’s room.
She just stared at them wide-eyed. She sat subserviently on the bed.
Luigi sighed and sat on the chair furthest from her. He couldn’t lose his temper.
Amber was staring at his hand. “Did someone punish you for being bad too?”
Luigi sighed. He really didn’t want to explain why he was punching the wall. “Yes.”
Amber glanced at Pavi.
“Pavi didn’t-a do anything, Carmela.”
She approached him cautiously. She gently took his hand in hers.
“It’s fine, Mela.”
“What did the poor wall ever did to you, brother?”
Luigi froze. “Mela?”
Amber didn’t say anything. She just examined his hand some more. She-
A blinding sharp pain shot through his hand.
He bit back the curse. He couldn’t scare her. “What are you-” He breathed heavily.
“The bones have to be put right.”
“Leave it, Mela. The doctors will see to it later.”
“The doctors will make it worse.”
Luigi froze. He placed a careful hand on her chin.
Amber stiffened.
Luigi dropped his hand immediately. “No one here will hurt you. If anyone so much as touches you, you tell me. I will fucking tear them apart.”
“Fratello.” Pavi warned again.
Amber didn’t cower but she didn’t say anything.
“No one is allowed in this room except for the two of us and Dr Smith. No one will hurt you.”
***
The withdrawal was bad. Luigi hadn’t noticed when Amber was withdrawing the first time. But sitting here, watching it first-hand. He watched her shake and throw up again. She kept begging them for Z but they held firm. Luigi’s limit however was when she reached for his pants again.
“Fucking hell, Carmela. I swear if you-”
She cowered from him. She hadn’t shown fear in so long. All their work undone by… Fuck. He headed to the door.
“Fratello!”
Luigi stopped and took a breath. He had to stay. No running away. He sat back in the chair. “I’m sorry, Mela. I hadn’t meant to raise my voice. Just please don’t…”
“Ok.” She said softly. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just give me Z.”
Luigi sighed. “It’ll be out of your system in a few days. Then you’ll feel better.”
“Asshole.”
Pavi whipped towards Amber in shock. “Sorella?”
But she didn’t reply as she always did when pieces of their sister appeared.
“Just rest, Mela.”
***
It’s been a week since Amber stopped withdrawing. She didn’t even ask for Z anymore. Dr Smith suggested they bring her back. Maybe familiar surroundings would help her remember who she was. He watched his sister walk into their home. She looked around cautiously. Slowly she broke away from them and started walking around by herself. She stopped in front of an old family portrait.
“Who’s that?”
“That’s papa, sorella.”
She paused. “No. Her.” She pointed at herself.
“That’s-a you, sorella.”
Her brows furrowed and she looked into the mirror. “No, it’s not.”
Luigi sighed. “Dr Smith says the surgery to look like that again would be extensive. You would require Z. He’s not keen on it and neither am I. But smaller scale surgeries, maybe a face transplant or something would work with the older painkillers. You can do that later, if you want Carmela. Once you get better.”
Amber just touched her own face and then the one in the portrait.
“Come on, Sorella, I’ll bring you to your room.”
Fear filled Amber’s face. “No. I’ve been good. Don’t lock me up again. Please. I’ve been-” She stopped herself. “Yes master.”
“We’re not-a locking you up, sorella.” He brought her to her room.
Her brows furrowed as she looked inside. “This isn’t…”
“This is your room, sorella. You can-a keep the doors open if you want. We’re not locking you inside.”
She slowly stepped into her room. She ran a hand on her table. “I… Do you want me to strip, master?”
Pavi sighed. “No, sorella.” He entered the room, giving Amber a wide berth. He opened the cupboard. “You can change to something more comfortable if you want, sorella.”
“The master chooses my clothes for me.”
“Thatman is-a dead. You can choose your own clothes, sorella.” Pavi just watched his sister stare at her dresser. “It’s-a almost time for dinner, sorella. Me and fratello will be waiting at the dining room. You can come when you’re ready.”
***
Pavi awoke with a start. It was dark. He…He couldn’t breathe. What was… Something was pressed against his face. He couldn’t breathe. He tried to move. Something was holding him down. He struggled. The pillow was pressed harder against his face. He tried to buck the person off him. They held firm. He fought harder. His lungs screaming for oxygen.
His hand slipped free. He grabbed the wrist holding him down and twisted. It released the pressure just enough for him to gasp in a breath. He pulled his other hand free and grabbed the other arm. He pushed the attacker back. He slammed them against the bed and-
Pavi froze. “Sorella?”
“Let me go. I’ll kill you. I’ll fucking kill you.”
“Sorella, it’s-a me. It’s-a Pavi.”
“I’m going to kill you. I’m going to fucking kill you.”
Pavi pinned Amber’s hands on top of her. He hit the light switch beside his bed. “Sorella, it’s me.”
“You’re…you’re not him.”
“No, sorella. It’s me. It’s just me.”
Pavi watched his sister disappear from her eyes. Fear filled them and she cowered back.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please don’t hurt me.”
“I’m-a not going to hurt you, sorella.” He released her and stood. He headed to the light switch and turned it on.
Amber blinked and stared at him.
“Did you have another nightmare, sorella?”
“I…I was there again. Hewas there. I thought…”
Pavi cautiously held her hands. She didn’t flinch. “He’s dead, sorella. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
“I…” She looked around desperately. “Yes. He’s dead. You…you’re my new master now.”
Frustration filled Pavi. “Sorella.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not your master, sorella. Stop calling me that. It’s me. It’s Pavi.”
“I…” She looked at her hands. “Ok, master. I’ll call you Pavi if you wish.”
Pavi released her hands. He sighed. “Just try to get some rest, sorella.”
“Ok.” She quietly left his room.”
***
She headed to the dining room. Her master was already there. She quietly sat in her chair. No, not her chair. The master told her to sit there. It didn’t belong to her. Nothing belonged to her.
The master didn’t look at her. He seemed upset. No. She would get in trouble if he was upset. She was going to be punished.
She had to do something. Her previous master liked it when she got on her knees. Would that…no the master didn’t like that. She looked at his hands. He liked touching her hands. Would that help? Slowly, she placed her hands on his.
“So…sorella?”
“Do you like this, master?”
The master sighed and pulled away his hands. Right. The master wanted her to call him Pavi. She forgot that. He will punish her.
“Motherfucker!” He flew to his feet. He was soaked with coffee. “That’s fucking hot, you clumsy bitch.”
She froze. “You fucking bitch!”
“You’re going to fucking pay for this.”
“I’m going to punish you so badly; you’ll be pissing blood for a week.”
“Fratello, stop it!”
The girl backed away, fear on her face. “Please don’t hurt me.”
She backed away from him. But she had nowhere to run. She had nowhere to run.
“Fucking bitch.”
He kicked her in the stomach. Again and again and again. Everything hurt. She couldn’t move. Please someone help her. She cried in pain but no one was coming.
“Fratello, stop it now!”
He stomped on her abdomen. She felt something burst. She screamed in pain. He was going to kill her. She was going to die.
“Motherf-” There was a growl of pain.
“Fratello!”
“Get the fuck out of here now.”
She was going to die. She was going to die. She was going to-
He was going to hurt her. He was going to kill her.
“Sorella, just take deep breaths. You’re safe. You’re alright.”
She forced herself to breathe. The master gave her an order. She had to follow. She had to listen. She forced her eyes open. The girl was gone. The master released her.
Her eyes fell on him. He was breathing heavily; a knife buried deep in his thigh.
“Did the Master punish you for being bad?”
The master stiffened.
“No, Mela. Pavi didn’t do this.”
“Did…did he make you punish yourself?”
“I’ll give you a choice, pet. I can place this knife into your eye right now. Or you can stab yourself anywhere on your body.”
“No, Carmela. It wasn’t-”
“I don’t…I don’t-a understand. I’ve done nothing to you. I’ve been by your side since the start. I’ve been-a patient and caring. Fratello’s the one losing his-a temper and what, you think-a I’ve been-a torturing him.”
The master was angry. The master was really angry. She was going to get it now.
“I don’t-a know what to do anymore, sorella. I…I’m-a trying. I know it-a takes time. If-a you treat us both like… I’d-a understand but… Did I do something to you to make you so scared of me? Did I do something wrong? I’ve been-a trying so hard but…”
No. He wasn’t angry. He was hurt. Why?
“Forget it sorella. It was always-a easier for you to forgive him. I will leave you alone. I can’t keep-a babysitting the both of you. If it’s-a easier for you to deal, I will leave you alone.” He turned and left.
“Pavi!”
Wait. Stop. No why did she want him to stop. If the Master left her alone…no not master. Her master was dead. He was…he was…
“Damn it.”
She looked up at him. He was gripping his thigh. It was bleeding. She approached him quietly.
“Leave it, Mela. I’ll see to it later.” He didn’t look at her. He was staring at the door.
“Why? If no one makes you do it, why?”
Luigi sighed. “Mela…” He looked at her than look away. “I can’t control…” He took a breath. “I feel… It gets too much sometimes. I need a way to get it out.”
She spotted the bandages. She gave a quick glance to her sleeping brother. She undid the bandages. Long deep cuts ran down her brother’s arm. She touched it.
Luigi awoke with a start. “I had a fight with the mirror. Don’t go in the bathroom, there’s glass everywhere.”
She just stared at the scars. There was something off about it but she didn’t know what. She was too young to understand. “Is…Is Pavi going to be ok?”
Luigi turned away from her. “I don’t know, Carmela. I fucked up so badly.”
She pulled up Luigi’s sleeve. Those scars had healed. But there were new cuts; shallower but no less angry.
“Carmela, don’t.”
“Does Pavi-”
“This has nothing to do with Pavi. He didn’t make me do anything.”
No. “Does Pavi know?”
Luigi sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve been better at hiding it but these last few weeks have been…”
Difficult. Dealing with her had been difficult. “I’m sorry.”
Luigi closed his eyes. “I’m just going to make things worse.” He stood painfully. “I’m going to get this stitched up. Talk…” He sighed. “I’m not forcing you to do anything. But…Pavi has really been trying. This isn’t easy, Carmela. I’m not blaming you. It’s just…been hard.” He headed to the door.
“Brother. It wasn’t your fault. What happened wasn’t your fault.”
“I can’t help you, Carmela. Not like he can. I can’t do anything-”
“You’re here brother. It helps. I know it doesn’t seem like it. But it helps.”
“I keep losing… I can’t control my temper. I can’t keep… You were never scared of me before. I’m making things worse, Mela.” He pushed open the door.
“Don’t give up on me.”
“I’m not, Mela. But I’m making you worse, not better. You deserve better.”
***
She watched the Mas-Pavi sit on the bench in the Greenhouse. He was quiet. He-
She sat next to Pavi and leant onto his arm. “Brandon broke up with me. He said I wasn’t pretty enough for him.”
“Sorella,” He sighed. “Your boyfriend was an asshole.”
“He isn’t wrong.”
“Sorella, you look-a lovely.”
“Then why won’t you take my face?”
He froze. “Sorella…”
“See, it’s not good enough for you.”
“It’s not like that, sorella.”
“Mommy wouldn’t have left if I was pretty enough for her.”
“That’s not true, sorella, you know that. Your mother was…” Pavi sighed. “I’m sure she had her reasons.”
“Daddy won’t let me have surgery.”
“You don’t-a need surgery, sorella.”
“Everyone in school has had one. We own GeneCo and yet daddy won’t let me do anything. They make fun of me.”
Pavi sighed. “I’ll help you convince papa. But do it only because you want to, sorella. Not to make the other girls happy.”
“What if I want to make the other girls jealous.”
Pavi grinned and smacked her head playfully. “Do it for yourself, sorella.”
“You’re the only one I can talk to, brother. You’re the only one who understands.”
She slowly sat next to Pavi. She leant onto his arm.
“Sorella.” He sighed.
“I’m remembering.”
Pavi froze.
“It’s not much. But I’m remembering.” Her voice turned small. “It’s hard. Some days I wake up and I feel like me but one trauma, one trigger and…” She felt a gentle hand on her arm. “He punishes me when he’s angry and that’s why when Luigi starts yelling, I… but those were never so bad. It meant beatings, punishment but that was it. It’s when…it’s when he’s nice; when he’s polite is when it’s the worse. That’s when he would have friends over or he wants to try something new. That’s why…it’s harder with you. I’m sorry.”
“Sorella, don’t apologize. This isn’t your fault.”
“No. I have to say it. This is the clearest I’ve ever been. If I regress…I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Sorella, I don’t need you to take care of me. Just focus on yourself.”
“I know you’re trying to take care of us, Pavi. I see it. Luigi sees it. I need you to remember that when I forget.”
“Sorella please. Don’t worry about me.”
“You were here for me, for Luigi, when daddy died. You were probably grieving too but…I think we took it for granted you were ok.”
“I am ok, sorella.”
“It’s ok to not be. You don’t have to pretend for us. I knew all this before but…it was so hard to say.”
Pavi sighed. “Sorella.”
“Do you think things can go back to normal?”
“No. But it’s ok. You’re here. I’m here. Fratello’s here. That’s enough.”
“What if I never get better?”
“I will be here sorella. No matter how hard it gets. I will be here. I won’t leave you alone.”
“Yes master.”
The master’s eyes closed. He looked…sad. He placed a gentle hand on his arm. “I’ll be right here, sorella.”
Amber fought the urge to rub her aching head. She tried to listen to what finance manager was saying but her head just felt so heavy. Didn’t she get enough sleep the previous day? She needed an aspirin. The man’s voice just bore into her skull but she wasn’t registering anything he was saying. She gave a quick glance to the scribe; she’d just go through the notes later.
“-weet?”
Fuck what had the finance manager asked? She looked at the presentation and she swore the words were dancing across the screen. She looked back at him and he had two twins standing beside him. Ok, she definitely needed a break.
Luigi said something and the man continued his presentation. She swore he was glaring at her suspiciously. The idiot probably thought she was high. Fuck. She wasn’t-
Nausea filled her. She was going to throw up. She stood and her vision turned white. She stumbled back.
“-ella?”
The color came back but her vision didn’t clear. She felt like she was looking through a haze. The urge to throw up was even stronger. She had to get to the bathroom. She-
***
Amber stumbled backwards, grabbing the table for support.
“Sorella?” Pavi was on his feet.
“What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
Amber didn’t answer them. She turned towards the door. She took an unsteady step and plunged forward.
“Sorella.” Pavi caught her before her head hit the ground. What was wrong with her? She-
Amber started seizing in his arms.
“Call the fucking doctors!”
Pavi turned Amber onto her side.
Luigi bent next to him, “She didn’t fucking OD did she?” He muttered under his breath.
“She’s-a clean.” He was sure she was…wasn’t she? Or had she gotten better in hiding it?
“Where the fuck are those doctors?”
***
Pavi looked up as Dr Smith entered the waiting room. He didn’t like the grim look on his face. “Is she alright, dottare?”
“The drug report is clean. MRIs show nothing.”
“But?”
“Her bloods are showing a different picture. Her organs are failing at an extremely rapid rate. Her blood counts are abnormal.”
“What would-a cause that?”
“We are running every disease and toxin test we have but so far nothing is coming up. We’re doing what we can and we’re buying time. But without an answer, we can’t do anything. The GeneCops have been updated. They are running everything Ms Sweet has eaten or drank in the last 24 hours. If anything is abnormal, they’ll find it.”
Luigi nodded and Dr Smith headed back to Amber’s hospital room.
“They think-a she’s been poisoned?”
Luigi rubbed his head. “Did she seem ill yesterday?”
Pavi thought back and shook his head. “She seemed normal.”
“With the number of staff and security we have, how the fuck can anyone slip in anything?”
“That’s-a the thing isn’t it fratello, we have-a too many staff touching everything.”
“Fuck.” Luigi ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll work with the GeneCops to see what they know. If anything happens-”
“I’ll-a let you know, fratello.”
***
Pavi stepped in to Amber’s room when the doctors were finally done. She looked like hell was putting it nicely. “Sorella.”
“Oh good. You have the sense not to ask how I’m feeling. I obviously feel like shit.”
“The dottari and GeneCops are working to find what’s wrong.”
“They could work faster.”
Pavi’s brow furrowed as blood trailed from Amber’s nose. “Sorella, your nose…”
Amber groaned. “The stupid thing refuses to stop bleeding.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. They were silent for a moment. “They’re going to figure it out, right brother?” Amber asked in a small voice.
“Of-a course they will, sorella. You’re going to be fine.” Pavi looked at her. “When-a did the symptoms start, sorella?”
“I only noticed during the meeting.”
“Did-a you eat or drink anything before the meeting?”
“No. Just breakfast. But we had the same thing right?”
“They still-a prepared it separately. The chef is-a being questioned and the leftovers are being checked.”
“Royals used to hire poison tasters. Maybe we should start that again.” Amber’s smile fell. Her hand flew to her mouth as she began coughing.
Dread filled Pavi as Amber removed her hand and it was bloodstained. She just stared at her hand. “It’s-a going to be alright, sorella. They will-a figure it out.”
***
Pavi excused himself to the washroom. He left the room and raised his watch. It rang once.
“Pavi.”
“It’s-a getting worse, fratello. She’s-a bleeding non-stop. Dr Smith wants-a to start transfusions soon if-a this continues.”
“They can’t find anything. Everything she’s eaten and drank in the last 48 hours has been tested. They can’t find anything.”
“The dottari can’t-a find anything in her blood either.”
“Fuck. What else could it be? If not poison, what else could it be?”
“It has-a to be poison, fratello. It’s moving too quickly to be anything else.”
“It’s not in the food. There were no injection or bite marks. What else could it be?”
“That’s-a lovely shade of red, sorella.”
“Is it?” She looked at her reflection in her glass.
Pavi turned his mirror for her to see. “It’s-a ‘sweet’.”
Amber rolled her eyes at the pun. “It’s bit bright for my liking.”
“The Pavi likes it.”
She took out the lipstick from her purse. “You can have it then.”
“Fucking slut. Must you encourage him to be even more of a fag?”
“Sorella is-a being nice, fratello. You should-a learn from her.”
“Not fucking interested in being nice.”
He turned the lipstick over. “You can-a only get this from-a France.”
“The President was on a business trip there last week. He said he thought of me when he saw it and bought it as a congratulatory present.”
“That’s-a nice of-a him.”
“Idiots. It’s strategic.” Luigi muttered.
Pavi took the lipstick from his pocket. Today was the first time Amber’s tried the lipstick. “I’m-a sending something over, fratello. It’s-a just a hunch. But it’s-a better than-a nothing.”
***
Pavi held Amber’s hair back. She retched painfully once more. She wiped her mouth and laid tiredly back in bed. Pavi glanced at the bucket filled with blood. The doctors have tried general antidotes to poisons that cause bleeding like this but nothing has worked.
“They’re not going to figure it out in time, are they?”
“Sorella, they’re doing everything they can. They will-a figure this out.”
She looked at him and he knew she didn’t believe him. She was turning a sickly yellow. Dr Smith wanted to change the kidneys and liver to at least try to slow the damage. But with Amber bleeding as much as she was; no doctor was willing to risk it.
“I don’t want to die.”
“You’re not going to die, sorella.”
“They should have figured out what’s wrong by now. They can’t do it. They can’t find what’s wrong.”
“Sore-” His watch rang. “Excuse me, sorella.”
“Just answer it here.”
“I’ll-a take this outside.”
“Stop hiding things from me and just answer it here.”
Pavi sighed and answered the phone. “Fratello.”
“It’s good news and bad news. You-”
“I’m-a not alone, fratello.”
“Just say what you were going to say. And don’t fucking sugarcoat it.”
“How are you feeling, Carmela?”
“Fucking peachy. Now talk.”
“Pavi was right. It was the lipstick.”
“Lipstick?”
“And the bad-a news?”
Luigi hesitated.
“I swear if you won’t talk; I’ll march there and get the update myself.”
Luigi sighed. “The poison is not anything they can identify. The scientists are trying to reverse engineer it but…”
“It won’t be fast enough…” Amber said quietly.
“There has-a to be something…”
“I’m going to see the President. He might have the antidote.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“We’ll figure that out when it comes to it.”
“You shouldn’t go alone.”
“Maybe the Pavi should-”
“No. Stay with Carmela. We don’t know what else he’s planning.”
“Fratello, be careful.”
Luigi just grunted. “Carmela, you better fucking be alive when I get back.” The watch disconnected.
***
“Mr Largo, how may I help you?”
“Cut the bullshit. You know why I’m here.” Luigi held up the lipstick before him.
The President dismissed his secretary and assistant. Only his bodyguards remained. “So you managed to figure it out. That was quick.”
He wasn’t even bothering to deny it. Fucking bastard. “Is there an antidote?”
“Yes.”
Luigi paused. He admitted to it immediately. He wanted something from them “What are your demands?”
The President threw a document in front of him. “Transfer GeneCo and all its shares to me.”
“Only Amber can sign this.”
“Wrong. Thanks to your father’s complicated set up, all three of you have to sign the transfership. Believe me, it would be so much simpler if I only needed 1 signature.”
“And then what?”
“I give you the antidote. Plain and simple.”
Luigi just stared at the document. Pops would never forgive them for this.
“Has she lost her ability to speak yet? Once the paralysis sets in, no amount of antidote will help.”
“What guarantee do I have that you will give me the antidote once we sign GeneCo over?”
“I have no need to kill your sister.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
“I guess you just have to trust me. You could of course just let your sister die. That would be one less signature I need and we can try it all again with your brother.”
“You won’t get us again that easily.”
“Hence why I want to end it now.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
Luigi stared at the document. They would lose everything. Everything pops has worked for. Everything they have worked for. Everything they owned.
“I’m not a cruel man. The resident floors have their separate entrance right? You can keep your home if you wish. As well as whatever assets that belongs to you that you signed under the company for tax purposes. There’s a reasonable compensation sum as well. I just want the company.”
“How do I know there’s an antidote?”
“I’ve planned this for so long and so thorough. Do you think I will just forget about an antidote? I’m offering to let you still live in GeneCo. Do you think I’d stab you in the back? I don’t need your sister dead.”
“How long more does she have?”
“A couple of hours at least. Enough time for you to get back to GeneCo, get the signatures, come back here, get the antidote and save your sister.”
Luigi took the document and left.
***
Amber was curled to her side; struggling to breathe. The oxygen mask wasn’t doing anything. “Is that…is that asshole…back yet?”
“Not-a yet, sorella.”
She was bleeding into her lungs. The doctors couldn’t do anything to remove the fluid because it would just make her bleed out more. She was going to die. She was going to fucking die. “What’s…taking him…so long?”
Pavi paused. “He won’t-a, sorella. It-a will all be fine.”
Amber closed her eyes and focused on breathing. It was like she was drowning. There was too much liquid in her lungs. She was fucking drowning. “Brother…if…if I’ve said…anything wrong…if…I did…anything…to hurt you… I’m sorry.”
“Sorella, don’t.”
“Don’t…what?”
“Say goodbye. You’re going to be fine.” Pavi looked at her with so much pain and fear that she couldn’t believe his words.
“Brother…I’m…scared…” She reached out her hand to him.
“You’re going to be fine, sorella.” He grabbed her hand. “I’m-a here. I won’t-a let anything happen to you.”
Her chest tightened and she coughed painfully. More blood spilled out of her mouth. “I wish…we hadn’t fought…so much…before…”
“It’s-a what siblings do, sorella.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Believe me, we’ll-a fight much more after this is-a over.”
Amber just smiled. “Promise?”
“You will-a be ok sorella, I promise.”
The door slammed open with a bang. Luigi froze when he saw her. His shattered expression told her exactly how she looked. At least Pavi had the decency to pretend.
“What did he want, fratello?”
Luigi forced his eyes away from her. “GeneCo.” He threw the document on the table. “Just sign it then I can go back there.”
“Everything?” Pavi asked somberly.
“Everything.”
Amber weakly reached for the document. She opened it and Luigi had already signed it. “Are we…not going…to talk…about this?”
“No.” He placed the pen on the table.
“We will…lose…everything.”
“He’ll let us keep our home if we wish. And the compensation would still allow us to live comfortably.”
“Brother…you can’t…be ok…with this-” Her words were cut off by another coughing fit.
“We don’t have a choice.”
“You said…the scientists…were finding…a cure.”
“We can’t wait for them.”
“Brother…be reaso…nable…” It was getting harder to breathe. “This…this…is…everything…”
“Just sign the fucking document, Carmela.”
“Pavi…” She begged.
Pavi looked at her. He reached over the table and signed the document.
“What’s the alternative Carmela? What’s the fucking alternative? Let you die?”
Amber’s chest clenched. She didn’t want to die. But losing GeneCo, losing everything? Her brothers didn’t deserve that. Not to save her. “It’s…the…better…outcome…”
“And then what? He continues coming for us and kills us until whoever is left is forced to sign. I don’t want to be that last one. Do you?” He hissed at his brother.
“Sorella, fratello’s right. Just-a sign the document.”
“If daddy…if daddy knew…”
“Papa’s dead, sorella. What-a he wants doesn’t matter.”
“Just sign it, Carmela.” Luigi refused to look at her. “I won’t watch you die.”
“If…if you…were in…my place… you’d never…have signed it…”
“It’s different.”
“How?”
“Because if we switched places, you wouldn’t have signed it either.” Luigi snarled.
Amber froze. He wouldn’t think that she would let him die, would he? “Brother…that’s…not…true…”
“Prove it.” Amber’s eyes widened as she watched her brother put a gun against his head. “Sign the fucking document or I pull the trigger.”
“You…you’re…not…serious…”
“I mean it, Carmela.” He cocked the gun. “Or we can both die here and let Pavi decide what he wants to do with the President.”
“Fratello…” Pavi said warningly.
“You…you can’t…force me…to-”
“One.”
“Losing…GeneCo…, it’s…it’s not fair to-”
“Two.”
Amber grabbed the pen on the table and signed the document. Her heart pounded. Her chest clenched and another coughing fit filled her.
Luigi took the document from the table. “I’ll be back.”
“That was-a too far, fratello.”
Amber felt Luigi’s eyes on her. “It worked.” He left.
Asshole.
***
Luigi threw the document onto the President’s table.
He smirked. “I knew you’d make the right decision.”
“The antidote.”
“And what if I don’t give it to you?”
Luigi’s chest clenched. “Then I will kill you right here; no matter how many men you have in this fucking room.”
One of the man brought in a vial. The President held it out to him. “The clause is there. You’ve given up all rights to GeneCo. Even if anything happened to me, you won’t get it back. There’s no reason to come after me. You can live in GeneCo if you wish. I have no interest in living where I work. There are different entrances; we don’t even have to meet.”
Luigi snatched the vial from the President. “If this is a dud, I will burn the company to the ground. You would get nothing.”
“This is just business. I have no qualms with your sister. The antidote will work. I will give you until my end of term to settle whatever affairs you have with GeneCo. Any…last minute surgeries.”
Luigi headed to the door.
“Nice doing business with you, Mr Largo.”
***
Amber blearily opened her eyes. She could…she could breathe.
“Sorella?”
“What happened?”
“The antidote worked. The bleeding’s stopped. They’ve changed the failing organs. With a few more blood transfusions, you will-a be fine.”
Relief filled her. She wasn’t going to die. She was going to be fine.
“Don’t-a scare us like that again, sorella.”
Amber smiled softly. “I’ll try to not get poisoned again.” Amber’s smile fell. Luigi was standing at the window, back towards her. “Luigi, I…I’m sorry. It’s my fault we’ve lost GeneCo. I-”
Luigi rubbed his head. “I don’t care about the fucking company, Mela.” He still refused to turn towards her.
“Fratello was-a so worried when he came back to find-a you unconscious.”
Amber looked at Luigi and looked back at her bedsheets. If he wasn’t angry at her, then why won’t he look at her?
“I swear, I’m-a dealing with-a children.” Pavi stood and headed towards Luigi.
“The fuck do you-”
Pavi grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him roughly to her. He forced him down into the chair by her bed. “Parlare.”
“Fucking idiot.”
Amber looked at her brother. Luigi’s gaze met hers and he looked away. Suddenly, Amber understood why he didn’t want to face her. She has only seen her brother cry once when daddy died.
She reached out her hand grabbed his arm. “I…I was so scared.”
“Me too. I…I thought I would lose you. I thought I was too late.”
Amber leant her head against her brother’s arm. He wrapped his arms around her. She felt safe. But she couldn’t let it go. She couldn’t let the fact that they’ve lost everything because of her go. “GeneCo…”
“The Pavi for-a one is-a happy to not-a work another day in The Pavi’s life.”
“Can finally get a decent night’s rest.”
“I’m not…I’m not worth…”
“Sorella enough. Dealing with one insecure asshole is-a bad enough.”
“Fuck you. You’re not any better.”
“Everyone loves The Pavi.”
Amber leant against Luigi. She felt a hand on the back of her neck. “We’re going to be fine, Carmela. I promise.”
Note: So, I saw trap door and the first thing I thought of was Phantom of the Opera. So…this is a Phantom of the Opera AU. I just couldn’t let the idea go.
Note 2: I’m really not lying this time. There isn’t much whump here, at least not as much as I usually write. Seriously not lying. Just putting it out there so no one would be disappointed that it isn’t as whump heavy as I usually do. The Largos need a bit of a break. Especially after the last 3 days. I feel really bad about those.
Pavi watched one of the opera managers stalk his domain. What did he want now? Pavi sneered at the sight of the knife in his hand. Did he think he would kill him with that measly thing? He threw his voice so the man wouldn’t know where he was. “Signor Largo, may-a I know what are you-a doing here?”
“Show yourself, you fucking coward.”
“Temper, Signor. Don’t-a you know what-a happens to those who come into the catacombs?” Pavi threw his voice into a whisper. “They disappear.”
Luigi jumped and looked behind him.
“Over here.” He whispered once more.
Luigi turned to the front. “Where the fuck are you?”
“Tell-a me, Signor, how-a do you expect to kill a ghost?”
“You’re no ghost. I don’t care what everyone believes. You’re just a fucking squatter.”
Pavi laughed and it echoed through the cavern. “You’d know-a, wouldn’t you?”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” Pavi paused. “I have left-a you alone for-a months. Why come searching for-a me now?”
“What the fuck did you do to Amber?”
“Is the prima donna still-a crying over my little joke?”
“That wasn’t funny either. But where the fuck did you take her?”
“Signore, I have-a no interest in the prima donna.”
“You said you’d make us pay, now Carmela is missing. Do you really expect me to believe you had nothing to do with it?”
The Prima Donna had disappeared. Now that was interesting. “What makes-a you think she’s here? She could-a be throwing her usual fits.”
“She wouldn’t leave without telling me where she was going. She has to be here.”
Pavi sneered. “Are you really so-a close to your sister? She tells-a you everything?”
“She tells me enough. I mean it, what the fuck did you do to her?”
“I didn’t-a do anything to her, signore. Maybe she tried-a to come down here as-a well. People who come into the catacombs-a disappear. Ask-a Joseph Buquet.”
“Fuck you. What did you do to her?”
“Nothing. But if-a she found one of-a my traps, well-a, I can’t-a promise she’s-a still alive.” Pavi didn’t bother to mention that it was unlikely that the Prima Donna could have disappeared here without him knowing.
Horror entered the manager’s face. “You bastard.”
“I check-a my traps from-a time to time. I’ll let-a you know in a week if-a I find her body.” Pavi made a mental note to check the traps anyway. Just in case he had been distracted.
“Where are they? Tell me where they are and I’ll check them myself.”
“I can-a promise you, signore, that would be the best-a way to get yourself trapped.”
“Then help me.” He hesitated. “Please.” He said in a small voice.
“Why would-a I? With the prima donna out-a of the way, I can put whoever I want on that stage.”
“Please.”
Pavi paused as an idea formed. He smirked. “Fine. But what would you give-a me in return, signore?”
“Whatever you want.”
“All my demands-a will be met?”
“Yes. It will…it will be hard to convince pops but I’ll try.”
“Fine, signor. I will-a help you.” Pavi finally revealed himself.
Luigi glared him down. “I knew it. A man, nothing more.”
Pavi gave a sarcastic smile. “As if-a you didn’t-a know all along.”
“Now I know for sure.”
Pavi looked at the knife still held in front of the man. “I guarantee if-a you stab me in the back; you’ll-a never find-a your sister.”
“And if you stab me in the back?” Luigi spat.
“Believe me, signor. If-a I wanted you dead, I would have killed you in-a your sleep. Both you and the bastard you call-a your father.”
“What’s pops ever done to you?”
“Don’t-a pretend you don’t-a know. Or do you think-a it’s some weird mercy?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Fine. Let’s all just-a pretend.”
“What the fuck are you-”
“Forget it.” Pavi headed further into the catacombs. “Are you-a coming, signor?”
*
They headed towards the last trap. Luigi was getting more fidgety by the minute. He knew the girl wouldn’t be here. If he was right, she was likely just getting high somewhere and lost track of the time.
“Why haunt an opera house?”
“Scusa?”
“Why haunt an opera house? Sure, theatre folk are a bunch of overly superstitious idiots but… there has to be a more profitable venture out there.”
“So, you’re saying 20000 francs is-a nothing but you still won’t-a pay me.”
“There’s payment and there’s extortion.”
“Ah, so it’s the principle of-a the thing is it?”
“Just answer the fucking question.”
“It wasn’t-a like Rotti Largo gave me much-a choice on where to go.”
Luigi stopped. “What are you talking about?”
“Stop-a playing innocent, signor. You know-a very well what I’m-a talking about.”
“No, I don’t. Are you saying pops arrange this? All this bullshit about the opera ghost was just some fucking publicity stunt?”
Pavi scoffed.
“And what, did he tell you to torture Amber too?”
“I didn’t-a do anything to your sister.”
“Except humiliate her in front of the whole of Paris.”
“She needed to learn-a her place. And-a my managers must-a learn to listen to me.”
“We’re not your fucking playthings.”
“It’s-a the least you could-a do for me.”
“I don’t owe you shit.”
Pavi paused. Fine, have it your way. “The last-a trap is-a just ahead. You can-a check. I told-a you, I would-a know if anyone was-a down here.”
Luigi stormed forward. He did not see how the floor differed from the rest. He stepped on the right spot. The door flew open and Luigi slid out of view.
Pavi smirked. Now for a bit of fun. He avoided the trap door and entered the room from a side entrance. He watched Luigi desperately trying to find a way out; the dozens of mirrors confusing him. Pavi stepped in front of the mirror at just the right angle. He reflected in all the mirrors around.
Luigi growled. “This isn’t fucking funny. We had a deal.” Luigi swung his knife wildly.
Pavi walked out of view.
“Show yourself!”
Pavi obliged, walking back into view, smirking.
Luigi swung wildly again. He wouldn’t find him.
Pavi stepped back. He threw the chemical onto the ground before the mirror. It burst into flames. He watched the flame appear in every mirror surrounding Luigi.
“No.” Luigi stepped back. Horror entered his face. He looked around desperately for an escape.
“Fratello.” He whispered, sending the sound echoing through the room. “Fratello.”
Luigi froze, his eyes widened. He clamped his hands over his ears. “No.” He closed his eyes as his breathing became faster. “No.”
Suddenly, Pavi wasn’t having fun anymore. He put out the fire. The room grew dark. He approached Luigi who was on the ground, legs curled to his chest.
“It wasn’t…It wasn’t my fault. Mom ordered me to get out. It wasn’t… I didn’t know. It wasn’t…”
“Your sister isn’t-a here.”
Luigi didn’t look at him. “What’s the date?”
“20th July.”
“I know where she is.” Slowly, Luigi got to his feet, a haunted look in his eyes. “Thank you for your help. I will keep my word.”
Pavi’s brows furrowed. That wasn’t the reaction he expected.
“I will find her myself.”
Pavi showed Luigi the exit and stared after him. He wanted a reaction but he hadn’t expected…that. He decided to follow. 20th July. How had Pavi forgotten as well?
Pavi followed Luigi cautiously. He seldom left the opera house and never during the day. He didn’t want to get caught. But he was curious. He followed Luigi through town who was too deep in thought to realize Pavi was following him. They entered a familiar street when Pavi realized where they were going.
Luigi stopped in front of the house; collapsed and abandoned. He closed his eyes and took a breath. He headed into the gardens. “Carmela!”
“In here. I’m stuck. I can’t move.”
Luigi ran in.
Pavi hid behind the wall; he could see Amber inside. She was lying on the ground, debris on top of her. He was about to head inside when Luigi lifted it.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. I just couldn’t move it.” She rubbed her leg. It was swollen.
Luigi bent before her. “I don’t think it’s broken. Can you walk?”
She nodded but didn’t stand. “I think I twisted my ankle when I fell.” She pointed upwards.
Pavi glanced at the hole above her from the second floor.
“I told you not to come here. The place is falling apart.”
“I know.”
“Why do you keep coming here, Carmela?”
“Do you remember mommy?”
Luigi sighed. “Yes, Carmela.”
“I don’t. I don’t remember anything. Not how she looked like; what she sounded like. Nothing.”
“Carmela, you were too young…”
“I know. But I come here to see if I can remember anything. Like the gardens, I…I remember playing with Pavi. I-”
“Carmela, stop!” Luigi’s voice cracked.
Why was he faking it? Why was he pretending to care? Did Carmela not know?
“You may want to forget it, brother, but I don’t want to!”
“I can’t… I can’t forget.” He slid down beside his sister.
“I’m trying to remember, brother. But you and daddy won’t talk about them.”
“What…what do you want me say, Carmela? You were too young to remember what it was like. The fire was everywhere. Mom woke me and told me to get out. And I did and…” Luigi gripped his head. “Pavi’s room was just down the hall. If I had just…” Luigi cut himself off.
“You were a child too, brother.”
“I should have gone back for him.”
“You would have died too.”
“I don’t care.”
Pavi heard the pain in Luigi’s voice. It didn’t make sense. He planned this with their father, didn’t he? Hide him under the opera, away from everyone. So, no one would see their embarrassment.
“Brother!”
“I should have protected him, Carmela. I was supposed to keep him safe.” Did…did Luigi really not know. All this time he thought…he believed…
“It wasn’t your fault, brother.”
“He should be here. They should both be here. Not me.”
Pavi had approached them before he even realized what he was doing.
“You.” Luigi was on his feet in an instant. He put his sister behind him. “What are you doing here?”
“Who is this, brother?”
“Our ghost friend.” Luigi spat. “I already told you I would keep my word.”
“I thought-a you knew. I thought-a you were in on it.”
“In on what?”
Pavi couldn’t look at him. This was a mistake. Even if they didn’t know he was alive, it didn’t mean they would accept him like this. Why was he so foolish to think…
“In on what?”
No. He’d rather they reject him now then forever wondering what if he told them. “I…” His throat was dry. 20 years he believed his brother abandoned him. He couldn’t shake that betrayal. “I thought-a you knew I survived, fratello.”
Luigi just stared at him.
Pavi looked away. He was going to reject him. He was going to call him a monster. He-
“That’s not fucking funny.” Luigi grabbed the front of his shirt. “You think it’s funny? Is this part of your games? You have no right.”
Amber limped painfully to her feet. “Brother, what if he’s telling the truth?”
“He’s been fucking with me. The fire. Pavi’s-” He cut himself off. “He knew about the fire and he’s trying to fuck with us some more.”
“I wanted to see how you’d-a react, fratello.”
“Don’t call me that!” Luigi bellowed. “You have no right using that word. You have no right-” Luigi clenched his eyes shut. He was breathing heavily.
Pavi pointed to the room at the back of the house. “That was-a the kitchen but we seldom ate inside. Mama loved the garden and she would-a always set the table outside so we could-a run and play.”
“I…I remember.” Amber said quietly.
“My room-a was at the end of the hall-”
“Stop it. You heard me say-”
“But I hardly ever spent a whole night there. I always-a ran into your room because of a nightmare or a storm. And no matter how much-a you protested I was-a too old for it, you always-a moved aside and let-a me sleep with you.”
Luigi was silent.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Amber was staring at him, calculating.
“I thought-a you knew. I thought-a you planned this with pa-Rotti. I thought-a you were embarrassed by the way I looked as well.”
“Daddy…daddy knew?”
“Why else would-a he agree to my demands? You know what-a your father’s like.”
Luigi didn’t say anything.
“Fratello, why won’t-a you believe me?”
“Because if you’re lying; if you’re fucking with me…”
“It’ll be like losing you all over again.” Amber said quietly. “You’re not lying, right?”
“Sorella…”
“I barely remember anything. I wouldn’t know. You could say anything and I’d believe you.” She looked at Luigi and looked away. “Don’t do this to be cruel. Don’t give us hope and then take that away.”
“I’m-a not lying. There are a hundred-a crueler things I can-a do. I don’t-a have to do this just to hurt you. Ask your father if-a you don’t believe me. He probably won’t-a tell you the truth. But he’s-a the only other person who knows I didn’t die.”
Luigi still refused to look at him; refused to say anything.
“I’ll be in the catacombs if-a you decide to believe me.” Pavi turned away. It hurt that they didn’t believe him. He didn’t know why it hurt but it did. Wouldn’t have rejecting him been worse? He didn’t know what to think anymore.
“Paviche, wait.”
Pavi froze. “You believe me, fratello?”
“I don’t…I don’t…” Luigi shut his eyes.
“Then ask-a me something, fratello. Ask-a me something only I would-a know.”
“I don’t know…” Luigi fell silent for a moment. “That night…before…why didn’t you come into my room?”
That wouldn’t…how would that question prove anything. Pavi shrugged. “I didn’t-a have a nightmare; I didn’t-a wake up. What would-a answer-” Pavi cut himself off at the look on his brother’s face; guilt. “If…if-a you’re talking about that stupid fight we had, I don’t-a even remember what we were arguing about. Believe me, if I was-a scared, even if you had threatened to tie me to the tree outside for a week, I still would have found you.”
Luigi just stared at him. “Paviche.”
“Si, fratello. It’s-a me.”
Pavi’s eyes widened as Luigi pulled him into an embrace. “Paviche.”
No. Once they saw his face, they would reject him. Just like their father had. “My face, fratello. You have to see-”
“I don’t care, Paviche.”
“You won’t say that once you’ve seen-”
“I don’t fucking care. You’re alive.” Luigi didn’t let him go.
Slowly, Pavi leaned into his brother, his first human contact since the fire. He was safe. He was home.
Note: Just a nice fluffy story between 2 children. Absolutely no whump found here. :D
“Pavi, come back here now!”
Pavi just ran. He could hear her behind him. He had to get out of there. She was angry. Mama Irene was really angry. He didn’t know where he could hide. If he hid in his room or anywhere else in the house, she would find him. And papa didn’t allow them to go to the medical floors of GeneCo. He didn’t want to disturb papa either.
Maybe…
He hit the ground floor on the lift. The door slid shut on Irene’s furious face. She was really angry. He was going to pay for it if she caught him.
The lift doors slid open and he ran past legs. There were annoyed ‘hey’s but no one stopped him. He ran out the front door and stopped. Where could he go? He didn’t know anywhere to go.
Oh. Luigi brought him to the park once. Maybe he could find his way back there. Yes. He would hide there until Irene calmed down. He would hide there until dinner; she wouldn’t dare do anything if papa was there.
***
“Mr Largo, have you seen your brother?”
Luigi looked up to see a Gentern at the door. “No.”
“That’s odd. I haven’t been able to find him anywhere. Dinner will be ready soon.”
“Ok.” Luigi closed the book he was reading and headed towards the dining room. Carmela and her mother were already there. Luigi sat at his usual spot without sparing a glance at them.
The same Gentern came in, “Mrs Largo, I can’t find Pavi anywhere.”
“Leave him. If he doesn’t want to come for dinner, he can starve.” Luigi hated how callous Irene was towards Pavi. Isabella never treated him that way. He didn’t understand how Irene could be such a bitch.
“Pops wants us all here.”
Irene rolled her eyes. “I’m not your brother’s babysitter. It’s not my job to know where he is.”
Luigi seethed. No, she was their fucking stepmom. It was her fucking job to care for them. But she only had eyes on Carmela and even that was the bare minimum she did. “Did you see him today?”
“Yes. He broke my favourite make-up set. Instead of apologizing, he ran off. You should teach your brother common courtesy.”
Maybe if he had a fucking role model for it. “Did you see where he ran off to?”
“He ran into the lift and it headed to the lobby. I didn’t see him after.”
Luigi froze. “He went outside?”
“Please. Your brother wouldn’t dare go out by himself. He’s probably hiding in the lobby.”
He turned to the Gentern. “Call security at the lobby.”
She obeyed and shook her head. “They didn’t see him. They checked the cameras. He left early this afternoon and there’s no footage of him coming back.”
Luigi stood. “Why didn’t you fucking say something earlier?”
“It’s not my job to baby-”
“He’s been gone the whole day. You let a 9-year-old boy wander the streets by himself. It’s fucking snowing outside.” Something in Luigi’s chest twisted. He gripped the back of the chair. He had to calm down. He took deep breaths. He couldn’t get angry. He couldn’t get an arrest now. He needed to find his brother.
Luigi left the dining room. He headed towards the lift. He grabbed his winter coat from the rack. He froze when he realized his brother’s coat was still hanging there. Damnit. He took the lift to the ground floor. He ignored security telling him that they would search for Pavi and to stay inside.
He opened the front doors and he shivered. It was fucking freezing out here. Where the fuck did his brother run off to? Where would he go? Pavi hardly went outside. He…he couldn’t be just wandering the streets by himself. It was so cold. Could he have gone to a shop to wait out the cold? That was it right? That had to be it. Pavi couldn’t be walking around in the cold like this.
***
Luigi looked around the park. It was empty. He didn’t know where else to search. He’d search everywhere in a walking radius from GeneCo. Fear clenched in his stomach. What if someone took his brother? Easy ransom or worse… Luigi shook the thought off. He didn’t want to think about it.
Luigi pulled the coat tighter around himself. The snow was getting heavy. He had to get out of the cold. No. He needed to find his brother. “Pavi!” There was no one here. “Paviche!” Where else could he look? If he was just wandering the streets, where would he go for shelter? “Paviche!”
“Fra…fratello?”
Luigi looked around. He swore he heard his brother’s voice. It began to storm harder. The wind blasted in his ears. Maybe he was just hearing things. “Pavi!”
“Fratello.”
Luigi followed the sound to a large concrete pipe underneath the slide. His brother was there hugging himself. “Idiot! Where the hell have you been?”
“He…he…here.”
“Come on, Pavi, we have to go.” The boy didn’t move. Luigi cursed and climbed into the pipe. “Paviche, did you hear me?”
“Mama Irene is…is…is angry wi…wi…with me.”
“Fuck her. Who fucking cares what she thinks?”
Pavi didn’t say anything. He was holding his left wrist.
Luigi pulled the hand towards him and pulled up the sleeve. A bruise the shape of a handprint greeted him. “Did she do this?” Luigi growled.
“Sh…sh…she was fu…furious.”
“I’m going to fucking kill her.”
“I…i…it’s ok, fratello.”
“How is this ok? Has she done this before?”
“No.” Pavi looked down. “It…it was m…my fault. I br…broke her things.”
“She still had no right touching you!” Something twisted in Luigi’s chest once more.
“Fratello!”
Luigi closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He was fine. He just had to calm down. He just had to keep his temper in check.
“A…a…are you ok?”
“I’m fine, Paviche.” Luigi sighed. He leant on the wall on just focused on breathing.
“Fratello…”
He hated that worry, that concern. “We should head back. I won’t let that bitch touch you.”
Pavi nodded slowly.
Luigi felt his heart slow. “Let’s…” Luigi froze. It was storming like hell outside. Luigi couldn’t see anything further than 5 feet. “Maybe we should wait for the snow to slow down first.”
Pavi nodded again.
“Are you ok, paviche?”
“Cold.” He shivered.
Pavi was just wearing a t-shirt and pants. GeneCo was well-heated. He must have just ran out with whatever he had on.
Luigi removed the coat and draped it over his brother. “Better?”
Pavi nodded and pulled the coat around him. “Wh…wh…why does she ha…ha…hate me so much?”
“She doesn’t hate you. She’s a bully. You’re an easy target for her.”
Pavi curled deeper into himself. Luigi could see his breath from where he was sitting. “I tr…tr…try so ha…ha…hard to be nice.”
Luigi sighed. “I know. Some people are just assholes like that.”
Pavi shivered and hugged himself.
“Are you ok, Paviche?”
Pavi nodded but shivered more.
Luigi placed a hand on his wrist. “Fuck Pavi. You’re fucking freezing.”
“I…it’s ok.”
Fuck. Pavi was stuck there the whole day dressed like that. Of course he would be freezing. Shit. Luigi looked outside again. They couldn’t go through that storm. GeneCo was too far on foot. Luigi cursed himself for leaving his watch at home. He watched his brother shiver harder. The ground was freezing; the walls were freezing as well. He needed to minimize contact with anything cold. The warmest thing in here was…Luigi himself. He was an idiot. “Pavi, come here.”
Pavi just looked at him questioningly.
“Come here.”
Pavi cautiously approached him.
Luigi pulled his brother towards him; his skin was freezing against his. He pulled the coat tighter around his brother. “Better?”
Pavi nodded and curled tighter against him. “Does…does this mean y…y…you’re not angry w…w…with me anymore, fratello?”
“I’m not angry with you.”
“B…b…but you won’t t…t…talk to me anymore… Not si…si…since your arrest l…l…last year.”
Luigi sighed. “It’s complicated, Pavi.”
“Wh…wh…whatever it is, I…I’m sorry.”
“It’s not you, Paviche.” He just didn’t want Pavi to get attached. “Why did you come here?”
“It…it…it was the last place we had f…fun. I thought I…I…I’d be safe here.”
Luigi sighed. “Don’t you have fun with Carmela?”
“Si but… sh…sh…she’s so small. I…I can’t te…te…tell her anything.”
Luigi sighed. He knew Pavi was lonely but… “I’m sorry Paviche.”
“F…f…for what, fratello?”
“Pops being so busy all the time. I know you’ve been feeling neglected.”
“Neglected?”
“Left out.”
“A little. B…b…but I had you, fratello. But then y…y…you stopped talking to me too.”
“You need to find someone else, Paviche.”
“Why?”
“Because I won’t be…I won’t…” Luigi sighed. “I won’t be here forever, Paviche. You need to get used to me not being around.”
“No.”
Luigi sighed. “I know it’s not easy to understand Paviche but-”
“I understand, fratello. Papa to…to…told me.”
So everyone knew he was a goner except for him.
“He al…al…also told me that it was my j…j…job to keep you c…c…company. To ma…ma…make sure you we…we…weren’t scared or lonely. And…and I fa…fa…failed that, fratello.” Pavi buried his head into his chest and sobbed.
“Idiot. That’s…that’s too much to put on you.” Luigi held his brother tighter. “You’re too young to be dealing with this.”
“So…so are y…you, fratello.”
Luigi was silent. It wasn’t like he had a choice on this matter. And he was 14, he was practically an adult.
“Y…y…you ca…ca…can ha…ha…hate me, if…if…if you wa…wa…want, fratello. Ju…ju…just don’t hi…hide in your room a…a…anymore. Don’t…”
“Don’t what Paviche?”
“Don’t stop living.”
“It’s better this way Paviche.”
“Fo…for who?”
“Everyone.”
“It’s n…n…not better f…f…for me; Carmela is…is…is sad wondering why ‘Weegee’ won’t pl…pl…play with her anymore; Papa is…is…is worried. S…s…so better f…f…for who? Are you ha…ha…happy, fratello?”
“No.” Luigi hated how perceptive Pavi was. He was forced to grow up too fast. “I’m sorry.”
“I…I believe papa. He’s go…go…going to save you, fratello.”
Luigi sighed. “Maybe.”
Pavi’s eyes fluttered close.
“Pavi, stay awake!”
“Sleepy.” Pavi refused to open his eyes.
He tapped his face none too gently. “Eyes open, Paviche.”
“Ow.” Pavi glared at him.
His brother was not warm enough. He…skin to skin. That’s what they did in the movies right. Luigi’s hand moved to the buttons on his shirt. Why was he still wearing his gloves? He pulled off the gloves and placed it on his brother’s hands. They were too big but they had to do.
“Aren’t y…y…you cold, fratello?”
“No.” Luigi undid the buttons of his shirt. “I wasn’t as long out here as you.” He removed his shirt and cursed as his back pressed against the freezing wall. “I know it sounds weird, Pavi. But I need you to remove your shirt.” Pavi obeyed. Luigi wrapped his shirt around Pavi’s neck. He pulled his brother back towards him. He was still too cold. The storm still wasn’t slowing. What more could he do?
Pavi shivered against him.
“It’s going to be ok, Paviche.”
“Your sh…sh…shivering, fratello.”
“I’m not cold.”
“Fratello…”
“Just stay awake, Paviche. Pops will find us soon.”
***
Luigi blearily opened his eyes. Fuck. Did he fall asleep? It was so fucking cold. He looked at his brother in his arms. Pavi had fallen asleep too. He lifted his hand; it was stiff. Luigi opened and closed his hand to force the blood to flow. “Paviche, wake up. We shouldn’t have fallen asleep.”
Pavi didn’t stir.
He placed a hand on the back of Pavi’s head. It was so difficult to move. “Come on Pavi.” He shook his brother gently. “We need to stay awake. Conserve heat.”
Pavi still didn’t move.
Luigi was fully awake now. He shook his brother harder. “Pavi, open your eyes, now.” He tapped Pavi’s face roughly. “I mean it Pavi. Wake up, now.”
Pavi still didn’t move.
Fear filled Luigi. No. His brother wasn’t… Pavi was just being stubborn. That was all. He was just a deep sleeper. “Pavi, wake the fuck up now.” He shook his brother.
Pavi refused to stir.
Luigi felt something catch in his chest. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t happening. His heart pounded. “Pavi, please. You have to wake up now.” His brother was so cold.
“Pavi! Luigi!”
Pops. “Here.” His voice was quiet. Luigi swallowed. “We’re here!” Luigi heard footsteps running. Luigi held his brother tighter. “Pops is here. Pops found us. We’re going to be fine.”
“Luigi!” Rotti’s face appeared at the mouth of the pipe.
“Pops. Pops, it’s Paviche. I…I don’t know how long he’s been asleep. I…I can’t wake him. I…”
Rotti reached into the cave. “Give him to me.” Rotti gently took Pavi from him.
Luigi just stared after his father. His father was here. They would be alright. Pavi would be alright. His heart skipped a beat. He had to be alright. He had to be alright.
Luigi heard Rotti talking with someone outside. There were people there; doctors maybe? Pavi would be alright. Pavi was safe now. Pavi was safe.
Luigi felt the freezing ground burn his side. He curled into himself. It was so cold. His heart pounded erratically in his chest. It was getting hard to think. He was so tired. He could rest now. Pavi would be find. Pavi would be…
***
The doctors took Pavi from him. They wrapped him in think blankets and brought him to the ambulance.
“He’s not breathing.”
Something clenched in Rotti’s chest. No.
One of the doctors climbed onto the stretcher and started performing CPR.
No. Not Pavi. Why hadn’t they found them sooner? What were they doing out here in a snowstorm?
“Mr Largo, we will take Pavi to the hospital first. The second ambulance will arrive shortly for Luigi.”
Rotti just nodded weakly. “He…He’s allergic to zydrate.”
The doctors nodded and pushed Pavi into the ambulance. Rotti numbly watched the ambulance speed off. Rotti took the thick blanket from the doctor that stayed behind. He shook. Pavi would be fine. Pavi would be alright.
Rotti turned back towards the pipe and froze. Luigi was lying in a foetal position on the ground. “Get off the ground boy, it’s cold.”
Luigi didn’t reply him.
Rotti turned the boy onto his back. His lips were blue. The boy was talking and moving just minutes ago. He couldn’t have deteriorated so fast. Rotti searched for a pulse. It was his heart. It was another arrest. “help me.” Rotti choked out to the doctor. He pulled Luigi out of the pipe and laid him on the ground. He pressed Luigi’s chest desperately as the doctor called for the ambulance to hurry.
Rotti felt numb. He couldn’t lose his children like this. Why did it take him so long to find them? Why didn’t he find them sooner? Rotti continued pressing Luigi’s chest. The ambulance would arrive and take Luigi to the hospital and restart his heart like they did so many times before. He would be fine. They would both be fine. They had to be.
Note: So I asked myself many times if I would kill a 9 year old boy. The answer was: I’ll let you decide. ;)
Note: I had a different idea planned for today. I had everything written in my head, ready to go. And then this idea snaked in. I knew it would be a hit or miss and i think its a miss honestly. But…it’s different than how I usually write Pavi so there’s that… I think I should have just stuck to my original idea… But it’s done so here.
He watched Luigi startle awake. Luigi looked around; eyes widening. He pulled against the ropes but was bound firmly in the chair. “What the fuck?” He struggled more; trying to get himself free. “Whoever the fuck did this; fucking show yourself. You’re going to regret this.”
He obliged. He stepped out of the shadows and smirked at the bound man.
“Pavi, what the fuck?”
“Are you-a comfortable, fratello?”
Luigi’s eyes narrowed at him. “Is this you? Is this some fucking joke? Let me go now.”
Pavi slid out his knife. “No, fratello. You’re going to sit-a there and take everything The Pavi has-a planned for you.”
“Very funny, Pavi.” Luigi pulled at the ropes some more. “Let me go now.”
Pavi placed the knife on top of Luigi’s collarbone. “Stop-a struggling, fratello.”
“I swear once I get out of this fucking chair, I’m going to make you regret this.”
“Always-a with the threats, fratello.” Pavi nicked Luigi’s skin. He watched red seep out of the wound.
“Fuck. What the hell, Pavi?”
“It’s-a your fault papa hates-a me so much, fratello. It’s-a your fault.”
“Pops hated you because you were a fucking idiot. Let me go.”
“We both-a know that’s-a not true. Papa hates-a me because I’m a monster. And we both-a know who’s-a fault that it.”
Luigi fell silent. He looked away.
Pavi pressed the flat of the knife against his brother’s cheek. “Look at-a me, fratello. Why don’t-a you see what you’ve done?” Pavi removed the clips from his face.
“Pavi, don’t.” Luigi looked away once more.
“Don’t-a you want to see your-a handiwork, fratello? Don’t you want to see The Pavi’s face?” Pavi pulled off his mask. “Look, fratello.”
Luigi turned so slowly and finally his eyes met Pavi’s. He shut his eyes and faced the ground.
“Can’t-a bear seeing The Pavi’s face either, fratello? The Pavi can’t-a bear it either.” Pavi slid his mask back on.
Luigi was silent, eyes fixed on the ground.
“Don’t-a have anything to say, fratello? You always-a have so much to say.”
Luigi still refused to say anything, refused to meet his eyes.
Pavi grabbed a fistful of Luigi’s hair and pulled. “I told-a you to look at-a me!”
Luigi grunted and finally raised his head. Guilt shone through his features but it wasn’t enough. Pavi wanted him to regret everything he’s done.
“Don’t-a have anything to say, fratello?”
“What do you want me to say?” Luigi rasped out.
Pavi released his brother. He fumed. An apology for one would have been nice. No matter. Pavi picked up the beaker from the table. “You don’t-a have to say anything, fratello.” He placed it back down, not yet. “The Pavi is going to make you regret what-a you’ve done. The Pavi is-a going to make you feel everything you’ve put The Pavi through.”
“Do your worst.”
“I intend-a to, fratello.” Pavi pointed the knife at his brother. “Let’s go back, shall we? The Pavi was-a 12. You had-a just found your fascination with-a knives. The best-a guinea pig-a you had-a was The Pavi. You cut me so badly I had-a to get 7 stitches, do you remember?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Pavi placed the knife against Luigi’s thigh and ran a deep cut through.
Luigi cursed. Blood flowed from the wound. Pavi just stared at it in fascination.
“Fuck. Don’t tell pops. Shit. Stop screaming. It’s not that bad. Fuck. Pops is going to kill me.”
“Stop-a screaming, fratello. It’s-a not that bad.”
Luigi finally looked at him. Pavi couldn’t read his expression, nor did he care to. He wanted his brother to feel everything’s he’s done to him.
“Then when The Pavi turned 13, you decided that The Pavi was a perfect human-a punching bag.” Pavi sent a fist into Luigi’s gut.
Luigi grunted as the air was knocked out of him.
“Because the Pavi wouldn’t complain, wouldn’t tell papa.” He punched Luigi once more. “The Pavi didn’t-a know how to fight back.” He sent a sharp punch into Luigi’s solar plexus, causing him to hunch forward and started coughing. “How does-a it feel, fratello? To be unable to fight-a back?”
Luigi continued coughing. He took deep breaths and just stared at Pavi, still refusing to speak.
“You slammed-a my head into the ground once so hard, I was-a seeing stars for a week. But I was-a so scared to tell anyone.”
Luigi just stared.
“Of course-a. Then-a, you found you could-a stab the help-a and no one really cared.” Pavi picked up the beaker. “But then, well, you know what happened next. The Pavi was-a 15. Tell-a me fratello, what did-a The Pavi say to piss you off so badly, fratello?”
“I…I don’t remember.”
Pavi laughed but there was no humour in his voice. “You don’t-a remember.” Pavi scoffed. “You must-a have really hated the Pavi so much-a to be willing to do that for something so insignificant-a that you can’t-a remember.”
Luigi was silent once more. Luigi wouldn’t even deny he hated him.
Pavi showed his brother the beaker. “You’re going to feel-a every minute of the torture you put The Pavi through.”
Luigi just looked at the beaker. “Would that make you happy, Paviche?”
No. “Yes. I want you to know what-a you put The Pavi through.” He placed the beaker down on the table beside Luigi. Not yet. “And then after… Si, you never really touched The Pavi again but… All the cruel things you’d-a say…” Pavi just stared at his brother. “I…there’s no point I say any of it-a now. I can-a never make you feel as-a worthless and insignificant as-a you made me feel, fratello.”
Surprise filled Luigi’s face. Why? Why would he be shock? Every cruel thing his brother ever said to him was done to hurt him.
“The Pavi always-a looked up to you, fratello, but you always-a found a way to make me feel stupid for it.”
Luigi’s gaze was on the ground once more. He still refused to speak.
“Say-a something, fratello!”
Luigi still kept silent.
“Fine. Let’s just-a skip to the end, then.” Pavi picked up the beaker and uncapped it. “You’re going to feel the same-a pain and torture the Pavi felt. You’re going to know what it’s like feeling each-a layer of your skin burn off, then your muscles, and-a if you’re-a lucky, it dissolves the nerves just enough to signal the most excruciating pain to your brain. That’s-a all pain is-a, right fratello? Signals and chemical? It-a isn’t real.”
Luigi looked at him with pain and guilt but not fear. Why wasn’t he afraid? Pavi wanted him to feel that fear that still jolted him out of bed at night. He wanted Luigi to know what it was like to feel truly and utterly terrified.
Pavi held the beaker inches from Luigi’s face. “Do you think-a you will-a cry, fratello? I would-a suggest not to cry. The tears makes-a the pain much worse.”
Luigi still didn’t say anything but stared at him.
“Say something fratello! Fight me; curse me; beg me. Just say something.”
“Just get it over with, Paviche.” The voice was tight.
Pavi growled in frustration. “This isn’t-a fun if you won’t-a fight me, fratello.” Pavi tilted the bottle trying to get a reaction from his brother. Fear; anger; something.
The quiet acceptance however was not what Pavi was looking for.
“Beg me not to do this.” Pavi watched the liquid tilt right to the edge. Just a little stumble and it would fall out. He could actually do it. He could actually force Luigi to understand what he did to him.
“Honestly Mr Largo, with burns as extensive as this, he’s lucky to be alive.”
“Just fucking do it, Paviche.”
Pavi sighed and placed the beaker back on the table. This was not going at all as he planned. He wanted his brother to show some regret at how he’s treated him. He wanted his brother to feel scared of Pavi for once. He just wanted his brother to talk to him.
“Are you chickening out? Just get it over with.”
Pavi closed his eyes and sighed. He felt his anger sapping out leaving him feeling cold and numb. “Forget it, fratello. I’m-a bored of this.” He just wanted to hold on to that anger. He just wanted to feel something. The familiar nothing filled his chest.
“Fuck it. Just fucking do it, Paviche.”
“I wonder fratello, do you hate me like-a papa did?” It was Pavi’s turn to look away. “I thought papa was just cold, unable to show how he felt. Like-a you. And I thought, no matter what hateful things he said, he did love us in his own way. I guess-a I was-a wrong. Am I wrong about you too?”
Luigi was silent once more.
“Please, fratello, just a yes or no. It just-a makes everything easier. No more false hope; no more-a disappointment.”
“No.”
“’No’, what fratello?
“I don’t…I don’t hate you.”
“Then why do you treat-a me like this? Why are you always so cruel?”
“I…I don’t know Pavi.”
Pavi sighed. “Forget it, fratello.” Pavi picked up his knife once more. “The Pavi just-a wanted to have a bit of-a fun. But even that you have to ruin.” Pavi cut the ropes binding Luigi’s feet.
“You’re letting me go?”
“Forget it fratello, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind or some stupid shit like that.” He just wanted his brother to react, to feel afraid, to beg, to apologize, something. He just wanted to feel something.
“Just take your fucking revenge!”
“And-a absolve you of guilt? I don’t think so fratello.” He cut Luigi’s arms free.
Luigi grabbed the front of his shirt. “Just do what you came here to do.”
He did. He thought it would fix something. He thought he would feel something. But it didn’t work. “Are you going to hit the Pavi, fratello?” He mocked.
Luigi released him.
“Forget it, fratello. You’re not-a worth the effort.” He turned around and walked away.
“I’m sorry, Paviche.”
Pavi froze. He actually… He turned back to see his brother holding the beaker in his hand. His eyes widened as he realized what was going on a second too late. “NO!”
Luigi closed his eyes and splashed the contents of the beaker against his face. The glass fell with a clatter. Horrid screams escaped his brother’s lips.
Pavi could only stare. Not again. Not this… Memories of his own screams blended with his brother’s. Pain so much pain. Everything burned. He-
Luigi’s screams jolted him. He had to do something. He picked up his watch and called the doctors. “Storage B2-21.” His eyes dated around. There had to be something that could help. He spotted the crate of bottled water. His knife slashed through the box. He ran to his brother. Luigi was curled on the ground; writhing.
“Don’t move, fratello.” Pavi poured the water on his face; trying to wash off the acid.
Luigi’s screams subsided slightly. He breathed heavily.
“You’re a fucking idiot, fratello.”
“I’m sorry, Paviche. I’m so sorry.” Luigi whimpered weakly.
“I know, fratello.” Pavi sat down beside his brother. He gently placed his brother on his lap. His brother’s face was red and raw. It would scar. There was no saving his face either.
‘Would that make you happy, Paviche?’
Guilt clenched his chest. “I didn’t want this, fratello.”
“I know.” Luigi choked out.
“I wasn’t-a angry at you, fratello. I was-a angry at-a papa.”
“I know.” Luigi winced. “You hit…like a girl.”
Pavi sighed. “Does this help you, fratello?”
“A little.” Luigi closed his eyes. “Just…wanted to know…how bad it was…”
“Enjoying yourself, fratello?”
“Hurts… like a bitch.” He choked out as tears streamed down his face. “I’m sorry, Paviche.”
Pavi sighed. “I know.” They sat there until the SurGens arrived. Pavi just watched them take his brother, numb. And he couldn’t help but think that maybe their father was right about them after all.
Note: I’m sorry. I know I’m late. I know I’m falling behind. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
Trigger warnings: I usually don’t post trigger warning cause it’s all in the tags. I’m posting them here now because it’s NSFW and it’s non-con. I need to emphasize that. It’s nothing too graphic but it happens. So please, read the tags, all the tags before proceeding. I felt so terrible writing this. And honestly I regretted it halfway but I was already falling behind
“Next item for auction. A precious, rare item that would probably never grace our halls again. Going for 25 million dollars. Miss Amber Sweet, CEO of GeneCo.”
The bag was pulled off the creature on the stage. She squinted as the lights blinded her. He saw the fear hidden behind the arrogant contempt that bitch always wore. He grinned. He found his new plaything.
Whispers echoed through the audience. They were all wearing masquerade masks and only their assistants were allowed to speak for them; a façade for hiding their identities. But he knew who each and every one of these insects were. No one hid from him.
“Show us a sample.” A voice from the audience called out. Assisstant to Mark Black; tech genius and CEO of MobileTech.
The auctioneer approached the GeneCo head. She snarled at him. Any malice negated by the fact that she was bound and gagged. Her clothes were stripped off her; leaving her clad in black lingerie.
Someone in the audience whistled in approval. Kelvin Grant. CEO of Fashion Tech.
The girl glared at them but she just looked like a cheap prostitute from here.
“Anything more will be the privilege of the winner of the auction, of course.”
Someone boo’d. Joseph Chase. CEO of Charmaceuticals.
“Let’s start the bidding at 25 million.”
“50 million.”
The bidding war started. The price climbed quickly. He watched horror enter the girl’s face.
“750 million.” Mutterings filled the room. How much were they willing to pay for a one night stand really? But he…he had a new toy. She would be worth everything.
“…going twice. Sold to number 27 for 750 million. Next item on our list-”
But he’d lost interest. He had his new pet. “Extensive surgery. Change her face; remove any recognizable scars or birthmarks. Change her body shape if you have to. I don’t want anyone to recognize her.”
“Yes sir.”
***
Everything hurt. How long has she been here? Why haven’t her brothers come for her? Someone had to come for her.
She looked around her room. Well, barely a room. It had no windows and only a single arm chair and queen sized bed filled it. Nothing else. No mirrors. No dresser. Nothing. Why would she be given a dresser? The man stripped her lingerie off her the first day and she has worn nothing since. She fought the embarrassment. She won’t let this affect her.
The door opened.
She fought her urge to cower. She couldn’t look weak. She refused to look weak.
The man who bought her walked in still wearing the same masquerade mask. “Hello princess.” He stroked her cheek.
She fought the urge to shrink away. Instead she spat at him.
He grinned. And slapped her hard across the face. The force sent her sprawling on the ground. “It seems I haven’t broken you yet. I really don’t like damaging my pets.”
Amber tried to get up. A foot stomped down on her back sending her crashing to the ground. She refused to scream.
“I think my pet needs to understand who she belongs to.” He kicked her onto her front.
“Fucking bastard.”
“Shhhhh. Bad little pets need to be punished.”
Four men ran into the room and held her down. Her eyes widened as the fifth passed him a red hot poker with a seal on top. “No.” She whimpered.
“Yes pet, beg.”
She glared.
The man just grinned and pressed the poker onto her stomach.
She screamed. Searing pain filled her stomach. She struggled but the men held her down.
The poker was lifted but the pain still persisted. Tears burned in her eyes. She forced them back. She won’t let them see her cry. She won’t.
“Get on the bed.”
The men released her.
Shakily, she got onto her feet.
“Get on the bed.”
Every step sent searing pain through her. She gingerly sat on the bed.
“I don’t usually like to share. But you men have been working so hard.” He sat in the arm chair. “Go ahead. Have your turn.”
“No.” She backed away. But there was nowhere to run. “Don’t you fucking touch me.” Two men held her down. She kicked one of the men in the groin. The other two grabbed her legs and spread them open. “No.” She fought.
She heard pants unzipping.
She bucked and fought but they held her down.
A sharp pain shot through her as he forced himself into her.
She looked at the ceiling. She focused on the ceiling fan. Just as she had done every night she was here. She wasn’t here. She wasn’t here. She was at home; in GeneCo, safe. She was in her room, getting ready for bed.
The man’s grunts distracted her and forced her back to the present. She felt the bedsheet scratching her back. Her stomach was on fire. Hands. So many hands holding her down. And this terrible pain going in and out and in and-
The fan. Just look at the fan. She was not here. She was not here. She was…
Her brothers would come for her. Her brothers would find her. Someone would save her.
***
Amber studied the scarred crest on her abdomen. She traced it. She knew who was behind this. She imagined stabbing a poker in the bastard’s eye. She imagined herself slicing his skin off until there was nothing left.
The door opened.
Amber flinched back. What new torture did he have for her today?
“Oh my pet is so good today.”
Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you.
He stroked her cheek. “You must be in so much pain. Let me help you.” He pulled out a Z gun.
Amber’s eyes widened and back away. “No.” She was clean. She was fucking clean.
“Shhhhh. I’m being kind. Don’t you like it when I’m kind?”
“No.”
He grabbed her hair and pulled. “Don’t you remember what happens when you don’t listen?”
“Please.”
“Yes. Beg me for it. Beg me to give you Z.”
No. She was clean. It took her so long to give up Z.
“Beg. Me. For. Z.”
“Please. Please give it to me, sir.” Disgust filled Amber.
“As you wish, pet.” He placed the Z gun against her thigh.
She closed her eyes. Tears streamed down her fac. No. Not Z. Not-
The gun went off.
A thick haze filled her. She felt calm and relaxed. And why was she so upset?
She was pushed forward onto the bed.
It was so comfortable.
She felt a pressure from behind.
She felt…nothing.
***
Pavi watched their guests dance around the hall. He wasn’t in the mood for a party. But GeneCo still had to keep up appearances. It’s been a year since their sister ran away. Pavi sighed. It was so unlike his sister. He wished she would have talked to him about it first. She didn’t show up for work one day and they found a letter in her room saying that she couldn’t stand the stress of running GeneCo anymore; that she was leaving Luigi in charge of GeneCo and she was leaving for good.
It just wasn’t like his sister. She was the one who wanted to run GeneCo. If she really hated doing it; Luigi would have been happy to take over. And she could still stay here doing whatever she wanted. Why the hell did she have to leave?
Pavi spotted the President come in. He sighed. Time for work.
“Mr President, we are-a delighted to have-a you here tonight.”
“I am delighted to attend.” The man smiled charmingly. “And please for the last time call me Francis.”
“The Pavi wouldn’t-a dare Mr President.” Pavi turned to the girl standing at the President’s side; a small wallflower who wouldn’t meet his eye. “Has-a the Mrs President gotten a new face?”
“Unfortunately no. The Mrs is in Europe for business. So I thought I’d show off my latest prize.” He turned to the girl. “Show Mr Largo your face.”
The girl slowly lifted her face but did not meet his eyes.
“Your-a face is-a beautiful, bella.”
The girl didn’t say anything.
“Isn’t it? It cost me a fortune to redo the bone structure but I think the result is exquisite.”
Pavi held the girl’s chin. “Yes, truly exquisite.”
“You know what, Mr Largo. I’m getting rather bored of the girl’s face. I think it’s time she had a new one. If you really like it, you can have it.”
Pavi grinned. “That’s-a very generous, Mr President.”
“Just please don’t kill the girl. She won’t fight.” He said with a wink.
“Follow me, little one.”
The girl looked at the President and he nodded. She approached him quietly.
“Oh and Mr Largo, I don’t mind sharing. You can take her for a test run.”
“Maybe The Pavi shall.” He held out her arm for the girl to take. She just stared at the ground. He gripped her wrist and brought her upstairs to his room. The face truly would be perfect for his collection. The way the skin gently fell on the cheeks; the perfect nose structure. It truly was perfect.
“Go on, Bella. Lie on the bed.”
The girl obediently laid on the bed and spread her legs.
Pavi traced the features on her face. It was lovely. Pavi hiked up the girl’s dress.
She didn’t protest or fight; she just lay there.
“Bella, it’s-a much more fun if you fight or at least act like you’re enjoying it.”
“I’m sorry.” Came the small voice.
Pavi placed his hand on the inside of her thigh.
There was no reaction. She just laid there; staring at the ceiling.
Pavi sighed. “You’re really not-a making this fun, Bella.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t-a you like this, bella?” He stroked her thigh.
“Yes sir. Please give it to me sir.” She sounded like an emotionless robot; pre-programmed to say the lines.
Pavi sighed. He’d lost interest. He pulled down her skirt. “Come on, bella. I’ll just take your face and you can go back to your date. You’ve spoiled my mood.”
“Yes, sir.” The girl sat up. She didn’t react when he put the blade to her face.
“Questa bella sa davvero come uccidere l'umore (She really knows how to kill the mood).”
“Scusate. Cosa desidera che faccia, signore? (Sorry. What do you wish me to do, sir?)”
Pavi froze. “You understand Italian, Bella?”
“No.”
“You just-a spoke fluent Italian.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I’ve never learned Italian in my life.”
“Dove hai imparato a parlare italiano? (Where did you learn to speak italian?)”
“Non ho mai imparato a parlare italiano, signore. (I’ve never learned to speak Italian, sir.)”
It was strange. She spoke Italian fluently; the sentences were full, the grammar perfect. Definitely not someone who’s only just learned Italian. But her pronunciation was off. But pronunciation like that with that kind of fluency didn’t make sense. Almost like a child who was forced to learn another language but was never interested; so they learned half-heartedly but used it often enough, they could speak it.
“Farfallina bella e Bianca,”
“Vola vola mai si stanca.”
“Trotta trotta cavallino,”
“Porta a spasso il mio bambino.”
Children’s nursery rhymes. No teacher would teach an adult Italian with nursery rhymes. This meant that she must have learned it since she was a child.
“Why are you lying to me, Bella?”
“I’m not lying. I don’t speak Italian.”
“What’s your name?”
“Mara.”
“Come ti chiami?”
“Mara.”
Something felt wrong. Nothing she said made sense. She was a fluent speaker and yet… He knew only one person who spoke like she did. Someone who had perfect grammar and vocabulary but refused to pronounced things correctly out of spite. “Sorella?”
“Figlio unico. (Only child).”
Was she playing a prank of him? Was he overthinking things? Was he missing his sister so much, he’d fooled himself into believing this girl was his sister? Wait, Amber had a birthmark over her right upper back. “Turn around.” He unzipped the back of her dress partway. It wasn’t there. He was wrong. He was just fooling himself. He was wrong. He sighed and zipped her dress back up. “I’ve lost the mood. I’ll bring you back to the President, bella.”
The girl just nodded quietly.
He led her out of his room and they headed back towards the ballroom. He paused at the lift. “Aissèra, Nanninè, me ne sagliette. Tu saie addò?”
“Tu saie addò?”
“Addò ‘stu core 'ngrato cchiù dispietto. Farme nun pò!
“Farme nun pò.”
He paused.
“Addò lo fuoco coce, ma si fuie. Te lassa sta! Te lassa sta!” She continued singing quietly.
The lift doors opened. Pavi stared at the buttons. He pressed the floor where the medical wards were. That song. He knew that the song was popular. He knew he was basing it on false hope but… How many times had he and Amber sang that song to annoy Luigi? He hated the song with a passion thanks to them. And so they refused to stop singing it. It…it may be false hope. But Pavi had to be sure.
The doors opened at the medical wards. He stepped out of the lift, guiding Amber -no it couldn’t be Amber- out. They walked a couple of steps when the lift dinged once more.
“Mr Largo.”
Fuck.
“You were taking awhile so I came to find you. Where are you going?”
Pavi froze. He couldn’t make an enemy out of the President. That would be foolish. Not over this small hunch that this girl could be his sister. He had to be sure first. “Mr President. The face was-a so perfect, the Pavi couldn’t-a bear risk damaging it. The Pavi will get the Surgeons to remove the face.”
“That wasn’t the deal, Mr Largo. I would appreciate if you return my property to me now.”
He was trying to stop him. He was worried. The hunch became more and more likely by the minute. “Mr President,” He pouted. “You promised you would give The Pavi her face.”
“I’ve changed my mind. Pet, come here.”
Pavi gripped the girl’s wrist. “No bella, stay with me.”
“Please, let me go. He’ll get angry.”
“Nothing gets in The Pavi’s way of getting a beautiful face.”
“I’m warning you Mr Largo, give me the girl.”
The lift dinged once more. Luigi walked out. “Where the hell have you been hiding?” Luigi growled. He froze when he saw the President. “Mr President.”
“Brotherrrrrrr….” Pavi whined. He hoped Luigi would pick up that something was wrong. “He won’t-a let The Paviche have the girl’s-a faceeeeeee.”
Luigi stared at him. He sent a begging look to his brother that he hoped he would pick up on.
“Come now, Mr President. Let’s leave the freak to his games. The others want to start a high stakes poker game and would be delighted if you would join.”
The President hesitated but couldn’t do anything without drawing suspicion. He relented. “Give her back once you’re done.”
“Of-a course, Mr President.” Pavi held the girl close to him. “The Pavi tried her out. The Pavi understands-a why you’re so attached.”
The President smirked and followed his brother into the lift.
Pavi’s smiled dropped. He grabbed the girl’s wrist once more and dragged her forward.
She didn’t fight him.
He entered Dr Smith’s office. “I need someone who won’t say anything and I can trust. Someone who won’t report back to the President. I need you to call the nurses outside to prepare for a face removal surgery. Then I need you to run a DNA test.”
“What’s going on, Mr Largo?”
“I don’t know. I hope I’m wrong. But…”
He glanced at the young girl and did what he was told.
Pavi paced. He was wrong. He had to be wrong. This couldn’t be… He looked at the girl sitting there staring at the ground. That couldn’t be his sister. How did the President get his hands on her? A sick feeling filled him. What if she hadn’t ran away? What if she was taken and a false note was planted? But they searched everywhere. They couldn’t find traces or hints of anything. Unless… He looked at the girl. They did the modification as soon as they took her. No one would recognize her.
Dr Smith approached the girl with a needle.
Obediently, she turned her neck for him to inject her.
“Your hand will do, dear.”
“That isn’t Z?” Pavi’s chest clenched.
“No.”
“But…I’ve been good. He said I could have Z if I was good.”
“I just need a bit of blood.” Dr Smith took the sample. “What do you want me to run it against?”
“Amber’s blood.”
Dr Smith froze. He looked down at the girl then back at him. “Mr Largo, I don’t think-”
“I know. I know it doesn’t make sense. I just have this feeling. Please. Just run the test. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong. I need to know.”
Dr Smith nodded.
“No one else finds out about the test.”
“I’ll run it myself.”
“Thank you.”
Pavi watched Dr Smith leave then sat opposite Amber – the girl. “How-a long have you been with the President for?”
“2 years.”
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Amber just did run away.
“You were-a scared when you said he’d get angry. Does he hurt you?”
“The master is giving me what I deserve.”
“And what exactly does he give you?”
The girl unzipped her dress. It dropped to the floor.
Pavi thought it was odd she would wear a floor-length, long sleeved ball gown. Now he understood. Bruises and burns decorated her body. Bones had been broken and healed back wrongly. On her stomach was a seared crest; the President’s crest.
“Do you remember your-a life, before meeting the President?”
“No.”
Dr Smith returned. He gave him a dark look. He passed him the file. Blood test 1 and 2: 100% match.
He would fucking kill him.
Pavi grabbed took out his knife. “Keep her here.” He headed to the lift. He saw red.
“Mr Largo!”
“Just stay with her.”
“You said President earlier. Are you insane? Are you going to kill the President?”
“He’s-a going to pay.”
“You go in there and stab him and his men will shoot you dead. I know you Largo’s think you’re invincible but he actually has more power than you.”
“I don’t care. I want him dead. He will pay for what he did to her. For what he tried to make me do.” Disgust and nausea filled Pavi.
“I didn’t say let him go.” Dr Smith held out a vial. “It’s untraceable and will mimic a heart attack.”
“He won’t suffer!”
“And you won’t get caught.”
Pavi paused for a moment. He took the vial and entered the lift. He wanted the bastard dead. He saw her broken face before him. He wanted him dead. He saw the way she just laid on the bed spreading her legs. He would kill him. He saw the bruises and broken bones on her body. He would make him die screaming.
The door opened and Pavi headed to where the others were playing poker. “Is-a there space for the Pavi?”
“Where is my pet?”
Rage filled Pavi. “She resting post-surgery. The Pavi promised he’ll give her back.”
“Get her here. I’ve been losing every hand.” He threw the cards on the table.
Pavi spotted The President’s drink on his left. It was too close to the other player. “Fratello, he’s-a hiding aces up his sleeve.” Pavi said pointing to the man to the right of Luigi.
“I’m not.”
Pavi watched Luigi shout at him. The others were distracted as well. Pavi slipped in the vial of poison.
Pavi headed to Luigi’s left, right between him and the President. He watched the President drink the whisky.
“Mr Largo, you really should try this blend of whisky. Valerio Adami. You’ll never find a blend like this again.”
Pavi’s eyes widened as The President held up the glass to his brother.
“The smell is certainly exquisite.”
“Now, Mr President. Are-a you really so-a cheap you won’t pour fratello his-a own glass?”
“Not cheap. Unfortunately, this is the last glass. You will never find this blend anywhere in the world again. It is the last of its kind.”
Luigi’s back was towards him. There was no way he could silently warn him. If he knocked the glass out of Luigi’s hands, he would lose the chance to kill the President. Not to mention cause suspicion.
Pavi sighed exaggeratedly. “But it’s almost like kissing each other. Maybe fratello has-a secret crush.”
“Pavi, shut the fuck up!”
The President rolled his eyes. “You’ve been unbelievably crude.”
“the Pavi is just-a satisfied with-a a good lay, no?”
“Ignore him. It’s how he’s like at home. He must have drank too much, he forgot that we have company.”
“But brotherrrrrrr….” Pavi whined. Why wasn’t his brother getting the hint? His brother must know something’s wrong right?
“Unfortunately Mr President, Pavi’s crude jokes aside, I have a thing with saliva and I would rather not share a glass.”
The President shrugged. “Your loss.”
“I’m sure it is.”
The others continued their game. Pavi just stood there; watching the game, eyes darting to the President. When?
The game ended and everyone excused themselves. Did Dr Smith lie? Did he trick him so he wouldn’t risk killing the President? He won’t let him go.
“Now, Mr Largo. Where is my…” His brow furrowed. He grabbed his chest as he gasped for air. “Help.” He fell to the ground, convulsing in pain. As his gasps became more drawn out and desperate; Pavi grinned at him. “Yo-” He gave a gasp and fell still. It was done. He was dead. It was finished.
