*AFTER*
"What happened after you gathered your army?" asked Luan softly as she looked deep into her lover's eyes. Her gaze told Daire that this time she might truly be recognizing who he was, and putting the pieces together in her own mind. It had taken five years to get this far with her, after rescuing Luan and then experiencing the final blast that sent the world into chaos like it was now, in 2020. Luan's tormented mind had been so messed up that she suffered from severe bouts of amnesia, and would run off putting herself in such danger, with no recollection as to where she was or who she was with. But by some miracle or by her own inner strength the young woman would come to, and find her way back to Daire, and Daire had remained faithful to the woman of his dreams, to Luan his first love, five years of being reunited and then have his beloved loose all sense of self and time. May of 2020 would mark her fifth year of recovery, Daire prayed silently within himself that this would be the moment that Luan would finally come back to him; just as he had prayed every year from the time that she had experienced her first episode.
The couple were safely tucked away in the dugout, in a private corner away from the erotic sexual happenings so Daire could focus on maybe bringing his Luan back to the present, for good. Daire looked into those gorgeous shimmery green eyes, reminding himself of her touch, her voice in his ear, all of the fun times that they had had together before any of this had occurred, back when the world was once normal. The man gingerly took her hand in his as he continued recounting what he had gone through to rescue her.
LOCK was continually growing as Ethan and Daire made the trek to the state boarder, men and women of all ages, gift strength, shape and size joined the ranks. The group, well actually it had turned into a community, didn't have a strong attack plan and all Daire's heart was set on was finding Luan as he led the march. Living off of the wilderness was the most exhilarating thing that Daire and his followers thrived on, they became somewhat nomadic by the time they reached the edge of the canyon where the MSR camp was hidden at the very bottom.
"I remember!" exclaimed Luan, squeezing Daire's hands hard. That emerald metallic gaze bore into him, the young woman trembled from head to toe as she winced snapping her eyes shut, a nearly invisible rush of power and emotion rolled over Luan's being, up her arms and into her hands. This is what Daire had been waiting to see for five years, his keen eyes followed the soft light as it went from her body into his own hands. It was a glow of power and emotion, only those who were strong enough could see and transmit a visible light. With a smile of happiness Daire closed his eyes to fully understand what had happen to his Luan while she was held captive.
Luan woke up in a dark place, her mind felt foggy and her eyes refused to focus as she opened them, it was so dark that even her hypersensitive eyes couldn't see anything, other then black in front of her. Feeling numb she attempted to move but big heavy chains stopped the girl, they held her suspended from the ceiling, wrapping around her arms so she couldn't even move them a tiny bit and her head had been secured to the chains around her arms with a thick collar about her delicate neck. Luan closed her eyes and focused on identifying where she was and if there was anyone nearby to help. She was in one of four massive cells, and she wasn't the only one in the dark. Strung up identically to herself, Luan sensed four other females, two on either side of where she was, but spaced far enough apart so that they could not see each other to know of their presence. The girl focused harder, just on the cusp of going into a trance, there were guards and scientists, torture rooms, and mating chambers, cages and gallows, huge bird cages, and a small muddy fighting arena. Science labs and growing rooms. There was a general public courtyard, with an electric barbed-wire, high tech domed fence. Inside the complex there were large rooms sectioned off for the many different gifts and then their intensity levels were sectioned off even more. There was a monsters pit, where all of the experiment trials gone wrong got thrown, those that survived the transformations whether they were physical, emotional or psychological- but were an immediate threat to the scientists, those monsters were thrown in the pit to duke it out; the victors then died of starvation. Luan gave a whimper of fear and shock as her sensitivity went into overload as she continued to realize her situation, the screams of woman being ravaged and tortured echoed into foggy mind, the cries of children and men being pumped full of mutative drugs and potions. A scream wrenched from Luan as she sensed some of the stronger monsters and men that survive the abuse and the experiments; they were being given women and girls in a large cage to torment and use as they please, the ones that resisted were abused and ravaged even harder until they were dead or their spirits had been broken; leaving them literally like rag dolls. Luan heard and shuttered violently as the men that had just come in, some were immediately sent to the mating chambers where they were strapped down to a table, teased to erection and then as the scientists forced couplings of them, making sure that they would fill the females with semen. Luan sagged in her chains, though they bruised her arms, she relied on them to hold her up as the weight of the entire complex rushed to smother the young woman.
Luan's captors had yet to discover how powerful she truly was, she could not only hear, and literally feel everything that was happening, but on an emotional level it was as if it were happening to her personally. Luan had worked so hard to control how much she let herself feel from everyone that surrounded her, and now as she discovered where the MSR helicopter had brought her, the young woman was painfully shocked into the reality of being a captive with no way out, and yet knowing what was to come.
Daire exhaled as he remembered how he and his troops had stormed the complex.
"Come on! For Luan!" cried Ethan as he rushed the fence with the crowd, a little girl named Helen simply walked over to the electric fence, touching it she disarmed the high voltage so the others could climb to the small opening at the top of the dome. Daire paused to watched as the girl merely drew the electric energy into herself like she was a human engine, the young man was amazed, never had he thought a physical gift could be so powerful especially in one so young. Daire ran to catch up with the fight as a small armed guard emerged from the underground camp with tear gas and firearms. Battle cries rang out as the LOCK dropped from fifty story heights onto the armed humans, who had been ordered to capture as many as possible but to kill if necessary. Daire dodged flying darts and spinning bullets as he crested the opening at the top of the done, the raw roar, sounds of breaking bones and bodies being pierced or ripped open made his head spin but he plunged in anyway; drawing his guns once he had slammed into the ground. Men on all sides of him were fighting for their lives. Several guards rushed Daire but he was faster, easily put a bullet in each of their foreheads. Blood spewed everywhere as Daire scanned the fray for Ethan, the boy had just broken his hand in a punching frenzy but was still doing damage as he went from one guard to the next.
"Ethan!" Daire hollered just as he found an entrance into the complex, hidden behind several cages of hideous looking creatures, that may have once been human. Daire checked his six to make sure Ethan was behind him as he battled his way towards that single door. The closer he got, the stronger that faint vibe that he had felt was becoming, warning lights flashed everywhere as the two men snuck behind corners and giant boxes, avoiding each new wave of guards that were pouring from the inner building. Scientists were running wildly shouting orders and telling everyone what to do. Ethan and Daire crept passed a couple of white coated figures as they began unlocking the cages!
"Daire quick!" bit out Ethan as they ducked into the door, slamming it shut, Daire found an axe to bolt the door closed.
"We'll have to find another way out." he said as they advanced down the long corridor.
"Where do we go?" whispered Ethan as he flanked his friend.
"I'm following Luan's trail, she called it a vibe, a series of little internal shock waves that carry a single message. She knows I'm here and is sending one the best she can, but she is so weak." said Daire.
"Look out!" cried Ethan. A scientist had suddenly appeared around the corner, armed, thinking fast Ethan had tripped the man than knocked him out with the but of his gun.
"Thanks." murmured Daire, his focus was on Luan as he turned that same corner entering a dimly lit ball room.
"Luan!" cried Daire as his eyes beheld her, she was chained to the middle of the floor.
