![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xp_topaz posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsSometimes there’s only one option left. And it’s usually the worst one.
Topaz had disappeared into her suite for space and to think. Her phone was clutched tight in her hand as she paced, Adam’s texts from Amanda’s phone still on her screen. Fuck. Fuck. Of course it was him. She hadn’t wanted to admit it - hadn’t wanted to accept that all of this was her fault. But of course Amanda was right. Of course it was him. He wasn’t going to stop. Not until he had what he wanted.
Midnight hopped down from her cat tree, making her way lazily to her frazzled human and wrapping around her legs, effectively stopping Topaz from her pacing. It was only then that she realized she was crying, tears slipping down her face. She already knew how this was going to end. There was only ever one way it would.
She bent down, picking up Midnight and holding her tight, walking to the couch. Five years. It had been five years since she’d come to the mansion with nothing but her clothes and an old, battered picture in her pocket. She sat down now, looking around her suite, at the things she had collected in that time. The book cases that lined the walls, the unwilling pictures she had taken with friends that weren’t really as unwilling as she had pretended at the time. The cat in her arms. The friends. Amanda and Kurt.
This was home. Her home. And now it was in danger, because of her baggage. Six innocent people were suffering in the med lab, could possibly die; and Amanda had been attacked, barely gotten away, and had forced herself to do what should have been an impossible teleport. Who knew what condition she would be in when she woke up. Because Topaz’ problems had followed her.
“So what do you do if you think the next one is because of you?"
The conversation with Garrison so many months earlier echoed through time. What would she do if the next problem in the mansion was her fault? She had said she would deal with it.
”I don't generally run away from problems I cause.”
Time to live up to those words, she supposed. She hugged Midnight for another moment, kissing the cat’s furry head before releasing her and going to find some paper and a pen.
* * * * * * * * * * *
If the Lyft driver was at all confused about the young woman who wanted to be dropped off in front of one of the entrances to Central Park just the right side of midnight, he didn’t say anything. She was clearly lost in her thoughts, staring out the window without seeing the scenery go by. Not a talker.
Topaz gave the driver a short “thanks” before climbing out of the car, standing on the sidewalk across the street from the park as the man drove away. Central Park looked daunting - dark and terrifying from where she was sitting. That could have been because she knew what was waiting for her, though. No use in putting it off. She took a deep breath before she crossed the street and disappeared into the darkness of the park. She let her shields drop enough to feel what was going on around her so she wouldn't be caught by surprise. Not that it mattered. She was giving up, wasn't she?
The park was dark and lonely, even as it was grit on all sides by towers of light. As she crossed from the tree cover to one of the grass meadows, she could see a leashed dog sitting in the grass, a metal stake driven into the leash handle so it couldn't run off. As she approached, she could make out a folded piece of paper that had been tucked into its collar.
"Is this a video game?" Topaz muttered, making her way to the dog and knelt down, scratching the poor animal's ears and taking the letter. "I'm not playing your bloody games, Adam," she said a bit louder while she unfolded the note. He was listening. He had to be. "I'm alone, I don't have my phone, or a tracker, or any way for anyone to find me. You win, all right?"
She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice or the tears from filling her eyes. He won. She shook her head and focused on the note.
The note simply had Amanda's name written on it, with a line through it.
"Sorry love, but you'll play any game I want from now on. Bloody they will be, I assure you." The patch of darkness behind her slipped away as Adam stepped forward. He waved his hand and the note flared for a moment and then crumbled away in her hands. "As promised, my old mate Amanda is now safe. For now, since I know as soon as she recovers from this bollocking, she'll be back out to save you and I'll kill her right dead. But that's for another day."
Topaz took a moment to compose herself before standing and turning to face him. She was doing her best not to look scared. She knew it wasn't working. "She's not coming." She was, however, absurdly confident about that. "No one's coming."
"And that is what I do love most about your band of do-gooders. The blindly optimistic stupidity you all share. But, that's irrelevant for now. For now, it's just you and us and soon enough, dear old dad." He put his hand on the top of the dog's head. "Grace, a portal now would be lovely." He said and under his hand, the dog began to smoke. The creature howled as it erupted into flame, still alive and in pain as the scarlet light surrounded them. With a flash, all that was left in the park was a patch of singed grass and the end of a charred leash.
The sudden teleportation left Topaz disoriented, and it took her a brief moment to re-orient herself, looking around at her new surroundings. It was... a house. A living room, to be exact, with the Destine sisters waiting for their brother to return with his new toy. She clenched her jaw until it hurt. No more talking. She was surrendering. That didn't mean she had to give them the satisfaction of being scared or fearing for her life.
Jasmine 'scanned' her brother and his captive with arm firmly folded over her chest, the stones in two rings on each hand gleaming briefly. "Looks like you managed to get her in one piece, brother. Did everything else go as you had hoped?"
Grace rolled her eyes. "Obviously it did, Jasmine." She gestured to her brother. "Don't you see her? She's here, she's alive, and she seems to have already realized there's no hope." A tight smile crossed her face as Grace gave Topaz a once over. "Because there is no hope."
Topaz glared back at Grace, looking her over, physically and mentally. Composure or not, the crazy was rolling off of her in waves. "You've lost it," she informed Grace bluntly. "Pity. I always thought you were one of the better siblings."
A blow rocked her to one side. Adam's strike was so casual, the viciousness was unexpected. "Enough out of you. Adults are talking." He pushed her down on her knees. "So, we've got our cunt bait for that old bastard. We hurt her hard and he'll turn up soon enough. Grace, you make sure what she feels echoes, right then?”
Before Topaz could say anything, Adam gripped her face in his strong hands. His index fingers rested against her ears as his thumbs lay across her closed eyes. "Your father could have made this easier. Amanda too. Instead, because of them, we need to hurt you. Be sure to thank them for this." His hands smoked softly and suddenly flames raced across them. The heat was white hot against her skin and she screamed as Adam's hands tightened. Her skin crisped and blackened as his fingers pushed into her eardrums, scorching the flesh inbetween. But the pressure from his thumbs was worse. The heat flashed the liquid on and in her eyeballs to steam, leaving the flesh to wither immediately against the heat. Her nerves screamed as his thumbs burned out her optic nerve, the pits of her ruined eyes gouting flame.
Topaz had disappeared into her suite for space and to think. Her phone was clutched tight in her hand as she paced, Adam’s texts from Amanda’s phone still on her screen. Fuck. Fuck. Of course it was him. She hadn’t wanted to admit it - hadn’t wanted to accept that all of this was her fault. But of course Amanda was right. Of course it was him. He wasn’t going to stop. Not until he had what he wanted.
Midnight hopped down from her cat tree, making her way lazily to her frazzled human and wrapping around her legs, effectively stopping Topaz from her pacing. It was only then that she realized she was crying, tears slipping down her face. She already knew how this was going to end. There was only ever one way it would.
She bent down, picking up Midnight and holding her tight, walking to the couch. Five years. It had been five years since she’d come to the mansion with nothing but her clothes and an old, battered picture in her pocket. She sat down now, looking around her suite, at the things she had collected in that time. The book cases that lined the walls, the unwilling pictures she had taken with friends that weren’t really as unwilling as she had pretended at the time. The cat in her arms. The friends. Amanda and Kurt.
This was home. Her home. And now it was in danger, because of her baggage. Six innocent people were suffering in the med lab, could possibly die; and Amanda had been attacked, barely gotten away, and had forced herself to do what should have been an impossible teleport. Who knew what condition she would be in when she woke up. Because Topaz’ problems had followed her.
“So what do you do if you think the next one is because of you?"
The conversation with Garrison so many months earlier echoed through time. What would she do if the next problem in the mansion was her fault? She had said she would deal with it.
”I don't generally run away from problems I cause.”
Time to live up to those words, she supposed. She hugged Midnight for another moment, kissing the cat’s furry head before releasing her and going to find some paper and a pen.
* * * * * * * * * * *
If the Lyft driver was at all confused about the young woman who wanted to be dropped off in front of one of the entrances to Central Park just the right side of midnight, he didn’t say anything. She was clearly lost in her thoughts, staring out the window without seeing the scenery go by. Not a talker.
Topaz gave the driver a short “thanks” before climbing out of the car, standing on the sidewalk across the street from the park as the man drove away. Central Park looked daunting - dark and terrifying from where she was sitting. That could have been because she knew what was waiting for her, though. No use in putting it off. She took a deep breath before she crossed the street and disappeared into the darkness of the park. She let her shields drop enough to feel what was going on around her so she wouldn't be caught by surprise. Not that it mattered. She was giving up, wasn't she?
The park was dark and lonely, even as it was grit on all sides by towers of light. As she crossed from the tree cover to one of the grass meadows, she could see a leashed dog sitting in the grass, a metal stake driven into the leash handle so it couldn't run off. As she approached, she could make out a folded piece of paper that had been tucked into its collar.
"Is this a video game?" Topaz muttered, making her way to the dog and knelt down, scratching the poor animal's ears and taking the letter. "I'm not playing your bloody games, Adam," she said a bit louder while she unfolded the note. He was listening. He had to be. "I'm alone, I don't have my phone, or a tracker, or any way for anyone to find me. You win, all right?"
She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice or the tears from filling her eyes. He won. She shook her head and focused on the note.
The note simply had Amanda's name written on it, with a line through it.
"Sorry love, but you'll play any game I want from now on. Bloody they will be, I assure you." The patch of darkness behind her slipped away as Adam stepped forward. He waved his hand and the note flared for a moment and then crumbled away in her hands. "As promised, my old mate Amanda is now safe. For now, since I know as soon as she recovers from this bollocking, she'll be back out to save you and I'll kill her right dead. But that's for another day."
Topaz took a moment to compose herself before standing and turning to face him. She was doing her best not to look scared. She knew it wasn't working. "She's not coming." She was, however, absurdly confident about that. "No one's coming."
"And that is what I do love most about your band of do-gooders. The blindly optimistic stupidity you all share. But, that's irrelevant for now. For now, it's just you and us and soon enough, dear old dad." He put his hand on the top of the dog's head. "Grace, a portal now would be lovely." He said and under his hand, the dog began to smoke. The creature howled as it erupted into flame, still alive and in pain as the scarlet light surrounded them. With a flash, all that was left in the park was a patch of singed grass and the end of a charred leash.
The sudden teleportation left Topaz disoriented, and it took her a brief moment to re-orient herself, looking around at her new surroundings. It was... a house. A living room, to be exact, with the Destine sisters waiting for their brother to return with his new toy. She clenched her jaw until it hurt. No more talking. She was surrendering. That didn't mean she had to give them the satisfaction of being scared or fearing for her life.
Jasmine 'scanned' her brother and his captive with arm firmly folded over her chest, the stones in two rings on each hand gleaming briefly. "Looks like you managed to get her in one piece, brother. Did everything else go as you had hoped?"
Grace rolled her eyes. "Obviously it did, Jasmine." She gestured to her brother. "Don't you see her? She's here, she's alive, and she seems to have already realized there's no hope." A tight smile crossed her face as Grace gave Topaz a once over. "Because there is no hope."
Topaz glared back at Grace, looking her over, physically and mentally. Composure or not, the crazy was rolling off of her in waves. "You've lost it," she informed Grace bluntly. "Pity. I always thought you were one of the better siblings."
A blow rocked her to one side. Adam's strike was so casual, the viciousness was unexpected. "Enough out of you. Adults are talking." He pushed her down on her knees. "So, we've got our cunt bait for that old bastard. We hurt her hard and he'll turn up soon enough. Grace, you make sure what she feels echoes, right then?”
Before Topaz could say anything, Adam gripped her face in his strong hands. His index fingers rested against her ears as his thumbs lay across her closed eyes. "Your father could have made this easier. Amanda too. Instead, because of them, we need to hurt you. Be sure to thank them for this." His hands smoked softly and suddenly flames raced across them. The heat was white hot against her skin and she screamed as Adam's hands tightened. Her skin crisped and blackened as his fingers pushed into her eardrums, scorching the flesh inbetween. But the pressure from his thumbs was worse. The heat flashed the liquid on and in her eyeballs to steam, leaving the flesh to wither immediately against the heat. Her nerves screamed as his thumbs burned out her optic nerve, the pits of her ruined eyes gouting flame.
