The Living and the Dead [Flynn, or Invite][NR]

Nanalie had run and run until she had reached the secret and hidden entrance that she knew was there: the only way in or out of Amaranth's lab. She had been ushered in quickly by the experiment that Amaranth had posted as guard over the doorway in, and had quickly rushed herself to the security room, leaving the door open.

On the monitor before her very eyes the scene had played out: her mother being beheaded, unable to defend herself. Then, the man responsible eating the barrel of an angels shotgun. Then another man and Destiny arriving. Her mother's head being reattached, but no life left in her. Dez crying....

She was crying. Tears spilled from her eyes as she dropped to the floor. Her mother was dead. She didn't know why. She probably never would. But she was, and death was a permanent thing, right?

He roars practically shook the island; everything and anything would know he was there and searching. The roars would sound like nothing but just that to anyone but Nanalie; she would recognize the words; recognize her name. He was following her fading scent; he'd follow it to the ends of the earth and gladly jump into oblivion to follow her. He was in denial; massively so. Forcing himself to chose her versus finding Demi first...

Coward.

Have to protect her... Have to make sure she's safe...

He had to believe he was imagining it; the smell of blood and the screaming pain in his heart. The hole that was forming and growing and tearing his life apart.

The water... underwater...

The lab.


Diving right in, swim to the tunnel entrance. He could enter without being bothered; Amaranth liked him well enough, and they shared many similar interests. Inside the scent of his daughter was strong again; he could smell everything. Her fear; confusion; everything.

Speed down the hall; into the door; shift to hybrid form; arms wrapping around her without a word and pulling her away from the screen.

He'd seen enough. He could see it all though the scene frozen there. He had to get her away from it. HE had to get away from it.

Just a few more moments of denial... that was all he needed... just enough to make sure Nanalie was unharmed....

He'd be late to the party.... but if there was ANYTHING left... he'd end it.

Nanalie's little body trembled as tears rushed down her face. There was no stopping the images even as she was forced to look away. They were burned in her mind, and would remain there for a very long time, if not for forever. Her mother was dead. Her head had been cut off. It didn't matter that it was back on now, because that wouldn't bring her back to life. That wouldn't stop the death that had claimed her.

Her mother was gone.

Why?!

For a split second he was glad for his Mind Blind status; he could feel the shock, almost smell the thoughts he wasn't able to read in his daughter's mind. If he had been able to read them, truly feel her emotions...

It wouldn't have been pretty.

He was only hanging on because he was along in his head. He could suppress the growing fractures in his heart and mind; ignore the screams and guilt and pain and sense of failureandohgodnotagainnotagainnotagain.

This was the second time he wasn't where he should have been.

This was his second failure.

He'd lost EVERYTHING once. He knew deep down... he was about to loose it all again. His stupid body; his age; his need to forget his past and the lessons he'd known since before he could remember...

Itwashisfaultshewasdead. Itwashisfaulthisdaughterhadtofacethis. Hisfaulthisfaulthisfaultfuckfuckfuck

A single tear was all he could allow; he had to try... he had to maintain... for her... until he could get her to family... someone that could keep her safe... then he could break.

Then he could end it...

The madness was setting in. He could feel it eating at his mind as the last of his heart shredded into nothing. He wouldn't be able to fool anyone much longer.

This had to end soon...

Over and over again the memory of what she had seen on that screen replayed time and time again in her minds eye. At first she closed her eyes, thinking that maybe that would help. But, it didn't. It only made things worse. It only made them more real, swimming in the sea of darkness the back of her eyelids caused.

Then she felt that familiar link, the link that had vanished the moment her mother had been slain. The connection she had had with Demi since the moment Demi had given birth to her. It was different, more faint. But it was the link, she knew it.

A spark of hope filled her chest, filled her heart, and she found herself wiggling out of her father's grip and suddenly running, as fast as her little legs could carry her, out of the laboratory, all while shouting "Mommy! I feel mommy!"

-Exit.-

I feel mommy!

She felt what...? She couldn't; if he couldn't then....

But she was psychic; and the bonds that held them together where stronger because of it.

It would explain why the madness was so slow in taking hold.

And why he wasn't fighting to survive like he should have been. A child could only exert so much of a bind to the world... enough for his body to not outright shut down; but not necessarily enough to keep him functioning in any sense of the word.

All that thought and a few seconds had passed; the stun of her escaping his arms finally setting in and his body starting to work; chasing after her as best he could given the circumstances.

-exit-