May 4th
"You are late, Serah!" Hope scowled at her the moment she stepped from the gateway. His scolding ceased when he saw how absolutely exhausted and ran thin the young woman was. "You've had us worried." He added as he watched her follow Noel down the street. Noel for his part seemed to be very focused forward which drew a little odd to Hope.
"I'm sorry." was all she could think of saying.
Hope looked to Noel as if to seek answers but Noel just shrugged. Taking a few steps ahead both Noel and Hope guided Serah to the Academy. "She's been like this since we met up."
"I was starting to get worried you two were not going to make it in time. I was getting ready to call her sister and tell her-"
"Wish you two would stop talking about me as if I am not right here."
Both Noel and Hope blinked at each other before turning to look at Serah who shouldn't of been able to hear their conversation but somehow she had. "How-" Hope started.
"What were you going to tell my sister?" Serah demanded.
Hope frowned and slowed to a stop. He waited until she caught up to them to begin explaining. "As you know the frequency that I have been keeping tabs on has disappeared."
Serah nodded. "Yeah my sister told me."
"That is why you are here." Hope continued and they began to move again. The vast building was easy to get around in and up until the point of actually getting to the room where they were headed Hope had resumed a sort of silence. Gesturing Serah in he looked over to her. "Take a seat and we will begin."
Noel had stripped her of her devices and things that would distract her. Her cellphone along with her possessions, she was told, would be left in a room for her to rest in. She sighed, always hating this part. The poking, the prodding, the machines. Blood was drawn, machines hooked up to collect her vitals. She listened while Hope and his assistant talked but she wasn't really listening to their conversation. She just stared off in the distance while thinking of absolutely nothing. She was too tired to think and all she wanted to really do was sleep.
"Hope. HOPE!" Alyssa's voice cut loud, "You have to come see this!"
Hope rushed over as Serah turned to look at the two behindn the protective glass. Both of them had a rather bewildered look but if she had to pinpoint another expression on Hope's face it would of been horror. He looked possitively horrified. His big, bright eyes turned to look at her and all she could do was blink at him. "What?
"Serah. It isn't just the frequency that is gone now."
Hope's voice cut right to her. "Wh-What do you mean?" She knew that it was there Thursday. She had nearly killed Mach with it.
"It wasn't compatiable. It is breaking down and-"
He didn't have to finish. She knew what he was getting at. It had been a long shot after all. She felt panic as she watch Hope round from the protective shield with something in his hand. She couldn't tell what. It was like he was trying to make sure she didn't see it until it was too late.
"We need to remove it before it taints you further. Before it-" he explained as he reached or her arm.
She felt her arm reach out of its own accord and grab at his wrist. Flinging off the table she had Hope on the ground with her straddling his waist, one hand holding his wrist while the other squeezed at his throat. She used her weight to press harder. No. No! Not again! Stop! She heard her voice say something to Hope but it wasn't her saying it. It was like her body had a mind all of its own. Again.
Whatever was said Hope heard loud and clear, the look he wore explained it all. "Caius!"
Caius. What did Hope mean Caius. Caius was gone, wasn't he? Her sister took care of him. "Does it really surprise you? After all the Heart of Chaos is meant for the Guardian. I am part of the chaos as much as it is apart of me. Would it not make sense that a fragment be left behind? Now do as-" Her body suddenly felt far too heavy and everything seemed to grow dark. Over her shoulder she barely caught a glimpse of Alyssa holding a syringe, now empty, in her shaking hands. Slowly her body slumped down over Hope who grunted at her weight.
"Quick. Get Noel. We have to prepare her before permanent damage is done."
Permanent damage was already done and she felt it. She heard it. Tasted it. She felt as her body was lifted and she had no way of stopping it. Moved to be strapped down on a table by busy hands of faces she couldn't see.
"Is she going to be okay?" She heard Alyssa but she sounded so far away.
"I don't know. She seems so weak right now and extraction might-"
"Well don't do it if it is going to kill her!" Noel voice. He sounded so afraid.
"What choice do I have! If we leave her like this it will either take her over completely or kill her. She's already dying!"
Already dying. Hope was right. She wasn't even suppose to be alive. She was suppose to of died in Noel's arms. If it had not been for her sister bringing her to Rhydin where would she be now? Her eyes drooped but she suddenly saw a clouded vision of Hope hovering over her.
"Don't close your eyes, Serah. We need you to stay awake."
Her eyes felt so damn heavy. She probably should of slept before coming but with Mach in the hospital, and the stress of it all, sleep was impossible. The idea that Sarai and others would come after her if Mach didn't pull through both scared her and at the same time she didn't blame them at all. Hell she'd probably of just allowed them to. She deserved it. She was a monster that needed to be put down.
"HEY! Serah don't close your eyes! You have to stay awake! It is important!" Hope's voice was panicked as he pleaded to her.
Her eyes fluttered closed and she released a little sigh. She was tired. She was tired of struggling. Tired of the fight. Tired of it all. Letting go was what Shae said, right? She was almost sure she didn't exactly mean it in this context but letting go just felt so much easier. Just letting go and sleep. Her body jerked as the overwhelming feeling of falling took hold of her and her eyes fell shut.
"Serah! SERAH!!"
Even as she was falling she could feel the searing hot, white pain that realty was placing on her body. Whatever they were doing caused the pain to chase her right down to the darkness and she screamed until the silence of the darkness took her.
"You are late, Serah!" Hope scowled at her the moment she stepped from the gateway. His scolding ceased when he saw how absolutely exhausted and ran thin the young woman was. "You've had us worried." He added as he watched her follow Noel down the street. Noel for his part seemed to be very focused forward which drew a little odd to Hope.
"I'm sorry." was all she could think of saying.
Hope looked to Noel as if to seek answers but Noel just shrugged. Taking a few steps ahead both Noel and Hope guided Serah to the Academy. "She's been like this since we met up."
"I was starting to get worried you two were not going to make it in time. I was getting ready to call her sister and tell her-"
"Wish you two would stop talking about me as if I am not right here."
Both Noel and Hope blinked at each other before turning to look at Serah who shouldn't of been able to hear their conversation but somehow she had. "How-" Hope started.
"What were you going to tell my sister?" Serah demanded.
Hope frowned and slowed to a stop. He waited until she caught up to them to begin explaining. "As you know the frequency that I have been keeping tabs on has disappeared."
Serah nodded. "Yeah my sister told me."
"That is why you are here." Hope continued and they began to move again. The vast building was easy to get around in and up until the point of actually getting to the room where they were headed Hope had resumed a sort of silence. Gesturing Serah in he looked over to her. "Take a seat and we will begin."
Noel had stripped her of her devices and things that would distract her. Her cellphone along with her possessions, she was told, would be left in a room for her to rest in. She sighed, always hating this part. The poking, the prodding, the machines. Blood was drawn, machines hooked up to collect her vitals. She listened while Hope and his assistant talked but she wasn't really listening to their conversation. She just stared off in the distance while thinking of absolutely nothing. She was too tired to think and all she wanted to really do was sleep.
"Hope. HOPE!" Alyssa's voice cut loud, "You have to come see this!"
Hope rushed over as Serah turned to look at the two behindn the protective glass. Both of them had a rather bewildered look but if she had to pinpoint another expression on Hope's face it would of been horror. He looked possitively horrified. His big, bright eyes turned to look at her and all she could do was blink at him. "What?
"Serah. It isn't just the frequency that is gone now."
Hope's voice cut right to her. "Wh-What do you mean?" She knew that it was there Thursday. She had nearly killed Mach with it.
"It wasn't compatiable. It is breaking down and-"
He didn't have to finish. She knew what he was getting at. It had been a long shot after all. She felt panic as she watch Hope round from the protective shield with something in his hand. She couldn't tell what. It was like he was trying to make sure she didn't see it until it was too late.
"We need to remove it before it taints you further. Before it-" he explained as he reached or her arm.
She felt her arm reach out of its own accord and grab at his wrist. Flinging off the table she had Hope on the ground with her straddling his waist, one hand holding his wrist while the other squeezed at his throat. She used her weight to press harder. No. No! Not again! Stop! She heard her voice say something to Hope but it wasn't her saying it. It was like her body had a mind all of its own. Again.
Whatever was said Hope heard loud and clear, the look he wore explained it all. "Caius!"
Caius. What did Hope mean Caius. Caius was gone, wasn't he? Her sister took care of him. "Does it really surprise you? After all the Heart of Chaos is meant for the Guardian. I am part of the chaos as much as it is apart of me. Would it not make sense that a fragment be left behind? Now do as-" Her body suddenly felt far too heavy and everything seemed to grow dark. Over her shoulder she barely caught a glimpse of Alyssa holding a syringe, now empty, in her shaking hands. Slowly her body slumped down over Hope who grunted at her weight.
"Quick. Get Noel. We have to prepare her before permanent damage is done."
Permanent damage was already done and she felt it. She heard it. Tasted it. She felt as her body was lifted and she had no way of stopping it. Moved to be strapped down on a table by busy hands of faces she couldn't see.
"Is she going to be okay?" She heard Alyssa but she sounded so far away.
"I don't know. She seems so weak right now and extraction might-"
"Well don't do it if it is going to kill her!" Noel voice. He sounded so afraid.
"What choice do I have! If we leave her like this it will either take her over completely or kill her. She's already dying!"
Already dying. Hope was right. She wasn't even suppose to be alive. She was suppose to of died in Noel's arms. If it had not been for her sister bringing her to Rhydin where would she be now? Her eyes drooped but she suddenly saw a clouded vision of Hope hovering over her.
"Don't close your eyes, Serah. We need you to stay awake."
Her eyes felt so damn heavy. She probably should of slept before coming but with Mach in the hospital, and the stress of it all, sleep was impossible. The idea that Sarai and others would come after her if Mach didn't pull through both scared her and at the same time she didn't blame them at all. Hell she'd probably of just allowed them to. She deserved it. She was a monster that needed to be put down.
"HEY! Serah don't close your eyes! You have to stay awake! It is important!" Hope's voice was panicked as he pleaded to her.
Her eyes fluttered closed and she released a little sigh. She was tired. She was tired of struggling. Tired of the fight. Tired of it all. Letting go was what Shae said, right? She was almost sure she didn't exactly mean it in this context but letting go just felt so much easier. Just letting go and sleep. Her body jerked as the overwhelming feeling of falling took hold of her and her eyes fell shut.
"Serah! SERAH!!"
Even as she was falling she could feel the searing hot, white pain that realty was placing on her body. Whatever they were doing caused the pain to chase her right down to the darkness and she screamed until the silence of the darkness took her.