Post by Syn on Jul 31, 2013 21:55:45 GMT -5
[June 22nd, Eleven Hours Removed from The Slamathon PPV]
My eyes snapped open as I looked around, briefly wondering where I was as I awoke with a start from my restless slumber. For a few seconds, I didn’t know where I was, how I had gotten here, or what had happened. Finally, the memories came flooding back, causing me to become very still as the feelings associated with them returned as well.
My Brother….
I fought back the urge to look away, despite every single synapse in my body begging me to do so, as my eyes landed on his prone form. At that moment, the individual laying in a helpless, unconscious state in the bed before me looked nothing like My Brother. He was gaunt, and very frail. While he has been smaller than me for quite some time, it was much more…..noticeable, now. His normally pale skin seemed to take on a ghostly white look, to the point where he resembled a corpse more than a man who would live to see the light of day once more. Several wires and needles were probed into various parts of his body, hooked up to multiple machines around him that monitored his heart and health. My gaze then went to where the damage was much more obvious: His eyes. There were bandages wrapped all the way around his eyes, with a noticeable blotch of blood over where his left eye is. My gaze was transfixed onto his eyes, before I finally forced myself to look away from the scene.
For the last two years, since the beginning of his career in that cesspool that went by the name of The Wrestling Kings Federation, he had been embroiled in a bitter, long lasting rivalry with Ryan “The Reaper” Robinson. While My Brother had always managed to stay at least a step and a half out of Ryan’s reach, none of his victories, psychological or otherwise, came without consequence. The most damaging coming in their Taipei Death Match, when several shards of glass were embedded deeply his left eye, causing massive damage and becoming too deeply lodged in to safely remove. So he learned to compete as is. As foolish as that was, it worked for him.
It…..it had happened so quickly that it didn’t even register until after the fact. He was wrestling against Danielle Lopez for The PCW World Heavyweight Title, when he had taken a…very brutal shot to the skull. The shot itself did not put him in this state…but it was the catalyst. It caused the glass that had been embedded in his eye to slice completely through, rupturing the eye completely and nicking a vein as they were rattled around inside of his skull. The damage was….horrendous. The blood….It was gruesome, and could have spelled his very end. But….
….He kept fighting.
For whatever reason, when he had nothing to lose from ending it right then and there….he continued the match for another twenty-five minutes, doing more and more damage to himself with every passing second. After it was all over, he was all but gone. They had lost him several times over in the ambulance, and he….he had died on the table. My heart clenched in my chest painfully as the entire scenario flashed before my eyes, again and again as I choked back tears.
Kai: [Sorrowfully] Brother…..
It….it hurt seeing him like this, so frail and vulnerable. In all the time that I had known him, he has never allowed himself to look like he was anything close to weak. Even when he had reached his lowest of lows, and injury appeared to have taken its toll on him, he has NEVER been this bad off. As I looked down at him, trying to keep myself from losing it, several memories slowly began to dance before my eyes. I recognized them, almost as clear as day, as moments in time from out childhood, and beyond. He had always been there for me, every since we were small children. He had been what kept me sane, my protector of sorts. I shook the thought from my mind as soon as it came. I didn’t need this, not now. Not with all that has happened. My eyes landed on his face, pain once again finding it’s way into my heart as I brought my hand up.
Kai: Michael….
Slowly, I reached out my right hand to brush a strand of blood stained, light blonde hair from his face, careful to not disrupt the bandages that covered his eyes. As I was doing this, my hand accidentally brushed against his skin, causing me to stop dead in my tracks as the contact registered. He felt Ice Cold to the touch, with very little warmth to him. It made my blood run cold, and I felt as if my heart had been clamped within a vise .Unconsciously, my mind began to wonder if this is the feeling is what he has felt for the last four years, every single time that he looks at the scar on my neck. Was this how My Brother felt that night, as he stared at my nearly lifeless body; this…this unbearable pain, threatening to swallow me whole? I… I don’t know if I can take this.
Kai: How? How could you do this? How could you do this to me? To Brytain, Jinzai, and Alisyn? How could you just walk into this match, prepared to…prepared to die? How, Michael?
I was very aware of my voice all but cracking slightly as I spoke, but it no longer mattered to me. I couldn't care less what I sounded like or if my emotions were showing at the moment. I DIDN’t care. This was my older brother, the only family that I will ever admit to having on my side. He was the person most responsible for everything good that had happened in my life, as well as being there when I needed him the most. There was no way that I would ever be able to repay him for all that he has done for me. A single tear ran down my face as the cold reality had finally sunk in. The reality of just how very close I had come to losing him today.
Kai: [In sorrow] …I failed you, Big Brother. I-I swore that I would never let anything happen to you….and I failed you.
I hung my head and kept my eyes closed, my emotions finally becoming too much to contain as I shook silently. I had failed him, and it all but cost him his life. If I had tried talking him out of this, if I would have tried to ask him to walk away…..this could have been prevented. I don’t know how long I stood there in silence, just staring at him and hoping in vain that he would awaken or show some outward sign of life. My still somber thoughts were abruptly ended as I heard the doorknob to the room being turned, and the door being opened. I didn’t turn to look at the person, but I had a guess as to who it was. My guess was proven right after the person paused in the doorway, before speaking softly to not disturb Michael.
Charles: [Hesitantly] Alexander…
Normally, I would snap at anyone, outside of a select few, who dared to call me that name. Not because I was ashamed of my name sake, but because very few had the privy of knowing me on a personal level. To the world and everyone that unfortunately inhabited it, I was either Kai, or The Kaiser, wrestler. Nothing more and nothing less, if I had any say in it. But this time? This time I could not muster up the energy needed to be angry. Too much had been done, and I am too emotionally drained to even attempt it. Looking up from my magazine, my Jade Green eyes meet an identical pair that I have not seen in person in nearly 4 years. There was a tense silence for a few moments as he looked at me in apprehension and a bit of anxiousness, before I finally sighed and replied.
Kai: [Monotoned] Hello, Charles….
I ignore the flinch he gives from my tone and looked back down at My Brother, the room descending back into a tense silence with the only noise coming from the heart monitor at his bedside. After a few moments, I reluctantly came to the conclusion that he was not going to awaken anytime soon, so I discreetly turned my attention to the other occupant inside of the room: My Father….or the man who I used to call such a title. He has aged very well, despite the stress that life has brought him over the last half decade. I frowned slightly, as I remembered that most of my appearance has come from this man. We had the very same long, raven colored black hair, many of the same facial features, and things of the like. But the one thing that seems to stand out are the eyes. The somewhat bright Jade Green eyes that I look at every single morning in the mirror before I set off to train are now on the face of an older version of myself, staring at him with so many conflicting emotions just passing through them. Curiously, I speak, making sure to keep my voice low so not to disturb Michael.
Kai: [Quietly] Deep in thought, Charles….?
My soft words seemed to snap him out of his thoughts as he jumped slightly, almost as if he had forgotten I was in the room. He looks over at me, and tries to answer.
Charles: I’m……no…no, I’m not…
He trailed off as his eyes once again went to My Brother, a look of remorse written clearly upon his face, and he seemed to be trembling slightly. I arched an eyebrow as my eyes cut to his hands, and I noticed that they were trembling as well; causing me to idly wonder exactly what was causing him to react like this? He was a doctor. He dealt with this sort of thing more times than one could count. So why is it that he seems to be so shaken by what he sees before him? Sighing, I slowly stood up and looked over at him.
Kai: …Charles…?
He didn't answer as he continued to look at My Brother, but I could tell that even with whatever was going through the man’s mind that he had heard me. The two of us stood in silence as he continued to stare, his eyes becoming a little glossed over as his hands continued to tremble. Finally, after a few moments of wondering if I would get a reply, he spoke.
Charles: [Trying to remain calm] I know…..that neither of you will likely ever see me as your father again. Not after everything that has happened. I've had to face that cold reality multiple times over the last year…
I said nothing as I listened carefully, but I couldn't help but notice that he seemed to change right before my eyes. He had gone from Doctor Rollins to the scarred, meek, somewhat tormented man that he was throughout our childhood. But there was something different about him. He seemed…broken, much more so than he had been when we were children. Has the last few years really taken this much of a toll on him?
Charles: …But understand that this is perhaps the hardest thing ANY parent, family member, or relation would ever have to do, having to perform surgery on them like this. Knowing that the life of someone you care about hangs in the balance, even if that person despises you with their entire being. That one wrong move…and they are no more…
His eyes had never left Michael as he spoke.
Charles: Alexander…I know I can never be able to repent for what it was I did to both of you. You were my children....and I condemned the two of you to a hell that no one ever deserved. I turned a blind eye…and I lost both of my children in the process. I can’t say I don’t deserve it, because while I was not the one who caused the damage…I was a knowing party. Now…now in the last four years I’ve nearly had to bury both of my sons, and I would have had to live with that, knowing that it is partly my own fault that the both of you have become what you see yourselves as today…
I twitched slightly at hearing all of this, as the night that he is partly alluding to flashed before my eyes. Slowly, my hand reached up and traced over the thin, jagged scar that went fully across my neck as memories past seemed to play out right before my eyes: The blood, the pain, the cold realization that I was only a small step away from dying, and by my own hand. Swallowing down those feelings, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before I calmly looked over at Charles.
Kai: Stop…
He abruptly stopped speaking; realizing that he potentially had gone too far in his apology as he hung his head in shame.
Kai: You’re right. No amount of apology or anything of the sort will ever make up for anything…
I paused as I noticed the look he had on his face, the very same mask that Michael and I myself have worn so many times over the last several years. It looked very blank, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes about how he felt at the moment. I studied him silently for a few more moments, before I continued to speak.
Kai: …But considering you managed to save his life….our views on you may change in time…if only a small bit.
He paused, then looked up at me, the faintest bit of hope now in his eyes as he nods slowly. I’d consider the look pitiful under normal circumstances, even borderline pathetic that he wishes to mend things this badly. But I guess…him putting his own troubles aside to perform the surgery has earned him the right to hope, at least.
Kai: If you don’t mind it Charles, I’d like to continue watching over him without interruption.
He nods, and turns to leave the room. As he does, he sends both myself and Michael one last look, almost as if silently hoping that Michael’s condition improved beyond what it was, before he walked out the door. I then turned my eyes back to Michael and sighed, still torn up at seeing My Older Brother….My Onii-Sama…like this. Calmly, I walked back over to him and sat down in the chair right next to his bed, watching him intently. Even though he was so far has not responsive…
……I can never bring myself to leave his side.
---------------------------------------------------[Tuesday, July 23rd 2013. Philadelphia, PA]-------------------------------------------------
A slight hiss of discomfort escaped my lips as I stopped walking for a moment, then reached up and brushed my hair aside to readjust the bandage wrapped around my skull. I’ve been doing this several times throughout the day, ever since Rapture on Saturday and my attack at the hands of Team Lethality. I had suffered several slices and small puncture wounds from the Spike covered baseball bat that Danielle used. Unfortunately for that lot, for all the supposed false aggression that they think that they possess, they still have not learned the one cardinal rule of thumb: Always make sure that your target is unable to walk away from the fight.
Although I endured some pain from it, it was not without learning something from it. For whatever reason that her mind can conjure up, it seems our World Champion is under the impression that The Disciples are acting under the orders, or at the very least the word of, PCW’s General Manager, Morgan Simmons. Now, I’m not entirely sure if she realizes this…but while I have a grudge against her, I despise Morgan much more. To the point that I have even aligned myself with her husband, as well as that loudmouthed fool in Tom Pendergrass, to fight against her at Battle Finale III. So why on earth would I want anything to do with a woman I obviously loathe?
Kai: [Muttering to himself] Because she has nothing else to go on…
It was a true statement. Beyond her own musings, she had nothing to go on as to why it is she was targeted. No statements from any of the Disciples because none of us have uttered a word of reason, and nothing else that would give her a clue as to why it happened. But it does not matter, she’ll have whatever answers she’ll seek when she and I face off on Rapture. This is not the first time that Danielle Lopez and I have met one on one. She and I met for her Broadcast Title a little over a year ago, with her just barely managing to walk away with the victory. But sadly for her, the victory came at the price of her health. I had badly damaged her knee to the point of injury in the match, and it would come back to haunt her during the following months. This time….the end result may be a bit more gruesome than just reduced to using one leg.
I paused for a moment and frowned. In all of the the thoughts that have ran through my head that concerned the last three days, it seems as though one has been in the back of my mind; despite the fact that the person involved was, at one point in time, very near and dear to me.
Kai: [Softly] Mya…
It’s funny how this entire scenario has turned out, at least in my mind. She had become mine somewhat against her will, and we grew close. Then as it seemed we would never be apart, I pushed her away when tragedy struck. In doing this, I realized my inevitable truth: There was no real love in this relationship, on my end or hers.
The more I think about the relationship as a whole, the more disgusted I was at my actions through the entire thing. I wasn't in love, I was just deluding myself into thinking that perhaps, in some way, I could be a normal young man for once. That I could open myself up to someone, if only just a little bit, and nothing would happen. She loved the idea of what I could become all because I spared her the fate of being violated by Draven once again. It was nothing more than a supercharged version of hero’s worship, and I was blind to it for an entire year.
She placed me on a pedestal because of my actions regarding what happened to her. And me? I had used her. Just as I had done with Laurie before her, I had attempted to use Mya to try to escape what I was. But there was no escaping the reality of what our relationship truly was: A lie that the both of us had fooled ourselves into believing to be truth, only for it to be exposed for what it was when one of us was at their weakest.
I suppose I should have seen this coming, shouldn't I? We were all but inseparable when we began. But after a while, old habits began to consume me again. My training, my distance, my detached nature had caused me to put my relationship second to my desire to become better than I was in the ring. Of course she was going to feel neglected and attention starved…..but I couldn't bring myself to care, as cold as it is. I DIDN’T care.
And the very amusing part in all of this is that everyone seems convinced that I've become heartbroken all because she has developed feelings for someone else. I admit that it stung a bit….but that was as far as that went. I ended the relationship, and moved on: No brooding over it, and no “crying” over it will change what happened, or the end result.
I looked up and stopped walking as I noticed that I had reached my destination, a small coffee shop. Pushing the door open, I walked inside and looked around the establishment as I tried to find the person that I seek. Finally, after a few moments, I noticed the familiar streak of pink as a hand waved in the air, trying to get my attention. I walked over to the table silently as I observed her. She was still deathly pale from what had happened to her as of late, but other than that she seemed fine at first glance. Calmly, I sit down in front of her and gratefully accept the tea that was placed in front of me.
Kai: [Monotoned] Hello.
She returned the nod and greeting in kind as I sat down.
Kai: [Stoically] Are you well?
Brytain: Still alive. How about you?
I paused for a brief second, as the last month has replayed itself in my head again. Shrugging lightly, I give my answer as I looked back up at her.
Kai: No worse for wear than I usually am, with all that has happened.
She gave a nod of understanding as we descended back into a silence. Neither of us said anything for a few seconds, both of us allowing the other to adjust for a moment. This was becoming routine between she and I, a somewhat respectable silence that occurred right after the greeting. Right before one of us decided to bring up the topic that weighed upon both of our minds. We continued to sit there for a few moments more, before I finally broke the comfortable silence.
Kai: [Slowly] How are things with…him?
She twitched slightly at my mentioning that, and her expression became very detached, as if she was trying to keep herself from feeling something as she spoke.
Brytain: ……Less than good.
I arch an eyebrow at that. Michael’s recovery has been a slow process, and it did not look as if it would be improving rapidly anytime soon. So he has become a little on edge, and the most recent events haven't done anything to calm him down.
Kai: Care to talk?
She goes to say something, but pauses and looks conflicted. I watch silently as she thinks for a few moments, before sighing and looking down.
Brytain: He’s worried. Worried about you, worried about me…..I don’t know.
She sighs and looks down in defeat as I look at her in confusion. I would understand his worry for her, given the month that she has had. But why me? I've taken far worse than what Team Lethality attempted to dish out, so it could not be that.
Kai: [Softly] Why on earth would he be worried about me, Montgomery?
She gave me a bit of a look, almost as if she was silently asking exactly how I was not able to realize the answer myself.
Brytain: He thinks you’re putting him and his well-being above yourself and your needs…..again.
My first instinct was to deny the claim. Deny that I was doing anything of the sort, but I couldn't because that was precisely what I have done. Not for any sort of approval or anything career motivated, but because I've always put My Brother first, as he had done for me when we were younger. Sighing, I looked out the window and contemplated for a moment, before I gave a response.
Kai: He’s right….in some ways.
She gave a short shrug as she sipped her tea.
Brytain: He usually is.
Kai: And what of his worries about you?
I watched as she froze slightly from the question, before she looked away, almost as if she did not want anyone to see how it affected her.
Brytain: [Quietly] He….thinks that I’ve lost myself. That I’ve gone into the abyss, in his own words.
I nod in understanding as I take another small sip of the tea in front of me.
Kai: Hmm…I see. Are you?
There was a silence after that question, causing me to study her carefully. She was struggling to keep her emotions under control, and looked to be very conflicted about her answer. She looked up at me after a few tense seconds, before she spoke.
Brytain: I…don’t know.
I leaned forward slightly at hearing that, my jade green eyes looking right into her bright blue ones as I spoke.
Kai: You don’t know…..or you don’t want to say?
Brytain: [Sighs] Fine, I have. And now I don’t know how to come back…or if it matters if I do. I just…..I don’t know what he wants from me.
Kai: You mean you don't know what choice he wants you to make.
She nods at the question.
Brytain: Yes….that…
I nod in understanding, before I take another small sip of the tea.
Kai: Perhaps you should explain everything to me that happened, then I'll try to help as best I can.
She sighed and looked down.
Brytain: …What happened with Syn the other night, or everything that happens to be going on in general?
Kai: Whichever one you decide you need any advice or help on, Montgomery.
And again, our conversation fell silent as she looked down, her hair covering most of her face as I waited. When she spoke, her voice had gone very quiet, to the point where it was barely anything above a whisper.
Brytain: I almost died.
She sounded very different as she said this, almost distant.
Kai: [Flatly] I was there for most of that. Your blood is not exactly easy to clean out of clothing.
She shrugged off the remark as she gave a frown.
Brytain: I….I don’t remember any of it. I don't remember a single thing that happened before I woke up. Everyone has avoided talking about it.
I stilled at hearing that. Why has no one told her yet? Did they not think that she was ready? Or...did they think that it was too much to tell too soon? I noticed her looking at me, before I calmly decided to ask her.
Kai: [Slowly] Mont...Brytain, do you want me to tell you what happened to you?
I honestly did not wish to tell her. Seeing her like that was not pleasant by any means, and knowing just how close she had come to actually dying due to her injuries was very disconcerting. She fixed me with a pleading look the moment that the question came out of my mouth, before responding.
Brytain: Please…I feel like I need all the pieces to fix… whatever this is…
I give her a very serious look. I’m well aware of the holes in her memories, as well as the fact that she needs this information. But I need to be sure that she absolutely wants to hear what happened that night, and if she is indeed ready to hear it.
Kai: You sure you want to know? It’s nothing pretty by any stretch of the imagination.
Brytain: Wouldn't you want to know?
We stared down for a moment after she asked this, before I grunted and gave a response.
Kai: Fair enough, I suppose. Alright. I’ll tell you.
Brytain: Thanks…
I waved off her thanks as I sighed and closed my eyes.
Kai: Just give me a moment so I can think of where to start with this.
She nodded, and went silent as I gathered my thoughts, before sighing and looking her right in the eyes.
Kai: Alright…you were all but dead after the match. You had blood pouring out of you, a length of Barbed Wire wrapped around your throat, and had taken multiple shots to the skull. Since someone listed me as a family member, I went along as they attempted to keep you stable. But you were losing so much blood that they needed to do a blood transfer in order to keep you alive.
I stopped speaking for a moment to look at her, and make sure that she has taken in what I have said so far. Her already pale skin seemed to pale even more as hand went to her throat, where the remnants of scratches and small cuts from the Barbed Wire remained. She tried to remain calm, but she was unable to keep the flicker of emotions that passed through her eyes. When she spoke back up, her voice had gotten very quiet, and she seemed to be remembering some details of that night.
Brytain: Jordy…they didn’t have enough of my type.
I nodded in confirmation of that.
Kai: Your little blonde friend nearly threw a doctor out of the way to get to you...it was almost too late, and you nearly flatlinned before she managed to get there.Your mentor dropped everything to come down here, as did several others. My Brother…He was broken, Brytain. Much worse than the last time I saw him in this state.
She looked shaken at hearing this, obviously not expecting that sort of reaction from Michael. I allowed her a few moments to allow everything I have said to sink in, before speaking again.
Kai: [Softly] And now you know...or at least have a few less blanks to fill in.
She gave a small nod, still looking a bit shaken by what I have told her.
Brytain: Thanks…
I gave a nod.
Kai: You're welcome. Now that you know this, what will you do?
She thought for a few moments, before she spoke again, her voice still not going any higher than a whisper.
Brytain: I don’t want to lose him, Alex. But…. I've put things in motion that can’t be stopped, not now.
Kai: You’re going to have to make your choice soon Brytain. That, or risk paying The Devil’s Due as a price for the path that you’re dangerously close to walking upon.
She gives a small sigh.
Brytain: I know…. But he has to admit that this is all so hypocritical of him to ask me not to walk down this path…coming from him of all people…
I could see her point in all of this. Given the path My Brother has chosen to walk, and all he has done while on this path, it is a bit unfair of him to ask this of her. But he was not without a reason to do so. I looked down into my cup, staring at its contents as I spoke very quietly.
Kai: He doesn't want to see someone go down the same path he himself has to take, or be forced to make his mistakes. But he also wants to see what you’ll do without him nudging you in a particular direction. If you’ll listen to him, and risk making the very same mistake he did initially by following a path set….or if you will go your own path, and attempt to do things your way. Make your own sacrifices without waiting for them to be taken for you.
A particularly painful memory flashes before my eyes, one of a conversation much like this between myself and My Brother. With him in my position and me in the one she finds herself in. I went silent as this went on, before I spoke my next words.
Kai: He wants you to make your choice, and be sure that the choice you make is worth it. Not the choice that you think he would want you to make just to placate him.
She looked down into her tea for a few moments as she processed this.
Brytain: [Softly] I get that, but I don’t want to play Russian roulette with our relationship, Alex. We’ve come too far, overcame so much. I don’t want to throw all of that away, I CAN’T throw all of that away, but I need to do this.
I felt a small pang of sympathy for her, but did not allow it to show.
Kai: In the end, it’s your choice to make.
Brytain: I know it is. It’s just that is who I was groomed to be since I was 17, who I was supposed to become…
I responded without pause.
Kai: And this is who he has been what he has become since God knows how long, having to commit the most heinous of acts just to ensure that he will live to see tomorrow and having to sacrifice nearly everything that has ever given him any sense of normality and joy. The only reason that he appears to be unbroken is because aside from you and what you two have built together, he has nothing left to be taken from him. But do you really think it is worth it, Brytain? Can you knowingly walk along this broken and deserted path, knowing that it will cost you everything you hold near and dear?
My question caused her to pause, and think. Was revenge and assuring her place worth losing the happiness she has only just found? After a few moments, she slowly shook her head no.
Brytain: No….no, it’s not worth it. But I can’t stop what’s going to happen at Rapture.
Kai: [Curiously] What’s going to happen…?
Brytain: [Grimly] I give Smith no choice but to take his shot at me at Wrestle Extravaganza. After Rapture…he’ll be dying to get me inside of a ring.
Kai: I take it that Mya will somehow be involved in this, or likely harmed.
Brytain: …She will. Badly.
Kai: I see.
I went to drink the remaining tea, when she said something that I had not expected.
Brytain: …Tell me to stop, and I will.
I paused, then slowly looked up at her. She was wearing a blank mask for the most part, but her bright blue eyes blazed with the determination to see whatever it was that she had planned come to life. I placed my cup of tea down, before I steepled my fingers in a contemplative manner.
Kai: [Calmly] What makes you think that I will ask you to do something like that? After all, according to most, I never cared about her.
It was a foolish thought, considering how close we were when we started, but apparently people will believe what they will when no one will give them personal details on the matter. But it was not entirely an untrue thought. Brytain shrugged slightly, her eyes never leaving mine as she spoke.
Brytain: Just giving you the option, since she was yours when this started.
Ah, I see. Since this had happened while Mya and I were still dating, the choice was still up to me. How Ironic, isn't it? She’s no longer my concern, yet I once again have the choice of either saving her from damnation, or tossing her right back into harm’s way. Much like how we first began. I chuckled mirthlessly at the absurdity of it all, before I looked at her again.
Kai: Brytain.....she's not my responsibility. Whatever it is that will happen to her is not going to fall on me, or concerns me in the slightest. So with that in mind, do what you must to her in order to force Smith’s hand.
It was a bit cold blooded on my part….but I’m no longer her protector. I've decided at least that much. I paused, as I allowed myself to remember her little threats toward my person, as well as the fact that she somehow holds me at fault for all of this. As all this is happening, I can feel a small smile form on my face as I look back at Brytain, who has arched an eyebrow at this.
Kai: [Softly] But….I want you to promise me one little thing.
Brytain: [Softly] What’s that?
The smile I gave was a very cold one.
Kai: ....Whatever you do to her...have him be present for it.
Brytain: He’ll suffer more than she will, I guarantee that.
I chuckled, before the two of us began speaking of other matters. An hour passes, before I finally stand up and stretch myself out, before looking down at her.
Kai: I thank you for the tea, Brytain. We’ll keep in touch.
She gave a small nod, and I put my hands in my pockets as I turn to leave. If there was one thing that I was certain of on the next episode of Rapture after this conversation, it was that nothing will be certain.
No one will be safe from what happens. Let the chaos commence.
My eyes snapped open as I looked around, briefly wondering where I was as I awoke with a start from my restless slumber. For a few seconds, I didn’t know where I was, how I had gotten here, or what had happened. Finally, the memories came flooding back, causing me to become very still as the feelings associated with them returned as well.
My Brother….
I fought back the urge to look away, despite every single synapse in my body begging me to do so, as my eyes landed on his prone form. At that moment, the individual laying in a helpless, unconscious state in the bed before me looked nothing like My Brother. He was gaunt, and very frail. While he has been smaller than me for quite some time, it was much more…..noticeable, now. His normally pale skin seemed to take on a ghostly white look, to the point where he resembled a corpse more than a man who would live to see the light of day once more. Several wires and needles were probed into various parts of his body, hooked up to multiple machines around him that monitored his heart and health. My gaze then went to where the damage was much more obvious: His eyes. There were bandages wrapped all the way around his eyes, with a noticeable blotch of blood over where his left eye is. My gaze was transfixed onto his eyes, before I finally forced myself to look away from the scene.
For the last two years, since the beginning of his career in that cesspool that went by the name of The Wrestling Kings Federation, he had been embroiled in a bitter, long lasting rivalry with Ryan “The Reaper” Robinson. While My Brother had always managed to stay at least a step and a half out of Ryan’s reach, none of his victories, psychological or otherwise, came without consequence. The most damaging coming in their Taipei Death Match, when several shards of glass were embedded deeply his left eye, causing massive damage and becoming too deeply lodged in to safely remove. So he learned to compete as is. As foolish as that was, it worked for him.
It…..it had happened so quickly that it didn’t even register until after the fact. He was wrestling against Danielle Lopez for The PCW World Heavyweight Title, when he had taken a…very brutal shot to the skull. The shot itself did not put him in this state…but it was the catalyst. It caused the glass that had been embedded in his eye to slice completely through, rupturing the eye completely and nicking a vein as they were rattled around inside of his skull. The damage was….horrendous. The blood….It was gruesome, and could have spelled his very end. But….
….He kept fighting.
For whatever reason, when he had nothing to lose from ending it right then and there….he continued the match for another twenty-five minutes, doing more and more damage to himself with every passing second. After it was all over, he was all but gone. They had lost him several times over in the ambulance, and he….he had died on the table. My heart clenched in my chest painfully as the entire scenario flashed before my eyes, again and again as I choked back tears.
Kai: [Sorrowfully] Brother…..
It….it hurt seeing him like this, so frail and vulnerable. In all the time that I had known him, he has never allowed himself to look like he was anything close to weak. Even when he had reached his lowest of lows, and injury appeared to have taken its toll on him, he has NEVER been this bad off. As I looked down at him, trying to keep myself from losing it, several memories slowly began to dance before my eyes. I recognized them, almost as clear as day, as moments in time from out childhood, and beyond. He had always been there for me, every since we were small children. He had been what kept me sane, my protector of sorts. I shook the thought from my mind as soon as it came. I didn’t need this, not now. Not with all that has happened. My eyes landed on his face, pain once again finding it’s way into my heart as I brought my hand up.
Kai: Michael….
Slowly, I reached out my right hand to brush a strand of blood stained, light blonde hair from his face, careful to not disrupt the bandages that covered his eyes. As I was doing this, my hand accidentally brushed against his skin, causing me to stop dead in my tracks as the contact registered. He felt Ice Cold to the touch, with very little warmth to him. It made my blood run cold, and I felt as if my heart had been clamped within a vise .Unconsciously, my mind began to wonder if this is the feeling is what he has felt for the last four years, every single time that he looks at the scar on my neck. Was this how My Brother felt that night, as he stared at my nearly lifeless body; this…this unbearable pain, threatening to swallow me whole? I… I don’t know if I can take this.
Kai: How? How could you do this? How could you do this to me? To Brytain, Jinzai, and Alisyn? How could you just walk into this match, prepared to…prepared to die? How, Michael?
I was very aware of my voice all but cracking slightly as I spoke, but it no longer mattered to me. I couldn't care less what I sounded like or if my emotions were showing at the moment. I DIDN’t care. This was my older brother, the only family that I will ever admit to having on my side. He was the person most responsible for everything good that had happened in my life, as well as being there when I needed him the most. There was no way that I would ever be able to repay him for all that he has done for me. A single tear ran down my face as the cold reality had finally sunk in. The reality of just how very close I had come to losing him today.
Kai: [In sorrow] …I failed you, Big Brother. I-I swore that I would never let anything happen to you….and I failed you.
I hung my head and kept my eyes closed, my emotions finally becoming too much to contain as I shook silently. I had failed him, and it all but cost him his life. If I had tried talking him out of this, if I would have tried to ask him to walk away…..this could have been prevented. I don’t know how long I stood there in silence, just staring at him and hoping in vain that he would awaken or show some outward sign of life. My still somber thoughts were abruptly ended as I heard the doorknob to the room being turned, and the door being opened. I didn’t turn to look at the person, but I had a guess as to who it was. My guess was proven right after the person paused in the doorway, before speaking softly to not disturb Michael.
Charles: [Hesitantly] Alexander…
Normally, I would snap at anyone, outside of a select few, who dared to call me that name. Not because I was ashamed of my name sake, but because very few had the privy of knowing me on a personal level. To the world and everyone that unfortunately inhabited it, I was either Kai, or The Kaiser, wrestler. Nothing more and nothing less, if I had any say in it. But this time? This time I could not muster up the energy needed to be angry. Too much had been done, and I am too emotionally drained to even attempt it. Looking up from my magazine, my Jade Green eyes meet an identical pair that I have not seen in person in nearly 4 years. There was a tense silence for a few moments as he looked at me in apprehension and a bit of anxiousness, before I finally sighed and replied.
Kai: [Monotoned] Hello, Charles….
I ignore the flinch he gives from my tone and looked back down at My Brother, the room descending back into a tense silence with the only noise coming from the heart monitor at his bedside. After a few moments, I reluctantly came to the conclusion that he was not going to awaken anytime soon, so I discreetly turned my attention to the other occupant inside of the room: My Father….or the man who I used to call such a title. He has aged very well, despite the stress that life has brought him over the last half decade. I frowned slightly, as I remembered that most of my appearance has come from this man. We had the very same long, raven colored black hair, many of the same facial features, and things of the like. But the one thing that seems to stand out are the eyes. The somewhat bright Jade Green eyes that I look at every single morning in the mirror before I set off to train are now on the face of an older version of myself, staring at him with so many conflicting emotions just passing through them. Curiously, I speak, making sure to keep my voice low so not to disturb Michael.
Kai: [Quietly] Deep in thought, Charles….?
My soft words seemed to snap him out of his thoughts as he jumped slightly, almost as if he had forgotten I was in the room. He looks over at me, and tries to answer.
Charles: I’m……no…no, I’m not…
He trailed off as his eyes once again went to My Brother, a look of remorse written clearly upon his face, and he seemed to be trembling slightly. I arched an eyebrow as my eyes cut to his hands, and I noticed that they were trembling as well; causing me to idly wonder exactly what was causing him to react like this? He was a doctor. He dealt with this sort of thing more times than one could count. So why is it that he seems to be so shaken by what he sees before him? Sighing, I slowly stood up and looked over at him.
Kai: …Charles…?
He didn't answer as he continued to look at My Brother, but I could tell that even with whatever was going through the man’s mind that he had heard me. The two of us stood in silence as he continued to stare, his eyes becoming a little glossed over as his hands continued to tremble. Finally, after a few moments of wondering if I would get a reply, he spoke.
Charles: [Trying to remain calm] I know…..that neither of you will likely ever see me as your father again. Not after everything that has happened. I've had to face that cold reality multiple times over the last year…
I said nothing as I listened carefully, but I couldn't help but notice that he seemed to change right before my eyes. He had gone from Doctor Rollins to the scarred, meek, somewhat tormented man that he was throughout our childhood. But there was something different about him. He seemed…broken, much more so than he had been when we were children. Has the last few years really taken this much of a toll on him?
Charles: …But understand that this is perhaps the hardest thing ANY parent, family member, or relation would ever have to do, having to perform surgery on them like this. Knowing that the life of someone you care about hangs in the balance, even if that person despises you with their entire being. That one wrong move…and they are no more…
His eyes had never left Michael as he spoke.
Charles: Alexander…I know I can never be able to repent for what it was I did to both of you. You were my children....and I condemned the two of you to a hell that no one ever deserved. I turned a blind eye…and I lost both of my children in the process. I can’t say I don’t deserve it, because while I was not the one who caused the damage…I was a knowing party. Now…now in the last four years I’ve nearly had to bury both of my sons, and I would have had to live with that, knowing that it is partly my own fault that the both of you have become what you see yourselves as today…
I twitched slightly at hearing all of this, as the night that he is partly alluding to flashed before my eyes. Slowly, my hand reached up and traced over the thin, jagged scar that went fully across my neck as memories past seemed to play out right before my eyes: The blood, the pain, the cold realization that I was only a small step away from dying, and by my own hand. Swallowing down those feelings, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before I calmly looked over at Charles.
Kai: Stop…
He abruptly stopped speaking; realizing that he potentially had gone too far in his apology as he hung his head in shame.
Kai: You’re right. No amount of apology or anything of the sort will ever make up for anything…
I paused as I noticed the look he had on his face, the very same mask that Michael and I myself have worn so many times over the last several years. It looked very blank, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes about how he felt at the moment. I studied him silently for a few more moments, before I continued to speak.
Kai: …But considering you managed to save his life….our views on you may change in time…if only a small bit.
He paused, then looked up at me, the faintest bit of hope now in his eyes as he nods slowly. I’d consider the look pitiful under normal circumstances, even borderline pathetic that he wishes to mend things this badly. But I guess…him putting his own troubles aside to perform the surgery has earned him the right to hope, at least.
Kai: If you don’t mind it Charles, I’d like to continue watching over him without interruption.
He nods, and turns to leave the room. As he does, he sends both myself and Michael one last look, almost as if silently hoping that Michael’s condition improved beyond what it was, before he walked out the door. I then turned my eyes back to Michael and sighed, still torn up at seeing My Older Brother….My Onii-Sama…like this. Calmly, I walked back over to him and sat down in the chair right next to his bed, watching him intently. Even though he was so far has not responsive…
……I can never bring myself to leave his side.
---------------------------------------------------[Tuesday, July 23rd 2013. Philadelphia, PA]-------------------------------------------------
A slight hiss of discomfort escaped my lips as I stopped walking for a moment, then reached up and brushed my hair aside to readjust the bandage wrapped around my skull. I’ve been doing this several times throughout the day, ever since Rapture on Saturday and my attack at the hands of Team Lethality. I had suffered several slices and small puncture wounds from the Spike covered baseball bat that Danielle used. Unfortunately for that lot, for all the supposed false aggression that they think that they possess, they still have not learned the one cardinal rule of thumb: Always make sure that your target is unable to walk away from the fight.
Although I endured some pain from it, it was not without learning something from it. For whatever reason that her mind can conjure up, it seems our World Champion is under the impression that The Disciples are acting under the orders, or at the very least the word of, PCW’s General Manager, Morgan Simmons. Now, I’m not entirely sure if she realizes this…but while I have a grudge against her, I despise Morgan much more. To the point that I have even aligned myself with her husband, as well as that loudmouthed fool in Tom Pendergrass, to fight against her at Battle Finale III. So why on earth would I want anything to do with a woman I obviously loathe?
Kai: [Muttering to himself] Because she has nothing else to go on…
It was a true statement. Beyond her own musings, she had nothing to go on as to why it is she was targeted. No statements from any of the Disciples because none of us have uttered a word of reason, and nothing else that would give her a clue as to why it happened. But it does not matter, she’ll have whatever answers she’ll seek when she and I face off on Rapture. This is not the first time that Danielle Lopez and I have met one on one. She and I met for her Broadcast Title a little over a year ago, with her just barely managing to walk away with the victory. But sadly for her, the victory came at the price of her health. I had badly damaged her knee to the point of injury in the match, and it would come back to haunt her during the following months. This time….the end result may be a bit more gruesome than just reduced to using one leg.
I paused for a moment and frowned. In all of the the thoughts that have ran through my head that concerned the last three days, it seems as though one has been in the back of my mind; despite the fact that the person involved was, at one point in time, very near and dear to me.
Kai: [Softly] Mya…
It’s funny how this entire scenario has turned out, at least in my mind. She had become mine somewhat against her will, and we grew close. Then as it seemed we would never be apart, I pushed her away when tragedy struck. In doing this, I realized my inevitable truth: There was no real love in this relationship, on my end or hers.
The more I think about the relationship as a whole, the more disgusted I was at my actions through the entire thing. I wasn't in love, I was just deluding myself into thinking that perhaps, in some way, I could be a normal young man for once. That I could open myself up to someone, if only just a little bit, and nothing would happen. She loved the idea of what I could become all because I spared her the fate of being violated by Draven once again. It was nothing more than a supercharged version of hero’s worship, and I was blind to it for an entire year.
She placed me on a pedestal because of my actions regarding what happened to her. And me? I had used her. Just as I had done with Laurie before her, I had attempted to use Mya to try to escape what I was. But there was no escaping the reality of what our relationship truly was: A lie that the both of us had fooled ourselves into believing to be truth, only for it to be exposed for what it was when one of us was at their weakest.
I suppose I should have seen this coming, shouldn't I? We were all but inseparable when we began. But after a while, old habits began to consume me again. My training, my distance, my detached nature had caused me to put my relationship second to my desire to become better than I was in the ring. Of course she was going to feel neglected and attention starved…..but I couldn't bring myself to care, as cold as it is. I DIDN’T care.
And the very amusing part in all of this is that everyone seems convinced that I've become heartbroken all because she has developed feelings for someone else. I admit that it stung a bit….but that was as far as that went. I ended the relationship, and moved on: No brooding over it, and no “crying” over it will change what happened, or the end result.
I looked up and stopped walking as I noticed that I had reached my destination, a small coffee shop. Pushing the door open, I walked inside and looked around the establishment as I tried to find the person that I seek. Finally, after a few moments, I noticed the familiar streak of pink as a hand waved in the air, trying to get my attention. I walked over to the table silently as I observed her. She was still deathly pale from what had happened to her as of late, but other than that she seemed fine at first glance. Calmly, I sit down in front of her and gratefully accept the tea that was placed in front of me.
Kai: [Monotoned] Hello.
She returned the nod and greeting in kind as I sat down.
Kai: [Stoically] Are you well?
Brytain: Still alive. How about you?
I paused for a brief second, as the last month has replayed itself in my head again. Shrugging lightly, I give my answer as I looked back up at her.
Kai: No worse for wear than I usually am, with all that has happened.
She gave a nod of understanding as we descended back into a silence. Neither of us said anything for a few seconds, both of us allowing the other to adjust for a moment. This was becoming routine between she and I, a somewhat respectable silence that occurred right after the greeting. Right before one of us decided to bring up the topic that weighed upon both of our minds. We continued to sit there for a few moments more, before I finally broke the comfortable silence.
Kai: [Slowly] How are things with…him?
She twitched slightly at my mentioning that, and her expression became very detached, as if she was trying to keep herself from feeling something as she spoke.
Brytain: ……Less than good.
I arch an eyebrow at that. Michael’s recovery has been a slow process, and it did not look as if it would be improving rapidly anytime soon. So he has become a little on edge, and the most recent events haven't done anything to calm him down.
Kai: Care to talk?
She goes to say something, but pauses and looks conflicted. I watch silently as she thinks for a few moments, before sighing and looking down.
Brytain: He’s worried. Worried about you, worried about me…..I don’t know.
She sighs and looks down in defeat as I look at her in confusion. I would understand his worry for her, given the month that she has had. But why me? I've taken far worse than what Team Lethality attempted to dish out, so it could not be that.
Kai: [Softly] Why on earth would he be worried about me, Montgomery?
She gave me a bit of a look, almost as if she was silently asking exactly how I was not able to realize the answer myself.
Brytain: He thinks you’re putting him and his well-being above yourself and your needs…..again.
My first instinct was to deny the claim. Deny that I was doing anything of the sort, but I couldn't because that was precisely what I have done. Not for any sort of approval or anything career motivated, but because I've always put My Brother first, as he had done for me when we were younger. Sighing, I looked out the window and contemplated for a moment, before I gave a response.
Kai: He’s right….in some ways.
She gave a short shrug as she sipped her tea.
Brytain: He usually is.
Kai: And what of his worries about you?
I watched as she froze slightly from the question, before she looked away, almost as if she did not want anyone to see how it affected her.
Brytain: [Quietly] He….thinks that I’ve lost myself. That I’ve gone into the abyss, in his own words.
I nod in understanding as I take another small sip of the tea in front of me.
Kai: Hmm…I see. Are you?
There was a silence after that question, causing me to study her carefully. She was struggling to keep her emotions under control, and looked to be very conflicted about her answer. She looked up at me after a few tense seconds, before she spoke.
Brytain: I…don’t know.
I leaned forward slightly at hearing that, my jade green eyes looking right into her bright blue ones as I spoke.
Kai: You don’t know…..or you don’t want to say?
Brytain: [Sighs] Fine, I have. And now I don’t know how to come back…or if it matters if I do. I just…..I don’t know what he wants from me.
Kai: You mean you don't know what choice he wants you to make.
She nods at the question.
Brytain: Yes….that…
I nod in understanding, before I take another small sip of the tea.
Kai: Perhaps you should explain everything to me that happened, then I'll try to help as best I can.
She sighed and looked down.
Brytain: …What happened with Syn the other night, or everything that happens to be going on in general?
Kai: Whichever one you decide you need any advice or help on, Montgomery.
And again, our conversation fell silent as she looked down, her hair covering most of her face as I waited. When she spoke, her voice had gone very quiet, to the point where it was barely anything above a whisper.
Brytain: I almost died.
She sounded very different as she said this, almost distant.
Kai: [Flatly] I was there for most of that. Your blood is not exactly easy to clean out of clothing.
She shrugged off the remark as she gave a frown.
Brytain: I….I don’t remember any of it. I don't remember a single thing that happened before I woke up. Everyone has avoided talking about it.
I stilled at hearing that. Why has no one told her yet? Did they not think that she was ready? Or...did they think that it was too much to tell too soon? I noticed her looking at me, before I calmly decided to ask her.
Kai: [Slowly] Mont...Brytain, do you want me to tell you what happened to you?
I honestly did not wish to tell her. Seeing her like that was not pleasant by any means, and knowing just how close she had come to actually dying due to her injuries was very disconcerting. She fixed me with a pleading look the moment that the question came out of my mouth, before responding.
Brytain: Please…I feel like I need all the pieces to fix… whatever this is…
I give her a very serious look. I’m well aware of the holes in her memories, as well as the fact that she needs this information. But I need to be sure that she absolutely wants to hear what happened that night, and if she is indeed ready to hear it.
Kai: You sure you want to know? It’s nothing pretty by any stretch of the imagination.
Brytain: Wouldn't you want to know?
We stared down for a moment after she asked this, before I grunted and gave a response.
Kai: Fair enough, I suppose. Alright. I’ll tell you.
Brytain: Thanks…
I waved off her thanks as I sighed and closed my eyes.
Kai: Just give me a moment so I can think of where to start with this.
She nodded, and went silent as I gathered my thoughts, before sighing and looking her right in the eyes.
Kai: Alright…you were all but dead after the match. You had blood pouring out of you, a length of Barbed Wire wrapped around your throat, and had taken multiple shots to the skull. Since someone listed me as a family member, I went along as they attempted to keep you stable. But you were losing so much blood that they needed to do a blood transfer in order to keep you alive.
I stopped speaking for a moment to look at her, and make sure that she has taken in what I have said so far. Her already pale skin seemed to pale even more as hand went to her throat, where the remnants of scratches and small cuts from the Barbed Wire remained. She tried to remain calm, but she was unable to keep the flicker of emotions that passed through her eyes. When she spoke back up, her voice had gotten very quiet, and she seemed to be remembering some details of that night.
Brytain: Jordy…they didn’t have enough of my type.
I nodded in confirmation of that.
Kai: Your little blonde friend nearly threw a doctor out of the way to get to you...it was almost too late, and you nearly flatlinned before she managed to get there.Your mentor dropped everything to come down here, as did several others. My Brother…He was broken, Brytain. Much worse than the last time I saw him in this state.
She looked shaken at hearing this, obviously not expecting that sort of reaction from Michael. I allowed her a few moments to allow everything I have said to sink in, before speaking again.
Kai: [Softly] And now you know...or at least have a few less blanks to fill in.
She gave a small nod, still looking a bit shaken by what I have told her.
Brytain: Thanks…
I gave a nod.
Kai: You're welcome. Now that you know this, what will you do?
She thought for a few moments, before she spoke again, her voice still not going any higher than a whisper.
Brytain: I don’t want to lose him, Alex. But…. I've put things in motion that can’t be stopped, not now.
Kai: You’re going to have to make your choice soon Brytain. That, or risk paying The Devil’s Due as a price for the path that you’re dangerously close to walking upon.
She gives a small sigh.
Brytain: I know…. But he has to admit that this is all so hypocritical of him to ask me not to walk down this path…coming from him of all people…
I could see her point in all of this. Given the path My Brother has chosen to walk, and all he has done while on this path, it is a bit unfair of him to ask this of her. But he was not without a reason to do so. I looked down into my cup, staring at its contents as I spoke very quietly.
Kai: He doesn't want to see someone go down the same path he himself has to take, or be forced to make his mistakes. But he also wants to see what you’ll do without him nudging you in a particular direction. If you’ll listen to him, and risk making the very same mistake he did initially by following a path set….or if you will go your own path, and attempt to do things your way. Make your own sacrifices without waiting for them to be taken for you.
A particularly painful memory flashes before my eyes, one of a conversation much like this between myself and My Brother. With him in my position and me in the one she finds herself in. I went silent as this went on, before I spoke my next words.
Kai: He wants you to make your choice, and be sure that the choice you make is worth it. Not the choice that you think he would want you to make just to placate him.
She looked down into her tea for a few moments as she processed this.
Brytain: [Softly] I get that, but I don’t want to play Russian roulette with our relationship, Alex. We’ve come too far, overcame so much. I don’t want to throw all of that away, I CAN’T throw all of that away, but I need to do this.
I felt a small pang of sympathy for her, but did not allow it to show.
Kai: In the end, it’s your choice to make.
Brytain: I know it is. It’s just that is who I was groomed to be since I was 17, who I was supposed to become…
I responded without pause.
Kai: And this is who he has been what he has become since God knows how long, having to commit the most heinous of acts just to ensure that he will live to see tomorrow and having to sacrifice nearly everything that has ever given him any sense of normality and joy. The only reason that he appears to be unbroken is because aside from you and what you two have built together, he has nothing left to be taken from him. But do you really think it is worth it, Brytain? Can you knowingly walk along this broken and deserted path, knowing that it will cost you everything you hold near and dear?
My question caused her to pause, and think. Was revenge and assuring her place worth losing the happiness she has only just found? After a few moments, she slowly shook her head no.
Brytain: No….no, it’s not worth it. But I can’t stop what’s going to happen at Rapture.
Kai: [Curiously] What’s going to happen…?
Brytain: [Grimly] I give Smith no choice but to take his shot at me at Wrestle Extravaganza. After Rapture…he’ll be dying to get me inside of a ring.
Kai: I take it that Mya will somehow be involved in this, or likely harmed.
Brytain: …She will. Badly.
Kai: I see.
I went to drink the remaining tea, when she said something that I had not expected.
Brytain: …Tell me to stop, and I will.
I paused, then slowly looked up at her. She was wearing a blank mask for the most part, but her bright blue eyes blazed with the determination to see whatever it was that she had planned come to life. I placed my cup of tea down, before I steepled my fingers in a contemplative manner.
Kai: [Calmly] What makes you think that I will ask you to do something like that? After all, according to most, I never cared about her.
It was a foolish thought, considering how close we were when we started, but apparently people will believe what they will when no one will give them personal details on the matter. But it was not entirely an untrue thought. Brytain shrugged slightly, her eyes never leaving mine as she spoke.
Brytain: Just giving you the option, since she was yours when this started.
Ah, I see. Since this had happened while Mya and I were still dating, the choice was still up to me. How Ironic, isn't it? She’s no longer my concern, yet I once again have the choice of either saving her from damnation, or tossing her right back into harm’s way. Much like how we first began. I chuckled mirthlessly at the absurdity of it all, before I looked at her again.
Kai: Brytain.....she's not my responsibility. Whatever it is that will happen to her is not going to fall on me, or concerns me in the slightest. So with that in mind, do what you must to her in order to force Smith’s hand.
It was a bit cold blooded on my part….but I’m no longer her protector. I've decided at least that much. I paused, as I allowed myself to remember her little threats toward my person, as well as the fact that she somehow holds me at fault for all of this. As all this is happening, I can feel a small smile form on my face as I look back at Brytain, who has arched an eyebrow at this.
Kai: [Softly] But….I want you to promise me one little thing.
Brytain: [Softly] What’s that?
The smile I gave was a very cold one.
Kai: ....Whatever you do to her...have him be present for it.
Brytain: He’ll suffer more than she will, I guarantee that.
I chuckled, before the two of us began speaking of other matters. An hour passes, before I finally stand up and stretch myself out, before looking down at her.
Kai: I thank you for the tea, Brytain. We’ll keep in touch.
She gave a small nod, and I put my hands in my pockets as I turn to leave. If there was one thing that I was certain of on the next episode of Rapture after this conversation, it was that nothing will be certain.
No one will be safe from what happens. Let the chaos commence.