Wrath and Emeralds - Chapter Three

[draconica-nova.livejournal.com]

Title: Wrath and Emeralds - 3/?
Characters: Colin, Drew, Ryan
Chapter Rating: R
Overall Rating: R
Summary: For how long can a man hide his fear? His anger? His love?

Author’s Notes: It's back! Again! Yes, no college for three months, so hopefully more progress shall follow! Thank you all for being so patient with me.

Chapter Three

With unsteady steps, Colin made his way into the grey uncomfortable room, keeping his gaze fixated on the still man in the corner. Behind him, Hunter had closed the cell door, making sure it was locked securely in place before retreating back to where Drew stood on the other side of the bulletproof window. He muttered something to himself sternly, but Drew paid him no mind.

“Ry? It’s me, I’m here.” Despite how comforting he really wanted to be, Colin kept his distance for the moment, standing a good many feet away.

Ryan’s shoulder twitched violently and his whole body seemed to shudder. He raised his head, not all the way, and drew in a loud breath. “Colin… you came for me?”

“Of course I did,” he replied, finally finding the drive to move closer and become a friend again. He slowly knelt in front of Ryan, trying his best to ignore how twitchy and tense the man seemed to become at the proximity. “I promised you I’d fix this, and I am not going back on that promise.”

Ryan remained still, bar the frequent jerk of his hand or leg and Colin just wanted to reach out and encompass him in safety and affection. He looked over and saw Ryan’s limp left arm, his hand lifeless on the concrete floor and felt pained that the hand was empty, like a lost link. Tentatively, he extended his own hand with the intention of soothingly clasping Ryan’s in a mute I’m always here for you. But the moment skin touched skin; Ryan immediately flinched, keeping his hand tight against his chest that heaved through barely concealed sobs.

“No… no… Colin, you have to go. Please, just get out and get as far away from me as you can.”

Colin could feel his heart start to tear and willed every part of him to soldier on. “Stop it, Ryan. I’m not going anywhere.”

Ryan came to life in a flash, grasping desperately at Colin’s shirt with his free hand. His head now raised, Colin could see that Ryan’s beautiful emerald eyes were locked with the same green glow that they had adopted since this nightmare had begun - The most human thing about him, those deep eyes, had now been tainted by the animal within.

“Col, listen to me!” he pleaded, the first signs of tears emerging. “A man has died because of me and I don’t know when it’ll happen again. But when it does you’ve got to get out because I…” He paused briefly; sniffling heavily as his nose began to leak and tears fell. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You can’t hurt me, Ry,” Colin frowned, growing adamant and strong. “You’re not capable of that.”

Ryan bore his teeth as he fought his inner self. “But you saw it, Col! You saw me tear that guy apart… and I can still taste the blood.” He tensed as his throat tried to sob and gag at the same time, but combined and came out as a sharp bark. But his friend of twenty years didn’t so much as flinch.

He held Ryan’s face in his hands and steadied their gazes until they locked together resolutely. “That wasn’t you, Ry. That was the thing trapped inside your mind and it is not the one in control. You are.”

Once upon a time, Ryan smiled, laughed and even gloried in the face of improbability. He looked at Colin’s face and drew strength from his strong and sensible words. Shaking and sobbing, Ryan pulled Colin closer until he could press his wet face into Colin’s shirt, inhaling his recognisable and soothing scent. “Colin… what’s going to happen to me?”

Colin shushed Ryan comfortingly, stroking his hair. As he pondered the question, he remembered what Hunter had told him. None of the previous cases survived.

“Whatever happens, Ry,” he said softly, feigning bravery for the moment, “I’m here for you.” He was just as scared as the man he held – Colin had never known Ryan to become this fragile before. His presence and demeanour were always so joyful and reassuring, so to see a different side of him under such circumstances made the situation all the more unsettling.

On the other side of the glass, Hunter watched, unblinking, at Colin’s devotion and strength. “Just how close are those two?” he muttered to Drew but kept his eyes fixated on the pair.

“As close as best friends can get. People are always asking if they’re a couple – they’re that close.” Drew nodded.

“Are they, now…” Hunter’s response was purely rhetorical and sounded anything but sincere, but Drew didn’t catch onto this. Today was just far too surreal.

Behind them, the door opened clatteringly and Hunter suddenly stiffened up in attention. Drew glanced at him, confused, then turned to see the newcomer.

The man was tall, middle-aged but with a full head of greying hair, and unlike everyone else around here, he was dressed like a man who knew what he was doing, the man in charge. “I heard the capture went a bit awry, Hunt?”

Hunter nodded. “Peterson’s dead, sir. Torn to shreds right before my eyes.”

The newcomer shook his head ruefully, moving to stand between Drew and Hunter. “Shame and a waste,” he muttered. “I’ll notify his family and offer my personal condolences.” Turning to Drew, his eyebrows lifted as he smiled in greeting. “Sorry, you’re Drew Carey, aren’t you? James Bryce. I’m in charge of the operation.”

Drew accepted the offered hand tentatively, noting that Bryce shook with a lot more effort and ardour. “Oh, you’re in charge here?”

“Yes I am,” the man continued to smile politely. “I must say, I love your show, but perhaps it’s not the time or place for pleasant small talk. I’m sorry this had to happen to your friend.”

Drew nodded sadly and then spoke again. “Can you cure him?”

“We’re dedicated to the cause, Mister Carey. We’ll do everything we can.”

Beside him Hunter snorted quietly, a small, amused sound that no one else heard.

Bryce looked into the room again and frowned, catching sight of Colin and Ryan together, holding on as if gravity would tear them apart if they let go. “Did you let him in there, Hunter?”

“Yes sir, I wanted to see the subject’s reaction,” the young man smirked.

“They’re best friends,” Drew confirmed. “Colin’s just trying to help Ryan calm down.”

Bryce nodded in understanding. “Is it working?”

“Colin’s the only person Ryan doesn’t attack when he’s… changed.”

Hunter coughed deliberately, diverting attention back to himself. “The wolf was showing signs of bonding with him, sir.”

“Really? Well, I’d quite like to see evidence of this,” Bryce considered, rubbing a hand over his mouth in deep thought. Drew however couldn’t tell from his expression whether these thoughts were good or bad, but held his breath anyway, fearing the worst.

Hunter nodded, smiling to himself as he moved to the cell door. Drew watched him go with great concern and put a hand on Bryce’s arm, swallowing nervously. “What’s he going to do?”

“Don’t worry,” he assured. “Hunter’s very gentle.”


When Hunter entered the observation room, Colin was still keeping Ryan as close to him as possible, and showing no signs of letting go anytime soon. “Time’s up.”

Colin narrowed his eyes in annoyance at the young man and, almost impossibly, held onto Ryan a little tighter. “I can’t leave him, not now.”

“That’s not your decision, I’m afraid. Out, before anything happens.”

“Why are you so blind? Can’t you see I’m safe around him?”

“It’s not you I’m concerned with.” Hunter glared, approaching the Canadian and grabbing his arms forcefully, practically wrenching the pair apart. Colin tried his best to resist but the younger man was also fitter and could pull him away fairly easily. Ryan stumbled forward from lack of leverage, hurt and suddenly more scared than ever.

“Colin! No, please… let him go…” he begged, pulling hard against the taut metal restraint and ignoring the consequent pain in his wrist.

Colin struggled, but Hunter managed to place himself between the two best friends, almost maliciously like he was enjoying it. “I’ve got him, Ryan. What’re you gonna do?” he taunted, looking Ryan right in the eyes, which burned a bright green once more.

Ryan winced, feeling his whole body shiver and blood drip down from the wrist bound in metal. “Let him go!” he cried out in anger and fear, which was enough to break the virus’ dormant state.

Colin watched helplessly as Ryan held his chest with his free arm and bent over in pain. “No, no, no, no,” Ryan murmured as he recoiled back into his corner, trying to shrink into a ball. “It’s happening again…”

He was cut off by an abrupt yell that tore itself from his lungs, and Colin was not about to standby and let this terror happen to him again. After all, he had the power and privilege of immunity from the monster’s wrath.

Pushing Hunter aside roughly, he walked straight over to Ryan and knelt down solidly, placing his hands on the tall man’s face. “Ryan… Ry, look at me… who am I?”

Ryan grunted and twitched almost violently but he opened his eyes at the proximity of Colin. “What?”

“Answer me Ryan, you have to fight this! Who am I, what’s my name?”

Ryan shut his eyes again, putting all his trust in the man beside him. Trying to ignore the pain that was crawling jerkily through his body, he did as he was told. “Co-Colin…”

“Now, when did we first meet, what year was it?” Ryan grasped at Colin’s sleeve, and stared into his friend’s eyes, silently begging Colin to get out. He tried to hide his face again but Colin was right there, adamant as anything. “Ry.”

“I don’t… remember… I can’t-“ He screamed again, and even Hunter flinched at the ferocity of that one.

“Yes you can, Ryan. Remember our first meeting. How old were you?”

“No… no…” Suddenly, the pain wracked his back and he arched forwards, yelling his answer to the ceiling. “Eighteen!”

Colin smiled reassuringly as tried to calm Ryan down again. “That’s good! Keep going. Now, talk me through how we first met. What happened that night?”

Drew meanwhile was becoming increasingly agitated as he watched the drama unfold. “C’mon, you have to get Colin out of there!” he was ordering Hunter through the glass, but Bryce clamped a hand on his shoulder, urging his stillness.

“Wait…” he muttered, absolutely fascinated by what Colin was attempting.

During a lull in the tension, Ryan began to recall that night in his mind, panting heavily. “I… I… saw you alone at the bar from the stage… and-” His desperate fingers then tore through Colin’s sleeve, and Colin bore his teeth as the nails dug into his skin forcefully.

“Do not let that memory out of your head, keeping going Ryan. I’m right here next to you. What happened after that?”

Ryan could feel the heat in his arms, hear the howling in his head, and knew that change was imminent. “I went… I went over to you, said ‘hi’, and… then you looked at me for the first time-“

The black and white memory in his head morphed and coalesced with the present as Colin held Ryan’s gaze. That was enough for all the pain to suddenly vanish into thin air.

Ryan’s body released everything and he flopped against Colin like a dead weight, the Canadian catching him easily. Raising his head slowly, Ryan felt himself regain strength, control and awareness, the pain dissipated. Colin breathed a sigh of relief when he met those eyes again – they were how they should be, the normal dull jade.

“It’s… it’s gone,” Ryan whispered, checking his body in order to refamiliarize himself with comfort. “Colin, it’s gone.”

Colin quickly checked Ryan over - apart from the bleeding at his wrist, he seemed to be unharmed. “Are you sure?”

Ryan nodded slowly and then noticed the staining redness on Colin’s arm from where he’d been gripping tightly during the alarm. “Col, I’ve hurt you…”

“No, no, it’s fine. Not your fault,” Colin assured, shrugging it off. “I should’ve been more careful.” Ryan sighed resignedly but looked pensive; he still didn’t trust himself.

“Extraordinary,” a new voice said as Bryce entered the cell with Drew close behind. “You managed to prevent his transformation. I’ve never seen anything like it…”

“Are you both okay?” asked Drew as he stepped cautiously over to his friends, anxiety evident on his face. “That was some serious shit right there.”

Colin smiled for the first time in hours. “We’re fine thanks, Drew, panic over.”

“You don’t look fine to me, you’re hurt,” Drew observed, watching both men bleed passively.

Bryce, seeing the wounds for himself, stood straight and turned to Hunter sternly. “Hunt, go and get a doctor, would you?”

Hunter looked ready to argue, his eyes flashing with resentment for a moment before he went back to his mask of no emotion, simply saying, “Sir,” as he left.

Once a doctor had arrived, he wrapped up Colin’s small wound with a bandage before moving onto Ryan for a more intensive check up on his condition. Colin watched on, wondering if the beast inside his friend had truly gone and if it had, where did it go? While this was happening, a hand landed on Colin’s shoulder softly.

“Mister Mochrie? I’m James Bryce, head of the operation here.”

Colin blinked at him, slightly bewildered. His smile was warm and welcoming, a side of this operation he had yet to see since being thrown straight into the deep end of what seemed like a thriller novel come to life. Colin shook the man’s hand, grateful of this. “In seven years, I’ve never seen control like that. You appeared to suppress the virus enough for it to become inactive, for a time at least, by getting him to focus on countering emotions.”

Colin nodded along, keeping one eye on Ryan all the while. Bryce noticed his distraction and completely understood, chuckling slightly. “I’m going for a coffee, and I think you need one, too. There are many things you need to know about this virus.”

“I can’t leave him now,” Colin muttered, seeing Ryan look back at him and he was smiling at him assuringly. Thank you God, he never thought he’d ever see Ryan smile again.

“I’ll stay with him, Colin,” assured Drew with a calming yet strong voice. “You can trust me.”

Even as the Canadian was being led out of the room, he could feel his gut wrench at just the mere thought of leaving Ryan after that terrifying scare. This almost-supernatural incident had definitely brought them even closer.

But was there still a price to pay?

To be continued...