A/N: And good day to you :3

I want to get at least another chapter or two out in the next seven days before work starts up again.

Let's see how that goes...

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Chapter Thirty-Nine: Pool-side

At first, the most I was expected to do was walk around the tunnels, looking at the artificial scenery that Oz and Seth cooked up to hide the dark and creepy subway. I walked through savannah and rainforest, tundra and desert. It was all pretty impressive but because I knew that none of it was real and I had seen some of it in real life...it didn't give me the feeling of grandeur that I think they were going for. But that didn't stop me from finding it fascinating, and Lady made up for the both of us, I think.

She was so curious about everything and when I told her that it was all based on real places, I think it was safe to say that she really lost her shit. I had to wonder at where she was before she walked into the rundown café and she only replied with dark emotions...and something that I could only as a place that was completely devoid of colour and light.

They next dropped me into a hidden room that help an Olympic sized swimming pool that looked pretty typical from what I remember a pool should look like; a giant stadium with a body of water in the middle. Pretty standard. The lights were pretty intense as well and I notice on the side was a rapid pool that I knew they were going to expect me to swimming against its goddamn current.

A few of the other people were there from time to time but it appeared to be mostly empty. Aside from the goddamn cat refusing to leave the water for hours on end...she even got to making blowing bubbles in the shallow end with her nose which amused her for days.

Everyone but X, Seth and Oz gave us a wide berth, even leaving the areas completely when we walked towards them. At first it did bother me but Lady soon distracted me and X was never far away. But every day without a word from Siem had me more and more on edge.

I stare at my legs as I dangle from the edge of the pool as they were completely submerged in the water. Lady was busy swimming around in a circle after a giant plastic ball that was slowly filling with water. I had to wonder how long it had been....a week? A month? I had never had to think much about how time was constructed for years. The only way any of us knew if it had been a year or not was because the seasons changed. But now that I have been dragged back into this human contraption we call 'time' I've become painfully aware of every second that ticks by. Every minute lost forever. Every day that I am becoming further and further away from Cody and Anne. Then this constant worry and the nightmares meld together and I forget how much time passes once again only to come back full circle to the fact that I am sitting here on the verge of a breakdown because it feels like I'm doing shit all to fix that.

My gaze moves up to the door that led out of here. It was a simple white door that melded in with the wall and was hard to spot save the for the silver handle shinning at me like a beacon daring me to run and escape. But the next issue was the fact that the only way out of this underground mess involved securely locked doors and I had no way of knowing where I'd end up. I have no knowledge of Bolin. Not to mention X would stop me before I even reach the damn door.

"Yes, I would."

The sudden noise made me jump and turn to see X squatting beside me. "Could you not do that?" I mutter, almost ready to hit him for almost inducing a heart attack for the billionth time. "Another thing. Are you also in my head?" Already have a flippin tiger, why not add X as well. Sounds like a real party.

He cocks his head to the side, evaluating something as he stares directly at my face. "Not...exactly. There is...something blocking like...thick fog." He frowns. "No entry, it hurts. Do not push...must wait for the pull. The pain would be too much. I don't want it to hurt. But sometimes...something pokes through and I feel it. Clear with intent, I can feel...more." He reaches for my face. "Why is it missing?"

"What's missing?" I've become so used to him now that even as his fingers brush my cheek, I don't move even with a pulse of electricity numbing where he touches.

"If I knew, it wouldn't be missing. But...it's very frustrating. Perhaps it will...come with time. But for now, I am...relieved that I can see something at least. Your intent is...frustrating you. I know that much. Words cannot...soothe that. I am also very bad at communicating in this way. But..." His sentence dies as his fingers touch my hair. He frowns again, looking at something beyond me but then refocuses, his fingers falling away from my face. "It's still too early for you to go anywhere. But...I will do whatever it takes when the time is right. Even if it means betrayal."

Those words were incredibly heavy for some reason and I found it very hard to swallow. "You would seriously go against Siem?"

He nods, moving to a sitting position beside me. "If that becomes something that you desire."

Why? Just why would he go that far? I stare back down at my feet, distorted under the water's surface.

Hearing the door open, I look up to see Seth walking through, "All done for the day?"

I watch him as he walks closer, "For now..."

He smirks, "That's good. Siem's thinking of letting you back up on the surface to get your meals...he thinks it's about time that you slowly get used to being up there as part of the team."

What a brilliant idea Siem! I have just felt the that this was a loving home from the second I landed on this building. The laser guns just gave that extra warm welcome! It just really drives home I'm one of the team.

"I can see the sass just bleeding from your eyes, Kae," he chuckles. "I know it's been...well hell since the moment you've been here. But being locked away any more than this won't help with the tension. And it's not like we're expecting you to sing songs and dance around a camp fire."

"And here I thought that was plan A," I growl.

I can see the grin widening. "Hanna said to either go there tonight and see how it goes or she'll feed you October Orange."

"...Do I dare ask what that is?"

"She said that she has it ready as well as a camera."

Oh that shit. "Is starving an option?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't."

I stare at him, weighing up my options. Awkward dinner, throwing up with Hanna videoing it or Hanna tying me to a chair and throwing up and Hanna videoing it.

X ran a hand over the back of my head as if to attempt soothing me, "It is not like you will be going in there alone."

Oz had got me with a pair of scissors the other day, so feeling a lack of hair between his touch and the back of my neck was not something I was used to as the chills that went down my spine soon followed. I have not been thankful losing all that hair, even if Oz stated I looked like a muppet that went ass first throw a wind tunnel before being dragged by a cat over dry grass to lure birds that mistook it as a nest...he was very poetic that morning.

"Yeah, X and I are normally treated with a bit of distance usually as well at the dinner table. Gives us a spare table. Maybe with us it will seem a little less...antagonistic," Seth grins.

"Can't wait," I muster, almost tasting the bitterness of what I'm going to have to face.

"There's the spirit! Oz will also be joining us, so it's not like we're pushing you towards the angry mob with poking sticks all on your lonesome."

"Sure as hell feels like it."

"...Siem also told me that I can soften the blow by saying this," he clears his throat and begins imitating a thick uncanny Siem accent, " 'After dinner we will discuss the possibility of searching outside Laax in the next twenty-four hours'. Or so he says, anyway."

I stare at him keenly, "You're serious?"

"No. He's serious. I'm just the fat pigeon he decided to send down cos someone is refusing to lift the intercom silence down here."

I look over at X who just blinks unapologetically back at us.

"Also, I'm going to start amping up the workout regime on you. You will need to start training how to run and," he points to that blasted rapid pool, "using that as well. In the afternoon-" I mentally groan, "Oz has enlisted himself as a trainer. X will also begin teaching you combat basics. Self-defence and mixed martial arts. It's a good source of discipline and if you find yourself in a situation where your mental defence mechanism is on the blink it's good to always have a backup."

Can't I just go back to not doing anything except sleep?

"Anyway, this pigeon delivered the message of the all and powerful king, I'm gonna go find Oz's cookie stash."

"Behind his desk next to his toy dragon," X said without batting an eyelid.

"And thank you all omnipotent X," Seth simply salutes him back before walking out the door. "Seeya tonight, kid."

I'm seriously planning my escape. Tonight. I would rather wander the streets of Bolin, being gunned down for being a Hexer than what they are making me face tonight. Or Spartan training brought to you personally by Oz that Spartan spawn of hell. I'm suspicious he's still pissed that I melted his goddamn robot...but...Siem is going to go look for that SD card. I can't pass that up.

I sigh, another long fucking night.