Dependant PT.4
Title: Dependant (4/?)
Series: The Powers that be
Author: Romanceguru
Disclaimer: Joss the boss of me.
Rating: R for violence.
Fandom: Firefly/Angel
Characters/pairing: Marcus/River
Warning: Possibly very dark and disturbing.
Summary: River doesn’t want to admit that she needs Marcus.
Notes: 2 weeks have passed in the ‘verse since chapter 3. Thanks for all your comments and input, they’ve really helped keep this story afloat. Betaed by
Parts 1-3 at my stories links page, here
River could hear his footsteps reverberate as she pressed her ear to the cool marble of the staircase. “Four, three, two, one.” She quietly whispered as Marcus naturally took two stairs at a time and reached were she lay near the top. He looked down at the dainty thing blanketing his step. She always seemed to be sprawled out in the most uncommon of places. “You have an odd sense of decorum, little girl. There something wrong with my furnishings? Um?”
River curled her fingers near her lips, staring vacantly ahead as she answered. “Stops the spinning. It’s deafening, the silence.” She then titled her head to look up at the giant and confessed, “I threw up on your bed.”
Marcus shook his head, displeased. He was most certainly going to have to give his maid a pay raise. The thing was a walking disaster.
His eyes swept over the girl, her long legs sprouting from a delicate lavender dress and her dark hair tangled in neat curls down her back. He had found that her looks had much improved given the right attire and the miracle that is the brush.
Marcus cleared his throat. “Well, next time, do try and make the toilet. It’s really not that difficult.”
Stepping over her, he continued to his room to shower and dress, forgoing his favored suits for dark gray slacks and fitted black dress shirt. Stopping by the bed on his way back out, he scrunched up his face and considered just ordering a new one altogether.
When he returned to the stairs, he found that she was gone, mostly likely wandering aimlessly about or hiding in a cupboard somewhere. No matter, he had a day’s worth of work to get to. Resuming employment from home gave him a continued sense of fulfillment. After all, an evil being couldn’t survive through the day without causing at least one soul to turn.
Making his way down the stairs, he turned right down a narrow hall and unlocked his office door. Sitting at his desk, he cracked his knuckles before logging on to the cortex. It was his job to ensure that several substantial medical shipments were diverted from the rim planets. That always caused a nice uproar, hundreds perishing due to a glitch in the system. A satisfied smile donned his face as he worked. Helping to further wedge between the Alliance and independents was all a part of the grand scheme of things.
It was late when he finally exited his office and locked it behind him. Heading down the hall, he remembered that he’d forgotten to feed the girl. Not that she ate much anyways.
Humming to himself, he headed to the kitchen and put together a couple sandwiches. Taking a seat, he folded his hands and patiently waited for her to appear.
Marcus could sense her in the shadows, smell her light, feminine scent. She was being difficult again. Not that he could really blame her. “Come out now, River.”
River peeked her head of dark hair around the doorway and looked at Marcus cagily.
“It’s not poisoned.” He reassured, pointing to her plate.
River hesitated. “The bits will come up. You’ll be mad.”
“Wasn’t upset this morning.” He pointed out.
River’s eyes were unblinking as she pressed her face against the doorframe. “Anger’s unpredictable.”
“Afraid?” He inquired proudly.
“No.” Was her flat reply.
Marcus tried not to look disappointed. “Interesting,” he supposed aloud and gestured for her to take a seat. “Please, elaborate.”
“The door opens in your fury.” She said softly, stepping into the kitchen but still keeping her distance and leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes. “I try not too. But I see them. The ones you’ve taken.”
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Marcus remarked, reflecting on the vast numbers. Picking up his sandwich, he proceeded to dine with causal ease.
River snapped open her eyes, looking right through him. “It’s easy to take.” Her expression then shifted as her face lit up. Smiling brightly, she boasted, “My brother’s a doctor. Saves lives.”
Marcus felt the anger stir within. The girl was absolutely infuriating, implying that her brother’s magnitude was above his own. Had he helped bring down an entire world?
Marcus scoffed. “It’s a waste, what he does. Nothing about your kind is worth saving.”
River looked around, thinking for a moment. “Emulate our every likeness. You lie.” she challenged. “Emptiness and lies.”
Marcus’s lip twitched as he glared at her. The girl hadn’t given up the struggle to place herself above him, spouting her erroneous observations and looking down at him with condescension.
She may have been considered a genius of her species at one time. They had selected her for that very reason. However, now, she was merely a damaged vessel, only a fragment of her previous worth. The thing seemed to weave in and out of remembering that. Well, he’d remind her.
Taking on an expression of impassivity, he stood and lectured her evenly. “If that’s how you choose to behave, you can just wither away for all I care.” Taking her plate, he dumped her dinner in the garbage and tossed the empty dish into the sink, causing it to clamor loudly. River jumped at the sound and covered her ears, whimpering.
On his way out, Marcus stopped next to her and watched with amusement as she seemed to regress within herself, muttering nonsense. He spoke hundreds of dialects, but ‘crazy’ was something he’d yet to master. He was already starting to feel better, just watching her fail at life.
In a mocking manner, he offered a bit of his own insight. “It must be sad, knowing you’re stuck here with me, to realize, no one’s coming to save you.”
Resting his forearm on the doorway, he leaned over her, adorning a self-assured grin. “Admit it, River. You need me.”
Her mumbling ceased as looked up at him, her eyes still half lost. “Rather fade away.”
Marcus’s smirk was swallowed by a scowl. Pushing himself upright, he straightened his posture and shot the girl a look that could freeze. “Suit yourself.”
River followed him with her eyes as he brushed past, disappearing through the dining room. She could feel the spite roll off of him, clouding her mind with darkness, blocking out the little light left.
---
For the first time since her imprisonment, Marcus left. The door slammed forcefully, leaving behind only a trail of red and silence.
River felt empty, but clear, and soon grew aware of the pains in her stomach, her body screaming for nourishment. She made her way to the icebox and opened it, searching for something familiar. Grabbing the carton of eggs, she plucked out one and examined it carefully.
There were steps, a logical process for everything. Yet, she couldn’t locate the tools to turn the cold, hard thing into food. Her eyes moved from the egg to a red apple resting on the top self. Smiling, she dropped the eggs mindlessly and reached for it, eagerly sinking her teeth into its sweet, crunchy flesh.
---
Marcus wandered the streets of Londinium, vigilant for any sign of life. Most of his killings were preplanned and composed of purpose. After all, he wasn’t a complete savage like the werewolves and vampires. But tonight, he had the strong desire to make a mess of somebody. He wanted to watch as their eyes pleaded helplessly, feed off of their pain as it engulfed their noiseless screams.
Silently, he cursed the curfew set in place on the planet, neat and tidy laws to keep its abiding citizens in order.
The more he thought about the reason for his anger, the more incensed he grew. He was losing control, playing into emotions that rarely surfaced. She was distracting him, causing him to lose sight of the objective; keep the girl preserved and in working order so she could help fulfill the prophecy. God, it was Angel all over again.
---
River should have been glad Marcus was away, recognized the little freedom granted to her. Except every hour that he was gone, she grew more apprehensive. She tried to pass the time by cleaning up the mess she’d made, but only managed to swirl the yolk and broken shells further across the kitchen floor. Giving up, she made her way to the entry hall and curled next to the front door, like she did when he was at work in his office.
There was a black hole of loneliness consuming her. How she longed for a kind word, a soothing hug or a chaste kiss. Warmth and sincerity of any kind were but a faded memory and she craved to experience them once again.
Watching for his shadow under the doorstep, she knew that he could never give her those things, the things she really needed. Love was the only thing that could rope her in from the dark and make her real again.
However, as she lay on the cold, rigid floor, the weight of sleep taking over, she continued to wait for the possibility of something. Anything.
TBC
Next: Weapon
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elsibet34!