Tin Man fanfic: The Remote (WIP) - Part 2
The Remote - Part 2
headers in Part 1
*~*
Pocketing the control box, Cain helped lift the unresponsive Glitch and settle him in Raw’s strong arms. Cain’s chest felt tight as he watched Glitch’s hands clench around handfuls of Raw’s coat, hating the way the former advisor was gasping against the residual pain. Reaching up to give a quick stroke to the top of Glitch’s head, he lead them back to the room they had designated for regrouping.
A few endless minutes later, they arrived upstairs and Raw took long, quick strides toward the large, overstuffed couch against one wall. He carefully lowered Glitch onto the soft cushions, positioning him on his side facing the room. Kneeling next to the couch, Raw kept one hand resting lightly on Glitch’s shoulder. “Pain not so bad. Fading,” he told Cain.
“Good, that’s good,” Wyatt stood by anxiously. He was torn between needing to find the former Sorceress and the urge to stay with Glitch.
Raw decided for him. “Azkadellia coming back,” he glanced at the wide entryway to the opulent room. Cain followed his look and a few moments later the sound of footsteps could be heard.
Cain pulled the device from his pocket and walked over to meet the returning group. “Azkadellia, do you recognize this? Do you know what it is?” He wasted no time, holding up the box in his hand.
Azkadellia stopped abruptly, frowning at the barrage of questions. She eyed the item in Cain’s hand with a slow shake of her head. “I’m...not sure,” she told him reluctantly. “What is its significance? Where did it come from?”
Turning his body so she could see Glitch and Raw, he pointed toward them. “Glitch found this in...in the room where his...where he had his surgery,” he quickly considered his words, remembering exactly who he was talking to. Forcing himself to remain calm in the wake of her newly restored status. She was not the one who had done this to Glitch, he reminded himself. “He turned it on and when he twisted this dial, he...he was in so much pain.”
In spite of his calm, Azkadellia paled and raised a hand to her mouth. “Oh,” she exclaimed sharply, eyes bright. “It’s been so long, I didn’t recognize it.”
Cain narrowed his eyes sharply. “So, you know what it is?”
She nodded. “Ambrose...he was among the first to be...punished,” she said in a soft, distant voice. “We had no idea what would happen to the...the victims when so much of their brain was removed. The head alchemist at the time, a man named Kennard, created a...something, some kind of tiny electrical machine that he implanted in the headcased prisoner.”
“The back of his neck?” Cain cut in then glanced back toward Glitch.
“Yes, it was a kind of testing device,” Azkadellia said excitedly, memory clearing. “To ensure that the body was still receiving signals from the remaining section of the brain. The remote he found, it sends electrical signals to the implanted machine.”
Ahamo finally spoke up with understanding. “It was a test of the body’s nervous system, the thing that sends commands from the brain to the rest of the body,” he explained knowingly.
“By putting the victim in so much pain that he can’t move, can barely breathe?” Cain snapped angrily. “What kind of sick experiment is that?”
Azkadellia looked nauseous but held her ground. “I will not explain the actions of an evil witch or the persons in her employ,” she glared at Cain. “As I said, this was a very long time ago and the technology was in its infancy. It is entirely possible that the thing inside Ambrose is simply too old to function properly.”
“Cain?”
Wyatt spun around at the sound of his name spoken softly, only to see Glitch watching him with half-lidded eyes. He shoved the control back in his pocket and hurried over, barely aware of Raw standing to get out of his way. “Glitch? You feeling better? How’s the pain?”
Glitch’s hand twitched and Cain grasped it tightly. “Feels like I was hit by lightning,” he mumbled, eyes drifting closed. “I promise not to touch anything ever again. Ever.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Cain assured him gently, his free hand moving up to rub tiny circles on Glitch’s temple. “Turns out the witch’s alchemists gave you a little extra going away present. There’s some kind of machine plugged into the back of your neck and the box you found apparently turned it on.”
“Oh...lovely,” Glitch grimaced.
“We’re going to find a way to get that thing out of you,” Cain told him firmly. “Azkadellia thinks it’s probably broken. The only reason this never happened before is that the control was back here the whole time you were away. It’s a lucky thing you found it when you did.”
“Feels real lucky,” Glitch grumbled and sighed. “’M tired.”
Cain swallowed hard, heartbroken at how vulnerable Glitch looked at this moment. “Go ahead and sleep,” he said softly. “I’ll be right here. We’ll figure out how to get this thing out of you.”
Glitch started suddenly, his fingers tight around Cain’s wrist. “Don’t let anyone else touch that remote,” he said urgently, the fear in his eyes making Cain’s throat tight. “Keep it with you.”
“I won’t let anything hurt you, I swear,” Cain promised, greatly aware of the level of trust Glitch had in him to ask for such a favor.
*~*
End Part 2
*~*
Continue to Part 3
headers in Part 1
*~*
Pocketing the control box, Cain helped lift the unresponsive Glitch and settle him in Raw’s strong arms. Cain’s chest felt tight as he watched Glitch’s hands clench around handfuls of Raw’s coat, hating the way the former advisor was gasping against the residual pain. Reaching up to give a quick stroke to the top of Glitch’s head, he lead them back to the room they had designated for regrouping.
A few endless minutes later, they arrived upstairs and Raw took long, quick strides toward the large, overstuffed couch against one wall. He carefully lowered Glitch onto the soft cushions, positioning him on his side facing the room. Kneeling next to the couch, Raw kept one hand resting lightly on Glitch’s shoulder. “Pain not so bad. Fading,” he told Cain.
“Good, that’s good,” Wyatt stood by anxiously. He was torn between needing to find the former Sorceress and the urge to stay with Glitch.
Raw decided for him. “Azkadellia coming back,” he glanced at the wide entryway to the opulent room. Cain followed his look and a few moments later the sound of footsteps could be heard.
Cain pulled the device from his pocket and walked over to meet the returning group. “Azkadellia, do you recognize this? Do you know what it is?” He wasted no time, holding up the box in his hand.
Azkadellia stopped abruptly, frowning at the barrage of questions. She eyed the item in Cain’s hand with a slow shake of her head. “I’m...not sure,” she told him reluctantly. “What is its significance? Where did it come from?”
Turning his body so she could see Glitch and Raw, he pointed toward them. “Glitch found this in...in the room where his...where he had his surgery,” he quickly considered his words, remembering exactly who he was talking to. Forcing himself to remain calm in the wake of her newly restored status. She was not the one who had done this to Glitch, he reminded himself. “He turned it on and when he twisted this dial, he...he was in so much pain.”
In spite of his calm, Azkadellia paled and raised a hand to her mouth. “Oh,” she exclaimed sharply, eyes bright. “It’s been so long, I didn’t recognize it.”
Cain narrowed his eyes sharply. “So, you know what it is?”
She nodded. “Ambrose...he was among the first to be...punished,” she said in a soft, distant voice. “We had no idea what would happen to the...the victims when so much of their brain was removed. The head alchemist at the time, a man named Kennard, created a...something, some kind of tiny electrical machine that he implanted in the headcased prisoner.”
“The back of his neck?” Cain cut in then glanced back toward Glitch.
“Yes, it was a kind of testing device,” Azkadellia said excitedly, memory clearing. “To ensure that the body was still receiving signals from the remaining section of the brain. The remote he found, it sends electrical signals to the implanted machine.”
Ahamo finally spoke up with understanding. “It was a test of the body’s nervous system, the thing that sends commands from the brain to the rest of the body,” he explained knowingly.
“By putting the victim in so much pain that he can’t move, can barely breathe?” Cain snapped angrily. “What kind of sick experiment is that?”
Azkadellia looked nauseous but held her ground. “I will not explain the actions of an evil witch or the persons in her employ,” she glared at Cain. “As I said, this was a very long time ago and the technology was in its infancy. It is entirely possible that the thing inside Ambrose is simply too old to function properly.”
“Cain?”
Wyatt spun around at the sound of his name spoken softly, only to see Glitch watching him with half-lidded eyes. He shoved the control back in his pocket and hurried over, barely aware of Raw standing to get out of his way. “Glitch? You feeling better? How’s the pain?”
Glitch’s hand twitched and Cain grasped it tightly. “Feels like I was hit by lightning,” he mumbled, eyes drifting closed. “I promise not to touch anything ever again. Ever.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Cain assured him gently, his free hand moving up to rub tiny circles on Glitch’s temple. “Turns out the witch’s alchemists gave you a little extra going away present. There’s some kind of machine plugged into the back of your neck and the box you found apparently turned it on.”
“Oh...lovely,” Glitch grimaced.
“We’re going to find a way to get that thing out of you,” Cain told him firmly. “Azkadellia thinks it’s probably broken. The only reason this never happened before is that the control was back here the whole time you were away. It’s a lucky thing you found it when you did.”
“Feels real lucky,” Glitch grumbled and sighed. “’M tired.”
Cain swallowed hard, heartbroken at how vulnerable Glitch looked at this moment. “Go ahead and sleep,” he said softly. “I’ll be right here. We’ll figure out how to get this thing out of you.”
Glitch started suddenly, his fingers tight around Cain’s wrist. “Don’t let anyone else touch that remote,” he said urgently, the fear in his eyes making Cain’s throat tight. “Keep it with you.”
“I won’t let anything hurt you, I swear,” Cain promised, greatly aware of the level of trust Glitch had in him to ask for such a favor.
*~*
End Part 2
*~*
Continue to Part 3