[Drabble -- Familiar Pain]
Writer's Note: partially inspired by a talk with KITT and Zephyr. And I guess I'm still stuck on the whole human thing, LoL, but I also wrote this this way so that what Zephyr went through in his past can be better understood. This drabble starts out where Kitt is walking through a hidden lab complex looking for Zephyr. Brian Zane is Zephyr's creator, and my OC. :) Thanks vespurrs for helping me portray KITT! *hugs*
Familiar Pain
Kitt desperately scanned the hallways he walked through and the rooms he passed as thoroughly as he possibly could for any signs of Zephyr at all. He only needed as little as raised vital signs or an e-signature for him to follow, and he knew Zephyr had to be somewhere in this building. He had to be. He could feel it.
He soon found himself on the basement floor of the complex, reading the sings on all of the doors he passed, and listening as well as scanning for anything. He came to a stop in front of a door that simply read 'Lab 6C.' He wasn't sure what had made him stop, but he didn't have time to question his instincts now. He pressed his hand against the closed door to scan for anyone inside. The room was empty... but all of the computers inside were turned on, which meant that someone was returning sooner or later at least to shut them off. But there was no one inside at the moment... wait. Kitt paused, frowning. He let his eyes glaze over as he scanned more in-depth, and he suddenly picked up on an e-signature that he recognized at once.
He burst in through the door, and stopped dead in his tracks when he rested his gaze on the source of that e-signature.
"Zephyr..."
The small, brunette teen that he had come to know and love as his brother was huddled in one corner of the room, his wrists bound together behind his back. The wall was the only thing that was keeping him sitting upright, but his head was bowed, and Kitt wasn't sure if he was conscious.
"Zephyr," Kitt cried. He fell to his knees in front of the younger AI. "Zephyr, do you hear me?"
Zephyr finally acknowledged him and looked up at him, the bright sapphire of his eyes gone, choked out and clouded over. "Kitt..." he murmured, relief crossing over the features of his filthy, young face.
"Zephyr, what have they done to you?" Kitt inquired. His gaze rested on a deep bruise forming along the side of his face, and it suddenly filled him with horror. "Oh my word..."
Zephyr's eyes filled with tears. "It hurts..." he whispered. "Hurts so much..." A tear slid down his red cheek.
Kitt gently reached out and brushed the tear away with his thumb, his heart breaking. How could anyone have done this to such a compassionate being? To Zephyr? "I'm here to get you out of here," he said.
"I'm not sure if I can help you..." Zephyr started quietly, as if he was unable to speak any louder.
Kitt pressed a finger to Zephyr's lips. "No," he said firmly, but softly. "Don't. You don't worry about that. You just stay still and..." He took in Zephyr's condition again, noting all of the bruises, scratches, even blood... He winced. "...And tell me if I hurt you."
He went for Zephyr's ankles first, finding them tied together with simple rope. He scanned the hallway outside again to check for anyone approaching as he untied a rather complicated knot and swiftly brushed the rope aside. Then he started reaching for Zephyr's wrists. "Almost done," he told him. He suddenly stopped, horrified when he found bruises all over his arms, and the rope around his wrists so tight that it had dug into Zephyr's skin as he struggled, and could only let the blood run down his hands.
Kitt sat there, blinking in shock for a few moments. He couldn't understand how Zephyr could stay so calm and quiet. But he shook himself out of it; there were more important things to think about right now. "I'm so sorry if I hurt you," he said, reaching for the bloodstained rope again.
"Don't worry about--" Zephyr stopped suddenly, and his eerie silence made Kitt pause from freeing the younger AI's hands. He caught sight of Zephyr's dull, dark eyes pinned to something past Kitt's shoulder. "Someone is coming."
Kitt froze, realizing that he had become so engrossed in freeing his brother that he had stopped scanning for anyone approaching. He immediately scanned the hall outside, and picked up on large, heavy footsteps coming closer. How Zephyr was able to pick them up, he had no idea. "I have to hurry."
"No," Zephyr objected. "Come back for me later."
"Zephyr, are you insane!" Kitt hissed. "I am not leaving you here!"
Zephyr's eyes widened. "No!"
The lab door flew open and Kitt spun around to see several large men tear inside, and among them was Brian Zane. Kitt knew he didn't have enough experience to stand a chance, but he attacked the nearest man anyway, crying out with determination and baring his teeth as he knocked one man out, racking his mind for moves that he had seen Michael make. But he suddenly felt someone grab a hold of his arm, and pulled him back with such force that it felt like whiplash. Instantly, he started to retaliate, but his other arm was captured as well and his hands were forced behind his back, and one large man drove him to his knees.
"Get him out of here," Zane demanded.
"No," Kitt growled, struggling like mad.
Brian Zane only glared at him as the man who held him practically jerked him off of his feet like a rag doll. He felt helpless. And he hated it.
"Zephyr," he cried when he saw Brian Zane advance upon the young AI.
It was all Zephyr could do to lift his head to look up at Kitt, and miraculously he managed a weary smile. "It's okay, Kitt," he said softly, "I am familiar with suffering. I am used to this."
Kitt met Zephyr's eyes, and he realized that he was serious, and he realized that it was true. He felt tears sting his eyes. "Don't say that..."
"I said get him out of here!" Zane bellowed.
"What do you want me to do with him?" asked the man who had Kitt.
"Let him go for all I care!" Brian snapped. He stared down at Zephyr. "I've got what I wanted."
The man jerked Kitt toward the door. Kitt caught a glimpse of Zane grabbing Zephyr's arm and he shouted out in alarm, but the man shoved him out of the room and the door slammed closed behind him, locked. Kitt snarled furiously and his fist connected with the closed door, but he only managed to rattle the door and sting his hand.
He had to get Zephyr out of there before Zane killed him.
He suddenly remembered the broken cell phone in the pocket of his Jeans.
Familiar Pain
Kitt desperately scanned the hallways he walked through and the rooms he passed as thoroughly as he possibly could for any signs of Zephyr at all. He only needed as little as raised vital signs or an e-signature for him to follow, and he knew Zephyr had to be somewhere in this building. He had to be. He could feel it.
He soon found himself on the basement floor of the complex, reading the sings on all of the doors he passed, and listening as well as scanning for anything. He came to a stop in front of a door that simply read 'Lab 6C.' He wasn't sure what had made him stop, but he didn't have time to question his instincts now. He pressed his hand against the closed door to scan for anyone inside. The room was empty... but all of the computers inside were turned on, which meant that someone was returning sooner or later at least to shut them off. But there was no one inside at the moment... wait. Kitt paused, frowning. He let his eyes glaze over as he scanned more in-depth, and he suddenly picked up on an e-signature that he recognized at once.
He burst in through the door, and stopped dead in his tracks when he rested his gaze on the source of that e-signature.
"Zephyr..."
The small, brunette teen that he had come to know and love as his brother was huddled in one corner of the room, his wrists bound together behind his back. The wall was the only thing that was keeping him sitting upright, but his head was bowed, and Kitt wasn't sure if he was conscious.
"Zephyr," Kitt cried. He fell to his knees in front of the younger AI. "Zephyr, do you hear me?"
Zephyr finally acknowledged him and looked up at him, the bright sapphire of his eyes gone, choked out and clouded over. "Kitt..." he murmured, relief crossing over the features of his filthy, young face.
"Zephyr, what have they done to you?" Kitt inquired. His gaze rested on a deep bruise forming along the side of his face, and it suddenly filled him with horror. "Oh my word..."
Zephyr's eyes filled with tears. "It hurts..." he whispered. "Hurts so much..." A tear slid down his red cheek.
Kitt gently reached out and brushed the tear away with his thumb, his heart breaking. How could anyone have done this to such a compassionate being? To Zephyr? "I'm here to get you out of here," he said.
"I'm not sure if I can help you..." Zephyr started quietly, as if he was unable to speak any louder.
Kitt pressed a finger to Zephyr's lips. "No," he said firmly, but softly. "Don't. You don't worry about that. You just stay still and..." He took in Zephyr's condition again, noting all of the bruises, scratches, even blood... He winced. "...And tell me if I hurt you."
He went for Zephyr's ankles first, finding them tied together with simple rope. He scanned the hallway outside again to check for anyone approaching as he untied a rather complicated knot and swiftly brushed the rope aside. Then he started reaching for Zephyr's wrists. "Almost done," he told him. He suddenly stopped, horrified when he found bruises all over his arms, and the rope around his wrists so tight that it had dug into Zephyr's skin as he struggled, and could only let the blood run down his hands.
Kitt sat there, blinking in shock for a few moments. He couldn't understand how Zephyr could stay so calm and quiet. But he shook himself out of it; there were more important things to think about right now. "I'm so sorry if I hurt you," he said, reaching for the bloodstained rope again.
"Don't worry about--" Zephyr stopped suddenly, and his eerie silence made Kitt pause from freeing the younger AI's hands. He caught sight of Zephyr's dull, dark eyes pinned to something past Kitt's shoulder. "Someone is coming."
Kitt froze, realizing that he had become so engrossed in freeing his brother that he had stopped scanning for anyone approaching. He immediately scanned the hall outside, and picked up on large, heavy footsteps coming closer. How Zephyr was able to pick them up, he had no idea. "I have to hurry."
"No," Zephyr objected. "Come back for me later."
"Zephyr, are you insane!" Kitt hissed. "I am not leaving you here!"
Zephyr's eyes widened. "No!"
The lab door flew open and Kitt spun around to see several large men tear inside, and among them was Brian Zane. Kitt knew he didn't have enough experience to stand a chance, but he attacked the nearest man anyway, crying out with determination and baring his teeth as he knocked one man out, racking his mind for moves that he had seen Michael make. But he suddenly felt someone grab a hold of his arm, and pulled him back with such force that it felt like whiplash. Instantly, he started to retaliate, but his other arm was captured as well and his hands were forced behind his back, and one large man drove him to his knees.
"Get him out of here," Zane demanded.
"No," Kitt growled, struggling like mad.
Brian Zane only glared at him as the man who held him practically jerked him off of his feet like a rag doll. He felt helpless. And he hated it.
"Zephyr," he cried when he saw Brian Zane advance upon the young AI.
It was all Zephyr could do to lift his head to look up at Kitt, and miraculously he managed a weary smile. "It's okay, Kitt," he said softly, "I am familiar with suffering. I am used to this."
Kitt met Zephyr's eyes, and he realized that he was serious, and he realized that it was true. He felt tears sting his eyes. "Don't say that..."
"I said get him out of here!" Zane bellowed.
"What do you want me to do with him?" asked the man who had Kitt.
"Let him go for all I care!" Brian snapped. He stared down at Zephyr. "I've got what I wanted."
The man jerked Kitt toward the door. Kitt caught a glimpse of Zane grabbing Zephyr's arm and he shouted out in alarm, but the man shoved him out of the room and the door slammed closed behind him, locked. Kitt snarled furiously and his fist connected with the closed door, but he only managed to rattle the door and sting his hand.
He had to get Zephyr out of there before Zane killed him.
He suddenly remembered the broken cell phone in the pocket of his Jeans.