30_kisses fic (part 1 of 3)
Title: Falling Into Darkness
AuthorS: mariusgirl and lttledvl
Fandom: Power Rangers SPD
Rating: T
Summary: All he could do - all he could think to do - was hold her trembling hand as she lay bleeding and broken on the cold pavement.
Prompt: Violence
Additional Notes: Part 1 of 3. 'Tis the end of the 30_kisses challenge. Also, much thanks to scifislasher for the beta!
All he could do - all he could think to do - was hold her trembling hand as she lay bleeding and broken on the pavement. Fighting back tears, he hunched over her shaking form. In the close proximity he found her face only inches away from his, forcing her to meet his gaze as he kept up a steady litany of soothing nonsense.
“Shhh, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be all right, just hold on a little longer. I’ve got you now.”
It was nothing useful because it didn’t help her, but it was all he could offer her. And it couldn’t really hurt either. If nothing else, it would prove as a small source of comfort that she was not all alone in the darkness.
Bridge wasn’t certain if Z could even hear him, but the action of smoothing back her hair and speaking in a calming voice seemed like the right thing to do. Choking back a sob, he gently brushed his lips against her bruised forehead. He felt so helpless, sitting there on the pavement, cradling her head in his lap, and before he knew it, he was crying.
No, he scolded, you have to be strong for Z. You can’t let her see you like this, it’ll upset her.
But no matter how hard he fought to get his emotions under control, he couldn’t stop the warm flow of bitter tears.
-------------------------
Down, down, and down.
She felt as if she was falling, tumbling through time and space at an alarming rate.
The sound of sirens wailing in the distance forced a strangled gurgling sound from Z. She tried to open her eyes but they were swollen shut. Every fiber of her being screamed out in agony as she went from cold to hot, then back to cold.
Somewhere, far away, she thought she heard a muffled voice calling her name, but in her current state she couldn’t be sure of anything. All she knew was the vibrant rainbow of pain that colored her world.
White-hot pain flashed in front of her eyes when she tried to move, vainly trying to find a position that didn’t cause her so much pain, but her body was on fire. Her right leg felt oddly crooked and she found that she couldn’t move it without nearly blacking out from the excruciating pain that shot through it and up her spine. Deep inside she knew it was broken, but her numb brain wasn’t able to process that bit of information.
She made to move again, and her stomach gave an almightily lurch. Lights popped in front of her eyes as the world pitched and tumbled, finally fading to black as a distinct voice with a blurry face cried out for her to stay with him…but he was soon replaced by horrifying visions of a different sort - the sort that hit home because just a few hours before they had been a gruesome reality...
There was a darkened room at the end of a long, shadowy corridor. Inside the room was a single chair, chained to the wall and holding the room’s only occupant. A long, slender beam of pale moon light cascaded from a window high above the floor - the only source of light. Somewhere the constant dripping of water slowly drove the room’s dweller insane.
The sound of footsteps echoing in the distance registered dully, and the woman chained to the chair lifted her head ever-so-slightly. Blood trickled into her eye from an open cut on her forehead. She blinked in an attempt to see beyond the red, but the darkness around her made it impossible to see anything beyond her moonlit cell. Her breath came out in small white puffs as she sat, shaking and miserable in the biting cold of a frosty winter night.
The footsteps drew nearer before finally ceasing altogether.
Z gingerly opened her eyes and panic gripped her heart as she recognized the boots before her. Days had passed since she had last seen her captor, but each day that he stayed away was a day that the pain didn’t return.
“Well, well, well.” The sound of his high pitched voice turned her blood to ice more efficiently than the cold air ever would. “Still alive I see.”
She chanced a glance at the monster before her and shuttered as she saw the maniacal grin that split his gruesome features, but it was his eyes that made her turn away for what she saw reflected in those icy blue orbs was her own demise.
He’ll kill me for sure tonight, she thought, he’ll kill me tonight.
“You’ve been a very bad girl,” he chided with a clip of his tongue.
In one swift movement he reached behind her back and seized the paperclip that she had been trying to break free with. Laughing, he snapped the small metal object in half and shoved it deep into his jacket pocket.
“Poor little girl,” he whispered, his face so close to hers that she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. “All alone with no one to save you. My, my, what have you gotten yourself into?”
She choked back the bile that rose in her throat at his words and tried to keep her fear in check. She swallowed hard, trying to rid herself of the cactus that had taken up residence in her throat. “My friends will save me,” she rasped, disgusted by the way her voice shook.
The monster laughed, “Oh, I doubt that,” he said. “But for now, shall we continue our conversation from the other night?”
Z braced herself for the onslaught of pain. She didn’t have to look to see what he was doing, for he used his mind to harm her and cause her pain.
“Tell me how to penetrate the SPD base.”
Z shook her head defiantly and cried out when she felt the bone in her right leg twist savagely.
“Do I really have to hurt you again?” he asked in an amused tone.
Again, she shook her head, determined to protect her friends, even if it meant facing her own death.
The bones in her leg twisted a little more and she felt them crunch together, but somehow they didn’t snap. The blinding pain made it nearly impossible for her to think, and she actually contemplated giving the wretched creature what he wanted, but somewhere in the muddled miasma of misery, Bridge’s smiling face popped into her head and she held onto for dear life. He was the reason she mustn’t give in, he was the reason she had to keep fighting…until the very end.
“Tell me!”
Z felt hot tears mixed with her own blood raining down her face, but she refused to give in. “Never! Go to hell!”
She heard the monster growl in rage and felt more than heard the bones in her leg shatter. Screaming in agony and chained to the chair she was unable to move as the blinding pain washed over her.
She didn’t hear the explosion near the entrance, nor see when the other Rangers rushed the monster. She was too lost in the pain…in too much pain to feel Bridge kneel beside her and release her from her bonds, and too far gone to feel him scoop her gently into his arms...
-------------------------
Bridge sat hunched over Z’s bedside, his hand firmly clutching hers, their fingers interlaced. He bowed his head, berating himself for not finding her sooner.
The doctor said that she was in critical condition and he wasn’t sure if she’d ever walk on her right leg again.
“So stupid,” he muttered, hitting himself in the forehead with the palm of his free hand. “This is all my fault.”
Sighing deeply, he looked up at the still form in the bed. Z was only a ghost of her former self. Pale and bruised, her left eye was swollen completely shut and there was a nasty gash over her right eye that would leave an ugly jagged scar. Her lip was busted and swollen and there were ligature marks around her throat, caused by an invisible rope. And Bridge knew without looking that the rest of her body was covered in ugly purple bruises and uncountable cuts. There were a few broken ribs, but it was her leg that had received the most damage. Everything else would heal, even the scars would fade in time, but her leg would never be the same; even if she was able to use it again…and that was a big maybe.
Bridge closed his eyes, unable to stare at her any longer without completely losing it. He felt a tear slide out from under his closed eyelid and land on the hand he had intertwined with the Yellow Ranger. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and tried to tell himself that she would be okay…but even the most perfect lie couldn’t prepare him for what he saw every time he closed his eyes...
The door burst open in a flash of noise and bright light. Not wasting a breath for the dust and rubble to settle, Bridge rushed in and nearly stumbled as he took in the sight before him.
Z; strapped to a chair that was chained to the wall, her arms bound cruelly behind her. Bloody and bruised, the Yellow Ranger sagged in the chair, barely holding on to consciousness.
The monster stood over her, his face set in a maniacal grin. Even more sickening was the look of sheer ecstasy on his face, seemingly enjoying the pain he inflected upon the helpless Ranger.
Bridge saw nothing but red; screaming in rage, he surged forward, heedless of his own safety, no longer aware of the rest of his team’s whereabouts, only focused on the form of Z’s torturer.
The battle was a blur; Bridge couldn’t even begin to recall what happened, all he knew was the opponent before him, as he swung and slashed with almost wild abandon. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this was all wrong. One did not engage in combat in anger, but Bridge couldn’t contain himself. Seeing Z there...the thought of her broke Bridge out of his red haze; it took him a moment to realize that the monster was down and in an instant later, Syd had carded him.
Almost unwillingly, afraid of what he would see, he spun slowly around to face Z. Still tied to the chair, her head hung limply, a few drops of her blood splattering onto the floor. Shaking inside, he approached her and gently undid her bonds, lifting her up as she practically fell into his arms.
The wait for the ambulance was the most excruciating moments of Bridge’s life. All he could do was gently hold her, trying to let her know he was there, but he wasn’t sure if she could even hear him. He felt tears streaming down his face, unable to contain them as he cooed to the trembling form in his arms.
Even during the trip to the hospital, Z barely stirred, and each time she had attempted to move, her face would contort into a mask of such agony that it would shatter his heart anew. Waiting in the cold silence of the hospital waiting room was even harder than waiting for the medics to arrive. He listened to the doctor’s words, his nerves afire, and his heart beating so fast he swore it would burst out of his chest at any moment. At long last, the doctor spoke the words he’d been longing to hear and he rushed past into Z’s room.
Pale; bruises everywhere, a large stitched-up cut on her forehead, Z was a mere shadow of her normal perky self. Bridge could feel his heart breaking as he sat down next to her bed and gently took one of her hands in his own. He mumbled incoherent nothings at her, more to soothe her or himself, he didn’t know...
The world around him was a blurred mass of gray and white when he finally opened his eyes, but the tears that had been falling so freely only moments before were gone. He had cried until there were no more tears left in him to cry.
With a heavy sigh he wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket, fearful of what he would see if he closed his eyes again, but he was so exhausted. He felt his eye lids drooping heavily, but forced them to stay open. Occasionally pinching himself on the cheek in an effort to keep sleep at bay, he tired to piece together his broken thoughts, but nature finally got the best of him as he drifted off into a fitful sleep; a sleep that was disturbed by images of Z’s abused form. And a scream; a god-awful, terrible scream that cut Bridge to the bone every time he heard it...
the story continues...
AuthorS: mariusgirl and lttledvl
Fandom: Power Rangers SPD
Rating: T
Summary: All he could do - all he could think to do - was hold her trembling hand as she lay bleeding and broken on the cold pavement.
Prompt: Violence
Additional Notes: Part 1 of 3. 'Tis the end of the 30_kisses challenge. Also, much thanks to scifislasher for the beta!
All he could do - all he could think to do - was hold her trembling hand as she lay bleeding and broken on the pavement. Fighting back tears, he hunched over her shaking form. In the close proximity he found her face only inches away from his, forcing her to meet his gaze as he kept up a steady litany of soothing nonsense.
“Shhh, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be all right, just hold on a little longer. I’ve got you now.”
It was nothing useful because it didn’t help her, but it was all he could offer her. And it couldn’t really hurt either. If nothing else, it would prove as a small source of comfort that she was not all alone in the darkness.
Bridge wasn’t certain if Z could even hear him, but the action of smoothing back her hair and speaking in a calming voice seemed like the right thing to do. Choking back a sob, he gently brushed his lips against her bruised forehead. He felt so helpless, sitting there on the pavement, cradling her head in his lap, and before he knew it, he was crying.
No, he scolded, you have to be strong for Z. You can’t let her see you like this, it’ll upset her.
But no matter how hard he fought to get his emotions under control, he couldn’t stop the warm flow of bitter tears.
-------------------------
Down, down, and down.
She felt as if she was falling, tumbling through time and space at an alarming rate.
The sound of sirens wailing in the distance forced a strangled gurgling sound from Z. She tried to open her eyes but they were swollen shut. Every fiber of her being screamed out in agony as she went from cold to hot, then back to cold.
Somewhere, far away, she thought she heard a muffled voice calling her name, but in her current state she couldn’t be sure of anything. All she knew was the vibrant rainbow of pain that colored her world.
White-hot pain flashed in front of her eyes when she tried to move, vainly trying to find a position that didn’t cause her so much pain, but her body was on fire. Her right leg felt oddly crooked and she found that she couldn’t move it without nearly blacking out from the excruciating pain that shot through it and up her spine. Deep inside she knew it was broken, but her numb brain wasn’t able to process that bit of information.
She made to move again, and her stomach gave an almightily lurch. Lights popped in front of her eyes as the world pitched and tumbled, finally fading to black as a distinct voice with a blurry face cried out for her to stay with him…but he was soon replaced by horrifying visions of a different sort - the sort that hit home because just a few hours before they had been a gruesome reality...
There was a darkened room at the end of a long, shadowy corridor. Inside the room was a single chair, chained to the wall and holding the room’s only occupant. A long, slender beam of pale moon light cascaded from a window high above the floor - the only source of light. Somewhere the constant dripping of water slowly drove the room’s dweller insane.
The sound of footsteps echoing in the distance registered dully, and the woman chained to the chair lifted her head ever-so-slightly. Blood trickled into her eye from an open cut on her forehead. She blinked in an attempt to see beyond the red, but the darkness around her made it impossible to see anything beyond her moonlit cell. Her breath came out in small white puffs as she sat, shaking and miserable in the biting cold of a frosty winter night.
The footsteps drew nearer before finally ceasing altogether.
Z gingerly opened her eyes and panic gripped her heart as she recognized the boots before her. Days had passed since she had last seen her captor, but each day that he stayed away was a day that the pain didn’t return.
“Well, well, well.” The sound of his high pitched voice turned her blood to ice more efficiently than the cold air ever would. “Still alive I see.”
She chanced a glance at the monster before her and shuttered as she saw the maniacal grin that split his gruesome features, but it was his eyes that made her turn away for what she saw reflected in those icy blue orbs was her own demise.
He’ll kill me for sure tonight, she thought, he’ll kill me tonight.
“You’ve been a very bad girl,” he chided with a clip of his tongue.
In one swift movement he reached behind her back and seized the paperclip that she had been trying to break free with. Laughing, he snapped the small metal object in half and shoved it deep into his jacket pocket.
“Poor little girl,” he whispered, his face so close to hers that she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. “All alone with no one to save you. My, my, what have you gotten yourself into?”
She choked back the bile that rose in her throat at his words and tried to keep her fear in check. She swallowed hard, trying to rid herself of the cactus that had taken up residence in her throat. “My friends will save me,” she rasped, disgusted by the way her voice shook.
The monster laughed, “Oh, I doubt that,” he said. “But for now, shall we continue our conversation from the other night?”
Z braced herself for the onslaught of pain. She didn’t have to look to see what he was doing, for he used his mind to harm her and cause her pain.
“Tell me how to penetrate the SPD base.”
Z shook her head defiantly and cried out when she felt the bone in her right leg twist savagely.
“Do I really have to hurt you again?” he asked in an amused tone.
Again, she shook her head, determined to protect her friends, even if it meant facing her own death.
The bones in her leg twisted a little more and she felt them crunch together, but somehow they didn’t snap. The blinding pain made it nearly impossible for her to think, and she actually contemplated giving the wretched creature what he wanted, but somewhere in the muddled miasma of misery, Bridge’s smiling face popped into her head and she held onto for dear life. He was the reason she mustn’t give in, he was the reason she had to keep fighting…until the very end.
“Tell me!”
Z felt hot tears mixed with her own blood raining down her face, but she refused to give in. “Never! Go to hell!”
She heard the monster growl in rage and felt more than heard the bones in her leg shatter. Screaming in agony and chained to the chair she was unable to move as the blinding pain washed over her.
She didn’t hear the explosion near the entrance, nor see when the other Rangers rushed the monster. She was too lost in the pain…in too much pain to feel Bridge kneel beside her and release her from her bonds, and too far gone to feel him scoop her gently into his arms...
-------------------------
Bridge sat hunched over Z’s bedside, his hand firmly clutching hers, their fingers interlaced. He bowed his head, berating himself for not finding her sooner.
The doctor said that she was in critical condition and he wasn’t sure if she’d ever walk on her right leg again.
“So stupid,” he muttered, hitting himself in the forehead with the palm of his free hand. “This is all my fault.”
Sighing deeply, he looked up at the still form in the bed. Z was only a ghost of her former self. Pale and bruised, her left eye was swollen completely shut and there was a nasty gash over her right eye that would leave an ugly jagged scar. Her lip was busted and swollen and there were ligature marks around her throat, caused by an invisible rope. And Bridge knew without looking that the rest of her body was covered in ugly purple bruises and uncountable cuts. There were a few broken ribs, but it was her leg that had received the most damage. Everything else would heal, even the scars would fade in time, but her leg would never be the same; even if she was able to use it again…and that was a big maybe.
Bridge closed his eyes, unable to stare at her any longer without completely losing it. He felt a tear slide out from under his closed eyelid and land on the hand he had intertwined with the Yellow Ranger. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and tried to tell himself that she would be okay…but even the most perfect lie couldn’t prepare him for what he saw every time he closed his eyes...
The door burst open in a flash of noise and bright light. Not wasting a breath for the dust and rubble to settle, Bridge rushed in and nearly stumbled as he took in the sight before him.
Z; strapped to a chair that was chained to the wall, her arms bound cruelly behind her. Bloody and bruised, the Yellow Ranger sagged in the chair, barely holding on to consciousness.
The monster stood over her, his face set in a maniacal grin. Even more sickening was the look of sheer ecstasy on his face, seemingly enjoying the pain he inflected upon the helpless Ranger.
Bridge saw nothing but red; screaming in rage, he surged forward, heedless of his own safety, no longer aware of the rest of his team’s whereabouts, only focused on the form of Z’s torturer.
The battle was a blur; Bridge couldn’t even begin to recall what happened, all he knew was the opponent before him, as he swung and slashed with almost wild abandon. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this was all wrong. One did not engage in combat in anger, but Bridge couldn’t contain himself. Seeing Z there...the thought of her broke Bridge out of his red haze; it took him a moment to realize that the monster was down and in an instant later, Syd had carded him.
Almost unwillingly, afraid of what he would see, he spun slowly around to face Z. Still tied to the chair, her head hung limply, a few drops of her blood splattering onto the floor. Shaking inside, he approached her and gently undid her bonds, lifting her up as she practically fell into his arms.
The wait for the ambulance was the most excruciating moments of Bridge’s life. All he could do was gently hold her, trying to let her know he was there, but he wasn’t sure if she could even hear him. He felt tears streaming down his face, unable to contain them as he cooed to the trembling form in his arms.
Even during the trip to the hospital, Z barely stirred, and each time she had attempted to move, her face would contort into a mask of such agony that it would shatter his heart anew. Waiting in the cold silence of the hospital waiting room was even harder than waiting for the medics to arrive. He listened to the doctor’s words, his nerves afire, and his heart beating so fast he swore it would burst out of his chest at any moment. At long last, the doctor spoke the words he’d been longing to hear and he rushed past into Z’s room.
Pale; bruises everywhere, a large stitched-up cut on her forehead, Z was a mere shadow of her normal perky self. Bridge could feel his heart breaking as he sat down next to her bed and gently took one of her hands in his own. He mumbled incoherent nothings at her, more to soothe her or himself, he didn’t know...
The world around him was a blurred mass of gray and white when he finally opened his eyes, but the tears that had been falling so freely only moments before were gone. He had cried until there were no more tears left in him to cry.
With a heavy sigh he wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket, fearful of what he would see if he closed his eyes again, but he was so exhausted. He felt his eye lids drooping heavily, but forced them to stay open. Occasionally pinching himself on the cheek in an effort to keep sleep at bay, he tired to piece together his broken thoughts, but nature finally got the best of him as he drifted off into a fitful sleep; a sleep that was disturbed by images of Z’s abused form. And a scream; a god-awful, terrible scream that cut Bridge to the bone every time he heard it...
the story continues...