Leaping over her desk, the Apostle flew from her office. With speed far greater than any human could manage, she ran through the halls, startling everyone she passed.
Bounding off of walls to round corners, she slowed for nothing. The elevators would be too slow so she took the stairs, dropping over the railing to the next flight several times until she reached the right floor and burst through the door to the containment wing.
That Subject belonged to her! How dare the resistance even think to take him from her!
Without slowing, she drew the sword hidden beneath her cloak. Its black blade flashed in the light as she kicked the correct door so hard that it broke off its hinges and crashed to the ground inside, revealing a very startled Yuri and a half freed Jonathan.
Without hesitation, the Apostle strode forward and drove her blade through Yuri’s heart, killing him instantly.
“Figures something like that would happen,” Jonathan sighed. “I rather liked
him.”
“You may finish freeing yourself. You will be coming with me.”
“Ooh! Our first date. Where to, Cora?”
“My name is the Apostle! You will address me as such, or not at all.”
Watching Jonathan free himself, the Apostle gestured to his clothing and sword in the corner. Allowing him to keep his weapon was a slight risk, but she needed him to think he could trust her.
“Clothe yourself, but make no sudden movements. The floor will electrify if the computers believe you’re escaping, and that would be bad for both of us.”
It was a blatant lie, but she was good at lying, especially with her face covered.
He would believe it.
Eyeing his naked body with natural curiosity about something she had little to no experience with, she watched him dress. When he was clothed, he reached for his sword, hesitating for a second, but when she did not protest he strapped it on.
Stepping to a cabinet that held drugs and other such questioning tools, the Apostle withdrew two metal rings with electrodes placed evenly on the inner side.
“Put out your hands.”
In turn she released the catch on each of the rings and clipped them around his wrists. Once they locked closed, the red light near the clasps began flashing to indicate activation.
“Those are stun cuffs. If you move them more than seven inches apart, try to
remove them, or make any sudden movements, they’ll shock you with ten thousand volts.
Enough to stun a human, but far more than necessary to kill you. I suggest you be very careful.”
“I’ll cherish them always as the first gift from you, oh beautiful one. Speaking of jewelry, did you happen to see a necklace with a purple crystal on it around here? It doesn’t seem to be with any of my things.”
Removing the crystal from her pocket, she dangled it in front of him. “I’ll be keeping this for now. You may earn it back, in time.”
“Oh,” Jonathan looked down at his crotch and back at her with a sleazy grin.
“And how am I gonna do that, gorgeous? You wouldn’t happen to be held captive by your accursed virginity would you?”
“From this point on you are my apprentice,” the Apostle thought it wiser to
simply ignore his antics. “Once you have proven yourself, you may have it back.”
“Apprentice? No thanks. That sounds like something that requires effort, and effort and I have a mutual agreement to keep away from each other.”
“We shall see,” the Apostle wondered if his wits were just addled by the shock he’d received, or if he was actually as insane as he appeared to be. “Follow me, and remember, you might not survive sudden movements.”
*****
“Sit down and keep quiet,” the Apostle pointed to a chair at one of the consoles in the Citadel’s control room.
“That could pose problematic,” Jonathan looked like he thought he was guilty of something and hoped she wouldn’t notice.
“Explain.”
“I can’t sit in that chair wearing my sword, and I can’t take it off without moving my hands more than seven inches apart.”
It was almost as though he was in possession of an instruction booklet titled How to annoy the Apostle of Cain.
With one swift motion she drew her black blade and sliced the back off the chair.
The clatter it made on the metal floor was louder than she’d expected as she sheathed the sword in a fluid movement and swept her cloak back into place over it.
Looking at the chair, Jonathan shrugged, flashing his odd grin. “Problem solved.”
Bushy black tail wagging, he sat, looking at her as though expecting a treat for performing a trick like a common pet.
Ignoring him, the Apostle turned toward the row of consoles and waved a hand to activate the holographic display. There were several views of the base of the Citadel, a few from the city around it, as well as some choice camera feeds from inside. A large mob of resistance people was gathering outside in the streets. They would soon learn that they could not stand against the Apostle of Cain.
“Resistance fighters have infiltrated my tower and they think I am oblivious to it.
Tonight they try and take me captive, but I’ve known of their plans for a very long time.
They think they have me, but they’re walking right into my trap.”
“Brains and a pretty face,” Jonathan said worshipfully.
“I told you to keep quiet!”
Jonathan mimed zipping his lips closed and gave her an exaggerated wink.
Rolling her eyes, she continued.
“What they do not know is that every time I make a broadcast to the city, there’s a subliminal message that has been burrowing itself into the subconscious of every person that sees or hears it.”
Mumbling something, Jonathan kept his lips together as though they had, indeed, been zipped closed.
“Every broadcast I make tightens my control over them. With the right signal this pathetic little rebellion is finished. If I command it, they’ll kill each other, or even die on the spot. They don’t even realize that they’re my willing slaves. They cannot depose me now. It’s far too late. So long as the equipment in this room still functions I have total power over them. It’s called the Controller.”
“No one should have that much power over people,” Jonathan gasped in horror.
“I have every right to this power! I am the Apostle of Cain. These people’s lives are mine to do with as I wish!”
“Do you even know one single thing about the monster that you’re serving?”
“I suppose you’re going to tell me my god is evil. I know that already, however, I have no choice but to serve. If I do not, I will never attain my deepest desire!”
“And what is that,” Jonathan seemed to have transformed into a completely
different person. His face was cool and considering, without a shred of his earlier foolishness.
“I have no reason to tell you.”
“Is that so,” Jonathan leaned toward her. “Let me tell you what I know about
Cain. He’s immortal, and insane. He’ll do anything to end his own life. It doesn’t matter how many innocent people have to die for him to get his wish, so long as he does.