Amanda shivered on the floor of her room, her body aching from the previous days beating. It hadn't gotten any easier to hold on to hope, and she realized she was truly alone.
That was the thought that had broken her, not the torturing she was going through. She had been alone for so long, and she had been fine. She had been strong.
Alex coming back from the dead had made her realize how lonely she was, and knowing he was back reignited the hope in her chest that they could have a relationship like they used to when they were younger.
Then he disappeared again and the enforcers came for her. He had abandoned her. He saw her for the mess she really was and couldn't stand the sight of her, so he left at the first opportunity he had.
Just like father.
She curled up into a ball, the chain cuffs digging into her wrist. She was going to die here. Alone and broken. The pain she felt physically couldn't compare to the suffering her mind was going through.
A broken hand? That's nothing to a broken soul and a broken mind.
Tears rolled down her cheeks and she cried. She shed tears for all the years she had to fake being strong. She shed tears for herself. She shed tears for the loss of her brother.
Alex. His name repeated in her mind, ringing like a clarion call. Alex. He would live at least. She hoped he would be happy with his new life. Alex. Thank you for giving me just a moment of happiness again.
She couldn't say for sure why she did it, but Amanda stifled her tears and uncurled herself. She pushed herself to her feet, her body aching in protest and a fresh wave of pain shot through her broken fingers as she stood on shaky legs.
She wasn't dead yet. That thought drove her to call out the only name that had kept her sane this far.
"ALEX!"
***
Even through layers of padding and concrete, Amanda's shout reached Alex's ears. Her voice was like a wake up call, driving him to action.
"I don't like repeating myself you know, and I'm not in the habit of making the same promise twice." Anton stood there casually, like he wasn't holding two people in cells made specifically for torture. His amber colored eyes glinted with a hint of joy. This man was toying with them, and he was loving every second of it.
Alex mumbled something under his breath, just quiet enough that the Valdenci prick couldn't hear him clearly. "Hm, what was that?" He put a finger up to his ear, expecting Alex to speak louder.
He wasn't taking this seriously. To him, Alex and Amanda were just two annoying flies he was going to squash.
"I said. My name is Alexander Khelton, and my face is the last thing you will ever see." His voice was cold, empty of any of the raging emotions Alex was currently feeling.
So what if this asshole knew the truth, he wouldn't live long enough to make anything come of it. He cracked his knuckles and steadied his breathing. These chains couldn't hold him for long.
Anton's eyes widened in surprise before returning to normal. "You don't strike me as the type that lies, but…" He trailed off, studying Alex in a new light. He would have to rethink everything he knew.
No historical record had ever mentioned someone coming back from the dead. "Before you do anything rash young man, you should know that if anything happens to me a bullet will be put in your dear sister's head."
That gave Alex pause. The rage in him subsided slightly. As much as he wanted to make this man suffer, he couldn't. Amanda was too important to him. Her life wasn't worth trading just so Alex could have his pound of flesh.
"Smart decision, though it would have been amusing to watch you struggle in those chains." Anton saw the fight in Alex's eyes go out and he smiled to himself.
"Now, if you'll excuse me. My twelve o'clock is waiting for me in my office." Anton made to turn around, adjusting the cuff links of his suit. "Don't go anywhere, I won't be long." The door to Alex's room opened and he could do nothing but watch as the man he had revealed his secret to walked out.
Shit.
[If I may, Alexander. There is one way out of this situation. It is risky, but I have calculated the odds and it has the highest percentage of success.]
***
Anton's smile was as wide as could be as he strode towards the elevator. Nothing refreshed him quite like seeing the defeat in people's eyes.
Before today, he had an annoying pest problem, now he had an incredible bargaining chip. The very first instance of someone coming back to life, was it truly something that was possible?
His time spent with Alex was short lived, and he had no reason to believe the man's words about who he was, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was somehow true.
Whether it was true or not didn't matter, he would have all the time in the world to uncover the truth.
It irked him slightly that he couldn't stay down here and continue to torment the brother-sister duo, but business calls.
Besides, he was sure that Alex would listen so long as his sister's life was on the table. The elevator dinged open and he was about to step inside when a vibration in one of his suits pockets stopped him.
He pulled out the small recording device from earlier and tapped on the screen to turn it on. A live surveillance feed of the rooms was necessary when he was entertaining guests.
What he saw caused his smile to fade and his blood to freeze.
***
[A/N: Warning of slightly graphic violence ahead for the next two chapters. It's nothing extreme and I know everyone has different tolerances when it comes to this stuff, but consider yourself warned if you do have a weak stomach.]
"My Rage of the Hero skill?"
[Correct. Though you are strong enough to break free of these chains given enough time, activating the skill will guarantee you can snap them without any effort. After that you will have 60 seconds to free your sister.]
What about after that though? Surely they won't just let us walk right out of here with kindness in their hearts. Anton specifically has a reason to make sure I don't ever see the light of day. Plus, I'll be significantly weakened due to the effect of the skill wearing off.
[I am forbidden from giving you specifics. All I can say is that this is your best chance of survival.]
Great. Not only did he have a system that gave him answers to questions he didn't necessarily want answers to, it was also a master planner in all things suicidal.
In spite of that, it was right. He had already considered using the skill to get out of here, but logic dictated that he needed a more sound plan before he went berserk. If even the system was urging him to use the skill, then things truly were dire.
He closed his eyes and steadied himself, preparing to use the skill. All of his doubts, fears and worries were pushed aside. He couldn't allow those things to impact him. He had to be focused. He had to stay on task.
All that mattered was Amanda, and getting her out safely. He would never forgive himself for putting her in this position.
Alex took one more deep breath, and then activated the skill. Power surged into him at an immense rate. His muscles bulged as his strength was increased, his senses were sharp enough to detect the faintest of foot steps outside of his room. The chains around his wrists would not hold him back any longer.
[Know this! Due to the Host's emotional state, 'Rage of the Hero' has been temporarily upgraded. Stats increased by 150%, skill lasts 75 seconds.]
[Warning! The Host's soul is not strong enough to contain the power of the upgraded skill. The after effects are unpredictable and will most likely cause an immense amount of pain to the user. Would you still like to activate it?]
Alex was at the precipice, the skill all but active already. He couldn't afford to turn back now.
[Rage of the Hero activated.]
And Alex's vision went dark.
***
Amanda was wondering when the next round of her torture would begin when a loud noise disturbed her thoughts.
Despite her weak state she tried to listen to what was going on. The chain kept her floored in the center of the room, but she could still somewhat see through the slit of her door.
Muffled voices came through the other side, "Prisoner X-24 has escaped! All available hands to corridor two." It was the enforcer guards outside her room. Someone had come up and told them that a prisoner had gotten out. "What about the girl?" Their orders were to stay and guard her room no matter what.
"She doesn't matter right now. New orders from the boss are to contain and restrain, and if necessary, kill." Amanda guessed that the boss was Anton himself. Only he could dictate what these men did, they hung on his every word. The escaped prisoner was far more interesting though.
Just who did they have locked up that warranted such a reaction from everyone?
***
Alex's door flew off its hinges, crashing into the hallway with a loud bang. The two guards stationed outside his room took a moment to react, and that moment of hesitation was their doom. Alex stepped out of his padded room and into the hallway, his bare feet echoing softly on the cold metal floor.
His skin was pale, unnaturally so, as if he hadn't gotten sun in months. Running up his arms and down his legs were pulsing black veins that had spread out in a lightning-like pattern; they contained all the power coursing through him.
Pitch black eyes of pure darkness looked at the two guards, they weren't a threat, but they were in the way.
The Angel of Death had come, and they were his first victims.
With a burst of speed that was too fast to follow for the human eye, Alex struck out with his hands and hit the guard to his left in the neck.
He was lifted off his feet and slammed back into the metal wall of the hallway with a sickening crunch. His windpipe was instantly crushed and he died on impact, his body leaving a dent in the wall. The one on the right fared no better.
Alex grabbed the back of his head and shoved him face first to the ground. His hand crushed the man's skull, caving it in instantly.
He pulled his hand away covered in blood. He studied it for just a moment before moving on. The veins began to spread and covered more of his skin.
Four more guards at the end of the corridor came rushing in his direction. They wore the same padded armor that most enforcers wore, except theirs was colored a slightly darker grey than the normal uniform.
This was due to them being members of Anton's personal bodyguard detail. Patches on their shoulder pads indicated their rank and the role they served.
Each of them was armed with a stun baton and a sidearm was holstered to the belts around their waists. Alex's lips twitched in amusement. Such trivial toys couldn't hurt him.
These men were little more than ants that he could have his way with. The lightning-like veins started to spread once more, covering a majority of his limbs and chest.
He dashed forwards, attacking the first man on the left. His fist connected with the guard's stomach, instantly shattering his rib cage.
The punch was so strong that he was lifted off of his feet and tossed back like a ragdoll. He landed with a heavy thud onto the floor, his head dangling at an angle that it shouldn't be.
Without pausing, Alex jumped up onto the shoulders of the next guard and wrapped his legs around the man's neck. One twist was all it took to snap it with a loud crack.
The man fell to the ground, lifeless, and Alex tumbled into a roll before coming up to his feet. The remaining two guards looked at him with fear in their eyes.
In a matter of seconds, two of their compatriots had fallen to this monster. One of them raised up his arms to try and stop Alex. "Please don't kill us! We have- AHHHHH!"
His pleas fell on deaf ears. Alex had grabbed his arm and snapped it upwards at the elbow, breaking the bone and rupturing it through the skin. He then kicked at the man's knee, breaking it in a similar fashion. Before the man could fall, Alex gripped him by the neck and tossed him with all the force he could muster into a wall.
The guard's body splattered the wall in bits of blood and gore as it made impact. Alex turned his head to look at the last remaining guard.
More were coming, he could hear their heavy footsteps approaching his direction. "Where is she?" His voice wasn't his own. It was deeper than usual. Flat and void of any emotion or humanity. Truth be told, he didn't care about what he was doing to these men. They were inconsequential to him.
The last guard didn't even respond, he just pointed in the direction that Amanda's cell was in. Alex made his death swift and painless and moved forward, heading in the direction the man had indicated.
[Rage of the Hero skill time remaining, 52 seconds…]