"Just throw it over to the otherside!" August yelled as Samarie looked down at the bundle of cloth in her hands.
The truck sized dog, Moonless, was now clean, and being bandaged. The poor mutt whimpered as its wounds were being mended.
It was rather unfortunate now that Samarie lost her versatility in magic in exchange for her physical strength. But, it was something that the girl would have to stomach as a consequence of her actions.
Despite her near almighty blessing, there would just be things she would be unable to do, and things she wouldn't…
Although, as she received knowledge of what she was now able to do, Samarie suddenly felt woefully unprepared for what was to come.
If the girl could, she would have given it to someone else. After all, there were so many other people that would kill to be in her unique position. Off the top of her head, Samarie was finding it hard to think about anyone else but Her.
"Samarie? Samarie are you okay!?" August asked aloud, breaking the girl from her thoughts.
Right, she had a job to do first. She could deal with the implications of what her new ability meant later.
"Here!" She replied back, throwing the bundle of bandages over Moonless. Wrapping the last of the poor dog's wounds as it laid down on the ground.
However, once it was over, instead of getting the lesson she was promised, the older man took her aside.
He looked at her as though she were wounded in some way- despite already being told that Samarie healed quite quickly after eating.
"What is it?" She prodded, unsure where to stand in the conversation. "I know I said I already learned a lot from you and Moonless without the lesson, but I don't think you're going to follow up on some words of wisdom."
With a heavy sigh, he held his gaze on the girl, a hand moving to rest on her shoulder. "I feel that there is something weighing on your mind. I know it's a bit of an overstep from me, but I would like to accompany you for a little while."
Realization dawned on Samarie, but August raised his other hand before she got a word in.
"It's just for a day or so. In a city like this, there is strength in numbers," He pointed out, reinforcing his argument. "Besides, with those things still out there, I wouldn't want you getting in mortal danger because you stepped into the wrong alley."
Samarie's eyes squinted, looking the man up and down for a second.
For a moment, her gaze turned suspicious. After all, it was only right she reacted like this. It was unusual for people to act out of the kindness of their heart.
But perhaps this man was just the sort to be kind for the sake of others…
The thought put the girl at a standstill.
Of course, the relationships and dynamics she'd seen in the Vatican were skewed towards the insane and depraved. However, the books she read told her this kind of kindness always had something of an ulterior motive, one way or another.
However, they only met an hour, and some change, ago. It wasn't like they were the best of friends that were the sort to do this.
At the same time, the logic was quite sound. Samarie failed to see any points she could poke holes into, without also revealing the inadequacies of her own situation.
So, for the sake of being more safe, she reluctantly accepted the help. It wasn't like she couldn't shrug the older man off if he really did intend her harm, despite how easy it would have been with her fighting off Moonless and the sword Miasma.
"Fine," She crossed her arms, letting out a deep sigh. "If you're going to come with, then you might as well lead the way. I don't quite know how to leave, and you were the one to get me here while I was passed out."
August's expression turned into a small smile as he nodded. "Right, and you would have been left out in the middle of the street otherwise," He fired back. "Though, you're quite right. With any luck, we should be able to camp out in the military bunker a little bit ahead."
He pointed behind Samarie, towards a concrete tunnel that led deeper into the foundations of Prehevil. It bore some similarities to the tunnels in the ninth circle. But where this one looked like it just started gathering dust, the ones in the Vatican were cluttered with spiders and cobwebs.
Was it just coincidence or was there a reason why Samarie was taken here?
It wasn't just that. The whole ordeal she had before getting on the trains as suspect as well.
Overall, it blended a picture that was peculiar. Odd in the way a lot of other things that made too much and too little sense to be connected.
Shaking her head, Samarie shelved the thoughts for now. Whether she was right or wrong would have to be something for another day. For now, she just had to follow August.
"Having second thoughts?" August asked right next to her.
"Not quite second thoughts," Samarie paused, organizing her head. "Was just reminded about a bad memory."
"Then, do you want to share to Moonless, over here," He gestured to the dog. "I know she doesn't look like it. But she's quite the listener, the best there ever was. Second only to my wife of course."
"Wroo!" The dog whined, a hand over its nose.
"But the kids will always think you're the best, so it equals out, right?"
The dog debated the idea for a moment, before purring in contentment.
…
Did he just…
Was that a thing? From what Samarie read, dogs couldn't talk…
So uhh…
What was that?
"Moonless is a special kind of dog," Samarie remembered him saying. "The kind that watched over my family for generations."
There was a fondness to his eye, that never disappeared as they were washing the pup.
Perhaps it was that twinkle in his eye that explained all of this.
Touching her chest, Samarie felt past the lumps of flesh, and reached for her pulse underneath. Beat by beat, she searched for that feeling. Understanding it was buried deep within her, somewhere.
It was a different kind of love, she supposed. But it also wasn't.
But perhaps she was searching in the wrong direction.
That gaze, the context of August's words.
"The past, huh."
It only brought awful memories.
"Yeah, the past. Too often, we can only think about the what-ifs," He said with a wistful gravity. "But, if you can find it within yourself to see the good that bloomed for the first time, then you tend to appreciate the present more. And understand what went wrong, so that you don't repeat it in the future."
Samarie felt for the memory, blindly searching like a seashell lost to the sea.
Was there ever a good memory of her past?
Every time she search, her memories were only tainted by what happened later. By the things done onto her, out of her control. But, with the way August was talking…
Maybe she didn't need to look at the bad to make her heart feel lighter.
Maybe she could search for a different memory, one from a handful of years back.
The day her mind expanded to the world.
The day she tasted the forbidden fruit of reaching past Marina's boundaries.
After growing up, she saw how many wrongs she had done. At the same time, she saw how she could have improved. How she could make sure to make a better impression. How in learning how to understand herself, there was a better way to turn things around.
"I crossed a line that I should not have," Samarie began, gently caressing the soft fur of the hound. "In doing so, I am forever haunted by what I did, embarrassed to this day that I had the capacity to perform such actions without an ounce of shame."
She regaled them with the tale of how she met Marina- though sanitized were truly too far.
On one hand, her heart and thoughts became lighter in her chest. The truth setting her free even if only August and Moonless were listening to her.
On the other, those bonds tied her down because of the fact they were lies to begin with, minor though they might have been.
But, as the story came to a close, a sense of dread loomed over Samarie's mind.
Her mark wasn't bleeding, so there was no indication something wanted to confront her.
Though, her gut warned her otherwise. To still be weary for those things that went bump in the night.
"Are you sure it's safe in the bunker?"
"About as safe as you can get for something that was abandoned in a hurry," August reassured. "Besides, it shouldn't be too hard to secure if you're so worried."
"Scavengers are still a thing, you know?"
"So what? With your skill, I doubt there will be anything too dangerous for us to take care of."
Samarie rose a brow. "So, you're going to make me do all the work then?"
The older man's eyes widened, in alarm. "No, of course not. It would be like expecting my teenage daughters to do all the work." He shook his head. "As the eldest in our little cohort, I should be the one pulling the most weight."
The girl wanted to retort by calling out his actions during the fight with Miasma, but came up short when it came to what she would be able to do if she were in August's place then.
Instead, she stayed silent, and August raised his head like a peacock lording its superiority over others.
Heading into the tunnel, they were met with an elevator at the very end of the hallway.
It was quite unfortunate that Moonless couldn't be brought along with them. The poor dog would have barely fit through the tunnel as it was, and the human-sized elevator was just the cherry to this sad sundae.
But, they trudged on, confident that Moonless could make it on the outside - even if only for a little while.
Samarie just hoped she would be safe.
Rising to the third floor, the elevator jostled as it reached its destination, closing with a long whine.
Immediately, it set the group on edge, as they scanned their surroundings, checking each corner for whatever they might hide in their midst.
To their left, was a machine of sorts. Large, bulky, with various wires leading into another room. On the otherwise, was a hallway that lead to what looked to be the bunker's sleeping area, designated with a Zzzz logo next to the door.
Since they only really needed the beds to sleep, Samarie and August decided to sweep the dorms first.
Entering the dimly lit halls, they checked each room for any unknown occupants, finding nothing until they reach the last room.
August's hand grazed the door knob, but he paused just as he touched it.
"What was that?" He asked in a hushed whisper.
"What's what?" Samarie replied.
"There's something on the oth-"
Before August could finish his words, the door opened on its own…
Revealing someone Samarie didn't expect to meet so soon.
Abella stood in a daze, a hand on her temple as she held the walls on for support.
"Lenora, is that you?"
"Len-" August cut himself off before continuing.
"Abella? What happened!?" Samarie pressed herself against the girl, supporting her side as she moved her towards a chair. "Why are you here? Where's Marina? What happened to the others!?"
Her questions came out one after another. But, the mechanic was unresponsive. Like she was taking too much stress to process the words coming out of her.
"I think we need to give her a bit of space, Samarie," August suggested. "Looks like she's been through a lot. If we can give her the chance to gain her bearings, she might be able to answer us easier."
While what the older man said might have been understandable, Samarie was having a hard time hearing anything he said.
But alas, she relented, taking a step back as she crossed her arms.
Looking at the mechanic, Samarie saw how she was constantly in motion. Trembling so much it looked like the chair was shaking with her.
Maybe pausing might have been the right thing.
There was something troubling Abella. Something that might be related to Marina. Afterall, in the dangers of Prehevil, there was more safety in numbers.
But that posed the question: what was so dangerous that they would need to separate to this extent?
"August, can you keep watch for a second?" Samarie asked.
"Huh? Think you can do something?" He asked, his head turning left and right. "Alright, I'll cover our six while you're busy. Might as well make this place look a bit homey."
His comment brought an appreciative smile to Samarie's face as she nodded."i appreciate it."
Slowly, she turned her sights onto Bella's sight stare.
The eyes were the window to the soul. As their eyes locked with one another, a mental bridge was shared between them. Opening for deeper possibilities while leaving Abella more aware of what Samarie was performing inside of her.
Inside the mechanic's mind palace, the girl found herself dropped in the middle of a destroyed house. The roof had been blown off, letting in the biting cold winds. Meanwhile, the halls of the house stretched as far as the eye could see, replicating a famous wall shed seen from the eastern lands.
Looking at her surroundings, Samarie found several doors that led to a running car.
Behind each door, there were no drivers at the wheel, no matter how far the line of pathways, Samarie opened. And even when she turned off one of the cars, the moment she opened it again, the car would start on its own.
Symbolisms and such, Samarie supposed. They relied on the internal logic of the person she was looking into.
In this case, Abella likely processed her emotions by treating each like a car ride. Each taking her through the highs and lows of the memories she experienced.
However, as Samarie looked through the doors, she eventually reached one end of the hall. An end only because the rest of the house had been uprooted.
Opening the door, the car within looked more damaged than the others. Its left wheel had a flat tire, meanwhile the right side had a nasty side bore long and deep scratches, making the vehicle look like it fought a tree and lost.
Samarie's face twisted, conflicted on whether she should even get on or not.
Alas, Marina's fate was on the line, and her curiosity burned like a cruel fire. Once more, she would have to cross a boundary to make sure Marina was safe.
Getting in the car, it suddenly moved forward, exiting the liminal room it appeared in, and exited through a tunnel that appeared on the wall.
Slowly, she approached a light at the end of the tunnel. But, right before the exit, the car suddenly trembled, like it hit a bump in the road.
It shook Samarie from her seat, making the girl blink, as the environment changed from one moment to the next.
Where the light once stood, now she went through a long bathroom hallway. Though, it looked more like a stage set than anything else.
The car came to a stop, as the scene was set. Two actors came to the stage, props already in hand, as they played the scene.
{---}
On one side, seated on a metal chair, was Abella, blood streaking down her face, as her teeth gnashed against one another.
On the other was… Marina, a knife in her hand as she carved the symbol of Grogoroth into Abella's face. The scar disappeared in embers of blue wisps as soon as it was completed.
"This should grant you an overall enhancement to your body," Marina explained as she took a step back. "Which means your attacks will hit harder, and your body is able to take hits better."
"I get that, but what's the meaning behind it?" The mechanic asked, glancing towards the mirror. She looked at the left side of her face, where a faint scar was all that was left from the procedure. At the power that now thrumbed beneath her skin.
She felt it with each flex of her muscles.
Every motion had this mechanical precision, like she was measuring everything in terms of efficiency.
However, not all movement were equal. In that, the knowledge tended to favor those suited for fighting.
Even then, as she looked back at Marina, she could see faint phantoms of her body all around the girl, each poised to strike at a vital point.
Taking a deep breath, shook her head.
"It is the mark of an Old God, one whose purpose stood on the foundation of violence," Marina explained, laying back on her chair. "Gro-goroth might not be worshipped these days, but His power is certainly still around."
Flexing her arms, Abella certainly felt it.
It was a battery was plugged into her muscles, shocking her into a different level of awareness.
Though, it seemed like someone else was having a little too much fun at the show she was giving.
While Abella might have ran around in overalls, Marina never quite appreciated that fact until now.
So, as the slack-jawed girl stared at the mechanic, a blush bloomed on her face, as Abella grinned.
"Well, I guess I should give you a reward for helping out, right?" Marina nodded at the provocation. "Well, at least the view is appreciated."
Walking up to the cultist, she shifted uncomfortably, the smaller girl's thighs finding it hard to rest.
A fox-like grin took over Abella's face, as she titled Marina's head with her index finger. "Don't worry, it will only be a teaser. The others would get curious if we took too long, after all."
Marina's breath still, as if the moment stretched impossibly long. All the while, Abella closed the distance between the two of them.
By the time the mechanic stopped, they were both eye to eye, Abella's breath tickling Marina's skin. As the cultist shuddered, Abella's satisfaction only grew.
"'Bella, but I-"
"Shh~, allow me to lead, it's a man's role to make sure their woman is well taken care of."
She placed a hand behind Marina's head, supporting her, as Abella leaned in.
{---}
Samarie's hearing diminished as she watched the scene, blood pumping faster and faster, as each sensation rocked the car like an unpaved road.
On one hand, a searing heat burned itself between her loins. Not far from those she felt when she used a spell of Sylvian. However, her heart felt like it sunk to the depths of the abyss. Like someone had ripped it straight out of her chest.
No matter how much she wanted to tear her eyes off the sight, it was like she couldn't. Was it the horror at display, or a teaser of what was to come in her future? At the same time, did this mean that she was more interested in Abella? Were there others Samarie wasn't aware about?
But she knew everything about Marina, down to the most minute detail. Nothing escaped her sight. And yet, she had been blind sided by this conniving cunt. A whore who took what was rightfully hers to begin with.
As the car strode back into the room she found it in, Samarie got out of the contraption, and looked back on the vehicle.
Clearly, this memory was fraying on the edges. This was the last thing Abella would be able to remember. So, perhaps she could twist things to her benefit.
Sure, Samarie had learned about the concept of boundaries, and how far to take something.
But at the same time, was it really wrong to cross the boundaries of someone who had taken something that wasn't theirs? Someone who crossed her boundaries and sensibilities?
Of course it was.
It was why the saying: "An eye for an eye," was so often used in the first place.
Clearly, she would be doing the world a service by removing this memory.
And her blessing would agree with her as well, granting her an ability at the most opportune of times.
For someone who crossed the worst possible line, the only sentence that would have been suitable was a collar to make sure they wouldn't repeat the same mistake.
A dog, after all, needed to be disciplined. Even if it was a man's best friend.
Samarie's Kagune violently erupted from the small of her back, tearing through the vehicle with ease.
By the time she was done, it had been reduced to scrap. Unusable by all regards.
While it was not as thorough as ripping the memory out of her head, Abella only had an ice cube's chance in hell of recovering it.
Samarie returned to the material world, finding herself staring back at Abella's glassy eyes. She needed to be quick, the mechanic only had a few minutes before she woke up again.
Out of the ether, a translucent collar appeared in Samarie's hand. Gently, she placed it over Abella's neck, locking it with a clasp.
In seconds, she felt the contract take place, shackling her soul with her slave's.
She would have to interrogate Abella, when she had the chance. For now, Samarie needed to buy some time. August couldn't be privy to the interrogation she would put this bitch through.
"Is she going to be alright, Samarie?" August asked.
"She's going to be fine," Samarie wiped some sweat off her brow. "But I need to see if there's any lingering mental influence when she wakes up. Can you help me put her in one of the bunker's rooms?"
August pondered for a moment, but inevitably nodded. After all, the mind was a delicate thing. And it seemed like Samarie had everything handled.
So, he helped her carry the unconscious Abella into the bunker's medical ward, laying her down on one of the beds, as he left to scout out the rest of the base.
Once August was out of the picture, Samarie locked the door behind her, her eyes locking on the sleeping form of Abella.
She stood at the side of the bed, and waited.
Soon enough, Abella woke to the sight of Samarie nursing her unresponsive body.
Like a deer in headlights, she froze. Her instincts telling her something was terribly wrong with her body. However, due to a lack of expertise, she didn't know what exactly was wrong with her.
"Morning sleepy head, did you have a good nap?" Samarie asked, a sly grin on her face. And that seemed to only put Abella on edge even more. "Oh, silly me, I almost forgot. You've never seen me in this outfit, have you?"
With a flourish of Samarie's hand, a hat appeared in her palm. The very same witches hat that she used in her Lenora persona.
With a flick of Samarie's wrist, it soared into the air, and fixed itself onto her head. Her visage overlapping with that of when she was Lenora, minus the outfit, of course.
"Now, August, the other person with me, is in the other room. But just in case, I've locked the door to delay him a little while longer while I talk to you."
The girl's words set Abella on edge, her body already moving to make distance.
But, as she made to sit up from the bed, Samarie whispered something that made her body freeze once more.
"Stop," There was a coldness to Samarie's voice, feeling a sense that the tone fit her like a glove. "And tell me what trick did you pull on Marina."
Abella grunted, attempting to forced her body to move. But then, she groaned, as pain seared her nerves.
The memories, damaged as they were, were practically unrecoverable. But in the end, Samarie was not at the point where she could remove it entirely.
Strong emotions, lingering connections still tied Abella to the event in question. It just felt rolling in barbed wire every time she reached for the memories in question.
"What happened while I was gone?"
The command echoed with the weight of the world, the air itself becoming as heavy as mountains.
Abella struggled to take a breath. Each inhale feeling more forced than the last. "I- I-"
Her words were cut short, as she was assaulted by fragmented images. Torn images that looked like they came from a scrapbook.
In each, she saw herself and Marina. Of what they shared, and of the promised reward.
"What?" She whispered under her breath. "Are you…? Is that…?"
Abella found it difficult to insert herself into the conversation. On one hand, she was compelled, forced to say what was on her mind. On the other, she did not want to upset the girl who could casually level a bunker all on her own.
"Yes. Now spit it out!" Samarie's voice became harsher, patience fraying at the edges. "I want to know how you were able to steal what was not yours to begin with!"
Vindicated beyond belief, tears trailed down the girl's face. Her shoulders shook with rage, but with a fragility that spoke of how delicate her current mental state was.
But, no matter how loud, or how angry she became, the answer would still remain the same.
Abella had no clue what Samarie was talking about. But in her panic stricken mind, a sudden enlightenment struck her.
She knew she had not stolen anything. However, in the memories she was forced to remember, she did see one very peculiar thing.
The way Marina stared, how her gaze lingered on her body.
How her expressions made it all the sweeter when they-
"You know what you've done!"
And it would seem like she hit the nail right on the head.
Abella sighed a long deep breath. One that anyone would have said was tired, but to Samarie's ears, she only heard mockery.
"Mar-Marina, right?" She prodded, waiting for a response.
"Yes!" The answer came without pause, and with the sharpness of a blade. "What did you do to her!"
"I-" Abella's body seized, the collar on her neck becoming visible, as the strange magic took effect. "Did nothing to her!"
Samarie froze, baffled at the answer. Was she really hearing this right? Did this… This homewrecker really just say that right in front of her?
"Are you telling the truth?" She demanded, though her voice was noticeably weaker. "Do you really believe in what you are saying?"
"Yes," The answer was the last nail for Samarie. "I believe in everything that I say. It is the truth, and nothing but the truth."
How was she to believe no trickery, no betwitching magic was casted on Marina? When she had tried, and failed to get her beloved's love and attention for so long. And this mongrel gets it the moment she looked away?
A pit formed in her stomach, one that wouldn't go away no matter how much she thrashed about.
Her kagune violently shook, the very air around her trembled.
Something wasn't right, and Samarie knew it.
"Then why did Marina fall for you first!?" The girl finally demanded, her voice straining itself to even come out.
"Fall for me?" Abella was confused. However, the collar forced her to answer the question. "She didn't fall for me, Lenora. Admittedly, I did seduce her. But love and attraction are two very different things."
Samarie's gut wrenched even further, as though Abella were twisting the knife further into her stomach.
Why? Why did this hurt so much?
Was it not Marina who promised to give her a 'shot'? A chance, the smallest of probabilities, to see if a relationship between the two of them would have worked?
And yet, here the evidence laid, that Marina might not have been attracted to her form.
No matter what blessings, or how many she got from her godly gift, would she ever be the one to truly catch Marina's eye?
God-given confidence or not, Samarie knew it was awful for anyone to hear they lost the race just because they were not beautiful enough.
And looking at Abella, she could see why that was.
Which made it hurt all the more that Marina couldn't look past those qualities and… see the real version of her.
The version of her which forced Marina to experience change she wasn't ready for.
The same one that confessed after giving Marina that same experience…
Samarie, who planned to kill Marina's father so that she could impress her crush.
The very same that shackled her romantic rival just to understand what was wrong with her instead of coming to that point on her own.
Right, and there lay the crux of her issues, didn't it?
Perhaps, she could try being a better person as well, right?
With a wave of her hand, the restraints on Abella ceased their binding, allowing the mechanic to be set free.
Although, tears pooled beneath Samarie, as her head hung without support.
What kind of good person does these kinds of things, right?
Only her tormentors, those bastards in the ninth circle did this kind of thing onto others.
She needed to be better than them, right?
But why did it feel more empty than satisfying her urges?
Why did it feel she lost something along with the dissolution of Abella's collar?
Her kagune retreated into her back, as weakness invaded her entire body.
Suddenly, Samarie's knees wobbled, her arms losing strength.
She reached out, and clung to the Gae Bolg like it was her only lifeline. The one thing that could ground her in the stormy mess of her mind.
And yet, she found herself adrift.
"Marina," She whispered, as though she could conjure the girl from thin air. "It was supposed to be me, right? Not her… It isn't fair…"
"No it isn't," A sudden warmth tenderly touched her cheek, motioning for her to look up. "Life often isn't."
Abella looked at her, with an expression that was half one of sympathy, and the other a grimace. And yet, that warmth spread from her cheek, and into her heart. "For what it's worth, I did not mean to be a homewrecker."
The woman got off the bed, leveling with the distraught girl. "But, at the same time, you cannot fault Marina for choosing someone else over you. It was her decision, and she has the right to do with her life as she pleases. Whether those choices be good, or bad."
"Then why?" Samarie sniffled, a pained looked crossing her face. "Why do you think she shouldn't choose me for my body? What about you does she find so attractive!"
Abella clenched her fists, finding it difficult to say the words on her mind.
To say that she had larger "gifts" would be too harsh. However, she had to be honest with the girl.
"Well, you could learn how to dress a bit better?" Abella suggested, supporting Samarie's head to look up to her. "Your face could use a bit of makeup to smooth through some of the scars and blemishes you have."
Samarie wrestled for her head back. "What about you, you don't even use make-up!" She accused.
"Well, that's different. The appeal that I bring out, is different to what you bring to the table," Abella explained. "People are different, we all have our own unique style. You just have to learn how to take what you have inside, and show everyone else your inner beauty."
Samarie flinched, "Right, inner beauty," The girl scoffed. "What use is inner beauty, if my body looks like this!"
Her hands gestured for her body, but Abella looked just looked confused. That was until the girl snapped her fingers, and all but her hat disappeared from her body.
Samarie pulled the hat over her face, covering herself. "Look at me, do you see what they've done?"
Her body was a patchwork of scars, and bodily modification. For the past twelve years of her life, the ninth circle had systematically tortured her. They sacrificed different parts of her body to test how far a person could go before they were no longer considered human, but something entirely different.
So many times, Samarie felt herself slip further and further into the abyss. Hell, the mark on the back of her trapezius spoke of how much her body would be worth if she were to be sacrificed.
At the end of the day, she was never meant to love, or to live.
She was meant to be culled as though she were mere livestock. A sacrifice so that those bastard's rituals would be more potent.
However, Abella didn't gasp, nor did she wail. Instead, she gently caressed the girl, her fingers tracing the faded lines over her heart.
From the sharp lines of Gro-goroth, much line the ones on Abella's own face, her fingers drifted lower, tracing the mark below Samarie's stomach. A modified version of Sylvian's mark.
All the way to the harsh lines next to her nape, one which throbbed with a wrongness she felt in her gut.
"All your scars are a death you narrowly avoided," Abella told the vulnerable girl. "You don't have to obsess over them, nor do you have to merely accept them."
She then sighed, pulling the girl close. "I'm not the best at talking to people like this, nor am I familiar with your… situation."
Abella pulled away, her shoulders drooping as she looked at Samarie's sobbing form.
Pity was the only thing in her eyes, and it made something in Samarie's stomach wrench. Like she wouldn't have gotten this attention if she wasn't like this.
But did she have any other positive traits? If she were to go on and on about the wrongs done to her, was there any sort of good thing to come out of it?
Samarie bit her lip, her emotions settling, as her chest felt heavier than it should have.
No, she didn't deserve it.
Though, she also had to look at it from a different angle. Perhaps there was a chance for her, deep inside her messed up heart. Maybe she was getting attention solely for her trauma. However, what if it was because Abella saw that there was something there to help her be a better person.
After all, despite what she had done to the mechanic, she still chose to help instead of tearing a hole into her.
So, Samarie sucked it up. She let go of the weight on her heart, and decided to-
"But what I do know is that: when a girl is having some issues, the best thing I can do is this."
Samarie's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Her mind became a mess of wild unknown stimuli and misfired nerves.
What is she doing?
There was no anger, no grief, sorrow, or any other kind of emotion. There was just a deep confusion at what was happening.
Soft, like the petals of a rose. They caressed her with the gentleness one would only hold with a babe. And yet, there was also a roughness that made her loins stir with heat. Melting her thoughts into a soup.
"Mhmm~."
Weird noises left her mouth as Samarie continued to struggled. And yet, a deep part of her also enjoyed the feeling.
Though, as she understood what was happening, the sensations stopped.
Abella pulled back, a string of saliva the only evidence of what she had done.
She brushed it off with her hand, a small satisfied smile on her face.
"I know it's hollow coming from me, but there is nothing about your body that would put people off," Abella reassured, holding the girl's chin. "But, that does not give you the privilege to do as you please like you and Marina are the only people who matter."
"But I-"
"Don't take this the wrong way," The mechanic cut her off. "This doesn't make us a pair, or anything. But the offer is still on the table if you and Marina dont work out."
Heat erupted on Samarie's cheeks. Her gaze glazing over as if to see this woman in a new light.
Brrr!!!
However, just as she was about to reply, the bunker trembled. As the sound of metal rending echoed throughout the halls.
"What was that!?" Abella turned, looking towards the source of the sound.
"It's August, we need to help him!" Samarie returned the clothes to her body as they both got up. "Follow me, he should be on the other side of the bunker!"
Without another word, they ran through the dimly lit corridors, ending up on the other end of the facilities Samarie didn't explode.
However, and they were about to enter, August rolled out. His form was disheveled, scorch mark all across his clothes, as he desperately huffed to get another breath in
"August, what is-"
From out the shadows of the room, red crackling electricity sparked between a wire which emmenated a green hue.
It looked like some kind of ant. Though, Samarie doubt there were ants two meters tall, about three wide, and made entirely out of plated steel!"
Lightning dripped onto the floor, as their hair stood on end from the static.
"Creee!" It screeched, mandibles clicking, as it produced a sphere from its jaws.
"Duck!" August warned, but Samarie could already see it
Her eyes entered that focused stated, and the world turned black and white.
She watched as it drew on otherworldly power, gathering it for a mighty attack.
But, the thing that put Samarie off when she saw it, was the vast network it was connected it.
"W3. Are. 13gi0n."
A beam fired overhead, cutting through the steel walls like they were paper.
"Whatever fucked up experiments the Kaiser's performing here, he's dead meat!"