The Effidice

LAKISHA

I simply refused to stop looking for him. "Too bad. We're not leaving him behind," I stated, determination filling my voice. Ah, power... something I had been enjoying lately.

The others sighed. "He could be dangerous right now," Stella reminded me firmly.

I shook my head. "Then we'll just have to be careful. It's not like I go down easily in a fight." Except against guns... I thought, rubbing my arm lightly.

Kalayn raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

I smirked. "Yeah, really. Want me to show you?" I asked, taking a step towards him.

Kalayan

"Nah, I'm good. If we are going after Cain, we're going to need to be unharmed," I said, grinning. "And alright, let's go get him."

Eli and Stella nodded reluctantly in agreement.

LAKISHA

I chuckled. "Good choice. Let's roll then." I started walking, lightly rubbing my shoulder. Damn was it sore...It was only now that it occured to me I had blood on my hands. Not just one person, but two. The only fightening part about it was that I wasn't unnerved at the fact.

No matter, we had to focus on finding Cain. I heard the scuffle of feet and held out my hand, hitting Stella in the nose. "Shh!" I hissed as quietly as I could.

Kalayan

I was silent as I waited for Lakisha to see if Cain was there. I heard voices.

"To the experiment-"

"-A very good one, at that."

"-just get him to find Lakisha..."

I froze.

LAKISHA

My mouth dropped open. No way... They were going to use him to get to me? I listened closer.

"She's...killed two..."

"Yes... dangerou..."

I frowned. So I had killed both of them...and better yet, they knew about the second one. But how? Sabe had devoured him... I blinked, trying to focus. Whatever they had done to Cain, they planned on doing to me too. Was Cain with them? I couldn't tell from here.

"Well...he...weaknesses..."

I chewed on my bottom lip nervously and pressed myself against the wall.

Kalayan

I could tell hearing this had been a blow against Lakisha. I didn't stand to close by her, instead I held Eli's hand as I listened.

"...ah, here he comes now..."

"..now, Cain, you're going to listen, aren't..."

"...yes, sir, of course."

Lakisha's breath sucked in. Poor Lakisha. Poor Cain.

LAKISHA

My whole body tensed up. I kept my mask on, but underneath it all I was going through one of my spazms. I was afraid and upset. I didn't want to go through what Cain did. That and it was an official fact that I had the blood of two men on my hands. Claw hissed in my ear and I shut my eyes. Please Claw, not now! I begged him silently.

Me standing here like this was putting everybody in danger. We needed to do something. But what? I definately didn't have the energy to create any illusions, if I did I would black out. My head was still a little fuzzy from the old incident with Kalayn.

"...Find her, hmm?"

".....We'll....her good."

Maybe if I let them take me, I could beat them somehow. Escape, drag Cain along with me and shove him into some dark hole until we could figure out what to do with him.

"Yes sir..."

I shuddered. He sounded so robotic... No, I definately wouldn't be sucked into whatever he had been sucked into.

"Good boy..."

What was he? A dog? I took a deep, silent breath and glanced at Kalayn, searching for help.

Kalayan

"We have to get him out, don't we?" I asked her.

"What else can we do?" she whispered.

"Get you out of this place altogether," Eli said, speaking up.

"No, I can't just leave you all behind..." Lakisha said quietly.

"Well, how about this..." I said. "We get Cain out of there with an illusion of you walking down that way."

"Huh?" she said.

"Make it an illusion that that's you. When they go to GET YOU, we grab Cain."

LAKISHA

He wanted me to create an illusion now? I took a deep breath. "If I do, I'll black out. You'd better be ready to carry me out of here when I do." I doubted I could actually create anything powerful enough, but it was sort of our only choice at this point.

"I'll take you when you pass out," Stella offered.

I nodded. "Alright. Don't let me hit my arm on anything." I crept quietly to the edge of the hall and took a peek around the corner. They were all standing there, backs to us. I would have to make me walk out of the hall intersecting this one. I closed my eyes, mustering all the strenght I had left in me. "Get behind me," I whispered to Stella.

I focused hard, creating the second Lakisha carefully. "There!" One of the guards shouted.

They scurried towards the fake me. My eyelids were fluttering and I fought to keep myself awake for a few seconds longer. The last thing I saw was Kalayn and Eli grab a very startled Cain, clasping a hand over his mouth and the guards panicking when I disapeared before their eyes. The world darkened and I fell backwards.