♠ Juliet ♠
Chaos.
That appeared to be the state of Fox and Eternity's conditions at the present time. Hearing their raucous shouts and exclamations, I had navigated through the many rooms in our suite to investigate the cause of this uproar.
No sooner had I reached Ayre's reasonably-sized bedroom when Fox rounded on me, his golden eyes widened with distress. Despite his foolish actions that had caused Ayre's already weakened heart to shatter, one could blatantly deduct that the seventh Digit truly cared for the girl. Perhaps, in his own twisted, justified way, he actually had attempted to protect her.
I met his gaze levelly as he yelled, "Have you seen Ayre?!"
Eternity's wild sobs and the audible panting of Fox were the only noises that could be heard throughout the suite. I briefly wondered when Fhyre would be roused from his peaceful slumber by all the racket. I dismissed this thought, reminding myself that I hardly cared about the actions' of the others.
"No," I replied curtly, arching an eyebrow. "Has the second Digit disappeared?"
"Y-Yes," Eternity sputtered, her nose a bright crimson. Tears spilled from her emerald-green eyes, streaming in thin rivulets down her pink cheeks. If she had been wearing make-up of any sort, mascara tracks and smudges of eyeliner would mar her naturally innocent expression. Thankfully, the girl did not see a need for such human cosmetics. "I-" Eternity sniffled noisily, "I came in here to check and see how she was doing but... but... She was gone!"
"Have you any inklings as to where she might have gone?" I inquired, maintaining my even expression. Showing emotions in such a conspicuous way was a sign of weakness. An enemy could easily use your thoughts, feelings, or relationships against you.
Fox shook his head, running a distracted hand through his already unkempt hair. In order to release pent-up agitation, he began pacing the room, his footsteps muffled by the recently-vacuumed carpets. "What are we going to do? What if she's in trouble? I need to go look for her." He paused, mid-step, casting a wary glance about the room.
I raised both my eyebrows, questioningly. The seventh Digit took this as an invitation to dash from the room, feet pounding heavily on the floor. The clamorous slamming of a door could be heard, and a few heartbeats was all it took for Eternity to follow in his footsteps.
"Whazzappenin?" Fhyre yawned from behind me, his maroon eyes drooping sleepily. He ruffled his silver hair with a sluggish hand, wearily curious as to what was occurring.
I pointed in the general direction of the door, narrowing my eyes slightly, "Go. Search for Ayre."
Shrugging, Fhyre shoved his hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans, striding straight out the door. Although the search would be fruitless, I did not need the ninth Digit hindering my plans.
Of course, I had a faint idea of where Ayre had absconded to. Certainly if she had not returned immediately she had either been captured, or she was in the company of the first Digit. Assuming that she would accompany him wherever he led her, she was most likely at the other Digits' camp.
I hardly bothered to wonder why I was intending on saving Ayre. She and I could not even be considered close--mere acquaintances, if that. However, I knew if I did not want the world to be run by complete dunces, I would have to act.
Without a second thought, I swept out of the hotel, hastily making my way into the nearby forest. No human was unfortunate enough to cross paths with me on my journey. I could not help but feel slightly disappointed, but I continued on unwaveringly.
As rotting leaves crackled, and twigs snapped beneath my feet, I used my telekinesis to subtly rustle the undergrowth. No doubt the other Digits' camp was concealed within one of Saracen's illusions. Finally, I came upon a spot where the leaves I had levitated an inch off the floor were not visible. Before me lay a clearing that appeared to be perfectly still. This was, in fact, a mirage.
Closing my eyes instinctively, I reached out with my mind, inspecting my surroundings with a mental acuity rivaling that of the most ingenious machine in the universe. I felt the barrier Saracen's illusions created with my mind, carefully parting the curtains of the reality-warping to allow me to pass. Once I had successfully stepped inside the campsite, I meticulously observed my surroundings.
A dwindling fire sparked in the center of the clearing, seemingly unattended to. A couple of tents were scattered about, and a nearby tree held the first Digit, who had been bound to the trunk of it. Aside from the abundance of plant-life, the rest of the clearing remained tacit and empty.
I took a tentative step forward, carefully concealing my thoughts from Greyson. Experimenting with my powers had brought me to the conclusion that I could prohibit Greyson from reading/controlling my mind, simply by suppressing my true thoughts, and cutting off all conscious musings. It was quite simple, really. For this mission in particular, I purposely allowed a few frightened and panicky thoughts to surface.
"Well, well, well," a silky voice drawled from behind me. I hardly recognized it as the third Digit's. Slightly baffled, I managed to obscure the shock of his presence within me. "Look who came to play." Slow footsteps surrounded me. It appeared as though Greyson was thoroughly enjoying my arrival.
Greyson came to a stop directly in front of me, barely resembling the Digit I remembered him to be. His lips curled into a mock-smile as his steely gray eyes drifted up and down my body. I could feel the tendrils of his mind reaching out to me, probing my thoughts and conforming them to his own.
Mind control.
Pretending as if I was under his complete mercy, I collapsed to my knees, meeting his eyes levelly. A few yards behind him, a familiar face emerged from a tent. Large, black eyes blinked curiously at me, and Ayre tilted her head.
"Who's she?"
Apparently the shock was evident on my face, as Greyson chuckled, clasping his hands behind his back. My subconscious mind noticed his dress shirt was casually unbuttoned, and his chestnut-colored hair was slightly disheveled; a look no doubt inspired by the former leader of the group. I could not be bothered with these observations at the present time.
"Surprised?" Greyson asked, quirking an eyebrow. His arrogant smirk aggravated me to no end, but I was careful to repress any thoughts of violence. The third Digit chuckled in the absence of my response. Leaning towards me, I could feel his breath on my ear as he murmured, "Memories. Erased."
I had not predicted Greyson's power to include this. Mind control was understandable, but I had deeply underestimated the power Greyson held. Thankfully, my expression remained stony, and Greyson sighed, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt.
"I knew one of you... peace lover were bound to attempt to rescue her," Greyson continued airily, waving a dismissive hand in the direction of Ayre. She had now fully exited the tent, and I analyzed her appearance. She more or less looked the same, aside from her rumpled clothing and a slightly vacant expression.
"Although, I had no idea it would be you." The third Digit's voice snapped me out of my mental scrutinies. A bemused expression flickered across his face as he peered down at me from where he stood.
"Surprised?" I retorted, my voice cold and mocking. Greyson grinned at my sarcasm.
"Admittedly, yes. I hold no lasting grudges against you, Juliet," he confessed, grasping my chin in his hand. He tilted my head upwards, forcing me to gaze straight into his eyes. An air of nonchalance surrounded him, as if he fully expected me to swoon under his piercing stare.
Oh no, I hope he doesn't realize my plan was really to help Jett.
I purposely sent the thought into Greyson's telepathic reach, and he drew back instantly, as if he had been burned. Wrinkling his nose with disgust, he inquired, "You came for Jett?" Resentment was evident in his smooth voice. "Well, then, you shall be more than happy to join him, yes?"
Greyson was performing his mind control on me, undoubtedly, so I allowed my feet to take me towards the tree Jett had been bound to. My plan, so far, was proceeding without a hitch. The only aspects I had not anticipated were Greyson's powers, and Ayre's lack of memory. The next obvious course of action was clear to me, however.
"Have fun." With a last flippant smirk, Greyson allowed Ayre to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him back into their tent. Her high-pitched giggles rang throughout the clearing before being muffled by the cloth.
Greyson, being the pompous moron that I hadn't previously recognized him for, had not thought to have Racquel drain my powers. Although I was tied rather tightly to the tree, mere physical bindings would not stop my telekinesis from functioning. Perhaps mind control supposedly restrains one's power? If that were the case, I had a rather capable adversary on my hands.
"Jett."
The Digit in question stirred slightly, his vermillion eyes becoming slits as he opened them slightly. "Mphf?" He blinked a few times, trying to shake the sleep from his eyes. An expression similar to torment flitted across his face before it became a composed mask once more.
"Jett," I muttered curtly, "Wake up. You must help Ayre retrieve her memories."
At the sound of the second Digit's name, Jett sprung into action, squirming valiantly against his restrictions. He quickly registered my presence, seemingly shocked that I had been tied up beside him. I did not remark on his ignorance, instead I began explaining my plan in an urgent whisper.
"Ayre's memories are suppressed in the furthest recesses of her mind. Only an extremely powerful emotion that she experienced before her memories were cleared will allow her to recall them. You, and you alone, will be able to complete this task. Do you understand?"
Jett nodded, apparently in a daze. "So, her memories weren't completely erased?"
I shook my head, a tad exasperated by his slow comprehension. "Greyson's powers merely alter the mind, bending it to his will. As with mind control, he commands thoughts. With memories, he may simply compress them until they are out of reach of the subject's conscious mind. It is mentally impossible to completely erase once memories."
Jett's eyes had become glazed over during my explanation. After I had finished, he inquired, with a glance downwards, "How do I get out of these?"
I quickly willed away the ropes that were snaked around his wrists and waist. Grateful for the freedom, Jett rubbed his skin where it had chafed. Greyson chose that moment to materialize outside of his tent, but he hardly spared Jett and I half a glance before trudging off into the surrounding forest.
"Now is your chance," I hissed, encouraging Jett onwards. He shot me one last hesitant look before approaching the tent Ayre was supposedly in. I hardly wanted to visualize the state she must be in; Greyson had looked a tad more... bedraggled after disappearing into the forest.
I could only hope Jett would be successful in his mission--before time ran out.
~~
I am so not getting any Juliet vibes here. >.>
