Continuation of Captivity Meme

[werewolf_hacker]

For adversarially and rebelle_elle.

Start of adversarially's thread: here.

Start of rebelle_elle: here

Comments

[werewolf-hacker.livejournal.com]

[His arms never move from over his head.] People are gonna get hurt no matter what I do. I can't stop evil people from being evil.

But I can be not evil myself.

Fighting a baby angel would be evil. I won't do it.

[rebelle-elle.livejournal.com]

[She watches him, unimpressed.] You didn't even try. You didn't even suggest alternatives. You refused to help at all.

You just apologized for being so pathetic and did nothing.

Evil, Ben. Very evil. Letting people you say you care for get hurt like that...

[werewolf-hacker.livejournal.com]

You think this is my first rodeo? You think they'll take any suggestion I make? You think I wouldn't rather take your place? You think I wouldn't rather they hurt me instead of you?

People like this have one playbook. "Do what we want or we'll hurt the people you care about, because that hurts you more than just torturing you." It's what they do.

[rebelle-elle.livejournal.com]

I'd rather not be dead right now, Ben.

But you're right. Thinking you would have preferred to take my place, that totally kept me from not dying. That's how much it mattered.

[werewolf-hacker.livejournal.com]

Don't you get it? It doesn't matter. Nothing I do matters. There will always be slaves, there will always be Black Markets and brothels, there will always be Pits. No matter how many I take down, three more will spring up to take their place.

And these people will always, always, always use the people I care about against me. And I... really don't want to think about the solution to that.

[rebelle-elle.livejournal.com]

What are you afraid of, Ben? Going dark?

Finally being strong?

[werewolf-hacker.livejournal.com]

[He barks out an entirely humorless laugh.] Going dark? Do you know how may people I've killed in the last year? I've committed mass murder on a scale that puts the worst serial killer in history to shame. My hands are black with blood.

And it's easy. It's easy to walk into a place like that brothel and coldly decide that every human in the place down to the fuckin' janitor needs to die.

And then carry it out. Even if one of those people is a woman and I don't kill women.

[rebelle-elle.livejournal.com]

[She looks toward the shadows where the men disappeared.] You just did, Ben. Someone you said you cared for, too.

But I guess that was as much a lie as you saying you wanted to protect me.

[werewolf-hacker.livejournal.com]

[He flinches as if from a blow.] Just because I want to protect people doesn't mean I can.

And I can't protect anyone from the kind of evil these people perpetrate. Not you, not Tziporel. Not me. All I can do is not actively participate.

[rebelle-elle.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Ben.

My corpse appreciates your lack of active participation. [A worm pushes its way out from under her eye and falls to the ground, and she takes a moment to shove a patch of skin back into place.]

Have you ever seen an angel's body? Of course, Guri barely counts anymore. He was so happy to fly, too.

[werewolf-hacker.livejournal.com]

I saw what Ereziel looked like when the Predator got done with him. That was enough.

And these idiots... the Predator won't fight Tziporel, either, because he is a member of the Pack, a baby member. These people are fucking stupid and have no idea what they're messing with or what they're doing.

Hell, they've up and killed the tiny bit of leverage they had against me.

[rebelle-elle.livejournal.com]

Maybe if you'd made some sort of deal, but nooooo. Now you're a pet with a dead girl for company...

They're wondering if you'll eat us, Ben. [She reaches through the bars and puts her hand on his shoulder; there's something moving under the skin.] Can the wolf tell the difference?

[werewolf-hacker.livejournal.com]

[He shudders.] I'm not eating anyone. They can stop wondering. Zev can tell the difference.

Except maybe them. Them, I'll eat. The Predator can have them because I am sick of this shit.

[rebelle-elle.livejournal.com]

They'll make you bite people, and those people won't care so much about such things. They'll make an army with you.

[werewolf-hacker.livejournal.com]

I'll die before I let them do that. No way am I gonna let people like them be things like me. Zev won't do it either.

And if they try to bring the Predator out, well. Claws across the carotid. They may have me in a cage. That doesn't make me theirs.

[rebelle-elle.livejournal.com]

Have it your way.

[A crowd comes in, carrying a crying, crying Tziporel. The little angel is shoved to the floor, and before he has time to get to his feet, he's screaming in pain, writhing on the ground.]

See? You made them bring out the Sigil.

[werewolf-hacker.livejournal.com]

[And the screaming child has the Predator fighting him for control, even as one of the guards shoves his arm through the bars of the cage with a fierce grin. "Bite me, wolf."

He can't, he can't let these people turn themselves into something like him, that would be disaster. Claws are the easiest thing in the world to pop in this state--]

I'm sorry, Guriel.

[And before he has time to think too long or hesitate, he rips his claws across his throat. Blood sprays everywhere, gushing and flowing, and his world...

goes...

dark...

And he wakes up gasping and sweating.]