2 Chapter 1- Kicking and Screaming part two

The hazmat twins slid a basket towards Silver and I. I looked into it to find bottles of conditioner and shampoo, a bar of soap, and a couple of wash clothes. Along with a new toothbrush and a new tube toothpaste, and some other items that I couldn't see. I shrugged and grabbed the shampoo before doling out a nice amount and put it back in the basket. I hummed as I lathered the shampoo in my thick red hair and scratched at my scalp to loosed up all the grime at my roots.

Man it has been a long since I had a shower. I cherished them because one never gets to have a nice shower when their homeless. Not that this is a nice shower. No one likes to get doused in cold water to bathe unless you are a Mythic that prefers it. To each their own.

I grab a wash cloth and just wipe it down my wet torso to get it wet. I don't feel like asking to get doused in cold water simply because I needed a wet cloth. Before I grab the bar of soap and rub it on the cloth and toss it back into the basket as well.

One of the hazmat twins starts speaking as I clean my thin but supple figure. "The amenities in the basket are yours to keep and use during your time with us. If you run out of something. Do not hesitate to tell one of the staff and they will get a replacement for you. If by chance you are with us longer. You will be shown where these amenities are kept, so that you can get them yourself." Yep it's definitely that jackass Mr. Scissor speaking. I bet he's also the one with a masters degree in cold showers. They must have a lot of those.

I snicker as I finish cleaning my willowy body. I drop the cloth on the side of basket, grab the conitioner and put it against the wall. And then push the basket away from me as best I can with my foot so it won't get drenched in the spray. Because I'm chained to a fucking wall. I throw a glare at Mr. Scissor. Commander of the wide spread power wash.

Mr. Hazmat walks over to pick up my basket before going over to get Silver's as she finishes up. I prepare myself for the onslaught of cold water as Mr. Hazmat walks over to his crueler twin Mr. Scissor. I close my eyes as the icy spray covers me and I quickly rinse the shampoo out of my hair as fast as I can. Ignoring how loud my teeth are chattering and I curse my thick hair for holding onto the shampoo like its a security blanket.

I shiver in relief after the water is turned off and stare daggers at my current nemesis the cruel Mr. Scissor, master of cold showers. My lip curves into a cold smile as I snatch the conditioner off the floor and squeeze a lot out. I put the bottle down as I curse under my breath at how cold I am. I'll probably get hypothermia. I scoffed at the irony. A phoenix dying from the cold.

If it wasn't for these stupid fucking magic chains. I would be nice and toasty, but no they just had to find a way to dim the inner fire in my core to just an ember. It didn't matter that if I really tried that I could probably get out of them, but I would really prefer it if no one realized how rare I was. That would be like screaming "Hey, fuckers! Come get me! I'm the perfect center piece to your collection of rare creatures!" Or "Anybody want a powerful and rare mate to boost your status and ego! I'm also super strong and can heal any wound with my tears! Just think of me as the red headed version of Rapunzel!" Nothing like getting a giant big red bulls eye painted on your back to make you feel extra special.

I grunt in disgust at my sarcastic thoughts as I spread the conditioner evenly in my hair. The skin on my wrists itch as the loose hair clings to them uncomfortablely as I clump the annoying things, which are wrapped around my fingers and drop the clump on the drain beneath me.

The conditioner barely had time to set in my hair, when I get ambushed by an ice cold tsunami from the West. "Mother fucking peanut dicks!" I scream in surprise and rush to get all the conditioner out. I could've swore I heard someone or someones choke or laugh at my words over the sound of the spraying water. Those peanut dicks better not be laughing because it is getting very tempting to see how much magic I needed to melt the cursed magic cuffs off my wrists. So I could beat some manners into them with the hefty chain.

I looked at Silver as I scramble to get the conditioner out of my hair, and her amethyst eyes are full of laughter as she scrambles with me. But I also see the dark glint of wrath in her eyes that mirrors my own. It makes me wonder what Mystic she is and what power she hides in her own core.

I gladly let my arms drop after getting all the conditioner out of it. "You can cut it out now asshole!" I hear my new accomplice scream at cruel cruel Mr. Scissor, and the water finally turns off.

Mr. Hazmat brings our baskets over that are now topped with fluffy towels and what look to be bath robes. A man in a suit is walking with him. His ears are pointed. An elf. I narrow my eyes as he comes closer.

His hair is long and white and his eyes are emerald green and are almost as cold as the shower that was just forced upon me. He's taller than me, which is not surprising for the fae. I stiffen as his gaze looks me up and down. In either appreciation or he's analyzing me, and did the same to Silver. It's not easy to read fae. They're as guarded as the rest of us, but have giant sticks shoved up their asses.

Maybe that's why they're so straight backed and have to be graceful. It's the only way to help with the chaffing from the monstrosity up their buts. I couldn't help the snicker that escapes and I watch with some pride as his left eye twitches. A crack in his armor.

"Something funny runner?" The fae asks in his cold and deep voice. I've gained enough of my composure back to not be unfazed by it. But Mr. Hazmat seems a tiny bit worried for me as they shuffle their feet and look between me and Mr. Twitchy Eye.

I just give him a small smile that I know will irritate him and shrug my shoulders innocently. His left eye twitches again. Yup, Mr. Twitchy Eye it is. After a moment of silence, he grabs my right wrist tightly with his thin boney fingers and claps a bracelet on it. But it's no ordinary bracelet as it feels like it burrowing and I hiss as I feel it sink into my skin with a burning sensation.

This is powerful shit. I narrow my eyes at Mr. TE. Just what kind of magic is he hiding.

I do nothing as he does the same thing to my left wrist, and pulls an ancient key from his pocket. That unlocks my cuffs, but I know in my bones that I just traded my bulky cuffs for something much more permanent and powerful. I rub my raw wrists all the same as I look down at the swirling brands on my wrists that look a lot like waves of fire, which unnerves me. I grab the towel on my basket that Mr. Hazmat is still holding and wrap up my soaking hair. I slip on the robe and tie it as Mr. TE finishes with Silver's cuffs.

Are her brands as telling as mine?

I take my basket from Mr. Hazmat and put the conditioner back in. Mr. TE holds the chains in his hand as he walks back to Mr. Scissor. He turns to face us and speaks. "I am your handler and you will address me as Sir. Oakbriar." I grin inwardly.

A knight, that explains the giant stick up his ass, and good luck with the name. I much prefer Mr. Twitchy Eye. "I am here to talk you through the process of The Gauntlet. To get you physically and mentally ready for anything the laybrinth throws your way." He continues to drone, and it feels like I'm back in school.

"I will now escort you both to your room. Since you came as a pair. You do not have to worry about meeting unfamiliar bed fellows. You both seem to adaquetly get along from what I have heard from Lt. Collins." It's hard not to laugh at the way he talks and it seems that he his also a boss to the flying money's.

We follow him through the double doors and leave the hazmat twins behind. "You will find clean clothes waiting for you in your room. You are not to leave your room unless you must use the facilities, are training, eating meals, have your two hour period of free, which allows you to visit the library or go to the game room or do whatever you like to do in your measly amount of daily free time." I cover my mouth to keep from laughing as I watch Silver use a hand to mime talking and pretended to have a serious face like Mr. TE in front of us.

We enter a hallway with white marble floor with black and white wallpaper with shapes that look like leaves and flowers. The only thing that changes are the metal room number plaques on the white doors.

Silver immediately puts her hand down and the pretend look slips away as we stop in front of the 26th room. Mr. TE turns around and looks directly at Silver and his left eye twitches as if it knows that she was mocking him. "This will be your room from now until you leave us. There are thirty rooms in this hallway for runners just as there are sixty rooms in a similar hallway on the other side of the other side of the building for volunteers. You are banned from entering there living areas just as they are banned from entering the runners living areas. The bands on your wrists will keep you from accidentally entertaining just as theirs will."

He paused to take a breath before continuing. "There are also extra rooms in other hallways for rare occurrences. The male and females facilities are separate. Males on the left and females on the right. They are just around the corners at the end of the hall. You must remember that I am your handler and no one else's. If someone comes to your door and claims to have been told to collect you by me. Don't believe them. I am the only one aloud to collect and escort you if you are called for training or any other important matter. You are under my protection. Do not take that lightly." His green eyes bore into us.

"Whatever you say Mr. Twitchy Eye." I say with a grin and salute him. His eye twitches as his gaze turns solely on me. I was acutely aware of Silver's effort to hide a laugh as she coughed.

"Do not ever call me that again." Somehow his words were even colder as his eye twitched every couple of seconds.

"Good luck with that." Silver's words tumble out in a single cough as she looks keenly at the ground, which makes me give my handler a sharper smile. His eye kept twitching as he pulls two gold keys attached to leather chords from his suit pocket and presents a gold key with the room number on it to both of us. I snatch mine before he has a chance to change his mind, and immediately go to unlock the door to our new room.

"We will discuss this more tomorrow." His words were said rigidly.

I rose my brows at Silver and she just shakes her head in response. The door unlocks with a soft click and opens without a sound. I soon found the light switch and flicked it on. The white and clean room is rather spacious. Two queen sized beds sit in the farthest corners of the room opposite each other. The one on the left is leaf green themed and the one on the left is black themed. They each have a nightstand and a lamp. Between them are two doors that probably lead to closets. There is also a dresser and book case on each side. In the middle is a large black square rug with two large duffle bags. One green and the other black.

"Well, would you look at that." I purse my lips together and step inside.

"It's like they knew we were coming." Silver says as she follows me inside and closes the door behind us.

I set the shower basket down and grab the green duffle and huff in annoyance as it uncovers a profile packet. Just what we need after getting kidnapped and got coldly hosed down by Mr. Scissor. Paperwork that would try to get me to divulge every little thing about me. I pick it up and toss it on the green bed.

I set the green duffle on the bed before going through it. Shirts, long and short sleeve. Couple tank tops, couple bras, a weeks worth of underwear and socks, cloth and spandex shorts, jeans and leggings, a sweat shirt, sweat pants, and I smile appreciatively as I pull out a box of tampons and a package of pads. Out of my hoard I pull out the a pair of undies, the sweatpants, and a tank top. I dress quickly before putting the rest of the clothes in the dresser and the shirts on hangers in the closet. I open the side pocket of the duffle and pull out brand new tennis shoes and put them at the end of my bed. I also pull the gold key's cord over my head so that I don't lose it.

"They're prepared. Ya gotta give'em that." I heard a concurring grunt from my roomie as I started looking through the basket. The soaps I used for my shower, a hairbrush, wash clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, a razor, pain medication, wraps, a laundry hamper, and- I froze as I pulled a picture frame out of the bottom. I turn it over to see it's a picture of my parents after they got out of The Gauntlet. Covered in dirt and ragged, but smiling brightly. My beautiful mother with her red hair askew. My father with a 5 o'clock shadow. Their golden eyes glowed in triumph and pride. I drew a hand over their young smiling faces. They look so happy. My heart aches at the thought of never seeing them again.

I wipe my eyes as tears fill them and hide the picture in the nightstands top drawer. Someone must've figured at who I am. I want to find them, but I know that would just draw a bunch of unneeded attention. So I just ignored my curiosity.

I pop up the laundry hamper and put it by the bookshelf. I hang the towel on my closet knob and hang the robe on a hook inside the closet. I then put the pain medication and wraps in the bottom drawer of the night stand. I set the toothpaste, toothbrush, floss and hair brush on the bed. Everything that's left, I put back into the basket along with the pads and tampons, and set it by my shoes at the foot of the bed. With that done, I haphazardly throw the empty duffle in the back of my closet.

"I'm going to the bathroom." I tell Silver and leave before getting a response and quickly brush my hair and do the rest of my routine.

I finally sit down on my bed and open the packet. I pull out the pen and get started.

Full name: Ashland Ember Azar

DoB: July 12, 3028

Sex: F

Age: 17

Height: 5'6

Hair: Red

Eyes: Gold

Ethnicity: White

Mystic: Phoenix

Mother: Ember Flash

Father: Blaze Azure

Did your parents meet in The Gauntlet?

Yes

Did either of your parents manage to ring the Hell Bell?

Yes, my mom. Ember Flash

If so, how many times?

2

I narrow my eyes at the rest of the questions and and close the packet for tonight and set it on the nightstand. I look over at my roommate. Whose arm is thrown over her eyes. "Hey Silver. What's your real name? Mine is Ash." The corner of her lips quirk up at that.

"My parents named me Bastianna, but I go by Baz."

"I've been wondering what your Mystic is." She raised her arm away from her eyes at that. I gave her a conspiratorial grin. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

She sat up. "Sounds fair. I'm a Unicorn."

That wasn't what I thought she was going to say. I had been leaning toward mermaid. "Nice. I'm a Phoenix."

She smiled at that. "Well, aren't we a rare pair."

I could feel it between us, a bond. A bond of understanding and mutual misery at being seen as nothing but objects to show off or use. Maybe that's what I had felt when I had first seen Baz get pulled out of that van. She had clearly put up one hell of a fight like me. We both shared the mutual fear of someone discovering us. If not for that. We would probably have gotten away and never crossed paths.

I leaned forward.

"So Baz, would you have any interest in teaming up with me to ring a Hellish Bell?"

Her playful smile gave me my answer.

**"*"""

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