Suffocation

Onyx led Phoenix up to the door of the Ironshade's establishment and hesitated, wondering if he was doing the right thing. He'd heard her side of the story on how and why his father was in torture since Onyx was ten. Why he was taken from Onyx so he could be pad of with lives of both innocent and the corrupt. But he needed to hear Advandth's story, or Hex's.

He wished he had more time, but it was now or never. He either let her go or lead her into the trap waiting for her inside the door. Onyx wanted to believe her, but he also couldn't let her go and expect to live another day under Neclord's burning gaze. He wouldn't allow Onyx's feelings towards the woman. He wouldn't see it as finding out what being friends meant, but instead as betrayal. Betrayal was rewarded with death at the hands of Neclord himself. Unless he says differently, which he never does.

Behind him, Phoenix shifted, mind racing and confused as to why Onyx was staring at his hand wrapped around the door knob. She knew he was still processing her story and didn't fully believe her. She saw a shift in him though, that resembled something akin to recognition: like he understood what she had gone through but didn't want to see it for what it was. His body was stiff and he almost seemed like he wasn't breathing a few times.

The woman patiently waited for him to make his decision, hoping for the best, but knowing the result in any case. She wondered why she didn't just run away, why she was letting him lead her into what she knew as a trap. Whatever waited behind the door was going to be torturous and she'd hate it. She also knew Onyx was having a war within himself. She thought someone had told him something different about her or how his father got into trouble with Neclord, but couldn't fathom it.

Finally, Onyx straightened and stepped to the side, opening the door a crack, looking at her. Blue eyes met his dark ones, and the woman took a deep breath and stepped forward, ready. He took one last look at her determined posture: shoulders back and chin high, hands at her sides clenched into fists, hair framing her face in a tumble of tangles, eyes focused on the door ahead of her, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, her body straight and unflinching. If he could just believe her, then this wouldn't happen. But he couldn't trust her because the one person that mattered to him was being tortured because of her, because she was luckier than anyone else on that one day. Her family sacrificed themselves for her, Onyx's father had sacrificed himself for her, and were dead because she was a scared child who couldn't defend herself.

He threw open the door and she walked in, straight into the cage. It slammed shut behind her, and still she didn't flinch, just stared out in silence, stoic expression on her face. Onyx stepped around the cage, electrified so she couldn't escape, and went to stand beside Devdan and Ecthrois. Advandth stood on the other side of the cage, a horrified expression marring her features. She met eyes with Onyx and he saw she knew something he didn't, or maybe he did know but was denying himself.

On the second floor, heavy thumping was heard and the ceiling groaned under the weight of something large. Thump, thump, thump! The boss, Neclord, made his way down the stairs, barely able to fit between the wall and the railing about three or four feet apart. When he made it to the bottom, everyone could see his fatty blubber of his stomach sag over the hem of his pants that looked like it was squeezing the circulation from his waist and legs. A smell so foul made its way to Phoenix and finally changed her expression to one of disgust, face turning green. Her eyes watered as she put her hand to her nose, pinching it to save what was left of two of her five senses. She'd save her sight, but needed to be able to know what was going on around her.

Neclord, fat and all, raked his eyes over her body and grinned maliciously. "If it isn't the famous Phoenix? You're much smaller than I thought you'd be."

Phoenix, trying not to heave her guts out, smiled politely. "Disappointed?"

"A little," he admitted and turned to Onyx. "How'd you do it, Onyx?"

"With wits and calculations," Onyx said, staring at his boss with suspicion. "She's smart and can detect many things about me."

"Then how is she here now?"

"Because I walked myself into this trap," Phoenix interjected, irritated how they talked about her like she wasn't there. "I knew this was a trap the moment he used a bit of force."

"Then why?"

She shrugged, hand still pinching her nose. "Because I have business and he was the fastest route it seemed to get me here." She looked around, scowling at all the faces around her. "Though, I would've thought it would be more dramatic."

"If you want dramatic, I can accommodate you." Neclord raised a hand and some men brought out darts while others brought out knives.

Phoenix smirked at the small men with a look that said, "bring it on" and crossed her arms, barely managing not to faint. "I'm not complaining. Onyx was dramatic himself. You should have heard what he said to me, about everything you do here!"

Onyx's eyes widened with shock and horror, and Phoenix rose a brow. Neclord looked between the two of them and narrowed his eyes. "You lie!" he snarled at Phoenix. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"For freedom, for someone close to him, to take your position?" she suggested. "Ask him yourself."

Neclord turned on Onyx who glowered. "If you believe her, then you end up like him," he hissed at his boss.

"I have nothing to lose!" Neclord growled. "You can't beat me, boy."

"Which is why I'm still standing here, not helping her and waiting for my orders from you."

Neclord watched Onyx with scrutiny then emitted a low growl, like a wolf warning one of his pack members. "You will die, girl!"

Phoenix clasped her hands in front of her, and closed her eyes. "Wonderful! This life sucked anyways."

The boss paused, shocked by her willingness to take what was coming to her. Recovering in record time, he signaled for his archers to take aim. They obeyed as Onyx tensed, unsure of what to do. He shouldn't be having second thoughts again, but was. Neclord's voice boomed, "Xinth! Step forward!" An archer as skinny as a twig stepped forward, crossbow aimed on Phoenix. "You're my best. You make the shot!"

Xinth nodded and the others stepped back. Onyx held his breath for Phoenix to do something to defend herself, but she didn't move, didn't open her eyes. He knew she could do something, anything, to escape. Hell, she was able to get Tariel into an indestructible net! Tariel, who Neclord himself had as a right-hand man until the little brat stole from the boss and made his life a luxury, sharing nothing. Phoenix was more intelligent, faster, graceful in her actions. Damn it! He needed to shut his mind off and deal with the suffocating truth before him: she was the reason for all his troubles and was paying the price. He led her here, now she'll get what's coming to her.

Advandth moved to stand beside him, giving Xinth a clear shot. She kept her eyes on Phoenix, but murmured to him in a language they made up whenever they were in a bad situation and needed to communicate without the enemy understanding their plans. Onyx listened, but never replied. Advandth clenched her fists in frustration because their language was only meant for planning distractions and attacks, not to talk about something as casual as a person that interested them both.

Even though the woman made incoherent noises come out of her mouth, Onyx could decipher them using the words and her tone, as well as her gestures that were so small, some might think she was twitching. With the combination, he understood all he needed, and felt his breath rush out of him.