Why ?

Stifle her last light

3rd Person POV

Everybody held their breath as she stood up. To everyone's surprise, she takes a step towards Dr. Bellum and Boris, who had been slowly moving towards her, grabs her and pulls her violently towards them. Shadowsan was the first to react and run towards them. Vlad had pulled out a Crackle Rod and was shooting in his direction to delay him. The rest of the team quickly joined him in trying to get closer. With a last ditch effort Boris had pulled Carmen back to Bellum and she closed the glass door half a second before Team Red arrived. Quickly pulling out a syringe, she stuck it into Carmen's neck in front of the helpless looks of her former team. Injecting the product, the last thing Carmen saw was Gray's eyes, not understanding why she had abandoned him before everything went black. 

Carmen POV

Everything around me was hazy. I could feel myself slowly regaining control of my body but I couldn't open my eyes or even make a sound. I hear a conversation above me. A voice that I know and that always makes me shiver with its lack of humanity, especially towards me. Even when she's in a good mood I feel like she's talking to me like I'm a wounded little animal being prepared to be beaten again.

"I'll set up the standard protocol when we get back. It's best to avoid playing with fire and remove this meeting from her mind." What meeting ? The one with my family ?! But didn't they organise that ? Another voice with a strong accent is heard, Coach's.

"And how will you explain her arm ?"

"I'm not saying delete everything, just the events after the alarm went off. We'll explain her blackout with a second panic attack."

"That might work. What surprises me personally is why did she come to us when she could have escaped with Shadowsan ?" the haughty and refined voice of Countess Cleo came in quickly followed by another cold and manipulative one belonging to Professor Maelstrom.

"I think that Black Sheep was not thinking clearly and thought it was some kind of test on our part. Her survival instinct made her come to Dr. Bellum as we taught her. Thus, she associated Team Red with failure and therefore pain."

"That actually makes some sense. We're arriving, I suggest we continue this conversation once we land, especially as the girl seems to be coming to herself."

Forcing myself to open my eyes, I try to move my hands but notice that they are bound, as are my feet. I am gagged and the chain from my collar is wrapped around the leg of a table. I panic a little, but the Doctor calms me down instantly.

"We're landing Black Sheep, so hold still. I'd hate to have to sedate you for your bad behaviour, as well as wasting our time."

I feel the plane land and quickly someone pulls the chain off the table and I am thrown onto Boris' shoulder. He gets off the plane and Bellum walks beside him, her head just a little above mine. She doesn't even give me a glance and I shiver in the freezing wind. Once inside, Bellum walks away towards a corridor that I know leads to the Faculty Room. She quickly turns to give her instructions to the Cleaners.

"Restrain her in my laboratory. Then you can remove her gag, I'll have a couple of questions for her."

Vlad nods and heads off in the opposite direction with Boris, who is still carrying me. Arriving in one of the laboratories, they place me on the table in the middle and remove the handcuffs. They remotely lock the restraints on the table and secure my head with a strap, limiting me to my peripheral vision. They remove the cloth from my mouth and then I hear a door close and I am left alone. The hum of machinery in the background accompanies my thoughts as I reflect on the conversation I overheard earlier. The Countess seemed surprised that I was obeying Dr. Bellum instead of escaping with Shadowsan. But Shadowsan is... Anyway, why should she look surprised that I don't run to my father figure ? Unless... But that's not possible, I saw them die before my eyes! Yet Dr. Bellum has already created a mind control machine and with the Professor, they would be able to force me to believe them about their deaths. A small spark seems to ignite in me. My team is probably alive ! I may not have caused their deaths ! And for the first time in months, I feel hopeful again. I don't care if I stay here, as long as they are safe. That thought seems to have lifted a weight off my shoulders. The Faculty musn't know that I know, or they'll take it away from me too. I hear a door open and someone busy behind me.