TAIX - The Adventures of Ink and X

Chapter 38 - Ink

(Yes, this is a double Ink chapter)

TW – Abuse, experiment, scars, needles DO NOT READ IF SCARED OF BLOOD

 I look over at X with a look of confusion. "Uh, X...? I feel something...like in front of my face..." I say with a nervous tone, he doesn't reply so I reach for my face, and I feel it again. I grab it and pull it over my head. I blink a couple of times as I realize I'm in a laboratory with needles in my body. I look around me as I sit up from the table. To the right of me I see X, with a headset on his head, to the left of me I see some strangers. I see some scientists in the distance. I manage to sneak on over to X and yank his headset off of his head. He gets up slowly, looking around confusedly. "Huh.... Ink, where...where am I...?" He asks tiredly. "I don't know..." I reply, the scientists walk over to us. "Experiments S02-A8 and R92-3PQ have escaped containment." The first scientist says before the two of them rush at us. I grab X and start to run before we're pulled into a narrow room. A person no older than 17 is in there. "They seem to be a hybrid of sort...judging by their cat ears" I think to myself but then she speaks, she speaks in a way that they seem to have known me. "Shh. Stay quiet." She says as the cover our mouths. Once the scientists are gone, she uncovers our mouths. "Long time no see, hows it been?" She says to me. I don't recognize her at first. "What? Don't remember your old friend?" She says in a joking tone, yet I can't help but feel like something will happen. "Come on. You seriously don't remember me, Ruby?" I flinch when that name "I...I...don't know who you're talking about..." I hesitantly reply. "She knows me by that name...by my deadname..." I think to myself as I nervously look around, I notice all the holes on me from where I assume a lot of needles entered me. I notice that I have a glove on, I nervously look under it and see a big, open flowing scar, it has a lot of blood flowing out of it, the scar is in the shape of an X. The scar takes up about the entire backside of my hand. I quickly cover it back up with the glove. The girl then looks at me and says "You can't ignore me forever Ruby. Do you remember me now?" This time she says it in a more serious tone. "We were best friends, we did everything together." She says in a cheerful mood, but it suddenly changes to a stern, annoyed tone and says "Until that stupid person took you. You loved him soooo much." I want to yell back at her but I know that would give away our location. All I do is grab X's hand and drag him out the room. X follows behind with a serious expression. I start to look around, there's no windows, only around 2 vents in each room, not even an infant can climb through them with how small they are. X stands in front of me, used to being hidden and such. He peeks his out and looks around before turning to me and saying "I have a plan little bro. I'm getting us out. I will get us out." While he does seem different from the X when my headset was on, yet he's still the same X I know and love, only a bit more protective and serious. A scientist walks past us. X pulls him in the hidden passageway and slices his head off in one swift motion. The blood flows out a lot and at a very fast rate, X grabs the keycard that was in his pocket. X then grabs my arm and starts running to the door. He throws the keycard as the scanner with precision and somehow the card gets scanned and opens the door for us. We exit only to find guards, they look more like knights. Unfortunately, X is all out of tricks, but for some reason, the knights look familiar. The knights go to put up their lances in a fighting position but when they look at me they slowly put it down. "Ruby! The queen has been worried sick about you!" The first guard exclaims. I look confused, not remembering anything outside of the headset. X seems to be on guard, but then again, he always is. "I...who?" I ask confusedly. "Don't play dumb. Your mother!" The second guard says, less enthusiastic than the first guard but still somewhat excited. "So...my parents aren't really dead...was that all a lie to escape my pain...?" I think to myself, I look down in nervousness only to see a bunch of bruise marks across my arms. X gets in front of me to protect me. "Who do you think you are? Her boyfriend?" The first guard says before X replies with "I am his brother." I notice he put emphasis on 'his.' I can't help but smile, knowing he knows how distressed I am from all the misgendering. "Y-Yeah! He is my brother!" I say to help support X, feeling better about myself. "Nonsense Ruby. That...man... only wants to use you. Come back to the palace where its safe." The guard says as they go to reach for me, X pulls out his dagger and swings it in-front of me, trying to hit the guards, they back up, and I think all is well until I hear something fall. I look and see his calling cards on the floor. The guards notice as they start to become terrified. "I...Y-You're the.." They say in unison as they run away in fear. X hugs me and tells me "I'm here little bro." As he gets ready to protect me with his life.