Plague (Discontinued)

Chapter Four: Following The Breakdown

He woke with a sudden jolt as he gasped for air. His lungs burned and he shook. Panic overtook him when he felt he couldn't breath. No matter how much he tried, no oxygen was inhaled. Once he'd stopped trying, he realized he didn't need it. Almost as if he no longer had to breath in order to live. Live...that word stuck in his mind for an unknown reason.

Mordecai sat up noticed he was dressed differently. His simple long sleeve shirt and jeans were replaced by a sort of black cloak and what looked like combat boots. His eyes drifted over to an old mirror on the wall he hasn't noticed hanging over Smiley's desk before. Worry filled him at that moment when he remembered what said doctor had done. But...what exactly had he done. With hurried steps Mordecai made his way over to the mirror and was shocked by what he saw. The person looking back at him was not...him. It couldn't be his reflection, it couldn't be him. His once bright green eyes had gone a piercing white edged in black. His brunette hair was now a black. However, what caught his attention and shocked him the most was the neatly done stitches going down the front of his neck. Lightly, he traced them with his fingers and found he felt no pain. It was obvious they were new, the irritated skin around them told him that much.

Something white reflecting in the light above it caught his eyes. A shiny bird-like mask lay out on the tray beside the table he had awoken on along with a few sharp tools. The sudden screech of the metal door opening caused him to nearly drop the object. Smiley entered and instantly locked his gaze on Mordecai's startled form. "I see you're finally awake." He said and dropped a pen onto his desk he'd taken out of the pocket of his lab coat. "What did you do to me?" Mordecai asked and was surprised with the way his voice sounded. It was slightly scratchy from not being used and was deeper than normal. "Preformed a surgery then altered a few things, as I'm sure you've noticed by now." The doctor said and held out a jar for Mordecai to see. Inside was a human heart and Mordecai felt himself become nauseous at the sight. Smiley rose a brow and smiled slightly while continuing to hold out the glass container. "I figured you would want it as a souvenir. It is yours after all." He stated and a wicked grin broke out across his face, no longer hidden behind his mask. Mordecai shook his head in disbelief while looking at the man as he put together pieces that regrettably seemed to fit. "You're insane. That's not mine, I'm not...this isn't happening..." Mordecai backed away while mumbling to himself in an attempt to make it all go back to normal. His hopes were shattered when he heard Smiley chuckle behind him. "Try to convince yourself all you want, it's not going to go away." He said and turned back to his desk while Mordecai sank down to the floor and sobbed. Once again, he found something wrong with him. There were no tears, nothing. He grasped the sides of his head and cursed loudly. Smiley watched, amused by the other's denial.

A few hours passed and Mordecai hadn't stopped. He was rocking back and fourth on the floor while talking to himself. Smiley got up and walked over to the door before turning to face the other. "Come on." He said and Mordecai looked over at him, stopping his mumbling almost instantly. "Where are we going?" He questioned from the floor. "There are people who want to see you. Now come on, and get your mask." The doctor said irritably and watched Mordecai slowly rise to his feet. He looked at the white mask from before then back to Smiley. "This is mine?" He asked as he picked it up. "Yes. It's an old plague doctor's mask. Our...boss thought it would suit you" He said while Mordecai hesitantly put it on and joined Smiley by the door. Without another word, the doctor led the other out of the lab and onto a gravel path. "Follow me." Smiley stated and they began walking.
After what seemed like hours they arrived at the door of a large, dark mansion. Mordecai gazed up at the enormous structure in awe before Smiley snapped in his face to get his attention. He followed the taller man up the steps with caution, not sure why he'd been doing everything he was told and not trying to escape. The thought that maybe it wouldn't work even if he tried stayed with him as he watched Smiley knock on the large doors. Without warning the doors were threw open and Mordecai flinched. His eyes came to a halt on a man in a white hoodie. He paid no attention to the two outside as he angrily stomped out into the woods mumbling curses under his breath. Smiley rolled his eyes and gestured for Mordecai to follow him inside. The moment they entered everyone's attention was on them and strange looking people gathered around. Mordecai backed away from them while taking in their appearances. Most had weird outfits, some others had masks like him, and a few had what looked to be blood stains on their clothes. He brushed it off because it wasn't at the top of his list of worries at the moment. What was on his mind now was that everyone was calling him 'Plague' and he didn't know why. A woman walked up to him in a white mask and black dress, introducing herself as Jane. He didn't say anything in response due to nervousness and that earned him a glare from the woman as she turned to walk away. Smiley once again rolled his eyes and pushed Mordecai through the people and up a staircase. He was met by a dark and seemingly endless hall as the doctor guided him to a black door. It opened before he could knock to reveal a very tall, very...faceless creature in a black suit with a red tie. Immediately Mordecai stumbled backwards to get away from the thing while Smiley fought to get him into the room.  The doctor shoved him in and shut the door behind him, standing in front of it in case he tried to run. "What are you?!" Mordecai questioned and maintained several feet between him and the faceless man. He stayed silent as he gestured to Smiley to do something while Mordecai watched, confused. Smiley then left the room and Mordecai nervously and curiously watched the abnormally tall man move around the office-like room. A few minutes later, Smiley returned and had someone else with him. "What did you need?" The stranger asked the creature, now sitting at a desk. A silent conversation went on between the two and then he turned to face Mordecai. "I'm Masky." He said and Mordecai studied his somewhat familiar mask for a moment, but didn't reply. Masky glanced back at the creature, who gave a nod before he turned back to Mordecai. "This is Slenderman. He'd wanted to welcome you to the mansion and speak with you about becoming part of our family here." Masky stated and Mordecai gaped at him before Smiley snickered at him. "I doubt he's going to agree to that. I'm going to go work on some things. I'll talk to you guys later if you need anything." The doctor said and opened the door. At that moment Mordecai jumped up and bolted out of the room and down the hall to the stairs. The calls and concerned looks from others went unheard and unseen as he ran out the doors and into the woods, but not without a few following after him.