Buzzkill: The Reckoning

Chapter 28

Kal sat in a cell just a floor beneath where Ruth walked. The only prisoner on the carrier, the only one in a barren floor barricaded with walls fit for something much worse than even Ruth could imagine.

The loud clang of the elevator echoed throughout the floor as she descended down to the cell. Ruth immediately caught Kal's gaze as the doors opened. Every wall of the cell formed with indestructible glass, secured at every edge corner with practically indestructible metal.

Whatever this was, whatever Kal was going to do, Ruth was going to stop it before it started.

Locking her gaze with Kal's, Ruth strode confidently and stopped in front of the cell, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Ruthy, you look happy to see me," Kal mocked, sitting on the bench in her cell, her left eye still swelled with deep hues of purple.

"Who was She?" Ruth demanded, her voice flat.

"Who are you talking about?"

"The Woman, who was she?"

Kal let out a deep breath and leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes blissfully, "I told you, I still don't know."

Ruth's patience was quickly dissipating, but she had to hold her composure, "I don't believe you."

"That's not my problem. I know the same as you do," Kal said simply.

Ruth took a step closer to the glass, wishing it weren't there at all. "You knew that she worked with Hydra. You know about the experiments. What is her name?"

Kal opened her eyes and turned her head to face Ruth, a small grin tugged at the corner of her mouth, "What an odd question to ask someone."

Ruth clenched her jaw, her body tightening with tension.

"Where's the Hydra base?" Ruth asked.

"Which one?" Kal asked with a smirk.

"The one you want to take me to. The one with Mage."

"Ha, you know I won't tell you that," Kal replied. "But I can show you if you want. Just come with me, I'll take you to Mage, and you'll see the base with your own eyes! Perfect."

"I don't know if you're deluded or naive." Ruth looked around animatedly as if to motion for Kal to look, "You know where you are, right? What makes you think you could get out of your own cell, much less get me off this helicarrier?"

Kal just smiled, still sat with her arms folded in front of her, leaning back against the side wall. She glanced up at the camera in the corner of her cell, then back down to Ruth. "It's funny how much empathy you have for that guy. For James."

Ruth noticed the glance towards the cameras, knowing Kal was hoping everyone upstairs was listening to what she was about to say. Ruth kept her expression still.

"I read all the reports that Mage and them filed about your missions together back at the Hydra base. And all of those curious little videos of you and him talking at your cell." Kal shook her head, "Too bad there wasn't any audio on those. I would love to hear what you two had to say to each other."

"Is there a point to this speech?" Ruth asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"I just find it funny because," Kal started, as if she just thought of what to say, "do you remember those empathy tests the Woman would give us?"

A cold shudder ran down Ruth's spine. She knew where Kal was going with this.

"At fifteen years old, you scored the lowest empathy number they had seen at the facility yet!" Kal remarked. "And you never even lost your childhood memories!" She let out a small laugh, "You were like a machine."