When the Clock's Hands strike ( Pandora Hearts Fanfiction ) > MAJOR EDIT <

Beautiful Nightmare, Horrible Dream

A foot nudged him on the shoulder as Oz's eyes shot open. 

' Your up ...? ' he heard Abyss whisper as Oz managed a slight nod. His hands were bound together by thick coarse ropes and when he finally got up, he noticed that 4 purple-black stones had been placed at the 4 corners of the room. Abyss sat in the corner opposite him, not only were her hands bound up but her feet as well. A golden chain with a dark purple stone pulsating widely at the end on the chain dangled loosely from around her wrist. 

' What's that ? ' Oz asked and Abyss winced inwardly. 

' It's part of a Sealing Stone. If I even try to use my chain, it'll cause intense pain to the vessel so in other words, if I use my chain too much, I'll really die. ' Abyss shrugged. Her movements were rather limited but she didn't mind. She enjoyed the numbing sensation spreading through her bones. She wouldn't mind if she died like that, at least it wouldn't hurt. She knew they wouldn't let her die now though. 

' Where are we ...? ' Oz continued.

' We're at Pandora's prison, deepest level where only the worst criminals are kept. Not saying you are but ... Baskervilles overtook Pandora easily so yea ... ' a soft voice whispered from outside the door.

' Ahh. Echo ... ? ' Oz inquired as Echo stepped out from the shadows. She looked kind of ruffled as her eyes darted about nervously. Abyss leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. Her shoulder and neck still hurt of course. Those jerks didn't bother helping her, they just let it bleed until the blood dried. But, she was a Baskerville, they didn't die so easily. Echo and her had conversed a while before Oz awoke to find out what happened. It appears Vincent had taken them back and claimed it would be safer for them to be kept in the prison instead of allowing them to die in the wild. They might not die after all but survive and return for revenge in some ways. 

Abyss didn't feel like seeing Vincent for quite a while now. Every word he had said had been a lie so who could confirm that anything he said in the future was the truth ? She had been rather bored than, her conversation with Echo was a brief one anyway. She had nothing to say to the servant of Vincent Nightray, who knows what she could be planning...?

Abyss heard the small yet clear conversation between Oz and Echo. It mainly revolved around getting here but the subject always changed when it got to the people Oz and her now hated enemies --- Gilbert, Vincent and Reo.

~ + ~ + ~ + 

' Gilbert, it isn't really healthy ... ' Vincent started as he stared worriedly at his brother lying on the bed. Gilbert had refused to eat anything ever since he shot Oz that day. He never changed his clothes, never did anything except lie in bed all day. Reo had refused to visit him, claiming he had better things to do than to try to talk sense into a 24 year-old-man. 

' Leave me alone ... ' Gilbert muttered as he tossed around. He stared at his blood-stained hands. Images from the previous night's flickered in his mind, he could not wipe them off no matter how hard he tried, it always left an indelible stain, a heavy impact. Fingering the trigger, Gilbert felt so much like flinging his gun out of the window right there and then. The master he had wished so hard to protect, the master whom he had agreed to stay by his side forever ... he didn't think Oz would forgive him now. 

He didn't want to change his clothes. He wanted to be reminded, he didn't want to forget. The incident was too painful to remember but if he didn't, he'd regret it. He knew staying guilty like that wouldn't help but then he felt too sick to get up. That shocked glare Abyss had gave him when he shot Oz, looking at him like he was a traitor, which he was for one thing. 

Then he remembered, he had tried to shoot the Will of the Abyss as well, Lacie ... Baskerville ...

Reo wanted to kill her, finish her off. Reo didn't want to dirty his own hands so now Gilbert was his weapon, the one who would face all the bloodshed. He was the one Reo would send out to finish them all most probably, he would be the one to witness their last breath.