Players:
Summary: Rashmi is brought lunch, and learns the fate of David and Star.
Date: January 28, 2011
Log Title: Feeding Time
Rating: PG-13
Africa — Nero's Camp
// Where the camp begins, all other life ends. Hard dirt with muddy puddles fill the road as it grows close to Nero's camp. This dirt road is much more commonly used than the rest. The gate is closed with cyclone fencing, and wooden watch towers look over the forest, guarded at all times by soldiers.
Inside the fence several stone buildings can be found. Trucks and LAV's move about, soldiers training at most hours of the day. Complete with running water and electricity powered by a nearby wind plant, it could be called the one trace of 'civilization' here. Nero's home away from home is here as well, a large mansion of a building with its own sets of guards to protect the warlord when he comes to visit. A helipad can even be found near the palace, his common method of entry and exit.//
It is early afternoon in Nero's Prison camp in Nigeria. Shots can be heard every so often outside, though whether it is from target practice or executions one can only imagine. Various voices can be heard entering the Mansion and near the cell where Rashmi Franklin is kept. A familiar voice is that of Nero and most likely others of his soldiers. This has become the life for Nero's special prisoners. Though suddenly a loud voice, very different, almost inhuman, like a snake speaking is shouting in the language of the people. A loud crash can be heard and then defeaning silence.
When not working on the only bit of defiant hope she feel reasonably certain she can get away with, Rashmi has alternated her time between glaring at her guards when checked in on, praying, sleeping, and thinking. With little else to do, her mind becomes her only escape, and while the project hidden under her mat has only gotten as far as 'I War—' it's real progress… unlike any of her other personal goals. So when the hissing and shouting and noise is heard outside her door, she looks up from her place in the corner, eyes watching the slide-out window of her door.
A guard pops his head up next to the window and screams out something in his native language and bangs against the door with the butt of his rifle, "Away from door!" He shouts in horribly accented English. Footsteps can be heard approaching. Two more sets, to be exact. One loud and harsh like hose of the soldiers and one a softer sound, no wearing the same boots as the soldiers. One's pace is quick and defiant like a guard, the other lethargic and slower like that of a slave or servant.
Rashmi, already as far away from the door as she can get, merely raises an eyebrow at the barked order, resting her chin on her knees and wrapping her arms around her legs. This has become habit when guards enter her room, as the redhead has resolved that if they want a show, they'll have to work for it.
The guard opens a door and another guard walks in, rifle pointed at the young mutant. Suddenly behind him standing at the doorway is David Alleyne. Or at least what once was David Alleyne. Any sign of the young Prodigy has been erased and what stands before Rashmi is something much less of the man that she knew. His clothes replaced by a skintight black and brown bodysuit, his hair gone and completely shaven off and his eyes. Where there used to be irises and pupils are now only white orbs filled with a white like fog or haze. Rashmi may notice the collar around his throat, a tight metallic collar, most likely some kind of power dampener. He stammers into the cell carrying a tray. There is a glass of water, surprisingly clean considering the locale and a tray of delicious looking fruit. David stands almost zombie-like and a guard smacks him in the back of the head, "Feed, frick!"
The sight of the shambling husk that was once Prodigy hits Rashmi like a well-aimed sucker punch. Drawing in a soft gasp, she raises her head, one hand rising involuntarily to the collar clamped around her own neck. "Oh god," she whispers, voice shaky and throat tight. "What did they *do* to you…?"
Not responding directly to her question, David makes out the word, "susu-sugar," HE places the tray down which has an assortment of fruits, apples, oranges, and bananas. A guard comes up behind him and hits him in the back with the butt of his rifle, "Feed, frick!" David makes no sign of the pain he felt from the blow. HE simply gets back up and picks up an apple and holds it out to Rashmi, "su—su-su-sugar."
A tear falls down Rashmi's cheek, and with trembling hands she takes hold of the apple. It would seem she's already learned that speaking to the guards is a futile effort, but as she cups the apple, she squeezes David's hand. "If you can hear me," she whispers, "we'll get you free. I *promise.*"
His hand squeezed, David stares at the hand a moment around his. It seems like minutes he stares before the guard is back on him, hitting him in the back of the knee with the rifle. David falls over and he puts the rifle to Davids head, "Do not touch frick! Bad mutate!" HE brings down the barrels across David's forehead and then holds it against his temple. The guard is seething, clearly no love for mutants or mutates.
"Leave him alone!" Rashmi shouts, taking back the apple and tucking it against her chest, tears in her eyes as she glares at the guard. "There. I have the apple. Leave him alone." Bright pinpricks of agner can be seen in the depths of her dark eyes, lips pale and tight as her cheeks flush. There's no question that if not for the collar around her throat, there would be violence in this cell.
The as yet to be violent guard holds his rifle towards Rashmi, "Sit. Eat. Stop." He orders and then looks to the other guard who is pressing the barrel of his rifle onto David's temple and reminds him, "Can't kill that mutate. Science man says he has a special brain. USe to him help Nero and then revenge on the others." The angry abusive guard shouts, "Not kill him, but hurt him." He takes the barrel of he gun and smashes it down on David's nose. Blood gushes out, but again, David makes no gesture of pain. He simply stands and lets the blood pour out as he looks to Rashmi, "Su-sugar."
Rashmi's hands clench around the apple, glaring at the relatively more reasonable guard. "And what if hitting him like that hurts his brain? Who'll Science Man blame, huh?" Furious, she does the only thing she feels she can do; take what is perhaps the single most vicious, pointed, aggressive bite of an apple at the younger guard as she's ever done. Violence and hatred have never had much a place in Rashmi's heart, but by the look of it… room is being made.
An angry almost-naked woman viciously biting into an apple. While it might turn on some, the younger guard gulps a moment and then goes to physically restrain the other guard. They bicker in their native language until he pushes out the other guard out of the cell. David remains standing and bleeding. Reaching to touch is own blood, David pauses a moment seeming to have a moment of clarity. The haze and fog in his eyes momentarily disappears he looks from his bloodied hand to Rashmi, "Sugar-Man. They have Star and" A shock is released from his collar and he drops to the floor finally showing signs of the pain he has been feeling from the various hits from the rifle. He lets out a scream and then stops as the haze and fog return. The color from his eyes is gone and he stares blankly at the floor. He picks up an orange from the floor and passes it to Rashmi, "Su-su-sugar."
Rashmi cringes back, pressing her back against the wall as her friend screams, a fresh round of sobs rising in her throat. When the orange is held out, the sheer misery on the redhead's face offers no illusions to the breaking of her heart, but she reaches out, taking hold of the orange. "Thank you," she says, failing to keep her voice level and clear. "I'll remember."
Oblivious to anything she has said, David simply nods and walks out with the guards.
