Can't Escape Your Nature

"Do you know why you're here?" Kage asked, his voice ringing and eyes flashing.

"No," Dante replied blankly, still disorientated. Before he even had time to react Stark had appeared infront of him. He punched Dante in the nose precisely and then disappeared back behind him. Dante tottered back a couple of steps in shock, and then the pain dawned on him. Somehow Stark hadn't broken his nose, even with such a forceful punch, but it was still bleeding profusely and agony overwhelmed him. He put his hands to his nose and doubled over with another groan. "That's sir to you," Stark barked. Dante nodded madly in response, unable to speak, but that quickly change when Stark jumped around and punched again. Dante heard a cracking noise in his ear. Even his attempt at a block had failed miserably against this man's amazing speed. He yelped with shock and sank to the floor, quivering with pain and anger. "You're pathetic!" Stark exclaimed almost gleefully as he savagely kicked him. "Get up and speak!" He shouted cruelly in Dante's ear as he yanked him up by his collar. Dante sagged in his grip but looked up under his eyebrows at the sound of a low, evil laugh from Kage.

He trembled with fear and rage, but forced himself into submission. "No, sir. I don't know why I'm here." This man was bad. Stark let him go and left him to stand swaying in the centre of the cell. Kage produced a knife and offered it to Dante hilt first, who flinched expectantly. "Fight me," he said, "and that's an order." Dante stood, gawping, but took the knife. Kage smiled and then charged. He didn't even draw any weapons. Dante dodged a backhanded sweep and managed to get his balance. He found that it wasn't hard to attack with intent to kill. He dropped into a crouch, easily missing Kage's roundhouse kick, and then spun on his haunches to swipe at his exposed back. Dante had him- he knew it- and then was on the floor with Kage pinning him down. The knife Dante had held in his hand was still there, but Kage had bent his arm back and was holding the knife to the back of his head. All he needed to do was drive it home. How the hell did he do that? Dante didn't move. Didn't breathe. "You see," Kage whispered gently in his ear, sending shivers up his spine. "It's all about deception. It's how I live." Then he got up and stood back, leaving the knife with Dante. "Now here's what you'll do, and if you don't I'll make you very unhappy."

Dante looked at his blood pattering the floor, "I am very unhappy."

Kage ignored the comment, "Kill Stark."

Dante and Stark's jaw dropped at the same time. Dante looked at Stark, who was staring at Kage. "I'm sorry, Stark, you're just not useful to me anymore." Kage shrugged. "Dante, do it. This man hurt you. He beat you."

"Wait! Dante! You don't understand." Stark cried. He'd drawn two knives and was backing away.

Dante firmed his grip on the knife and crept towards Stark, whose eyes widened in shock. "Don't! Oh, God no!" He shrieked. Thinking back on the things Stark had done to him made Dante all the angrier. Anger was lethal. His hands were slick with blood- his blood. Dante rushed forwards and dodged the clumsy cross handed block he made. "Don't--- I can't—I--" Stark stuttered wildly. Instead of cutting him now, Dante reversed his grip on the knife and crushed Stark's knuckles with the hilt, causing him to drop the knife in his right hand with a yell. Dante caught it. Stark made another swipe, but it was clumsy and miscalculated. Dante moved out of its way lithely and drove one knife into his stomach simultaneously, then kicked him forwards to sprawl on the floor. He coughed, and he brought up a great globule of blood. Dante couldn't work out what had come over him, but he liked it. He knelt by Stark and pulled him up to slump in front of him and pushed his two knives to either side of his neck. So easy. Cold-bloodedly, he said nothing as he whipped the knives across Stark's neck and held him as his body drained of life's blood and convulsed. Dante flung him forwards again so his face hit the floor with a wet crunch. "Yes. Perfect." Kage praised quietly, "And that is why we want you."

Kage left Dante in the cell with the body in the dark. When his bloodlust had dissipated and he could see clearly what he had done, he threw up. Over and over again. Stark's blood pooled around his head and clotted, turning black. Dante began to tremble and managed to stagger as far from the body as he could before he legs gave out and he collapsed against the bars. How long he was there for, he didn't know. Any sense of time was lost and even the guard shifts didn't help, for they were uneven and staggered. He couldn't bear to glance at the body at the centre of the cell. He began hallucinating. Sometimes Dante would sit and watch as the body of Stark rose and turn those hollows where eyes were on him. It would lift a black finger and point accusingly at him. Murderer. Multi-murderer. He would whimper in terror, his dignity long forgotten, and draw back as it dragged its limbs slowly across the floor to him. He would close is eyes. Scream. And then a guard would pull him back from insanity with a good hard smack with the butt of a gun through the bars that caged him from normality and relaxation and calmness. Dante reached a point where the hallucinations were so common that he didn't react anymore. He would let the vile stone- cold fingers of his mother trace the line of his jaw as it's hollow eyes searched him for regret, self loathing. It found it. He would let his father shout and rant and rave with shattered teeth about his weaknesses, blood and spittle flying. Dante's eyes had fully adjusted to the dark and he could see everything. He didn't eat, sleep or drink. He became an animal of the night, and he was brimming with hate and anger. Anger was lethal.

Kage came whenever it was. The floodlights came on again with their familiar sound and unexpectedness. Dante sheltered his eyes as pain flooded his head and crouched as far from the door as he could, listening to the sound of Kage's footsteps circling the cage. Dante's nerves were shattered, and he cried out when Kage reached through the bars and ran his fingers down his spine. "You've been getting thinner." Kage laughed.

The clanging of the gate alerted him to Kage's entrance. He let a small amount of light to his eyes, bit by bit. "Dante, I have someone to see you." Kage's icy voice said into the silence. Me? Why? Dante forced himself to look up, finding it hard to focus because of his dehydration and starvation. Kage was stood infront of him, shielding his view of the body 10 paces away. Someone moved behind him and Dante's suspicious eyes flicked immediately to Stark. Alive and smiling. Dante gawped at Stark and then stood shakily from where he had stood for far too long. His pool of vomit was still at his side and he almost stood in it as his legs protested at standing.

"You're alive." Dante managed to force through cracked lips.

"Better than ever. You like his acting? Wasn't really acting though, was it?"

"Who is it?" Dante said flatly, strangely calm.

"Why don't you find out?" Kage suggested, smiling slightly. Dante steeled himself and tottered over to the unknown dead. The body was cold. Hard. He rolled it over, forcing it to unstick from its bloody bed. He retched, but had nothing to bring up. The dead eyes looked up from his bruised and broken face. Sid wasn't smiling anymore. Again, he retched. "He did nothing." Dante growled. I killed him. Murderer.

"He worked for us. We can do what we want with him. He hunted you down and relayed back to us. Nothing indeed."

"He worked with you..." Dante's mind wasn't working. "But... but I killed Stark. It was him!"

"It's a spell. An Influence. I manipulate exactly how he acts and looks. What you saw as you.. took him out was the Influence being affected by Siddartha's adrenaline. Unfortunately it's very hard to maintain when he was shitting himself as much as he was." Kage said disdainfully. "Now, come with us."

"I killed Sid."

"Yes, you murdered him in cold blood you pathetic creature. He was no match for you." Stark interjected.

"Come with us." Kage repeated more firmly, his eyes flashing dangerously as he took a step forwards. Dante moved.

Kage led and Stark pushed Dante through the small door in the cave wall. Through that door the change was almost too dramatic to comprehend. It was like walking into an office building. Bright lights fitted into the ceiling glared down at them and there were doors at regular intervals along the walls, but the windows were blacked out. Each door was completely different, ranging from steel enforced mahogany to glass patio doors. After what seemed like a maze of corridors, Dante was shoved through a very beautiful mahogany carved door, with small fronds of ivy carved delicately into the wood. The room was warm with red furnishings, a wooden floor with a red rug, and mahogany wall panels. It was like stepping back in time. "Sit down," Kage commanded, gesturing at a red armchair by the fire as he seated himself at the mahogany desk that dominated the room. Stark positioned himself by the door. Dante glanced at the window. It was curtained. Kage opened his mouth to speak before somebody knocked at the door. "Come in," Kage snapped, irritated. Two burly men strode in, dressed in boots, breeches and a shirt with rawhide lacings up the front. It reminded Dante of the 1400's. "Oh, yes. You have the clothes I presume? Good. Wait outside until it's time." The men bowed deeply and left again. Dante sat in confusion throughout the exchange. Outside the door as the men left wasn't the sterile white corridors he had entered from. "Where the hell am I?" Dante demanded in alarm, standing up. Stark forced him down with a knife.

"This is my home. My world. My time. And where you will work from now on."

"You can't force me," Dante said defiantly.

"No, we can't. But we can... encourage you."

"Hah! And how exactly will you do that?"

"Why, like this." Kage said smugly. At that moment, the door snicked. Dante stood immediately and was instantly wrestled back into his seat by Stark who was suddenly infront of him. "Get off!" he yelled, beginning to panic. The two servants were back and ran to Dante, pinning him down. Kage stood slowly and took a wooden box from his desk. He struggled feebly against the three men as Kage produced a huge syringe. He smiled and waltzed across the room torturously slowly. "You'll like this. No words can describe how attractive it is. See for yourself." Kage plunged the needle into Dante's wrist.

Dante thought back to the days at school when girls had had cervical cancer injections. The boys had used to laugh and joke about how pathetic they were. Then when it came to the boys having jabs, you could see the fear in the other's eyes. Dante had felt it too. They were nothing though- you could barely feel it. He had felt like such an idiot when he came out with nothing but a bead of blood on his arm.

This injection was completely different.

The needle was much, much thicker. Dante could see the effort it took Kage to force it the full way into his wrist and push out the green liquid into his bloodstream. With normal injections, Dante could remember, you could feel the liquid go into you. It was a nasty sensation, but not pain as such. Here, the volume of liquid looked to be about ten times as much, and Dante could feel it. He felt as if his vein were about to burst. He cried out in pain as it shot up his arm and baulked, trying to displace the men. He almost did it but Stark suddenly thumped Dante's leg and he fell back, groaning. The other servants then took their chance to pin him down fast. It seemed like an eternity before the liquid was gone and Kage yanked the needle from Dante's flesh. Dante sat there, panting with pain and terror. "What was that what the hell was that why are you doing this ohhhh God what the fuck was that!?" he rambled. Everything around him tilted, and he panicked again.

"No! Sit, relax. Feel it." He did as Kage bade him. The strange liquid was there; he could feel it from head to toe rushing through his system. Dante felt stronger than ever. It was so good, regardless of the pain. "Yes, you see?" Kage said passionately as he saw Dante lay his head back and shudder with the ecstatical climax. Kage smiled. Dante didn't.

"What is that shit?" He spat, trembling with exhilaration.

"It slows aging, you don't need to sleep, food or drink, it heals you faster, and makes you stronger, faster. You can feel it." Kage was right. Dante's nose was fine now, the constant ache gone.

"That won't be enough to keep me here." He said defiantly, already having doubts.

"We'll see."

Once Dante had been injected Stark took him roughly by the arm and dragged him out of the warm room, and- somehow- into the whitewashed corridors of the main complex. He took him back to his cell and shoved him in, so that he fell against the bars of the opposite wall. Dante's senses were on overdrive, and unfortunately that mean he could feel the bitter cold between waves that of warmth that rushed through him. It was an odd experience. His eyes adjusted more quickly this time, but he still had a hard time getting a good look around. Dante didn't know what was going to happen to him, and he didn't want to know. The body- Sid's body- and blood were gone from the floor, which was a relief but he still shuddered when he thought of it. Was Sid in the same position as I? Dante thought morosely. They are going to pay for doing this to me.

Dante was sat, relishing the thought of what he would do to Kage and his men when he got the chance, when a pinprick of sound caught his attention. He had been in prison long enough to get used to the absolute silence and occasional loud scuffs of the guards moving around. This was different. The tiniest sound. Dante turned his head sharply, trying to catch the noise, straining. No. Nothing. I'm going insane. He thought, much to his amusement. He started laughing, quietly at first, but then it came out hysterically. The kind of laugh that really was terrifying. Another noise silenced Dante. It was closer this time, he was sure. His heart began to pump faster, adrenaline rushing through his veins, mixing with the serum. Dante couldn't see. "Hello?" He said to the darkness, knowing the guards were but 20 paces away. No response. He was paralysed with fear- not daring to move. Then suddenly the charging whump of the floodlights gave Dante a quarter-seconds notice to the light that blasted him. He shielded his eyes as a natural reaction, but then forced himself to look up. Kage, Stark, and five other guards had formed a semi-circle around Dante, pinning him into where he was crouched.

He cried out in shock, throwing himself backwards into the bars.

"Stand up." Kage said, "Do exactly as I say." Dante stood slowly, eyeing the men suspiciously. "Now take off all your clothes and put them there in a pile."

Oh, now that's awkward. Dante opened his mouth to protest, but before he could even squeak all the guards had raised their guns and loaded them to fire. He threw his hands up in response. Kage ordered them to stand down. "Do it. Now." He said dangerously. Dante complied, stiffly, and then stood naked in silence before them. He could see Stark smirking. He wanted to kill him.

Kage looked Dante up and down with a shadow of a smile on his handsome face, then his eyes locked on to his chest. "What's that?" Kage said.

"It's personal." Dante replied, even more stiffly. What Kage was looking at was a scar that diagonally spanned his chest.

"What. Is. That." Kage growled, his eyes flashing.

"I.... I.... Ah...."

"What is it!"

"It's a scar."

Kage's eyes fluttered closed and he swallowed. "Let's try that again. What is that?"

"A scar."

"No!" Kage roared, his temper flaring. He strode over to Dante and smacked him across the cheek. Dante could taste blood. "Where did you get that scar? Who did that to you?"

"I'm not tell--"

"Yes, you are." Kage said flatly with a smack.

"Please, I--"

"Don't even bother!" He kicked him in the shin.

"Oh, God! Oh, no! Ah!" Dante cried as Kage kicked him again so he was down on the floor.

"Get up." Kage grabbed Dante, forgetting his nakedness, and shoved him against the bars with a bodily clang as the bars shook with the force. "I want to know who scarred you so. And you will tell me. Or I will hurt you more. Until you tell me. Do you understand?"

"Why?"

"I said do you understand?" He kneed Dante's crotch, who tried to double over and made the tiniest screech through his teeth as he tried not to betray himself.

Dante panted for a moment, shattered. "Yes." He forced out.

"Yes what?"

"Yes, master. I understand." Dante was subdued and looked off into nowhere, still panting softly.

"Good. Who gave you that scar?"

Dante sighed, desperate not to share his information. "My father. He's dead."

"Would you care to share what happened?"

"No."

"Really?"

"I was given a contract from The Guild against him and mother. I killed her, but father knew it was coming. He fought me and died." Dante hadn't been the same since. He had been bound to The Guild and had to kill them, but he hadn't wanted to. He'd been 11.

"So why does your scar bare residue magic from Hellstone. Like that of a Hellsword?"

"I don't know. God, I don't know. The Guild took his sword. Oh, God, Kage. Please, no." Kage had drawn a dagger and was looking down between them thoughtfully. "Kage? Kage. That's all I know. Look at me. Look. I don't know any more."

xxxx"I believe you." He put away the knife and stepped backwards, a funny look on his face.

Dante sighed shaggily, his eyes fluttering shut with relief.

"If you resist this, I'll be forced to hurt you." Kage now warned blandly as a guard dragged in a hose pipe. Dante knew what was coming, but he still wasn't prepared when bone-cold water blasted his face. Uncomfortable on its own, yes, but the serum had heightened Dante's senses and he felt the cold more than ever. He gasped and leapt back with shock. "Stand still!" Kage commanded over the roar of the water. Dante cowered back but didn't move as the guard gave him a thorough cleaning. When it was over, he was trembling uncontrollably with cold. Kage bade him dry off with a rag and then tossed a pile of black clothing and boots at him. Dante pulled on a black pair of breeches and strapped a thigh holster to his leg before Kage could do anything. Next, a loose black roughspun cotton shirt with rawhide lacing up the collar to loosen it in hot weather. Black riding boots, and weapons belt and wrist guards came next. Kage looked Dante up and down and smiled. Dante seethed.

"Well then. Let's get you geared up."

"Oh, what the hell?" Dante groaned.

Kage strode out, walking towards the door. Dante followed after some encouragement from Stark. The other guards took up position around him, as if he'd attack them with Kage around. After walking in a solitary daze for a bit, it dawned on Dante that Kage was going to make him a killer. He didn't want to kill again. He stopped dead. Stark stopped also, hovering over Dante's shoulder like a bad smell, waiting for him to move. He didn't shift. Stark leaned in and Dante tensed.

"Come on, lad. There's no escaping the bitter business." He said almost gently. Dante turned and looked into Stark's eyes. There was pain there he hadn't seen before. He'd been like me. The realisation crashed down him. This man was a slave too. And look what it had done to him.

Dante walked rigidly on, trying to hide the trembling in his hands and the light headedness he felt. Kage opened a black wood door with chipped paint and stepped into darkness. Dante followed in just as Kage opened some shutters on barred windows to let light into the dusty room. It was quite large- long rather than square, and along every wall were knives, swords, bows, different arrows, morningstars, cudgels. Every weapon you could think of. They lit up perfectly in the warm sunlight that poured in from outside. They were in a city now, Dante saw. Carts rattled by lazily in the red morning glare and ladies and peasants alike bustled through the city past the glassless window, their chatter a perfect melody to Dante's sound-deprived ears. Something was strange though. As people walked by there was a more hurried attitude as they passed. Some glanced worriedly into the gloom inwhich we were concealed and many gave the building a wide berth as it was. This was obviously Kage's property, and people knew it.