Harper opened the door and looked down at his sister, his face twisting into a look of confusion. "What— Kasey? What in the world is going on? What are you doing here?"
"I need help. Please, Harper. It's Barry," Kasey begged, reaching out to grab his hands and holding onto them tightly. "Please."
"Come in, Kasey. Tell me what exactly is going on," he said softly, pulling her inside and closing the door behind them gently.
The water had risen to the middle of his chest by now, but he barely registered it through the suffocating sensation of each wall pressing in on him.
Kasey, Kasey, Kasey. His personal mantra, his prayer. Kasey..
As soon as they were sitting on the couch, Kasey broke down. She told Harper the whole story: her coming home late, the ring, and finally about the kidnapping. Harper sucked in a breath at what Hectic had done to Barry, clenching his jaw.
"Okay, so we obviously need a plan… Did you notice any entrances other than the one you went in?" he asked.
Kasey shook her head before pausing. "Actually… There was a door that she went through, when I was there. I'm sure it would lead somewhere that we could sneak into…"
Completely submerged in water, Barry had gone into full panic mode, pounding against the walls of his prison, trying to force them apart, but nothing was working. His lungs ached for air, but there was none. No way out, no way to breathe, no one there to help.
Slowly, he slipped into unconsciousness.
It wasn’t long before they had a plan that Kasey desperately hoped would work. They thought that if she went back in alone, with Harper just outside for backup, it just might work.
For Barry’s sake, Kasey hoped it would.
Barry awoke, hours later, no longer alone. Instead of coming back slowly, bit by bit, consciousness came flooding back like a bucketload of icy water….. which could easily be explained by the bucket that Hectic had just overturned above his head. “Rise and shine!”
At the time Barry awoke, Kasey and Harper were on their way. Kasey was anxiously tapping her fingers against her knee as she looked out the window.
Harper noticed this and reached over to grab her hand. “Hey… He’ll be okay. We’ll get him out of there,” he said softly.
(You mean Harper?)
Barry sat bolt upright, panicked eyes darting around the room. “I—I’m alive,” he stammered? Relief flooding him.
Hectic rolled her eyes, wrapping her fingers around the thick chain binding his arms and legs together. “Yes, smart one. You’re alive.”
(Ofkdjdj
Fixed.)
Kasey took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she looked over at Harper. She gave her brother a small smile and nodded.
“Right. Of course. We’ll get him out,” she said softly, nodding. “We have to.”
"You really think that I'd kill you without your girlfriend to watch?" Hectic raised an eyebrow. Desperate, Barry blurted the first thing that came to mind.
"Don't let her come back. Please. I'll do anything for you."
They were almost there. They were so close to saving Barry…
That was the only thought that was running through Kasey's mind the whole rest of the ride. She just had to keep it together for another few minutes. Just another few minutes…
And then they were pulling into the block, and Harper was parking far enough away that Hectic wouldn't hear the car coming. Kasey nearly bolted out right then, running straight for the doors so she could just go get her boyfriend. But she didn't. She made herself stop so that she didn't ruin the plan and jeopardize Barry's life.
"You've got this, sis," Harper assured her softly, reaching over to ruffle her hair. He gave her a warm smile before nodding toward the doors. "Go get 'em."
Hectic let a cold laugh spill from her lips. “Oh, that’s cute. Trying to protect your little girlfriend? Nice try, but no thanks.”
Barry’s heart sank.
Go in, distract Hectic, let Harper free Barry. Go in, distract Hectic, let Harper free Barry. Go in…
Kasey repeated the plan over and over in her head as she walked up to the doors. She wasn't here to fight, not unless it was absolutely necessary. All she had to do was distract.
"Let's try this again," she said, her voice clear as she spoke to Hectic from her place near the doors, as if she hadn't just been worrying out of her mind.
Barry went rigid. “No,” he breathed, eyes widening in horror. “Don’t touch her.”
Hectic laughed coldly, placing a hand over her captive’s mouth. “Back so soon, Kinesie?”
Kasey almost broke — for, what, the fifth time that day? — at the sight of her boyfriend. He was drenched… Why was he so wet?
"I thought it might be nice to have a little chat," she said, her gaze somehow as calm and stoic as her voice as she tore her eyes off of Barry.
I'm sorry, Barr… We're getting you out of here, she transmitted without looking back at him. In her mind's voice, she couldn't hide or mask the pain or the fear she was trying to keep inside. Especially not from him…
No, he broadcasted frantically, steaming uselessly against the chains that bound him. Kasey, get out of here before this lunatic hurts you!
Hectic arched an eyebrow, drawing a knife from the sheath at her belt. “You mean, a chat where I slit your boyfriend’s throat, and you beg for mercy?”
"I was thinking something more along the lines of you letting him go and doing whatever you please to me instead," Kasey said, ignoring Barry's unspoken words. She wouldn't leave him here. She couldn't.
(Boop.)
(Shite, I forgot to reply after I sent you that dm)
“NO!” Barry yelled, his voice and heart simultaneously breaking into a million tiny pieces. The powers he’d been suppressing suddenly burst free—the wind began to howl outside, slamming sudden rainfall against the exterior of the warehouse. “No—take me—don’t you dare——“
Hectic shushed him by pressing the flat of her blade to his lips. “Shh… and, Kinesie, I think I’d rather just….” She cupped her prisoner’s cheeks and pressed an icy kiss to his lips. “Do this..”
Kasey took a shuddering breath. She willed Barry to pull away, to make it difficult for the insane woman to do what she was doing.
She didn't even realize she was speaking until she heard herself whimper, "Barr…"
It was odd, how easily Barry’s spirit had been broken. He tried weakly to pull away from Hectic, but his attempts were futile. Even when she straightened to look Kasey in the eye, she kept a firm grip on Barry. “Why don’t you watch, Kinesie…. Here, I’ll even let you pick a word..”
Kasey closed her eyes for a moment, willing the pain to go down and replace itself with fury. When she opened her eyes, there was fire in them as she glared at the villainess.
“Let him go,” she said lowly, taking slow steps forward. “Let him go, and maybe I’ll convince the authorities to not be as hard on you.”
“Let him go…” she mused, her lips curving into a cruel smile. “Yes, I like that. Across his face?”
Without giving Barry time to recover, she flicked the knife across his cheek, carving the letter ‘L’ into his cheek. ‘E’ and ‘T’ followed, and soon, the whole phrase had been written across his face.
Kasey’s breath caught as she watched Hectic wrote on Barry’s face. She continued to step closer, making her way towards the other woman. If she could get close enough, she could use the life against her after taking it from her with her powers.
"Step back," Hectic warned, her voice suddenly low and threatening. She placed the bloodied tip of the knife just a few millimetres away from Barry's eye. "Or he's half blind."
Barry froze, his pain giving way to sheer terror.
Kasey froze, her eyes widening for just a moment. Her jaw clenched as she glared at the woman, taking a step back again.
C’mon, give me a moment to distract you… Just a small distraction… Then I can get Harper in here…
"Much better…." Hectic purred, letting her arm drop to her side as she turned from Barry. "Now tell me, Kinesie, what was the deal you wanted to make?"
Kasey continued to glare at Hectic, her hands clenching into fists and then unclenching, clenching, unclenching, as she barely suppressed the rage that threatened to ruin the plan.
“You let Barry go, and then you can do whatever you please to me,” she said, her voice nearly shaking from emotion, low in anger.
"No—" Barry yelled desperately, "Don't listen to her!" But Hectic paid him no mind, stepping towards Kinesie despite his protests. "Oh?"
“Choke me, stab me, drown me… Whatever you want,” Kasey said, her gaze unwavering as she stood her ground.
Any second now, Harper, she transmitted to her brother.