Feathers and Carnations

Chapter Eighteen

* this is my most triggering chapter, fair warning.
* restraining, panic, needles, blood (no heavy details)

Cold, unforgiving metal locked his wrists down. Minho gasped as his body woke up, his blurry mind slowly clearing as he tried to take in his surroundings. He'd been in this chair before, in this room.

How am I back here? Where's Jisung? Jisung.

It came flooding back to Minho all at once. His foot aching as he pressed it firmly into the gas pedal. Seungmin's defeated voice echoing through an unclear speaker. The flash of a van crashing into him.

He became aware of the feeling of the dried blood that ran down his face. Chimera was able to ambush Minho thanks to a spy from Solswor, who also happened to track Seungmin up to the cabin. I foolishly went after Jisung, and I fell right into their trap.

The door in front of him clicked open, and Minho leaned back in the metal chair he was far too familiar with, setting his glare on the person that entered. Hyeon had that smug smile on his thin face that Minho had always loathed.

"Good morning, ML-32. It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"No, it hasn't been long enough."

Hyeon shrugged his bony shoulders and nonchalantly folded his hands behind his back, pacing in front of his prisoner. "Maybe for you, but that's not the case for JH-47. Five years was enough freedom, don't you think?"

"Where is he?"

"It's in Holding right now. I'll get to that machine later, for now, I think you and I have a lot to talk about." Hyeon tipped his head down at Minho. "You are a difficult machine to pin down, I'll admit that. I built you well. But, once I found that little weakness of yours, it was only a matter of time before I got you back."

Minho sighed. "You got me, so you won, is that it?"

"It's the beginning of my winnings. Trying to turn the mafia against me was clever, but two can play at that game. Once I find your men, annihilating the rest of the slop you've gathered will be fairly simple. Any remaining survivors will make great new machines."

Minho wanted to laugh. It was so easy getting Hyeon talking. "Okay, and then what? Are you going to terminate me and keep building your empire?"

Hyeon scoffed. "As much as I would like to get rid of you, I simply can't. You're the best thing I've created, and I need a subject to study to improve my program. However," he suddenly slammed his hands down on Minho's wrists, his pale, wrinkled eyes staring at him menacingly, "I cannot tolerate any weakness, and that is exactly what JH-47 is to you."

Minho's blood ran cold, and he tried keeping his emotions down. "Weakness, you say?"

A mocking smile grew on Hyeon's face. "Yes. You and that other machine share a... special relationship, do you not?"

He can't possibly know.

Hyeon's smile widened at the lack of response. "I do know a thing or two. I've learned that patience can be quite rewarding." He pulled a photo from the pocket of his white coat and carelessly dropped it onto Minho's lap. "Look familiar?"

Numbing cold seeped through Minho's skin, freezing his blood and locking his lungs into place as he saw the blurry photo of him laying in bed with Jisung, their arms wrapped around each other. He couldn't bring his voice to work.

I failed you, Jisung. You were never safe with me.

Hyeon continued. "Perhaps I could get rid of your weakness, much like I did those years ago. You really became obedient when I had you believing that JH-47 was terminated. Although, this time I will see to it that it is actually terminated this time."