The SVE Club

23. Retaliation

Midas burst into Insomnium's study, angry and unannounced.

"You!" he spat at the previously slumbering figure seated at the desk. Acting solely on impulse he began to light up the room with randomly placed sparks, unable to control his burning anger.

A book there, a chunk of the ceiling here, a window panel over there; bit by bit the room was either being obliterated or set aflame.

Pierce, who had been caught off guard during his rest, rolled out of his seat (quite quickly for a man of his age, in fact) and grunted with effort as he tried to find Midas' mind.

"Midas, calm down," he called, holding his arm out defensively.

"Just stay away!" Midas shouted, making the carpet beneath Insomnium's feet begin to smolder. "I know it was you! You-"

Midas froze suddenly. The words left his mouth. Against his will, he began to lower to the ground and sit.

"That's it, Midy," Pierce said softly. "Just sit down like a good boy." He stepped off of the smoldering carpet and smiled sadly at his charge. "Midas, every time you do this, you manage to destroy more and more of my office. I must say, I'm very proud of you; You must be the most powerful villain in the world. Well, besides me, of course."

"Now, let's get down to business," he continued, still speaking gently. He sat down cross legged in front of Midas, ignoring the burning room around them. "Tell me, Midas, did I upset you again?"

Midas found that he had been given back a measure of his speech. "Yes," he said through his clenched jaw.

"And what did I do to upset you?" Pierce asked, as though he was a father conversing with his son.

"I... saw something," Midas said, forced to hold back the nastier words he desired to spit in the old man's face.

"What did you see?" Pierce questioned.

"Sam," Midas managed to choke out through his teeth. "Sam was... falling. And I... I..." Midas shook involuntarily.

"You?"

"I couldn't reach her," Midas finally said. The memory rushed in like a bad dream.

He and Sam had been standing on the sidewalk, Sam had just been about to say something important. And then... the floor fell out from underneath her. She had fallen into a great black pit under the earth. Midas fell to his knees to try and catch her, but his fingers barely grazed hers and she disappeared with a terrified scream. Only when the floor beneath him crumbled and Midas was tumbling in that dark void, Sam's screams echoing like sirens, did he realize that it was an illusion, a nightmare given to him by Insomnium. The next thing he knew, he was back on the sidewalk, hands freezing and Sam still with him.

Midas shuddered at the thought, unable to be consoled that it had never really happened, that he wasn't still falling in that pitch black tunnel. It had been so vivid, so real. It was as if that had become his reality and the rest was a dream.

"Do you want me to erase it, Midas? Just like last time?" Pierce asked.

Midas nodded. Take it away. Please.

Pierce nodded. "I will, Midas, I will. So long as you promise to remember our deal. I don't want you getting close to the girl, or anyone in your little 'club' for that matter. When you are Insomnium, you will have nobody to rely on but yourself. It is a lonely life, but not all are capable of carrying on such a legacy. I selected you, Midas."

Pierce put a cold hand against Midas' cheek.

F o r g e t y o u r n i g h t m a r e .

Midas breathed a sigh of relief as the memory vanished from his mind. It was almost too easily, the pain of a torturous memory disappearing so quickly.

"Go to bed, Midas," Pierce said. "And in the morning, you can continue our endeavor. But don't forget what I'll do if you fail me once more."

    The man stood up and looked down upon Midas. "You are strong minded, Midas. And you have me to help you recover from such nightmares," he continued. "But the others? The ones you're relying on for your mission? They may not manage quite as well if the same nightmares were to befall them. So think carefully before you fall in too deep with them, understand?"

    Midas nodded tiredly.

    Pierce flashed a wicked grin. "Attaboy," he cackled. "Go on then. I have to clean up this mess you made."

    Midas staggered out of the room. When he was gone, Pierce grabbed the fire extinguisher he had learned to keep under his desk for occasions such as these. Putting out the little fires that still burned, he seemed unworried. By this time tomorrow, his office would have no trace of ash or debris. Of this he would make certain.