25


"I can't process reality. I'm trying, and I genuinely can't," Jensen mutters. He sits with his back against the wall, Daisy sits to his left.

"Me neither," she sighs.

Alec, who sits on the other side of Daisy, grunts. "Yeah? Well hurry up your processing because the rest of us are living in the present. If you're not on your toes in this world, then you're dead."

With that the door swings open and a large figure steps inside, light surrounds his large form, creating a dark silhouette. He steps forward, into the room, and his face is illuminating, revealing a familiar face.

"Like I said," Alec mutters and looks up to find his warden. "Sup' Wilder?"

"Dad—" Jensen jumps up from the ground. "Please tell me you're getting us out of here."

John nods, but his mouth that is set into a hard line tells them that there is a catch. "I'm here to bring you three to a secure facility in which you will not be told the location of." While he speaks, he looks everywhere but his son. "Please comply completely to everything that is asked of you, or else other measures will have to be made." He repeats the sentence like he had rehearsed it many times, but still failed to make it sound anything other than monotonous.

Jensen looks over at Alec, expecting the Moretti with knack for anger-issues to have strong feels toward the "comply" part of the deal. But instead, he grits his teeth and says nothing. Jensen isn't sure whether to take this as a sign of defeat or simply a smarter plan for the long run. He really hopes it's the latter case.

Jensen's father steps to the side, unblocking the doorway. A few soldiers file in. "Chests to the wall, hands behind your backs." One of the soldier's shouts with firmness. When they don't respond immediately, he shouts again, "I will do this hard way, let's go!"

They don't hesitate to turn this time.

Jensen looks down at Daisy, his head resting against the wall. Wordlessly, she looks up and they share a look. Without speaking they both share the same thought, What's going to happen next?

They're quickly handcuffed and blindfolded, then dragged to a vehicle that they are then shoved into. The drive is silent. And the drive is long—probably over an hour. The drive is relatively smooth for some of the way, but for the latter portion, their vehicle, or van, or whatever it is, jostles roughly die to uneven ground. Occasionally they can hear a rock or stick hit the underside of the car.

When they finally arrive, it's at least ten minutes after they've stopped moving before the back doors open. No one speaks, not even the soldiers that shared the vehicle with them. Cold air nips at the exposed skin. Birds chirp in the distance. The werewolves can hear the steady trickling of a stream to the north.

The Lynx, however, isn't focused on sound. His blindfold glows a faint orange from the hue of his eyes that shine brightly beneath. Jensen usually has no problems seeing through any material. Whatever cloth they are using to shield his eyes also shields his sight. For the first time, his abilities are blocked from an outside force. Yet, he wills his eyes to change back and forth, struggling to find anything, any sort of shape, color, shadow...but none of it works. He's rendered hopeless.

The sudden grip of a gloved hand on his shoulder causes him to jump. "Let's go, glowstick." The same soldier from earlier replies gruffly. He pulls Jensen out of the vehicle and onto a patch of grass. He then proceeds to drag him to someplace else; sticks crunch beneath their feet as they tread across the seemingly wooded area.

The other two supernatural's are accosted next and dragged behind them, all going to the same place. Where that place is, can only be deducted as a place somewhere deep in forested land. Sound only helps the werewolves so much. Alec, being an alpha, has slightly better sense of perception and so he's been able to make out only small details. For instance, he's come to the conclusion that they are about forty minutes away from civilization, they are on a path that is not frequently travelled, and judging by the silence of the soldiers, he's guessing that they're just dropping them off and leaving them here, strict orders.

Just when their legs begin to tire after a walk of about fifteen minutes, they're released.

"They're your problem now, Wilder." Someone says followed by the sound of retreating footsteps.

John grunts and he turns around. "Don't take off you blindfolds yet."

"Or what?" Alec opens his mouth finally.

"Or I'll shoot you. So feel free." The soldier with the gruff voice retorts.

Alec pauses and listens. He can hear at least five people breathing. Some of their security-detail have stayed behind with them instead of leaving. Alec decides to keep his mouth shut for now, just for a little longer. He just needs to find his leverage, whatever that may be. And he'll find it. Eventually. Or at least, he's determined to.

Standing in the woods, in silence, is extremely boring. Add hunger and sleep deprived to that, it's excruciating.

After a long period of silence Jensen asks, "Dad, how much longer?"

John sighs. "Just a little longer, son." He raises his hand like he's going to pat his shoulder, but then stops a few inches away. His hand retreats back to his side and he looks off into the woods.

The corners of Jensen's mouth twitch downward. His dad always stops when he's almost there. I wish you would just do it, he thinks, but it has no purpose because his father will never hear.

A painful ten minutes pass, and the three supernatural's are beginning to think it will never end and that they'll be stuck in an eternal loop of depravity. Then, John breaks the silence. "They can be released."

The blindfolds are removed, and the hazy light of the setting sun reaches the eyes of the young adults who are surrounded by the soldiers that keep the captive. They have to squint at first, to adjust their eyes. The setting around them is blurry for a moment. It sharpens after a few seconds. The first thing that they notice is the large three-story plantation-style home sitting in the middle of the forest.

Hedges, an overgrown carriage path, and broken stone yard ornaments scatter about the small clearing that had quite yet to be fully overtaken by the forest. The scene shows remnants of a once beautiful home. Remnants of a past of nice things, and money, and luxury.

At the top of the bow of the semi-circular carriage path, pebbles only barely visable, lies a toppled statue—a cherub with a rose, it's face split down the middle. It is a child with wings, and the rose, broken romanticism. This statue particularly catches Daisy's eye. The boys skip over it. She pauses. Her heart skips a beat and her breath catches in her throat. She sees herself in the broken piece of art.

"Let's get the kids inside," John says and begins to walk forward. The soldiers stay behind staring at the three who had yet to move. The supernatural ones get the hint and begin to climb the tall, white-painted wooden steps of the magnificent home.

The interior of the house is a stark contrast to the exterior. It looks straight out of a dystopian novel. High-tech litters the house and dingy, modern furniture is around here and there. Exposed pipes and wires stick out between the walls. Once everyone is inside of the house, they are immediately accosted. The doors slam behind them, and the soldiers disappear into the house. A group of different people, dressed in proper military uniforms approach the trio, grabbing them by their wrists. Bracelets are forced onto their arms. They beep as they tighten, clicking into place.

They've reached as to where no one protests. They don't even flinch. No surprise flashes through their minds. Maybe, sadness at the situation, a seed of depression spreading. This is their new normal.

"Alright then," the soldier in charge of Daisy's bracelet drops her wrist gently and smiles warmly, a strange are rare sight to the girl. This one has buzzed blonde hair and slight dimples in his cheeks. "Don't go anywhere, you here?" His voice has a slightly southern accent to it. He laughs lightly at her confusion. "This gadget," he points at the thing on her arms which has no face, just a thick band of black material. It's hard, but still flexible. The only sign of its electronic nature is a small light that shines a soft green on the underside. "it's your new best friend. It goes everywhere with you now. You don't take it off,"

He looks over at Jensen, the soldier's grey-blue eyes meeting Jensen's ocean blue ones. "You don't tamper with it,"

He looks to Alec, whose jaw is set tight. The soldier runs a hand of his square jaw, his skin is smooth and completely free of any facial hair. He drops his hand and holds his hands behind his back, causing the exposed skin of his arms to bulge from the massive amount of muscle he has. "And you don't leave this building, or else it will let me know."

"Roger that," Alec says with sarcasm.

The soldier laughs. "My name is Aaron," His eyes find Daisy's. "I'm not here to be your babysitter, so please don't cause trouble." His eyes flicker over to Alec at the end. "But," he looks back at the girl. "I'm not your warden either, that's John's job." Aaron smiles, looking over at the man in question who leans against the banister of the stairs that stands in the middle of the spacious entryway.

"Well, good to know," Jensen says, his voice void of emotion. He looks up to see his father already looking at him. The air grows thick with silence for a moment. An unknown mental battle is happening between the two males.

John sighs. "You either fully comply to whatever they ask of you to do here, or I send you back to where before and rot in those cages." His eyes harden. "Take your pick."

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