Ragnar couldn't tell how long he had been sprinting for. He had gone through so much that he could barely remember half of it anymore and right now he was being chased by a group of people with unclear intentions.
One thing he learnt since the Ascension day was that the few people he trusted were no longer here. Of course he learnt that the hard way.
Sounds of motorbikes and automobile cars could be heard from every direction.
Just one kid had given them such a tough time that they had to mobilise a fully prepared team just to surround him.
"Fuck! Fuck! I'm screwed, what have I gotten myself into!" He lamented without slowing down. He was agile and swift on his feet cutting through multiple alleyways, through windows of abandoned or half-collapsed buildings.
Tween
A purple beam flew past his face, slightly grazing his hair. He almost lost balance from the shock alone and those few moments of which he slowed down was all that was needed for a tranquilizer dart to be shot into his back.
All sort of static noises could be heard through radios as he was quickly bound and being brought away forcefully.
"Not again ha not again, not again...." He suddenly started murmuring in between pants.
...
Evangeline materialised in the icy chamber followed by Ailsa. Ailsa was caught of guard by the degree of cold but still managed to keep her composure.
"During his confrontation with Stein's special forces he reacted strongly to being bound." She said after a few moments of contemplation.
"Do you suggest we bind him?" Evangeline looked at her with a strange expression on her face. She knew he reacted strongly and not just strongly. It was very bad.
While they where looking for what would trigger a mild reaction.
Ailsa thought for some moments, she thought she noticed an expression on his face as he slept, she took a step closer to get a clear view.
Step.
Another one.
Step
And another.
"Do...n't ...co..me any.... clos...er!"
Ragnar strained to speak between bounds.
He wasn't really scared at this moment.
What he felt since the moment he got bound to the moment he was brought to this facility was pure hatred.
He felt total contempt to the situation, it kept building up with each step the men took, coming closer to him.
He strained once again.
"Donn'tt...come..hæa." his breathing grew ragged.
"What are you doing Ailsa?" Evangeline asked cautiously.
She didn't know why but she felt a bad premonition with each step Ailsa took. Her hair rose on all end the closer Ailsa got to the giant bed.
"I thought he said something, I want to take a closer look at his situation." Ailsa replied.
She could also feel the chill dropping.
"Don't....." Before Ragnar could say more, one of the men pushed on a button and the chair he was bound on sent sparks of electricity through his body.
Ailsa took one more step closer. Just one more , she felt her surroundings slow almost to a halt. From the side of her eyes she saw what seemed like a barrier like force field, before she could react, it knocked into her with so much force, the air was stolen from her lungs. She was sent flying into the air.
Banng....
She collided with ceiling sending cracks through the bricks and crashed back into the hard stone floor.
She felt something warm sliding from her forehead, her vision was clouded, she was so out of it that she didn't see Ragnar getting off the bed and pacing towards Evangeline.
His head hung low, he kept muttering. "I told you to stay away, why does nobody listen to me? " His hand shot with blinding speed, he already got Evangeline by the throat. "I told you, didn't I? You think I was helpless right?, you think I was...." He slammed her against the chamber walls sending violent tremors through the building. But he paused when he saw the expression on her face.
"My master..." She said dreamily while bringing her palm to the side of his cheek.
It was a soft and gentle caress. Tears could be seen welling up in her eyes.
Ragnar's grip softened, he didn't know why but the more he stared at her the more he felt this tightening grip on his chest. Slowly the icy aura receded. It all retreated into his body. He gently released Evangeline, took a step back. He looked around him.
"Where am I ?"
His gaze finally trained on the frail figure that was on the floor, bleeding heavily from her cracked skull.
"Can you help her??!!!". He yelled at Evangeline who still seemed stuck in her daydream.
He rushed towards Ailsa.
"Hey, hey...are you okay?" He recognised her almost immediately.
She was the one who had pulled him out of the square were he went on a murder spree.
Thinking about murder spree, his gaze slowly went towards his hands . They were pale and smooth. They looked so....delicate.
"How come?"
"What is happening to me?"
He looked at Ailsa on the floor, then at Evangeline and he involuntary took a step back.
He felt almost aggrieved.
He knew he was just an ant in the current world, but now he held power. Power so great it could put him at the top of the food chain but why was he feeling so much hatred whenever he concentrated of the bloody light that emitted from his outstretched hand.
It was so easy for him to bring it out that it felt normal, but the feeling that came with it felt suffocating and he could feel his consciousness slowly waning.
"So I don't own you, you own me huh?" He muttered.
With a soft sigh, the light went off. "I'll think about this later ."
He returned his gaze towards Ailsa who was still lying on the floor.
"Help her." He said gently.
Evangeline stared at him for sometime without responding or reacting.
He turned to meet her gaze.
"Why should I?" She asked when he looked at her.
Ragnar felt strange the more he kept staring at her but he didn't know why. ".....yet" he muttered. He already had a feeling that, he'll be in their company for sometime. The girl had not just dragged him here out of good will.
"I'm returning her favour." He replied.
Evangeline nodded. She stepped forward and placed her palm on Ailsa's chest. Golden light slowly escaped her palm enveloping Ailsa. A few moments was all it took for Ailsa to jolt awake.
Her expression was pale, not from health but trepidation.
She remembered her 'last' moments, but she still didn't understand how she was blasted into the ceiling of the chamber and why.
"Are you okay?" Ragnar took a step forward and squatted down to help her up while Evangeline took a step back.
"Now you owe me." she said with a soft voice. Ragnar didn't turn back, he just nodded while slowly helping Ailsa up.
Evangeline smiled brightly.
"Let's take it slow." She mumbled.