Barker extreme

Insanity was much more fun but there was only so long you could sing songs from Julie Andrews’ movies. Elijah was contemplating starting Mary Poppin’s when Barker walked in. Khaat was less than pleased to see him and Elijah couldn’t say he was best pleased either but there was nothing they could do while chained to a wall. In did fall silent though and peered down once more at his blooded shirt. Said shirt had cost him just under four-hundred pounds. He didn’t know what possessed him to buy it but he had and now it was ruined, torn and bloodied. Elijah idly wondered whether he could take it back and say it was no good.

“This chapter is ‘Heal Eli because he’s going to bleed all over your floor and make a mess’.” Elijah said simply, rattling his chains a little. “Wouldn’t you just hate to clean my blood up off of your floor?”

Elijah was hungry. Well, peckish really. He could have done with some of that toast that Barker had offered Khaat; the toast she’d not eaten and gotten him cursed for. If his body wasn’t dealing with the issue of bleeding to death then he was sure it would have made its hunger known. Blood was mystical really, beautiful yet deadly. To lose (what was it? Two pints?) was deadly. Elijah seemed alright for the most part although Nachash wasn’t. She was trying her hardest to quell the bleeding and help heal the wounds. The weaker he got, she got and vice versa.

He heard Nachash hiss from somewhere around his back and he looked to see her licking at the wound on his side underneath his shirt. He could see her tongue. She’d pushed herself through his skin and was using whatever healing properties her venom had to help the healing process along. It was stopping the bleeding any rate. For anyone other than Elijah, her venom was lethal. It was just another thing their bond supplied, the ability for one to heal the other.

Felix ignored the two of them for the most part, he went to his cabinet of potions and pulled out two bottles. Both looked to be made of the same stuff, but he simply put those on the table and went back to looking through the cabinet, he pulled out a few more potions, then put all of them back except the first two, and one other. He went over to Elijah now, his jaw set, and started to pour the potion on his wounds. They sizzled and healed over, leaving odd dents in his skin where the puncture had been. After he finished healing his wounds, he turned on Khaat. "Now..." He said lightly. "You are going to regret putting me over the edge like that Kitty." he said softly, and he pulled out his wand. He pointed it at Khaat and the chains fell off of her, but she was still stuck in place, he flicked his wand again and she floated over to the table, where the chains hooked onto her again.

"Elijah... watch and learn what your little mistake will cost Khaat." He said lightly, and moved closer to Khaat, taking out the dagger that he had stabbed Elijah with. It still had some blood on it, so Felix stood there a moment, looking over Khaat while he cleaned it off on a rag. Once it was clean, he looked at Khaat and smiled. "Wouldn't want you to get whatever diseases Krum has do we?" He asked gently, before going over to Khaat. "Now Kitty.. where do you want to see your intestines from? Your stomach? Your chest? I could make you unable to have children..." He said and then rammed the knife into her hand.

Leaving it there, he pulled out his wand. "Hmm... how about this.." He said and waved his wand, muttering something under his breath, a large, thick chain slinked out of it, and landed on the floor in a pile, he pushed it under the table after a moment of thought. "Later.. Later.." He said and then grinned at her. "Scream for me Kitty Khaat.." he said, and then pointed his wand at her. "Crucio!"

NEVER! Her mind rebelled against Barker's command. She would not, positively would not give into him. She refused to scream. The crucios seemed to be getting worse, more and more costly for her. She could feel the life force running out of her now. He clearly didn't realize this was going to kill her. She knew how to deal with intolerable pain, at least enough to try her best to survive it. Her focus was on her anger, her rebellion. And on the basic skills that she had always been taught to cope with severe pain. Breathing. Breathing was the key. Learning to breathe through it and only focus on the breathing.

She felt the pain become too much, and her head feel back as it made her semi conscious. She felt her head slam into the table beneath her. Just what she needed. More pain. If there were still a way to call to her father, to summon him, now was the time. She doubted if he could hear her anymore. She figured that all those energies were gone. She did try, honestly, to summon her father, or at least to send him a last message. She did not want him to think that he had not been on her mind. She felt hot tears trying to come forth, but she didn't even have the physical strength for that anymore so all they did was to linger in the background and burn. She tried so summon up that rsolve to never give in, never feel, never allow an emotion to burst through. But death was a strange master. It played tricks on both body and mind, and as a healer she knew that well. Death was beginning to toy with her, to begin to take the upper hand. She'd dueled this opponent before, but she knew this time, she would not win. Nor was her father here to battle him back on her behalf. There were no heroes anymore.

Nachash slunk back when Felix approached once more, having no desire to be caught just yet. She travelled back down towards his legs and curled herself around his calf. It was a wonder she fit. She was gloriously large now and rivalled any other snake. She was truly one of the greats and she was his. She had once said that every year he grew she did too. He shuddered to think what would happen when he started to age into his twilight years. At this point in time, though, his life was flashing before his eyes. He couldn’t do anything, he had to just hang there and watch Khaat receive her ‘punishment’.

Elijah threw himself forward, hoping in vain that by some miracle he could take the chains off of the wall. He wasn’t that strong unfortunately and Elijah heard the sickening crack of his wrists. He bits down on his bottom lip and a trickle of blood dribbled onto his tongue. He looked up and watched Khaat writhe in pain. He wished he hadn’t looked, he wished that he’d kept his head down. Felix was inhumane. He couldn’t be capable of love if he let this happen to someone, someone who had experienced love. He couldn’t be capable of love if he threatened children as he had. This was a man that was in love with torture, not the beautiful woman in the other room and Elijah loathed him for it.

“Get your wand away from my mother you sick bastard!” Elijah heard himself yell. “You want to torture someone then take me! Have at it!” He pulled at the chains again. He needed to get to Khaat. He needed to go home. He needed to take her to Rob...he needed to get her to the Hospital.

Elijah heard Nachash hiss and but he kept his eyes on Felix. He felt her push herself out of his skin, something that hurt very little now, and he watched out of the corner of his eye as she kept to the shadows, slinking along the floor towards the door. She was bailing on them. Great. He heard her hiss from across the room and a small smirk took his lips. Oh no, she wasn’t bailing. She was going to get someone. Although, how or who he didn’t know. He just hoped she was quick about it. Khaat wasn’t going to hold out much longer.

“If you want to really hurt her then take me. Go on...Felix... you know you want to. Make me suffer.” He purred.

Ah.. there it was at last, satisfaction in what he was doing. He almost patted himself on the back when Felix started to yell at him to stop hurting his mother. Odd to think that these two had a bond such as that. Felix had never loved his mother, his sister maybe.. but his mother was a slut, who deserved to die rather then get to run away, taking his little sister with her. Felix smirked, and looked back at Elijah. "Does this pain you boy? Does this make you hurt?" Felix asked, and he went to Khaat's hand, and took hold of her pointer finger. He held onto it lovingly, and then smiled, moving his fingers along hers, his eyes locked on Elijah. "What would happen, if I just.. broke all of her fingers? Would you get angry at me?" He asked, and then pulled back hard on her ring finger, and heard a satisfying snap of the bone.

His hand moved to her middle finger, and he watched Elijah. "She's getting close to Death Elijah... don't you see? Death is in the room at this very moment, watching as I torture your mother." He said lightly, pulling back hard on her middle finger and hearing it snap as well. His fingers moved to her pointer finger and he looked down at Khaat. "Does that hurt luv? It's a good thing you're still quite a ways from death.. sure I've stabbed you in the hand, but right now.. you only feel pain, and pain is all your going to feel for the rest of your life luv, you will die in pain." he said softly, leaning closer to her face. He yanked on her pointer finger then let her hand fall down to the table, three fingers broken.

Felix looked smug as he moved around to Khaat's feet, which were still bare. "Remember when I sliced your poor feet Kitty?" He asked softly, moving to her feet, and reopening the wounds that had started to heal on them with his knife. He took hold of her foot in his hands, running his fingers up and down her legs gently. "It'll hurt to walk for a while after this one luv." He said lightly, and then twisted her ankle to the side, hearing a satisfying crack that would have made anyone sick to their stomach. He dropped the lame foot back onto the table lightly, then pulled out his wand again. "Lets have some fun shall we?" He asked lightly, and pointed his wand at her again, his back to Elijah as he lifted her off the table, and situated her back against the wall. After she was rechained, he pulled out the chain from under the table. "Mmm... this will hurt." He said lightly, and struck out at Khaat with the chain. It flew to hit across her middle, slashing through the dress, and leaving a large cut/bruise where it had hit.

Khaat's mind was fading. Her body could absorb no more pain. She could not summon her body to move anymore. It was as limp as a wet dishrag. It was odd really. She was moving, somehow, out of her body. She was somehow, standing outside of herself looking at what little of her was left. She looked, like...well, some sort of raw cut of meat, maybe. She wasn't sure. And she knew her ankle and her fingers had never been able to point the direction before. That red silk dress had looked amazing at one time. Now it was almost non-existant around her form. She looked at Barker. He had no concept that she was somehow standing behind him, watching. He was still enjoying trying to make her suffer. He'd gone too far. His little cabinet of potions were useless now. That wasn't going to make one spark of her life essence go back to her body. It would take a professional healer now. If anybody did come in time. Someone like her father. First aid kits just weren't good enough anymore. Somehow she had left her own body now. Well, where the deuce was Remus then? Wasn't he in charge of meeting her? Slacker!

Oh, well, wait. Maybe she wasn't quite dead yet. Maybe she was in that odd limbo that Sirius had seen a time or two. She remembered him telling them about it when she was a teen. They'd all had dinner at the farm. A special celebration of the Order--or who it was at that time. Bizarre dinner conversation, as she remembered. He'd explained how he'd left and come back a time or two from his body and how weird it all was. Maybe that's where she was. How strange!

And Eli. She looked around for him. Was he here too? Apparently not. She looked at his form chained to the wall. Oh. There he was. And he was still very much in his body. He was alive enough to be snarky and insolent. That amused her for some reason. Made her laugh. She loved his resilience. And she loved him--beyond all words. She wanted to coach him now. To keep him going. She moved close to him and tried to talk in his ear, doubting Barker would hear her. She urged Eli to fight back against Barker, to never give up. Never. She wanted him to know how very, very much she loved him and always would, no matter what side of the veil she was on.

There was an odd thing going on here, though. Something that brought heartache to her. If she'd been capable of tears now, they'd have come. Where was Rob? Rob was bonded to her. To her very heart. He was now a piece of her very soul in ways only a handful of wizards ever understood. Their relationship had evolved to things well beyond magic. Few knew about that, but nothing, nothing had ever managed to destroy it. And every time she had been in trouble, Rob had known. Somehow he knew. He had known where she was as surely as a ruthless bloodhound. No pun intended. Perhaps he should have been a bloodhound instead of a labrador. But he had always known instantly. And he had always, always come. Where was he now? Had he given up? Or had he simply been too late?

You’d break all of her fingers you twat, Elijah thought, sniffing like his mother, his real mother mind you, would have done. He turned his nose up in a similar fashion and smiled despite himself. He looked back at Felix and winced when he pulled Khaat’s finger out of her socket. Felix had issues and he definitely needed to be referred to Matt if there was anything left of him when Rob got his hands on him. Speaking of which, where was Rob? He was supposed to be here, Jen too. They’d buggered off to a pub hadn’t they? Typical. Elijah couldn’t be the hero. Could he ever be though, for anyone? It was doubtful. They needed to be rescued otherwise they were both going to die.

“I expect he’s bored,” Elijah commented blandly. “Watching a coward like you must bore him to death,” Elijah smirked, “Oh wait...”

Elijah watched the chain fly and he closed his eyes. He’d never been the religious type, not exactly believing the Muggle twaddle, but he whispered a prayer in Bulgarian. Mentally he wrapped it up in a paper ball, set fire to it and chucked it up to Merlin. He hoped it set fire to that sodding Wizard’s hair. He needed Khaat to survive. They’d all end up in bedlam if she didn’t. Rob would end up six foot under because Jen would shoot him. She’d be put back into Azkaban and everything would fall apart from there. He just hoped she could keep with them for a little while longer.

“I’m not wrong am I? You are a coward. To treat a woman like that...you don’t even deserve the breath of life you have.” Elijah spat venomously.

Felix looked at Khaat a bit confused as she collapsed. To much pain obviously. He moved over to the table, and picked up the bottle there, he poured it down her unresponsive throat and watched it go down, pretending he could hear her vocal chords sizzle. He smirked and looked back at Elijah. "Aww, Kitty got tired of the game.." he said gently, staring at Elijah carefully. "I'm tired of hearing your voice Krum." he growled, and then grabbed one of the potion bottles on the table. "Open." He growled lightly, and forced his jaw open, pouring the scalding liquid down his throat. This potion was a special kind that burned the vocal chords, and made it impossible to speak. "You asked for me to torture you instead of her.. and now she's useless.." he said with a shrug.

He reached down and picked up the chain. "You want me to torture you instead? Well fine." He said lightly, and whipped the chain at him, slashing him across the chest. "You F*** little hero eh? You think you can get out of here? You won't get out until you are dead... DEAD! But that won't be for a long." He hit him with the chain. "Long." He hit him again. "LONG." He hit him across the face with the chain. "Time.." he said panting as he let the chain drop to the ground. He picked up his wand and pointed it at Elijah. "That Chase girl.. she's as good as dead, because the second I'm done here, I'm going to go get her, and Naomi will help me, we'll kill her, in front of you. She. Will. Die." he said and pointed his wand at Elijah's chest. "Crucio!"

Oh, great, she thought. Chains? Really? She knew there were ribs snapping under the pressure from the whip like effect the chains had. Her body didn't even react anymore. If God was kind, she would not have to go back into that body. That was gonna hurt. Really hurt. And she was done with that. She watched Barker move to Eli and begin to use the same chains on him. That's it, he would never be free of her. She would haunt Felix Barker into eternity, she vowed. Personally, she was just waiting for Remus to show up. What the heck was he doing?

She was getting a visual of him drinking a pint someplace with Sirius and Tonks and Harry. At some point he'd look up, realize he was late, and show up. She decided she had the right to give him a piece of her mind. People weren't supposed to be late on this side of things. And surely, if there was ale in heaven, Remus knew where it was.

She hated, however, watching what this performance was doing to Eli. It was tearing him apart. Nothing wounded him more than the possibility of losing the people he cared about. He had too few of them. People who cared about him unconditionally. And she knew he had been in no mood to lose her today. Nor had she wanted to lose him. And now he was the lone star of the show. What had she done wrong? Why hadn't she been able to stay in her body? And was there any way of getting back to it from this side? Could she somehow rescue him now?

How had it gotten this far? He should have been someplace drinking firewhiskey, smoking a Parisian cigarette, with either his guitar or his brush and paints. One or the other. She should have been home with Abbey and Dakota and Brian. Or in her office under mountains of paperwork. This wasn't the way the last few days should have gone. Not at all.

Eli! Damnit! Don't you dare give in, or I swear I'll haunt you! I'll wear cheeky hats and throw all your teacups! You know I will! She shouted in his ear. You can't leave us here. Get out and send my father for my body. He'll rip Barker apart for both of us. You can't let it end this way! You just can't!

Elijah’s personality wasn’t nearly as put together as he thought it was. He was rendered speechless, giving Intelligence and Scholar cause to be worried. When Felix picked up the chains, however, that was when they all really started to worry. Elijah kept his eyes cold and hard. He was scared, yes, but he wasn’t going to admit it to Felix of all people and he most definitely wasn’t going to give the bastard the satisfaction of showing it. Khaat wasn’t completely gone, he knew this, but she was doing a good job of leaving him by himself. Elijah couldn’t handle this by himself.

The chain was going to be his weapon of choice it seemed. Felix was a coward. This confirmed his suspicions. He couldn’t bring himself to hurt Elijah with his own hands. When the chain first struck his chest, Elijah clenched his teeth together. His back arched and he pulled at the chains. His muscles tightened and a layer of sweat coated his skin, appearing from nowhere. He made no sound, the potion restricting that but when the pain passed his muscles released their tension and he fell forward, the shackles completely breaking his wrists. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth, a shuddering gasp leaving it.

Elijah most definitely wasn’t listening to Barker. He was trying to endure the pain. He wasn’t as strong as Khaat. He couldn’t absorb it. He’d never handled pain well whether that was emotional and mental or physical. He hated it and never knew what to do with it. He could remember falling from one of the trees in the grounds of the Krum Mansion. He broke his leg, oddly enough the one he’d broken recently, and he’d screamed and cried, having no clue what was happening to him. He could remember the physician snapping it back into place. The shout that had came from him apparently still haunted Stelladora. It had hurt though and he hadn’t known any better. He’d been a child, one that had thought himself invincible. This now was another reminder that he wasn’t.

The chain struck Elijah’s chest again and he arched back upwards, the pain in his wrists not registering in his mind. He was going to blame the force of it on his movement, not the way the pain was being distributed around his body. His shirt, the Prada one that was currently worth about £10, had split open and his pale chest was revealed, glistening with blood spewing from the cut Felix had made. But that hadn’t been all he’d done. The second blow had taken out the ribs that had been healed the same time as his leg and arm had. They were gone, broken and in pieces inside of him once more. He gasped, struggling for air that would be denied if one rib poked somewhere it wasn’t meant to.

The last blow hit him the hardest and in the place that Elijah desperately didn’t want Felix to touch – after the crown jewels of course. The chain lashed out and hit him across the face, opening a large gash over his cheek bone and down into the cheek. Elijah’s eyes widened and he fell forward, losing the ability to hold his weight up. The chains caught him, pulling at the wrists again and he finally felt the long overdue tears spill down his cheeks, mingling with the blood running down his face.

Elijah wanted to know why. Why hurt Chase when Felix could have his fun with him? He couldn’t lose her. Now, even if their relationship was in ruin, he wasn’t really gone, they weren’t really separated. Only in death could a couple be separated. One could not live without the other. That was how it worked wasn’t it? Jen could lie for him. She could tell Chase, if she decided to ask, that he’d gone back to Durmstrang. He didn’t want to see Chase die. He couldn’t see Chase die. He’d be nothing. If she died before his eyes...he wouldn’t get over it. He barely got over Alice. Actually, he was barely getting over Alice and it had been seven years. Chase wasn’t meant to die. She was meant to have Kitty, marry Adam if it came down to it and live out her life.

Elijah saw the Cruciatus Curse and he felt it hit him. He pulled at the chains again, desperate to curl in on himself. He wanted out of this. He couldn’t do this. He wanted to either die or reach the safe, loving hands of unconsciousness. He didn’t deserve this. Chase didn’t deserve the fate that Barker was setting up for her. There were so many things Elijah couldn’t do if he died here. He couldn’t see Fauve grow up. He couldn’t paint the portrait she so desperately wanted. He couldn’t see Thierry fall in love and lose his frosty exterior. He couldn’t be there at Kitty’s birth. He couldn’t love his youngest. He couldn’t feel Jen’s arms around him again as she gave him of her bone crushing hugs. He couldn’t listen to Rob prattle on, drinking until he was wasted. He’d never see Khaat again.

He’d never see Chase again; the cruellest of all of the punishments.