Chapter Ten
I woke with a groan, trying to reach up to feel my aching head, only to realize that I was strapped down. Slowly I opened my eyes, being blinded at first by the stark white color of my surroundings. "Hello?" I called out, hoping to hear some sort of response. When none came I turned my head to see if I could see anyone there, only to find no one in sight. I closed my eyes and imagined my home, Death’s facility, hoping to feel the mist envelope me and take me where I willed.
Nothing happened and I opened my eyes, no longer finding such an aversion to the lighting of the room. It seemed I was starting to adjust to it slightly. Letting out a deep breath I jerked on the straps holding me down, trying to see if they would yield. Again I found that nothing could be done. What was going on? The Leaders had come after me; that much I knew, but that didn’t mean that I knew why. Well, I mean aside from them being threatened by the existence of another Angel of Death. It was almost laughable because the Leaders had been around for so long that they had to know that the passing of an Angel of Death led to the position passing onto another person. This time it was just somebody they knew.
"Hello?" I called out, louder this time as I wanted someone to hear me. Even if that someone happened to be a Leader, I just needed to get some answers. Something was going on; the Leaders had to have a reason for coming after me and I had a right to know the truth. Then again, when had the Leaders ever been forthcoming with telling anyone anything about any situation?
After my encounter with Alaula and the other Resurrectors I had happened to encounter, they had to know that I hadn't died on that day when they had sentenced me to death for a betrayal I had no recollection of ever doing. Perhaps they were trying to find a way to follow through on their judgment so they would have one less person to oppose their plan and their belief of dying only of old age. However, they had no way of carrying out the sentence, as opposed to death as they were. It was the only reason I had to be grateful for their skewed belief system. The worst they could do was hold me prisoner forever. That didn’t sound pleasant, but I had no doubts that Thanos would continue on without me. He would name a new Angel of Death and Balance would still be maintained.
Of course I also had the thought in my mind of what Thanos had said before about the fact that he was supposed to kill me. If that was the case, if I died now, would I still be the Angel of Death? Or was it that only Thanos could kill me to completely change me into the Angel of Death? What possible consequences were there to that action? Based on what he had said my moral compass still worked so I thought that was what he was concerned about. I knew he cared about me so it made sense that he wouldn't want me to lose a part of myself that he thought was important.
That fact was also one that gave him a loophole in the grand scheme of things. Since he didn’t complete the process of turning me into the Angel of Death, I really only held the position in name only. He could easily replace me and I was glad to know that this would not impact the Balance. Though, I could also admit to being frustrated and furious at the fact that I would not get the chance to tell Thanos that I didn’t care what consequences he thought there would be for us; I was willing to try anything, if it meant being with him forever.
There was no way of knowing the truth now or knowing if there could have been some sort of romantic future for the two of us. I couldn't return to the facility to ask him; I already knew that to be an impossibility. For now I would simply have to wait and hope that a way could be found to get out of this predicament. Unless Thanos actually did choose to name a new Angel of Death, my being caught here for too long would probably shift the Balance and souls that needed to pass on would be saved instead.
I understood those actions had consequences; they seemed to be more clear cut to me now that I saw the big picture, the scheme of the Grand Plan. So then why was it that I couldn't or didn't want to accept that there could be consequences if Thanos did have feelings for me and we acted on those feelings? Maybe it was because the situation was a lot more personal than just the saving and Reaping of souls. I wanted to believe that the both of us could have some sort of happy ending. Thanos had never really lied to me nor had he truly given me a reason to doubt him. If he hid something, I found out about it and he eventually gave in.
Maybe knowing that he hadn't done his job properly changed things between us and changed the way we had to act around each other. The job was almost never completely black or white. As clichéd as it sounded, sometimes matters really were just some shade of gray.
I looked around the room once more. Was I really here alone? That actually raised questions in my mind. Even when they suspected me of betrayal, before I actually went before the Leaders, they had had someone with me. How could it be that there was no one in the room now? So much of this did not make sense and trying to figure out answers only seemed to complicate matters. It was far too frustrating and yet I couldn’t focus on anything else.
"Hello?" I guess the only thing to be done was to continue calling out for answers until somebody finally gave in and spoke to me.
I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and I turned my head to see the door swinging open. The entrance was bathed in a light so bright that I could not tell much about the figure, other than that it was a man. "Ah, Tamesis, you are awake. Good. I was wondering how long that blow to the head was going to keep you out. You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t feel bad for your suffering; nobody wanted to lay a hand on you to heal the injuries caused by our last encounter."
It was Samuel. Of that much I was certain. After all he was the head of the Leaders and made sure to let everyone know it. He flaunted his authority, using it whenever he could. It only made sense that he would want to be the one to guard me. Samuel wouldn't trust anyone else to do it. Also, it really seemed like he enjoyed taunting me and that did not equate well with someone who is supposed to be a healer.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he replied with a laugh. After waiting a moment, probably to see if I actually would attempt to answer his question, he continued. As he spoke he stepped over near the flat hard bed I was strapped to, which caused me to squirm just a bit. I did not like being so near to him considering everything he had done. "I guess not. If that is the case then I believe Thanos is slacking in his training techniques. Other Angels of Death never slipped like you have. They never would have allowed themselves to be caught, especially like this."
He looked down at me, smiling as if he has just had a victory that would allow him to win a war. "You had a false sense of security because of our dwindling numbers," he commented. "It made you very careless. I am quite ashamed of you, Tamesis. I thought you had a firm grasp on what the Resurrectors stood for and that you knew exactly how quickly we managed to replenish after a great loss. We have sped up the process for the newest classes of Resurrectors, intensifying their studies so they will be ready sooner. It is a mistake you will regret in the long run."
"Why would I regret it? If you do anything to me, another Angel of Death will take my place. It is not going to solve anything." I shrugged as much as I actually could and looked up at him, meeting his gaze completely. I hoped that my words came off as flippant as I wished them to. It’s hard to act so carefree when tightly bound as a prisoner to those who side against you in every way. "Do what you want to me. Things will go on as they are meant to."
At that Samuel turned around and stepped away from me. "Your naiveté on this matter astounds me. To simply go after you would accomplish nothing. However, I have found that the best way to stop the enemy force is to go for its leader. By stopping them you can then stop the entire operation."
I felt my eyes widen slightly. It wasn't really me that they wanted at all, but Thanos. Of course; it made sense, but then why capture me in the first place? "No," I said softly, not wanting to believe that they could be so crafty.
I could almost swear that I heard him chuckle, the sound so similar to the cackle of a villain
in a cartoon movie. "I have seen the way he looks at you, especially during your hearing. It is not a weakness that one should show, especially if it is a weakness as obvious as he made it to everyone else. He will not take your disappearance well and once he knows that we have you, he will come. We have been in charge of our sides for many years, more than you could actually imagine. Thanos is too chivalrous to allow something to happen to you because of him. He will sacrifice himself for your sake."
No, he couldn't. I wouldn't allow him to. That I knew with utmost certainty as I would find a way to warn him, to tell him not to worry about it. I made the mistake of being caught and he needed to move on past this, find the next Angel of Death, and train him or her. I was only one person; he could find a way to get through this and continue the task he knew to be so worthwhile. My life was not worth a sacrifice that would lead to a complete disruption of the tenuous Balance we fought to maintain.
"He wouldn't do that," I said, hearing a slight waver in my voice. The emotional part of me wanted to latch on to the fact that he would come to me, but logic managed to win out, just barely, by saying that Thanos had acted for so long in a proper and controlled manner and he would continue to do so now.
"You don't sound very certain of that. I don't think you know your boss very well at all."
"Really? I could say the same about my former bosses," I retorted. Thanos was a far better boss and I knew him decently well, as well as I could professionally. He was nothing like the Leaders and I appreciated that.
"There are always some matters that employees do not need to know all the details of. It only matters that they know their duties and execute them well, which ensures that things run smoothly. You were a hitch in the operation and it is a shame we didn't notice it earlier as it would have saved us a lot of trouble now."
I snorted. "This is coming from the same man who spoke of how exceptional my skills were, at how I had easily done better and progressed farther than any other student Resurrector? It's amazing how much a person's opinion changes when the situation does, don't you think?"
"Thanos will come and he will lose everything he holds dear to him," Samuel stated, his words laced with a hatred I didn’t quite understand. I understood not liking someone you considered to be an enemy, but there was much more to this. Samuel hated Thanos, or was it that he just hated that there was death in the world? Either way I knew I would get no more from him. It was present in his tone that the conversation was over so no matter what I said I would get him to say nothing else on the matter.
I closed my eyes and hoped that Thanos wouldn't come, that he would stay at the facility and continue with his duties. I was only a pawn in this chess game between the Resurrectors and Death. I could be sacrificed and surprisingly enough I found that I wasn't shocked by that thought. In fact, if it helped the cause then I would welcome it.
Project Death: Resurrection Page 25