"I... just…" Will rested against the metal bars and looked down at the subdued monstrosity of a man. "I thought that he was this mighty beast, this killer, that he'd be in some giant iron cell surrounded by turrets an' shit."
"This is Branch's reality, Will. Everything about him is an illusion, an image that he casts to fool everyone into thinking that he's some man-turned-god, some great leader. It's smoke and mirrors."
"Fuckin' hell," he muttered under his breath. Of course, like always, Vera was right. That was becoming a mantra for Will. Demoreo looked up at him, his dark brown eyes piercing through him just like the hound that he had as a boy. A part of him couldn't help but feel deflated. This was supposed to be the monster that set him free, the final encounter at the end of his quest to immortality. Yet, like the rest of it, everything was carefully crafted to appear more than it was. The world had ended, and that wretch was just as much of a victim as he was. "I shoulda listened to ya."
"What else is new? Then again, I should've listened to myself, maybe I wouldn't be in here."
"Why the fuck are you in there?" He asked, still transfixed by the malformed man before him.
"I kept a journal of all the interactions that I had with Demoreo in my time here. They never cared much about him or really guarded him before. I'd come in here and we'd talk, he'd write as much as he could for as long as he could. A few weeks ago it stopped. He lost everything. He's still in there, somewhere, but they've done so many things to his mind at this point, I just don't know. I had to do something, Will."
"What'd you do?"
"His wife and his boy live here, up on the 15th floor. I brought them the notebook. They deserve to know what happened to him."
"You mean they didn't?"
"No," she said. "Branch told them that he died, put them up in a suite, gave her some meaningless job. That was that."
"How could someone do that..." Will thought, trailing off and not feeling the need to finish his thought aloud. They both knew what he was thinking. The Crusher wasn't some beast, some creation of the wasteland that was there to mindlessly drink from the skulls of men, he was just another captive of Branch and this whole fucked up world that he created. The Crusher was a man, a broken man, and his Vera had tried to show him that, had tried to fix that and right the wrongs.
"That's why I'm here, Will," she said softly. "Because I wanted them to know."
"I don't get it," he said. "How'd that get you tossed into the clink? If he's so proud of what he's done to this bloke, why the bullshit?"
"Control. I did something that Branch couldn't control. It's all a part of his grand illusion. The Crusher was the uncontrollable beast that was under his control, that's what mattered, not that he is Demoreo, a broken man that Branch did the most harm to."
"Fuck it," Will said. "I'm gettin' you outta there and we're screwin' outta here."
"No," she said. "I have to stay for now."
"You hear what's goin' on out there? Gabriel attacked Branch. Everything is chaos. They won't notice a fuckin' thing."
"Will, just trust me on this, alright? We could act now, but that would just be us escaping. These people deserve to know, they deserve to live their lives without Branch's control."
"So what, then? We fuckin' wait? We let this madness continue. What if he does that to me?" He pointed down at Demoreo, who let out a load moan.
"We wait and we hold out hope."
"Hope? We need to fuckin' run, lass."
"Will, I'm glad that you are seeing this, but you need to be patient. You are important to Branch still, we need to take advantage of it."
Nineteen
The Engineer
TK Gabriel lay supine on the cot, a thick layer of gauze wrapped over his midsection, a deep red circle growing on his right side, seeping through the pristine white of the wraps. They had dumped him off in the cell without a word, but thanks to her visit from Will she knew what had happened, at least most of it. Why TK felt the need to jump into the stands and go after Branch—beyond the obvious—was a mystery to her. He was out cold; the guards left a bucket and rag for her to place on his head in case he broke out into a fever, not that it mattered if he did. If he did, there seemed to be very little chance of them actually helping him.
Demoreo was in the cell across the way, a steady, low rumble of a groan emanating from him that she had grown accustomed to during her brief imprisonment. Everyone down there was damaged, to some degree or another, and served as a serious threat to Branch's grasp on the power of the wasteland. While Demoreo might be under Branch's control, Vera's plan could be the key to unlocking his memories, to somehow bringing back Demoreo the person from the abyss and anguish of being the Crusher. Chances of him ever looking normal again were slim to none, but maybe a sliver of his humanity could return to him if he just saw his wife and child again.
There had to be something inside of him, something left that wasn't mutilated and trapped inside of a living horror. She had seen the man inside of the beast and knew what he was capable of, knew how horrified he was at what he had become. If he had only known what Branch would do to him, he would have never gone there. Maybe he would have found his own way to care for his family. Instead, here he was, just like the rest of them, a prisoner of Branch's devices, only Demoreo was the avatar for everyone's deepest fears of what Branch really was.
"Arg," Gabriel groaned. "The fuck."
"Whoa there," Vera turned back towards him, holding him down by the shoulders. "You've been shot. You shouldn't move much. You are lucky that they patched you up at all, that they didn't just kill you right there and then."
"I've gotta get out of here."
"No, you've gotta rest. We don't know what else that bullet couldn't hit, you were lucky that it passed through you in the first place."
"There's nothing lucky about any of this."
"No, I suppose not, but you still have your life. Rushing into Branch's box like that wasn't the smartest move."
"You didn't hear, did you?" He slowly picked himself up, Vera no longer trying to hold him down but instead helping to prop him up against the bars. He wore a pained expression but was trying to hide just how much pain he was in.
"Hear what? I heard you rushed into the box like a madman and took Branch on headfirst. I'm not sure if it was brave or stupid. After your escape attempt, I'm not even sure why he's keeping you alive."
"My wife," he said. "They took my wife."
"Your wife? I didn't know you had your wife with you..."
"She was on my bike, in a bag. I was looking to give her a proper burial."
"Oh." The gravity of the situation hung heavily on her, the next question weighing heavily on her before she finally asked it. "What... did they do to her?"
"What they did to that poor fucker," he motioned towards Demoreo, "was nothing compared to what they did to her."
"My god," she gasped. "She was there, in the arena?"
Gabriel nodded, avoiding eye contact with Vera while they bought sat in silence inside of the cell. She knew that Branch was a monster, knew that he had brought about the end of the world through his machinations, but she has been face-to-face with these monsters, she had spoken with Branch himself and seen what he was capable of. Bringing back a dead man's wife to haunt him shouldn't have surprised her, but that thought still gave her pause. That was what happened to those that dared to cross Branch in public, to undermine his society built upon the ruins of the world with him mounting that world with his gilded throne.
The days crawled along, the three of them the forgotten prisoners, at least the ones left to their own devices. A different guard every time delivered two meals a day; two plates of rice and chicken for Vera and TK, and a side of raw meat was wheeled into for Demoreo. They used to tranquilize him before rolling his dinner in, but now the docile Crusher would simply follow with his dead eyes but remained unmoving until the cage door crashed shut and he'd tear through it in a matter of seconds. The security cameras pointed to
wards the cages reminded her that they were never truly forgotten or alone, just that the lack of physical guards was Branch sending a message to them; they weren't worth his time or resources.
Her mind drifted towards Will and the sheer panic and sorrow that she saw in his eyes today when he came to find her. Will was an x-factor now, finally awake and aware of Branch's true nature. If he listened and laid low everything would be fine, but imagining him up in that suite all alone with Jenna and a sea of endless whiskey bottles sent a shiver down her spine. There were many things that Will Farrington was capable of, but drunken outbursts of violence seemed like the most likely path, which scared her. Will just needed to not do anything stupid for a while longer, just long enough for something to catch or for a plan to hatch.
"I'm worried," she said out loud. TK wasn't very talkative, and Demoreo had long-since slipped away from having the ability to hold a conversation of any kind. It was more for herself. "I'm worried about Will."
TK was healing, albeit slowly. TK's tray of food always came with antibiotics, which seemed to be helping him out, to the best of her knowledge. While medical science wasn't exactly her forte, years in the wasteland and in the bloody Branch Tower had exposed her to violence, death and injuries to where she at least had a base level understanding of them all. She had patched up Will more times than he'd ever like to admit; him avoiding Branch's doctors as to not show weakness to the rest of the fighters that all received medical attention after their fights.
Part of his whole tough-guy image. That was why his arm being in a splint was so devastating to him, although he'd never admit it out loud. An injury like that was a long time coming, though, especially after so many excursions into the arena. Even if Branch was protecting Will, building him up to be this symbol of his power and humanity's perseverance under Branch's watchful eye, things could and did go wrong out on those blood-soaked sands.
"He'll be fine," TK broke the silence, staring up at the blank ceiling.
"What?"
"Your guy there, he'll be fine. He's not all bad."
"That's odd coming from you. Didn't think that you cared for him much."
"I don't," he said, "but I don't see much of a point in killing him is all. He's better alive."
"Is that begrudging respect I hear?"
"Whatever."
"He was injured and in that box with Branch, wasn't he? You had a shot at him and you didn't take it, did you?"
"Nope," TK sat up, groaning while he took a deep breath. "My grudge is with Branch, not any of his thugs."
"Will isn't a thug, you know. I know that he's done some... questionable things out there in the arena, but that's the only life that we know here. It's what we have to do to survive."
"How's that working out?"
"Fair point," she said, sinking back down with her back to the wall, staring over at Demoreo while he slept in his cell. Every exhale came with a low rumble, inhales with a guttural squeal. Right now her hopes were pinned on the shoulders of a young boy and his mother. That they'd find a way to see Demoreo again and that they would trigger something inside of him. Branch's game was mental, hinging on iconography, desire and the illusion of power. Demoreo was a flag-bearer for that power, for his ability to give and control life. If only she could save one soul, she would want it to be Demoreo's. He had suffered enough.
"Dad?" An uncertain voice broke through the silence. "Dad, are you in here?"
"Tyler?" Vera asked, turning towards the ajar door. "Is that you out there?"
"Umm," the boy poked his head in, wide-eyed and scared, the door obscuring a view of his mutilated father inside of the adjacent cell. "Hey, you're that lady from the other day, right? What are you doing in here?"
"Tyler, look at me, alright? Don't come in here yet."
"Why are you in a cell like that, and who's that guy?"
"This is my friend, TK. Tyler, stay there for now, okay? I need to know that you'll be okay. Will you be okay?"
"Sure," he said. "I'm gonna be a guard, you know, I've been doing a lot of training. I've seen some shit, helped my Ma and Dad get through the wasteland and all."
"I know, hun," she said, trying to not sound condescending towards him. "You've gotta trust me, though. Where's your mom?"
"She doesn't know that I'm here. She wouldn't like it, not at all. She's been crying ever since you stopped by, I read that book you left. All of it."
"Who's that?" TK asked. "Is that the kid you were talking about?"
"Yeah," she answered, keeping her eyes on Tyler to make sure he didn't enter the room. Luckily, the angle of the door made it so he could only see into her cell. Not his father's.
"Shit," TK said. "Crusher's kid. That's rough."
"TK, you ass," she said. "Don't—"
"I told you," Tyler said. "I read the whole thing. I know. I know everything."
"I'm sorry, Tyler. I wish that it wasn't true, but..."
"Can I see him?"
"Promise me that you are ready, Tyler. I know that you saw some shit out there, but this is your father. Remember that, will you? This is your father, no matter what Branch did to him."
"Wait, is he here? A few of the other cadets told me about this place, told me that it was off-limits and that they heard shit coming from here."
"Tyler, you've gotta stay strong, alright?"
"Is he here?"
"Yes, he is," she said. "He's in this room, you just gotta—"
"Dad!" Tyler burst through the door, stumbling aghast against the concrete wall. "My god..."
"Tyler," she said. "Remember that it's still him in there. That's still your dad, he still loves you."
"What did they do to him?"
"I know that this is scary, Tyler."
"W-what did they do to you, Dad?" The boy inched carefully towards the cell at a crawl, eyes wide open while Demoreo sat in his cell, thoughtfully watching the boy without a hint of recognition.
"He might not recognize you, Tyler," she said. "They've done a lot to him. He can't speak anymore, they've done things to his mind, he doesn't even recognize me anymore."
"But why?"
"Because he's a killer," TK said.
"TK, cut it out," Vera snipped at him.
"It's true, Branch turned him into a monster, into his personal killer."
"But why?" Tyler had his hands on the bars, gently clasping onto them and staring into the cell. "Why him? What do they need him for?"
"I don't know. Branch just does things like this, it shows his power."
"Branch is the monster," TK said.
"TK," she looked back at him, trying to calm him down. "Let's give Tyler some time alone with his father, alright? This has to be difficult for him."
"Fine," TK said, laying back down and pulling his jacket up over his face. Tyler continued to kneel in front of the cell, hands glued to the bars and his watery eyes watching while his father—or what was left of him—sat in the cell groaning, the boils and tumors on his stretched out, rubbery skin making him look more beast than human.
Tyler reached into the cell, Vera having to bite her tongue. Demoreo wouldn't hurt anyone, especially his son, but how much of him was the Crusher and how much of him was Demoreo she just didn't know. There seemed to be none of Demoreo left inside of that husk of a person, but this was her play, this was her hope; she hoped that his family could get whatever was left of him to fight through the abyss and shine through. Demoreo sat unflinching, though, only marginally interested in the boy, no familiarity at all in his eyes.
"Dad, please," there were tears slowly streaming down his cheeks. "Dad, it's me, Tyler."
Demoreo turned his head towards Tyler and lurched his massive body towards him, walking on his hands in the cramped cell. They were face-to-face, Tyler shivering, tears streaming down his cheeks while what was left of his father breathed heavily through his nose on the teen. Tyler stayed in place, though, both terrified and showing strength beyond his years, strength that was no doubt forged out
in the wasteland while helping his father, mother and sister to navigate the hellscape of the living dead and the savage living.
"Dad, please."
The boy was sobbing, Vera wishing that she could reach out and hold him, to tell him that everything would be alright even though she knew that it wouldn't. "God, I'm sorry Tyler," she said. "This was a stupid plan. A stupid, stupid plan. I'm so sorry."
"That's why you don't fuck with other people's lives," TK said.
"Oh fuck off, TK." A commotion came from down the hall, Tyler looking to Vera in a panic. "Tyler, run."
"Where do I go?"
"Sounds like they are coming from the hall, go through the labs," she said, the boy running into the lab just as the metal door swung open and Jordan Branch marched into the room, Stuart and Viktor at his side.
"I don't want to hear it," Branch looked down at Vera who was just about to speak. "Ms. Maia, I am here for Mr. Gabriel."
TK sat up and stretched out, doing his best to hide the pain from the bullet wound.
"Of course, Mr. Cool will pretend to act like what he did wasn't a big deal, but it was, Mr. Gabriel. You dare oppose me! You dare come after me in front of my people like that? Oh, you believe yourself to be a clever one, don't you? Don't you?"
"Well, I—"
"Silence!" Branch shouted. "You want to put on a grand show for the people, you want to be Mr. Action Hero, don't you? That's all that you know, how could I have been so foolish as to believe that you were a logical man, a smart man who knew when he had it good. You had it good here, TK. You were on top of the new world, my new world, and you blew it. You blew it and there's no going back. These people, they may love you now, but I'm the reason that they are here. I'm the reason that they aren't out in the wasteland as the shambling undead or worse, and they will remember that once I've spilled your blood on the arena. Yes, me, TK. I will put an end to this once and for all."
"I think I got to him," TK said to Vera, Vera remaining still, unable to formulate a response. It was best to stay quiet and to keep her life than to have a death wish like Gabriel did.
The Tower Page 19