Erza's predicament.

Where am I?

That single thought kept running through Erza's tired mind. Her eyes were heavy and her mind foggy as she looked around the room. Her body was sore and weak. She shook her head as she tried to clear the brain fog and think clearly. 

What on earth happened?

 She remembered running to Gavin in the great arena after he collapsed in the final moments of the fight. Then she remembered the blonde-haired man at the hospital in a white doctor's coat. He injected something into her. She felt her heart rate begin to speed up as she remembered the pain of the injection and the sensation of drowsiness crept over her. The man wasn't a doctor. 

I'm going to kick his ass the next time I see him, Erza promised herself as her mind began to slowly clear. She looked around the room she was in and noticed a few things right away. 

She was in an old looking metal chair. Chains held her wrists to the arm rests and her legs to the base. She pulled on the chains, giving them an experimental tug. Half heartedly expecting them to be loose enough for her to slide free or break. 

Unfortunately, no such luck. 

Damn, my head's killing me, she complained to herself as she looked around the room. It looked rather simple, plain and boring. Old sheet metal lined the walls of the room. Like the kind used on an old tin roof. There were a few lights hanging from the ceiling, the kind you would find in an old garage. They buzzed and half of them appeared to be burned out, casting dim shadows across the room. 

The face of the blonde-haired man was still foggy in her mind's eye. Her heart rate increased, sending blood flowing through her veins. The adrenaline surged in her body as she pulled on the cuffs that secured her body to the chair and chains. No matter how hard she pulled or yanked the cuffs and chains would not break. It was as if my muscles and body weighed three times what it should, she shook her head as she tried to clear her thoughts.

The air was damp and smelled of mold and mildew to Erza's sensitive nose. God this place reeks. She struggled once more against the chains that held her in place as a single door on the opposite side of the room squeaked open slowly. A tall man with blonde hair walked through, carrying a tray with a white cloth draped over it. Erza held her breath as she had a feeling of deja vu. She knew this man.

 Could those be torture tools, Erza wondered as her heart rate began to speed up slightly. This was not good, not only was she captured by some unknown enemy, but she and her unborn child were in danger. That thought set her anger off, but she refused to allow it to show. She had to remain in control if she had any kind of chance to get out of this situation alive.

 She refused to take her eyes off the man. She had a strong idea of what was coming. She glared at him as he strode into the room, giddy as can be. His white coat tied back from his waist with straps as he sat the tray down on a table nearby. 

 "Oh, don't give me that look, filthy little animal," the man said as he practically skipped over and slapped her across the face. 

Searing, white-hot pain exploded through her head as it snapped to the side from the blow. Her vision flashed white for a moment as her senses reeled from the impact. Stars filled her eyes as she struggled to focus. "Oh, I wonder exactly what might happen next," he said with obvious relish as he rubbed his hands together while looking at her. His voice was like nails on a chalk board to Erza, high pitched and whining. Each word promised untold horrors to come. She shook her head, her matted hair sticking to her damp skin.

Blood trickled down from her split lip as Erza growled low in her throat. "Touch me like that again, and I promise you, you won't live to regret it." Erza's voice was low and quiet. Her body shook from a mixture of fear and anger as she struggled against the chains. 

 "Oh, we are going to have some incredible fun, you and I," he said with an unexpected coldness in his voice. The thoughts that came to her mind made Erza shiver with revulsion and fear.

 I have to find a way out of here. I've got to focus my mana; to shift, or summon some magic, do anything to fight off this maniac in front of me.

 "Get off of me," she snarled in her fury as she bucked against his touch. His skin was cold and clammy. Her stomach heaved, her last meal threatening to come up, but whether from the man or her pregnancy she didn't know.

 The man laughed as he grabbed her roughly by the chin, his fingers digging into her skin like a frozen vice, no doubt bruising. He jerked her head to face him. His alcohol filled breath invaded her nose from the wide grin on his face. 

 He let go of her chin, bruises already forming from his fingers as he reached back and backhanded her. Erza let out an involuntary cry of pain as she saw stars from the blow. She struggled against the chains, bucking forward to reach the man. That was the second time the man struck her.

 Twice.

 She was no helpless victim. She was a shifter; and a powerful one.

She concentrated. I have to do something.  Yet, for whatever reason, she couldn't feel the flow of mana inside her. Without access to her mana, all her training, practice, and everything she had learned was useless. She was nothing more than a human right now. 

 She could taste the blood from her busted lip. She licked her lips and offered the man a wry grin. Her eyes glowed a golden red as she spoke softly. "I will get free from here, and when I do; I will bathe in your entrails." Her voice was whisper soft, without any trace of rage, hatred or the violence to come. 

The man laughed sadistically as he punched her in the face. Erza cried out again as blood poured down from her nose. She struggled with all her might and the chains refused to break, refusing to give way. 

"Oh, what fun this is going to be." The man teased her as he walked over and pulled the sheet off from the tray. Erza let out a shocked gasp as she saw what was there. 

All different kinds of tools and devices laid scattered on the metal tray. Each one stained with old, dried blood covering the shiny metal surfaces. Erza's blood ran cold and a shiver went down her back at the thought of what she was about to go through. 

 Gavin, please, where are you, my love. I need you, she thought as she refused to give up. She couldn't afford to give in to fear or terror. It wasn't just her life at risk.

 She would fight however she could against this man. Gavin was out there. She knew he wouldn't rest until he rescued her. With that thought in mind she remembered something.

  The bond! She thought in memory of the recent ability they all acquired before the tournament. She had a magical connection through the ancient pack magic. In theory she should be able to contact any of the others, but especially Helena, her Beta, in the pack. She closed her eyes and struggled to connect with her mana flow.

 Someone had to hear her. Someone had to be able to connect through the pack magic. With her eyes closed, she should be able to vaguely sense the mana flow of herself and her pack. Some kind of connection should be obvious. But all she saw in her mind's eye; was pitch black nothingness. No warm glow of mana colors, no faint line of magic in the direction of the members. Nothing. That froze her heart, as it meant she couldn't reach them, nor could they reach out to her.

 "Do not bother trying to break these chains," the man said, interrupting her thoughts and bringing her back to the present. "Don't bother even trying for that mana of yours. We dosed you with something special. You won't be able to spark so much as a match," the blonde man said with a boisterous laugh, the sound nauseating to her sensitive stomach and hearing.

 He was delighted to see the fire in Erza's eyes. It was fierce and intimidating. He couldn't wait to put it out. To break her. Physically, mentally and emotionally. In every sense of the word. The challenge alone was almost intoxicating for him. His last visitor didn't last very long. He was truly saddened by their loss. He just hoped this animal would last a bit longer for his enjoyment.

 "That fire in your eyes, it's almost enough to make me forget you're just an animal," the man said with a grin plastered on his face. His eyes lit up with unspoken desires and thoughts. "I can't wait to watch it dim and vanish altogether," he continued as he walked over to the table with various instruments laid on top.

 "Do what you want, but remember my promise you bastard," Erza said. In any other circumstances, she would be proud she kept her voice level and without cracking. She refused to acknowledge it; but she was terrified. How long could her body last until she was rescued? What will happen to their child?

The man grabbed a small scalpel-like blade from the collection of instruments and walked back over. He held the blade up to the dim light, as if inspecting the edge before he grinned once more at her. 

"Oh, I'm afraid my tools still have traces from the last friend they visited. I do hope you don't mind much." He laughed again, his eyes still as cold as they were when he first walked into the room. He reached up and began slicing through the jeans she wore, tearing the fabric from her waist down to her legs. 

Fear gripped Erza's heart as the man cut away her clothing, leaving her exposed to his gaze. "My oh my, such flawless skin. So much room to work with." He cackled again, as if amused by something as he draped the knife against her shoulders. The cold metal bit into Erza's trembling skin. 

I swear to god, if it's the last thing I do, I will survive this hell and I will come back for you.

 She was shaken from her thoughts as a searing pain burned through her leg. She gritted her teeth as molten fire tore through her leg, the scent of iron sharp in her nostrils. Warm liquid ran down her leg from the deep cut the man made on her thigh.

 It burned like fire, coursing through her veins.

 The man continued laughing at the obvious pain on her face. He danced around her in joy, clapping his hands together like a child. 

 He leaned in a little too close to her face, and before he could begin mocking or insulting her, Erza snapped her head forward and smashed into his nose. The sound of crunching cartilage was satisfying to Erza's ears. Her own skull exploded with pain, but she decided it was worth it. 

He let out a curse of pain as he jumped back, his hand shooting to cover his face as blood gushed through his closed fingers, staining his skin and clothes.

 "It looks like I'm not the only one that can bleed red," Erza mocked with a satisfied grin on her face. Her body still burned from where the man made his long incision, but at least she was able to inflict some pain in return. She would take this small victory. 

 His hand came free, revealing a face covered with blood from a nose that was obviously broken. He snarled at her in response as he gripped the bridge of his nose. "Laugh while you can, that just cost you more than you could imagine," he snarled in her face as he pulled a hood over her head, and everything went black for Erza once more.