Criminal. Scrapper. Part 3. Damantha Makarova

strange manner.

      «They’re done…» Hunter whispered. «Why don’t they stim her?»

      Everyone watched, how the Empress and her counsellors aimed their eyes on the screens before them.

      Wolfin felt his muscles tensing up, as he saw the Empress frown, and then tense up on her throne. The counsellors too seemed unnerved to see whatever they were watching on their screens unfold. Not knowing what they were seeing, he could only guess that it was something hard to process, as the Empress suddenly widened her eyes and threw a quick glance to Serena, before returning her gaze to the screen.

      Time seemed to flow slowly, as the High Council sat there, watching Serena’s memories.

      Lindon flinched, seeing the Empress gasp and close her mouth with her palm, obviously shocked from whatever she saw on the screen. The Veluthian noticed how a few of her counsellors gasped as well, their eyes widening in horror and shock.

      Hunter and Wolfin frowned, seeing this reaction. But if Hunter was trying to grasp at the thought that, maybe, the court saw some terrible torture that Serena endured, Wolfin found himself thinking on the fact that there had to be something extremely vile happening on their screens.

      The Veluthian knew that none of the witnesses among the people standing there in the throne room will ever be shown what was on those screens. Unless, of course, the Empress will wish it.

      But the Empress looked at Serena again, who lay unmoving in the memory extraction pod, and in her eyes Wolfin saw pure terror. The woman was not only shocked, but terrified at what she saw.

      A quiet rumble of people talking arose – everyone noticed the expressions of the counsellors and the Empress herself. Everyone was wondering what had happened.

      «Doctor Dorn Malachant!» the Empress finally found her voice. «Take the prisoner to the infirmary immediately and see to it that her injuries are looked at.»

      «No…» everyone heard a raspy, frail whisper from the prisoner.

      Empress Alathea looked at Serena once again:

      «By Royal Decree I hereby set this woman free, all charges are to be dropped!»

      The people began talking, filling the throne room with an even louder rumble of voices. Wolfin tried to find the people who took Serena to the hall, but the witnesses gathered so close that he couldn’t see her prison guards. For a few moments he thought that, perhaps, something foul was uncovered to what they had done to Serena while she was incarcerated.

      «Take her away! Stim her before releasing!» The Empress gestured to her Royal Guard, calling him.

      Wolfin saw how Serena was taken out of the pod and dragged off by a couple of royal guards at the command of the Empress. This time, however, she wasn’t handled as harshly as before. The Doctor hurried after them, his face frowning and concerned. Hunter flinched beside the Veluthian, and Wolfin caught his wrist:

      «Don’t. We’ll see her shortly. We can’t leave just yet.»

      He heard Hunter gritting his teeth in frustration.

      The men watched as the Royal Guards approached Lazarus and his men, arresting them.

      «Everyone’s free to leave!» one of the counsellors said loudly.

      Hunter and Wolfin pushed through the crowd, followed by a silent and worried Lindon, who stayed like this all through the trial. Cipher walked last, wondering about what could have been seen on those screens.

      Chapter 6. Release

      Hunter couldn’t stay in one place, walking from side to side all through the time they’ve been waiting for Serena. The big double doors of the prison stayed shut, and the man was losing patience with each passing moment.

      Wolfin and Lindon stood still, frowning at the doors and wondering why the release was taking so long. Cipher stood a bit further, keeping an eye on Hunter just in case he was about to do something stupid.

      Finally, the doors slipped open, and they all saw Serena slowly walking out – four guards letting her go, bowing to her from the sides of the corridor that stretched into the bowels of the building.

      Serena trembled, grasping herself by the sides and keeping her eyes fixed to the ground under her feet.

      Hunter and Lindon jolted to her, but she bared her teeth:

      «Don’t touch me!» Serena hissed, throwing their hands off her shoulders.

      Wolfin and Lindon exchanged glances, but stayed silent. Hunter, however, tried to embrace her once again.

      «Get the fuck away from me!» the woman shoved him aside, throwing him to the pavement. «Respect my wish. It’s the least you could do after I saved all your lives by surrendering mine to the Empress.»

      She finally straightened, obviously straining against her body, forcing her usual proud military posture to her shoulders and back. Not looking at anyone, she headed forward – towards SS Growler, which stood ways away on one of the parking spaces.

      «Serena, take my quarters for the time being…» Cipher offered, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

      «Fine!» she growled. «Just don’t touch me!»

      Cipher slowly retracted his palm, frowning at the unusual manner she addressed them all.

      «Serena…» Hunter caught up to her, trying hard to see into her eyes.

      The woman didn’t look up, still fixated with her eyes on the ground beneath her feet.

      «What…» Hunter tried to ask her again, but the woman shook her head, making him fall silent.

      They walked silently, until they reached the ship. Wolfin and Lindon exchanged glances, but said nothing, even though they both felt something was terribly wrong.

      «You’re hurt…» Lindon said, trying to reach out to Serena to get her attention.

      The woman swayed aside, not letting him touch her.

      «It’ll heal.» she growled under her breath.

      «Serena, you have to tell us…» Wolfin tried to watch his ward for any hint of her being able to respond to their questions.

      «I don’t have to tell you anything, Wolfin. Not now.»

      «What the hell happened to you in there?» Hunter burst out, angry to see her so distant and cold. «Answer me, damn it!»

      «It doesn’t matter.» Serena stumbled a little, but caught herself on the wall, freezing for a couple of moments, as if trying to gather her strength to continue her way. «I need rest.»

      «Serena, please…»

      «I need rest. Stop bugging me, Hunter!» she wasn’t even looking at him.

      Lindon walked behind, noting every bruise and cut on her visible skin, and wondering what exactly happened to her in prison, if the Empress arrested the men, who brought Serena to the trial. Even though he saw a lot with his keen eyes, he still couldn’t really understand what she could have gone through behind the doors of the Veluthian prison.

      «Did they feed you?» Lindon asked, watching the woman curl up, tensing from the sound of his voice.

      «I’m not hungry.» Serena retorted.

      Hunter jolted forward and stood in front of her, forcing her to stop.

      «Talk to us!» he demanded. «What the hell, Serena?»

      She kept looking under her feet, not raising her eyes to look at him. For a second he noticed her gritting her teeth, before she stepped aside to walk around him. The man grabbed her arm to stop her, but he wasn’t ready to face what happened next.

      Serena twisted with her body, shoving him into the wall:

      «SHUT UP!» she screamed, still not looking into his eyes. «Leave me