Closed RP Welcome, Onyx

[Slate]

Hematite looked at the girl, a sense of unease in his stomach. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be part of the hazing ritual– and the girl wasn’t really a girl, she was barely younger than him– but he wasn’t fond of the process. Obsidian was standing behind him, by the door, watching with a blank expression. The woman tied to the chair, whose name was Onyx, had grey hair and grey eyes and had extensive scars on her throat. He knew that was the reason she was mute. He knew all about her history.

“She’s refused to answer the questions. Now you apply the pressure. Give her a reason to want to, alright? Don’t worry, Pearl is currently in residence in the spare rooms upstairs. She might not be able to heal the damage to Onyx’s vocal cords, but she can heal the bruises and damage you’re about to do to her. Now work, Hematite.”

The young black man sighed, shaking out his dreads. He took the cord from his pocket and tied them back, getting them out of his face. Then, he shifted his skin, feeling it turn to steel. It wasn’t real steel, of course, but it’s structure was close enough to call it that. In reality, it had something to do with the iron in his blood and replicating the cells and combining them with other cells in his body. Either way, the effect left his skin shiny and metallic, and just as hard.

He swallowed and looked at her. Onyx was his friend. He had been on the team when they had rescued her. He’d just been a kid then. It had been one of the first things he had done alongside Malachite and Obsidian. It had been the mission he’d been introduced to Rhody on. Maria, his wife. He’d met Onyx then, and they had become fast friends.

That was why what he was about to do was so hard.

He would his arm back and swung, aiming for her cheek where it was the most fleshy. He wanted to hurt her as little as possible while also making it hurt as much as possible. That was what Obsidian had told him. Leave them in good enough condition to speak– or in this case, sign– but make them wish they couldn’t. The strike was true, and his cold, metallic fist connected with her soft cheek. Hematite winced and looked away.

It would have been easier if it wasn’t her.​

 

[Ban Bean]

Hemie was one of her best friends. It's why Onyx didn't hold this against him.

Hemie, however, was a gentleman and she could tell he was trying to take it easy on her. It helped that he seemed to have a bad habit of telegraphing his moves. The moment he pulled his arm back she was prepared, turning her head with the blow so it didn't hurt as much.

It still hurt like a bitch though.

The legs of the chair rattled against the hard ground from the force of the blow, threatening to send Onyx to the floor for a few precarious seconds. Then the chair settled. She could feel a bottom molar come loose, and the taste of blood pool in her mouth. She adjusted herself in her seat, her iron-grey hair falling around her face. The room was cold but that just might have been because all she was wearing was jeans and a camisole, revealing the rattlesnake tattoo coiled up her left arm.

Seven whole years with Slate and just this morning they had jumped her, dragged her here, and tied her to a chair. Her legs and torso were tightly bound, but they had taken care to only secure her upper arms, leaving her hands free. They wanted her to talk after all.

Now the true test was beginning and Onyx more than anything, felt a bit gratified. For all the theater this meant one thing- Obsidian trusted her well enough to put her through this.

Onyx met Hemies eyes with a stoic expression extraordinarily reminiscent of Obsidians. They both knew it would take more to break her.

 

[Slate]

The hit didn’t phase her, and Hemie smiled a little at her. Onyx was stubborn, strong, and resilient. He knew that she was going to make it through this. And any damage done, Pearl could fix. That was the only reason why he did what he did next. He used one foot to pin one of hers to the ground, and then dragged it forward, stretching out her lower leg.

This was going to suck.

Hematite lifted his other foot and brought it down hard on hers, and he felt rather than heard the snap of her fibula and the crack of her tibia. He swallowed against the horrible jerk he wanted to make, to back away and quickly drop to set her leg. A broken bone wouldn’t kill her, and as long as Pearl had time to mend her within twenty-four hours, Onyx would be fine. All damage, all broken bones and loose teeth, all cuts and bruises, they could all be reversed with pearl on the premise. It was the only reason they were working on her today.

People like Rhody were easier to haze. He’d been there for her hazing, as she had been for his. They were hazed within days of each other. Rhody had healed everything done to her nearly instantaneously. But people like Hematite and Onyx? They had to heal normally, or be healed by metas like Pearl.

He was glad Pearl was here.

Obsidian nodded his head in Hematite’s peripheral. “That’s a good break. Sounds clean. You ready to talk yet, Onyx? You ready to tell us what you know about the upper management of Slate? Names and locations? Identities? It can all end if you just agree.”

Hematite took a half step back, looking down at her with a gentle expression. He really hoped she didn’t shake her head no again.​

 

[Ban Bean]

Onyx stared ahead, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths as Hematite pulled her foot into position. The anticipation of pain, she had learned quickly with her time in the Rattlers, was often worse than the pain itself. She kept her eyes on the wall, and her breathing steady, only closing her eyes when Hemie brought his foot down on her vulnerable fibula.

She was still human. Well...mostly human.

Onyx's torso doubled over as far as her bonds would let her, white-hot pain shooting up her leg. Her mouth opened. If she had a voice she might have even cried out. It took a few seconds but she got a hold of herself, and sat back against the chair, steeling herself for what Obsidian would order next. She didn't show it, but she did feel a twinge of guilt toward Hematite. He was a softer soul, and she knew he didn't enjoy beating her.

If anything Onyx wished she could have laughed. They amused her. She focused her attention from Hemie to Obsidian and cocked her head. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say "Really? Talk?"

 

[Slate]

From the corner of his eye, Hematite saw Obsidian smirk a bit, his face on full display. Their boss– their brother, really– wasn’t bothering to hide his face for this. That was because this was in no way a malicious encounter. It was quite the opposite. After this, Onyx would never be alone again. She would never have to suffer being without someone. She would never have to suffer at the hands of others. With this, her second Sapphire would be promoted to Director of the Minneapolis sect.

Because Onyx was about to become a member of the Pack.

Hematite looked back at Obsidian, awaiting his next order. There was a bit of apprehension in his posture, in his eyes. After all, if Obsidian wanted him to do anything more, he couldn’t imagine what it would be. They’d been at this for a while now. She was missing fingernails, he was pretty sure he’d knocked a tooth loose, and she looked generally very broken, especially with the newly bent leg.

It was with no little amount of relief that Hematite sighed at Obsidian’s next order. “You’ve done what you can. Now, knock her out. We’ll let Lapis take over.”

He turned back to his friend, strapped down to the chair. His eyes traced up her rattlesnake tattoo, the tattoo that Rhody had already begun new designs for, before he met her eyes again. He gave her a small, reassuring smile. In a soft whisper, he breathed out,
“Everything will be fine. You’re doing great.”

Then, in a swift motion, he grabbed the back of her head and yanked it forward, and right into his knee, effectively knocking her out.
​

Lapis smiled as she sat on the chair across from Onyx. She had the back facing the other, younger woman, and was straddling it, a knife in her hands. She’d lost her favorite needlepoint to Min’yo, but she had been gifted a new one as an early Christmas present from Obsidian. This one’s handle was blue, and the knife itself had a chevron pattern in the metal. She twisted it around, the point pressed into a finger. A single drop of blood came to the surface.

She looked up as the young woman shifted, a wicked smile on her face. “Good mooooooooorning, sleeping beauty.~”​

 

[Ban Bean]

Onyx kept staring at the wall, focusing on her breathing. In. And out. In. And out. As long as she could remain in control of her most basic bodily functions they couldn't get her to talk, no matter the blood in her mouth, the stinging pain in her fingers or the horrible pressure in her leg. That made her wince- pressure.

Her leg was fucked. However Obsidian was telling Hemie that he was finished.

Onyx could have scolded Hemie for the praise. That wasn't the point of this little exercise of Obsidians. However, much like the blow he gave her, she could forgive him for the softness toward her.

Then he forced her head violently against his knee and everything went black.

Onyx groaned as she came too. She didn't know how long it had been, only that it had been long enough for her muscles to grow stiff and uncomfortable in her seat. That was another purpose of this initiation- disorientation. Losing a sense of time. She moved her fingers and stretched her body the best she could given the circumstances, before turning her focus to the small woman playing with a knife in front of her.

She wasn't afraid to admit that out of all the Slate members that would come in to torture her she feared Lapis the most. Hemie could break bone, Sulpher could gas her and Obsidian could drain her life with a single touch...but Lapis. Lapis who could disturb something far more ephemeral and intangible. Onyx prided herself on her control over her emotions, her ability to breathe and rationalize her way through difficult moments. She was the steady rock of her team. Unshakable.

Unless someone got in her brain.

And Lapis knew all her insecurities and weaknesses.

 

[Slate]

Lapis smiled as she stood up from the chair. It was a sharp smile, like an anglerfish, not like any normal person’s smile. It was the smile she had given Leo Vasquez when she had stabbed him through the throat, slowly, with her needlepoint blade. It was the smile that she was now giving Onyx. Like she wanted to eat her alive, like she wanted to tear her thoughts apart, break into her brain and leave her as nothing but a shell.

It was a good thing she couldn’t actually do that.

Instead, she would have to be relegated to messing with her emotions and her sensations. She walked around the chair to stand in front of Onyx, her heels clicking on the concrete floor of the basement. Their “interrogation room” was padded thoroughly with soundproofing, the renovations done by the Pack themselves. Even if Onyx could scream, she wouldn’t have been heard by any of the bargoers overhead.

Lapis took her knife and pressed the tip lightly to Onyx’s shoulder, dragging it slowly as she walked around the woman. This was her favorite part. The unsettling before she began. She knew that Onyx wasn’t going to give her much of what she was looking for, if any, so she wasn’t afraid to crank up the intimidation factor by pressing the knife just hard enough to leave a trail, but not enough to break through the clothing she wore.

“So you tell me this, little necromancer– do you think you’re good enough to be one of us? Do you think you’re good enough to stand at Obsidian’s side and carry out his wishes, like the rest of us do?” She leaned over, bringing herself to eye level with Onyx. “Do you think you’re good enough to replace Malachite, Onyx? To rep[lace our brother?”

As quick as lightning, Lapis reached out with her empty hand and slapped Onyx, channeling shock into the strike. It would be enough to stun any normal person into locking up. Then, she straightened out, and she spun the knife in her hands like it was a baton and not an incredibly sharp blade. “Do you think you’re good enough to play with the big boys?”​

 

[Ban Bean]

Onyx wasn’t bothered by the knife, or Lapis’s dance, her heels echoing across the room as she walked behind her, gliding the knife across her skin and clothes. It didn’t perturb her. Marco had done worse, and it was only when the knife dragged a little too close to Onyx’s neck did she close her eyes and steady herself.

But Mal.

Onyx knew Lapis was only trying to get under her skin, but the comment stung if only because of the truth of it. They needed to replace Malachite. And she could never replace him- be him. No one could.

But sticks and stones and all that. Words were just words, no matter how deeply they cut.

Then the slap. And the shock. Onyx cursed herself. She had braced for the blow but that was secondary to Lapis’s fingers meeting her skin. The shock jolted through her like a shot of epinephrine. It tensed her, and she drew breath in sharply to compensate.

She tilted her head at Lapis.

“Are you?”

 

[Slate]

The words were barely readable with her hands almost bound. They’d left her just free enough to sign. And as she did, Lapi’s lips curled unpleasantly. She liked Onyx, truth be told. She felt like she’d be a good fit. A good enforcer. A good and trustworthy companion for Obsidian when Rowe wasn’t there. Onyx was one of the few people she would have accepted for the position other than Ame or Smokey. Maybe Pearl. But Onyx? Onyx was the best choice.

That was why when she reached forward and yanked the woman’s hair, pulling her forward, she felt just a touch bad. “What, you think you’re funny? You want to be funny? Try this on for size.”

She channeled bliss into her fingers and smacked her hand into the center of Onyx’s chest. She felt the feeling reverb through her own body, filling her with the dull impression of what she was forcing Onyx to feel. Pure ecstasy.

“Now, isn’t this nice? Isn’t this wonderful? This bubbling well of bliss? You can feel like this forever if you just tell me what I want to know. Where is the Slate safehouse in Philly? Where is Obsidian’s home?”​

 

[Ban Bean]

Onyx grit her sore, bloodied teeth as Lapis pulled her hair, and body forward. Unable to laugh, she smiled faintly. This wasn't funny but most of the time it's easier to laugh than yell. Or cry. Or rage. So on occasion, Onyx did smile at her captor. The small, manic woman who was going to ruin her day.

Onyx could never tell what Lapis was gonna force on people, so the absolute pleasant euphoria was a suprise. She had been expecting pain. Or fear. Or anger. Those almost would have been easier. Her body loosened, and she sank back into the chair, her breathing relaxed and the pain drifting away. Everything was fine. Bright. Happy. Absolutely perfect in every way, and Onyx would have drifted away on that cloud, and given Lapis anythign she wanted, save for one fact.

She didn't trust happy.

The unfamiliarity of such ectsasy focused her, and Onyx set her jaw. If she had been so inclined she might have winked at Lapis, but that wasn't her style. She twisted her wrists and signed, "No."

 

[Slate]

“No, happiness wouldn’t do it for someone as joyless as you, would it? You’re just a miserable little worm. What would someone like you do with happiness?” As she spoke, Lapis channeled some of her worst memories. She drew on the worst feelings she’d ever had. The sadness, the loneliness, the depression. There had been a time in Lapis’s life when she had been suicidal. She channeled that, pushing it hard into Onyx.

Of course, this meant thinking about him. About the abuse she had gone through in the Blackwood home. She thought about the isolation that Jacob put her through. About the unwanted attention. She wouldn’t make Onyx feel those feelings, no. But they came unbidden to her mind while she channeled the isolation and depression into her.

The reverb in herself was almost as strong as what she was pushing into the other woman. It hurt. Her chest felt like it was caving in. It felt like she was suffocating. It felt like part of her had died again. She took a deep breath to avoid the overwhelming feeling of despair and hopelessness. And then she pushed again, harder.

“You don’t deserve happiness. Maybe you deserve to always feel this way. You should tell me what you know. I can take the pain away for you.”​

 

[Ban Bean]

It had been a long time since Onyx wanted to die. There had only been a handful of times she could really definitively say she would have preferred death.

The first was when she realized she was going to live, and Janie wasn't. And for a moment Susanna found herself back underneath the bridge, on the ground as her friend's dead glassy eyes stared back at her, bleeding out from her neck. Then the brush of fingers on her cheek and the world came back into focus, and she stopped coughing up blood. She would be fine.

And Janie hadn't come back.

The crushing grief and loneliness crushed Onyx in a way she had never felt- never allowed herself to feel before. Old wounds ripped open. Years of suppressed pain came down on her like a broken dam. Her broken leg and missing nails were nothing compared to this. How could anyone possibly live feeling like this all the time. She wanted to rip it out her heart from her throat and let it all be over.

But almost worse than that was the...paranoia? That wasn't the right, but there wasn't quite a word for feeling like you were constantly living in the sights of a sniper rifle. Or always being watched through a camera by something soft and sinister, knowing a single wrong move would bring crushing retribution

It took a few moments for Onyx to breathe again. When her lungs finally regained their natural rhythm she slumped in the chair, tired and defeated looking. It had been a long time since someone had managed to do that to her.

I can't. I can't. I can-

I have and I will.