The InkWell Writing Challenge

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Prequel to Blood and Bronze

Series Title: Sanguine and Steel

Week #1: Lifeblood
Week #2: Metal Enhanced
Week #3: Crimson Shutters

It was like I was underwater all over again. Knowing I was conscious and yet I couldn't do anything at all, my senses dull though I could faintly hear a whirring noise as if it was far away. Being in this state of in-between, that seemingly harmless noise morphed into something that has haunted my memories till now-- something that my rationale couldn't quite grasp-- and I slowly let go of my fragile hold on consciousness once more...

The insistent blaring of this facility's alarms did not bode well with me, and even though a part of my brain urged me to escape to safety, I found that the door to my 'room' had been locked-- trapping me as though I was a prisoner.

I looked down at my arm before coming to the conclusion that it would not do, Dr. D had yet to have it replaced with a more substantial material, the light-steel of my arm would be no more than like foil against the heavy wood that made up my door. I inwardly scolded myself for having complained about its heaviness several months prior, when Dr. D decided to have my arm replaced with a different material.

Before my mind could bring up other means of escape however, I heard the locks turning and Dr. D burst into my room, a panicked look on her face. I would have made a quick check of her vitals using my newly built-in systems had she not grabbed me by my good arm and all but dragged me out of my room in a hurry.

“Ely! You have to get out of here!”

Out of here? But I've only ever been to this facility... Just as I was about to urge her to further explain the current situation we were in, a huge blast had thrown us both off-balance. The next thing I knew, I was hanging over the edge of what looked like a collapsed wall, the roaring waves of the ocean below momentarily deafening me. But it was the open sky though that beheld me-- the curious color twilight-- it was in that moment that I realized the vastness of the world outside the four corners that made up my world in the facility.

“Ely!!”

It was only then that I glanced towards the voice who called out my name, finally realizing that it was only because of Dr. D that I was hanging upon this precipice but... she was holding onto my blasted arm. This would not end up favorably for me.

“Ely, I need you to listen here, young man.” I glanced towards Dr. D's face, blood was trailing down one side of her face, doing a quick scan on her showed she was in pain-- metal struck right through one of her legs.

I was about to pull myself up using my good arm when I felt that she was starting to loosen my metallic prosthetic, she continued speaking as I was voicing out my own protests, “You need to come back ONLY when the time is right!”

“Dr. D, I don't understand--!”

“Being right is a lonely place...” she slowly held out a bloody hand to my cheek as she said her final words to me, “...May you be the salvation humanity deserves, Ely.”

Just as she yanked off my metallic attachment, I heard the volley of gunshots before I was left plummeting towards the waters below--

“The Elyxir!! Don't let it--”

The resulting splash took away any further words I needed to hear from those armed men I briefly saw over the edge. As I let the cold stillness of the ocean surround me, I couldn't help remembering something...

The purpose of my 'well-being'... is humanity's salvation...?

The vastness of the open sky flashed in my mind's eye then-- the curious color twilight... much like the curious pair of eyes I saw in my momentary bout of consciousness...

It was then that my body synchronized with my trail of thoughts as I took in a deep gasp of breath, my body felt electrified as I opened my eyes to fully take in my surroundings--

“It's alive, cara mia! It's alive!!”

“Alright Leonardo, let me stop you right there before you go all Victor Frankenstein on me.”

It surprised me that I could now move both my arms, I looked down to see a bronze prosthetic attached to my previously severed limb. I slowly sat up from where I lay, flexing my fingers as I was caught in wonder over my 'revival'.

“How are you feeling, amico? You don't need to worry about the 'state of affairs', I left most of yourself intact, if you get what I mean?” I looked up at the man who I assumed had a hand in my reparation, watching him closely as he gave me a wink. There was something... not quite human about him...

“Stop teasing Leo, you'll end up overwhelming him.” The second voice that followed had me shifting my gaze towards its owner, only to suck in whatever little air that I needed at the sight of this lovely creature-- flowing raven hair and eyes of twilight sky-- she was just as 'un-human' as the man before me.

Those pair of twilight eyes suddenly focused on me, a smile gracing her lips, “So uhm.. do you have a name or.. how do you want us to call you?”

A name... it was never really my name but...

“Ely. Please just call me, Ely.”