Unleashed

Chapter 13 of The Edge of the World

IMPORTANT A/N: Some of the content warnings from the last chapter still stand. But on the bright side … this chapter is one I’ve been waiting for for awhile now! So much that I actually finished writing this weeks ago 😉

Also, numerous flashbacks are featured here, all of which are verbatim dialogues by Damien reused in here!

Content warnings for this chapter: Psychological warfare, Humiliation, Sexual harassment (attempted).

There are feelings of vulnerability, but no sexual acts will actually take place.

The supporting lyrics are from the song Unleashed by Epica

Summary: As Damien finds out what Harley did and things almost go from bad to worse, it’s time to choose.

Back in the day, I can recall that my thoughts were unclouded and sage

There was no black staining the walls of my memories

Now there’s a haze pushing me sideways

And leaving me nothing to gain

Taking me back, locking me cold in disparity…

Damien’s jaw was sore from grinding his teeth for the past hour. He was alone in the cargo container now. Cecile, Rowan and the guard who had been interrogating him with that stun gun had eventually left the room. Though the physical pain he’d been put through was over for now, his heart still hadn’t stopped racing.

He’d been through much worse than this before, so he’d recovered from the ordeal rather quickly. It was the guard’s conversation with Harley that had gotten his attention. Damien had zeroed in on what he’d heard in the background when the comm was on.

Maya.

Sounds of her crying and pleading had come through the speaker, raising his anxiety, and he’d demanded to know what was going on only to get no answers. He was just left alone to his own restless thoughts.

Soon, the door creaked open and Harley stepped in. “Hey there, Damien,” he greeted. “I trust you’re enjoying your stay so far?”

“Just peachy,” Damien drawled. “Though you might wanna call maintenance to fix your lighting a bit.”

“Always a joker, huh?” Harley chuckled. “I have your girls here to see you,” his grin became a little too cheerful for Damien’s liking as he nodded to the doorway.

Dexter hauled Alana in, holding her by her elbow.

Alana quickly burst forward, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “It’s not what it looks like. Control yourself, Damien.” Her voice was shaking, whether it was from emotion or because she was being pulled away, it wasn’t clear. The words were barely out of her mouth before Dexter yanked her back, giving her a slight kick to the legs and she was forced onto her knees.

Damien looked between the two of them, trying to make sense of what he’d just heard. Alana was keeping her cool, but he could still see the urgency in her eyes as she watched him intently. Dexter, on the other hand, was looking elsewhere uncomfortably. He seemed almost . . . ashamed.

Apparently wondering what was taking so long, Harley peeked outside and then shot an annoyed look at Dexter, who merely shrugged. They whispered heatedly for a few seconds, until he finally stepped aside, apparently letting it slide.

The bad feeling Damien had had before was getting worse now and he took a subtle, deep breath to calm his nerves.

But it still didn’t prepare him for when Maya walked in. Covered only by her shawl.

Damien felt his stomach twist as he took her in. Her arms were crossed protectively over her chest, clutching her shawl like it was her lifeline; lips quivering in obvious distress as she breathed sharply and unevenly.

He clenched his fists and a white heat crept up his neck, as realization settled on him. No . . . they didn’t . . .

Maya opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a whimper and more tears began to leak from her eyes as she looked at Damien. She shook her head as she tried to tell him something. “I – nothing happened-”

“Aw come on, Maya, don’t look so sad.” Harley admonished her mockingly. He sauntered over, standing at arms length from her. Then he leaned in a little closer and she turned her face away, shutting her eyes in disgust. “I held my part of the bargain, didn’t I?”

Maya buried her face in her hands and cowered, muffling her sobs.

Damien felt a burning rage that he hadn’t felt in a long time. Throwing caution to the wind, he started wrenching at his restraints. “You bastards!” he roared. “I’ll fucking kill you! I swear to god, I’ll-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, we didn’t do anything!” Harley held up his hands in a show of surprise.

“The hell you didn’t!” Damien shouted, grunting as he twisted and yanked himself forward. The metal cuffs pinched at his skin, but that sting paled in comparison to the animosity radiating off of him.

A patronizing grin broke out on Harley’s face. “You know, I had my doubts about the quality of data we could collect from you but it looks like I was mistaken. This is some pretty good stuff!”

“You think you’re so clever, toying with us like this?!” Damien snarled. “Get these damn cuffs off and face me like a real man, you sick, cowardly piece of-”

“Damien please,” Maya protested feebly. “It’s okay, nobody touched-”

“I don’t care!” He yelled. “This is not okay! As if it wasn’t enough you use Matches like toys to experiment on humans!” His hands shook violently as he struggled against his bonds again, fuming. “But to actually hurt people like this?! How the hell do you people sleep at night?!”

“For the last time, I didn’t touch her-” Harley stopped himself, sighed and shook his head. “Did you not just hear what I said?” then he turned to Maya. “Honestly, what do you see in him?”

“Get. Away. From her.” Damien said through gritted teeth.

“That’s awfully rich coming from the guy who wouldn’t give up one name that could’ve saved us all this trouble,”  Harley retorted. Then he looked between them, cocking his head. “Speaking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask again.” He strolled casually to the detective. “Why don’t you tell Maya why you were being interrogated to begin with?”

“Leave him alone, damn it! I already know!” Maya cried. “We heard Cecile and Rowan arguing. You’re not exactly subtle.”

“Okaaay, so you know about Khaan.” He scoffed. “How about the fact that Damien’s known about this guy for weeks in Paris but didn’t say anything?”

“I didn’t-” Damien started to protest, but Harley seized his hair and yanked his head to face Maya.

“Tell her, Damien,” He said excitedly. “Tell her how you found Khaan’s alias. How long you’ve been looking him up and that you hid it from her.”

It took considerable effort, given Harley’s enhanced strength, but Damien managed to shift his head to face him, sporting the most hateful glare he could muster. “For the last time, I don’t know where he is. It was one name! I had no connection so I dropped the investigation-”

Harley jumped back, smiling broadly. “Now we’re getting somewhere! So how do you feel about this, Maya?”

“I feel that you need to keep your fucking hands off of him!” she spat, fingering her shawl. “Or have you forgotten that ‘deal’ of yours from earlier?”

Harley let out a low whistle. “Damn, that is some faith right there.” He was looking between her and Damien. “I’m impressed. No wonder Father is so intrigued by you. Did you know he said you’re one of his most successful clients?”

Maya said nothing. She only looked down, biting her lip. If she didn’t before, she absolutely hated that word now – ‘client’. Ever since that day she came to Eros’ building. If only I’d just turned around and walked away . . . if only I’d listened to Damien . . .

Her breath caught in a small sob and she closed her eyes tightly, unable to stop the tears flowing down her cheeks.

Harley noticed and stepped closer to her. “Remember our last session? We were trying to test how far your desired match type could push you. Unfortunately, that trial was cut short since you saw through the ruse and we had to drop the pretense.” He was grinning, clearly satisfied that he was hitting a nerve. “You showed a susceptibility toward suggestion, even amid suspicion. But this time, you were actually under duress and you still showed that same susceptibility.” Then he turned to Damien, smirking cruelly. “Truly remarkable how attached she is to you, isn’t it Damien? Going as far as to endure humiliation . . .”

Maya began to cry harder as she fell to her knees, her fingers sinking into her hair. Even Alana’s cool exterior was wavering as she kept her eyes on Maya.

Meanwhile in the back of the room, unknown to everyone, Dexter stood motionless, clenching his fists. His eyes were beginning to turn glassy, barely concealing the tempest rising underneath.

Damien opened his mouth to speak, only to stop and look at Maya in her distraught state. His vision became blurry with tears and he shut his eyes, biting back the anguished sob that threatened to escape him. “I’m so sorry, Maya,” he whispered brokenly. “I didn’t know- I tried-”

“Don’t.” She shook her head, wiping her tears with a shaky hand. “Don’t say a damn thing to him.”

“That’s one way to go about it,” Harley deadpanned. “But I think an easier solution would be if you just answer the questions that are asked of you.” He angled his head towards Maya. “Come on, Damien, hasn’t she suffered enough?”

When Damien looked up, his eyes were narrowed, piercing. “You son of a bitch . . .” He hissed. “I’m gonna make you pay for this in whatever the hell you’re made of, do you hear me?!”

Harley stared at them in disappointment. “Well that’s a shame.” He blew out his cheeks, looking about casually, before fixing his glance on Maya and walking over to her. She was still hunched over on the floor, trying to steady her breathing. “You know what, Maya? I think you still have a little too many clothes on than we agreed.”

As his eyes were still trained on her, he didn’t notice the way Dexter’s eyes had completely glossed over now – in fact, no one did; nor did they notice his hand starting to shake violently.

Maya’s head snapped up and she gaped at him. “W-what?” she gasped, appalled. “But you said-”

“I know what I said,” he replied. “But now I think your boyfriend needs a little more incentive to cooperate.”

The color drained from her face as millions of implications swirled through her mind. She looked between Damien and Harley, completely torn. “I-” Maya turned to Alana, who had an unusually desperate look on her face as she shook her head urgently. “I can’t-”

“Remember what we agreed?” Harley knelt down next to her. “You cooperate, he doesn’t get-”

“Maya, don’t listen to him!” Damien shouted in alarm, twisting at his cuffs. “I’ll be fine, okay? Just trust me.” He leaned forward, ignoring the sting in his wrists. “Don’t let him get to you.”

“Maya,” Harley warned. “I’m giving you a choice.”

“Shut up, you oversized can opener!” Damien yelled at him. Then he turned to Maya. “Maya, look at me. Just- just look at me.” When she locked eyes with him, he plastered a reassuring smile on his face. “Whatever they throw at me, I can take it. Don’t do this. Not even for me.”

“Listen to him, Maya.” Alana’s answer shocked everyone into silence for a moment. When Maya turned to look at her, she was astonished to find tears gathering in the corner of the agent’s eyes, despite her grim expression. The cool façade she’d put up before had been fully dropped. “Whatever happens next might not be pleasant, but you don’t need to do this.” She then lowered her voice so only the two of them could hear. “You’re a smart girl. You know that they’re trying to hurt you to break him. Everyone here knows Damien can’t stand to see you hurt. Don’t give them the satisfaction.”

This scenario had presented itself as a double-edged sword. They wanted information from Damien and ‘data’ from her. Either she let had to let herself be mistreated so they wouldn’t hurt Damien physically – which would ultimately still hurt him emotionally – or they’d physically hurt Damien while she’d be forced to watch; all the while continuing their sick mind games with her to collect psychological data. There was no silver lining in any of this.

She looked to Damien, who was watching her pleadingly. Maya could see the internal struggle in his eyes. No one wanted this situation they were in, but as hostages, they’d had to make the best of their circumstances to survive.

On some twisted level, Harley had been right – she would do anything for Damien. She cared for him enough that she would shoulder any burden that weighed her down if it kept him safe. His pain was her own, after all. But what if that same self-sacrifice was going to hurt him in the process anyway? Would she be able to bear the agony in Damien’s eyes as he was forced to watch her suffer? Could she watch them break his body? Or his heart?

No, that was exactly what Eros wanted. Damien had said it himself. ‘They know how to hit where it hurts.’ They wanted her to be torn. They wanted to take everything that made Maya herself and use it to enhance their research – learning about the human soul by breaking hers in the first place – simultaneously ensuring she’d be out of their way so they could continue committing injustices like what had happened today.

Screw that. No, she was done giving them that. They’d gotten enough sadistic satisfaction for one day. No more.

Maya shut her eyes, taking a deep breath before facing Harley again. “No,” she said firmly. The annoyed look on Harley’s face only seemed to bring more satisfaction than it did fear of consequences. All it took was that one word and knowing this was not going to go according to plan anymore and Maya found her earlier defiance starting to come back to her. “I won’t do it. Do you hear me, Harley?! I’m not doing it!”

“You’ve already gotten this far-”

“No, I will not!” she exploded. “What the hell is wrong with you people?!” She was visibly shaking, not from fear but fury.

Harley’s face twisted into a snarl and he bent forward, grabbed Maya’s arms and forced her to her feet.

“Hey, you said you wouldn’t-” Alana started.

“I honored our deal. I gave you a choice in the matter! All in the hope that I would gain your cooperation.” Harley snapped. “But those effects seem to be short-lived.”

“Let go of me!” Maya shouted, struggling in his grip.

“Now I’ve just about had it with you!” he growled.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t kidnap people!” Maya shot back. “Ever thought of leaving us the hell alone?” She kicked at his shin, knocking him off before backing several feet away from him.

Alana jumped to her feet and rushed at them. Despite her hands being cuffed behind her, she managed to land a few kicks on Harley before he jabbed his elbow back, throwing her off of him.

“Dexter!” Harley barked at his partner. “Little help here?!” Behind them, Dexter was now hunched over slightly, clutching his head. A visible shudder ran through his body at the sound of his name. “Dex! Move your ass!” Harley yelled at him again. But he stayed where he was, unmoving.

————————————————–

COMMAND: Capture Maya. Extract data. Interrogate Damien.

The command that had programmed his every action today seemed to fade in and out of Dexter’s interface as millions of thoughts swirled through his mind, violating every code behind it. The grief in Damien’s eyes mirrored his own as Dexter had watched Maya hunched over, cowering – the same woman who, earlier today, had resisted so fiercely at the museum and the forest.

The forest . . .

“You know, I had my doubts about the quality of data we could collect from you but it looks like I was mistaken.” As soon as Harley said that, a sharp pain jolted through his head and Dexter bit back a cry. And just like that the scenery seemed to shift before him and they were in front of a small cozy house, standing next to a tree stump.

Damien put the axe down. “Why don’t we take a walk?” He was vaguely aware of her eyes on him as he stretched his muscles.

“In the dark?” She was fingering her dress absentmindedly.

A chuckle escaped him. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

“Oh sure.” Maya rolled her eyes. “My hero. But if I trip and break an ankle, I’m blaming you.”

Next, they were walking along a twisting trail in the woods, soft moonlight illuminating their path and giving her amethyst hair an ethereal glow.

“I hated the person I was back then.” Damien was saying. “I never want to be that man again. I did a lot of things I’m not proud of. I worked undercover, never knowing who I could trust, lying to good people who didn’t deserve it.”

Her arm touched his and he could swear he felt a light skip in his heartbeat. “But you did it to help them.” she insisted. “You protected those people.”

“. . . I couldn’t protect everyone.”

Dexter felt a wave of sadness rush through him. I didn’t protect anyone. I’ve hurt her. Maya was hurting now because of everything he’d allowed to happen. That meant he’d done his job right? Yet here he was feeling like everything he was made for was . . .

“I know you’re not Damien, but you have his personality, don’t you?!” There she was again, pleading with him. Her soft, brown eyes normally so full of life were now so desperate and shining with tears reflecting the terror she was feeling. “Damien would protect me at all costs!”

. . . Wrong. This was all wrong.

But he wasn’t the real thing. So how could she expect him to help? Damien was a good man. He was always there for her. Not Dexter. He was programmed to hurt her. It was his purpose. He was-

“Just a distraction meant to get her here.” Now Hayden was talking. “After Eros is finished with us, he’ll be of no use to them.”

“Lab rats.” His own circuit, was reminding him. “That’s how they’ll always see us, deep down. After everything we do for them.”

“That doesn’t mean they can change the real thing! Damien would protect me at all costs!”

“He happens to be a part of you.” Now Alana. “You think the way he thinks. Can that part of you live with innocent people being hurt?”

“You might’ve kidnapped me, but you’re also the only one who hasn’t actually hurt me.”

As if on cue, voices and dialogue started coming at him from all directions, most of which were from Maya. Time blurred with the images before him flashing one after the other. Dexter shuddered as he tried to concentrate on keeping everything in sync. At least until he could make sense of what his conscience was trying to show him. But the images only began to spin faster, taking him through a smooth vortex of memories. Memories that made him feel at more at home than anything he’d experienced working for Eros. That bit was clearer than anything else going through his head . . .

Doing shots with Maya at Archer and Hopps, her laughing until she was close to tears when Damien reluctantly set the Karaoke machine to some ridiculous pop song, pulling his jacket against the cold as he patiently waited for her outside of Eros’ building.

“Remember our last session? We were trying to test how far your desired match type could push you.”

Walking side-by-side in the forest trail in Berlin . . .

“You’ve always been there when I needed you.” ‘The one constant good thing in my life’ . . . that was what Damien was going to say right?

“Damien . . . I’m okay. Because you protected me.”

Meanwhile, Maya’s heart wrenching sobs were echoing in the back of his mind and immediately, it felt as if his chest would cave in on itself.

Damien stepped closer to her, searching her face and memorizing every detail. “I care about you, Maya. More than I’ve ever cared about anyone.” He lifted a hand, hesitating for a second, then let it rest gently against her cheek, his heart racing with apprehension as he confessed his feelings. “No matter how dark my life gets, you’re always there, lighting it up again. You’re . . . you’re everything, Maya.”

The scene shifted again and they were alone in a casino.

Lights dimmed, soft music playing as they both swayed to the rhythm. His hands on her waist, her arms around his neck; her soft hair tickling his face as she leaned against his shoulder.

“Right now . . . with you? I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”

A small suite, stars dotting the night sky visible from the tiny window above her bed.

They lay there with their limbs entangled; sweaty, shaking, disheveled, yet content in the afterglow of passion. Damien’s fingers laced through hers as he kissed her temple, rubbing her back in gentle circles, holding her as if he had the most precious jewel in his hands.

“You’re right,” Maya quipped. “My Perfect Match type didn’t include ‘snarky.'”

“See? You can’t predict everything with an algorithm.”

“Or maybe the computer just didn’t know what to do with ‘he’s picking on you, but that means he likes you, I promise!'”

“There’s no one like you, Maya. You’re absolutely perfect for me.”

Scrubbing away at dampness blurring his vision, Dexter focused on the next image – a tiny, cold cell with grey walls trapping Damien and his friends in as they waited for whatever lay ahead.

“I’ve got your back, Maya. We’re going to make it out of here. I’m not letting them hurt you.”

“I know what I said. But now I think your boyfriend here needs a little more incentive to cooperate.”

Dexter hunched over, breathing heavily. Suddenly another image flashed before him. A new face, the one Harley called Father . . .

Rowan was shaking her aggressively. The more she tried to pull away, the harder he shoved the end of the taser into her throat. “Don’t you realize what I could do to you?” He whispered threateningly, his face inches away from hers.

Maya turned her face away from Rowan’s menacing sneer. She stomped her foot on his to throw him off. He winced, but maintained his grip. “No! Get your hands off of me!” She tried to keep the fear out of her voice. “Damien, help!”

“No! I won’t do it. Do you hear me, Harley?! I’m not doing it!” Her shrill voice broke through his thoughts and there was another excruciating spasm in his arm.

“Maya!” Wrought with fury, Damien grabbed the table, pulled himself up and rounded on them again but a guard grabbed his arms while another came from behind and trapped him in a headlock. He strained against them, but was unable to break free.

“Maya!” Hayden called. “The dinner knives!”

The starry night sky again, this time accompanied by snowfall; dancing in the moonlight as it swayed with the cold winds, covering the boulder they were sitting on in little sheaths of white.

She quirked an eyebrow. “You calling me your greatest weakness?”

“And my greatest strength. It’s a romantic paradox, really.”

“It’s not like there’s a guidebook on how to navigate all of this.”

“I’ve always believed it’s better not to let our emotions overrule our judgments. But I don’t think . . . I don’t think it’s true anymore. I didn’t leave New York because I was afraid of Eros. Or because I can’t make up a new identity, start fresh somewhere else . . .” Damien took a deep breath and smiled at her. “It’s because of you.”

“Dexter! Little help here?!”

The shuddering and brief spasms turned into convulsions as Dexter felt his circuitry crackling within him. His veins – or whatever the android version was – burned like acid. He gritted his teeth, trying not to cry out. Because as painful as this was-

“Dex! Move your ass!”

“I would follow you to the edge of the world, Maya . . . and I’m not just saying that because we’re in the North Pole.”

“Whatever they throw at me, I can take it.”

“I would follow you to the edge of the world, Maya . . .”

“This . . . this is too far.”

“Oh sure. My hero.”

“You can’t ask this of me!”

To the edge of the world.

“Let go of me!”

“I’m okay. Because you protected me.”

“No, please! Somebody help!”

“I’m not letting them hurt you.”

And with that, Dexter’s eyes snapped open.

NEW COMMAND: Protect Maya.

————————————————

“If you people can refuse to cooperate then so can I!” Harley bellowed. He reached her in a few strides, caught her arm just as she was about to slap him, then backhanded her with his other hand. Maya fell to the ground, one of her hands instantly touching her cheek.

Damien let out a shout of fury and lunged forward, straining to get to her.

Harley grabbed Maya’s shoulder and she felt his fingers bunching up her shawl. “No, please!” She screamed and struggled, clutching the fabric desperately with her one free hand. “Somebody help!” She was pounding her fist against Harley’s arm, shoving at him while pulling her shawl closer to her every time.

Suddenly, there was a click! and the unmistakable buzz of a taser.

“That’s enough!” A voice boomed from near the doorway.

Harley and Maya turned to find Alana stock-still, a look of pure shock on her face. Standing behind her was the one who had intervened.

“Leave her alone.”

See? You can’t predict everything with an algorithm.