Snatched

Posted on Wed Jul 23rd, 2025 @ 11:48am by Glitch & Ebenezer Winch

1,439 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Welcome to the Hometown
Location: Ruins

The howling had gotten closer and suddenly there was silence all around Ebenezer and Cordelia, then a powerful electrical shock hit both of them from behind.

Cordelia instantly fell to the ground, her water power used against her as the electrical jolt to her system shorted her out for the time being, but only unconscious. Strong hands immediately grabbed her and hoisted her over a shoulder, then headed into the darkness without a sound.

Eb was about to comment on the abrupt silence when an electrical shock hit him hard. His body stiffened, locking him in place for a moment before his knees buckled, sending him collapsing to the ground face-first. The surge of electricity overloaded his powers and his nervous system, leaving him sprawled on the ground, his body twitching involuntarily. Thankfully, unconsciousness spared him from the worst of the pain.

Four pairs of strong arms, two at his shoulders and two at his ankles, lifted his body from the ground. The carried Eb into the waiting darkness as silently as they had approached him. Only time would tell if his powers had actually managed to keep him alive after the fact.

Cordelia had been blindfolded and now found herself lying on her back on some kind of narrow table. Her arms and legs were restrained and she heard the deep hum of something all around her. "Hello? Who's there?"

Across from her was a woman who looked like her flesh was made of cracked lava and was restrained in a similar way, but did not appear to be conscious.

To her right, Ebenezer had been similarly bound, no trace of metal in his restraints at all.

To his right, a woman wearing leather and a dirty t-shirt and pants was strapped to another table. Her face was painted white with black streaks around her mouth, which had a ball gag in it and strapped around her head.

Eb groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. He winched his face and wrinkled his nose as the smell of the room invaded his senses and woke him more fully. "Damn," he said, opening his eyes. He rolled his head from side to side and lifted it in an attempt to see the room more clearly. "Well this doesn't look good at all. Tremors, is that you?" he asked, going back to her mutant name so as to keep real names as private as possible.

"Elixir." Cordelia said through dry lips and tried to absorb some water from the air, then gasped. "My power...it isn't working or there's no water in the air, which isn't possible." She struggled against her restraints.

"Oh, okay, gotcha," he said. "Well, I can sense a lot of metal everywhere, but no clue on what it is or what it does. Whoever took us seems to know what it takes to neutralize us to some degree," he said, feeling the soft padding he was laying on. "Got some kind of a pad or old mattress or something underneath me."

"Whatever I'm on is dry. The air around me is dry," she said. "It's like I'm sealed in some kind of vacuum."

Eb struggled against the restraints again, but no avail. They were very secure. "I wish there were more lights. At least then we could see a little more about where we're at. But then again, maybe we don't want to."

"You are correct that you do not want to," a voice said from out of the darkness. "But you will not have to worry about that for long."

"Who said that?" Elixir asked.

"My name does not concern you," the voice said. "I am going to heal you of your afflictions."

"We don't need healing because we're not afflicted," said Pulse. "Seeing what I can see around here, seems to me you're the one that's afflicted. Now just let us all go and we'll be on our merry way." He didn't expect any of that to work, but he didn't care at the moment. All he needed to do was get loose. And then the pounding could start.

"You and all of your kin do," the voice continued. "I intend to drain you and your companions of your blood and replace it with purity, cleansing you of your mutant afflictions."

"You're crazy," Elixir said as she strained against her bonds. "They're part of us. You'll kill us if you drain our blood!"

"Either way, he kills us," said Flux. "He drains our blood, we die. We somehow survive and he fills us with this purity crap, we die. No matter what happens, mutants die." He paused a second, realizing that they weren't travelling with the others that were in the room with them. "Our companions...son-of-a-bitch! The others, Elixir!"

"I...don't know," Elixir responded.

"Do not worry," the voice said. "They will soon join you. They are on the way now. As for your death or your mutation, neither will be a huge loss, but I am trying to save you."

"Buddy, we don't need to be saved," said Eb. "We're just fine right like we are. What makes you think we need saving?"

"That is simple," the voice said. "I decided it."

"You're out of your mind!" Elixir shouted. "Show yourself!"

"If I did that, you may take advantage of my liquid," it responded. "I am afraid that I cannot allow that."

"Eh, he's just too scared," said Pulse. "He's afraid...of us, of mutants in general. Hell, he's probably a mutant himself."

"Oh, I was," the voice responded. "Then I, too, was saved. My savior taught me all I needed to know to purge the disease from others."

"You're crazy!" Elixir said. "I like what I am!"

The sound of something beeping was heard, then a sigh., "I was afraid of this. It seems your friends have came to save you. That means I will have more to save."

Another series of sounds were heard and heavy footsteps followed that, then a door opening and closing. "Soon, they will e joining us."

"Well at least they'll stand a better chance than we did. Snatched and drugged after nightfall was a coward's move," said Pulse.

"No, merely a safety precaution," the voice said.

"Give me a second and I'll show you," Elixir growled.

"When we get outta here," said Eb, "I'll hold him and you can drown his ass."

Elixir gave a dry laugh. "Water is too precious for him. I'm going to draw every bit of it out of his pathetic body."

"Well, didn't know you could do that," said Pulse. "You hear that, ole boy? You're gonna be dry as dust."

"It's not pretty," Elixir said with a dry cough.

There was no response, but from somewhere nearby a loud booming sound was heard.

"That doesn't sound good at all," he said. "And it sounds like our host is gone. At least he's not talking anymore."

"Maybe his watch dog or whatever it was got taken out," Elixir said. "I'd be more than happy to hear that."

"Same here. But if he's really gone...," said Eb, turning his head to the side to see Elixr. "If I can see some screws or bolts or something that's holding your enclosure on, maybe I can liquify them. Let you get some humidity in there somehow. Even if it's just a few small holes."

"Thanks," She said. "I can't see anything or feel any moisture near me. This won't liquify me, will it?"

"Nah, just metal," said Eb. He rolled his head, neck muscles straining, so he could see container around Elixir's head. He could make out metal fasteners around the perimeter, but they weren't screws. They were bolts. Those holes should be much larger and easier for her to get humidity inside.

Pulse focused and started to manipulate one of the bolts. It took a little extra as there was a bit of distance between them. But Pulse finally managed to liquify one of the bolts and let it slowly drop to the floor. He worked the second one that he could see and did the same. Except this time, he floated it over to his hand.

"Breathe deep," he said. "I know it probably won't be much, but hopefully it'll help."

Elixir wanted to explain that it didn't work like that, but she focused her power outwards in the hope of getting a little moisture. "Thanks."

From outside, a large commotion was heard, followed by a scream.

"Oh damn," said Pulse, startled. "That doesn't sound good at all."

"We'll give them hell no matter what" Elixir said. "It's all we can do."

 

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