Marks

Marks

Seven years ago....

                   
Torn stopped when he passed in front of the full length mirror on his bathroom
door. He took a moment to examine the markings all over his face. Everyone,
Krimson guards or regular citizen, knew what the black tattoos meant. It was a
form of reward and rank promotion for 'a job well done'. Some days he wished he
could get rid of them. They were just a reminder of the person he used to be.
They were everywhere too. Across his face and trailing down his neck. Over his
shoulders and half way down his chest and back. He touched the mark right over
his heart. It was rewarded to him for surviving a gun shot there.

                   
But all that was over now. Over the past few weeks he had joined an under ground
association bent on de-thronging the Baron. He was done with the Krimson guard.
He had been for a while now. All he had to do now was quit his job. But that was
easier said than done. The Commander of the Krimson guard doesn't just up and
quit when he feels like it. Torn remembered all too well how he had earned the
markings on his ears. His first order from the Baron: kill his predecessor. And
he did it without question. The commander before him was over sixty five and had
taught Torn everything he knew. And Torn shot him, right between the eyes and
never thought twice about it, until today.

                   
Torn glanced to the side, to where Erol was laying in his bed. Erol was still
asleep, one his side, his back turned to Torn.  Torn looked at Erol as he
slept. He wasn't quite` sure when he fell for Erol, just that it developed over
time as he trained him. Erol was his replacement. He had questioned the Baron's
orders one too many times. He looked at himself in the mirror again.

"And after everything I did for that bastard." he said. He then pulled his
shirt over his head. When he could see again he noticed Erol was right behind
him now. He tried to move but felt the gun pressed to the back of his head. He
looked at Erol's reflection in the mirror, his sharp eyes focused. He often
wondered if Erol slept with him on purpose, to get his guard down. So many times
Erol's eyes had told him different. "What's up baby?" Torn asked.

"You have been condemned to death by order of Baron Praxis." Erol recited
what they said to anyone about to be killed by the KG. "You are under suspicion
of treason, Commander."

"You think it's a lie?" Torn asked.

"I know it's not." Erol answered. "I followed you the other
night. You broke
character when you told me you weren't in the mood."

"I'm sorry." Torn said. "But I've been going over this in my head for a
while. Trying to figure out how I would tell you. That was the only way I
could."

"Then you know what I have to do." Erol said. Torn could see Erol was
starting to waver.

'God, he really does love me.' Torn thought seeing the tears welling up in
Erol's eyes. He always knew there was a soft spot in Erol's heart all the
training and discipline in the world couldn't harden.

"I have to." Erol said, more to himself than Torn. He readjusted his grip on
the pistol and looked at Torn. "I have to." Again to himself. "Torn--

"Follow your orders, Commander." Torn said. He turned to Erol and pressed his
forehead to the gun. "By the way, I'm breaking up with you."

"Torn, please--

"I cheated on you with Ashelin last week." Torn interrupted again. He could
see a spark of anger flash in Erol's eyes. "Do it Erol. Don't be a pussy."

"Shut up!" Erol screamed at him. "You think lying will make this any easier?"

"I'm not lying. Have you noticed her smirking at you lately?" Torn asked.
Erol looked like he was thinking about it. Torn was right. Ashelin did give him
a weird smirk the other day when he passed her, like she knew something he
didn't.

"Slut." he hissed. Torn suddenly grabbed the gun. He was behind Erol, hooking
his arm around Erol's neck before he had a chance to gasp.

"That's your one flaw Erol." Torn growled in his ear. "You are so completely
ruled by your emotions it is almost like you are a woman."

"Fuck you!" Erol snarled trying to get out of the choke hold. Torn
pressed the gun to his temple and he stopped.

"What do you think we've been doing?" Torn asked. "But on some level it's
not. It's never been just fucking with you Erol. Cause I never wanted it to be.
I'm in love with you, but we're both in too deep in our situations to turn back
now. You are destined to be a great commander. As am I. But the Baron has made
it painfully clear that there can only be one. You are that one, baby."

"But I can't kill you." Erol sobbed. Torn's heart broke hearing him cry. "No
matter what you do I can't. I won't, not after what you've done for me. Not
after the things you've shown me."

"Then I'll have to make you hate me." Torn said. He shoved himself away from
Erol. Erol turned and looked at him. Tears streaming down his face
as he looked at Torn. Erol understood what had to be done. He lowered his amber
eyes to the ground.

"Make it look convincing." Erol said. Torn grit his teeth together.

"Please, don't forgive me." Torn aimed at Erol's
leg and without flinching he shot him in the knee.

"Ahhhh!" Erol screamed in surprise and pain. He grabbed the wound in an
attempt to stop the pain but Torn grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away.
"No--" Erol plea was cut short when Torn hit him in the face with the butt of the
gun. He tossed it over his shoulder and looked down at Erol's already bruising
cheek.

"Not enough." Torn said to himself as he pulled his fist back. He punched
Erol as hard as he could. Again and again and again and again until he felt
Erol's nose break under his knuckles. Erol only groaned when Torn released him.
He fell to the floor with a thump. Blood streaming from his nose and mouth. He
looked up through the eye that wasn't swollen at Torn as he reached under his
bed for something. Erol shuddered when Torn presented a crow bar.

                   
Erol tried to crawl away but the bullet in his leg caused pain to radiate
through him when he moved. He only got a few feet away when he felt Torn deliver
a blow with the crow bar on the back of his un hurt leg. He screamed and turned
to nurse it when Torn knocked him in the side of the head. He prayed it would
knock him unconscious when he hit the wood floor but found he was still awake
when Torn proceeded to beat his torso with the metal bar.

*Crack* *Crack* *Crack*

                  
Three ribs shattered under Torn's strength. Erol prayed that he was done when he
heard Torn drop the crow bar. But once again he could feel Torn's hands on him.
"Stop!" he found the strength to yell when Torn reached for his pants. He ripped
them from Erol's body and pushed his legs open. "Ahhhh!" Erol screamed from the
pain it cause his injuries and from the burning sensation of having Torn breech
him without any preparation.

                   
Erol's voice refused to come out anymore. He could only lay there and try to
breath as Torn raped him. He looked up at Torn as he committed the act and was
terrified when he met Torn's stone cold face. The face Torn made when he killed
someone. He just stared at Erol. His mouth wasn't even open to allow heavy
breathing. Torn just stared at him, like he meant nothing. Tearing Erol's inner
walls with his hard thrusts. He didn't feel Torn climax. He simply pulled out
and dropped Erol's legs when he felt there was enough blood spilling from the
orifice.

                   
Erol thought he was going to be sick. He knew Torn was purely heartless when it
came to his missions. But this....and to someone he was supposed to love. Erol
felt his world spinning. The only thing that wasn't was Torn. He stood over Erol
after retrieving the crow bar and delivered one more hit before Erol's world
went black.

---

                   
Erol glared out the hospital window, at all the people walking three stories
below him on the streets. Scanning each face. Not finding who he was looking
for. He was unconscious when Torn dragged him from his apartment, so he didn't
realize Torn had driven him to the fortress and thrown him out of the car -
naked and bleeding. The doctor told him everything would heal with time but Erol
knew not everything. He didn't look away from the window when someone
came in the room. From the weight of the steps he could tell it was the Baron.

                   
Erol had been in the hospital for a six months. First to heal his physical
wounds. And then he was put in a special ward to get his KG mind set back. Today
he was being released. He heard the Baron walk into the padded room, pick up the
clip board that Erol had to sign to state that all his injuries were real and
that his mental state was stable again.

"Shot in right knee cap, beaten with a metal object resulting in a broken
nose, three broken ribs, a severe concussion and a collapsed lung. Raped. I hear
you needed stitches for that." The Baron said as he read the papers.

"Seven in all." Erol said simply, not turning from the window.

"Commander Erol, are you prepared to return to your post?" Praxis asked.

"Yes." Erol answered.

"Is there anything in particular you want?"

"Revenge." Erol growled.

"Excellent."