Leoben knows what falling entrails sound like. (ex_notnice309) wrote in an_ill_wind, @ 2009-08-21 15:44:00 |
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Gideon was sitting at the dining room table in the safe house with a deck of cards spread out across the festive tablecloth. No had wanted to play cards and so Gideon opted for Solitaire, which he was rubbish at. Gideon was not the type of person to cheat at cards but Solitaire was different. Every now and then he would flip over an extra card or two but it never helped him win in the end. At that moment he was moving cards without issue, which was very exciting, but the ding of a timer filled the adjoining kitchen and Gideon looked up. "Hey, it's been a few hours. Someone want to bring water down to the basement?" Nothing. "Oi. Water. Basement." Silence. "Anyone?" After a few minutes of no answer Gideon sighed. He abandoned his game and wandered into the kitchen where the timer sat next to a plastic cup. Gideon filled the cup with room temperature water, grabbed a package of open crackers, and headed for the basement door. He counted thirteen steps and with a tiny hop he was standing at the base of the staircase. Gideon looked at Ben and then to the crackers and he frowned. "Sorry, I forgot about the tongue thing. I brought you some water though." Leoben very nearly thought something was wrong. He was bloody and battered and sore all over. He was bored when they weren't here and he was angry and frustrated when they were. All in all, it had been a very long seventy-two hours and he was increasingly unhappy. It was the monotony of the whole thing, really. And the obvious inexperience of the people he was dealing with (though he supposed for that, he ought to be thankful). The plan had been ingenious, he was sure. To transfigure a knife into a wrist watch and wear it. A weak enough charm that it would, after some time, return to it's original state. The only flaw in the entire thing was that he didn't actually know how long it would take to change back into the knife. With no wand, he couldn't very well just remove the charm. And so for three days, he'd kept his right hand on his left wrist, waiting for it change again. Worries and doubts floated through his mind. What if he'd done it incorrectly? What if it wasn't changing back? He had agreed on the trade with the assumption that he would be able to get out without having to bother the ranks with his disappearance. This was a potentially very serious problem. But finally, about an hour ago, he had a very sharp knife in his hand. Cutting through the ropes had been child's play, even after three days with no real nourishment. That was the issue with not having a tongue. It was very difficult to actually eat anything. So water, here and there. Not nearly enough to sate him, but an adequate amount to keep him going. Still, he did not feel particularly energised. He was tired and he wanted his bed. He wanted something proper to eat, a glass of scotch and a cigarette. Salazar, he wanted to clean his teeth. The comforts of home that were entirely unavailable to him. This had better be one hell of a promotion. The door opened and Leoben raised bloodshot eyes to the staircase as one of the Prewett twins made their way into the basement. This was possibly the most tiring thing, listening to them talk. Dirty or traitorous, all of them. But his hands were free now, still hidden behind his back. He held the severed ropes in his left hand and the hunting blade in his right, content to appear the prisoner he'd been. He couldn't apparate without a wand, and even attempting such with one that didn't belong to him was highly dangerous. A cup of water. Ben said nothing. Gideon was about to make a comment about Ben's fabulous wit and ability to hold his own in a conversation but he stopped himself. He shut the door behind him with his back but didn't lock it. He was aware of the wand in his back pocket but he didn't think he would have to use it. He wasn't planning on asking Ben any questions, not that he could even answer them. After another moment he dropped the crackers on the ground near the door and he pushed away from the wall with his glass of water held out. It felt weird giving water to a Death Eater. There was a huge part of him that would let him dehydrate and wither in the basement. This man didn't deserve any hospitality from them but Gideon's conscience wouldn't let him just sit upstairs while Ben had nothing to drink. Gideon had always been too nice. "I can't untie you so you can drink, obviously, so you're going to have to help me out. I'll hold the glass to your mouth and you do the rest. If you want to try a cracker I'll get them, I just don't know how easy it is to chew without a tongue." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, you can have one if you want one." Without another awkward word he reached forward and placed the rim of the plastic cup against Ben's mouth and tipped it a little. Oh, it was nearly laughable. Nearly. If Ben ever really felt like laughing when it wasn't at someone else's expense. Situations didn't often amuse him. But this was his chance and he remained as calm as possible. Still, the desire to drink, to have water and maybe clean out some of his mouth was too strong to resist and he took a long drink before pulling his head enough to swallow. It was coated with the residual blood in his mouth, stinging against the severed end of his mutilated tongue. But it was water and his body thanked him even as it begged for more. He nodded toward the cup again and then glanced at Gideon. More. Gideon was watching Ben intently and he tipped the cup again at the Death Eaters glance. He found himself pondering the tongue thing again. He couldn't imagine chewing his own tongue off. He was either so loyal that he'd rather cause himself pain rather than betray his cause, or he hadn't had a chance to eat before the exchange and was very hungry. Gideon was quite certain it was the former, though the Death Eaters did seem a little screwed up. Then he remembered what Fabian had told him. Yaxley had spit the tongue out onto the basement floor upon removing it. Oh god, what if he was standing on it? He would have noticed something like that, right? He held the cup at Ben's lips still but he dropped his gaze to the floor, just to double check. Leoben drank more, letting the necessary liquid start to rehydrate his body. Maybe. He thought perhaps it was only making him more thirsty. But he was also convinced that this was all he was getting for Salazar knew how long. His opportunity appeared without request, without any manipulation. Leoben had finished his water and Gideon looked away. Ben adjusted his grip on the knife and then pulled Gideon to him with his free hand, the weapon penetrating deep into him, creating it's own opening. His arms screamed in protest, at having not moved for three days, for being stuck in his position for so long. His joints felt annoyingly sore, never mind that he'd been lit on fire and gouged and kicked. His shoulders hurt. In a matter of seconds Gideon had gone from caring about a tongue on the floor to not focusing on anything but the incredible amount of pain that was suddenly present in his abdomen. He was so confused and he was certain that the look on his face showed it. How did Ben get free? Probably his knife. How the hell did he get a knife? He was willing himself to stumble backwards and away from the blade but he was slumped over Ben's hand and the pressure was killing him. Oh hell, Ben was going to kill him. Gideon had never been stabbed before and now, just within the last few months, it had happened twice. Fuck. Gideon had to make it out of this. He couldn't die and leave Greta and Fabian because he'd wanted to hydrate a Death Eater. That just wasn't how it was supposed to end. If he died without eating another cupcake he would be very unhappy. He reached his arms out and placed his hands firmly on Ben's shoulders, using them to propel himself away. He was still clutching the plastic cup and he flung it in Ben's direction. Then he remembered his wand. He reached behind him and felt the hard wood beneath his fingers. Gideon pulled the wand from his pocket and pointed it at Ben. "Don't move. Don't even think. Think about moving and you're dead." Leoben grunted in pain as there was even more pressure on his shoulders, the joints barely used to moving after three days in captivity. But this was likely going to be his only chance and so Ben thought through it, out of pure necessity and self-preservation. He had to escape or he was going to die, and as comforting as the thought of Evangeline ensuring the continuation of the bloodline was, he was rather put-out at the prospect of dying in a cellar in which he was in solely because of Rabastan Lestrange. The indignity. He pushed himself to his feet, dripping knife in hand as Gideon threatened. Oh, but he'd had a certain amount of experience with these people before. Unforgivable were beyond their reach. Certainly, none of them could have the power it took to cast an effective Killing Curse. Ben scoffed and threw the knife as hard as he could at Gideon, ignoring his protesting body that begged for healing and rest. Both would come later. The knife left Ben's hand and Gideon panicked. He lifted his wand but he was too slow and the knife hit his wand arm but didn't stick. There was still a considerable amount of pain now shooting through his arm and the wand he had been holding had dropped to the cement floor on contact. He could bend over and get it but he knew he wouldn't be fast enough. He only had one other option and he was not looking forward to it. Gideon was being powered by adrenaline but he already felt just a touch light headed from the blood loss. With a grunt and a mumbled obscenity he lunged forward and swung his fist at Ben's face with as much force as he could muster. If he could get Ben to the floor he could get his wand back. That was his only thought at the moment. Well, that and not dying. Both would be good. Leoben only had a second to consider it a victory before Gideon tackled him. He crashed to the ground, the wind momentarily knocked out of him as the weight of the man on top of him forced him down. He only just managed to keep from hitting his head, but already, he could feel his escape slipping away. His chance to get back, all by himself was slipping through his fingers. He was not going to let it. Even if it meant he had to fight like a muggle. He swung hard at Gideon's nose, entirely unused to this whole predicament. He simply was not good at hand-to-hand combat. This was not the sort of thing he spent time on. Ben shoved Gideon's face away and groped for his wand. He fumbled for a moment, struggling with this entire issue of being pinned and not being able to pay attention to what he really wanted to do. But finally, he wrapped his fingers around the wand and pointed it with as much accuracy as he could manage in this position at Gideon. Confringo, he thought viscously. Gideon had succeeded in hitting Ben in the face as well as getting him to the ground but that was where his progress stopped. The two men were grappling on the floor like animals and then Ben's fist connected with Gideon's nose and he swore loudly. He tried to fight off Ben's hands as they pushed him away but he was weak and he failed miserably. Before he could realise what was happening there was a light very close to him and then a second later it was like a boulder smashed into his chest with an unforgiving fury. Gideon hit the wall with a dull thump. He wasn't sure how he managed to not smash his head on the cold stone, though his shoulder was not so lucky. He tried moving but failed. He was officially down for the count. He could see his wand in Ben's hand and he groaned. He close his eyes for a moment and he waited, though he didn't know what for. Movement from his opponent or maybe help coming down the stairs. They were being rather noisy. Most of all he hoped that his wand refused Unforgivables or he was toast. Leoben let out a breath of relief and climbed to feet, resisting the sudden urge to dust himself off. Not now. He kept the wand trained on Gideon as he went to pick up his knife, bloodied and sticky and warm. He considered, for a moment, if he could kill him. If it had been his own wand - and if he could have spoken the incantation - he would not have hesitated. As it was, spells and apparating were going to be difficult enough. There was simply no time to ensure that he was dead. And so Ben levitated him instead, opening the door and climbing up the stairs, keeping Gideon directly in front of him, lest someone else be here. A house. Of course. No time. He just needed to get out. He emerged in a blessedly empty kitchen. A back door. Relief flooded his chest. He had not wanted to admit it, but there was a very real fear sitting in his chest that he would not escape with his life - or at all. Leoben peered around the corner and then dumped Gideon on the floor. Perhaps someone would find him before he bled out. Ben was not going to stay to find out. With his own knife and a stolen wand, he disappeared out the back door, walked off several paces and disapparated with a crack. Gideon felt his body peel away from the ground and he bit back a whimper. He glanced down at the floor and he could see his blood pooled there. It looked like a lot but he was still conscious so perhaps he was imagining it. His eyesight was starting to get fuzzy so that might be another reason. He was aware of the Death Eater behind him, guiding him up the stairs, and he realised he was being used as a shield. How much longer did he have until he died? No, that was not the proper stream of thoughts that he should be having. He was going to survive! Maybe he would find his second wind, attack Ben, and get his wand back. Gideon Prewett would not let a measly stab wound to the abdomen get him down. He was so screwed. They emerged into the kitchen and he was not surprised to find it empty. He wanted to scream for someone but Ben had a wand. You didn't test the man with the wand. There was also a knife to be worried about. Suddenly Gideon hit the floor with an uncomfortable thump and he groaned. He watched Ben's shoes walk away from him and he glared. Fucking puristy shoes. Gideon yelled as loud as he could but there was no response. When he was recovered he was going to purchase hearing aids for the entire Order, that was for certain. He dragged himself across the floor towards a bottom cupboard and he pulled open the door. He was met by hand towels and plastic bags and he swore. He tried the next drawer and with some effort he grabbed the handle of a copper pot. There was a lid that was too big for the pot that didn't matter. After a bit of a struggle he managed to prop his back up against the counter, which was uncomfortable due to the ugly metal handle, and he smashed the pot cover against the pot repeatedly. "SOMEONE. KITCHEN. NOW." Bang bang bang. "Please." He managed a few more crashes with the cookware and then he lulled his head back against the cabinet and waited for someone to come. He would be really upset if no one came. |