Chapter 105: A Reminder Of A Future Past

Nathaniel let out a groan as he consciousness slowly returned."What the hell?" He let out as his vision returned and his eyes were hit by a really bright light.

Nathaniel squinted slightly to let his eyes adjust before he finally got the chance to completely open them and scan his surrounding.

He noticed that he was chained to a chair and put under what seemed to be a spot light, with his surrounding being immersed in complete darkness.

Nathaniel’s breath came out shallow, his throat was also dry and scratchy.

He tugged at the cuffs around his wrists and ankles, the metallic rattling of the chains echoed in.... wherever he currently was but they showed no signs of coming off.

"Dmitri?" He demanded. "Is this your doing?"

But no answer came.

"Dmitri!" he continued, his voice coming out louder than his dry throat should’ve allowed. "If you’re listening, if you have an inch of sense left Untie me, or I’ll make sure your wife and daughter never get a normal life again."

"You hear me?" He shouted, "I’ll make sure every file about you becomes public. I’ll turn them into collateral for your treason, I’ll ruin them."

Even with all the threats there was still no reply causing the unease in his chest to rise.

There were still a lot of questions unanswered questions, like how the hell had the whiskey been spiked? Why did Dmitri betray them?And where the hell were his guards when he was being kidnapped?

But all those remain unanswered as he sat chained in this metal chair. The only sound was of the chains that rattled while he struggled.

He sat like that for a couple of minutes when he suddenly heard the sound of a slow, deliberate clap.

"Now doesn’t this situation feel familiar," a voice, one that Nathaniel didn’t quite recognize spoke from the dark.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, "do you know who I am? You think your little stunt with Dmitri scares me? Once I’m free from here, I’ll —"

"But I know you pretty well," the voice interrupted and the sound of foot steps were heard, getting closer to the light.

"Hello Nathaniel," A pair of slightly glowing blue eyes became visible to Nathaniel which made his skin crawl.

Slowly, the glowing eyes grew closer before the owner of them finally stepped into the light.hat was known as OmniTech and also the recent thorn in Nathaniel’s path.

On Ethan’s face was a calm smile as he looked at the chained up Nathaniel. He had always expected this day to eventually come, but just a few months after his regression was not one he expected.

Nathaniel though, suddenly burst into laughter at the reveal of his kidnapper.

Ethan calmly watched with a smile on his face as he continued laughing for a short while.

"I really did understimate you, kid" Nathaniel said, his face suddenly taking on a serious expression, "I’m impressed that you were somehow able to get Dmitri on your side."

"And I’m disappointed, Nathaniel," Ethan said his expression really showing how disappointed he was, "you could’ve made this a bit harder you know."

Nathaniel was about to say something but was quickly cut off by Ethan who hadn’t finished speaking yet.

"I mean, you’re supposed to be one of the greats, right?" Ethan’s voice was calm as he spoke.

Slowly, he circled Nathaniel as he continued, "The son of Victor Langley. The prodigy of the intelligence sector. The man who thought he had the world by its throat."

Ethan leaned in just enough for his glowing blue eyes to be at eye level with Nathaniel. "But here you are, chained, drugged, and completely at my mercy."

Nathaniel’s lips twisted into a sneer. "You think this will last? You think chaining me up makes you the victor? You’re a child playing dress-up with power you don’t understand. When I get out of here, I’ll make sure your body is unrecognizable when they fish it out of a ditch."

Ethan chuckled softly, shaking his head, "and you think you’ll get out of here?"

"Of course I will," Nathaniel said, both confident and calm, "what the hell do you think will happen once others find out I’m missing?"

Ethan’s face transfomed into mock horror, then into a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. "Ah—right. I really should have thought this through before taking action," he said, voice light and almost sheepish.

Nathaniel’s face change from confident to annoyed, it was clear as day that the kid was being sarcastic and that got on his nerves.

"Nah," Ethan’s face change from mock fear to a grin, "to the world, you’ll just be a man who ran to some unknown country after the skeletons in his closet have been revealed."

"I hate you too much to do a half ass job when it comes to my revenge." He finished.

Nathaniel didn’t miss the word revenge in Ethan’s words which caused him to frown.

"That’s right," I shouldn’t expect you to remember, after all, those were deeds you did in the future, not now."

This caused Nathaniel even more confusion, as he looked at Ethan like he had gone mad, what the hell was the kid on about? And what did he by his future actions.

"Listen kid," Nathaniel spoke,"I’m completely uninterested in whatever games you’re playing, let me go right now before it’s too late."

"Sigh," Ethan let out in disappointment again, "I already made this pretty clear to you, Nathaniel, haven’t I? You’re not leaving here."

"Not alive anyway," his smile at the end terrified Nathaniel.

The kid looked completely insane and it seemed he meant every single word he said.

Adding nothing else, Ethan turned around and walked towards the darkness as he spoke up, "before that though, I brought you a gift.

He turned back overhead light picked out the edges of what seemed to be a helmet: matte black, lined with tiny photoreceptors and soft pads that glowed faintly as the device booted.

"What the hell is that?" Nathaniel asked, his unease growing by the second.

Ethan stopped just before the edge of the light and tilted his head slightly, the glow in his eyes dancing with quiet amusement.

"This?" he asked, raising the helmet just high enough for Nathaniel to see the faint mist of cold air escaping its inner vents. "Let’s call it... a perspective adjuster."

"Your idea of a torture is some device that..." Nathaniel paused as he let out an amused chuckle. "That looks like some VR toy? You think strapping me into a headset is going to scare me?"

Ethan chuckled. "Oh, I’m not here to scare you, Nathaniel. What I want..." he stepped closer again, lowering the helmet so its soft glow reflected across Nathaniel’s sweating face, "...is to let you experience."

Nathaniel’s sneer faltered, replaced by a flicker of unease. "Experience what?"

Ethan crouched in front of him, placing the helmet carefully on the floor between them. "Every sin you committed or rather will commit, against me specifically."

"It wouldn’t be as satisfying if you didn’t know the reason for your death now, would it?" Ethan stood back up and faced him with a smile, "that’s why I spent a few days on this..."

"I haven’t really come up with a name for it, but all that matters is that it works," he picked up the helmet and approached Nathaniel, "now be sure not to struggle as it’d just turn the pain up to max, after all, your brain’s not like mine, so there’s a possibility it might turn to paste."

"Sounds fun right?" He said with a psychotic grin as he moved the helmet above Nathaniel’s head.

Nathaniel first protested before they narrowed to a string of curses. Ethan crouched and, with neither theatrics nor cruelty, slid the helmet up and over his head.

The soft pads gripped Nathaniel’s temples and micro-filaments brushed the bridge of his nose. The vents at the back released cool air that smelled faintly of ozone and metal polish.

Nathaniel thrashed at first—half a panic, half anger. "Get it off! Get it off!"

But none of it was doing him any good as he was currently bound and restricted from moving even a bit.

"Stop being a baby," Ethan said, "it’s not like the pain has started yet."

"This is your last warning Ethan Carter," Nathaniel screamed in panic, "get this bloody thing off me and let me go, else you’ll regret ever being born."

"No." Ethan responded with all seriousness, his smile completely gone, as he looked at Nathaniel with only coldness in his eyes.

"You’ll see exactly why I hate you," he stated, "and you’ll know exactly what your death is for."

With that, he pressed a button on the helmet and stepped back.

"You fuc—" before his words could be completed, a bright light flashed Nathaniel’s eyes and before he knew it, he had completely passed out.... again.