A knife to your Flesh: Ask Bloge Family
Seuss I started writing this like, two years ago before everything fell apart. I wanted to write Ellis in something and this was the result. Fun fact, Ellis is a lot of fun to write.
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The scientist was giddy with happiness as he walked down the hallway, looking into all the cages holding his new specimens.
How dare Bicklebaum leave him, threaten him and make him retreat. That's why he was so thrilled by the subjects in his cages.
Two ghosts, one purple and one blue pounding on their anti-phase proof glass.
One fairy with red curls and golden blood dripping off her hands from the net installed over her cell.
A woman with green hair and sharp teeth screaming about how she would kick his ass when she was free.
Two mortals, male and female huddled together in the simplest cage, the blue haired girl trying to keep the young man calm but both crying.
Four children clinging to each other, their tears making the fairy try again to get free.
One angel, her cage forcing her into her Utopian form, all eyes narrowing as he passed.
The last two were the newest additions.
One was the god he had captured before, his brother, sealed in place with marked chains and a circle on the floor to keep him unconscious and powerless.
The other was a gorgon. He wasn't sure what her relation was to the traitor but she was chained up as well, snakes pulled back to keep them from biting his workers and a metal cover over her eyes to keep her gaze from harming them.
Now he was ready to begin the final part.
Once-Ler needed to join him now to see what experiments he would conduct.
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When Once-Ler came to Ellis was thrilled to see the confusing and terror on his face.
"Hello again Once-Ler~ You know, I missed you a lot. So much that I kept an eye on you and all the, well interesting people in your life." He grinned widely when the old man tried to jump toward him, only to realize he was tied up in a straight jacket and held in down with leather straps. It reminded him of Hannibal Lector when he was transported, the mask over his face and unable to move at all. The good doctor gave a chuckle before walking over and pulling on Once-Ler's face so they were eye to eye.
"In fact I went and gathered all the people in your life today. Remember those cages? Each one holds one of your 'family' members." Ellis spit out the word family with a twisted smile before waving a hand and a gurney was pushed in, a glass tube with a purple spirit inside.
"I've seen where she stays at your place Mr. Bicklebaum, and this fell off her neck when we caught her." He dug a ring out of his pocket and showed it to the old man before tucking back into the folds of his labcoat.
"I believe the line is 'til death do us part'. I never took you for a man into necrophilia, she's not even that pretty." Ellis laughed, something half-crazed as Once-Ler started to yell at him to leave her alone, the sound muffled by the cover over his mouth.
"Now then let's see...strap her down boys." The assistances nodded their heads and pressed something on their belts, their gloved starting to glow with a sick looking green. Two moved away from the tank to prep the table while the other two opened the container and grabbed the ghost, dragging her to the metal slab and forcing her down, ignoring her screams and protests as they secured glowing buckles in place.
"Now then...where to put the first cut..." Ellis hummed to himself as the last person pushed a tray of instruments toward him before leaving, the scientist finally choosing a sharp scalpel, the blade illuminated with the same green as the gloves.
“You know Once-Ler, I have a lot of different creatures here, but this is the first time I’ve ever had a ghost. I’m curious as to what her insides, or lack of insides really, looks like.”
With one gleaming look toward Once-Ler he placed the scalpel to Webby’s arm and slowly dragged it down the length, cutting into her form like a hot knife in butter. She screamed, the sound piercing her lover’s ears as the blade went farther and farther down her appendage, the purple ecto spilling onto the table.
He kept working, cutting open her chest and seeing the lack of organs there, moving the ecto around and making her screams the only thing anyone heard. He only stopped when the ghost started to flicker in and out, the screams dying out and the spirit’s eyes closed.
“Well all the fun is gone from her. For now at least. Give her a day or two and we’ll see what else I can learn. I have all sorts of data that I need to go and record. You just wait around, I’ll be back later.”
He left the lab, only hearing later about how the ghost had become a ball of energy when the shackles were taken off. He recorded the data while watching the video of the vivisection...dissection? Now he was happy to figure out what word to use on the cutting up of a ghost.
He didn't go back to the lab until the next day, freshly dressed and a cheshire smile on his face. The next victim was Beth, already strung up on the table like Webby had been when he walked in. The room was warmer than it was the day before, the scientist knowing just enough about her ice powers to keep the room warmer than needed.
Once-Ler watched helplessly as he did the same thing to Beth as he did to Webby, this time looking for her magic core, wanting the object that gives her her powers.
It was the same every day, one of his family on the table, him being helpless to watch.
Moirin, golden blood draining into a pan for him to study later.
Dee, her body tested with numerous poisons to see what her resistance was like.
Flynn and Eternal, comparing energy spikes when put under stress and pain.
The twins, seeing if because of their magic would pain transfer from one to the other.
Ami’s eyes poked and prodded to see what they could do.
Ariel, his little princess cut open like her mother to see how similar they were.
Amby and Tumb-ler, not cut open like the others but still put through pain as Ellis injected them with magic, hoping to see if it would become part of them or if it would be rejected.
The gorgon was last, the scientist still not knowing much about her. By the end of her time with him her snakes had been cut and her skin covered with a variety of cuts, some deeper than others as he tried to find blades that would affect her.
It would switch every day, Webby always the first and the gorgon always the last. Once-Ler saw his friends trace death; Webby almost lost too much ecto, Beth getting too hot and almost burning her ice powers out, Moiron in convulsions when Ellis placed and iron blade to her.
The kids were left alone after a while, their bodies unable to take the harsher treatments he wanted to give them.
Eternal and the gorgon, they were the ones that he spent them most time on. The scientist was still trying to get continuous energy and it only took him a few more tries before it was the god supplying the lab, strung up in a tube with hoses and other wires running in and out of him.
The voice had come back to the older man’s mind, whispers how they could get free, that Ellis didn’t know what they could do, that they could get out and free their family.
He finally snapped the day Ellis brought in Ariel again, strapping her down onto the table and pulling out an iron knife he had used one Moirin just the day before.
"You know, she may be your princess but let's see if the 'lil' lady' can withstand this." The scientist didn't have a chance to get the blade close to her skin when Ghost freed himself, pulling off the restraints around his chest and legs, the straight jacket burning away from his hands as he grabbed ahold of Ellis, his eyes glowing purple with energy.
"You. Will. Not. Hurt. Them. Again." He didn't kill him, no, not with Ariel still there in the room but it was easy to cover him in burns, his flesh crisping at the heat applied to it, his labcoat burning up in flames. The clatter of keys falling from his coat was what snapped Ghost out of his trace of anger. He was quick to drop the man and leave him on the ground in pain while he got the keys and headed over to Ariel and freeing her.
It wasn't the best decision but somehow Ghost felt that only Ellis was there, that he had sent everyone away and it was ok if Ariel went and freed the others while he helped get Eternal out. The little girl went off with the keys, freeing her mother first and getting a hug before freeing her siblings, her other mothers, aunts and uncle. All were bloody, bruised and cut up but with what magic they had left they went home, knowing Ghost would be able to get himself and his brother home.
It took time to free Eternal, to cut the power off first and then undo him, to keep his anger under control so he didn't take out the building over their heads. Once free Eternal was just dead weight, passing out from lack of energy in Ghost's arms. Somehow the old man managed to draw a door and carry him through, so happy to see everyone in the living room of Moirin's home.
After making sure Tumbs was ok he took the boy and Eternal back to the valley. The god needed to be there to heal and recover.
Amby took off, not making eye contact with anyone as she left.
Webby and Beth sat off together, both in forms that were simple and plain, their attempt to keep their energy low until they could rest better. Ami was with them, Webby asking her questions and making sure she was ok.
Moirin was looking over her four kids, Dee right at her side with making sure the kids were going to be ok.
Gabby was sitting in the corner, not because she didn't want to be around the others but because her eyes were too sensitive to the light.
Ghost collapsed in a chair, finally removing the mask covering half his face and letting it fall to the floor. It was quiet in the home as he took in his friends and family, at the horror he had dragged them into.
"I'm sorry." His words were almost too quiet to hear, but the adults did. Slowly Webby floated over to him, Gabby dragging herself over. Moirin and Dee needed to watch over the kids, hold them and make sure they were really there.
"It wasn't your fault Once." Webby said, placing a hand on his shoulder before leaning against him. Gabby grabbed his hand, an unspoken way of agreeing with him.
“It was that...man’s fault. Not yours.” Morin spat out in an almost uncharacteristic way. “We’ll get better. Yes, it will take time and we’ll all be scared of every little noise for a long, long time but we’ll get better. We’ll be ok.”
“But if I hadn’t...if I had been stronger…” his voice was a little louder but all it did was make Webby frown and smack the back of his head.
“Listen to me Once-ler Bicklebaum. This is not your fault. That man was some sort of sadist and wants nothing more that to learn off of others no matter how much pain they are put in. We will be ok. Moirin’s right, it will take time but it will be ok.”
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They would always be paranoid.
Moirin never let the kids out of her sight. There was no more playing outside without her watching.
Dee seemed ok but would always look at the time when Moirin had to leave to go somewhere.
The children were always in a group or in pairs, never alone.
Amby disappeared, moved away and didn’t stay in contact.
Tumbs spent more time in the valley by Eternal’s side the pair never being far from each other.
Beth stayed in her palace, learning everything she needed to.
Gabby left for Greece, staying with the sisters and only staying in the Subworld.
Ami spend more time in other places where no mortal could go.
Webby and Ghost settled down to live a quiet life, their house covered in magic that was always being added to.
They got stronger but they would never be truly ok again.
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Only Amby and Gabby are mine.
