Days pass. Or is it hours? Or weeks?

   Both of them are fully recovered, and Susan is restless. Being strapped to a bed for so long has made her muscles ache. She would lay on the bed and tense each muscle in her body, one by one. To pass the time, and to make sure they still worked. She hadn't really spoken to William, it only depressed her. But, she wished she could just talk to him, find out what kind of movies he liked, if he liked to read, that sort of thing. But he just.. shut down. He frustrated her, but it didn't bother her, and it was confusing.

   She was clenching her leg muscles some late afternoon, waiting for dinner without an appetite.

William was asleep, or appearing to be asleep, on the cot beside her, his long fingers twined together across his abdomen. He was fully recovered from the most recent incident of near death, and positively glowed with health. The hollows in his cheeks had filled, his dehydrated, sagging skin back to normal elasticity and a relatively healthy, if still pale, shade.
She heard his stomach growl. William, who was in fact awake, suppressed a sigh. He had been eating his meals. His appetite was back up to full par. He was so disappointed. And why had he been eating? Because she was eating. Or he was eating so that she would eat. He wasn't sure anymore.

   Susan looked over to him, muttering, "Your breathing is different when you are actually sleeping." she sighed and sat up with a grunt, her wrists still strapped to the bed. She looked toward the door, knowing that an orderly would come in at any moment.

William didn't answer. He never did when she talked to him while he was 'sleeping.' He only opened his eyes when an orderly jostled his shoulder to wake him, a tray of food on the table beside him. He sat up while the orderly lengthened the leads on his manacles so that he could get the food to his mouth, and looked over to see another by Susan.

The tall, gaunt doctor watched on the screens as the orderlies pushed the food in front of the subjects.
"How's the construction going?" he asked one of his associates.
"It'll be ready within a few days. Really doctor, the design is your best work yet."
A feral grin stretched Dr. Horrible's face, causing even his associate to shiver. "I can't wait to see it in action."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:18, Fri 14 Dec 2012.

   Susan tried to break the wrist of the orderly that lengthened her bonds, but they were becoming cautious, and managed to get away with all of their fingers. Looking down at the add water potatoes, green peas and the bland piece of freezer chicken, she grimaced, "Is it just me, or is the food getting, worse?" she picked up a green pea, no longer allowed utincils, and popped it into her mouth.

William waited until she had taken her first bite, then sighed, tucking in. They wouldn't give him utensils either, in case he managed to get it to Susan or let her violent attitude rub off on him. He ate quickly and cleared his plate within a minute. He pushed the tray away and the orderly re-secured his wrists, taking up the empty tray and going to wait by the door for the other orderly. William stayed sitting up in bed, hands in his lap. They let his leads be a bit longer than Susan's, since he hadn't tried to kill anyone for awhile. If his face itched he could bend down and scratch it.

   Susan ate her peas and sat back, not very hungry. The orderly quickly forced her hands back down, and took the tray to exit the room with the other woman. She watched, and listened to the door lock. Grumbling she sat back, and another boring evening commenced.

A few minutes after the orderlies left, William began to feel a familiar, warm, kind of swirly feeling. "Huh," he said with a slightly slurred voice. "I've been drugged. Wonder... why." His head tilted back and forth as he started to succumb to the drug that had been in the chicken. Susan hadn't eaten it. He figured that either he was the only one they wanted unconscious, or in a moment an orderly would be by to giver her an intravenous shot.

   Susan looked over sharply at his words, "What?" she watched his head roll, and felt a jolt of panic race through her. The door opened, and an orderly came in with a bottle and a cloth.

   "Lay down, Black." she said sweetly, "It'll be faster this way." she set the bottle down on the table and opened it.

   Susan shook her head and started to wiggle, "You know I won't."

   Without the bat of an eye, the orderly poured the liquid onto the cloth, and with one hand held the back of Susan's head, and with the other she pressed the cloth over her mouth and nose. Susan shouted muffled words, and after only a few seconds, her eyes rolled and she fell back onto the bed, out cold.

The next thing either of them knew, they were lying side by side in a small, white room. It was lit by a small strip of fluorescent light that followed the edges of the ceiling. The walls reflected the harsh light in distorted spots of white. Except for one wall, the one their feet were pointing at. The wall moved silently back and forth, leaving an opening small enough for one person to get through every time it touched the opposite wall. Beyond it, they could see more moving panels.

   Susan sat up with a jerk, looking past her bare feet to the wall with suspicion. She smacked a hand against William's shoulder and got to her feet, "Have you ever been in a test like this before?" she asked, setting her hands on her hips and looking at the moving wall critically.

William got up more slowly than Susan, grunting and brushing off his pants. "A few times," he answered. "They dumped me in a maze with electrified floors, once. Zapped me whenever I took a correct turn." He looked at the moving wall with a wary trepidation.

   "A correct turn?" she frowned and walked toward the wall. She raised her hand, and with a moments hesitation, touched her fingers to the moving surface.

Nothing happened. It moved smoothly under her fingers.
William nodded. "A correct turn. At first I went the other direction when I was shocked, but always struck a dead end or someplace I was sure I had been before. They made me walk through the electrified areas in order to get out of the maze."

   Susan scowled, "Scumbags." she moved to stand where the opening appears, and looked through it to the moving walls beyond. She turned back around to look at William, on hand extended toward the door, "Shall I go first?" she asks, the idea of staying in the room not even crossing her mind.

William shrugged. "Right behind you." He wondered if there was anything possibly deadly in this maze, but rather doubted it. They knew he wanted to die, so using the fear of death in their tests was kind of lost on him. He would follow Susan. Just to see what she did, he told himself.

   Waiting for the openeing to be at its widest, Susan slipped through to the other side. She took a quick look around, before turning her attention back to the door, to see if William really would follow. Despite the atmosphere of the test, she was glad to be doing womething with him. Like a horrible, twisted date. She laughed at herself inside. What a dumb idea.

William followed in a moment, slipping as easily as she had through the opening. The room beyond was exactly the same, except that the wall panel was moving back and forth much faster than the first one, and two icy blue hand-print markings were on it.

   Striding over to the moving wall, she glanced back to William, but felt no need to ask his opinion on the hand prints. He would probably just shrug anyway. Rolling her wrists she sighed, already impatient with the seemingly repetative task, she raised both of her hands and pressed them to the glowing prints firmly.

The wall metal felt chill under her hands, but that was all. The wall panel immediately slowed down enough so that someone could pass through. William walked up beside her and gave her a one-eyebrow-raised kind of look, asking if he should go through without actually saying anything.

   Susan nods to him, "Go on. Maybe there is another set of prints on the other side, so I can get through without getting squashed. she sniffed and watched him, waiting.

"Okay." He waited for a moment until the opening was wide enough, the slipped through. "Yeah, there's some prints on this side," he called back. "But these ones are red."

   Susan took her hands from the wall, and it went back to its first speed, "Push 'em. Lets see what happens." she took a step back from the wall, listening for William.

William pressed his hands against the red hand-prints, and the wall that had sped up when Susan let go, slowed down again. "Feels warm," he remarked.

   Susan slipped through the opening to join William on the other side, "So, what's going on over on this side of the wall? More of the same?" she asked, raising her head to look.

There was indeed another sliding wall on that side, but the hand prints were purple. It was moving as fast as the other had been. Without comment William walked over and pressed his hands to the prints, and felt a slight tingle where he touched. He knew that these different colors meant something and he knew for certain that it wasn't pleasant, but it was the only way to continue. The wall slowed down enough for Susan to pass, and he looked over his shoulder at her.

   Susan slipped through just as silently. However, the prints on the wall were not purple but green. She raised her hands, hesitated a moment, and placed them on the prints. She immediately felt sick. Her skin lost a shade of color and her stomach knotted in dull pain. She groaned and bowed her head, hoping that William hurries so she could take her hands off.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:26, Fri 11 Jan 2013.

William came through the opening and noted the pallor of Susan's face. "You feeling sick?" he asked, regarding her with little expression.

   Susan snatched her hands away and heaved a sigh of relief, "Those green prints make you feel sick." she wiped a hand over her forehead, the queasiness in her stomach fading quickly, "What did the purple ones do?" she asked.

"Tingled," he said shortly, scratching his palms. He glanced over at the other sliding door, and saw another pair of red prints. These ones had another set of red prints that looked... like they were glowing.
"My turn," he muttered. "I guess." Stepping hesitantly up to the fast moving wall, he pressed his hands to the red prints. Immediately he cried out and took his hands off, shaking them around as if to cool them.
"It's burning hot!"

   Susan frowns, taking his hand to look at his palm "Did it burn?" she asks.

William's hands were red, with the beginnings of blisters rising on the pads of his palms. He winced when she touched his hot skin. "Those bastards," he cursed intently. "They want me to burn my hands off to let you through!"

   Susan glared up at him, "I'll do it then!" she said angrily, releasing his hand, "Because we cannot stay here." she looked to the moving walls, "But you must hurry." she said softly.

William moved forward and shoved Susan away from the wall without thinking. Then he froze, and blinked, as if realizing what he was doing. "I mean..." he said, putting his arm down. "Uh... no. I'll do it. It's my turn."

   Susan stumbles back, her mouth dropping open in what looks to be surprise. She clears her throat and rubs her chest, a strange ache there. She speaks after a moment, her voice low, "I'll.. tell you when." she moves to where they move through, and crouches down like a runner before the mark.

   She glances to him, then back to the moving walls. She watches the speed, and when she feels its right, she shouts, "Now!"

William rubbed his fingers against his palms until Susan gave the signal, then jammed his hands against the red prints, and held them there with a grimace. You could almost hear the sizzle.

   Susan launched herself forward to leap through the gap, rolling when she hits the ground. She looks up from her place on the floor to make sure William had taken his hands away by now.

William had, almost before she was through. He was now regarding his blistered palms with a stony expression as he moved into position to go through the wall when Susan pushed her hands against the prints on the other side.
They were blue, and radiated intense cold. It would be like pressing bare skin to dry ice to touch them.

This message was deleted by the player at 18:14, Mon 21 Jan 2013.

   Susan gritted her teeth, opening and clenching her hands a few times before shouting, "You better hurry, William! When I say." she inhaled and held her breath for a moment, before letting it out with a curse and calling, "Now!" as she placed her hands against the burning cold prints.

William leapt lightly through the opening, holding his hands carefully apart from his body. "What's on this side?"

   Susan snatched her hands away from the wall the moment he was through, her breath hissing through her teeth. Her eyes teared up, and she blinked the tears away to look down at her white, blistering hands. She made sure her eyes were dry when she looked up at William, "I'll tell you what's on this side. Two useless people, that's what." she bit her bottom lip, a wave of throbbing pain coming from her hands, "How are we supposed to go on like this?" she growled, standing before William and comparing their blistered palms with an angry frown.

William regarded her hands, and held his palm out toward her. "Put your cold hands on my hot hands."

   Susan took a step back, holding her hands away, "No. My hands are burning." she said seriously. She bit her bottom lip and shook her head, "It was like putting my hands on dry ice. Have you ever heard of dry ice burns?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. A throb ached from her hands up to her elbows, she stifled a moan, knowing that William was feeling the same as she, if not worse.

William solemnly shook his head in the negative, glancing over at the next sliding wall, which sported a purple pair of hand-prints.

   Susan opened her mouth, ready to admit that she didn't want to keep going. But a glance at William's expression and she snapped her mouth shut. With a deep inhale, she started for the purple prints, "I think your hands are worse than mine, I'll take these ones." she stopped by the wall to look back at him over her shoulder.

William looked at his hands, then over at her when she turned back to him. After a moment, he nodded slowly, and it was as if some of the gruffness he had been exibiting since the test began melted away. "It would be better if we switched off," he said, walking over to her. "If there's green ones on the other side of this one, then I'll take those."

   Once the two were through the wall as they had done before, each with stinging and uncomfortable hands.
   But on the other side, there is no moving wall. A pedestal with a bowl on top is waiting in the middle of a larger room. The walls are black and from floor to ceiling, and there is a quiet electrical hum.

   Susan leads the way to the bowl, which is a bit taller than her elbow. Inside the bowl is a soft pink creme, swirled like whipped topping. She stands by the pedistal skeptically, "What do you think of this?" she asks, gesturing a limp hand to the lotion like substance.

William shrugged at Susan, leaned over the bowl and sniffed it, then stuck his index finger in. He figured that if it was harmful, better they find out the only way they could.

   Susan watches him, her lip curled with distrust.

   After a moment, the pain in William's finger dies away. And if he wipes the pinkish goop from his finger, it looks to be mostly healed.

William squishes the goopy stuff between his thumb and forefinger, rubbing it around with a thoughtful expression. "My fingers stopped hurting," he remarks.

   With a moments thought and less than a moments hesitation, Susan plunged her hands into the pink medicine. Taking her hands out after a few soconds, she waits and when the pain finally starts to fade she sighs with relief, "Thank goodness.." she lets her chin drop to her chin.

William does likewise, though more slow and careful. He looks around at the black walls with some trepidation, reaching up to brush hair from his forehead with the back of his wrist, since his hands were covered with pink medicine. "Now what?" he asks.

   Taking a few steps away from the pedestal, Susan scans the tall black walls of the room. The electrical hum drones on in the background, making the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She listens for a few moments and opens her mouth to speak when the lights shut off, leaving the room utterly black.
   Backing up a step, Susan puts a hand out to feel for William, "William..." she whispers.

   A white light flashes on from the base of each wall, illuminating the floor and bringing dim light to the rest of the enclosure. On the far side of the room, a door opens to white light, showing the panels that checker the black floor and their path.

   Holding her hands away from her sides cautiously, Susan glances over her shoulder to her unwilling partner, "Let's keep going." As she takes two steps forward, her bare foot steps onto a new panel, which promptly slides out from under her.
   A startled cry jumps from her throat as she drops through the new space, her stomach lurching in a nauseating fashion. She slams her side against the edge of the panel as she falls through, knocking the air from her lungs but giving her a chance to grab the edge as she slides in and dangle by her fingers. Breathlessly she shouts, "Will!" She hangs above a deep blackness. The panel that slid to make the space extends back out to leave just enough room for her to be pulled back out, but no room for anyone to jump down. "Help me!"

William was leaping for her almost before she struck the edge of the hole. Her cries spurred a feeling of utter panic that made him almost as breathless as she was. At first he grabbed at her arms, but the pink medicine still smeared on his hands made him lose his grip and fall backward. He didn't even spare a thought as to why no panels opened beneath his body; he just wanted to save Susan. "Hold on!" he gasped as he tried to scramble back up into a viable position.

   Gritting her teeth, Susan tried not to jerk her legs and loosen her grip. Her fingers were cramping fast, and her breath was painful to draw in, "I can't." she moaned. As he scrambled back to her, she tried to pull herself up. Her arms began to shake from strain, and she curled her body to bring her legs up, as if it would help her rise, "Will!"

Frantically wiping his hands off on his white shorts, William grabbed her arms again and tugged with all his strength. She was heavier than she looked, but not too much for him. He dragged her free of the trap, then let go of her quickly as soon as her legs cleared the hole. Confusion struck him like an elbow to his ribs.
"I... uh, are you alright?" he muttered as his gaze was drawn to the hole. Would the fall have killed her? Should he have let her go? He took a step toward it to see, and the urge to jump was... not as strong as he thought it should be. He looked back down at Susan to be sure she was alright, the confusion not abating in the least. He was worried about her. He had saved her. But he didn't want to care. He no longer knew what he wanted anymore.

   Pushing herself up to a sitting position, Susan put a hand to her throbbing side. The panel slid back into place, closing the gap. Taking a minute to regain her breath, she nodded her head, "Yeah. I'm okay." She swallowed in an effort to wet her dry throat and took a few shaky breaths.
   Glancing to the closed panel, she turned her gaze up to William. Her eyebrows came up and together in thought. He didn't let her fall. He pulled her back up. The expression on his face brought a strange stinging sensation up in her chest, "Are.. you okay?" she asked carefully.

He raised a hand to his forehead, carelessly smearing a little pink medicine over one eyebrow. He gave his head a little shake, and his face settled back into familiar fatalism. "I'm fine," he said in an even tone. His brown eyes didn't look quite as dead as he wanted them to, however. He knew it, and faint irritation messed up his mask. "I want out of here," he muttered harshly and started toward the door, not caring if he fell. But he had to consciously stop himself from worrying over whether or not Susan would fall again. If she did, this time maybe she would not catch herself. He told himself that would be a good thing. It would.

   Rolling to her feet to follow him, not wanting him to be too separated from herself, Susan took a quick step, only to have the panel slide out from under her foot again. Grunting in surprise, she fell forward, this time able to land on her belly before the hole.
   She turned onto her side to look back as the panel slid closed. She glared at it in frustration and looked back to William. She almost asked him for help, but uncertainty and her pride kept the sound from her lips. Cautiously, she got to her feet again, standing with her hands out by her sides. She studied the panels before her, unable to see any difference between any of them. Susan stood there for a moment, contemplating on how to continue.

William reached the door without any trouble and put his hand up against the bright light, but couldn't see anything beyond. He turned to look back and saw Susan just standing there, hands out as if she was afraid of losing her balance. He looked her pointedly up and down, an eyebrow twitching up. "You coming?"

   Shooting an annoyed glare at William she responded, "Yes." Her gut clenching in anticipation, she took a step forward. The panel slid out from under her foot again. Dropping down with a gasp, she was able to catch herself by throwing both hands out and stopping herself before she slid past her under arms. Grunting, she wiggled herself back up as quickly as she could.

   Kneeling beside the closing panel, Susan clenched her fists in anger. Frustrated and embarrassed. Getting to her feet once more, she turned toward William and the door with a set expression. She bent her knees, and took off like a shot.
   The first panel her foot touched gave out, and so did the next. It threw off her balance as she ran, making the crossing difficult. As she closed the distance, her foot caught on the edge of a panel, causing her to trip. With a cry of surprise, she fell forward and crash rolled across the floor. That brought her to the door in a bruised and throbbing heap, her lip bleeding from where she had bit it by accident after hitting the floor.

William did nothing but make a thoughtful noise as he looked down at her. Then he turned and proceeded through the doorway. His fists were clenched, but he was not aware of that.

   Susan grimaced as she got to her feet, muttering, "Thanks for the help." She followed him through the doorway, fingering her bleeding lip. Elbows and knees burning, she raised her head to take a look at the room they had just entered.

She almost collided with William's back, he had stopped so suddenly. He was staring, wild eyed and open mouthed, at the smallish square room they had entered.

It was a well appointed little room, a well worn but clean blue couch against one wall, faint daylight filtering through the white blinds across the rectangular window above it. There was a straight backed piano against the other wall, beside a doorway that lead into a small kitchen with linoleum floors. An oval coffee table rested before the couch, on the pale beige carpet that had been flattened by years of feet, a few creased paperbacks stacked on one side. Two appeared to be romances, and the rest were fantasy or science fiction novels, the titles well known to William's dazzled eyes. There was the faint sound of traffic, the rattling hum of an air conditioning unit somewhere nearby. It even smelled right, like the caramel candles his mother lit to dampen the oily smell of the city. If he were to look back where they had come, he would see only the closed front door, the metal covering on the door handle worn away in a pattern he had memorized, both by eye and by the feel on his palm.
"My... my home," he said in a strangled voice. He moved to the large flat screen television mounted on the wall and gave it a tug. The mount squealed as it moved, and tears sprung to his eyes. He hadn't heard that sound in five years. His father had refused to oil it, claiming that the squeal was a perfect high C.
He hadn't seen this place in five years, had not even allowed himself to daydream of it for almost three. It was such a shock that he forgot where he was. He dashed to the kitchen door, screaming, "Mom! Dad!"

   Susan had stared in equal shock, but at William. She knew it couldn't be. There was no possible explanation. She reached out to grab him when he jumped for the kitchen, shouting, "Don't!" but had not caught him, her hand swiped through nothing but air. Her yell mingling with his, she followed after him to the doorway.

   Inside, she roiled at the injustice, the cruelty that was being done. Especially to William. How dare they? What was going to happen to him now? Her chest ached and her ears got hot in anger. What would happen to him? ...What would it do to her?

When she passed through the kitchen doorway there was a flash of light and a sharp ringing in her ears; when it passed, she saw a horribly familiar sight. Filthy, cracked linoleum, flickering fluorescent lights. They were back in the hospital, and several people in white scrubs waited for them, smiling.
William crashed to his knees and started howling in despair. Two orderlies pounced on him with a straight jacket ready, and two more grabbed her and dragged her into the next room.

   Susan fought the orderlies as they dragged her kicking and screaming into the next room, "William!" she shouted his name over and over until the door slammed shut. The last time his name left her lips, it turned into a tortured wail. Dropping limp in their arms, Susan bit back angry, hurt tears.

"Exquisite. The feelings between them are deepening at the projected rate."
"Yes. Showing the boy his home was a stroke of genius, Doctor."
"Yes, well. He's been here longer, and it definitely had more impact than showing the girl her past would have. Turning her empathy against her. How is the boy?"
"He's quieted down. It really did a number on his mind."
"Yes. But I know just the cure."

She was carried back to her room and locked inside. Hours pass with no changes.

Night comes. Morning comes. Bland food is deposited through her door every few hours.

Finally, she hears her door unlock. Two orderlies enter with an empty wheelchair, and Dr. Horrible walking slowly behind them.

"Sit," he orders simply, gesturing to the chair. The addition of velcro manacles to the arms and leg rests of the rickety chair is painfully obvious.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:44, Fri 13 Feb 2015.

   With dark circles under her eyes, and dark thoughts churning through her head, she stood from the corner where she had been sitting. Seeing the Dr. again brought a surge of hate through her body, catching her breath for a moment. Susan slowly stepped up to the wheelchair, "Where are we going?" she asked, turning to fall back into the seat and sit her hands clasped in  her lap.

The orderlies immediately secured her feet, then forced her arms to the armrests and secured them as well. They started along the hallway at a leisurely pace.
"We are going to visit W. Blake. William." Dr. Horrible frowned slightly, looking a little perturbed. "It seems that last test... well, he's become utterly useless. He's been one of our best for some time, and rather than see him euthanized immediately I've managed to convince the others to, ah, give him one last chance." He eyed her, calculating as coldly and precisely as a computer. "If he doesn't respond to you, I'm afraid he'll have to go."

   Susan's breathing quickened and her heart skipped a beat when she realized what Dr. Horrible was saying. She turned her head to look at him, and quickly turned away again, only seeing ice. She fought to keep calm, her mind racing ahead at a frightening pace.
   If William knew that if he didn't improve, then he would be gone. She would never see him again, she would never get out. She would be utterly alone. Compared to not having William anymore, her revenge idea dimmed drastically. She began to think about what she could do to bring him back, trying not to believe that she was being completely selfish to try and keep him in this horrific place.
   Would it be better if she let him go? She hated that thought the moment it emerged, but couldn't deny the fact that it was what he had longed for since she first met him. Hot tears stung her eyes and she quickly blinked them away.

   She swallowed past a dry throat, "What do you want me to do?" she asked roughly. She stole another look at the doctor, making sure her expression was equally as cold as his.

"Talk to him. Touch him. Beat him, if you feel you must. Anything to get him to respond. You'll only have until the end of the day, so don't dawdle."
As the doctor finished speaking they pulled up in front of a door. While one orderly unlocked the many locks on it, the other unstrapped her. When the door opened the room beyond was totally dark, only some of the filthy padded flooring visible in the weak light of the hallway. The orderly gave her a shove and she tripped through the doorway. The door slammed behind her, the locks clunked back into place. It was long seconds later before the dim lights finally flickered on.
William was sitting cross-legged on the floor, leaning against the wall to her left, a straight-jacket loosely binding his arms. He shifted every now and then, lips moving slowly, soundlessly, and his eyes were constantly moving, as if searching for something, though his head only moved occasionally, and only in small jerks. His hair was lank with sweat and hung over his deep set eyes.
He didn't react to her presence.

   Taking in the sight of William tore open a wound in her chest. A strangled gasp was covered by her hand over her open mouth. A shiver ran up her spine and she swallowed. Susan watched him for a few moments, fighting back horrified and hurt tears. She remembered the Doctors' words then, and hurried over to crouch in front of him.
   Putting her hands on his knees, she shook him gently, keeping her voice down, "William. William?" she leaned in close, watching his eyes dart erratically, "Look at me." she pleaded.

There was some slight reaction to her voice, as his eyes briefly met hers, wide and unfocused, but then they fell away and he looked down, eyes flicking between her hands.

Next door Dr. Horrible and several associates were settling in to observe. Dr. Horrible heard a few of them talking behind him, placing small wagers as to whether the boy would wake up for the girl or not.
He was very anxious about this portion of the test. All had gone perfectly according to their design, and this was one of the most critical stages. The future of the experiment rested upon it.
They could continue getting data out of the girl if they had to kill the boy, but it wouldn't be as fun. Dr. Horrible found himself rooting her on, but didn't place a bet. He didn't go in for that sort of thing.
"Was breaking him so completely really necessary?" One of his research assistants asked as he took a seat next to him. "What if this doesn't work?"
"It was necessary," The doctor said, cruel eyes on the screens. "It's part of the program to reawaken W. Blake's will to live. He must choose to go on, to keep living, and we've supplied the only reason. If S. Black does not pull him out of it after all, the experiment can go on as we measure the affects and stages of grief."
The assistant smirked. "But we'd rather not go that route, yes?"
The doctors face mirrored that expression, but it was a thousand times worse. "Yes."

   Susan rubbed his knees gently, before moving her hands to place them on William's face, "Keep looking at me, Will." she gently rubbed her thumbs on his cheeks. She smiled hopefully and brushed his hair from his forehead, "You gotta tell me that you're in there. Somehow."

William hiccuped softly, then a slight frown creased his forehead and he leaned his head back to get away from her hands. The way his neck stretched reminded her of the first time they met, when he had asked her to step on his throat. The top of his head bumped against the padded wall behind him, and rolled from side to side. His teeth clicked as he snapped his jaw shut. Air whistled as he sighed through his teeth. His eyes were still aimlessly searching, searching for nothing.

   Tears stung Susan's eyes and she sucked in a breath through her own teeth, "I'll bring you back. You won't stay away from me." she murmurs. Moving forward, she settles down to sit on his lap. She takes her hands from his face and turns to rubbing his arms, "I'm not going to leave you." she promises, Dr. Horrible's own promise gnawing at the back of her mind.

William's head drops back down after a moment. There's still no real reaction to her. He shifts his hips under her weight, and his mouth resumes moving as if he were whispering, but no sound comes out.

   Susan bites her lip and shakes her head, "Since we met, you've been rude, indifferent, and mean to me. This is the first time I haven't really been insulted upon seeing you... But, I don't like it this way." she whispers. Continuing to shake her head, she wraps her arms around him, her voice taking on a rough tone, "So why should I care about you so much?" she rocks him back and forth gently, keeping her voice just above a whisper, "You saved me. More than once..."

   As she talks to him, she studies his face, her eyes drawn to his mouth. Her own words die out quietly, and she focuses on trying to read what his voiceless lips are saying.

After a few minutes she realizes he is repeating something. It takes her awhile to work it out.
"I'm darkness. I'm anger. I'm sorrow. I'm pain."
Slowly, over and over.

   Once she realizes what he is saying, Susan puts her hands on the sides of his face again, "Will, stop it. Stop it now!" she grabs his shoulders and shakes him, "You can't let them win!" she pleads, "This is exactly what they want. You've never given them what they wanted before!"

   Susan stops shaking him and sighs. Raising a hand to gently brush his hair away once more, she leans in right close to his ear, hoping the doctors can't hear, and whispers, "That's why I love you."
   Turning her head, she closes her eyes and leans in to plant a soft, warm kiss on his lips.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:12, Thu 19 Feb 2015.

A jolt flew through William's body. His face came forward, returning the kiss quite passionately. His arms weakly fought the straight-jacket as if he wanted to raise them to her.
When they pulled apart from each other, William's eyes focused on hers, kind of. They still jittered and he seemed not quite all there yet.
"I... know you," he murmured. "You... spoke the... unspeakable vow...."

   Susan smiled at him and laughed softly, a relieved tear rolling down her cheek, "Unspeakable vow?" she asked in a whisper, her head tilting to one side. She kept her eyes focused on his, but her hands moved to undo the straps and velcro confining him in the straight jacket.

He groaned, his head slowly dropping onto her shoulder, where he whispered faintly, "I... love... you... too."

Nearby, there was scattered applause and relieved murmurs, as well as grumbles while several people handed over the money they owed.
Dr. Horrible sighed. Now they could really get started.

   Susan finished undoing the buckles that held his arms, allowing him to move. When she heard his whisper, she blinked a few times. A strange choking noise came from her throat and she threw her arms around William, tears streaming freely down her cheeks to wet his shoulder. She held him close to her, eyes closed tight, soft laughter shaking her body.

William jerkily raised his arms around her, and held her for several moments before speaking. I wish... I could... be there for you. It's... all I want, now. But... I'm broken," He finished in a cracked, tortured whisper. "You... I... I can't...." Sitting so close to him she could feel his heartbeat throbbing beneath every inch of fevered skin. It pounded hard and fast.

   Pulling away from him gently, Susan put a cool hand on his neck and looked into his eyes, "I know where we are, Will. I haven't forgotten." she sighed and pressed her lips together, "But I will do anything to bring you back, I'm not giving up on you. I need you." she insisted, a desperate note in her tone of voice. She kept her eyes locked on his as she spoke, "I know you can conquer this."

Sagging wearily, William sighed, frowning. "Where are... we again? It's hard... hard. To think, to speak..."

   Dreading the words as they left her lips, Susan murmured, "The hospital." moving her hand to place it over his pounding heart, "Just breathe."

He looked up at her, face twisted in denial, then his expression softened and tears filled his eyes. "But... I was home...." His hands started to tremble, his shoulders began shaking. "My home...."

   Susan moved to take his hand in her own, "It was a trick. A cruel trick, Will."

William's chin fell to his chest, and he began softly sobbing. He reached for her and drew her into a tight embrace, and cried into her shoulder for some time. He swung a few times from barely audible weeping to body-wracking sobs. He was not only releasing the pain of loosing his home all over again; the torture he had endured here for years was not at an end, and he knew he was not strong enough to go on alone. Even to actively seek death. They had shown him that they would not let him die.
But now he had Susan. He... wasn't alone. He could go on if she was there. He held her tighter as the thought came to him, and his tears slowed and finally stopped. When he pulled away from her, his face was weary, red and tight from tears, but more at peace than she had ever seen him.
"I will be there for you," he whispered. "Though my heart is black and blue. We can't let them know."

   Listening to his whisper, Susan kept her eyes on his and smiled secretively, "They won't take it from us." she whispered back. She drew her fingers across his face to wipe the tears away, "I am glad I have you." she breathed, still catching her breath from being held so tight. It had felt good, being held. Of course, his sobbing had wrenched her heart with every cry.

While the tears faded, a natural ruddy red appeared in William's cheeks. He gently pushed her off of his lap, smiling wryly. "You're lucky this place has taught me to control my body. If not I would have been all over you in a heartbeat."

   Susan laughs and scoots to sit next to him, "I don't think they'd let us." she runs her fingers through her hair, "He said I only had until the end of the day to see you."

William dropped his arm to his side so it was in warm contact with hers. Didn't actually grab her hand, but it was better than nothing. He sighed deeply.
The problem was, beneath his newfound feelings for Susan, far beneath his rekindled desire to live, were his instincts. He had lived in this terrible place for too long not to know how it worked, how they knew everything. A tiny voice in Williams heart screamed that they knew, they knew. They are going to use you, use her. It will hurt. It will hurt like nothing has hurt before.
He shuddered.

   Susan felt him shudder, and it took her only a few short seconds to figure out why. Her conversation with Dr. Horrible still penetrated her thoughts from the back of her mind.

   They had to do something, but how? How could they even communicate without being listened to? She ran her fingers through her hair again, fighting the overwhelming sensation that threatens to pull her under into despair. She draws in a shaky breath, "Does saying, 'we have to be careful' even scratch the surface?" she asks dryly.

William was silent for some time. His hands slowly drew together in his lap until he was clenching them together. "Maybe... if we make it no secret. Face them... head on."

   Susan perks up at that, her eyebrows raising in thought as she leans her head back against the padded wall. She draws her knees up, and props her arms on them, "I like that a lot better than trying to sneak." she glances up to the ceiling, a smile on her face, "Lets do it."

William slowly got to his feet, legs uncertain, drawing Susan up with him. He gave her a half-smile, looked up to the cameras that he couldn't see but knew were there, flipped them the bird, then gently folded the slim girl before him into his arms, and bent down for a kiss.

   Susan responded with a laugh before pressing her lips to his, her arms wrapping around him tightly. For that moment, she felt a strange sense of freedom, perhaps a false sense of nothing to loose, and found herself not caring what was going to happen. She had William. He had her. And together they had nothing, and everything.
  Yet, she knew they were going to hurt him. Seeing him in such a dark place just a while before crushed her heart. The memory sent a jolt of fear through her chest and she clung to him all the more, taking her lips from his and burying her face in the crook of his neck, "I love you, Will." she murmured.

He held her tight as well, the scent of her hair wafting up, making him break out in goosebumps. He smiled tightly, knowing her fears. "I love you too." He glanced up again, and started stroking her back. "To the end of the day, you said... I wonder how much time we have before they come."

   "It's impossible to tell time here." she huffed, keeping her arms wrapped around him as she spoke, "But I want to tell you something." she said, moving her arms and taking one of his hands in her own, holding it close with her thumbs over his palm, "That no matter what happens, everything I do, will be for you." she said, keeping her eyes locked on his intensely.

   While she spoke, her thumb looked to be stroking his palm, when in reality she wrote; K-I-L-L-D-R. E-S-C-A-P-E.

William understood. He smiled at her, and nodded deeply, keeping his eyes on hers. "Likewise. They will still hurt us, probably in front of each other. We have to be strong, and trust the other to be strong." He sighs, drawing her back into an embrace. "But you're so small and cute. If I didn't already know how tough you are, I'd be worried," he grins.

   Susan laughed as she embraced him, "'Cute' usually isn't what people use to describe me. But I'll take it." she sighs against him, "I didn't know you had such a handsome smile."

William's face and ears colored a bit at the compliment. His arms fell to her lower back, he exhaled heavily, and the embrace became something a bit more as his hands pressed up and down her back.

   Susan's heart skipped a beat and she raised her lips to his, putting passion into the kiss and moving her hands to his hair.
   She heard the door open and clung to him all the more, turning a scathing eye on the bulky orderlies that stepped into the room. She felt that it was really beginning now, and her urge to fight welled up in her anew, burning intensely. William's embrace and this burning made her     vibrate with anticipation, and a strange smile spread across her face.

William saw the fire, and wondered what to do. No matter what he had said, he didn't want her to be hurt. So he brushed his hand against her cheek, feeling her smooth, cool skin. He tilted her face to his and kissed her again, as gently as he could. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the orderlies hesitate and glance at each other, eyes uncertain and surprised over their surgical masks. And he had to laugh. Didn't want to interrupt them, did they? Felt embarrassed at the display of affection, did they? He was still laughing when they snapped out of it, stepped forward and snatched his arms away from Susan.

   Susan found herself smiling at William, even as his arms were taken away. His laugh made her laugh, and she kept laughing. The other orderly clamped a large hand on her shoulder and twisted her arm behind her back, enough to make her wince, and steered her to the wheelchair sitting just inside the door. Susan kept her eyes on William the entire time, a demure smile on her face. Her wrists and ankles were strapped down, but she didn't put up a fight, too focused on Will to inflict what harm she could.

   Yet, she felt a needle of fear stab her heart. Fear for the future. What future? It was an almost silent whisper against the hope she felt rising in her chest. She wanted to savor what she now had with William, to hold onto every moment no matter what happened. She resolved to do just that, and sent a wink in William's direction, burying the fear deep down.