the pretender: Tourniquet

Disclaimer: The Pretender is the property of Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All non-canon characters belong to the author.

Lyrics to Daddy's Little Girl are by the Mills Brothers. Lyrics to Tourniquet are by Evanescence.

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Prologue: Haunted{/}b

"You're the treasure I cherish so sparkling and bright,
You were touched by the holy and beautiful light.
Like angels that sing a heavenly thing,
And you're daddy's little gi---"

The thunderous splintering of plastic and glass abruptly ended the mellifluous song as the radio lay shattered on the cold tile floor, broken by a glass paperweight. The room was deathly quiet, arctic and callous to its captive. In time, a still rustle- skritch, scratch- was the only sound in the expansive area.

The Centre was nothing if not cryptic, filled with secrets, lies, and dead end upon dead end. Within this hollow space encompassed by stark gray walls and a locked door was another of its enigmas. Granted this one was far more visible than most were. Typically dressed to the nines when showcased to others, he was once at the top of the chain-of-command.. Sinister, vile, malevolent were just a few of the nasty adjectives used to describe him. He was known as the go-to-man, the one who got the job done, and the one who cleaned up the messes. But Time had not been kind to him, his power and rank removed from him and he was now prisoner of this room, let out only when his services were needed.

Skritch, scratch, skritch, scratch. The sound came in rhythmic waves. He heard a new song rising from the broken radio. Or was it coming from his own head? It made no difference...he heard it anyway- the haunted, lonely melody.

"I tried to kill the pain
But only brought more
I lay dying
And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved
Am I too lost....?"