Just find something, anything! Come on, Fergus, you've got this. Make the man fly, blow up the house, turn him blue, just do something! 

He kept his eyes closed, trying to concentrate. But behind the closed eyelids, there was anything but concentration. He was supposed to reveal Nick his abilities, had to show him how much he was capable of. He could feel the old man's cold stare, his grey eyes staring with such interest it made the teen even more nervous. Even though emotionless outside, he was a nervous wreck. 

"Well?" Nick shattered the thirty-minute long silence. He could feel the old man was getting impatient. The buzzing feeling in his blood and the rush of adrenaline that sometimes seemed to make things around him fly or break, was gone, vanished. As if it had all been his imagination. but it couldn't have been, it had been caught on camera, hence why Nick had adopted him. 

"I can't concentrate." he said bluntly, hiding the raw panic behind the cold, green eyes. He couldn't tell the man that he was unable to, well, make things fly. Nick nodded thoughtfully, wheeling away from the tee. Fergus almost let out a sigh of relief, almost. "So, the last time that happened you were under a lot of stress." it wasn't a question, so Fergus didn't bother to answer.  He watched the man warily, feeling unsettled in his presence. 

"Sit in the chair." Fergus stayed put, his instincts going haywire. He could hear his blood rushing to his ears, terrified of the old man in a wheelchair. The silence made Nick narrow his eyes. "Ashton, if you'd please help him out." Before the tall teen could ask what was he planning, he felt someone's hands curl around his chest and forcefully shove him into the iron chair that emitted danger. He tried to bit Ashtons freakishly long, elastic hands but found that the bite didn't do anything, it was like biting butter. Disgusting. 

"Stop, give me more time Nick! You can't just... just be this awful monster!" the fear was making him unreasonable, he should have been bargain not demanding to be set free. The heavy, thick iron was clasped over his wrists and legs, he was panting. The cold hand that cupped his cheek made him nauseous. Nick was beside him, his eyes filled with understanding and sympathy. but Fergus knew it was faked, he could feel the man's craziness ooze from him. "Let me go!" 

"Shush, we don't have time to be childish, my boy. It will be over soon, the faster you can get out of your head, the faster it will be over, yes? Just work with me, Fergie." he said quietly, smiling reassuringly. It was fake, so, so very fake it only made him panic more. The twins were standing shoulder to shoulder,  waiting for commands. And at that moment, Fergus hated them the most. 

"Through centuries, people have come up with those, awful ideas to make others do what they wish. There are things like denailing, boiling, mutilation, keelhauling and even scalping. In the Middle East, there's this thing they call combing. It is a sometimes-fatal form of in which iron combs  designed to prepare wool and other fibers  for woolen spinning are used to scrape, tear, and flay the victim's flesh." He could feel the wetness behind his wide green eyes. To Hell with facades, Fergus was terrified of Nick. He was shaking, his hands trembling and rubbing against the rough iron. he was sure he was going to pass out of lack of oxygen. He was stuck, unable to move, his throat was dry and he eas sure there was blood running down his throat. "You are barmy, you're fucking barmy. gone to the dogs you are, I'll fucking kill you." 

Fergus couldn't control his feelings anymore. he kept mumbling incoherent insult towards the man who was amused. "Now now, remember the curse rule, one dollar in the jar, or maybe ten now." "Fuck your dollars!" he growled out, trying to pull his hands free. 

"Braxton." Fergus didn't even care to look up, he was feral, he was sure he would get a heart attack from the fear that coursed through his veins like poison. "Now, fear is good at triggering your abilities." he could almost see the gruesome scenes flash through his mind, they'd boil his legs or make him drown, or skin him alive. "But pain might be faster in getting results." as if this was the order he needed, an ear ringing, blood-curling crack echoed in Fergus' ears. At first, he just saw the oddly paint wrist, but then he realized it wasn't just wrist, it was the bone. Braxton had broken his arm with just a simple pressure.

A scream that could not have been his made Ashton flinch and step back. Fergus panted, the pain pulsing up and down his arm was almost blinding. He could see the bruises forming, the dark spots where Braxton had squeezed before snapping his bones. It wasn't the pain that made him scream as if he was dying, it was the shock, the anxiety, the survivors guilt. It had been piling up inside of him, the horrendous feelings that eat him alive.

He threw his head back, the screams turning into something more feral as he squeezed his eyes shut. He could feel it, his gums molding into a completely different shape. They were stronger, longer and deadlier.

They were sharper.

Suddenly he heard someone colliding with the wall and he snapped his eyes open. Everything was sharp again, so vibrant. His crazed eyes landed on Braxton, who had been flown I to the wall, leaving behind a deep dent.

A bubbling laugh escaped Nick, who was staring at the scene before him. “amazing, it worked!” his voice was too loud, too happy.
Sweat trickled down the side of his sickly pale face, the pain was making him tremble, his heart almost sounded as if it was beating in his throat. “See? You just have to trust us.”

He was nuts, there was no doubt in this. “Here, we'll take the pain away, shush now, my boy. It's all good, you did well, I'm proud of you.” Fergus' head lulled back when a needle was pressed against his skin, the cold liquid being pushed into his blood system.

He flinched at the numbness that started spreading around his arm instantly, the pain disappearing. What was this thing? “Simply fascinating, and your eye color changed as well. You need to control it, you would be so powerful, my little Beastly Boy.” if he wasn't groggy and numb, he would have headbutted the stupid man in a wheelchair. He could hear them pushing the bones back, making him jolt. He tried to curse at Nick, but whatever hey had given him made his tongue soft. “Here now, we'll be back soon. Rest.” as the basement door closed, Fergus never dared to close his eyes.

No matter how groggy he felt and no matter how much the numbness was bothering him, he was too terrified. He could see the cage he had been in in the corner of his eyes, and the computers lining on side of the wall. But mostly, he could see the dent in the wall. And he did felt satisfied for a second. Until, of course, he realized that Nick knew of his abilities.

He had to get out. When he was younger, he used to pick locks and try escape stunts because Harry Houdini had been his role model. The Illusionist who was the beginning of magic. Fergus closed his eyes, steadying his breathing.

The moment he snapped his eyes open, the shackles were off. He ignored the way they were ripped apart, not even looking at them. In his mind, it was just the ghost of Harry Houdini coming to Earth.

Ghosts, he couldn't help but wonder what Ref would have done.

He stood up on shaky legs, glaring at the bandages on his right wrist. It was throbbing, he could feel it through the numbness. But he didn't care much anymore, he just wanted out.

He dragged his feet towards the stairs, pushing himself to move one foot in front of the other, almost stumbling into the door when he grabbed the doorknob. He panted, just leaning against the door for a second before throwing it open.

He was met with Ashton's startled gaze, the twin had been leaning against the wall. “Well, that was a lot faster than Nick had thought. Come on, the dinner will be ready soon.” Fergus cursed mentally, eyes wide as he watched the guard dog who had so many different personalities that the two-faced god Janus would be jealous.

“I'm not hungry.” he growled out, his tone cold. Ash peeked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah, and they don't really care so start moving, Beastly Boy.” his tone was demanding, making Fergus narrow his eyes. “you're so blind I almost feel sorry, how long have you been brainwashed here?” he asked, trailing behind the twin, not wanting to walk beside him. Ash scoffed in annoyance. “give them a chance Fergus, can't you see? Nick just wants to help you rediscover yourself. You have to tell him how you got these powers, the serums didn't work on you, so, there had to be another way. And stop being vague, breaking bones was just a warning Fergus. Just please, don't anger Nick anymore.”

And Fergus couldn't help but state the back of Ash's head, eyes wide in disbelief. Well, I guess the plan is still in motion and facades are still in place.

Be ready, because once the Beastly Boy is free, he'll come for them.