Edward felt like his brain had overheated, and simply went blank. Blank was better than the nausea or staring into the dark mask which made the hungry voice behind it all the more frightening. He blindly let himself be led from the conservatory to the second floor bedroom, where all he noticed was the sound of the men growing distant and feeling of comfort wash over him. He felt himself being walked over to the window overlooking the glass structure from within.

The only thing that brought him back was the sound of the lock clicking and the other man casually lying out on the bed. Edward turned to tell him to get off, but realized how bad that could be. They may have known Sage stayed here, but they couldn't see how important it was to him. He saw the man had taken the mask off to reveal a rather gentle though concentrated expression, eyes almost glassy as he wrote in a small pocket sized journal. Edward walked a bit closer, noticing how Aaron didn't even stop to look up at him as his hand scratched the pen across the page. The scissorhanded man found himself staring at this new face as the eyes returned back to normal…but not at all. It was like dark storm clouds has parted and the coal black was replaced by a dark blue.

"So, you must be Edward," he started, his tone completely changed, "No worries, the blade is in the holster for now as long as we're alone here." Even the man's general posture had changed. His confusion must have been amusing because this new person grinned at him. "I never get tired of that look." He got up and stretched his arms out.

"The boss man likes me to be in 'work mode' too much. Fuck him. Being that excited all the time makes my muscles tense up," Edward saw the other man looking at him with a casualness, the twitchiness gone as well, "But no wonder, I'm so curious about you. I'm sorry my other side is a bit…unrestrained." The man shrugged, but the scissorhanded man felt himself back away slightly, his confusion growing.

"I'm sorry, darling there's no need to be scared…for now. I'm also sorry if I did anything unsettling to you. When I switch sides I can't remember, Hence my handy dandy notebook here." The man waved the small book around tiredly, "Not that I always trust what I'm reporting. I tend to have others to confirm." Thoroughly confused Edward finally forced himself to speak.

"Who are you?" The man laughed at his innocence.

"I am me, in two halves. Right now, I am simply the duller side," Aaron laughed at his own statement with a goofy grin that betrayed everything he had already done.

"Call me A and call the other one B. No one needs to understand if you ask A or B. We both get it. No one else knows, not even the boss man." Aaron finished his sentence on a serious note, his eyes speaking the trust that didn't need to be further explained. He went back to writing in his journal. He didn't look up as he wrote.

"We have to stay up here for a few hours till your room is set. From what I read, you're gonna have a wild ride. I would enjoy standing as long as you can." The casualness of the statement shook Edward and he felt his body lean against the window. The words brought back the realness of the situation besides his captor's eccentricities. At least A wasn't as frightening.

"So there's nothing I can do?" There was no point asking, that much Edward knew. But he had to try. The other man looked at him sympathetically. His fingers were moving again, the sound of his nervousness filling the room.

"If you want to be alone till the lady gets here, I can try my best. But Jim wanted to get things started…can't quite avoid that." The scissorhanded man felt his body tense up and his fingers silence. He felt sick and leaned more heavily against the window. The other man didn't move from the bed, but Edward could feel concern in his voice.

"Hey now, B likes you too. We'll help as much as we can. He just gets a bit…enthusiastic sometimes. If you can do a little acting for us I won't cause as much pain, understand?" The man leaning against the window nodded his head slightly, his head rubbing against the nice cool glass. He would take what he could get, though he had never acted before. Aaron let him be, sifting through his journal and writing notes.

Edward watched the sun lower casting different shadows among the plants of the conservatory and listened to the sound of movement below which persisted for a few hours longer before slowing. He didn't move from his position, leaning against the window, eyes closing every once and a while. He didn't want to think how he was now in the realm of madmen. He didn't want to do anything that could hurt Sage once she came here. Finally the sun started to set and darkness start to fill the room. Edward hadn't even noticed the other man putting on the mask again but he heard the change in tone.

"Time to go." The scissorhanded man couldn't help but notice the silence all of the sudden. Not even the sound of the men walking below. He slid away from his position and let the other man and his twitchy hands rebind his wrists together in front of him and lead him by the end do the rope back down the stairs and towards the small previously unused bedroom. Nothing seemed to out of the ordinary except for a larger locking mechanization placed on both the small bedroom and storage room doors. He was walked into the bedroom and he shut his eyes tight as the door was opened. He didn't want to see. But the blade tugged him forward harshly and he stumbled onto his knees, forcing him to see the room as he was then pulled up again.

The room was the same in some ways, still wood paneled with the high ceilings and delicate moldings to match the rest of the house, gas lamps bathing the room in a yellowish light and the new bars over the one window in the far end of the rectangular room. By the door the wall had been replaced with what looked like a huge mirror, but Edward had a feeling it wasn't and the only furniture left in the room was a small table, chair, and an old but sturdy metal framed bed and thin mattress adorning in. Attached to the frame of the bed was 7 sets of chains welded onto it; 4 to the posts of the bed and 3 under the bed. To the end of each of the chains on the posts was a metal cuff and connectors for the ones under the bed. The metal contraptions hung like snakes about to strike and Edward felt sick again as he was pulled toward the contraption. He didn't even notice Jim right away standing in the far corner of the mirrored wall watching him till his arms were finally unbound. When he did he backed up hitting the bed frame, the captor grinning down at him.

"Sorry if I came off a bit harsh before. Old habits die hard. But I'm guessing you've heard all about me from Sage." The scissorhanded man looked down, still having trouble separating this person from the Jim of the past.

"Not that it matters. You're useful to me only until Sage gets here. Then if Aaron decides you're of no use to us, we'll have to dispose of you, got it?" The same calm apathic tone prevailed as he spoke. "Until then, just relax. After all, we did all this work here just for you." Edward didn't even have time to take in what Jim was saying as Aaron moved forward pulling him onto the bed and not-so-gently motioning for him to lay down. As much as his instincts told him to run, to do something, he thought about Aaron's words from before. Worse, he was trying not to think about the chunks of metal swinging off the edge of the bed, even as the blade took the highest one and pulled it over his neck and tightened it on the other side attached to nothing but a carabiner. It was painful knowing he probably couldn't open such a simple device either, and he assumed they had been watching him long enough to know his capabilities. Aaron grinned at his disappointment.

"Go on. Try to take it off. If you can do it within half a minute I won't restrain you further." Edward felt his body shake and cautiously moved his hands towards the small device, trying to hold it in place with one of his thumbs but fumbling as it was too small to grasp, metal sliding on metal. He tried pressing the small bar down but without the needed friction it just snapped back into place over and over his fingers slipping back, and he felt the chain digging against the leather of his throat as it had ground back and forth against him in his attempts to remove it. He put his arms down in defeat, knowing how pointless the entire exercise had been. Jim's laughter echoed throughout the room.

"Come on Ed, you stopped before you even tried. I do hope in the future you will learn to provide more effort to tasks given to you." Aaron snuck him a sympathetic gaze, even behind the half mask while Edward wished they would just leave him alone already. But the sympathy seemed to quickly turn to excitement as the second-in-command pulled Edward's arm towards one of the cuffed restraints which screwed into place. No locks to pick himself free of. He thought maybe they were actually setting up to leave as Aaron bound his other arm but then Jim stepped forward again. The now bound man struggled against the chain pressed into his neck pushing back with his palms till his head hit the slotted metal backboard. The leader sat down on the bed uncomfortably close to him and moved in close examining him once more.

"Some said you might have been Sage's father, you know. After all her whore mother let my uncle die after betraying him. But..."Even bound as he was now, Edward felt anger rush through him, hearing Kim talked about like that. He felt Aaron's fingers twitching over his legs, nervously pulling at the straps in warning.

"I suppose you wouldn't know about that subject, let alone were about to do it." Jim trailed off momentarily while the scissorhanded man sat there a bit confused by the statement "Do it" but could guess the subject. He kept up the look of confusion almost curious what the other man's point was.

"You don't even look alike, and that's good. She's too beautiful for any freak genes anyway." Edward was almost getting used to the other man spitting that wretched word at him.

"So what is she to you then?" Jim asked very pointedly. But the bound man didn't know. He stared at the blood red of the jacket his captor wondering himself.

He remembered Sage telling him that up on the hill with him she couldn't be ridiculed for gardening. A select number of the older housewives had come up to her telling her she was the "spawn of the monster" growing up but they would take her under their wing to "help" her. She never made the association till much later apparently about her hobby and him. All the poor man could think about was Kim trying to shoo away the women who had wrecked havoc on her family without being able to fully explain to her daughter or husband what was going on. It seemed despite his best efforts to stay hidden, his mere memory brought his first love misery. Sage had only ever touched lightly on the fights her parents had about whether or not Edward was her father, and it taking bloodwork for the concerns to give way. It even convinced the housewives to go away. But apparently everything had been done secretly when Sage was very young.

The discussion had brought on even more awkward conversations, where the young woman ended up explaining far more about relations between men and women then how Kim and he could have even "done it". All he knew is he had two small fastenings he could easily clip and unclip to relieve himself but it was all built in tubing as far as he knew. And unless the suit could be taken off, he would know nothing more than kissing. But for a small moment in time, he wished Sage shared his blood, because then it might mean he was human.

And when all the strangeness of `that conversation` was over, Sage had looked relieved. He never would have been able to guess the reason why though. Their relationship had always been a bit odd though. He had never known what to feel about the daughter of the woman he loved except to see her as something precious, a treasure to be guarded, or an old keepsake that Kim given to him. Or at least that was how it started. He certainly didn't doubt her interests had come from the stories she was told as a child. The father was the one, as she mentioned who tried to discourage her to make his parenthood seem more legitimate.

For that alone Edward had an irrational hatred of the man. Yet again, he was also the reason Kim couldn't come see him and even worse some part of him seethed with jealously that he stole Kim's heart. For a long time, he had hated the snowbell, even as he tenderly cared for it. It represented the absence of human interaction, his lack of humanity as it grew and he stayed the same, and the ticking clock of time that both held sway over his mind but meant nothing. He hadn't been able to let the seasons flow over him as they had in the past. But for everything it was, it had been Kim's gift to him, and that was enough.

He found himself staring at the shadow of the leaves of the tree flitting around against the starlight beyond as he thought about the answer he could not give and the lie he would simply have to promote.

"A friend..." Jim stood up suddenly, causing the bound man to jump backwards only to feel with the pain of the chain against his neck and the pain as his head hit the headboard again. The blond man seemed cautiously giddy.

"For your sake, I hope so." The leader motioned to Aaron who moved up on the bed so he sat where Jim had been. His excitement compounded on Jim's and Edward tried to hide his discomfort.

"For now, let's get a peak at what's underneath." The blade grabbed a bag from underneath the bed and placed it on the bed next to him, just far enough away that the bound man could not hope to see its contents. He then released the chain from around his neck and pulled him to sit up. The first object was more confusing than frightening. A buzzer in one hand, Aaron tilted his head forward with his other hand, feeling along the base of his skull.

"Keep your eyes closed." And with quick precision he heard the buzzer leave bare skin in its path; his long black strands start to fall away from the back of his head, going from ear to ear. Finger's brushed away the last bits of hair, making Edward shiver as the strange sensation of the newly shaven area. His head was pulled further till he was totally bent over, the man's fingers exploring his scalp and neck, feeling for something, and quickly becoming discouraged. He was sat back up, and prayed they wouldn't take away anything else.

Edward had trimmed his hair before, but never outright had gotten rid of it. It was just a part of him and the black strands falling felt heavy where they fell on his arms and legs. He didn't expect how the cold air would pierce the newly vulnerable area. When his chin was lifted and the same curious fingers and attacked the buckles around his neck, he kept his eyes shut tight, hating how exposed he felt even as the leather began to finally loosen. The comfortable pressure of the shield of his suit was being taken now as well, yet his curiosity grew. He had never questioned why he wore the suit, the answer seeming obvious enough. But yet, underneath, he wondered what his skin looked like, or if it was simply machinery. Would he unravel or explode? He wasn't human after all.

The first strap fully loosened and nothing happened, the same result with the second and third. Aaron was kind enough to move slowly even in his "work mode" so the feeling of being overexposed lessoned, even with Jim there watching. He felt like he could breathe deeply for the first time. The movements stopped and Edward opened his eyes to the other men staring at him as the blade's fingers feeling along the front of his neck.

"Grey skin, but feels normal. Lack of sunlight would do that, I think." Edward noticed the knife casually held in Aaron's free hand, making him unconsciously try to move back even more but he stopped himself. The quicker he let them finish, the sooner he could just be left alone. The blade cut off the strip of leather from his neck completely, the suit letting out a small hissing sound. Like a child on Christmas, Aaron put down his weapon and started inspecting the exposed tubing built directly into the suit.

"This thing is self regulating. Probably to keep the body clean and to deal with sweat." Jim responded apathetically.

"That's not what I want to know. Is the freak normal underneath that thing or not?" Edward could see the visible irritation on Aaron's face but he took a deep breath.

"So far yes, but there's only one way to find out for sure." Jim seemed happy enough with the response.

"Indeed. Proceed." Edward felt his newly exposed skin prickle against the cool night air. He silently pleaded with the blade to no avail. This was all too much at once. But when it was obvious his pleas were unheard he tried to relent to his curiosity. This suit had been given to him by his father. It had taken good care of him and it was about to be further destroyed. The blond haired man sat on the nearby table, clearly satisfied the silent play before him. Edward calmed himself wondering if now was the time to do what Aaron had advised, to act. He pushed forward the feelings of discomfort and pain, trying to move away again watching the blade's face twist into a playful grin, encouraging Edward to continue the play. Aaron grabbed his arm and yanked it out so it lay straight out before him, and Edward allowed the natural terror he felt to come forward, his body twitching with the quickness of the other man's motions. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jim inch his body to the edge of the table with excitement.

Edward watched the knife carefully pull away the thick fabric right below his elbow and cut at the straps, freeing more whiteish-grey skin. Here Edward especially didn't want to see underneath, feeling he didn't want to see how his hands melded with his body. He let himself twist and turn slightly making sure to keep his arm as still as possible to show his discomfort while lessoning the possibility of being cut. He closed his eyes again, only to hear Aaron's delighted noises as the leather peeled away and Jim sucking in his breath. He opened them again and saw neat slots embedded into his arm, the scars of old surgery even whiter then the skin around it. Jim clucked in disapproval.

"Just modifications, huh? It's all so neat," the blade remarked turning his arm over. Further down his arm where his wrist would be was a thin band of metal between the skin and hands themselves. Looking at it made him sick. He didn't even want to move his hand to watch the mechanisms move, but felt the knife run along his arm causing him to fully flinch backwards, his hand moving wildly, and he could see the metal move in and out of the slots, the skin bunch up slightly against the metal of the "wrist" and it all seemed so horrible and amazing at once. The pain of the cut seemed so much more vivid on the tender skin and he no longer needed to act.

"Please stop…" he finally muttered pulling as far as he could, his terror intensifying as Jim angrily got up from the table. The blond haired man determinedly grabbed his legs, then harshly dragged him back to lying down. He quickly attached the cuffs from the lower end of the bed to his ankles. Meanwhile Aaron took one of the long strips of leather he had cut off, grabbed Edward's chin to open his mouth and shoved it behind his teeth, the ends digging into the edges of his lips while the blade tied the rest off. The now jagged leather rubbed harshly against the newly shaven area on his head.

"Who said you could speak?" said the blade, grinning, before casually pulling out a towel to clean up the pieces of fallen hair and bits of leather from the suit. Jim let him finish before speaking,

"He may look normal now, but let's leave the freak for a week without food or water. I bet it'll survive just fine, as it did all those years. I've seen enough for today." And with that, he left the room leaving Aaron to finish cleaning up. Out of the bag he pulled fresh gauze and wrapped the long cut silently then untied the strip of leather.

"You did well," was all he said before quietly before leaving the room. Finally in the reign of silence the bound man could relax his body which had become stiff with stress. After a while Edward sat up, the long chains allowing him to lay his arms on bent knees. He tried to calm his thoughts. They left him alone.

He would be alone waiting like a worm on its hook. He started to wonder what to do, maybe try to escape and somehow get to Kim to warn her. He quickly decided against the idea, knowing he'd risk the fragile peace she'd worked years to attain. He also knew if he somehow got out, there were likely no places to hide that Jim's men hadn't already found. No, he couldn't even undo a simple caribiner let alone get around the screws keeping on the set of cuffs. The possibilities started to dwindle and fade and with them leaving him alone, the whole situation felt that much more daunting. The air in the room started to grow stale and felt like it was slowly shrinking around him.

If only, he could actually sleep.