Dusk's Story

Nudge

When the door suddenly burst open, Nudge jumped and moved closer to Dusk, in the hope that she would realise he was scared. He recognised Kyra, but her mind was all wrong. It was Bad, cold. Like the way the guards and scientists at the Lab thought. But at the same time, he could sort of sense the real Kyra underneath that. Only just though. The man who was with her? His mind was scary. So angry, so cruel.

Dusk?...Kyra-mind not right. Bad-mind. Nudge not like. Nudge scared Kyra-Bad-mind..., he 'said' to Dusk, sapphire eyes darting between the newcomers, and Faith, who was still asleep. It had been too long now, was Faith...? No, that wasn't right, he could tell she was still alive.

Maya

Daren pulled his phone out again, making it play the same tune, and the two people, the suckers they were, were following them! This was going exactly as planned.
Once they were far enough, out of sight of the building, she motioned for Daren to stay where he was, while she changed position, so that she was behind the two scientists. Just in case they tried to run back. Daren wouldn't be able to stop them, he was still hurt, but she might be able to catch them off guard.

Dusk


Dusk?...Kyra-mind not right. Bad-mind. Nudge not like. Nudge scared Kyra-Bad-mind…
Nudges thoughts made Dusk back up slightly, before letting out a small cry as her stomach sent tongues of fire through her body.
"Ack! Now we've seen the zoo animals, now let's go. You don't want fleas or ticks now do you? She's covered in them."
Dusk gave Kishan a dark look, before the look in Kyra's eyes stopped her short.
"There's a cure for that. We could drown her in water or we could just do it by hand. Or should I say knife?"
The knife flicked between both of Kyra's hands.
A thrill of fear sped through her once again. She couldn't cope with another, not again. Her bandaged hands shook slightly before
"Hey, did you hear me! Explain your- oops...Explain yourselves!"
Dusk looked up fearfully as she saw what she assumed was another guard. Please let him send them away and just put me back in the healing hall Dusk prayed without much hope.
"... Nudge...Dusk..."
Dusk jumped slightly as Faith appeared next to Nudge, her head resting on his shoulder. She had been unaware until now that the girl had that ability. Even this seemingly abnormal happening didn't faze her as she turned her green eyes back to Kyra and the knife, waiting.
"Found this door busted, I assume the two, the boy and the girl, busted it, so I got suspicious, But I assume you can take care of it now, I have duties to attend to," The guards words spun Dusk's head. She couldn't be left with Kyra...not in this state.
For some reason Kyra and Kishan attacked the guard, and Dusk felt hope rising that perhaps, they were on her side after all.
There was a sudden flash of light before the rather strangely changed guard gave a queer speech and rushed down the halls.
"Take this puny human to Carmine. And lock those ones and that one back up!"
Dusk felt a rock sink to the bottom of her stomach before she realise "and that one" was a girl around the corner. Suddenly the girl took off and Dusk was left to try and figure out what to do. There was no way she'd be able to avoid the two, so the only other option was stopping the strange girl, and Nudge and Faith getting hurt to much.
"Don't you dare" her voice was shrill with panic, as she tried to stand. Her feet wouldn't hold her and she slid back down the wall. She glared at Kishan as she spoke "Please. Just leave me. You've done enough."

Nudge

Nudge bit his lip when Faith appeared next to him, she had leaned on his bad arm accidently. But he couldn't move away, he was just glad she was alright. Her eyes were all wet though, why? She was crying? Why was she doing that? People cried when they were sad. Was Faith sad?

he didn't have time to ask her though, as Dusk tried to move in front of them, trying to protect them from those people. Nudge probably wouldn't be much good in a fight, injured or not...but he wasn't totally useless.
Before the Lab blew up, he had helped Emvee with a shield. And Nudge had quickly figured out how to make one himself. Not many would expect this, but Nudge was a fast learner, given the chance.

It wouldn't last long though, he knew that. But if it helped even for a little while? that would be enough for him.
Constructing the shield itself was difficult, as he had never done it before, but when he was done, a faint pale blue shimmer hung in the air around the trio. It probably wouldn't stop a bullet, but it would hopefully prevent physical attacks. Who knew? Certainly not Nudge. As long as it helped though, he wouldn't mind...no matter how much energy it took up...He was starting to understand why Emvee had needed him to boost the shield from the Lab...


Maya

Maya Could see what was happening from her hiding place, and knew something was wrong imediately. As if the way these 'people' talked wasn't enough to point that out. Trouble was, there was no way she'd be able to take out both of them herself, and her knife would do next to nothing. She only kept it as a comfort anyway, it wasn't like she knew how to use it. This wasn't good.
A quick glance around revealed a good-sized branch on the ground, and she picked it up. Light enough for her to hold, but thick and heavy enough to cause a bit of damage. And if these people were as bird-like as they looked, then it would follow, medically, that their bones would be thinner, possibly hollow. That included their skulls. They would be thinner as well, more brittle. That gave Maya an idea. One that she was confident with as she remembered the time that she had spent on her high school's hockey team, back home in Dublin. Girl's hockey was brutal, but Maya had been moreso than most, with one of the hardest hits that the coaches had ever seen.
She saw herself back in school, lining up for a shot, knowing the defence was wide open. A confident smirk appeared on her face as she lifted the branch above her head and moved foward, catching the female 'thing' off guard as Maya swung. And the bird-thing ended up with a caved-in skull. As Maya had expected, their skulls were thinner than a human's.
Unfortunately, that brought Maya to the attention of the male, and he (it?) seemed to ignore Daren for a few seconds to try to get the person who had hurt it's comrade...i.e. Maya.
"Oh, feckin' 'ell...", she muttered as the bird-thing grabbed the branch and pulled it outof her hands. The situation had just went from bad to worse.

((Sorry, accidently tagged Matt in the post. ))

Dusk


A slight blue shimmer suddenly appeared her eyes. And Dusk leant back suddenly in surprise. She glanced behind her at Nudge, whose face was creased with concentration. The amount of energy he must be using worried Dusk, however with consideration of the situation, Dusk concluded it was probably far better to be exhausted then beaten senseless. Faith managed to gasp out her name, and the tremor in her voice was unmistakable. Dusk turned to see sharp blades escape her forearms, the sound of them unsheathing made her cringe slightly.
"Kyra"
The unchecked anger in the word was clear, and the look on both Kyra and Kishan's face made Dusk cringe. Her eyes were torn away from them when one of the guards drew out his gun and aimed it straight at her. Dusk's mouth went dry. Sure, Nudge was creating some sort of force field, but she doubted he'd have enough energy to repel a bullet. The male refused to look into her eyes, and he held the gun out steadily in front of him. The expression on his face seemed to hold determination, but a little uncertainty, and Dusk prayed the latter would prevail.
"I don't have time for this bullshit!"

Dusk let out a weak cry as Kishan's face contorted into a mask, and the knife became evident. His dark eyes drilled into her own, and her own eyes widened in both fear and tension. Kyra's face portrayed her anger, and Dusk wanted nothing more then to run, except for the pain in her feet, hands and torso. Her body tensed as Kyra returned to human form and took the knife from Kishan. The look on Kyra's face however, held Dusk's fears on a balance of uncertainty. On one hand she looked furious, yet there was a sort of protective emotion playing on her face as well. Her breath caught in her throat, as she waited to see whether she was to be stabbed or shot.

Faith became angry with the man holding the gun towards her and she steps in front of Dusk and stares the man down as he falls to the ground... This gave her and Dusk a bit of time, hopefully Nudge could hold up his shield for a bit longer. Dark shadows began to cloud around Dusk, Faith, and Nudge.

"Stay in darkness..." She says to Dusk as they become one with the shadows, this should give them some cover for bit. She began to see into the Shadow Realm again and waved her hand for Dusk and Nudge to follow.

[[Sorry for such a short post, in a rush, been busy, they will become better.]]

Dusk


Dusk looked up in terror at the other guard. She waited to see how he would react, before a rather shaky order was given.
"Move into the corner and face the wall, all three of you!"
Dusk glanced up in surprise. He didn't appear to want to harm them. Her confusion grew, until he suddenly pointed the gun at Faith and then back at herself. She flinched, but there was something in his look that threw her off. He didn't make any moves. Curious, Dusk let down her mental barrier a little only to feel fear emanating from the guard. Surprisingly she also could feel a small seed of pity. Her eyes widened, when suddenly a harsh pain through itself into her mind from the guards own. Looking up, Dusk found him on his knees, the deadly gun out of reach. He managed to grab a lesser pistol, however he was obviously in no state to use it.
Dusk quickly patched up her barrier, but an immense feeling of curiosity and also a little amount of guilt held her in a balance of wanting to get as far away from the guard as possible, but also wanting to reach out to him.
"Stay in darkness..."
Dusk glanced to her side to see Faith beckoning to enter the darkness. She made a move to follow, before turning back to the guard. Her mind wouldn't forget the small seed of pity. If only she could cultivate it. Perhaps, if he understood he could help…
She turned back to Faith watching as she started to disappear into the darkness. She made a split second decision.
"I'll follow later"
Her voice was barely a whisper, and she turned back to the guard. She shuffled forward on her knees in an attempt to keep her hands and ankles from being further damaged. That was when she remembered the gun. She glanced down it's barrel before deciding it was better to die anyway, and this may be her only way of leaving the facility for good. As quickly as she could she shoved the gun to the ground pinning it to the ground.
Her face contorted with pain as the pressure on her hand sent pain throughout her hands. She let out a small gasp before cradling her injured arm. It seemed neither of them was in a good condition.
"What's hurting" she managed to gasp out. This was followed by two more words. "Thank you"
He hadn't killed her...yet.


Nathan Darga


Nathan had waited outside for Carmine for a while, as she had two visitors. Deciding that she was busy, Nathan decided to wander down the halls. He contemplated going home, to try and calm himself, however he had a feeling if he went home now he wouldn't come back. He needed to make sure he was stable before returning. As he turned round the corner, he was shocked seeing a guard, obviously in pain, on his knees, with one of the mutants leaning over him.
With a snarl, Nathan grabbed the females hair yanking her backwards.
It was only then he saw her face and realised who she was.
"How dare you" he spat, smashing her head into the wall. She let out a scream.

"You had to go further didn't you. Couldn't just hurt me, had to go and do it to someone else. What did you do?"

Faith watched Dusk being smashed into the wall and she became angry.

"Dusk..." She holds Dusk for a moment, pulling her back and standing in front of Dusk and Nudge. Her eyes flickered up to the man who'd hurt Dusk and Faith's lips flash into a snarl, her dark green eyes boring into him. Dusk was somewhat like her family... She felt the need to protect her and Nudge.

The blades extend again and she stands, her arms were bruised and there was a cut under her left eye, dark hair falling over her face.

She lets out a small growl, "You... Hurt my friend..." She spits out the words, the consonants click off her tongue. She became aware of how weary she felt, her mouth was cotton-dry and she felt numb.

With a shake of her head she swallows the pain, pushing it down into her subconscious. She feels a jolt of energy as she tries to push into the man's mind. Trying to find a memory to bring up, or a thought to push into his head. [Check her bio]

"Walk... Never come back... 'Till your feet bleed...." She says, her voice is low and shaky with anger.

Nathan Darga


"Just let her go"
Nathan froze for a second, before feeling Sasha dragged away from him by a small female mutant. He prepared himself to deliver a blow when blades interrupted his movement. It appeared the girl...the thing could defend itself. He glanced around the room trying to contemplate how best to get back in control of the situation as the girl spoke up.
"You...hurt my friend"
Oh so they had feelings now Nathan thought bitterly to himself.
Suddenly a memory forced itself upon him. He snarled as he remembered some of the times with Sasha Marten, before...before he found out was she was. Suddenly the memory dissolved.
"Walk... Never come back... 'Till your feet bleed...."
Nathan's eyes narrowed. He started to back away, before the glitter of metal caught his eye.
As quickly as he could, Nathan scooped up the gun and aimed it at the girls legs. He wouldn't kill her if he could help it but he would maim her.
"Why the hell would you want me to let that witch go" he growled to the guard, before catching sight of Nudge.
He kicked the boy in the side of the head, ordering him back with the others. "Now what were your orders for them"
Through the whole thing he refused to look back at Sasha. The memory had done enough damage he decided.



Dusk


Dusk found herself behind Faith with her ears ringing. He was back. Her feet ached at the memory. She had been sure that he would help, but something had changed. As she looked up, she saw him aim the gun straight at Faith. She pulled the girl back gently. Warning her not to do anything. Not yet.
That was when she saw Nudge kicked viciously in the head. Her green eyes narrowed.

"What is wrong with you Nathan." she cried out "Surely you know this is wrong. You know me, what changed? It's not our fault the lab changed us"

The gun was pointed towards Faith and her eyes narrow, listening to the conversation.

She looks back towards Nudge and then towards Dusk, then towards the two other men.

"Dusk..." She says, "They... Aren't worth it..." She says, "No respect..." She says, meaning they had no respect for what they had endured.

"Go now... Leave...?" She asks, her blades retracting, then picking up Nudge and firmly placing her hand around his waist to help him stay up.

[[writers block :(]]

Nathan Darga


Nathan gritted his teeth as Sasha spoke up, before he noticed Jason, the guard, had managed to stand and hold his gun. This didn't alarm him, in Nathan's mind, Jason was on his side. He kept a firm grip on the gun. When the girl picked up the boy he had kicked in the side of the head, Nathan jerked the gun in her direction.
"No one's going anywhere, except where I say." Obviously the guard was in no state to give an explanation. The mutants must have done something to him. The image of Sasha, and then the small boy leaning over Jason came up in his mind, confirming Nathan's misunderstood conception.
"I think you'd better get to the healing halls to see if they can fix whatever they've done to you" Nathan remarked to the guard behind him "I think I've got control of them."
Seeing that they were just out of the healing halls, Nathan assumed they'd come from there. Since they had managed to make a fuss, Nathan assumed they were obviously strong enough to be moved out. He was sure that he was supposed to put them in cells, after all, putting them back in the healing halls would just give them another chance at causing more trouble.
"Right, I'm taking them to the cells. I suppose you'll be okay to get to the nurses?" Nathan asked a little concerned. He wasn't heartless. Not towards his own kind anyway. He was also a little wary, he had been warned that some mutants liked playing mind games, and seeing as Sasha apparently twisted emotions, he wasn't sure what had been done to the guard.
Seeing that there was two choices; one, taking the mutants to the cells, or two waiting for back up, Nathan decided the former. The three were obviously weak, and he wasn't comfortable with Jason at the moment, unsure if his mind had been tampered with. Beside, nurses tended to wander, and surely one would find him.
"Listen, I'll take them down to the holding cells, and come back for you. It's not safe until their secure"
With that he marched up to the small group, gun in hand. He grabbed the smaller girls hair forcing her chin up before jamming the barrel of the gun to her throat.
"I suggest we take a walk" Nathan said darkly before starting to push Faith forward.


Dusk


Dusk felt her heart hammer against her rib cage as the situation once again tilted in the Lab's favour. Nathan and the other guard both had guns aimed at the threesome, and there really wasn't much hope of rebelling. Nathan steadfastly refused to look at her, and she could feel the hatred ebbing off him in waves. She watched, heart in mouth as Nathan stalked forward, holding the gun to Faith's throat. His order to walk sent another thrill of fear. She'd seen the cells. At the lab her own cell had been depressing to say the least, and she'd been given a better one as they'd been unsure of her use. This lab seemed a lot worse. She'd seen these ones, the cages filled with tortured people, where the screaming never ceased. She doubted Nathan would have much mercy in choosing better ones. He seemed to have lost it. Dusk was fearful of what had changed him so drastically. What could Carmine have possibly told him, that had overcome all the years they'd been together?
A sharp burst of pain bought her out of her musing as Nathan used his other hand to jerk her to her feet. She let out a strangled cry as her bandaged feet were forced to hold her weight.
"How do you expect me to walk?" she gasped, leaning on the wall, but refraining from collapsing as she saw the position of the gun.
"However you got here" was the cold reply, as Nathan glanced down at the bloody trail Dusk had left. "Either that or we remove one so it is easier to carry you"

A lump rose in Dusks throat. He already sounded like one of the guards. She glanced back at the other guard. Please. She begged him with her eyes. She had felt his pity, please let it overrun orders Dusk prayed.

Dusk


Dusk stiffened as the guard offered to take herself and Nudge. Then she was forced to move and the only thing her mind could focus on was putting one foot in front of the other. Her jaw was tightly clenched forcing herself to remain silent, as she moved forward. Her bleeding foot continuously pained her, yet there was not much she could do when Nathan held Faith at gun point. Suddenly the guard behind her grabbed hold of the back of the grey dress.
"Turn around and run as fast as possible."
Her breath caught in her throat, as she glanced at Nathan's back, with the thin figure of Faith in front of him. The thought of walking, yet alone running sent pain through her joints.
"Turn around and run or else i'll shoot both of you..."
Her eyes widened at the strange mixture of mercy with the harsh reality the guard was still in power. The thought of him shooting herself and Nudge forced her to move. She would be back for Faith. She stumbled forward, her hands gripping on to the walls in order to support herself. Her face was contorted in pain, but she forced herself to keep going. She was no good to Faith dead or recaptured.
Suddenly her legs gave way, further down and she found herself back on the floor. She pressed her head against the wall struggling to breath properly. Her eyes blurred and became unfocused before she managed to rouse herself. She couldn't afford the luxury of darkness.
"We have to act quickly. You can either go back for you're friend or head out the front door right now... And there's only so much I can do."
Dusk doubted she could move again, that was when she saw the blood. There was a definate trail leading right to their spot. Her gaze continued down the corridor. No doubt Nathan would follow soon enough.
Nudge's desperate gestures drew her attention.
She so desperately wanted to help, but in all honesty she would just drag them down. She didn't bother telling Nudge not to got back. He wouldn't listen, neither would she in his position.
"You have to go" the words tumbled out of her mouth in a series of painful gasps. She gestured weakly to the trail. "He'll be back…"



Nathan Darga


As Nathan escorted Faith through the corrodors, the sound of a scramble behind him made him turn. The three behind him had suddenly taken off. Sasha would obviously slow them down, and beside, he could easily find them later. He gave a satisfied grin as he saw the blood on the floor.
"It's nice of them to let me show you your room" Nathan muttered as he continued to force Faith to a cell. He shoved her roughly in. Before delivering a heavy blow to her head.
"If you get lonely, don't be concerned. I'll make sure the others come back very soon"

He slammed the door shot, making sure it was locked before returning to the previous corridor. It didn't take much skill to find the bloody smear planted along the corridor. He followed it before he heard voices up a head, slowly he turned the corner.

Faith was thrown into the cell and she caught herself on her way down after the heavy blow to the side of her head. Tears stung her eyes and she stared at the floor for a moment, blinking away the tears. She turned, unable to hear what he said before he slammed the cell shut. Her long hair fell over her face as her small figure convulsed and shook. Her eyes fluttered shut and she suddenly felt all the energy just flow out of her tired body. She blinked hard as she placed her face on the cold ground. She let the cold seep into her skin, rattle her bones as she laid there.

Helpless...

The picture that Nudge had given her of beautiful lights over that wavy stuff suddenly flashed in her head and she smiled a small bit... She sits up, pulling a hand through her hair and it pulls away from her face as she looks at the lock and the Shadows begin to manipulate and darken around her. It was time to see what she could truly do.

She closes her eyes, listening to the sounds in the Shadows, remnants of conversations and images lurked in the shadowy corners of the room and she felt a re energizing jolt shock through her body. With a deep breath she pressed her palms into her eyes, she shook her head, trying to find where Nudge and Dusk had went. Maybe she could teleport...

It'd take a lot out of her, considering she was already pretty weak... But she had to, for Nudge and Dusk. She takes a deep breath, getting ready to teleport... but she suddenly felt dizzy and backed up against the wall of t he small room as a jolt of pain drives through her veins...

The white coats...When they injected her, it must have limited her powers...

Nathan Darga


Nathan turned the corner just in time to see the guard pick up Sasha and make a dash around the corner. Nathan scowled, when he also saw Nudge standing in the hallway. It seemed this might be easier than he thought, after all here was a perfect lever to get Sasha to move. He quickly stalked up to Nudge before smashing his head into one of the walls.
"Sasha. I suggest you get straight back here before I kill the boy" Nathan yelled, before bashing Nudges head back into the wall. He listened to the dull thud, before hearing a struggle around the corner.
"Nathan, please"
Sasha's voice travelled from around the corner, obviously she was trying to make her way back. Good. Nathan grabbed the boys hair before dragging him over to where Sasha was.
He found her collapsed at the other guards feet, she had obviously only just managed to get free of the guard standing over her. It was evident she couldn't walk any further, even if she had incentive. He grabbed her by the neck before picking her up.
"You" he said gesturing to Nudge "are to walk in front of me, or I will simply snap her neck."
He waited until Nudge carried out the orders. He glanced down at Jason, contemplating what to do with him. On one hand, he doubted the lab wanted him if he rebelled, but another thought rose to his mind. What if Jason was simply being controled, he glanced down at Sasha. He doubted she'd have the strength to do anything now, but previously? Finally he made a decision.
"I'll be back to get you to the healing halls. Obviously she's controled you."
Afterall, surely Sasha couldn't control him at a distance and with such an evident show of weakness. He was about to head off, when he remembered the gun. He quickly removed it from the guard.
"Sorry mate, can't afford anything else to go wrong"
He kept a tight grip on Sasha's neck as he half carried, half dragged her down the corridor.
When they finally reached Faiths cell he hustled Dusk and Nudge in. He would need to ask one of the other guards where they would permanently be put, but for now this would do.
He left them there, as he walked a little further down the corridor. He finally found what he was looking for; another guard.
"We've had a little trouble sir" Nathan frowned slightly at the last word. He hated using it, but he still was below the other guards "One of the guards has just rebelled trying to get two mutants free. I locked the mutants up together, but I am unsure of what to do with them now. The guard is still waiting in the corridor, I believ he was under mind control"


Dusk


As soon as Nathan became visible, Dusk knew there was no hope of getting out. The guard suddenly lifted her and tried to hurry around the corner. Suddenly there was heavy thud, followed by an order to get back to the corner. This was followed by another resounding noise. And with her last reserve of energy, Dusk managed to throw herself to the ground.
"Nathan, please" she was unsure of what she was asking, knowing that there was no possibility of her plea being answered. Suddenly Nathan turned the corner promptly turning the corner and gripping her neck with his right hand. His grip tightened, and she desperately clawed at his hands as he started to drag them down to the cells. The screams of the other mutants continued to hurtle their way into her ears. Her mental barrier was continuously smashed and rebuilt as the pain of thousands of individuals tried to claw their way into her mind. She barely noticed as she was thrown into a cell, allowing herself to collapse to the ground. She closed her eyes tightly, desperately trying to block the emotions. She found herself curled up on the floor, knees hugged to her chest, waiting. Waiting for whatever the lab decided to throw at her.

Faith okay? Nudge sorry...was gonna get Faith out...

She felt the weight of his head fall on her shoulder and she grasped his good hand.

"No sorry..." She says bringing his hand up to her lips and kissing it lightly. Of course, she had seen this before when a young girl was being ripped from her mother, her mom had done that same motion she'd just done before the young girl was taken away. Faith assumed it was something friends, or family, did...

She felt she was five inside, wearing 18 years of damage. Her eyes glossed over with tears, looking over at Dusk for some sign that they were going to make it.

~Carmine~

She watched Kishan and Kyra, neither of them looked too happy about the situation. Kishan especially, he looked like the project seemed to bother him too much, which she found slightly understandable, as the project could harm and/or kill him if it was successful. Kyra on the other hand seemed aloof, more like she didn’t care what was going on and didn’t care either way for what was going on. The two looked at each other and she started to tap her foot, getting a bit annoyed that she hadn’t been told yet what the report was. Then she heard the girl’s voice in her head. It’s complete. The anti-mutant force field is working. They’ve tested it on some rejected mutants and the outcomes were all the same. Dead bodies or nothing left but ashes.

She smiled and nodded her approval. ”Excellent, our clients will be glad to hear that the project is done. Tell your master that I need to see it for myself then I will start sending the fields to the clients.” She put a hand on each of their shoulders and led them over to the door, in a few swift steps getting them there, not caring if they tripped over their feet or tried to resist her. ”If that is all that you came to tell me then you are free to go now.”

She was about to close the door on them when one of the guards came running up to her. It was a loyal one, as the others knew that she wouldn’t hesitate to strike them down if they showed the least bit of fear. They were guards after all, they were supposed to be tough and fearless. ”Carmine, there is someone yelling outside for you. Do we let him in or not?” She frowned, tilting her head a little, letting a few of her slightly dark red bangs sweep across her eyes. ”Him? Yes let him in, keep a close watch and bring him in.” The guard quickly nodded and rushed off to get the man outside.

Eriyk

He was in the weight room, staying off in his corner. Lift, clank, lower, clank, lift, clank. He lay there, staring at the ceiling. Pushing the weight bar up and down, holding easily over a hundred pounds on each side. He didn’t bother to count the weights anymore; he just filled it until he couldn’t lift the bar then stopped, and tried until he could. The room was filled with other guards, all of those that were off duty or those who lived in the building like he did. They were trying to outdo one another, lifting more than the others, getting into the ring and knocking their opponent around a few times. He found all of their games somewhat childish. Granted that was because all of them knew he would knock them unconscious in any kind of match, he was light on his feet, had a strong punch and never held back.

He set the bar down and wiped his forehead with a towel as he saw two men walk into the training room. One had a mask on, which he found odd but then again not too many things here would surprise him. He had seen a mutant that had controlled electronic systems, ones that had controlled the natural elements themselves. A man in a mask was the least of his worries. The other was a tall man like himself; he had white hair and a cigarette in his mouth. He didn’t know what the two wanted but they headed right for him.

Scientist

He looked down at his clipboard; there were some new mutants that had been caught from the outside. He read what little had been written down about them, one was a girl with wings, blade could protrude from her arms and she had a strong connection with shadows. The next was a boy, his physical abilities were low just by the looks of him but they found he had strong mental capabilities that would have to be further tested. The next was another girl, she seemed healthier than the others, already a sign that she was only recently changed; she had quick movements, bright green eyes and claws that slid out from her fingers.

The scientist figured she was some type of feline mutants, he didn’t need to know the exact type of feline but he did need to find out all the effects of her being change at her age, and what all she could do. By the looks of the others, they had files somewhere that could be read first. But the cat-girl had to be tested, all her physical abilities, strength, and weaknesses found and recorded. All the positive and negative effects of the serum that was used and what else could be done with her.

He nodded and made his way to the cell that was written down that contained them. He looked inside, slightly wondering why the three had been placed in a single cell. Usually the mutants wouldn’t be allowed to be near one another unless it was in the arena. He smiled a little at the thought. That was always a good way to test a mutant to find out their true limits. He found the cat-girl, coiled to one side of the cell and went over to her, grabbing her wrist and dragging her out, making sure to lock the door behind him. ”Don’t make trouble for me or I can make the next experience one of the worst you will ever have.” he kept a firm grip on the girl’s arm, mentally checking to make sure he had a sedative ready in his pocket just in case she decided to try and avoid the next tests he would have for her.

Dusk


Dusk lay curled up on the floor of the labs cell, oblivious to the things around her. She was aware that Nudge and Faith were also there, however she was barely in a state of mind to acknowledge them. Her mind shield kept being hammered by pain from the surrounding mutants. Each time she built it up, it became a little stronger, but the pain was stronger still. Every scream sent shivers down her spine, as she realised that at some point, those screams might become her own. She took in a shuddering breath drawing together more strength as she tried to block the onflow of emotions. The shield held for ten minutes before one of the mutants was tortured, sending a sharp, pain filled emotion straight through her shield.
After hours of trying, her mind could no longer take it, and she found herself slipping into unconsciousness…
She woke up later, unsure of how long she had been out. A newly woven shield had been put into place, and although every now and again someone's pain slipped through, it no longer broke the guard entirely. Somehow her mind had managed to fix the breaches, and come up with a less brittle and more flexible shield. It meant more pain slipped through it, however no longer did she have sudden outbursts of unimaginable pain at once break the shield.
She let out an involuntary moan as she tried to sit up. The pain shooting from her hands instantly reminded her of her previous ordeal, and she gave up. Resorting to re-coiling herself on the floor. The knife wounds had since congealed, and the blood no longer oozed out of them.
The sudden clanging of a door, made Dusk's eyes fly open. One of the white coats grabbed her wrist hauling her to her feet. Dusk let out a small scream as he forced her out of the cell. Utter terror flew through her. She had seen the results of the tests echoes in all the other eyes. She couldn't forget the pain hidden in there.
”Don’t make trouble for me or I can make the next experience one of the worst you will ever have.”
A shudder went through her at the thought and she allowed herself to be dragged to her new destination. She found herself remembering Amp's deep blue eyes. The first person she'd met at the lab, the image was etched in her memory. His blue eyes were filled with fear and terror, and the pain was never far from them.

Another thrill of horror went through her. Please don't break me. She whispered to herself. She couldn't stand to have herself have the same hollow look. Nothing in the world could fully heal those wounds.

Scientist

He nodded at the mutant’s attitude towards the little excursion. There wasn’t much problems with this one, which he was glad for, it always took more time if he had to sedate the creature then wait for them to wake up at whatever their destination happened to be. He kept walking down the seemingly endless hallways, down a few flights of stairs and finally through two large double doors. Inside, the cavernous room looked much like a gym; at least it was big enough to be one. There was a single wall in front of the pair; it ran from one side of the room to the other which was almost the entire side length of the building, and almost touched the ceiling that was two stories above them.

There was a small door inside the wall which was only a few feet from them and the scientist pushed Dusk towards it. Inside was a small pure white room, maybe three feet each way and seven feet tall. ”Get through as fast as you can.” That’s all the instruction he would give her as he put his hand to the side of the small doorway and a white wall slid shut, enclosing her in the small space. He took his clipboard and pen and left the gym room and made his way to the observation deck, so he could peer down at the maze that made up the expanse of the large room. He pushed a small red button that was among many others on a control board and a wall slid open next to Dusk, allowing her access to the labyrinth.

~Carmine~

She frowned slightly at Camelion, putting one delicate looking hand on her hip which cocked to the side. His explanations weren’t exactly the ones she was expecting for his reasons for being here. She could practically smell how weak he was, and could plainly see that he was ready to collapse on his feet. ”You say that dear old Caine found you to be no longer useful. What makes you think if you can no longer work there that I would allow you in here to work?” She let her red-tinged bangs fall over one eyes, making her onyx black eyes even more menacing through the red veil.

Dusk


Dusk heard Nudge's pounding on the cell door behind her as the scientist continued to drag her towards her new destination. She tried once to yank her hand away from the man, but the pain stopped her and she gave in. The stairs were the most painful, as her thin frame was dragged down them. Her green eyes were wide with terror as her mind continued to imagine the possibilities awaiting her. Needles, knives, other forms of torture entered her mind at each step forward. Her small frame was shaking slightly in terror when they finally reached the door, in which the interrogational experiment would take place. Her thoughts returned to the others. The looks of terror and the fear of anyone touching them. Her heart pounded against her chest, which felt restrictive and caged. Her fear made breathing difficult, as each breath was dragged into her lungs, forcing her chest to heave.
Then the door was open, and she felt herself thrust inside. The room was white, like most rooms in the lab. A long wall stretched in front of her, to either side of the room. She looked around for various incidents, but finding none, returned her sight to the man. Seeing a small door, Dusk glanced at it, before returning her gaze to the scientist before her, praying that whatever he was planning to do with her would be quick and painless. Exactly the opposite of what was promised.
He shoved her forward into the doorway.
”Get through as fast as you can.”
Suddenly the wall slid shut, and Dusk found herself jumping at the unexpected movement. The silence was heavy seeming to suffocate her, and there was no escape that she was aware of. Finding her odd sense of claustrophobia growing, Dusk panicked. She pressed her hands against the four sides of the room, trying to find a breach in the walls. Her hands hurt, and her side was starting to ache again, though nothing what they had been thanks to the rest in the cell.
The wall next to her slid open, and Dusk gave a start of surprise, before wasting no time racing forward, out of her prison. That was when she realised what they were doing. A long corridor, with others branching off it only reinforced the notion of the test. She was stuck in the maze. Her former terror, probably should have been ebbing, however the test was working on her fears. She couldn't stand enclosed spaces, the cell had been bad, but at least she could see outside it, here there was nothing but white walls.
"Get through as fast as you can"
The words reinforced themselves in her mind. She could get out. She hastily moved forward, ignoring the pain in her fear. She continued to run forward, with the flexibility and speed abnormal for a human. This didn't occur to Dusk, as she was caught in the panic of the moment. She sprinted forward and into a new section, finding the way blocked at a dead end. She backed away, quickly adjusting her direction. All the walls looked the same, and she was beginning to realise that this might take longer than she had first thought.
A thought came to her, and she promptly released her claws and dug them into the walls, marking them. Then she continued into the next corridor. Finding another dead end, she scratched it again. Therefore ensuring she wouldn't be double tracking. She was finally making some progress.
"Get through as fast as you can"
The words went through her head once more, but this time the terror was beginning to ebb. She stopped, frozen halfway through the labyrinth. Why should she? It that was what the lab wanted her to do, why should she obey? Better to make it difficult for them, and give them inaccurate results. She promptly sat down on the floor, refusing to move any further. She would make them wait.
The minutes ticked by...

Scientist

He watched through the one way bullet proof glass windows in the observation deck. He could see the entire maze from start to finish. He glance at his watch every once in a while, noting the time. He wrote on his clip board when she started marking the halls to help her remember where she had been, then the time when she stopped what she was doing and just sat. He tilted his head a little at the time, usually the newer mutants rebelled quicker, but it may also have been because of her weakened state that she was a bit more willing than most. He made a few side notes while he first pushed a white button than an orange button with the other hand.

He didn’t bother looking down into the gym, it would take a few minutes for the walls to rearrange. This gave him a few minutes to finish his side notes while the walls around Dusk closed in, making a small room like the one she started in. He glanced up as the last few walls fell into place, all the markings the cat mutant had made were now in random places, some even in the path that lead to the exit. He looked at his cheat sheet and nodded, this path would take a bit longer to complete than the original he had her started in.

He looked up and was about to push the green button to have her begin again when he noticed that another had entered the gym. He pushed a button, allowing the mutant into the little room that dusk had originally started out in and waited until the female was inside. He pushed the green button, letting the door slide open so both mutants had access to the labyrinth before them. He smiled wondering what would happen when the two met, which he could guarantee would happen as the ground under their feet started to heat up, forcing them to move somewhere else.

~Carmine~

She still eyed Camelion, she could tell just by his expression that he enjoyed seeing another’s pain like herself and would very well give her the information like he said he would. She nodded, her long hair brushing against her bare torso. ”Very well, I can have it removed but we don’t use sedatives here, only for putting out the more dangerous mutants when necessary. You get through that without harming any of my Healers then I’ll consider letting you work here.” She waved him off, allowing another guard to lead him off to get that chip removed. It made her think that some of the Institution’s technologies may be useful to her, as she hadn’t thought of a controlling chip in the brain before.

Eriyk

He watched the match, noting how this man moved. He was light on his feet, quick in his movements and used precise attacks to make maximum damage with the least amount of force. He noted the others reactions, cheering widely when their comrade finally got a hit in, but he could tell that the man allowed it to happen, feigning his loss of balance and then coming back with a fatal blow. He had seen movements like that before, only a few of the best guards could fight like that, and he could beat them all.

The man jumped down from the ring and walked over to him. “So Eriyk, enjoy the show? Now that the warm up is out of the way… why don’t you get up here and show me what the real boss of these morons can do?” He smiled, one side of his mouth rising to make the expression and took the towel off from around his neck. ”I won’t be so easy, he was only here a few weeks. I’ve spent my life in this building.”

He grabbed the top rope that ran around the ring and flung his large frame over the top and bounced on his feet lightly. He didn’t bother getting any gloves or protective gear, he would have the fool on the ground soon anyway. He was large, big enough to tell her lifted a large amount of weights, and it looked like he would be slow on his feet, he didn’t move to fast, hoping this man would think that like so many others have before. A large man didn’t move quickly like a small thinner an would.

Dusk


Dusk remained seated for a few moments, casually releasing and retracting her claws slowly. Suddenly the walls moved in to surround her again. Again she jumped slightly before forcing herself to relax. She was back in the box once again, and she could hear the slight shifting of something outside. Her body remained tense ready for whatever came next. If nothing drastic happened she would stay seated on the floor. Truly she would have done it earlier, if not for her claustrophobia. She was still feeling like a trapped bird, and her heart fluttered in fear as the minutes ticked on by, and still the walls didn't budge. She stood, not wanting to be caught at a disadvantage for whatever tricks the lab coat had come up with. Just as she was feeling desperate, the walls were suddenly removed, and she found herself back in the maze. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She could have sworn that there was previously a claw mark right in front of her. She whipped her head around, and found one behind her.
Still suspicious, but a little more sure of herself, Dusk finally settled for the idea that in her terror she had changed position. Finally deciding that was the case, she examined her handy work, purposefully staying where she was. She wasn't moving for anyone. Her ankles and side still hurt anyway, though her hands had healed enough to be bear able.
She was just about to sit down again, when the ground under her feet started to heat slightly. At first she thought she'd mistaken it, however soon her feet started to sweat, and she glanced down. Her bare feet, still had a small congealed cut straight through, however her feet were no longer bleeding. Soon the heat increased to an unbearable heat, she let out an involuntary gasp, as her feet started to burn and she took off through one of the corridors, one without her mark. She continued but stopped a little later, not wanting to run, then the heat was back on and she was forced onward.
Her brow creased in worry, as she hit a dead end, gazed back from whence she had come. The heat increased, and so with a deep breath, she ran straight back where she had come from. The ground was no longer hot, and she frowned slightly in confusion, before she finally came upon a possible solution.
They were driving her towards something. Her heart started to pound again. She doubted whatever the white coats wanted her to encounter was a good thing. Her heart heavy with dread, she continued to move forward as the heat came on.
It was strange, she was certain that she hadn't been this far in the maze, when she saw another claw mark, she stared quizzically at it, before the heat forced her to move further on. She was getting stressed again, and she was starting to move faster, pushing her new abilities to the limit. Her feet carried her as fast as they could down the corridors, her new abilities making her fast and agile. Her long black hair streamed out behind her, her green eyes alight with terror. Her grey nighty from the lab was shabby and clung to her thin form as she continued to sprint through the maze.
Her claws were unsheathed, and she continued to run as fast as she could through the corridors. Her feet were starting to throb again, but as of yet, they were holding out. As she turned to an un-clawed corridor the heat was so intense she was forced to back track. She wondered briefly when she would arrive at the destination they wanted her to go to. That was when a terrible thought entered her mind. What if they didn't want her to go anywhere in particular? What if their sole plan was in keeping her running till she dropped. She forced the thought down, refusing to think of it anymore.
That was when a noise caught her attention. There seemed to be something or someone breathing or moving nearby. Her heart beat faster against her ribcage, constricting her breath. What sort of living creature could be put in the maze for her to discover?

Finding the heat following her, and filled with terror, Dusk made her way around the corner to face the owner of the noise.