The Lab

Peter Tykwer

"Damn illusive soldier. . . ." Peter hissed spitefully into the air. He had scoured the facility looking for Eyrik and still the man had not turned up. How did Peter expect to recapture Michael if he did not have the best of the best working on the case? Eyrik was Carmine's attache, and one of the most proficient soldiers he had seen. But he was still one of the most illusive! Where was that man?! Peter grasped the edge of his mask in frustration, the metal smooth but obtrusive, heavy. He sighed loudly, the air made a grating noise in his throat as it was forced out by his lungs. He was so thirsty, his throat was so dry, but it had always been this way since the accident in the lab. He entertained the thought of getting it fixed. He wouldn't be in constant pain and his face would be once again bearable to look upon. But he had entertained the idea before, and just as before he instantly dismissed the thought. These scientists were skilled but some were. . . broken. He wouldn't put it past them to do something horrible to him while he was under the knife. Besides, he wouldn't feel right correcting his disfigurement until the individual it reminded him of was brought to --for lack of a better expression-- justice.
He stormed along the halls looking for the soldier. Peter even resorted to asking some subordinates where the man was. Nothing useful came of it. In fact it just made him more lost. He felt humiliated, like some being above was looking down and laughing at how fate was treating him. Like he was some puppet that was being controlled and forced into a comedic relief role. Peter stomped down the hallway, one of what seemed to be millions, and was so wrapt in his own thoughts and the indecipherable map of the facility that he collided, or nearly collided, with Gabriel. The masked scientist whirled, even more flustered; was slapstick now in this farce of fate too?
"Watch it!" He snapped. He grumbled; grand, now he seemed petulant and brutish, but he still wasn't about to apologize. He gazed at the other subject in the near-collision, something seemed familiar about him.
"You were that one outside Carmine's office weren't you? While I was leaving." He paused, trying to judge the man. He seemed poised despite his lax nature. His blonde hair fell down in an almost messy and careless manner but the man's demeanor seemed to speak anything other than careless and messy. His eyes were scrutinizing and alert.
"Who are you?" Peter demanded. He felt the man would answer in a very sparing manner, the kind to provide information on a need-to-know basis, so Peter suffixed the phrase with: "And why are you here?"

~Carmine~

She expected the man to be slapped down the moment she swiped at him; instead he shifted back and avoided her strike. In a few swift moves she was up against the wall, her gloved hand pinned above her and the other by her side. She was a bit surprised at how quickly he moved, obviously skilled in combat, but she still didn’t like him. She was about to slap him when he put a cigarette in her mouth and held a flame up to it for her. She let it light and took one drag on it, and expelled the smoke when he let her down; she took the cigarette from her mouth and put it out on her hand. She barely felt the pain, merely because she was half focused on the man’s words, he wanted all the files of the mutants, and he was called Gabriel.

She still didn’t like him, but she slightly respected him, slightly. She tossed the cigarette in the trash, not even caring about her hand, it would heal fast and the small scar there would just add to the few that she had all over, not that she cared about hose either, or kept them very long, she would get the scars removed or softened out when she felt like it. She grumbled to herself as she started getting files together, putting all the data from her computer on a flash drive. She noticed that Peter had come back, either he was going to tell her that he had gotten the team that he needed or was going to ask another that was going to get her more frustrated than this days was getting her. Gabriel asked for the personnel files. She didn’t mind giving those; she knew there were rats somewhere, each facility had a few, but you couldn’t always keep everyone out.

She got all the files together on the flash drive and strode over to the two men there at her office door. She put the flash drive in Gabriel’s pants pocket. ”Training area? You go there; you can plan on being beaten down by Eriyk in a match. It’s a few floors down.” She glanced at Peter, he looked like he had been walking for awhile, and by the gleam in his eyes, was frustrated, meaning he didn’t accomplish what he had set out to do. She frowned a little. ”Did you get that team together? The experiment that got away under your watch needs to be brought back.”

Aramay

She couldn't believe it. Both her and Eli went into the lab but she so far was the only one to get free. Free as one could be inside of the complex hallways. She heard him call for help on the radio and that encouraged her to get even further away than she already managed. Aramay didn't know how badly she may have hurt the guard but it was enough to make him back off. She still clutched the surgical instrument in her hand. Going into the lab got her turned around. She didn't know whether she was going forward or doubling back from where she had been already. It didn't seem to make much of a difference since she didn't know where the exit was. Still just as lost as before.

*pop* Her chest felt a sharp pain shortly before her sternum shifted; relieving the intense discomfort and relieved her previous breathing issues just a little bit more. No time to think about that now. She had to keep going and ignore her overall bodily soreness. Though she couldn't swear that her shirt felt tighter against her chest. Don't think about that now. Just focus on moving forward. She looked like an escaped patient. Bleeding from I.V. needle wounds, some droplets of blood on her shirt, frazzled, and walking around with only one slipper. No, she didn't stick out at all. Not one bit...

Peter frowned behind his mask at the man's demeanor. He did not enjoy the way the poised individual held himself; higher than everyone else. Perhaps the man was an agent of some sort, but why would that make him better than any other personnel at the lab? Carmine arrived soon though. Grand, yet another person that grated on Peter's nerves. She also seemed to harbor a slight grudge against the blonde man though. He grimaced when she brought up the accident at the lab, especially in front of this man, who he still didn't know the name of. He was embarrassed in front of someone who didn't already know him. The first impressions that could easily be gleaned from this, not the least of which was incompetence, sickened Peter to no end. He took solace only in the fact that such impressions were wrong, but it still infuriated him. First impressions were hard to rectify, especially when he was in such little contact with the impressioneers.
"No. . . I haven't assembled a team yet. I was going to use your very own Eyrik on said team though. Michael is an asset that must be captured efficiently or else we will never acquire him and the lab's database in his head will be gone forever." He paused and looked at Gabriel. "Have you any combat training?" He spoke as though speaking down to him. He did not know this man but Peter would not have the agent treating him as an inferior.
"If so, perhaps i could use you in retrieving Michael."

~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.

~Carmine~

She may not have looked it but she was paying attention to what Kyra was telling her. Her feet just kept marching towards the door, wanting to be rid of them as soon as she could, she wasn’t in particularly good mood and was most likely going to end up breaking at some point and will have to take her anger out on someone. She paused slightly as Kyra’s message was cut short, Carmine understood what she was going to say, but it was strange enough for someone to cut short their sentence with her, it rarely happened anymore. Then the girl collapsed.

She crossed her arms, letting Kishan deal with it, instead of doing anything herself. She wasn’t feeling helpful and wasn’t going to lend any type of helping hand to the pair. She rolled her dark eyes as Kishan starting yelling at Kyra, basically begging her to wake up. She wasn’t going to deal with this anymore and snapped her fingers at the guard next to her office door. ”Take these two to the Healer’s Quarters. Find out what happened with the girl and send them on their way.” The guard nodded once, and took a hold of Kishan’s arm, leading him down the hall.

She ran a hand through her hair, noting the dark light outside the window in her office, one of the very few in the building. She wondered briefly if she had eaten today, most likely not, she would go get something soon, maybe have someone make a round to the mutants. That was basically when they got fed, when she remembered she hadn’t and the mutants crossed her mind at the same time. Then she turned her dark gaze to the man that was being brought to her.

Not much stood out about him to her, he seemed pretty ordinary except for his eyed colored eyes that she found notable. "My name is Cameron Leyon; you might know me under the mutant-file Camelion. I have come to you for.... help, and for a job." She frowned a little, thinking about the files she had obtained, it took her a few minutes but yes, she knew which one he was. Able to change into any other person at will. He was most likely very useful in interrogations and for spying. She nodded, ”I know who you are, and where you came from. Why would you come to me for a place, when you already have one?”

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...

Aramay

She didn't know if she was walking for minutes or hours but it increasingly added to the sinking feeling in her stomach. The aimless wandering was what she had earned for not helping when she had the chance. Being lost was almost worse than being caught. It was the thought of being discovered that made her heart race faster than anything else. It was torture in and of itself. Walking around barefoot with a sharp instrument. Depending on who saw her made it either frightening or pathetic to their eyes. Being caught became less of a concern when there was absolutely nothing happening. She couldn't find an exit. Doesn't hear anything but the pads of her feet hit the floor. All that she was left to was her own blank thoughts that were as empty as the halls.

Her hears had grown so sensitive to the lack of sound that when she heard two pairs of footsteps coming through the hall that she practically threw herself against the wall to stay out of sight. A woman being held at the wrist by a male scientist of sorts. Aramay keeps away from their view, letting them pass her. Aramay didn't realize that she was now doing the same thing that she had already done before. Hide like a frightened dolt and just let the others get taken away till she was alone again. No, not again. Her chest tightened. She was making herself panic again.

Aramay followed Dusk and the scientist through the hall, down the stairs through the doors. She couldn't psych herself out enough to just jump the guy. Each attempt made her start to hyperventilate. She was slow to move into the enormous room. The scientist had gone but Aramay noticed that the girl was pushed into the room. Another cell maybe? It wasn't until after everything looked free and clear that she dared to go to the door that closed after Dusk was pushed into it. She peered in to see if the girl was still there.

[u][i]Eriyk[u][i]

He paused slightly as he saw the pair head to the two that were in the ring. Usually people looking for a guard came to him first and he found the one best suited for whatever circumstance that was needed. He put the towel around his neck and gathered around the ring along with the others. A few glanced his way, making room for him. He glanced at the men and almost laughed outright at his misidentification of the man in the ring for himself. A few of the present guards threw glances his way, seeing what his reaction would be, and a few surprised faces at his expression. He was slightly ticked off that someone would think that the obviously weaker man in the ring was him, but also found a great way to know his opponent.

The man in the ring also hesitated when answering the stranger’s question. A slight nod from Eriyk out of the corner of his eye and he nodded. ”Come on up here then. Let’s see what you can do.” More guards started to gather, seeing what this outcome would be.

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.

Aramay

She jumps back when the door suddenly slides open. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and her head whips around to see if there were any cameras watching her. There was really no choice in the matter if she wanted to keep moving forward. Reluctantly she steps into the room, knowingly waiting for the door to shut behind her. Still, it didn't stop her from tensing up. Another door opens, which leads to a set of corridors. It doesn't take long for her to realize. 'Oh great. A maze.' But when she sees claw marks on some of the walls she stops, and stares. Her stomach churns at the thought of what possibly could have made those marks. She runs a nail along the wall. Normal human nails couldn't have made those marks.

She couldn't contemplate the clue for long. The floor began to heat up underneath her feet. Lifting up one foot, then the other while she looked at the floor. For a moment she panicked but when she moved a few steps over she noticed that it was only the floor that she stood directly on that grew hot that she could tell. As long as she kept moving and didn't let the pressure get to her then maybe she could do more than just plan what she was doing at that very moment. Something catches her ear. Footsteps far faster than hers could ever move. Aramay quickly tries to move away but to her realization the maze curled around. Right when she thought that she was moving away...

She darts around the corner full swing. She almost collides directly into Dusk. "Ah!" She yelps jumping back and swiping at the intruder in defense.

~Carmine~

She paused slightly as Camelion took her hand, and placed a kiss near her wrist. Strange thing to do. The action cut through her previous train of thought and left her a bit stunned. It took her all of two seconds for her to realize she was standing there like an idiotic damsel and turned abruptly, going back into her office. Right before she shut the door she heard a smack, a thud and Camelion’s voice. She smirked as she shut the door. Likes to bring pain does he? The thought of allowing him to remain began to sound more appealing, she did need a few interrogators, and she could compare the story she got from the kitten earlier with the information he would tell her after. She nodded; she would do that, after she got some food. She left her office, and headed down to the cafeteria.

Healers

The older woman looked up as a guard came in with someone, he was obviously wounded as he was limping and holding his side. He also looked quite irritated, she didn’t see that look often in the wounded unless it was a guard, but this one wasn’t wearing the uniform. She didn’t ask questions about it as she motioned with a wave of her hand to the nearest cot in the room and jotted something down on a paper. She then went over to the man. ”What happened now? What all needs to be fixed?”

Aramay

The first thing that caught her attention was the girl's eyes. Aramay backed up even further. This girl had claws! Not sharpened nails, actual claws. Aramay's hands pulled closer to her chest so that the instrument wasn't just being waved out in front of her. So Dusk was the one who made those marks on the walls. It was both relieving and unsettling at the same time. "I'm sorry." It could have been an apology for swiping at Dusk, or for leaving them behind. Then another odd thing happened. She said her name, not in a pleasant manor but it still was a greeting."I...just woke up on a table with tubes sticking out of me." Aramay stops. "So, sorry if I'm not...I just want to get out of here."

Dusk looked like she was in pain but it wasn't like there was anything Aramay could do to help her even if she figured out what was wrong. Unfortunately there wasn't much time to work on pleasantries. It already started off sour. Dusk looked better equipped to injure someone than Aramay's dried blood from that guard clung to the surgical instrument. On the other hand she didn't appear to be completely focused on what was going on while Aramay twitched at almost every single noise or fast movement.

She tightened her lips and watched Dusk dig her claws into the wall to write out the message. It wasn't helping them get out. It probably would make their challenge even worse with how Dusk was trying to provoke a response to whoever was watching. "I think we should leave and save the threats for later." She said nervously, already looking for another way to go. "Maybe we should stick with corridors to the right...and go from there."

~Carmine~

She was just coming back from the cafeteria, liking her lips. She finally had some food in her stomach after a long day of nothing but talking with people. She probably hadn’t eaten yesterday either, seemed so anyway. Any guard she passed stepped out of her way, letting her get through the hallways without any interruption. She had ordered one of the guards to go around and give the mutants some food before they shut the lights out in the rooms. Any scraps left over from the cafeteria would be thrown in the cell and then a few minutes later the lights would be put out. She knew that other facilities probably fed them better but here she got the better results, even though the care for them was lacking. But it had to be done, keeping them weak is what kept them compliant.

She ran a hand through her hair, turning down a hallway and letting the soft locks of black and red brush against her back. She paused slightly as she felt a presence behind her. She turned, her bangs sliding over one eye as she did so, and focused her gaze on Camelion. She was a bit surprised that he was back so soon, he had stitches on the side of his head and his torso and shoulder were bandaged. ”Back so soon? Thought you might have wanted a rest before coming to tell me the secrets you keep.” She stepped towards him slowly, brushing those stubborn bangs behind her ear.

Scientist

He was jotting things down on two clipboards, now that there were two mutants inside the maze. There were others in the room, keeping track of things, and telling him the main points that needed to be written down. One was listening through some headphones at the conversation going on; apparently neither of them had any strong predator instincts, they were introducing themselves and planned on working together. He laughed, and looked up as the man observing their actions motioned for him to go over. The feline had scratched into the wall a message to them, he smiled, and not many of the mutants knew how to read let alone write so it was almost hilarious at seeing the message carved into the wall. When I get out. You are dead.

He shook his head with a smirk. ”The little kitten thinks she can attack us once she’s out.” A few others laughed along with him and he went back to the control panel pushing a red button. ”I doubt either of them will have enough strength to walk let alone attack after this.” He watched, arms crossed as he knew that, for one, the ground underneath their feet was heating up, and second, he had just allowed the pillars of fire to start working. He saw one shoot up from the ground a few corridors from the pair then disappear, another shot up in another part of the labyrinth. He nodded, the jets would be random, and there was no sign of where or when it would strike, not even a vent it the ground indicated where it could be.

~Carmine~

She listened to all he had to tell her, and honestly she didn’t think it would take so long. She expected him to be blunt and tell him simple things like anyone else would, but he explained and rambled some, it might have been that he was swaying on his feet and looked as if he needed sleep. She just listened, as he didn’t give much time for her comment all too much, and seemed to be rambling a bit about his past life, about the murders he had committed before being caught. He caught himself and returned to the subject, but in the back of her mind she didn’t know if she wanted him to go back, she was enjoying the descriptions of the things he had done.

But he continued, and finally came his demand. As she knew there would be one, nothing came without a price. But he caught her off guard once again. ”Just another mutant? That’s all you ask for?” She stood from her place on the couch and walked in front of the book shelves. She nodded to him. ”It can be arranged, someone will head out to collect the mutant soon. It seems you need rest though.” She motioned to the deep red colored piece of furniture. ”You can sleep there, unless you’d rather a cell.” She chuckled and walked out, going over to her desk to check his information with the information she got earlier from the feline they had brought in.

Dusk


"I'm sorry."
Dusk cocked her head slightly. If it was for swiping at her there was nothing to apologise for.
"I...just woke up on a table with tubes sticking out of me. So, sorry if I'm not...I just want to get out of here."
Dusk gave the woman a quick nod, before glancing back at the scratched wall.
"I think we should leave and save the threats for later. Maybe we should stick with corridors to the right...and go from there."
Dusk glanced at the woman again, shrugging slightly. It wasn't as though things could get any worse. At any point Carmine would figure out about her lies, she'd continue to be experimented on, and her friends would also be tortured. In her opinion, currently rebellion was the only way she could live. Not survive, but live. There was a huge difference. Allowing the white coats to experiment on her without fighting back to sustain from injury, and would probably help her survive, but what kind of life was that? None the less, she understood what the woman was talking about. It probably would make things worse. Dusk was honestly beyond caring.
The woman's second comment also made sense. Without another word Dusk began taking the right corridors, before a sudden burst of heat came from behind. Dusk spun around at reflex speed to see the last of pillar of fire rising from the floor. Another second and it was gone. Dusk frowned. It appeared they were already striking back. Not that it would make much difference, they would torture her whether she rebelled or not.
She immediately made her way back to the spot where the fire had erupted from, careful to keep some distance. There was no change in the floor to show that the fire had been there. Dusk raised her eyebrows. Now there would be no way to tell when the fire would come. Best to be light on her feet than, Dusk thought uneasily. Forgetting the woman momentarily, Dusk sped off, turning as many rights as she could, clawing a single cross in each path she turned on. With this amount of trickery with fire and heated floors, Dusk assumed at any moment she might be boxed again. She remembered the shifting sounds, and fear ran through her as she thought of the walls possibly changing. Obviously she couldn't be sure, so Dusk was careful to mark the corridors differently now. She sped through as fast as she could, marking and continuing on, praying that she wouldn't be burnt of a cinder.

Aramay

Dusk didn't look to be a very talkative person. In fact, she barely talked at all. Aramay would have had better responses from a deaf person. Then it occurred to her. How long had this girl been down here? Was she even human to begin with? Everything was wildly off and nothing made sense. What the hell was happening in this facility? Clearly there were tests being done on people. Aramay was in the middle of one. Still, she had no clue just how far down the rabbit hole was. Regardless she was in desperate need of company that didn't try to attack or detain her. So when Dusk listened to her advice and started heading right, Aramay followed behind her.

Aramay started to sweat again. The stress was intensifying her paranoia but the physical illness that she was feeling felt completely off. She feels waves of hot and cold washing through her like she was coming down with something. It was causing her to slow down making it all the harder to keep up with the quick and agile Dusk. Suddenly intense, searing heat pushes her back with a nearly singed face and hair. The pillar of fire separated the two making the shock of the new obstacle all the more panic provoking. "You've gotta be kidding me!" She exclaims. After she remembers to breath again. "You shouldn't h-" Aramay stops. She holds her head from the sudden intense pain. Her body reminded her harshly that it wanted to rest and the stress was not doing her any favors.

Looking up Aramay just in time sees Dusk dash around the corner. Stumbling forward she does her best to try to catch up to the much faster girl. Beads of sweat roll down her face. It wasn't from the pillars of fire that shot up from the ground either. "Dusk?" She couldn't find her. The more she looked for her the more she felt like she was getting lost even though she was following to the right. "Dusk!" Aramay would then notice that there were new claw marks. For an instant a sense of ease helped stifle her anger for being suddenly left behind. A pillar of fire erupts not very far from behind her, prompting her to quickly continue moving forward. She stops just long enough to scowl at the ceiling and flipping the birdie to whoever was watching. Just because Dusk stirred up trouble it shouldn't have meant that both of them got in trouble for it and she was showing her protest the best way she could being out of breath most of the time.

Another small *pop* can be heard from her ribs. She could only figure that some of them were fractured. Yet the pain didn't get worse when it happened. It actually helped ease the discomfort. Her feet hurt each time they hit the ground to push her forward like she was stepping on something that shouldn't be stepped on. Something odd was definitely happening with her.

Eriyk

He watched the man in front of him remove the hidden guns and knives. He didn’t make too much difference to him whether he had them or not, but he figured having them did hinder the ability to move and this smaller man would obviously use a speed type technique to try and being him down. ”well big guy, you going to make a move or not?” He smirked, the man loosened, dropping his guard somewhat, leaving him open for attack. At least it seemed so; the men was placed perfectly so that if Eriyk did rush into the set up, he could be swept down on his back or even have his momentum used against him.

But why not trip this man up by going for it, he smiled. ”Being generous are we?” He went forward, going in for the obvious attack that was there by the man’s slight drop in his guard. So many times had he done the same to the other guards to train them up, he knew exactly what was going to happen, the man was moving to block him and was going to twist out of his reach. He changed his course right as the man moved, catching his shoulder with one hand, and his ankle with the other, using the momentum the man started on his own to send him on his back.

A searing heat at his back awoke Vincent Dupont. The white light blinded his eyes before he could even open them. It was like nothing he’d felt before. And his head began to hurt immediately. Damn did his head hurt. Are they burning me? He wondered. That was different. Not new, but different. Generally they didn’t have much need to burn him. Could I stop flame? He wondered. Yes. That must be what they want me to do. He sat still for a second and let the sensation spread as he became more alert. I’ll take the flame and hold it to all the bastards’ faces.

He buried head in his shirt before he blinked a couple of times. What is that light? He needed to know. He couldn’t look at it. Not if he wanted to keep his eyesight. Ugh, God, that’s uncomfortable. He closed his eyes and turned his head. Something soft and cold crumpled away as his he dragged his face across it.

What the hell is that?

It couldn’t be… could it? He was able to keep his eyes open now, as long as he squinted tightly. He looked back to the ground. Soft, brown. His hand flailed out and grasped the substance tightly. He picked up a clump of it and started to laugh. Dirt. God have mercy if it isn’t dirt. But it couldn’t be because dirt would mean that he was… outside.

He rested his palms on the ground around him and took a breath. With a mighty shove, he lifted himself off the ground and sat on his knees. His eyes opened a bit wider. The light became less blinding as he adjusted. Natural light. He laughed.

Surely he was the only one in the world who’d gone 70 years without truly laughing. How could he describe the feeling? He devoured the air gratefully and spread his arms out to hug the sun. He saw trees. He saw birds. But he didn’t see people. Where were all the people?

The burning sensation had crept across the entire back half of his body. A crackling noise came from behind him. He spun around and had to shield his eyes again from a new brightness. Flames shot up around the building behind him, engulfing it. What could that be except for the Lab? Sixty-seven years in America and never had he stepped foot on its land. Everything he knew of this country was inside that building.

That horrendous, God-forsaken, prison.

Vincent spat on the American soil and stood to his feet. He remembered suddenly as though it were yesterday – waking up to the Americans around him; waking up just as he’d woken up right here. Oh they’d stood so tall, so proud. So noble. They were his heroes for just a moment. They were going to take him out of Germany. Bring him home, perhaps? He remembered thinking in a fleeting moment – I can spend the money I’ve earned. I can spend the money I made for myself.

Then the tall, blonde one. He looked like he belonged with the Aryans. He looked like a member of the SS himself, but he wasn’t. He was an American; an American that understood German, because he read Vincent’s file. He knew exactly how to sedate this… freak. This telekinetic freak. That SS American was the reason that the next time Vincent woke up, it was right there in the building that stood burning before him now. My whole life robbed from me.

It all seemed like just yesterday. Seventy years of intense pain and boredom elapsed in that instant. Now he was stuck in this 50 year old body; stuck in this country of selfish liars; stuck in this future he knew nothing of. I’ve jumped, he told himself. From 1940 to right now. He wasn’t sure when that was, but his doctors told him from time to time what year it was. It added to his suffering.

What can I do now? He wondered. Nothing, of course. Except sit and wait for someone to help him.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


One hour later, Vincent remained seated on a rock watching the flames around the Lab die down. A rumble in his stomach had grown louder and he knew he’d have to find food soon. Freedom was a paradoxical reward. Before, his every move was dictated. Now, he could not move on his own because he did not know how. He did not know where he was, nor did he understand this country. Before, his dependency was enforced. Now, his dependency was out of necessity.

A bush behind him rustled and a twig snapped. Unmistakably, Vincent recognized them as footsteps. He turned quickly around and stood up defensively, ready to attack if needed. A man in a black suit stepped out from behind the trees. He hid his face behind glasses and a trimmed white beard. He carried something in a white and red bag.

“Hello, Vincent,” the man said. Vincent balled his fists. “Relax. You don’t remember, me, do you?” He chuckled. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t.” He sighed and sat down on the rock Vincent had previously occupied. “I used to look into your cell in the early days – to see if Dr. Wagner was in there with you.” Vincent lunged forward, but the man raised his hand calmly. “Uh-uh-uh, Vincent. You’re going to hear me out. I understand you don’t have fond memories of the man.”

For the first time, Vincent noticed the man’s accent. It was subtle, hidden by years of studying English. German, though, for sure. Vincent’s back cracked from the tension in his body. “Who are you?” He croaked.

“My name is Robert. Alexander Wagner was my father.”

“Get away from me!”

“Relax, Vincent. Don’t be difficult. I’m not here on his behalf. The man hasn’t spoken to me since I was eighteen years old.”

“He is alive still?” Vincent inquired, horror creeping into his words.

“Oh, yes. Doing quite well, I’m told. Enjoying retirement in a nursing home not far from here. He turned 97 last week. Can you believe it? He won’t let me see him, though, unfortunately. All because of you, Vincent.”

“Me?”

“You ruined him, Vincent. He lost his humanity the day he took yours. Did you know that? He hated himself for the things he did to you. Even before he stopped your aging, he’d come home miserable. Oh but it was the only way, he promised me. He’d say, ‘Robert, I’ve become a torturer. It is what I am now and I cannot hide from it. Don’t be like me, son.’”

“Why you tell me this?”

“Here,” Robert Wagner replied. He lifted up the bag in his hand. “Take it. I’m sure you’re hungry.” Vincent hesitated. “I lost my humanity in my father’s eyes the day I started working for the Lab. He broke you, Vincent. Then you broke him. Then I was broken to him.” Vincent only looked back quizzically. “That was poetic of me. Take my word on it. The English was a bit complicated, though. My point is that we’re connected, Vincent. Eat this, please.”

Vincent stumbled forward and took the bag from him. It smelt hot and salty. “What is this?”

“McDonald’s, Vincent. It’s so sad what that lab has deprived you of. Consider this your first exposure to American culture.” Vincent reached into the bag and pulled out soggy hamburger with two layers of burger, cheese, pickles, and onions. Robert continued, “They call it the Big Mac. Try a fry.” Vincent quizzically grabbed one of the salted, yellow skinned fries on the side and lifted it to his mouth. The flavor – after a lifetime of lab food – melted him, to say the least. His hunger overtook him and he plunged his hands into the bag for more. Robert laughed. “They call them French fries here, you know. I wonder if your people had anything to do with that.” They sat in silence for a couple minutes while Vincent enjoyed the meal. Robert watched in silence before saying, “There is a serious matter we need to discuss. I figure we should talk about it now before you realize how badly you want to kill me.”

Robert looked up from the burger, mayonnaise and lettuce trailing down his face. “What you want?”

“As you can see, this part of the Lab has been destroyed. That means you and the other mutants are free – and that could be very dangerous. I would like to pretend that I’m concerned about the lives at stake if you mutants lose control, but I’ll spare you. The truth, Vincent, is that if we are discovered – if all the work this lab has done is exposed, it will cost all of my colleagues lots of money and lots of devastation. We can’t have all of you running around like this. I want you to help me find the others like you. I want you to make them trust you, and I want you to bring them back to me.”

Vincent dropped the burger into the bag and replied with his mouth full, “You are wanting me help you?”

“Yes.”

“No. You leave me alone.”

Robert sighed and reached into his front pocket. He pulled out an old, faded photograph and beckoned to Vincent. The mutant sat beside the son of the man who’d ruined his life. “Do you recognize this woman?” Robert asked.

Vincent wiped his salty hands on his shirt and took the photo from the suited man. He peered at it for a moment before recognition hit. “Mother,” he replied. “This is my mother.”

“Yes it is. And these three are the children that came after you. Do you know her? This youngest one right here?”

“No. Only two she had before I left.”

“This is Thérèse. She is your youngest sister. Of course she’s 82 now, living here in America with her daughter, Pauline. It’s funny, isn’t it, that your niece would look closer to your age than your younger sister?”

“My sister… she is here?”

“Yes. And if you do what I am asking, I will let you be with her. I will let you go free forever.”

“How I know trust you?”

“Well, what other choice do you have?”

“I want meet her.”

“In time you will. If you help me. What do you say?”

Vincent thought for a moment, staring at his mother’s picture. “What happened to my mother?” He asked.

“She died. About twenty years ago. Age and cancer, I’m afraid. But that man with her – that man saved her life when she was young. He was an American businessman, who made your mother his mistress for a long time before he ran away with her. He took your family off the streets and brought them to America. Think how different your life would have been if you had stayed with them…”

“I help you. If I meet my sister.”

“Okay, Vincent. That is a fair deal.” Robert stood up and Vincent tried to give him the photo. “No, you keep it.”

“Where you going?”

“It’s just a matter of time before the other mutants find you. I can’t be here when they do.” Robert pulled out a small device from his pocket and opened it for Vincent. Vincent’s eyes widened. “When you need me, you call. Just press this button here, okay?”

“What… this? American telephone?”

“Sort of. They call it a cell phone. Turn it off at night, like this. The battery should last you a few days. Goodbye, Vincent. And thank you.”

“Tell me where is your father.”

Robert turned to face the mutant. “Do you want to kill him, Vincent?”

“No.”

“Good. We have a plan. You will be free. It is time to forget the past now.”

“I need know for if plan fails.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I not want kill your father, Mr. Robert. But if plan fail, I want him kill me.”

Robert stood still for a second. “How poetic that’d be,” he muttered. “Call me… when you’re ready.” Then, he disappeared into the trees again.

Vincent turned around and stared into the remains of his burger and fries. He picked up the bun and continued to eat, waiting once again.

Dusk


"You've gotta be kidding me!...You shouldn't h-"
Dusk was already off. She didn't want to hear what she should or shouldn't do. That woman had obviously only been here for a small time, and didn't have half a clue of what truly went on. She'd had enough of bowing to their will, she would honestly do anything to make their job harder. Dusk hadn't felt like this before, normally she'd be the one to back off, and try and stay out of the lime light, however here it didn't seem possible.
"Dusk? … Dusk!"
Dusk heard the woman calling out behind her, however she didn't slow down. If the woman didn't want her upsetting the white coats and causing trouble, then she could stay behind. After all, if she'd made them angry then the closer the woman was to her, the more danger she was in. Dusk kept running, dodging back out of dead ends, and picking up speed. Fire shot up every now and then, but just behind her. At the rate she was going, it was probably hard to aim directly at her. She gave a hard smile, as she continued on. It this was the worse they had, she could deal with it. She could tell she was making progress, the exit couldn’t be that far ahead...she was losing stamina though. It seems this body was made for quick bursts of speed, not continuous ones. She found herself slowing down, just as fire erupted behind her, way too close for her liking, yet she just couldn't pick up the pace. She found herself gasping for air, her heart pounding in her ears to the rhythm of her bare feet.
She was now down to the speed of a normal human jogging. Just as she turned into the one of the corners, scratching her mark, a pillar of fire rose up to her right, just singing her arm.

She let out a scream, just as the fire went back into the ground. Her fore arm was blistered. She let out a weak groan, carefully holding her arm away from her, as the pain registered again in her mind. Her sight fogged up slightly as her exhausted body tried to register how to cope with this new pain. She stuffed her fingers in her mouth to keep from crying out, her eyes rolling upwards in an attempt to cope. The floor started heating up beneath her, and that was when her mind registered, she was sitting on the ground. The thought acted like a spear through her distort mind, and she forced herself to her feet to continue making it to the exit. Surely she was close to the end. The question was whether the white coats wanted her to finish. They could stop her with a press of a button.

~Carmine~

Carmine was at her desk, she had left Camelion where he was to rest, the snores having no effect to deter her from what she was doing. She had worked during Eriyk’s snores and through someone being interrogated or punished, this man’s quiet snores were as close as she got to silence these days. She then looked up as she heard a knock on the door and another man walked in. “Carmine, it’s Robert Wagner from Tracking. I’m sure you’re busy but we need to talk.” He was older, a full head of white hair and by the look in his eyes he had seen much in his time. He walked right up to her, giving the slightest of acknowledges that Camelion was there and spoke. “Hello, director, I need to know what the current situation is with the escaped mutants. I’ve got a plan underway to capture any of the remaining ones. It’s not our habit to work together, but this matter concerns us both and I need your help.”

She nodded, she remembered him, had seen him working with her father on occasion, but over all she didn’t need to keep too close track of their area. They found the ones to be tested on and they always did their job well in finding people who would not be missed by the populace. ”There are a few plans in place. I have one man working with my Eriyk to find a mutant that should contain all the files to the destroyed building. Another is going to be helping find the rest and I just received word on how to find a few that had been taken to the Institution, the damn thieves.” She pulled her hair back into a high pony tail, leaving her bangs out to fall across her forehead. She had just found the information she had written down that Dusk had given her and it didn’t match the story that Camelion had just given her. ”Anyways, you can go work with any of them if you choose to. What is the plan you already have in motion?” She looked up at him, the slightest hints of circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep she had gotten.

_Eriyk_

He was pretty sure he had the fight right then, as he was going to have the man out cold in this single move. He was slightly caught off guard as the man caught his balance and firmly placed his feet down on the mat. A punch to his hand broke the hold he had and the man’s back was to him, left leg out to kick him off balance. He hadn’t had an actual fight like this in awhile, the kick actually hit him. But he wasn’t going to get beat so easily.

He smirked as both his hands caught the man’s foot, yes the kick connected, he was slightly off balance, but had enough strength to reposition himself so that he could now pull the man back and down in one yank. ”Excellent, I haven’t had a real opponent in some time.” A quick peripheral glance gave him a few startled faces of guards who had never seen anyone last more than one move with him.

Scientist

He watched the two struggle through the maze, going through as fast as both were able to, helping each other along for a time. Again he was writing on the clip boards, and glancing into the maze to watch the progression. The new one, they didn’t have a name for this one yet as she was fairly new and the mutations didn’t bring any nicknames to mind, maybe she would name herself later or tell someone her name. Either way, she had seemed to fall behind, almost getting engulfed in the pillars. Dusk, the feline, had seemed to not care about her anymore, and left her behind to find the exit. She was close, but slowing her speed, and getting close to the pillars.

Dusk came almost to a complete stop as a pillar came up and singed her arm, he could tell she would need some care afterwards but wanted to see how far she could go. She sat there for almost a minute then, he supposed, the heated ground made her move ahead, and finally the open doorway was in front of her, but not out of the large room. They couldn’t have mutants running around by themselves now could they? He called for a guard to meet her down there first to give her a piece of the stale bread that would be her meal for the day and make sure didn’t run off before he could make his way down and assess her wounds.

Dusk


Through a haze of pain, Dusk finally managed to see the looming doorway. She breathed a sigh of relief and stumbled forward. She felt a brief stab of guilt, but shook the thought away. The woman would be safer away from her anyway, she'd only managed to anger the white coats. Besides, she'd left her new claw marks on the way out, crossing through the ones that had dead ends, meaning the woman could follow them all the way to the exit. Dusk mustered enough strength to run through the open door, to find herself back in the same large room, though on the other side.
She wasn't surprised, there would be no way the guards would let her run free. She glanced around looking for an exit , before spotting a guard coming towards her. She tensed, remembering what had happened previously with the guards. She eyed him as he came closer, nursing her burnt arm.
Now that she was a little less distracted she could examine it better. That was if the guard wasn't nearing. She would deal with him first. She continued to stare at him as he made his way towards her. That was when she caught sight of the bread. She took in a sharp breath, she was starving. He tossed it at her feet, and Dusk quickly scooped it up with her good arm and stuffed it in her mouth.
The last food she'd eaten was the meal of meat etc. in the forest. Now that she'd thought of it, that was ages ago. She had no idea how long she'd been locked in the cell with Faith and Nudge. She almost choked on the bread. How long before they too were fed? Who knew what was happening to them?
She felt sick, but couldn't afford to let the bread go. She doubted she'd be fed for the rest of the day. The guard was carefully watching her, making sure she wouldn't take off. He could watch she decided, uncaring. She wouldn't take off...yet. She quickly jammed the last of the bread into her mouth, trying not to think of how she felt about it. It was too similar to how a human trained an animal. The thought made her cringe, there was no way she would ever be like an animal. She eyed the man warily once more before turning to examine her arm. The lower fore arm was quite badly burnt, but nothing else seemed to have been injured. It wasn't as bad as she had previously thought, though it still burned like fire.
Finding herself satisfied with her examination, she gave the guard a hard stare.
"Do you enjoy pretending to train us as though we're animals?" she spat. "Well I doubt animals reason"
She delivered a glare before starting to get up. He visibly tensed, anticipating her running off.
"If you lay a hand on me I will claw your face. Just ask the commander that bought me here, and ask him how he got his scar's"

Just as she was about to continue, the man who bought her here came in. A new, bold and dangerous feeling coursed through her, and Dusk immediately stood her ground. She purposefully ignored the pain in her feet and now the burn of her fore arm, staring the man down. Her hands clenched at her side, her eyes burning in anger. Her chin was lifted uncharacteristically, but she was beyond angry now and she didn't care. Her raising in a rich man's house had once had her proud, however in the days after she'd been found, Dusk had changed. Now she felt the same pride that she had once had. No, he wasn't going to let her go, but she'd prove she was just as capable as him or any other human of normal reason. Beside, if she got her chance, she would follow through with her previous threat.

Robert Wagner

Robert smiled. For her reputation, Carmine was surprisingly cooperative. Maybe that was her nature, or maybe she was just too tired. Dealing with the breakout had been time consuming enough for Robert. Surely Carmine hadn't rested since the incident.

“I’m in contact with one of the mutants. After a bit of coercion, he’s agreed to turn in the others that he encounters. I’ve no doubt that they’ll find each other. We will drive ourselves crazy hunting them. Instead, we’ll have them led to us. Once they realize what’s happening, though, it won’t be a quiet affair. I will need your support. My staff is trained to capture subjects for your tests, not to fight them once they have abilities. I will need your guards – whoever Eriyk can spare – to help detain them.”

Robert paused for a moment and reached for the taser gun holstered at his side. He always carried a pistol and a taser with him, though rarely had the opportunity to use either one. “There’s only so much a 62 year old man can do with one of these alone.” He laughed. “Perhaps I should speak to him myself, if you’ll tell me where to find him?”