The room was dark, not a single sound or light source penetrated to bring the place a sense of life. Bookshelves overstuffed with chemical knowledge well beyond the grasp of any old Corona commoner loomed over three three figures that stood there. Finally, after a moment's silence, the reluctant volunteer crawled and climbed her way up to her temporary resting place and lied flat on her back.
"This is the absolute stupidest thing I've ever done."
Angry, the former child thief sporting dark short hair, rolled her eyes as she was suspended in midair lying flat on her back against a splintery plank of wood. Wires dangled to the ground in all directions from a helmet she was forced to wear. The wiring connected to a bulky metal box with all sorts of buttons, levers, and dials, which neither her nor her taller compatriot with red hair knew how to work. Lucky for them, a bumbling young alchemist with a blue streak in his hair knew what each feature did.
"Okay Angry, are you ready?" asked Varian, a hand on the machine and the other on his hip.
"Do I have a choice? You better make good on your promise, you hear?"
"Of course," he replied with a chuckle. "I make the best ham sandwiches this side of Corona. You will not regret it, I promise."
Angry sighed. "Why am I here and not Red?"
Varian adjusted his goggles. "Oh, it's simple really. You see, certain pigmentation of the hair follicles renders chemical compounds useless, thus leading to inaccurate readings at best and disastrous hair loss at worst."
Angry turned to face the eloquent scientist with a raised brow.
"It's because Red has…well, red hair."
Red, the quiet one of the former thieving duo, smiled and nodded. She occupied herself with Varian's trusty raccoon Ruddiger, her lap serving as a makeshift bed and her hand as a relaxing massage.
Angry sighed. "Okay, fine, whatever…just get this stupid experiment over with. My stomach is grumbling"
Varian gave the annoyed girl a thumbs up and got right to work on the machine. Buttons were pushed, dials were turned, and levers were pulled in seemingly random fashion, but a furrow browed Varian knew what he was doing. He hovered his right hand over a large red button and hesitated.
"Here's goes nothing," he whispered.
Red observed in awe, holding Ruddiger closer to her chest. As soon as the button was pressed, popping sounds emanated from the helmet wiring. Sparks danced around Angry's head, causing her to jump.
"How are you feeling up there?" asked Varian.
"Are you sure you aren't secretly trying to kill me and take Red hostage?"
"Don't be silly! As your appointed babysitter for the day, it is my duty to ensure your safety. And as a responsible man of science, it is also my duty to conduct SAFE experiments. And believe me, you are in…"
One reading in particular caught the alchemist's eye.
"…good hands."
"Uh, you don't sound to sure of yourself there, Mr. Science Guy." The sparks around her head increased in number, the smell of smoke sending goosebumps down her body. "Um Varian, I think your machine is trying to cook me…a little help!?"
"Working on it," he replied, furiously tweaking every dial he could think of. "Don't you worry your pretty little head!"
"A little late for that!"
Red gulped as she held Ruddiger tighter against her chest. The furry creature covered his eyes with trembling paws and buried his head into her arms.
Varian wiped some sweat off his brow and made a final adjustment to a dial before sighing with relief. "Okay…that should do it…everything okay up there?"
There was a loud pop, a billow of dark smoke, and no answer. "Um, Angry…you okay?"
Worried, the alchemist pulled a lever, lowering the child closer to the ground. The wooden plank slowly grinded to a halt, revealing the idle body of Varian's reluctant experiment participant. Her eyes were shut, her palms upturned and sweaty.
"Oh no…oh god…Angry?"
Red quickly stood up, letting Ruddiger land safely onto the ground. She rushed to her friend's side. Her eyes widened with shock as she reached out to feel Angry's heart.
Faint.
"Angry?" Her voice was trembly, tears forming as her chest rose and fell rapidly.
"Don't worry Red, she's fine, I just need to think for a second."
"She doesn't have a second," Red screamed.
The two watched in horror as Angry began to turn pale. Her eyelids half opened, revealing only the whites of her eyes. Her breathing was soft and irregular, fingers twitching every few seconds.
Varian gathered himself. "Okay, she's still alive. That's good." Red looked up at him in disbelief, tears beginning to roll down her blush cheeks.
"Look, it isn't bad. Well I mean, yeah it's kinda bad, but we can fix this. I just need to find the right chemical compound, okay?"
Red nodded.
The alchemist rushed to a cabinet full of beakers and vials of all sizes and began sifting through every section, murmurs and light cursing escaping his lips. The red headed girl stood loyally by Angry's side, never taking her eyes off her ailing body.
"It'll be okay," Red whispered. "You'll be okay."
"God dammit! I can't find it! It has to be around here somewhere…it has to!"
Angry's breathing becomes even less noticeable, so much so that Red neared a tiny hand to her mouth to ensure her friend was still alive.
Nothing. A lone light broke through the blinded window, casting a faint light on Angry's unresponsive face.
"You're gonna be okay," she whispered through silent tears. "You're gonna be okay."