A/N; Okay, Guys! I know I haven't finished off Ruling The Planets as of yet, and I'm trying to work on that, I really am! But! I've been working on this story on the DL for a few months now and I'm going to start posting it one chapter every 3-4 days so as not to let my ideas go stale. This is somewhat of a self-insert as Kathryn acts very much like I do and she resembles me, however, her backstory is not like my own past in the least (aside from minor details such as the age she married, etc).
I hope you enjoy this one, my delicate marionettes!
~ MrsPuppetEx
Hot puffs of air came from the mouth of a young woman as she walked down the dark street. Anger flowed off of her small frame in waves, forcing curious onlookers to take a cautious step back as she stomped past them, her short combat boots pounding on the pavement with each step.
She was not unremarkable in appearance with that sort of edgy vibe that many of the older generation frowned upon. Her hair, a raspberry red, was long and full, curling tightly around her head in a blazing halo. Her face was painted with thick layers of black eyeliner and mascara around her eyes and a mauve shade of purple lipstick upon plump lips, a look that not many would dare to try but she seemed to pull off without a hitch.
Several tattoos were visible upon her exposed skin, standing out starkly against the pale, milky flesh. From above the collar of the gray tank she wore, the edges of a set of wings peaked upon her shoulder blades, the nearly golden ink shining in the dim streetlamp light. Oh her wrist were two symbols that had once meant something to her, but no longer seemed to draw forth the same emotion they once had. The last tattoo was the most recent, one right over her heart above her bust, it appeared to be a sun and moon, enveloping each other in the beautiful scrawling pattern she'd drawn herself and requested be etched upon her skin exactly, a symbol of the approaching dawn in her dark and tremulous ride through life.
The woman rounded a corner, muttering to herself, staring at the ground as she walked. "Stupid fucker," She grumbled, her voice an enticingly rich sound that flowed beautifully in the crisp fall air. "Showing up to my job like that. Who does he think he is?" She shook her head, trying to clear away her thoughts, but failing miserably.
She turned down an alley that she denoted as a shortcut towards the crappy little apartment that she'd managed to snag for a decent price after much haggling with the landlord. It wasn't much, but it was hers and she'd acquired it all on her own with no help from her parents… or him.
That was what made the place oh so much more appealing, the idea that even her ex-husband hadn't been involved in that small success that she'd claimed. No, he hadn't been involved in anything that had happened to her in the past year and a half following the nasty fight that had turned into an equally as nasty divorce. She should have known better than to get married at nineteen, had been warned by many about the disaster that awaited her, but she'd been young and blind then.
She had overlooked their petty arguments, electing to just close off her mind to whatever insecurities she'd had and change herself for him, trying to become the woman he'd wanted in his life. That was the problem, though, she'd been the one to change without any equal effort on his part. That was ultimately what had led to the divorce. She'd woken up one day and realized how little he'd been trying to make things work between them and had subsequently brought it up.
Before she knew it, they had erupted into a full-blown fight, screaming insults at each other, tearing away the remnants of the already fragile bond they'd shared for over two years. She hadn't actually thought he'd ever hit her though, that's where she had been surprised and disgusted. The man she'd put so much effort into being with and loving had busted her lip with the back of his hand and that had been the final blow to their marriage, literally.
She hadn't seen him in the year and a half since the divorce papers had been signed and she'd moved in with a coworker until she could get on her feet. It had been a sick surprise to see him standing in the lobby of the fast food joint where she worked tirelessly as a manager, having been promoted after putting all of her time and effort into achieving the position.
The gall of the man to show up there after so long, pleading for forgiveness. She hadn't thought he had it in him to ask such a thing of her, but he had and she'd been caught completely off guard. It had ended with her boss having the police escort the man from the building after he'd, once again, raised a hand to her, thankfully having been stopped by a couple of the larger and more protective men who worked beneath her this time.
As she approached the end of the alley, she was already calming down, the slight tremors that had her hands trembling had died down to nothing, her heated gaze softening as weariness began to creep in after the day's events. A brilliant white light caught her off guard and she stopped in her tracks, throwing her hands up to try and block out the blinding light.
"What the fuck?" She squeaked out a moment before she was hit in the back of the head with something and slumped to the ground in an unconscious heap.
A figure plucked the small woman from the alley, carelessly tossing her over his shoulder and stepping towards the light with no care for anyone who may have seen or heard what had just happened. When he emerged from the other side of the light, the pair no longer resided in the alley of a bustling city but in what appeared to be a laboratory of some kind.
The man walked over to a table and laid his burden out not so gently before turning to his left to see a smaller man wearing a white lab coat and thick goggle-like glasses on his eyes. "Kathryn Chamberlin, as requested," The first man stated, gesturing to the woman on the table.
The older man, obviously a scientist of some sort, pushed his glasses up his sharp nose as he scrutinized the small form laid out before him, his nose scrunching up a bit in thought. "Unharmed for once, I see," His voice was high-pitched and nasally, as if he had a cold or some other illness partaking his elderly body. "I'll let Sierra know to grant you extra for this speedy service immediately, Soren."
Soren crossed his arms over his chest and grunted, "Whatever, old man. You're lucky I hold no magic and can run these little errands for you. That place is disgusting." He suppressed a shiver, not wanting to show any real fear he may have held for the place he'd retrieved his latest mark from.
His employer smiled, his thin lips forming a slightly upturned line upon his aged face as he set about strapping down the now-mumbling woman on his table and straightening tools that were held on a small table nearby. "You may stay and watch, if you like," His grin turned sinister, black eyes flashing with a madness that was barely restrained. "This one looks to be particularly feisty."
Soren shook his head as he headed for the door on the far side of the room, "Nope. Count me out of that. Call me when you are done and I'll take her to her cell, Falen."
Falen shrugged, "Suit yourself, kid. More fun for me." He didn't notice the cringe that formed on the younger man's face as he turned back towards his test subject, trying to picture how wonderfully she would react to her new situation. This is going to be such fun, he thought to himself with a slight cackling laugh.
