Disclaimer: I'm sure this goes without saying, but the canon characters of Claymore are not mine.
Author's Note: All three new Warlocks have two-syllable names. Also, continued dialogue within a paragraph is by the person who started it. New paragraphs start when the speaker changes. And due to some advice from one of my reviews, the interaction between Beth and Rafaela has been adjusted. As for why the twins seem to have much more personality in this story than they did in the manga... well, that's going to be dealt with in the next two or three chapters.
Alicia, Beth, and Rafaela all followed Rubel. They didn't have to try to walk without saying anything. The very idea that a mere human could keep up with, and even defeat, one of their Witches was unnerving to the former two. But Rafaela had chosen him because he had kept up with her all the way up to seven percent of her power before she finally defeated him. While she had only gained her rank due to the loss of two superiors, she was still a single-digit, and against anyone who could even stand a chance fighting her, a mere 30 had no hope. Alicia and Beth still stood in support of their respective champions, however. The distinct probability remained that once his body became foreign to him; Cael's advanced skills would work against him. In short, he was likely over trained.
"I'm sure the three of you are anxiously awaiting your next assignments," Rubel's voice cut through the rhythmic sound of their footsteps as they marched down the hallway. The three Witches silenced their thoughts regarding the men they brought back to the Organization's headquarters and focused instead on Rubel's words. After all, as entertaining as the idea of a pet might be, their job took the highest priority. "However, I must tell you that for the time being, you three aren't going anywhere," the mysterious man said light-heartedly. Although they should have known that they would be responsible for the creatures that would come into existence because of them, he knew that they had simply chosen to believe that they were just bringing in training targets for the latest generation. And he couldn't possibly pass up any chance to toy with their emotions.
"What!? What could you possibly have to gain by keeping us off the field?" Beth shouted. Despite her experience, particularly with anything concerning the Organization, she was still easily baited. Rubel chuckled and then sighed as he thought of the woman behind him and to his right. Getting a rise out of her was about as difficult and unnatural as breathing, at least for him anyway. Alicia and Rafaela just shot her cold looks, trying to warn her without words that reacting like that only encouraged him further.
"Obviously, you will be contributing to the training and testing of this Organization's latest products." This sentence was punctuated by a male scream that froze the trio of women, with the man in black leading them coming to a halt a few steps later. He turned to watch the fear fight for dominance of their carefully controlled faces. Rubel found it no less beautiful that he could not see Alicia's face. Her just-settling cape indicated that the sound had drawn her attention so quickly and thoroughly that she had lost her resolve long enough to snap turn in its direction.
"Ryan…" Her voice was a half-whisper as the familiarity of the tormented sounds he was making sunk in. She schooled her features and forced herself to face Rubel again. Alicia didn't want him to believe she had become too attached to the man she had brought all the way across the countryside to this particular building. "You had us bring them here to make them half-Yoma?"
"Your skills at deduction are impressive. I was wondering how long we could keep the-" he was interrupted by the sound of another masculine scream, this one seeming to have been torn from its source's throat, "-truth of your actions from you. Is something the matter, Beth?" he asked of the fiery warrior. The fact that she had stolen a look back, and was now pretending it didn't bother her, made it clear that this latest was from her charge, Michael. He seemed to be struggling to resist the pain the arcane surgery was inflicting on him. But it was an incredible amount of pain, and despite his efforts, his screams would sometimes join Ryan's, their volume overcoming those of the other man as his voice went hoarse. As one, the women failed to repress a shudder as they remembered the horrible suffering they endured throughout the procedure.
Rubel resumed walking, and they instinctively followed him, although their stride could hardly be called a disciplined march any longer. Now they were edgy and unnerved, a state he enjoyed keeping them in whenever he was in their presence. Even if producing Warlocks turned out to not be a good idea, he found that at least this part of it was enjoyable. Though he didn't look back again, he could imagine the numbers one and two cringing in time with their charges' screams, as well as the third's growing discomfort at the utter lack of hers. He reached the door that led to their dorms and was going to leave it at that, but he heard a heavy thud behind him, much like that of a body striking a hard surface. Turning again to face the women, he saw that Beth had Rafael pinned against a nearby wall. The look on Beth's face did not denote mental stability. Rafael had kept most of her composure, but the terror in her eyes was clear.
"This whole time… there have only been two male voices. What's wrong with yours, Rafie? Is he a mute, or is he really so unused to pain that he already passed out? Or… perhaps he already died?" she interrogated, her voice and eyes shaking, even as her increasing grip on the number three's shoulders was dislocating them. The idea that soon they would be accompanied by recently- transformed males scared her only slightly more than the one that Rafaela had found a better one than she did pissed her off. Right now, she needed her inferior's pain and fear. Beth didn't know if she could handle a change as drastic as this one from her superiors without forcing her control on something. And Rubel's next words only increased her anxiety, and by extension, the damage she was inflicting on Rafaela.
"After it was revealed that Cael had a blood tie to Rigardo, he was taken to a separate building for an experimental procedure. Also, his cell has been almost fully soundproofed. For all we know, he could be screaming louder than the other two combined. But nobody is going to hear him." Rubel chose not to tell them that someone not working for the Organization had taken the remaining scraps of Rigardo that they had left behind after collecting just enough for one more infusion. All in good time, he thought, as for right now though, the screams of the other two men had died down enough to allow the rookies to sleep. "You three wash up and go to bed. You know how long the procedure takes, and have until it ends to decide how exactly you plan to go about training them."
In response to that order, Alicia silently stepped past Rubel on her way to the hall that would lead her to her room. Beth, realizing just how far she had gone in harming Rafaela, released her shoulders and backed away from her. She then followed her twin to their room while Rafaela, her arms dead at her sides, began the slow process of regeneration typical of her offensive type. Once she regained control of the damaged limbs, she pushed herself off the wall she had been slammed into and stalked past Rubel, muttering to herself about wanting to murder the current numbers one and two. She didn't think he heard her, but she didn't get very far down the hallway before she heard his voice behind her.
"Oh and one other thing," he called out after them, making them pause and turn back again. The apprehension on their beautiful faces brought a smile to his. "You and the rookies are more than welcome to observe Ryan's and Michael's procedures at your leisure, in their case until they are required to leave." The three looked at each other, then at him again. They noticed he was no longer smiling. "However, one fact I must stress above all others. No one, and I repeat no one that is not directly involved with Cael's procedure is allowed within the grounds in which he is being kept. The penalty for disobeying this order is a loss of rank, followed by death by torture. Please keep that in mind for future reference. Oh, and do rest well. The clients like their 'Claymores' pretty." With that, he shut the door to the dorm hallway, leaving the three to talk to each other.
Or not, as the case proved. There were, for the time being, no words that could find their voices as each woman's head swam with thoughts and nightmares of their charges. There hadn't been a new Warlock in over a century. Or was it two now? It was hard to say. In any event, they had in fact been ordered to go to sleep, something they would be glad for, if they could possibly find a way to clear their minds. It bothered Alicia that Beth was being less discreet about attacking anyone she outranked. It also bothered her that one part of her mind was starting to justify the renegades' choices and actions.