Chapter Eleven: Quest for the Super Serum.
No plan could be foolproof because most plans could not survive being in the contact of fools. The Bookworm learned an extremely valuable lesson the hard way. Oliver Queen and two of the men did not report back to camp when entering the cave. She was out in the middle of the sea on the vessel, waiting to hear from them.
"You haven't heard back from him, have you?" The Bookworm asked.
"No, and it would just be like someone like him to get lost," one of the mercenaries said in a low voice. "This island is hell out there, and I don't like the looks of this."
"What don't you like the looks of?" The Bookworm asked. "Do you think there's some kind of ghost? Some ghoul perhaps? The zombies of the prisoners who have been left on Lian Yu perhaps?"
She stirred up general discontent within the mercenaries, which she approved of one hundred percent. It had been nearly an hour, which meant the moment of grace she intended to give Oliver Queen closed up. The Bookworm stole one last look of the map.
Ivo insisted on sending him to do the job himself, with the intention Queen was expendable. The Bookworm wouldn't necessarily disagree with the fact he was expendable, but she thought it would be clearer.
"Should we ask Ivo what's the plan if he got lost?" the mercenary asked. "Or captured…..or something…."
"But, there's no one on this island," another one of them said.
"Listen to me closely," The Bookworm said, exerting her dominance. "You're going to hold on tight, and you're going to wait for me to get to the island. Do not move, do not even breath without my consent. We're going to fix this, I'm going to fix this."
She checked the tracking charm on Queen. He was alive, which was good. He was away from the cave, at some central point on the island. The Bookworm double checked her geography and realized he was close to the prison in the center of the island.
'My research indicates people go there to die,' she thought. 'Why would Oliver Queen go there? Why indeed.'
Without another thought, she closed her eyes. The temples throbbed, and it would be just as well this operation tonight would end with a killer headache. The Bookworm stopped on the island right on the other side of the mercenaries. They stepped back but knew not to ask questions.
A very good thing because she was in such a touchy mood, she would not be inclined to give any answers. The Bookworm stretched herself back, surveying the area around her for several minutes. She noticed some movement coming from where Queen's tracking charm stopped.
"He's in the prison," The Bookworm said.
"Someone had to take him there, didn't they?" the Mercenary asked.
"Yes, someone had to take him there," The Bookworm said.
She knew there was someone else on the island, even though the mercenaries hadn't gotten a clue they were not alone. Well, some of those, who had more going on between their ears were beginning to figure out something was up. The Bookworm stopped and turned around.
Someone was approaching them, and likely they figured there would be more on the island. Bookworm turned towards them.
"Make sure you're ready to attack anything that comes after us," The Bookworm said. "The Professor wants no loose ends behind."
A long moment passed, with the Bookworm readying herself for something to come out after them. Each tick on the clock dragged for a very long time. She heard a rustling, something approached them, very close. She turned.
"Stand where they are."
Three figures approached them from the other side of the trees. One of the dressed in the black garb of what the Bookworm recognized as the League of Assassins. She was an attractive woman, make no mistake about it, but the Bookworm refused to allow distractions cut her off. The second of the two figures was a girl, no older than sixteen years old, dressed in a black tank top, and a pair of cargo pants. Light blonde hair covered her blue eyes and said blue eyes looked towards her at annoyance.
One more, and the Bookworm noticed his regal robes, and also the medallion swinging from his neck. She saw the mark of the dragon. She came across evidence of this deranged cult mentality around a green-eyed warrior, who was a dragon in the disguise of a human. Some time ago, the Dragon descended from the stars and his blood sparked the first Lazarus Pit.
Those who were not deemed worthy of the Pits and their gifts, had their souls slowly stripped away from them over time, or so the story went. There were a lot of legends, which had been contorted over the years. It was hard to tell where the truth of the matter started and where absurdity began.
It seemed like complete fairy tale fantasy, although she wouldn't deny this young man resembled the most accurate depictions of the Dragon's human form. Regardless, the Bookworm had her attention on the men, who had their attention on the three figures.
On logical conclusion came from her mind, once the Bookworm touched her hips with her hands. A thoughtful expression spread over the face of the woman.
"So, you're the ones who sent the message?"
Recognition dawned on the young man's face, which confused the Bookworm. "Yes, we did, Hermione."
The moment that particular name had been spoken, the Bookworm's mind had gone into overdrive. She had not been referred to by that name a long time. That particular name was a link to the past which she would have much sooner rather squashed. Her eyes burned with fire.
"You know her?"
Finally, those words from the youngest of the party brought the Bookworm out of her thoughts. Hermione, being called by that wretched name, made her think of a past she buried deep inside of her. He had something, her former identity, and it gave him leverage over her.
"I don't ever recall meeting you in my life," the Bookworm answered. "How dare you call me by that name? How dare you call me by that?"
She received a smug little smile from the young man with the dragon medallion around his neck. It was the type of smile she normally wore when she held knowledge over someone's head.
"Well, that's an interesting story," he responded to her. "That's your name, isn't it? Hermione Jean Granger. Your parents are Charlotte and David Granger, aren't they? They're dentists, with a daughter named Hermione, which is you."
"She's dead, good riddance," The Bookworm said. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, trying to call me by….that name. But, she's gone, she's gone…..and nothing is going to bring her back."
She was a disappointment, failure, failure beyond all measure. The tumor throbbed as it always did when she got agitated.
"Whoever you knew, she's not her," the youngest of the party muttered. "Don't get distracted."
"I'm not, but it's really bothering her I know who she really is," he said back. "I think she's starting to lose control. She's really losing it, isn't she? Aren't you, Hermione?"
The mercenaries looked towards the Bookworm. She snapped her fingers.
"Kill those two," the Bookworm said. "Grab him, I need to know what he knows."
One of the mercenaries turned a fraction of an inch to the side, only to receive a blinding blow from the sword from the member of the League of Assassins. The dark-haired mercenary jumped into the air and lunged with the sword, to drill it down into the chest.
The Bookworm stepped back, she needed to regroup. Her head was killing her, it just showed how little time she had left. Something about this island was causing her condition to worsen.
'I need to find the Mirikuru,' she thought. 'It's the only thing that could protect me.'
She just escaped, leaving that small group of mercenaries to be trashed by the trio. There were more waiting on the vessel just outside of Lian Yu. The Bookworm hunched over, breathing heavily, before shaking her head. She had another episode, breathing heavily.
'You can't let them think you're weak,' the Bookworm thought.
Her quest for knowledge wrestled with the duty to get the Mirikuru. And knowledge could be discovered later, once she cured her affliction.
Navigating around this death trap of an island with thoughts which were less clear also was not a picnic in her mind. Somehow, she just barely got away from them. For now, although it was not over, not until she got her hands on the Mirikuru.
The submarine should have been sank somewhere here if Oliver's report was right. It was time for her to move in and finally get her prize.
Nyssa stepped back from the mercenary who had been dropped to the ground. Some of them had a sufficient amount of training. Others did not. Regardless of the training, none of it compared to a member of the League of Assassins. Nyssa stood over the figure on the ground, peering down at him.
"She got away," Harry said.
"Do you think she went somewhere else on the island, or do you think she went to look for Queen?" Rose asked.
"Good question," Harry said. "She looked like she went that way, but at the same time, that could be to throw us off of the trail. Given she has the ability to teleport."
"Wouldn't you think she has the same problems as you before you wore that?" Rose asked. "Her bones breaking, being in a lot of pain for the simplest of spells."
Harry put his hand underneath his chin, tilted his head back and looked up into the sky thoughtfully. "It's possible, but, you should assume she has all of her abilities. That way, nothing can surprise you."
"Well stated," Nyssa said. "I'll go back to see if she's gone there and you two can search the island."
Harry did not like them having to split up, but they could cover more ground. He and Rose went in one direction and Nyssa went in the other direction.
The Daughter of the Demon saw a glimpse of what the Dragon could do. However, despite that, she could not resist showcasing what she was capable of as well. About a dozen mercenaries currently laid on the island, some not surviving their encounters. And many would not survive without medical attention, not Nyssa thought it was a high priority.
Nyssa thought it was quiet. Silence always unnerved her. It always was the most silent before some kind of assault. The Daughter of the Demon tapped her fingers on the door and waited for it to answer.
The door opened, and Shado stuck her head outside.
"Any progress?" she asked.
"The leader of the group, Rose and Harry are after her," Nyssa said. "She has the same abilities as Harry does, which is why I've come back here to make sure she hasn't snuck back in."
Shado raised her eyebrow and shook her head. "No, no one is here, other than me, Sara, and Oliver….who is still out after what Rose did to him."
She knew Oliver was in no danger of dying, and he was in a lot better shape than someone of his predictable was. Did he cut a deal? Shado didn't know and it wasn't her place to pass judgment. She stepped back and allowed Nyssa to step inside.
A second later, Sara sat on the floor, legs crossed together. She could feel something building. It was a very strange feeling, and she wanted to see if the connection could be gathered. It was almost like she had a sense of what Harry thought, or at least what he felt at times.
Nyssa grabbed Sara's shoulder and caused her to jump halfway up off of the ground. Sara turned her attention towards the Daughter of Ra's al Ghul, almost having punched her for interrupting the moment.
"I'm pleased with your reflexes," Nyssa told her.
"Thanks," Sara said. "I try my best….but, I could feel something. It's strange, almost like I can feel Harry's emotions when he's frustrated about something."
Nyssa pondered it for a moment and she figured it was going to happen in this time just as well. Where the Dragon would form mental links with the women he took into his bed. Sara had the most exposure to him so far, after his reawakening him.
"It's the beginning of a mental link being formed," Nyssa said. "It can grow into a network of multiple minds, assisting each other, with share abilities and insights."
Sara thought about it. It was just forming.
"And yes, you can block your thoughts which can remain truly private," Nyssa said. "Granted, I only know the theory about it but…"
"STAY AWAY FROM HER!"
Oliver's body started to shake when he woke up. Nyssa, Sara, and even Shado turned their attention to the shaking young man. He looked like he was in the middle of an episode.
"Laurel, I'm sorry," he muttered.
Sara frowned but decided to remain composed. It did confirm a thought she had been having for a very long time, though. Sara reached over and nudged Oliver.
"Oliver, Ollie, it's time to wake up," Sara said. "I need to…"
Oliver's eyes snapped open, but he lashed out and grabbed Sara by the shoulder. Sara broke his grip, and Oliver rolled off of the bed. He landed on the ground, taking a deep breath.
"You need to let me go!" Oliver yelled. "You need to let me go now!"
"You're not going anywhere, Mr. Queen. Not until you answer a few questions for us."
Ivo, Ivo was his only hope to find a way out of here and back now. Oliver would not fail him, Oliver could not fail him. He saw the dark haired figure at the end, and he tried to withdraw the knife from his pocket, only to realize it had been disarmed from his person.
Shado snuck behind the raving young man and injected him with a sedative. He dropped down to his knees and started to breathe. The man lifted his hands up and clutched the side of his face, lightly tugging at it.
"No, no, no!" Oliver yelled.
"I thought a sedative was supposed to calm him down," Sara said. "But, it makes him sound even more manic, doesn't it?"
Sara decided to do the only thing which she thought would perhaps jar Oliver out of this. She reared back and nailed him with a hard punch to the face. The only other time she nailed someone harder, was her sister after they had a very heated argument. It got Sara grounded for the entire summer, but it was worth it.
Oliver dropped down onto the ground, blood trickling down his mouth. He shook his head and saw Sara.
"Sara, you're alive," Oliver groaned.
"Nice to see you've noticed," Sara said. "What the hell are you doing skulking around the cave on an island?"
"I've got to get home," Oliver said. "They know about Thea…and about Laurel….and if I don't follow what he's doing. She knows, and Ivo knows….all because of him."
"Slow down, you're not making any sense at all," Sara said.
"It's her, she calls herself the Bookworm," Oliver said.
"Does she have brown hair, wear glasses, have a supremely smug attitude where she puts herself above the rest of the world?"
Oliver heard that description and nearly cracked up, even though the woman who told him that, she had no humor whatsoever. Still, if that didn't describe his captive to a tee, Oliver didn't know what it did. He looked towards the woman who asked and nodded.
Nyssa's frown increased the moment he gave this piece of information. She turned her attention towards Sara and Shado, both of them who looked at each other.
"That's the girl we met, which Rose and Harry are going after," Nyssa said, keeping her voice low. "Her name is Hermione, at least according to Harry. She….well the two of them knew each other."
"Yes, in another life, they did," Shado said. "She might wear a familiar face, but she's not the one Harry knows."
Oliver tried to listen in on the conversation. The sedative he had been given had finally started to set in and he had been less likely to fight everything. There were a couple of questions in his mind, namely about this Harry. Who was he? Oliver didn't know about him and he didn't ask.
"They threatened my sister and yours," Sara said. "How did they know about them?"
"They….they found out who I was, and I guess they knew you were missing as well through the reports," Oliver said. "When you weren't on that ship, I thought the worst….I don't think….."
"You didn't think," Sara said. "And I don't know what kind of mess you've gotten into, but we're going to have to deal with it now."
"Sara, a word with you for a minute," Nyssa said. "Shado, please keep that bow trained on him. He moves, you shoot, do you understand?"
Shado nodded in response. She understood perfectly what was going on. She held the bow and arrow firmly, pointing it towards Oliver Queen. The young man looked up at her. The sedative might have held him into place, but she wasn't going to take any chances.
"I sense there's something unresolved between both of you," Nyssa said. "He's the reason why you're on this island."
"Yes, he…..he invited me to go on the ship," Sara said. "And he was dating my sister, but he broke it off. I always….well I did have a crush on him. It feels like another lifetime ago, before…..well before I went here….now it just seems like a silly schoolgirl infatuation."
"Because it was," Nyssa responded. "And he said he broke it off with your sister….Laurel, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Sara said. "You think he's lying."
"He's lying now," Nyssa said. "He was the one who gave them your sister's name to save his own skin."
"They were friends a long time before they dated," Sara said. "Why would he do that?"
Nyssa placed a hand on Sara's shoulder, trying to give her reassurance, even though it was hard for it to come. They were getting into some extremely delicate territory, and Nyssa hoped Sara could understand the heartache of people changing underneath torture.
"It's not his fault," Nyssa said. "It would be easy to blame him, after all, the other lies he told. But, I know who Anthony Ivo is. He's a man who works for my father's enemy, remember the Damien Darhk I told you about."
"Yes," Sara said.
"They've aligned together in the past," Nyssa said. "I'm not certain if HIVE is funding this expedition, but it would be wise to think they are."
Sara closed her eyes. There was just some much of her worldview which had been challenged. She hated to say it, but it would have been a lot easier on her if Oliver had drowned on the Queen's Gambit. Now she had to worry about her sister being put in danger.
Boy, if Sara ever got off the island, she would have to smooth things over with Laurel. She should have known better, but she chose not to listen to her head, and more importantly her mother, who warned her why this wasn't a good idea. And her mother was guilty, and her father, and it was an entire mess of problems.
'Hope that he has a way to get us out of here,' Sara thought. 'Hope nothing happens to it.'
Sara took a half of moment to breathe. She realized Nyssa stood by her side.
"Ivo's a master of mental manipulation," Nyssa said. "Whatever, the Bookworm was in the past, he's encouraged her worst traits, and now he's manipulating Oliver. He wants to go home, doesn't he?"
"Who wouldn't?" Sara asked.
Sara made an executive decision not to tell Oliver about the list or about his father. Not the list did her much good when on the island. Every time she took a peek at the list, she saw several familiar names. Bankers, politicians, businessmen, and people who were supposed to be honorable citizens, but they were right next to people who had ties to organized crime.
"Do you have a way to contact, him, to tell you what you know?" Nyssa asked.
Sara nodded. They had radios, left over by Fyers and their crew. Their range wasn't that far from beyond the island, but it would allow them to keep in touch.
"I'll tell him," Sara said. "Do you think you can keep an eye on Oliver, make sure he doesn't try and run? I know Shado's there, but still, two sets of eyes are better than one."
"Of course," Nyssa said. "And I understand why you can't stand to look at him right now. You need to come to terms with what has changed."
Both women stared each other, and for a second, Nyssa considered kissing Sara. She decided not to, without the blessing of the Dragon. To do so would be invoking his displeasure, something she did not wish to do.
The headache finally went away after she took a pain reliever. The Bookworm needed her wits about it, as Ivo expected a regular report. She clicked on the ear piece underneath her glasses.
"Report," Ivo said.
"Sir, we've run into a snag."
It was amazing how a long pause could really make someone feel about two inches tall. She waited for the response to come on the other end.
"Hello, are you still there, Professor Ivo?"
"I'm afraid we must have a bad connection, my dear Bookworm," Ivo said. "I could have sworn you stated you ran into a snag when on the island. And here I thought you had the plan under control."
The Bookworm hated one thing above all else, disappointment from authority figures. Ivo did a lot for her when he could have left her to rot. He was a brilliant man who should have been respected. The Bookworm's thoughts of how she could salvage a situation like this reached a fever pitch.
"I had the plan under control, but there was an undesired complication," The Bookworm said.
"You're being very vague, and it's not one of your better qualities," Ivo said. "I don't want to think Mr. Queen went rogue. He knows what we know regarding his loved ones, and he's desperate to see his home once more. Therefore, he would not have had a change of heart."
The Bookworm knew Ivo was getting to the situation in a roundabout way. She did not want to tell him the group of mercenaries she had brought to the island had been rendered unconscious. She took a deep calming breath and threw her head back.
"He's been captured, hasn't he?" Ivo asked. "There's someone else on the island, another operation, isn't there?"
"Yes, but don't worry, I've given them the slip," the Bookworm said.
"Just the slip," Ivo said. "That's pretty sloppy of you, my dear Bookworm. It's almost as if you've forgotten your purpose on the AMAZO. Or maybe you are too sick and should be put out of your misery. Only out of love, of course."
"I'm still well," the Bookworm said.
He knew about her affliction, and why would she. She thought back to this man, resembling the mystical dragon. He had knowledge which she carefully guarded. How would he know? The Bookworm didn't know, couldn't figure it out. Her mouth grew completely dry.
"Well, if they're still breathing, I'm afraid you're slipping," Ivo said. "Listen to me, and listen to me well, Bookworm. We've put too much time and effort coming to this point. Therefore, you either get me the Mirikuru, and you no longer have a place on this ship."
The Bookworm hung her head. It was her fault she disappointed Ivo. She had been a disappointment to the authority figures in her life, teachers, family members, everyone. Always second best to someone, always never good enough. Her attempts to boost her brainpower left her with this affliction, and there was no way for her to remove it.
'You're never good enough!'
The nasty voice in the back of the Bookworm's head shook off the thoughts.
"You'd leave me to rot on Lian Yu?" The Bookworm asked, sounding like a scared little girl more than her usual, confident, slightly condescending self.
For a brief second, a small crack of Hermione, the insecure little girl who never could make a friend, cracked out from underneath the façade. She readjusted the mask.
"Only if you fail," Ivo said. "But, I know in your mind, failure is not an option. You refuse to let yourself contemplate any failure. Death would be preferred, would you agree?"
The Bookworm closed her eyes and nodded. Those of lesser intelligence contemplated failure. She just had been rattled, surprised. This green-eyed man and she could fell a hint of his power, knew who she was. It caused the barrier she put up since she ran off at the age of sixteen, twelve long years ago, to break.
Twelve long years she had been having this journey to this one point, to get the Mirikuru, to prove all of them wrong. And to prove Ivo she could accomplish this mission. She was not just a student, but an equal to the teacher, in intelligence and competence.
"I won't fail you," the Bookworm whispered.
"Won't you?" Ivo asked. "There's a rule in storytelling which you should observe. Show, don't tell."
Bookworm knew the rule very well, thought it was a bit of a fallacy, but it did serve this situation well. She turned towards the area where the sunken sub was brought down. She slipped an item out of the bag, hoping it would serve her well on this occasion.
"Oliver said there's something called the Mirikuru they're after," Sara said. "It's some kind of super serum, created by the Japanese during World War II, to catch up with the Germans and the Americans who created their own super soldier serum, and the Russians likely had one in development as well."
Harry figured it was handy information to know.
"We have a big problem," Sara said. "We have to get to the AMAZO and stop it from leaving….they know about my sister and Oliver's sister. And they're both in serious danger."
"Oliver told them?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.
"Nyssa seems to think they found a way to coerce the information out of him," Sara said.
"The Bookworm's our ticket onto that ship," Harry said. "If we find her, we'll have answers…..make sure Oliver doesn't escape though and don't be too hard on him. At least until we know all of the facts."
"Oh, I'm not being too hard on him," Sara said.
Harry shook his head. He understood some people did not hold up as well under pressure than others. Given what little he knew about Oliver Queen, he had a very privileged home life. Which Harry did not begrudge him for, but at the same time, he did pity him.
Whatever the crew of that ship did to him, it may have changed him and may have caused psychological cracks. Whether that would make him strong, Harry didn't really know.
"So, we have to find her," Harry said.
"Yes, her," Rose said. "That woman who looks like a friend you have back home. Did you sleep with her by the way?"
"No," Harry said. "Everyone thought we were in a relationship. It was a very complicated situation at times, and I think it was part of the reason why she lived."
The other part was the fact she modified her parent's memories, before sending them to Australia. Harry did not really let her have that one until after Voldemort was done and dusted. He really let her have it with both barrels by acting no different than the Death Eaters they spent the past few years fighting. The ones who considered non-magicals to be worse than animals, she took the decision, the choice out of the hands of her parents.
Would they have listened to reason? Harry thought Charlotte might, David, he wasn't so sure about. Just a hunch he had from the limited interactions from the Grangers. Then again, David Granger indulged in his daughter's worst qualities, demanding she be the very best.
He drove Hermione to tears. The last words she yelled was "what have I done" before leaving for Australia. It took Harry some time to realize she was angry at herself for disappointing Harry, who she looked up to, despite him being younger than her.
Harry felt justified, although perhaps he could have exercised a little more tact.
"And she's here now, well someone with her name and face," Rose said. "Do you think you exist?"
"No," Harry said. "I don't exist, not in this timeline anyway."
Whether he was not here because he died, or because he never was born, Harry had no idea. Hermione's reaction to him told him she never had a Harry Potter in her life. Hell, Harry did not know there was a Hogwarts, Dumbledore, Voldemort, or any of the other things in this world.
"I know it's hard to think the people close to you are rotten," Rose said. "Believe me, it took me a long time to see my father for what he truly was."
Harry nodded.
"She's our key onto that ship," Harry said. "And she's our key off of Lian Yu."
Rose hated to give into blind hope and optimism. Someday, she would have loved to leave this island, but their previous attempts to leave did not work. Her father not resurfacing proved there was a way out of here. She searched for his body for some time, almost as much.
"So, let's find her now."
She touched Harry's hand and Harry smiled.
The moment had been lost the moment there was a rumbling wave coming up to the east of them. Harry and Rose turned around just in time to bare witness to a submarine popping up out of the water. Their mouths hung open when they watched the submarine surface from the water.
"Shit," Rose said.
Harry and Rose rushed towards the submarine. They realized it did not simply come out of the water, the water around it had been drained. Both of them came towards the edge of the sub. The top hatch had been opened already, and someone was inside.
"The discoloring, look, it's been down there a long time," Rose said.
"Yes, decades," Harry agreed.
He climbed up to the top of the submarine and gave Rose a hand, boosting her up to the top of the submarine. They walked across what appeared to be a very wobbling vessel. It had to do with the uneven flow of the water.
'She's likely going to sink the sub when she's done,' Harry thought.
Harry's medallion glowed green and he frowned. Rose noticed it as well and put a hand on her hip.
"There are definite life signs on the ship," Harry said. "It's her, it's H…the Bookworm."
Rose was not going to question him. She just rolled with it. The two of them dropped down into the vessel and found their way onto the ground. The amount of dust in this sub was overwhelming. Harry saw the ship split into two rooms from the center.
"You take the left, I take the right," Harry said. "Yell if you find anything."
Rose nodded. This ship had given her the creeps for reasons which she could not quite explain. Other than the ship gave her the creeps. The young woman's heart raced a little bit faster when stepping back, and pressing against the wall. Her head pressed back against the ship.
"Right," Rose said.
The Bookworm made her way to the room on the left of the ship, opening up a box. She saw the vials, labeled in another language, but she understood the writing. It was the Mirikuru. There was an injector in the box.
Two bodies laid strapped on the tables. These bodies brought so many questions to the Bookworm. One of those questions were the state of decomposition. They should be absolutely nothing, but yet, there was still flesh on the bones.
The Bookworm picked up a knife on the table and lightly jabbed the chest of the body. The blade of the knife bent on the chest.
'Amazing. If I can find a way to restart the blood flood and his internal organs, I might be able to bring him back to life. Or at least a state which resembles living.'
A small light flashed in the hallway. The Bookworm's tension increased when she realized there was not only someone on the ship, but someone following her. She picked up one of the vials of the Mirikuru and slid it into the injector.
There were many questions whether or not the long period would have weakened the Mirikuru or made it unstable. She would find out once the test subject walked through the room.
Pressing against the wall, the Bookworm pressed a button on her watch. It allowed her to become one with her surroundings.
One of the people who engaged her on the island, youngest of the three, entered and started to survey the same unique qualities of this room the Bookworm did moments ago. The Bookworm saw her visible reaction to the body on the table.
She had one chance to test the serum, and she needed to make it count. The Bookworm moved in and injected her in the side of the neck.
The screams of the woman were so loud they could raise the dead. Her body struggled to adapt to the serum, and she dropped down to her hands and knees.
"What did you do?"
"I've just injected you with Mirikuru," the Bookworm said. "Don't you appreciate the gift I've given you?"
This would be very illuminating, whether she lived or died. And if she died, well, Ivo would appreciate a body to study.
The woman looked up to the now visible Bookworm and screamed bloody murder, hands curling up in rage. Her eyes flared with madness as she rose to her feet.
To Be Continued.
Well, we get a hint of what makes the Bookworm tick and she's not in a very good place mentally right now. Messing around in magic which is far beyond your understanding can be dangerous, a lesson which is learned time and time again.
Needless to say, those test subjects didn't fare too well.
And Rose….well she's been injected, and the Bookworm may have made the biggest mistake of her life.
