Opening File: The Tribunal
Formed 3 months after the Consortium's creation, the Tribunal act as a shadow contingency in case the Consortium is out of action. The group also acts as a means for the black operations, such as the study of reality benders and anomalous objects. The Tribunal has more esoteric codenames than the apt and logical titles of the Consortium.
Members;
Belial Salacia- Codename: The Outsider. [[INFORMATION REDACTED]]
Senator Abraham Stampingston- Codename: The Puppetmaster. Born 1951 in Detroit, Abraham Stampingston grew up in the worst neighborhood in the city, where one was considered lucky to die when asleep. After turning 18 and after his entire family was slaughtered by a gang of thugs, he came to realize to survive "You gotta be f**king ruthless." as he put it. Stampingston quickly became a mass murderer, known as "The Crusader", responsible for the deaths of thousands.
After going into hiding after finishing his 'crusade', Stampingston reappeared 30 years later as a Senator in Michigan. While he was disliked due to his cold and stoic attitude, no one had him removed due to him whipping the police force into shape and reducing many taxes, the last one out of pragmatism not empathy, before retiring at 63.
The senator accepted an invitation by the Leader for the formation of the Tribunal becoming the first official member of the Tribunal.
Stampingston is The Operator's equal in their division.
Dr. Anton Mercer AKA Mesogog- Codename: The Raptor. Born in 1974, Anton Mercer was born to a well off family in Reefside, California. His entire life, Anton was obsessed with dinosaurs as he as with mad science. The rest is unknown except that Anton eventually graduated from Reefside University with top honors where he would get his doctorate in biology and genetics, soon becoming a billionaire and world renowned scientist.
In 2012, Mercer was approached by an unknown group for research into Dinosaur DNA. Excited beyond believe, Anton accepted and worked along side Dr. Tommy Oliver and Dr. Terrance 'Smitty' Smith. The latter left the project due to Dr. Oliver gaining a promotion to Mercer Industries, 3 months later. After months of work, Mercer had invented a serum that he believed would infuse his biology with that of a dinosaur's, but having little to no test subject to test it on, he decided to test it on himself.
However, the serum's effects were monstrous, transforming Mercer into Mesogog; a human-dinosaur hybrid with the powers of a Reality Bender. Mesogog escaped the lab while security tried to capture him, but this was during the onset of the Era of Rending, causing the facility to be destroyed while the monster to fled into the newly formed wastelands.
In the wastelands, Mesogog found Dr. Smith, who was horrifically injured by the blast of the Great Rending. Using his knowledge in cybernetic reconstruction, Mesogog reconstructed Dr. Smith as the grim and logical Zeltrax.
He was quickly discovered by the underground beginnings of Modus where he gained a high position due to his genius with biochemistry and mutation. Due to him being a mutant, he was unpopular but tolerated due to his talents being incredibly useful.
He became the Doctor's equal in their division.
Dr. Douglas Davenport- Codename: The Forger. Born 1975 in Empire City, Douglas had dealt with emotional abuse by his big brother Donald, and living under his shadow. His parents also favored Donald over him and always gave him all the attention. Living under his brother's shadow his whole life had twisted Douglas slightly, to the point of becoming obsessed with getting the upper-hand on Donald.
At some point over seventeen years ago, he and Donald started Davenport Industries; together they worked on bionic technology to allow robots to do things humans couldn't do. However, knowing robots would burn out quickly, he went behind Donald's back and genetically engineered three humans, then implemented their Bionic technology into the children.
These children were taken by Donald after he found out, leaving Douglas with nothing to do. Douglas managed to be invited to the Tribunal after the Consortium recognized his skills at both programming and cybernetics.
He is the Programmer's equal in their division.
General Walter Crozier- Codename: The Crusader. Born 1960 in Boston, Walter Crozier joined the United States Marine Corp under his father, Colonel Austin Crozier, whom passed away after an assault on a Satrya base. Crozier spent the next forty years as a five star general after serving in the Korean and Vietnam War, gaining a reputation of excessive brutality before retiring at age 50 due to pressure from other countries and huntsmen to remove him due to his brutal actions.
After the formation of Modus, Crozier was appointed a position in the Tribunal at the Commander's request. While Crozier is glad the American constitution and amendments have not been abolished, he is understandably sorrowful about how the country he served became the anathema to what it was.
He is the Commander's equal in their division.
Cardinal Alister Ravenwood- Codename: The Shepard. Born on Christmas Day 1946 in Florence, Italy, Alister Ravenwood was raised in a very religious household where he was told by his parents to help the world by any means. A humanitarian at heart, Alister became a priest at age 43 and a cardinal at age 54 where he was known for his zealous but well meaning beliefs.
During the Era of Rending, Ravenwood and his fellow Christians created a village in Florence were they helped those in need after the government of Italy collapsed after ten days. The village found help when Modus became rebuilding the world where Ravenwood himself requested to be one of the Tribunal as he wished to help the world in any way he could.
He is the Accountant's equal in their division.
Vater Orlaag- Codename: The Witchdoctor. While most information about him is scarce, Vater Orlaag was born to a poor family where his father taught him the occult arts. Vater soon became a master of the occult where he plagued Europe with his creations during the Era of Rending. Gaining in an obsession of more power, Vater began travelling the world to gain more knowledge of the occult.
After gaining intimate knowledge of Chi magic, Nordic runes, and many obscure forms of Magic, Vater traveled to America to find more occult arts but as he arrived, he found himself compelled to help those whom had suffered during these apocalyptical times.
3 years later, Vater found himself joining the Tribunal under circumstances that he can't quite remember.
He is the Chemist's equal in their division.
Senator Ethan Roark- Codename: The Butcher. Born in 1970 into the Roark crime family, Ethan Roark rose to be a rich, corrupt politician that held New Jersey in his grip until 2005 when he was arrested for malpractice but not before his son and brother were killed during the attacks by the Glorft, lessening his influence. Roark awaited death row until the Great Rending where he was bailed and reinstated due to the chaos of attempting to maintain order.
Roark is known for his absolute ruthlessness to anybody other than his loyalties; meaning enemy or ally, you mess with him and you're dead.
He is the Manager's equal in their division.
Senator Steven Armstrong- Codename: The Berserker. Steven Armstrong was born and raised in Texas. Prior to pursuing politics, Armstrong played college football for the University of Texas, but joined the United States Navy due to a desire to serve his country, which also sacrificed his prospects of a professional football career. However, although a member of the Navy, he never saw actual combat during his time in the service, if one excludes Grimm as Navy combat. At some point, he moved to Colorado before pursuing a career as a politician, where he gained a reputation as an extremely nationalistic, patriotic, and libertarian individual.
Armstrong became one of the many politicians that agreed to the martial law imposed by President Harvester. Soon, after Modus founding, Armstrong was allowed to become a member of the Tribunal as Stampingston vouched for him.
He is the Engineer's equal in their division.
Close File.
A State Of Mind / A Way Of Being
Hello. My name is Dr. Mercurio Arboria, and I am the founder of the Arboria Institute. It has long been my dream to find the perfect way for people to achieve, simply, happiness. Contentment. Inner peace. These seem to be things that, strangely, elude us all — but it doesn't have to be that way. We at Arboria have found a path to achieve them.
The Arboria Institute; November 19 2027. Six months after the Raid on Peach Creek.
Lee woke up to the same alarm in the same white room as she laid in a white room. Getting up and finding herself in a mirror, she stared back at the woman she was facing; her hair had grown to her shoulders with her bangs being combed to the sides where it showed her forehead and the scar where her third eye used to be.
It was the same thing every morning ever since they caught her; waking up in a white room, being unclothed and scrubbed down by two men in white hazmat suits, clothed in white pants and a white shirt, fed a white paste, sit in another white room while the doctors and nurses prepared her for another test or experiment, and when the test or experiment was done they sedated her, got her back to her room, and the cycle repeats. She lost track of how many times this had happened. It was almost dream-like yet she couldn't wake up.
They hooked her to another one of their machines, showed her more images that burned into her retinas, made her question whether Modus were the bad guys or not. The test went on for what felt like years but the clocks kept telling her she'd only been there for a few months at least.
Soon, though, thoughts that she hadn't though before popped into her head that she hadn't heard before. It was the doctrine that Modus had made when they indoctrinate others to their cause.
Lee wasn't sure went she realized they were changing her. It was maddening that she'd even consider Modus to be the good guys, but the doctors kept bombarding her with tests, experiments, interviews, and modifications to her that when they allowed her to rest, they'd put headphones on her ears that was playing someone reading the doctrine, practically forcing her brain to assimilate it.
It was later that they lead her down those sterile halls to the room where she was meant to meet with her doctor again. As if the day was bending over and telling her that this was who she'd be if this thing in her head kept living on in fear of the regime.
Lee sat down on the white chair in a white and black room with an opposing glass wall separating the dark half from the light half, where a red chair was under red lights. Her 'doctor' had not arrived yet. A cold comfort as she knew he'd be here soon. Her thoughts were jumbled as she wondered who were the good guys in this story; those that rule the world or those that were trying to uproot the former.
Suddenly, the wall slid open on the black half of the room, revealing her 'doctor'; Mesogog.
He was a hideous being; He had a lipless mouth with jagged teeth and yellow eyes, his face one of a dinosaur's haphazardly grafted onto a man's, a white forked tongue slithering on his fangs slicked in drool, and three digit talons of crimson. The rest of his hideous frame was thankfully hidden by a black outfit that seemed like a fusion of a bathrobe, straightjacket, and longcoat with spikes on the upper arms and a silver belt around his waist with a green dinosaur eye as the buckle, black pants and black boots.
"Good morning, my dear." Mesogog greeted her in a whispering, hissing, and breathy voice, calm and cold, "Let us begin our assessment."
Lee said nothing, simply staring down at the floor as if afraid to face him as he said down on his chair, looking over his notes.
"How are you today?"
She didn't answer. Then she hear Mesogog click his pen as he began writing something down on his sheets before he asked another question.
"Have you had any headaches or..." He trailed off as he watched her remain unresponsive, "You can tell me."
Lee still didn't answer.
If Mesogog was annoyed, he didn't show it nor could he show anything else as he wrote something else down.
"Your reading are relatively stable."
He still didn't get an answer from her, although to Lee, his voice seemed to reverberate and deepen, as if he was speaking through a fan.
Suddenly, after a minute of silence between the two, Mesogog loudly tapped one of his claws against his clipboard. She flinched and he noticed. He tapped it again. And again. And again. Going louder and faster, tapping harder and more frequently. He kept going, forcing the sound into her ears, even when she slowly curled up, causing him to hit even harder and faster
"STOP!" Lee abruptly shouted, unable to take it anymore. Tears rolled down her cheeks while Mesogog stopped tapping. "Stop..." She sobbed as memories as her time as the bandit's doll resurfaced and flooded her head.
"Very good." Mesogog let out a soft chuckle, "That's very very good."
"Dr. Mercer?" The dinosaur-human hybrid turned to see one of the nurses in the doorway, "The Consortium and the Tribunal are having a meeting in 2 hours."
He hemmed for a second before telling her, "You know? This is always the highlight of my day."
That was last he said to her as he stood up and walked away, leaving Lee alone as she cried. The nurses got her back to her room where she continued to cry to herself while the lights in her room fade away.
Mesogog hums to himself as he walks through the black lit hallway into the room where the meeting was. It was a dark blue-green room with several dozen screens showing various events all across the world.
The Consortium were already there as were the Tribunal.
Senator Stampingston; a 76 year old man with grey hair, wearing a blue suit with a white dress shirt and red tie and black shoes. Dr. Davenport; a 52 year old man with spiky brown hair and a five o'clock shadow. He wore a grey t-shirt, a leather jacket, grey khakis and black shoes.
General Crozier; a 67 year old man with a grey buzzcut, wearing a four star general's uniform with black leather shoes. Cardinal Ravenwood; an 81 year old man in a Christian priest's uniform.
Vater Orlaag; a middle-aged man with long ginger hair and beard, wearing a black uniform and a dark blue vest with straw-like extensions on the shoulders. Senator Roark; an intimidating looking 50 year old man with short brown balding and greying hair and a full mustache, he wore a black suit over a white dress shirt with hidden suspenders under his jacket. Senator Armstrong; a tall and extremely muscular man with a lantern jaw and slicked back greying black hair, wearing a black suit with a white dress shirt and yellow tie.
The last was Belial Salacia; an old, tall, and muscular man with long white hair, wearing a dark blue suit with a white dress shirt and blue tie. Something about Salacia unnerved both the Consortium and the Tribunal alike; whether it was the long nails, his raspy and drawling voice, or his presence in general, the man was intimidating enough to be considered the true leader of Modus.
"Well, about time, Mercer." Roark snarked. Mesogog didn't dignify him with a response as he took his seat.
The men all gathered their papers as the Leader started, "Thank you for coming, gentlemen. This meeting will discuss our progress with the threats that plague our world order. Who wishes to go first?"
"The Techno-Barbarians of the Wastelands are plaguing the Megacity of Beijing." The Commander started, his deep and filtered voice rang through the room as one of the screens showed many men and women augmented by cybernetics, "Their last attack destroyed half of the 32nd infantry legion, known as the 'Wasteland Wardens.' Before the Wardens pushed them back, the Techno-Barbarians had slaughtered thousands and took even more prisoner for unknown reasons."
"The Resistance stronghold of San Fransokyo has been a thorn in our side for 3 years." Senator Stampingston seconded, the screen behind him showing several soldiers with blue armbands; the sigil of the Resistance. "I must give them credit for holding out so long against our legions, but due to them being composed of many huntsmen and huntresses, resulting in heavy casualties in the three legions we sent to neutralize them."
"Finally, there is the King Draped In Blood and Ash." Vater concluded, the screen in opposite to him showing a man covered in bandages to where even his mouth, eyes, and nose were covered, he wore a red cape with a golden crown. "He's taken over Boston with the Flesh Shapers at his beck and call."
"Good. Very good." The Leader responds to all this while writing down this things on a sheet of paper before turning to Mesogog, "Dr. Mercer, how goes Project Yaldabaoth?"
"Her conditioning is proceeding according to plan." Mesogog begins, pulling up a hologram showing Lee, "If all goes as smoothly as it has, I predict that she will be under our thumb within 2 weeks time."
The Leader looked pleased while Senator Armstrong seemed nonplussed, asking, "And what about this woman is so special that she must be indoctrinated and given modifications to suit our needs?"
"I am glad you asked, Senator." Mesogog began to explain, "This woman's semblance gives her the ability to control anybody in her line of sight. Up to and including Type Greens and Type Blues. Such control has not been in Aura users since before the Era of Rending. To ensure such power is not used against us, we much break her down and rebuild her in our image."
Armstrong sneered, hating that this woman's free will had to be destroyed.
"I understand your discomfort, Armstrong." Stampingston consoled his friend, "But sometimes, security is more important than freedom."
Armstrong and General Crozier only muttered in reluctant agreement.
"As for the equipment I requested, Operator? Engineer? How is that proceeding?" Mesogog asked the two, whom looked at each other.
The Operator answered first, "Well, I looked over the specs you sent and it seemed probable, so I approved it and sent it to the Engineer."
"And the equipment should be done within the area of time that you requested." The Engineer finished before adding, "I must admit that both of us are confused by the requests. What exactly are your plans with her?"
Mesogog was blunt with his explanation, "I will present her when I'm done."
The Consortium and Tribunal looked at each other before relenting, realizing that that was all they were gonna get from Mesogog until he was finished with his project. But the thoughts still lingered in their heads.
Back at the Aurboria Facility, Lee was sitting alone in her room, like every day since she was interred here. All that was there, besides her and her bed, was a TV that played a series of images that had no rhyme or reason, weaving a maddening tapestry of imagery that drove her mad. Other than that, she was all by her lonesome and that was worst part.
She was trapped in her own mind. A prison of her own making. One were she could think and think for months on end while the doctors pulled her apart and reassembled her to their liking, as if she were a toy.
Not even her dreams were any solace; each one was a maze of memories and regrets as she could help but wonder what happened to her old gang. The thought was gone as quickly as it came.
Lee got up from her bed and walked to the wall, her hand gliding against the glass-like material, smooth and hard. She idly wondered what was beyond the walls, like a child who'd been caged their entire life. It was ridiculous that she felt this way but somehow, whether it was the isolation, the tests, the experiments, the constant heavy sedation, or the weird tasting paste, it felt like she was here her entire life.
Suddenly, the nurses came into her. It was time to see her doctor.
They lead her back to the black and white room where Mesogog was waiting. Same routine as always.
After a few minutes of silence between them, with him asking more questions and her remaining silent as always, Mesogog abruptly says, "I am so sorry that you cannot see your sisters."
It was a lie and she knew it but the statement caused her to look up at him with a surprised expression adorning her face, even if she didn't want to.
"They both have grown into quite the specimens." Mesogog claimed, "Marie herself has taken a liking to the Operator."
That caused her eyebrows to disappear into her hairline. Marie found love? An odd sort of joy filled her when she heard that.
"Would you like to see them again?"
At that question, she stilled and stayed stilled for several moments. Her mouth then moved against her will, saying what her heart desired, "More than anything..."
Mesogog chuckled. Hook, line, and sinker. "There're some pictures under your bed."
Lee seemed to be in tears at hearing at.
Sure enough, she found the pictures under her bed when the nurses dragged her back to her room. 3 of them; the first one was of her went she was sentenced to that prison, the second was of Marie who was wearing a leather uniform with the Modus Emblem, and the third was May in a dress. The latter two were smiling into the camera while she had a sorrowful expression.
Lee's expression matched the one in her photo. She couldn't help but idly wonder if her sisters even wanted to see her. Did they move on? Did they still love her? Did either of them still care about her?
Such question only made her sadder as she contemplated whether her family even knew if she was alive. A week after the Mambas raided Peach Creek and sent her running, the police caught her after she killed a family so she could stay in their apartment. Afterwards, they began screening her for qualifications for something called Project Yaldabaoth.
And she meet their qualifications after they discovered her semblance when she tried to escape.
Then after that, Lee was drugged and sent here. She attempted to escape a few times, but they always caught her and subjected her to harsher experimentation; drawing blood, injections of powerful simulants and depressants, all kinds of sensory and physical experiments, and that fucking Red Room. That wasn't all they did to her though; They beat her to a pulp whenever she wouldn't fall in line, subjected her to all kinds of drug and hypnotherapy, and put her though all kinds of tests that usually left her a heap gasping for air. And she didn't even want to think what they did to her during the surgeries.
What did Marie and May think of her if they found out what she'd done?
Lee only let out a chuckle of self loathing at this. She doubted any of her sisters still loved her. She doubted if they even still cared.
Mesogog watched the subject looked over the photos of her siblings with some curiosity. He'd never had siblings while growing up so, he had always wondered what it was like. No matter, he needed to record the results of this test.
He picked up his recorder and spoke into his recorder, "Day 181; After secretly placing the photographs of her siblings, Subject 7 has entered a more emotional state albeit a docile one. This may imped conditioning. Solution: bequiff the photos from her and begin Experiment 385."
The saurian scientist ended the recording before writing something in his journal. Her mind was now a blank state, due to all his experiments, ready to be reprogrammed to the regime's liking. The pictures were just another experiment to test her mental and emotional state.
Mesogog then paused as he thought of something, then writing it down in his journal. He'd been on Project Yaldabaoth for almost two years and he was so close to succeeding! He just needed to ensure that she would be undyingly loyal to the regime.
Placing his journal into its automatic drawer, Mesogog walked off to unknown parts, leaving the room empty.
20 minutes later, a nurse, Margo, wearing her civilian clothes (A white sweater and blue jeans, with brown boots and a beige coat) came out of the elevator as she was gonna punch in her hours so she could go home. Punching in her card to the reader, the nurse's attention was drawn to a strange warbling sound coming from a button that was blinking flickering with each sound at the side of the head doctor's work station.
Raising an eyebrow, Margo walked to the work station and started pressing it to get it to stop. When it didn't, she just kept pressing it, muttering, "Piece of shit..." The glitches in this place was really annoying somethings. Someone really had to fix some of the systems. It was also trippy to work here since the research facility had a New Age design that Mesogog insisted on using as a means to confuse the subjects if they tried to escape.
Margo can't say it wasn't affective as she get a tracker just to find the break room.
After a minute, a compartment opened to reveal a journal with a black leather cover with a golden emblem; a velociraptor's footprint. Curious, Margo opened the journal and began reading.
The journal showed her that the project started about two years ago with Dr. Aurboria at the helm. But due to unforeseen circumstances, the doctor left and Dr. Mercer took over. Page 30 showed that Kanker was the 7th subject of the project, the first 6 were deemed failures. Page 43 showed that series of tests that for phase one and two, while page 44 showed some diagrams and illustrations of some body parts.
Margo was about to read more when she heard the elevator ding.
Worried that it was her boss, she set the journal back in the drawer and furiously pressed the button until the drawer closed and she ran out of the room. Unknown to her, it's just another nurse that was clocking in for the night.
Unknown to Margo, an ashen piece of her cigarette had broken off and landed on the floor.
It was the next day and they were meeting against as always, though Lee seemed to be more attentive and sad.
"You seem tired." Mesogog observed.
Lee nodded her head, her eyes puffy from crying.
"You know it'd easy to become disillusioned when you don't know who you are." Mesogog started, "I know who I am. It's what gives me my strength, my confidence in my abilities. And I know who you are too, Lee."
She let out a scoff at that. How could he know her if she didn't know herself?
"Is there any thing you want?" Mesogog asked Lee.
That made her stop.
"Is there anything you want?" Mesogog asked again, "If you want something, I can see what I can do."
Lee was still silence as she contemplated. What did she want? Did she want money, power, freedom? Did she want to kill Mesogog and the other doctors and nurses for keeping her for almost seven months? She thought about it but none of this things would have made her happy in the long run. Her answer came when her mouth moved of it's own accord.
"I wanna see my sisters."
Mesogog did the closest thing he could do for a raised eyebrow, then clicking his tongue and shaking his head, "I'm afraid I cannot do that. You're not ready to be released. We have several more tests planned for you."
She let out a chuckle. She knew that was coming but the last bits of hope still in her forced her to say it.
Mesogog hummed as he worked in his lab. After his last secession with Lee, he knew that she was almost ready for phase 3. If she could survive that, then he'd have not just a powerful weapon but a powerful weapon that was loyal to the regime.
He was then aware that he was not alone. The saurian scientist turned around to see The Doctor in the door along with the Operator, the latter having a blank expression.
"Ah, my friend." Mesogog greeted the Doctor, "Thank you for bringing him here."
"It was no problem." The Doctor waved off before turning to the Operator and motioning to the table, "If you'd please?"
If the Operator was annoyed, he didn't show it as he took off his coat and rolled up the sleeve on his left arm. The Operator's arm had dozens of scars, all diagonal with more hidden under his long-sleeved shirt and blister scars on his palm and fingers.
The Doctor seemed intrigued, "May I ask where those scars came from?"
"No, you may not." The Operator's tone was as empty as he ever was, but the Doctor knew that was all he was gonna get. The latter then pulled out his Needler and drew blood from the former's wrist then he injected the blood into a large tube filled with a black viscous liquid that started bubbling after a second or two.
"Are you sure it'll work this time?" The Operator asked Mesogog, doubtful that the current subject would survive the third phase without going through what the last 6 subjects went through, "Cause I've seen what happened to those last 6. And let me tell you, few were things disturb me."
"Relax." Mesogog says calmly while working on the black liquid, "The surgeries and serums I've given her should lessen the effects of the compound."
"And if it doesn't?"
He shrugged, "Then we'll get a subject 8."
"Oh, yes. That gives me so much confidence." The Operator drawled sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
Mesogog didn't give him as response as he walked out of his lab and to his work station to retrieve his journal. The button that released the drawer was flickered as usual on the black wall, but then he saw some ash from a cigarette on the floor. He immediately knew where it came from as only one person in the facility smokes. And if Margo saw what was in his journal, she could expose his secrets to any resistance spies and they could shut down his project!
Argo, he had to silence Margo before she said anything.
Margo just worked at her station monitoring the subject as she slept. The nurse couldn't stop thinking about the journal. What happened to the 6 previous subjects? What's the third phase of the project? And what was so special about this subject?
"Oh, Margo?" A familiar voice called the nurse from her station, silencing her thoughts. She turned to see Mesogog, standing in the door way, scaring both her and the other nurses and doctor.
"Yes, Dr. Mercer?" The nurse said, internally worried why he was talking to her.
"It's come to my attention that subject 7 has been hiding... an elicit objects..." Mesogog drawled/hissed as he claps his claws on Margo's shoulders in a threatening gesture, causing the latter's eyes to widen in surprise, pausing her work momentarily, "Or rather 3 elicit objects from us."
"Oh, really?" Margo questioned, internally relieved that he didn't seem to know.
Mesogog murmured for a second, releasing his grip and hissing to her, "So, keep your eyes on her."
A thought then touched Margo, "Dr. Mercer?
"Yes?" Mesogog did the closest thing he could to a raised eyebrow.
"How you you think she would have gotten into possession of those objects?"
"Oh, I do not know, Margo. I. Do not. Know." Mesogog hissed in a tone that screamed 'Be quiet or I'll kill you', "But, I am looking into it."
That was when he turned and left the room with a gulping Margo getting up to do her job.
Lee kept staring at the photos of her and her sisters for what felt like days, when the lights suddenly came on; signaling that it was daytime. She was apathetic, still looking at the photos as the walls parted to let the nurse come in with the tray of that same paste they always fed her.
"Good morning." The nurse said coldly as she set down by Lee's bed, "Hope you're hungry. It looks better than usual today."
It was then that Margo noticed the pictures in Lee's hands.
"What have you got there? A special picture?"
Lee didn't respond, still just looking at the pictures.
Margo just gave a pleasant smile and asked, "Let me see."
When Lee still didn't respond, the nurse complains childishly, "Oh, come on! I'm just curious."
The ginger haired woman had a contemplative look for a moment before holding out the pictures.
"See? Was that so hard, now? Was it?" Margo smiled, looking at the photos of the subject and her sisters, "Who are these other two? Your sisters?"
Lee remained silent.
"Where are they?"
She still didn't respond.
"Are they dead?"
That got a reaction. Lee flinched and gritted her teeth, trying to hold in the tears at the thought of her sisters being dead.
"Good." Margo says, coldly as she gets up.
A fire blazed in Lee when she heard that. She turned to glare at Margo only for her expression to morph into one of shock and despair when the latter crushed the photos in her hand, not even blinking at her despaired expression.
"Enjoy your dinner." Margo coldly mocks, turning to leave the room.
Mesogog grinned inwardly while he, the Doctor, and the Operator watched Margo interacting with Lee, via the security camera. The Doctor was impassive while the Operator simply had a raised eyebrow at the screen.
"Now that we have administered the proper stimulus," Mesogog explained his intentions as his right talons reached for a dial, "We will see if she still has the will to fight back."
He slowly turned the dial all the way to the left, causing a screen measuring a power output to lower. Another screen then showed the message; SEMBLANCE NULLIFIER DEACTIVATED.
Lee just kept staring at the crunched up photos of her family. The only thing she had left to remind her of her family were ruined. She would have cried but then she suddenly felt a burning sensation in her veins as the nurse retreated to the door.
A red aura flowed over her frame as her eyes locked onto Margo, who froze. Anger flowed through Lee as her face twisted into a glare. She wished that bitch would just kill herself so she could-
Her thoughts were silenced when Margo turned around and walked back to her. The nurse's expression was blank but her eyes were filled with fear as she took the plastic knife from the tray and stabbed herself in the neck.
Blood spewed from the wound and her mouth as her eyes turned bloodshot and a gurgling sound issues from her throat. Margo remained still even as the blood stained her uniform before she fell to the floor, dead.
Lee gasped in fear, scrambling backwards until her back hit the wall. She hyperventilated, looking at her hands and then looking at Margo's corpse, scared of what she did. For an odd reason, she didn't vomit but still looked away.
She killed an official member of the regime.
Suddenly, before she could contemplate what she'd done, the guards charged in. The lead one pulled out his baton and whacked her across the face. The other guards rushed in with their batons raised, beating her until she fell unconscious.
"Oh, so this is how you get your kicks?" The Operator joked as the trio monitored the guards dragging Margo's body away while also dragging Lee away for sedation and hypnosis.
"Not at all." Mesogog chuckled, "This test was meant to judge if she had the capability to kill." He then put a talon to his 'chin', ponderingly, "Though, judging by her reaction, it seems her personality has changed from the beginning of the tests. Possibly result of the drug and hypnotherapy, but it has prevented her from escaping her cell. Never the less, this has proved that she is ready for Phase 3."
The Operator rolled his eyes, "Just pray that she doesn't end up like the last 7."
The two scientists also rolled their eyes in annoyance with the Doctor asking, "Are you still on about that? We've learned from our mistakes."
"One does not simply forget an overweight man ripping out his intestines while moaning like he's having intercourse." The Operator replied, deadpan before relaxing his tone and saying, "Look, just tell me you two have this under control?"
"Fine," The Doctor sighed, relented and responded, "I will do everything I can to ensure everything remains under control."
The Operator relaxes, "Okay, thank you. I'll left you to it."
He walks away, leaving the scientists alone in the laboratories to do what they please.
Mesogog turns to his partner, "He has seen things worse than what happened to the subjects. Why did what happened to subjects 1-6 worry him?"
"Well, as he said; Subject 5, after administration of the compound, ripped open his abdominal cavity and remove his large and small intestines with his hands." The Doctor responded while working on the black compound, "The Operator is simply concerned, mostly since the qualifications for your project have a rather difficult margin, even for the wide range of anomalous individuals."
Mesogog just sneered but relented as he took a jar filled with a blue-gray paste, scooping some out into a beaker and turning on the burner under it, "I suppose you have a point. Still, the compound's effects must be restrained if we are to complete our experiment. But, first things first."
The paste slowly dissolved into a grey colored liquid, as he typed inputted a command to the computer; RUN SENTIONAUT PROGRAM.
In another part of the facility, doors parted to release a flurry of smoke into the hallway.
As it cleared, a sterile room with mirrored walls and overhead light ceiling revealing a humanoid figure; It was unnervingly tall and lean, hands long and languishing while standing in a tranquil yet intimidating pose. It's clothing was an odd red suit with black lines, with black gloves covering it's hand and red shoes. Sitting on it's head was a red hard plastic helmet with no features except two ports by the ears. The mirrored room it resided in made it seem like there was a thousand copies surrounding it.
The Sentionaut cracked it's neck and curled it's fists, before turning to the right and walked off.
It's movements both too seamless yet too jerky, each limb moving both in sync yet independent of each other. It walked through the sterile and void of life halls to where the master had preset him to go. The hallway was the same, being the slight illuminous red with plexiglass walls and floor of the same color. Its journey ended when it came to the target's room. The door parted to reveal Kanker; restrained to the bed, she struggled lightly as if in discomfort before her eyes locked onto the Sentionaut as it walked into her room. Her face contorted into one of fear and terror as she harder struggled against the bonds of her bed while screaming and yelling for help.
Lee continued to struggle against her bonds as the Sentionaut got closer and closer, heavy breathing issued from it's helmet as it raised its right pointer finger up. All of the sudden, a long thin needle emerged from the tip of it's finger. It then pointed its finger, and by extension the needle, at her.
The woman continued to scream as the needle elongated to where slowly inched closer and closer to her neck until it reached her left jugular. The organic-metal needle pierced the skin and into the vein before its venom followed through her.
Lee's eyes bulged before they rolled back into her sockets.
The needle retracted from the woman's jugular, the wound being so thin that no blood escaped, and into the Sentionaut's finger. It shook it's hand in slight pain as it approached the unconscious woman and examined her via it's fingers. Heartrate and breathing was normal, the scars from her years as a slave were still present while her tattoos hadn't been removed due to being unnecessary for the moment.
Slightly caressing her cheek after putting the headphones back on her ears and playing the tape, the Sentionaut straightened as it received orders.
ORDERS FULFILLED. RETURN TO CONTAINMENT CHAMBER UNTIL FURTHER ORDERS.
The Sentionaut did not fuss but looked back to the woman strapped onto the bed. Despite the scars, she looked so beautiful. It looked down to its right hand. It knew what she was going through, because it went through the same thing. It looked back at her one last time before exiting the room.
Poor girl. The Sentionaut wished that she would not end up like itself; Alone. Trapped. Lost in insanity. The ultimate pleasure being constant pain and the constant pain being the world she would live in.
Mesogog hummed as he wrote something down on his clipboard while the doctors filled the black compound into the large vat. The saurian scientist was supervising the amount of the compound being poured into the vat and the Doctor was talking to the gathered Consortium and Tribunal about how they're ready for Phase 3 with Subject 7.
He prayed that this one would be sufficient, especially since what happened to the last 6 subjects.
"Lord Mesogog?" A doctor snapped him out of his thoughts, "The vat has been filled to your measurements."
The mad saurian did his equivalent of a raised eyebrow before he looked at the vat that was filled with the black compound. Then he flicked his wrist, causing a long metal pole to slide out of his sleeve. He pulled it, revealing it to be far longer than his sleeve could hold before he dunked it into the vat to measure the depth.
When he found it was exactly to his measurements, Mesogog disposed of the pole then turned to the doctor, "Grab Subject 7. We begin Phase 3 immediately."
The doctor nodded and walked off to get the subject.
Lee's eyes fluttered open, a lighted moving ceiling filled her sight. She saw that she was being moved to a new area in the facility, held down by straps that were uncomfortable on her skin before notice that she was only in her underwear.
She would have blushed, but for some reason, she didn't while the doctors opened the doors to the room of her destination; a white sterile room with no windows or equipment, only a vat of black liquid the size of a hot tub with ceiling lights blaring down.
A doctor in a white suit resembling a plague doctor approached her, holding up a gun-like syringe filled with a grey liquid. They held her down while she struggled and the doctor plunged the syringe into her neck; injecting the liquid into her system.
The feeling hit her hard. So hard that when they undid the straps, Lee could barely stand. The doctors lead her to the vat, putting her feet in first. The liquid was cold and thick as paste. She gasped but hid it as the doctors slid her into the vat, where she was shoulder depth as the doctor whispered, "Be our big winner, Lee."
Her eyes grew heavy as her head sunk along with her body into the vat and into the nightmare to come.
The world around her was nothing but seen blackness that spanned everywhere and nowhere. The unseen grass crunched and bent under her feet while the dubious senses that she was normally accustom to were useless. Lee, in the most abrupt of feelings, suddenly became aware that something fetid and large was exceeding near her, unmoving and unswaying.
Abruptly, she was granted back her accustomed sight, only for a gasp to escape her throat and her hands to cover her lips. It was herself; constructed crudely out of weathered, porous limestone, with a strange light glowing from deep within it. Around her and the limestone statue in her likeness were billowing, garishly-colored clouds and water, ready to rain down akin to the winter storms that dominated the world.
Her hand glided along a limb of garish cloud before turning to see the statute in her likeness being accompanied by twin statues with their arms wrapped affectionately around the legs of her's. Upon closer inspection, the statue resting to the right was in likeness to Marie and the statute resting to the left was in likeness to May.
Before Lee's mind could absorb this, the head of the limestone statue was suddenly composed of a blackness, void of any of the features that gave it her likeness. A moment passed when it began liquifying while the garish clouds behind were replaced by a lurid black and pink hellscape. The liquid portions of the statue instead flowed upward into a reflecting pool above, rippling red with each drop. The statue wrapped around the melting one abruptly crumbled to ash, the liquid ripped away listlessly until all that remained was a cleaned onyx skeleton, standing supportlessly in the swallowed land.
Horrid otherworldly smoke then began pouring into the skull, spreading down the ribs, spine, pelvis, and limbs like a non-solid fungi until the skeleton was entirely obscured aside from a pale yellow luminescence that grew from within. The smoke writhed and slithered in between each onyx crafted bone as Lee watched in equal fear and fascination, backing away while the statue underwent its metamorphosis. The smoke began condensing and shaping around the skeleton, until it coalesced into a human-shaped carapace of chalk that shattered as rapid as it formed, revealing another statue of herself made out of glowing red amber or metal illuminate in furnace blaze, as if she is being reforged into a new being.
Lee could feel the heat blazing from the object, backing away until something claps their hands on her shoulders. The air became tenser, as if she was swimming in blood. Whomever was grabbing her shoulders abruptly released her before wrapping their arms around her chest and pulling her close. The thing's feminine lips pricked at her left ear.
"Time to wake up, Lee." A sultrily purr of her mother's voice piped into her ears.
A hand rose from the vat, clawing at the sterile air before slamming onto the side of the floor, pulling up the rest of Lee's body up. She let out a massive gape before collapsing onto the floor in a coughing heap, even as the doctors helped her out of the pool and began cleaning the black liquid off the floor.
In the observatory, the Doctor and Mesogog were speechless, the former breathing out, "It worked. It actually worked." He immediately dashed in and began scanning her for any mutation
The doctors started cleaning the black liquid off Lee's face, revealing that her Glasgow smile scars were gone along with the patch of scar tissue on her forehead. Her hair was now bone-straight and bright red while her modesty was covered by one of the doctors covering her with his lab coat.
Roark whistled while seeing her and whispered to the Manager, "Damn, this one's a looker."
The Manager nodded with a perverted grin.
After the Doctor came back and reported no signs of mutation, the others were quite surprised considering the reaction from Subject 2 was him screaming in agony as he removed his reproductive organs with his hands. The Manager was pleased as he hated seeing beautiful women mutilated, given he knew what it was like to suffer scars to the face.
While they were explaining, the doctors wheeled a dazed Lee back to her room.
As they did, the Sentionaut became aware that the woman had not succumbed to the same insanity that had consumed it and the 5 before it. And for the first time in 13 years, even after it had entered the experiments, a smile appeared on its lips hidden by it's helmet.
Lee couldn't stop staring at the mirror.
Instead of the scarred woman staring back, was one with neck length hair red as roses, her facial scars were absent and her tattoos had changed from surreal designs to more gothic illustrations, but what confused her was that she now had blister scars on her palms. The woman didn't have anytime to process it as they came back to get her.
They now clothed her in a black top with cotton sweatpants while wheeling her to the testing area.
The room they took her to was another blank white room but this time it was occupied by four chalk white pods and a chair that they hooked her into, held by thick straps and a plastic mask that was forced on her face.
"Hello, Lee." The Doctor's voice came on the loudspeaker, "Today, we are testing your Semblance for any mutations. When we open the pods, we will also deactivate the Semblance Nullifier, so use your Semblance to control the occupants. If you attempt to use your Semblance to escape, we will administer a controlled shock."
Lee said nothing but the mask hid her fear as the pods opened with a hiss while white steam flowed out.
When she saw the occupants as they emerged, Lee screamed; they were all clad in formfitting black leather garments that resembled exoskeletons with each having a unique appearance with no features exposed. The first one had nail-like protuberances around every part of his body, the second was more effeminate but her face was covered by a mask resembling wax melted onto her face with black splotches for eyes and mouth, the third had a abstract skull-like mask with metal claws on his hands, and the last one was a disgusting pig of a man with beady black eyes and a cheekless maw of needle-like teeth.
"Behold; Subjects 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively." The Doctor's voice rang out from the intercom as the 4 walked towards her, growling and buzzing noise issuing from them as they hobbled menacingly towards her. Lee was only able to stare in horror as they got closer and closer. She took several breaths to calm down before focusing her mind on the four.
Unseen to anyone, her eyes glowed red.
The four suddenly seized in unison before stilling and taking a uniform position.
"Good. Set them down."
The four sat down, legs crossed and eyes attentive.
"Good. Very good." The Doctor called out, "Now, return the four to their pods."
Lee was more than happy to comply; The four got to their feet before turning away and entering their pod, strutting like robots. For a moment, Lee could feel a sliver of fear in them but she also felt Subject 5 gain a rather disgusting attraction to her.
The pods all sealed while the Doctor's voice came on, "Very good, Ms. Kanker. That concludes our tests for today."
Lee breathed out a sigh of relief, only for one of the doctors to come behind her and jab a needle into her neck, injecting her with more sedatives. Her eyes grew heavy until they forcefully shut and she lost consciousness.
Lee's eye fluttered opened, revealing that she was in a circular room akin to a temple. A black long-sleeved dress hugged her body and her hands were covered by black gloves. She looked at the dress, confused, by the room was then invaded by men that stood against the walls.
The cultists were wearing stained robes made of flayed human skin crudely sown together, same with their gloves and boots. They also wore crude necklaces made from a human spine, various sharper bones, and a human skull. They were holding rusted scythes, knifes, and blades decorated with lanyards of fangs and teeth.
Lee was understandably horrified when she saw them but it turned to confusion when one of the cultists knelt to her while offering a purple rose. She took it and palmed it for a second when the offerer took her open hand and took her down through a dark tunnel that reflected no light. Lee tried to yell but no noise issued from her throat.
The tunnel ended with an alter; it was circular, composed of terracotta while the ceiling was held by 16 pillars with tapestries of... things lurking in the corners of the multiverse, never meant to be known by man or alien. But the most shocking thing to Lee was a painting standing north.
It was a painting of her. Or more accurately, it was a portrait of her past selves; Her self before the Era of Rending. Her self when her third eye was ripped out by those rapists. Her 15 year old self as a slave. Her 17 year old self as a whore for the bandits. Her self as a prisoner. Her self as the drug lord of Peach Creek. And her self now.
They then lead her to a carved circle in the pavement of the temple floor, they filled it with goat's blood and then circled around with a lit herbs releasing a pleasant smelling smoke before another cultist sliced open a small cactus-like plant that spills a clear liquid into a bowl of many colored powders.
"In tenebris aquas, nigrum in equitum solis." They chanted monotonously yet grandiose, "U mračnoj vodi, jahači jašu crno sunce."
The liquid became a light emerald that emitted an ominous glow.
Everything faded away as the world was replaced with a blackness that stretched farther than Lee could fathom, yet she could see herself while grey tendril-like clouds slithered around listlessly.
Suddenly, four horsemen marched through the accursed black haze with clear motive. Each different from the other yet the same as well.
Around the black one was an air of lifelessness and fear, it's eyeless skull-like face contrasts the hundreds of cold pupiless eyes coated it's body. In its hand is a massive scythe of cold steel, ready to end a life within a heartbeat.
The red one had an aura of murder and strife, it's head nothing but a torrent of flame igniting the matter around it with it's body being armored in organic plates. In it's right hand, it carries a longsword twice the length of its owner and just as red.
The white one was emaciated with its skin being stretched and near breaking. It's face was a maw of thinned human teeth slicked in drool, it let off a feeling of hunger and desire. The weapon in its hand being a massive club of bone and teeth.
The green one haunted her for an eternity. It's face was a bird-like mask with soulless black eyes, accompanying its face was an odd hat in the shape of a disk, while its body was cloaked in an emerald outfit. The weapon in its hand being a long staff with a cross at the end.
They lunged through the haze, snarling out in disgust, all visual stimulus chromatically inverted to look like its opposite. Lee, understandably terrified, slowly stepped away only for her to see the horsemen circling around her. Like lions circling around a wounded elk.
And then they started chanting;
There are things known.
There are things unknown.
In between
Lie the doors of perception.
They sang and sang as it burned into her mind, their voices reverberating yet melodic. Lee curled up with her hands to her ears, trying to block it out but it kept burning into her head, unable to stop. The sounds of the hooves of their horses' stomping almost becoming a melody of madness, drilling into her skull no matter how hard she tried.
Suddenly, everything went white.
Lee blinked rapidly to get the white out of her eyes until she noticed that she wasn't in a black hellscape; she was standing in a street of an old looking town with plant life spread out around wood and brick houses. She was still wearing that black dress and gloves but she didn't feel any warmth or cold and her hair flowed in unseen wind.
The woman looked around before wandering around the street until she tried to glide her hand over a mailbox, only for her hand to pass through the object as if it was air. Lee froze and looked back at the mailbox before she tried to touch the object again. Same result; her hand passed through the mailbox, if she was a ghost or specter.
Lee stared at her hand for a second when she heard footsteps.
She turned to see a 6 year old boy with brown hair wearing a striped long-sleeved shirt and old blue jeans carrying a black leather bag. The boy had a sad and forlorn expression as he walked, passing through Lee like a ghost. For an odd reason, the woman felt drawn to him and walked along with the boy, like a companion until they arrived to an unimpressive, dirty, and rundown house.
The boy opens the front door and walks in on his father, sitting on a chair with an empty bottle in his hands. The man was at least 48 years old, with shoulder-length, greasy and unkept, greying black hair, blue aged eyes, and a greying 5 o'clock shadow. He wore a white shirt, a brown jacket, white socks, and a pair of jeans.
His father stared at the tv, bored and aloof. "My son has entered my home." He said in an angry voice, "Beat to shit."
He then threw the empty beer bottle at his son who yelps as it shattered against his head.
"I talked to your teacher. She said you failed a math test?!" He screamed at the boy who looked terrified.
"Um, yes?" He peeped, his father getting more furious.
"Well, then looks like someone's not getting any food for the rest of the week!" He screams to him before ordering. "Go to your room."
The boy scrabbly tried to say something, then his dad yelled, "GO TO YOUR ROOM!"
"Okay! Okay!" He complied in fear as he ran to his room.
"SHOULD HAVE ABORTED YOU! YOU HEAR ME, WARREN!?" The father yells, then taking a swig from another bottle he picked up, sneering as he sat down, "Glob, I hate that fucking kid."
Lee looked utterly shocked at this and glared at the man, even if she knew he couldn't see her, before running upstairs after the boy.
She saw Warren just sitting in his room wiping some tears before his mother walked in. She was beautiful with a slender and curvaceous figure only wearing a black bathrobe, her face seemed like it had no flaws with fine deep black hair, red eyes and lips with an enticing smile.
To this day, Lee would never admit to being jealous of her looks.
"Mom, was I a mistake?" The boy asked with his head drooped as his mother touched him on the shoulder, faux affectionately.
"Oh, Warren, you're not a mistake; you're a regret." His mother smiled maliciously before grabbing his shoulders and throwing him out of his room. Her 'guyfriend' sneered at the boy before entering the room and slamming the door shut.
Warren walked downstairs to the couch where his father still sat, whom had a raised eyebrow, only to make space in understanding when he heard the noises from upstairs. The two just sat in silence as they watched tv with the sounds of upstairs faint. Warren's father sneered as he stared at the ceiling, "Fucking slag, what did I ever see in her?"
"Warren," The boy turned to his father, "Never get married. It's more trouble than it's worth."
He nodded quietly, "Okay."
The two continue to sit in silence before Warren leaned against his dad, only for his dad to put a hand on his shoulder and push him off. He didn't even look at his son, "Don't touch me."
Warren looked hurt before just hanging his head.
His father then felt the boy lean on him again. He grumbled in annoyance, "Warren, I said-" He cut himself off when he saw his son passed out while leaning on him. He just exhaled through his nose before getting up and laying a blanket on Warren as he sat on a chair with the tv on.
Lee was in tears seeing all this. She sat on the couch next to the sleeping boy and stroked his hair, despite knowing that he couldn't see her.
Lee's eyes opened, revealing the white ceiling of her room. The red haired woman simply sat up, removed the headphones, and rubbed her eyes, preparing for another day of more tests and more experimentation before she noticed that the door to her room was open.
She blinked in disbelief, standing up on weary legs and walking to the bare doorframe. The woman poked her head out the doorframe and looked down the halls; no guards, doctors, or nurses in sight. She checked thrice before thinking over what she should do.
Figuring it wouldn't hurt to look around, Lee slowly crept out of her room while putting on a white bathrobe because she was cold.
The halls were quiet and sterile, red bulbs beating down red baleful light on her skin, and the floor was a cold plexiglass freezing her feet. Lee couldn't shake a feeling of unease that kept crawling up her spine, like a feeling she had whenever the bandit leader would come to see her. Still, she couldn't help but think about where the staff were and was this just another test?
Her deep thoughts were stopped when she saw the Sentionaut standing down the hallway, facing away from her.
Lee's eyes turned fearful, still at she stared at the red clad thing for several moments. Her legs move of their own accord, trying to get away before it saw her. A fleeing hope as it turned around the moment she stepped back.
Without thinking, the woman screamed and ran away only for the white tile floor to rise up liquescently, cutting off her exit. Lee turned to see the Sentionaut slowly walking towards her, its hand extended before curling it into a fist. Suddenly, several arms formed from the tile wall and wrapped themselves around her torso before she could react, trapping her.
Lee screamed, struggling to free herself from the arms. Seeing the Sentionaut getting closer, Lee panicked; she tried to use her Semblance but she saw her aura putter out, causing her to remember the Semblance Nullifier. Realizing there was no way out and seeing the Sentionaut only a few feet away, Lee closed her eyes, awaiting the red clad monster to kill her.
Moments passed and she was still alive. Hesitantly, Lee slowly opened her right eye to see the Sentionaut standing inches away from her face. She noticed it caress her shoulder, as if affectionately before it removed its helmet.
She gasped. It's face was hardly a face; the eyes had been replaced by radiant red bionics while it's nose and mouth were covered by a metal respirator, and several computer chips being integrated at various areas around the temples and jawline. It was bald with bulging veins near bursting under the artificial skin and the jugulars seemed to be pulsing like extra hearts.
Abruptly, the arms unwrapped Lee and were re-absorbed into the wall while the Sentionaut motioned for her to follow him. The red haired woman was, understandably, quite confused but complied as the Sentionaut put its helmet back on, leading her down the hall.
As they were walking, Lee noticed another room was open but its occupant didn't leave; a bald man in a straightjacket and brown pants. His eyes were white, teeth bared with black drool, and an expression filled with insane rage. He thrashed at her but the chains attached to the jacket held him from chomping down.
She grimaced but then saw a holographic screen that read; "SUBJECT #1. Status: Failure. Note from the Doctor: Pure concentration of the compound caused immediate degeneration of the mind as well as minor mutations in the body." Lee barely had time to process that information as the Sentionaut stopped, abruptly.
It raised its hand to an open doorway, showing her that the entrance to the facility was open. She could get out.
Lee wanted to leave right away but stopped herself when she thought about it; What did she have? If she managed to get out and get to the streets, what would she do? Would she be a drug lord again? Would she take over a mega block? What does she have out there except herself and whomever she enslaved with her Semblance?
Yet as she thought, during her time here, feelings like sympathy and empathy came back when, only a few months ago, she was utterly devoid of them. The whole thing caused her endless amounts of confusion. Why was she suddenly regaining her empathy when she lost it all those years ago? What's happening to her?
Lee then realized why she was hesitating to escape; She had nothing. No family, no friends, nobody that meant anything to her. Her sisters worked for Modus while her gang back when she ruled Peach Creek were either dead or arrested. Even when she had all that power, the most she ever did was get high to cope when she wasn't being a monster. She had no where else in the world.
Maybe she was so broken that she was completely delusional, maybe this was the doctrine speaking instead of her, or maybe she even developing Stockholm. But as much as she tried to think otherwise and convince herself that she was better off on the streets, she couldn't.
Lee looked to the Sentionaut and slowly shook her head. It responded by nodding and raising its hand towards the door, with it closing at it's command. It then released Lee from its grip, whom began walking back to her room with an empty expression adoring her face. Her footsteps were robotic and methodical, unchanging and echoing in the halls as she slowly reaches her room.
The red haired woman looked down and entered before crawling onto her bed. She didn't leave for the rest of the day.
Mesogog chuckled as he presented the footage to the Doctor, "As we predicted, the stresses of our tests along with the drugs and experiments has forced her into a dependency. She will not turn on us."
"Impressive." The Doctor complemented, seemingly pleased with the results, "She should be ready for the Exorcists."
Lee opened her eyes again; She was in Warren's house again, wearing the same black long-sleeved dress and gloves, and her form being intangible to everything around her. The house was quiet and empty until she spotted Warren, now 15, was sitting alone at the diner table. He was wearing a blue and white checkered flannel over a black shirt, blue jeans, and red socks.
Lee regained a sympathetic expression as she sat by him and stroked his back, futile gesture as it was. They sat there for what felt like hours until his father walked into the room through the front door. He was laughing his ass off with a bottle in his hand, drunk as a skunk and voice sounding slurred.
"What's going on, dad?" Warren asked his father in a bored tone while Lee glared at the man, despite knowing that he couldn't see her.
"YOUR MOTHER IS DEAD!" Robert yelled, laughing as he entered the kitchen.
Lee's jaw dropped while Warren did not appear amused, "Oh, haha. Very funny, dad." He drawled sarcastically.
"I'm serious! They botched the surgery!" His father made a cutting motion to his throat with his hands, "She's deader than your future, boy!" He laughed again as he got a bottle out of the refrigerator, "Who wants some scotch?"
Warren appeared convinced but his expression shifted through various emotions before it ended into an unreadable one, like he didn't know what to feel. Both Lee and his father seemed to notice as the former put her hand on his shoulder and the latter walked up to him, confused.
"Hey, what's wrong?" His father pried, surprisingly gentle. Lee nodded, looking concerned for Warren.
"It's..." Warren trailed off before finishing, "I-I don't know what to feel."
His father shrugged, grabbing a small glass and pouring his son some scotch, "Eh, I felt the same way when I shot that kid in 'Nam." He then offered his son the glass full of scotch, "Here. It'll put some hairs on the baby's chest of yours."
While Lee was reeling at the fact that his father shot a kid, Warren took the glass of scotch and reluctantly took a sip. He gagged for a second, groaning and trying to take in the bitter taste of the drink. "Holy shit, that is strong." He said hoarsely, still reeling from the drink.
His father laughed, "Quite a kick, huh, Warren?"
Lee's vision suddenly went black before anymore happened.
She blinked; Lee was still wearing the black dress but she was now in a grey stone room, with only a single light holding back the darkness. It was empty yet cacophonous, silence being the dominant element while the room seemed to stretch beyond sight or length. Numerable supports held the hollow ceiling up while the darkness seemed to shimmer and seize, the feeling of being watched bombarded her nerves.
Lee then became aware that she wasn't alone.
The red haired woman turned to see the Operator laying on the floor. His movements were jerky and sporadic, his clothing consisted of a white beater and black pants while he was barefoot and his scars were present for all to see with a large pentagram branded on his back. The noises that issued from his throat were a mix of groans, screams, cries, and moans.
A little scared, she reached to touch him on the shoulder. His face then swerved towards her's with the fettered sound of bones breaking; his eyes had been replaced with orbs filled with static and speck-size screens, constantly changing colors.
Lee screamed and fell on her ass as she scrambled till her back was at the wall. The Operator was still; those color changing and specked eyes focused on her like a predator taking in its prey.
Suddenly, a black opaque liquid began and seeping from his eyes and mouth, overflowing and trailing down his cheeks and chin like tears and blood of ink. He then started hurling the blackness in chunks, staining his whit beater while the rest disappeared into nothingness. He began twitching, spasming as if an invisible puppetmaster was using his muscles as strings.
The Operator suddenly bent backwards, a loud groaning roar issued from his throat. A stream of pale green fluid then spewed out of his mouth, hitting the ceiling before abruptly disappearing. He then bent forwards, producing a horrid hacking sound from the bottom of his throat while on all fours.
Something wet and scaly jerked and slithered up his throat. He then reached into his mouth and grabbed it, pulling it out of his esophagus. It was something serpent-like and black. He ripped it out of his throat before letting it fall to the floor; it appeared as a serpent's skeleton, teeth wriggling and smoke rising before it collapsed into a pile of goo.
The Operator touched it, only for it to transmute into a onyx cloth as it grazed his palm.
Both of them looked at the cloth in his hand when the Operator abruptly threw the cloth into the air. It grew to where covered the ceiling, abruptly falling onto the Operator, tightening around his body like a noose. The cloth that covered suddenly became a grey cloak that flowed in an unseen breeze, the hood revealed a blank black face that appeared cloth-like. He then leaned down while folding his hands before placing his face in his hands then parting them and looking back at Lee, who gasped.
The face was replaced by a black mask with two featureless eyes; tear-like marks on the right and three large cracks branching from the left side. It seemed fused to his face yet there was no disruptions of the breathing h
"The psychotic drowns where the mystic swims." The Operator starts poetically, his voice metallic yet calming as if like the calm waters of a warm bath, "I am drowning. You are swimming."
Lee blinked confused.
Abruptly, the cloaked Operator burst into flames. The fire swirled and flowed, yet when they touched her, she was not burned nor felt any heat. They grew into a pyre that illuminated the room, showing steel walls that blocked sight from 50 feet away. The flames slowly died and flowed away where the Operator was.
In his place, was something utterly horrific; A 20 foot chimera assembled of the most abnormal traits. Trunk-ish legs with bizarre soft pads akin to hooves and silver plated skin, red serpent eyes sitting in the hips twitching incessantly, a massive centipede tail swaying from the waist, and grey carapace-like tentacles tipped in red sitting on the crouch. The top half had black leather skin and plates interwoven with a hide of blue fur, long clawed arms, and small bone spikes on the elbows, chest, and shoulders. The head was the most haunting, only being a smooth and white shell of bone with forward facing horns and six red eyes painted on where the cheeks, sockets, and forehead should be.
Lee gaped but stopped when it didn't move. She snapped her fingers twice but it still didn't seem to notice her. The monster then raised its right hand and snapped its fingers.
An orb of white flame formed above its palm that pierced the darkness that came when the flames died. It then circled its pointer finger around the orb, red hard-light formed in the shape of a lantern that it grasped by the handle. The monster slowly walked to an unknown destination with Lee following, its footsteps thunderous and strong yet it's movements were flexible and elegant.
The pathway was monotonous and lifeless, as if time had froze and fallen ever downwards in a spiral of unreality. They eventually arrived at a massive stone astrological chart where the monster let go of the lantern. It disassembled, only for the orb to float into the center of the stone chart, its sigils brightened before its components turned like stone gears until they parted.
In the chamber beyond the stone chart was another, more massive, orb; This one looking like a glass ball showing a young man walking into a hospital. The monster took the orb into its palms before getting down on one inhuman knee and presenting it to an awed and bewildered Lee.
"One final memory." Its voice rang like a metallic, reverberating deep voice yet soft like butter. The red haired woman hesitantly reached to the glass-like orb and gently touched it with her finger.
The world then went white.
Lee blinked the whiteness out of her eyes again as she found herself in front of a small hospital near the center of the town. Standing next to her was Warren; now 17 and wearing a black shirt under a red and black checkered flannel and brown leather jacket, grey pants and black boots. He had a hard yet resigned look on his face as he stared at the hospital, hands in the coat pockets. Both were in the middle of a snowstorm but Lee felt no cold and maybe Warren didn't either. It then that Lee noticed his hair was greying slightly.
After a few moments, Warren muttered to himself, "Come on, let's get this over with."
She knew he wasn't talking to her, nor could he have, but Lee nodded and followed as Warren entered the hospital.
The entrance was quiet but not as quiet as to be out of place for a hospital. The lady at the front desk was a old rotund woman with glasses and a business suit, she was typing something into her computer until she noticed Warren walking towards her desk.
"Can I help you?" The receptionist asked.
"Hi, I'm here to see a Robert Kallinger." Warren told her, his tone despondent and uncaringly. The receptionist looked down to her computer and typed in the name of his father. After a minute, the information came up and she looked up to the man.
"Third floor. Room 309."
"Thank you." Warren said bluntly, before leaving to the elevators with Lee following. A minute of taking the elevator and listening to the admittedly catch music, the two arrived to the third floor. It was rather busy but they managed to navigate to Room 309, though Lee got their first due to being intangible and invisible despite being unable to rub it in when Warren arrived.
"Hey," They turned to see an attractive female nurse coming out of the room, smiling at Warren, "Are you the son of Mr. Kallinger?"
"Yeah." He responded, looking into the room for a second before asking the nurse, "What's wrong with Dad?"
The nurse's smile fell and she looked remorseful, "He's suffering from severe liver failure. H-Has he been having any chronic problems with substance abuse? Alcohol, more specifically?"
"Since I can remember." Warren replied, deadpan and blunt.
The nurse and Lee flinched, with the former responding, "Then that's what caused it. We've been treating him, but given his age and poor health, I doubt he's going to make it. You may wanna say your goodbyes now."
Warren only breathed and said, "Can you leave me alone? I just wanna talk to him."
"Sure." The nurse left him alone as he entered the room, but Lee overheard her saying to the other nurses, "Poor guy. Seeing his father like that, knowing he can't help. No person should go through that."
The other nurses nod sadly, while Lee scoffed. If only they knew.
She followed Warren into the room and saw him standing over the bed where his father was. Robert looked horrible: His frame was ungodly thin to where his ribs and veins were visible, his hair and beard were grey while sores were all over his skin, and his eyes had an empty gloss in them.
Lee covered her mouth with her hand. True she hated the man, but seeing him so lifeless and seemingly unable to walk or eat without assistance just made her uncomfortable.
Warren just said down in a nearby chair at the bedside. His father seemed to noticed him as his eyes turned to his son, but he said nothing and neither did Warren. For several moments, both were silent, suspensefully waiting who was gonna speak first until Warren broke it.
"I've been thinking of moving out to Empire City. Might be homeless for a few weeks even if I got a job, but you know, it's something."
His father didn't respond only breathing grumpily.
"Ever since you've been admitted, I've had to pawn all of Mom's jewelry." Warren continued, even though he wasn't expecting a response from Robert, "And maybe rob some gas stations and other peoples' houses. You know that girl down the street is a homosexual?"
"Huh." His father broke his silence, somewhat bewildered by that fact before asking, "You know your mother stole all that jewelry?"
"Yeah. That was the guy at the pawn shop said when I showed it to him. But I managed to convince him to take it." Warren said flippantly, "But I've been thinking about skipping state to try and start over. Y'know, try and get a job. But, I don't know if I can."
His father nodded, "Your mother was the same. She did whatever she wanted without concern for anyone else. It was like she could make me do whatever she wanted without even looking at me."
Warren seemed surprised as did Lee, "Goddamn."
The parent and son were silent again before the latter asked again, "Well, this is probably the last time we'll see each other. I'd say good riddance but I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish to talk to you one last time. So, Dad, please: what do you have to say? You're hear for who knows how much longer. So, please, if you have something to say, say it."
Robert looks down, ponderingly before inhaling and exhaling as he looked back to his son.
"You little pussy."
Warren just stared blankly at Robert, expecting this answer from his father, while Lee looked utterly appalled. After all that he and his wife put him through, Warren came to visit his father, who is quite possibly on his deathbed, and he still won't treat him like his son?!
"That was what my old man called me." His father looked down as he continued with a sad expression before either of them could do anything, causing both to stop and look at him in confusion.
"Kept saying it like it was my name. And I proved him right by killing all the wrong people in 'Nam." Robert continued before looking at Warren, "Now, Warren, I ain't ever gonna call you anything but your name, but you gotta decide; You gonna lay there and choke on your own blood? Or are you gonna stand up, spit it out, and go spill their's?"
Warren and Lee looked contemplative before Robert continued, "Remember that day? At the school, where you were in that fight with those boys that happened? You made me proud that day, Warren."
His son was understandably confused, "I was beat to a pulp."
"Yeah," Robert nodded before getting closer to his son, "But you got back up and you stabbed that bastard in the gut."
The memory of Warren stabbing that douchebag in the gut rung again in Warren, whom subtlety shook his head.
"That showed me that you weren't a pussy no more; You were a man." Robert puts his hand on his son's chest.
Warren and his unseen companion were silent, thinking about what he was saying.
"Remember this, Warren." Robert put his hand to his son's heart, "When the world fights, you gotta fight back. When everything come crumbling down, this is what's gonna kept you and everyone else alive. It's what kept me alive in 'Nam and I think it's what's gonna keep you alive."
The feeling in the room changed. Lee couldn't describe what it changed into, but it changed none the less. Warren nodded and muttered a "Yeah" before standing up and slowly walking out of the room. As he got to the doorframe, Warren turned back to his father one last time.
He then gave a soft smile. The first Lee ever saw from him, "See ya around, dad."
Robert gave a smirk in return, "See ya, son."
Lee was in tears at seeing this. She knew that Warren didn't forgive his father, but she also knew that he realized that carrying a grudge wasn't something he could hold onto. Knowing she felt the same way, Lee said what she thought.
"I still hate you, you know." Lee began, "Maybe it's not exactly right, but it's how I feel. You caused so much trouble for your son. You and your wife were rotten people who tainted everything he touched. I can't even think about Warren's old house without seeing your face or that couch you used to sit on, harboring so much malice like my mother. And this is the way you die. Laying on a bed, slowly being killed by your own habits. How fitting."
Her face then softened as she stroked Robert's hair.
"But at the same time... I know you didn't rot yourself. Other people did that to you. The world did that to you. It did that to me too. I guess I just got lucky."
She paused as she thought about who she used to be but continued.
"I hate you, but I also pity you. And I'm not sad that you're gone. But I am sad that you had such a rough time of it while you were here. After everything you did, even though you at least got closure with your son before you died, a part of me still thinks you deserved what you got. But I don't think you deserved what made you into who you were in the first place."
Lee leaned to Robert and gave him a kiss on his forehead.
"You've escaped one Hell, Robert Kallinger. God help me, but I somehow hope you don't find another."
Robert seemed to hear her speech as he gave a small smile before closing his eyes. The heartrate monitor then began flatlining, nurses rushed in to try and help but Lee knew it was his end. She walked out of the room and met Warren in the hallway, whom saw the nurses flooding the room.
He seemed to realize just as much as Lee what was happening, as both of them silently left the floor. The elevator didn't play its music, and the front desk seemed both occupied and abandoned at the same time, but the two walked out of the hospital and into the cold of the outside.
The world then went black but this time, Warren stayed.
Lee was confused until Warren turned around and gave a smirk, "Hey, Lee."
The red haired woman sputtered out, "W-What?"
He laughed, "Come on. Don't recognize me? Silver hair? Purple eyes? Not ringing a bell?"
Lee narrowed her eyes only for them to widen when it hit her like a wrecking ball, "No way."
"Yes way." Warren joked, "It's weird that you didn't get it earlier."
Lee's shocked faded as she thought about it, when suddenly her composure suddenly started breaking. It slowly built and built as she desperately tried to hold it all in.
"I don't get it." She almost sobbed, confused on all that she's feeling, "A few months ago, I couldn't have cared less if everyone I ever knew were killed. So, now why do I sympathize with you? Why do I empathize with you? What the hell is happening to me?"
Warren was silent for a second before answering, "Maybe they broke you so much, that the only parts that could repair you were the ones you threw away."
She didn't know what to say; The red haired woman hugged herself, gritted her teeth, desperately trying to hold it all in but her emotional dam was breaking. Suddenly, Warren pulled her into his chest, having his right arm over her shoulders. She could hear his calm and steady heartbeat through the flesh, bone, clothing, and leather in the way. His right hand was stroking her hair, soothingly like the parent she never had.
"Let it out." He whispered, "It's okay. You can let it out, I can't."
Her dam did not just break; it shattered. Lee buried herself into Warren's chest and started sobbing, her arms wrapping around his torso and her fingers dug into his jacket. Her sobs echoes through the darkness while Warren continued to stroke her hair like she was his child.
For the first time in her life, Lee cried without care of what anyone thought of her.
Mesogog spoke to the Consortium and the Tribunal, "It seems that the Operator's DNA has had an unexpected impact on her. We had some tests done and the results found that his DNA had converted her into a Reality Bender albeit one more akin to controlling others."
Douglas sighed in annoyance, "You see? This is why we shouldn't have Reality Benders-" He was silence when his mouth abruptly disappeared. Everyone turned to see the Operator with his left pointer finger raised while Davenport patted the area where his mouth should be.
"Don't choke on your words, Davenport." The Operator snarked before curling his finger, causing the roboticist's mouth to reappear, much to his shock as he was panting hard.
He growled, "I hate it when you do that."
"I didn't mean for that to sound like it mean that the experiment was a failure." Mesogog clarified, "This allows for her to be more controllable as we simply need to place a miniature SRA on her and her powers would be suppressed. And given how she has been properly conditioned, I doubt she will try any attempts of escape or betrayal."
The others simply hemmed and hawed until Mesogog opened the door to reveal Lee standing attentively; She was wearing a formfitting leather suit with silver integrated plates and red details covering her chest, arms, shoulders, legs, and thighs. Her hair was fine and combed while she had a reserved look and her arms were crossed behind her back.
Senator Roark whistled, "Damn, she is one fine specimen."
Lee looked down, flattered but complied as Mesogog motioned her to sit down on a black chair. She did with her hands to her lap and having an attentive but submissive look on her face
"Now, Lee: Do you want to hurt me?" The saurian asked her, causing the leaders of Modus to look at him, some with raised eyebrows and others dumbfounded along with Lee.
"W-What?" She stuttered.
"I'm asking you if you want to hurt me." Mesogog says bluntly, sitting down in the red chair, "Think; After all that I've done, after all that you've been through, do you want to hurt me?"
Thinking about all that she went through, Lee had an angry expression and reared back her arm while Mesogog remained impassive. Several moments passed, only to her expression to falter and her arm to lower back to her lap, submissively.
Mesogog had his equivalent of a satisfied expression, before he sat up from the red chair, "As you can see, she has been properly conditioned to perfect obedience. She will not fight back, she will not disobey, she recognizes authority, and she is obedient. We have nothing to worry about.
"I'd like to speak to the Operator, please." Lee abruptly asked, desperate hoping she didn't say that meekly, "Alone."
The leaders of Modus looked at each other confused but the Consortium and the Tribunal all allowed it and left the room, leaving the bemused Operator to sit in the red chair alone with her.
"Okay, I'm here." He started, confused as to why she wanted to talk to him, "What do you want?"
"Kallinger." Lee interrupted him, "Your real name is Warren Kallinger."
It was almost instantaneous. For the first time in quite a long time, a myriad of expressions crossed the Operator's face before it settled into one of dumbfound and stayed that way for several moments, only for him to narrow his eyes dangerously.
"How the hell do you know my name?" He looked uncharacteristically angry, almost snarling at her.
Lee looked scared, quickly explaining, "I kept having dreams. Dreams of a kid growing up in a poor part of a town in Michigan; His dad was a drunk veteran that didn't give a crap about his family and his mother was a whore that thought of her husband and son as things for her to play with. The boy was a target of bullies and gangs that robbed him of his sanity and innocence, leaving him with nothing but the deranged thoughts in his head. He slaved in a sweatshop and shoes store while his parents were at their house, doing whatever they pleased."
The woman looked like she was going to cry but continued, "His mother got her karma when she'd developed esophageal cancer and the doctors botched the surgery. His father's karma came when he was hospitalized due to liver failure. He left that town and never came back. Angry and alone, the Era of Rending was the only time he ever felt alive."
At this point, the Operator looked well and truly stunned.
"That boy was you, wasn't he?" Lee's voice was soft and sympathetic, like she genuinely went sorry for him. The Operator looked down, trying to calm himself down before looking at her.
He started to tell his tale; "I grew up in a small town just a few miles from Detroit, back then KaneCo was just starting to build Detriot Deluxe. Those two dickbag parents of mine beat me over minor things, locked in closets, branded with irons, forced to stab myself, whipped with belts, starved, forced to kneel on jagged rocks or glass, or even eat shit. When I was 6, the beatings were so bad that I got a hernia and had to go to the hospital. When I got home, they taunted me for it; saying that they 'fixed my little bird.' When I was 10, my mother bashed me over the head with a hammer just because I asked if we could go to the zoo. At one point, I was so desperate for friends that I'd steal money from my parents to bride kids to be my friend. When they found out, they forced my hands onto the hot stove."
Lee's jaw dropped and tears flowed down her cheeks. She looked at the blister scars on her palms and looked back at the Operator, whom nodded grimly.
"Ever since I was 11, my mother forced me to sleep downstairs because 'I didn't deserve a bed room.' I barely managed to get into highschool and not even that was a safe haven. I worked at a sweatshop and a shoe store part time just so I'd have a roof over my head and reluctantly my parents. When I was 14, Mother had developed esophageal cancer due to chronic smoking and they took her to the hospital. 3 days later, Robert came home, drunk as a shrunk."
"I asked him what got him in such a good mood and he yelled, 'Your mother is dead!' I didn't believe him until he yelled, 'I'm serious! They botched the surgery! She's deader than your future, boy!'" The Operator mocked his father's voice, "Words could not describe how happy I was when she died. Dad and I drank for days. When I was 17, I got into a fight with many of the students of my school. At one point, I was on the grass as a guy bigger than I was was beating me within an inch of my life. So, I naturally tried to defend myself with the nearest object."
"A shard of glass." Lee answered.
The Operator nodded, "That guy died of internal hemorrhaging, 3 days later. I was on the run after that. Came to visit Robert one last time." He then looked back at her, "Was one of your dreams that visit?"
"Yes."
He sighed, "Say what you want about him, that lesson was how I survived 5 years of the Era of Rending. After that, I managed to get to DC, became assistant to the Leader at the time. The world was in hell and he was the only one who had any plans to fix it, know matter how opportunistic it was. You know the rest."
Lee was silent, absorbing all that he told her before she asked, "So, what now?"
"Now, you keep your mouth shut or I'll shut it for you." The Operator threatened with his face being a mask of sanity. Lee flinched, putting up her hands and making a zipping gesture to her lips before smiling nervously.
His expression relaxed as he sighed, "Look, Marie is one of my agents. If I can arrange for you to meet her, can I trust that you'll be silent? Cause I know that'll make you happy."
Lee seemed to contemplate about that before nodding. The Operator nodded and got up from his chair and walked to the door where the Consortium and the Tribunal had left through before stopping and turning back to Lee with a piercing look.
"This conversation never happened."
The new agent of Modus just made a zipping motion on her lips while smiling pleasantly.
The Operator walked into the room where the Consortium and the Tribunal were, both groups looking confused and suspicious.
"What was that about?" The Engineer asked with a raised eyebrow, suspicious.
"It's nothing." The Operator waved off before asking Mesogog, acting unironic, "Say, is it possible for memory to be transferred via blood transfusion?"
"SIRS!" The men all turned to see a panting agent in the doorway before Mesogog would answer, trying to regain his breath before shouting, "WE HAVE A SITUATION IN AREA 101!"
The Consortium and the Tribunal were all silent with horrified looks before they all wordlessly ran out the door.
Lee just sat at a station for what felt like hours, taking in the the fact that she was going to join the regime that she used to stand against. While that happened, she couldn't help but take in the scenery around her.
Suddenly, someone sat beside her. Someone with blue hair.
The new agent of Modus turned to see Marie in the same uniform, smiling at her.
"Hey, sis."
Lee gaped, "How-?"
"I have my ways." She shrugged, before smiling at her again, "Wanna catch up?"
The big sister smiled back as tear ran down her cheeks, "More than anything.
There we go! Honestly, I expected to be finished with this later but we surprise ourselves sometimes. Anyway, while I will spoil absolutely nothing, I swear chapter 10 will make you feel like you've been hit by a sledgehammer in the chest, sending you flying while slamming face-first into a speeding car. That's how shocking it's gonna be.