Chapter One Hundred and Sixty
...
Corvin had tried to find the fox and rabbit in the original room he'd seen them in, but they weren't there. Not knowing which apartment they'd been given, Corvin determined that knocking on every door in the building was somewhat excessive. He'd start with the white rooms first, at least, and eliminate the meeting rooms. He could ignore the lower levels since they were offices and had citizens working in them. The rabbit and fox didn't seem to like other people, so they wouldn't willingly go there, he was sure of it.
The next white room had a layer of silver beneath the white coat, and it was Corvin's favourite out of all of the rooms. He'd spent most of his Sunday afternoon in the silver room while waiting for his mother to finish at the bakery. The room not only had the usual pillows and chairs, but there was a wall that changed into a window, and he could see down into the foyer and a corner of his mother's bakery.
Looking into the room, Corvin was a little disappointed that the fox and rabbit weren't in there. Figuring four floors were enough for one afternoon, Corvin went to sit in his favourite spot. He could always resume his search later.
A nose poked out from under a white pillow and he froze mid-stride.
"Hey. I've been looking for you. Where's your friend?" Corvin asked, even as a growl came from the blanket in the corner.
The rabbit didn't reply. Corvin watched the rabbit as they wiggled out from under the pillow and darted for the door.
"Wait!" Corvin called, running out after the rabbit, just in time to see it using one of the animal emergency hatches to get back into the white room. He turned to go back into the room, but the door was closed and locked.
Okay, obviously they weren't ready to talk to him yet. He would be patient and maybe one day, they would say hello. He tried not to feel too hurt by the obvious and sudden rejection, but headed back upstairs to his apartment. He could wait.
The bunny shifted back and returned to the blanket. The fox yipped at her, then nudged the book of names that Honey had left behind. They couldn't introduce themselves without names, after all.
...
"Lottie, it's time to go," Killer said, knocking on her door.
For the last three days, he and Champ had barely seen Lottie, and the cold shoulder had them both on edge and grumpy. Killer had snapped at Champ yesterday and there was only so much room to wrestle or fuck out their emotions, so they were both still pissed off.
Lottie opened her door - she'd showered in the middle of the night but had refused to acknowledge Champ's greeting, which was why he was sulking out by the car - and slowly carried her suitcase outside. They both knew it was too heavy for her to carry, but she refused to ask for help. Killer, however, had been raised a gentleman and still offered.
"I don't need your help."
"Lottie, love, you're about to fall over. Please, just let me carry the suitcase. We'll get to Lupo faster," he cajoled.
Lottie turned and glared. "We could have been there three days ago!"
"You know we couldn't, love. I refuse to put you in harm's way or endanger your son's life!"
"What?"
"Hourglass' email said she'd found Lupo, but if we left before today, the organisation that took him would find him again as well as everyone else they'd rescued. If we'd gone there three days ago, it would have put Lupo right back where he'd come from," Killer said.
Hourglass' email had also mentioned Gramps and Ryuu; there was no way he was letting anyone get their hands on his friend or honorary nephew. It had also said, right at the bottom, to let Lottie read the email before Killer, but that's what happened when Champ skim-read emails: he missed important shit. It was the reason Killer had snapped at him yesterday, but Champ was feeling sorry for himself because he knew he'd fucked up, so Killer would forgive him eventually. Lottie had to forgive them both first.
Lottie narrowed her eyes and after a long moment, dropped her suitcase by her side. "Carry that for me."
Relieved at the instruction, even though it was brusque, it was better than another day of receiving Lottie's cold shoulder.
"Of course, love. It would be my pleasure," he said, moving forward to crowd up against her and pick up the suitcase.
A smile twitched at her lips and Lottie stepped back, turning and heading out to the car. Champ straightened up at the sight of her, a hopeful expression on his face when he saw Killer carrying her suitcase.
"Anything I can do for you, love?" Champ hurried to ask, both of them eager to please however they could.
"Get me to my son safely," Lottie said, her voice trembling.
"Of course, love. It'd be my pleasure," Champ said, his tone and expression as serious as if he'd been given a high-target mission.
Killer supposed they had. Nothing would stop them from getting Lottie to Lupo now, not even the Commander himself.
...
Layla had been dozing, trying to give herself the time she needed to heal without feeling guilty about doing nothing. Warren had joined her on the bed, falling to sleep in a matter of minutes as she stroked his hair. Ida had taken one look at them together on the bed and rolled her eyes. Nina, on the other hand, had snickered and taken a photo on her phone. Layla wondered if she should ask Nina for a copy of that photo.
A knock at the door had her opening her eyes and looking over to Ethan. She smiled at him, her smile fading when he continued to look serious. "Is everything all right?" Layla asked, sitting up straighter and indicating to the chair beside her bed.
Ethan walked in and sat on the chair. Layla felt for her vines since Ethan still hadn't responded verbally. He was nervous about something but it was his determination that awed her.
"What do you need?" Layla asked, reaching to squeeze his hand.
"I need your help to kill Mr. Brighton."
That was... unexpected. Layla waited for any additional comments, not getting any.
"Why?" Warren asked, his voice rough with sleep.
"Several reasons: him being alive is causing Zach to have panic attacks on a weekly basis; he threatened to leave Zach and Heidi at a super orphanage like the organisation; and I found out what happened at Heidi's fifth birthday party."
Layla frowned. "We really need to find out about that one day."
Ethan shrugged. "It's not my story to tell, or Zach's, it's Heidi's."
"How do you want to kill him?"
"I want it to be obvious that he's dead and no investigation by the insurance company. Heidi and Zach deserve the life insurance, at the very least."
"I can't set him on fire, can I?" Warren asked with a reluctant sigh.
"It depends which method you choose. I have a list," Ethan said, drawing out a small booklet and handing it to Layla.
Warren sat up beside her carefully, and started to read the booklet.
Heart attack
Dehydration
Death by C-4
Car accident
Fuel station set on fire
Asphyxiation
"Not all of these are exactly natural causes; they'll be investigated," Layla said, looking at Ethan with a small frown.
He nodded. "I know. I still wanted to add them."
"I thought we weren't allowed to use my flames anymore?" Warren asked.
"Not yours, no. Yours are too controlled and precise, it leaves an obvious mark for any arson investigators. Layla's flames, however, don't have the same years of control that you have had and could fool people."
"And the C-4?" Layla asked with a grin.
"Imagination. I do have one, you know."
"I know; I've seen it in your schedule," Warren said.
Ethan didn't respond and simply waited.
"Your vines are in him, hippie. What about a heart attack?"
"The vines are very stilted. I'm not sure they're subtle enough to manage a heart attack. Maybe a brain clot?"
"Could you target a part of the brain or is that too specific as well?" Ethan asked curiously.
"Which part would you target?" Warren asked, looking from the booklet to Ethan.
"The part that hurts the most."
Even through the drugs in Warren's system, he could feel Ethan's seething rage and anger like it was a cool liquid running through his veins. Super Jesus, was he glad Ethan was on their side.
"It's time for your checkup. Oh, hello, Ethan. Am I intruding?" Ida asked, feeling the tension from the doorway.
"Not at all, Dr. Spattle. I was just bringing Warren and Layla their homework. I'm sure it can wait," Ethan said with a smile, nodding at her.
"Thanks, Ethan. We'll finish our homework off by the end of the week," Layla promised, smiling and covering the notebook with her English for Heroes homework envelope.
"That would be great. I'll leave you to your checkup now," Ethan said with a brief nod, passing Ida to leave.
Ida waited until he was out of earshot before making her way into the room. "You sure I didn't interrupt? Looked mighty serious for homework."
"We're sure," Warren said. "Do I have to get on my own bed?"
"Yes. You should have been on there already," Ida added, eyebrow raised.
"Go on, Warren. We'll cuddle later," Layla said, kissing his cheek.
"Ida didn't need to know that," Warren muttered as he slipped off her bed awkwardly and made the treacherous journey to his bed, less than a metre away.
...
The rabbit ran along the hallway, her sensitive nose twitching as she stopped and sniffed at the next emergency exit. They were on the right level, she was sure of it, and they were getting closer. On the other side of the hallway, the fox ran, barely stopping for each exit, his large ears twitching as often as her nose. It was almost a race now, and she forgot the scent for a moment, stopping short almost a metre down the hall when it hit her. Scrambling back to the emergency exit, she was soon joined by the fennec fox, her heart pounding as she recognised the scent more clearly through the hatch.
The fox licked at her, and she assessed him for a moment, licking and grooming his fur in return. When they were both pleased and presentable, the rabbit slipped through the emergency exit into the room, the fox right behind her.
Corvin was at his computer when he heard noise coming from the hallway outside. He had a door on his emergency hatch that was meant to block out any noise, but he hadn't bothered to close it since it was quiet for the most part. Besides, he was all the way over here and the hatch was all the way over there, and moving was so not happening at that moment. He was still smarting from the rabbit and fox's rejection, and didn't really know how to make it better.
He could give them space and time, of course, but what if that just made him weird and creepy because he was waiting for two shifters who didn't want to give him the time of day? Also, it was extra super weird because he didn't even know them or how old they were or even if they wanted anything to do with him, and he was just... waiting. All he needed was some bushes to hide behind and he'd be the resident building stalker. Fucking hell.
Movement at the emergency exit had him looking over out of habit, his heart almost stopping in his chest as he recognised the nose poking into his room.
Turning back to his computer, he wondered if the rabbit was lost. Maybe she'd lost the fox and thought he was in here? Maybe she needed help to find him? Turning his computer off - he wasn't going to study now, that was for sure - Corvin looked back over to the emergency exit to see the fennec fox wiggling his way through, large ears poking up before the rest of his body slipped through. Okay, there went that theory. What on earth were they doing in his room, then?
The rabbit's nose twitched, more sensitive than the fox's, and she inhaled and exhaled in determination and what little bravery she could gather before shifting.
Corvin blinked, not truly understanding what was going on. He understood that both the rabbit and fox were in his room, and the rabbit had shifted, and she was sitting on his floor in a pretty dress covered in sunflowers, but his brain couldn't comprehend more than that right now.
The fennec fox made a soft purring sound before shifting as well, curling an arm around the rabbit's shoulders and glancing up to Corvin.
Corvin took in the black jeans and grey singlet, and again, was speechless.
The rabbit clutched the fox's hand tightly, squeezing a certain sequence and waiting for him to return the sequence before speaking. "We wanted to introduce ourselves. I am Finnley. You can call me Finn, if you like."
"Phineas. Call me Phineas."
Corvin just blinked.
"He does speak English, doesn't he?" Finn murmured softly. "Should we try French?"
Phineas shook his head. "He spoke English when he brought the cupcakes."
Finn smiled and nodded. "That's right, he did, too. Thank you for the cupcakes, Corvin. They were delicious."
Corvin's brain was somehow working so fast that he couldn't even speak. He was thinking of the hundreds of ways he'd thought of introducing himself face to face, the time and effort he'd spent trying to find them, the way they'd rejected him in the white silver room, and how they were now in his room introducing themselves to him with actual names instead of the numbers some of the other kids were going by. It was too much to process all at once, so his thoughts continued in a loop until he forced himself to reset by shaking his head. One thought became clear above all: they needed to find him, not the other way around. He could have given them all the space in the universe, but unless they wanted to find him, they wouldn't have looked at him twice.
"All right?" Phineas asked.
Corvin tried for a smile, soft and hopefully genuine, and nodded. "Yeah, Phineas, I'm all right. It's nice to meet you and Finn. I'm glad you liked the cupcakes," he said.
Finn smiled brighter than a sunflower, and Phineas stopped looking quite so tense.
"You want anything to eat or drink? My mum made those cupcakes, and there's still a heap leftover. There's vegetables, too, if you want those?" Corvin offered.
"The playground has grass, I ate before we found you," Finn said.
"Any bugs?" Phineas asked.
Corvin thought of the containers in the freezer that Honey had insisted they take; he'd thought they were for when the frogs visited, but this would be better. "Yes, actually. Crickets or larvae?"
"Anything," Phineas said with a shrug before shifting.
Finn smiled and stood up with Phineas in her arms, following Corvin out to the kitchen so Phineas could eat.
"I'm heading down to the bakery to test out a new... I didn't realise you had friends over, Core. Hello, I'm Ammie, Corvin's mother," she said with a bright smile.
"Hello. I'm Finnley," Finn replied quietly. "We didn't mean to come over uninvited. We can leave - "
"No," Corvin said. "I promised you food, didn't I? Ma was just leaving," he said, kissing Ammie's cheek and giving her a gentle nudge to the door.
"Thank you for the cupcakes, Ammie," Finn said before she could leave the apartment entirely.
Ammie stopped short at Finn's comment, ignoring her son's death glare for the moment, and smiled at her again. "You're most welcome, sweetheart. Which one did you have? Was it too sweet or bitter? The icing didn't melt, did it? I only realised after I made them that I forgot the gelatin, but no one's said anything yet, but I also don't know if they're just being nice about it."
Finnley looked overwhelmed by the questions and their intensity, and Core moved between his mother and Finn. "Ma, the cupcakes were great, they didn't melt, and everyone loved them. Go do the new thing you wanted to test," Corvin said gently, trying not to snap at his mother; she got so worried about her food sometimes and it overrode her common sense.
Ammie realised the poor dear had turned pale and winced. "Right. Sorry about that, Finnley. You and your fox friend can come by anytime, okay? There's more cupcakes in the fridge," she said over her shoulder, leaving the apartment and closing the door behind her.
Corvin breathed when his mother had left and turned to see if Finn was okay. She seemed less overwhelmed now and her grip on Phineas wasn't quite so tight. "Let's get that food, hey?"
Finn smiled and nodded.
...
Alice paced. She didn't feel like she'd stopped pacing since she'd seen Chay's face on that tablet. The only time she'd stopped was when she was crying. Or when Buddy and Kid had practically held her still to make her eat, murmuring words of encouragement and cajoling, like she was a stubborn child with a loathed food before them. She needed to keep up her strength; Chay wasn't going to be happy if she collapsed from hunger; they had been told to look after her, and they were keeping that promise.
"You're sure we can leave now? No one's watching the apartment, are they?" Alice asked.
Buddy grinned at her. "You'd make a great Special Forces operative, dear Alice; you're already as paranoid as me and Kid," he said.
"Is that part of the job description?" she asked in what she hoped was a scathing voice; he and Kid had had another one of their strategy meetings last night that had ended with them in their bunk and her alone and trying not to listen.
"No, but on-the-job training is provided," Buddy said with a wink.
Alice laughed despite herself and clamped her hands over her mouth. How could she laugh when her son was out there, probably terrified or scared for his life? She was an awful mother to be having fun while her Chay was terrified.
"Don't do that, dear Alice," Buddy said, moving to gently tug her hand down. "You're allowed to feel other emotions, you know. You're human, and no one thinks less of you for smiling or laughing, dearest," he added, looking as serious as Kid, then he grinned broadly and waggled his eyebrows. "Or feeling anything else, for that matter."
Alice wanted to roll her eyes but she was far too aware of Buddy's hand on hers, his calloused thumb caressing her skin. She wondered what it would feel like having his broad and calloused hands touching her elsewhere, and shuddered as pleasure shot through her. Jesus, she'd been too guilty about Chay to even think about orgasming, and now she was about to cum because Buddy was touching her wrist. She needed to get off. By herself, she added firmly, though her traitorous brain helpfully supplied image after image of what she could be doing with the two men hired to protect her.
"Alice? Dear, are you all right?" Buddy asked, looking at her closely as though staring through her again.
She shook her head, biting her lip. Buddy made a soft noise and let go of her wrist, wrapping his arms around her for the strongest, softest, and safest hug of her life.
"Hope you don't mind me joining, Alice dear," Kid said behind her, warmth and muscles at her back as another two arms wrapped around her.
She felt cocooned in their embrace, like the rest of the world couldn't find her in here, and felt herself relaxing for the first time in months. Alice wanted to stay there - maybe she'd sleep for more than three hours a night - but an alarm went off, breaking them apart all too soon. Buddy moved to turn the tablet alarm off, and Alice felt cool without his warmth.
"Okay, time to go. If you need anything else from us, dearest, you know where we are," Buddy said with a wink.
Alice felt like her cheeks were burning. How did he make an innocent offer sound so suggestive?
Kid reluctantly stepped back from her and Alice felt cold.
"I need you to take me to my son," Alice said firmly. She could practically feel their disappointment. "As for what I want, we can discuss that in a week's time, when I know Chay's safe."
Buddy and Kid both stared at her. Buddy grinned broadly and even Kid looked hopeful.
"You do want us then, dearest?" Kid asked, hesitant.
"Yes."
"Thank fuck. C'mon, the faster we get to Maxville, the faster next week - and we - can come," Buddy said with a wink.
...
Terrence's dream started the way it usually did: with Adam's hand in his. Unfortunately, his dream didn't take long to devolve into what could only be described as a nightmare with extra nightmare fuel poured on top.
Wires ran up his arms from their joined hands, blood coating and drip, drip, dripping. Terrence could only watch in frozen terror as the wires wrapped around Adam's neck and started burrowing into the back of his head, just like those awful goddamn collars had.
He clutched Adam's hand tighter and tried to use his power to remove the wires, even though he knew it was hopeless. Each and every nightmare he'd had - even just briefly closing his eyes - was the same. He was powerless in his nightmares, nothing more than a citizen desperately clutching the hand of the guy he loved.
He could only watch as wires continued to wrap around Adam, no longer just in his head and neck, but starting to burrow into each section of his body. Wires tore into the crook of his arms, wires dug into his clavicle, wires burst out of his chest and through his ribs. He was torn apart, inside and out, and Terrence couldn't look away.
He knew how it could be stopped. He just had to let go of Adam, and then the wires would go away. He just had to let go, and that was the problem in itself.
He didn't want to let go of Adam. He wanted to stay with him and try to save him and get those god awful wires out of his body. Terrence felt like he was choking, air unable to most past the lump in his throat. It felt like hours passed and then he finally let Adam's hand slip from his. Almost immediately, the wires retreated, falling away from Adam harmlessly and his body clean and unbroken.
He woke up with a gasp, tears in his eyes, and a lump in his throat.
"Hey, dude. You 'kay?" Adam asked from where he was seated nearby, his phone by his side and his Kwazy Kupcakes score steadily decreasing as he looked at Terrence instead of his screen.
Terrence shook his head.
"Another nightmare?"
"Yeah," he replied, his voice little more than a croak around the lump in his throat.
He looked around the white yellow room they were in, pillows strewn about him from his nightmare. He'd only meant to nap before studying with the others. It was only him and Adam in the room, so the others had probably gone upstairs to visit Layla and Warren or something. He was glad they hadn't seen him wake up from his nightmare, and at the same time, he was especially glad he wasn't alone when he had woken up. That would have been so much worse.
"Ah, fuck, that sucks. C'mere," Adam said, patting the seat beside him.
"Wh-what?"
"Hugging helps Craig calm down after a nightmare. It might help you, too. Unless you don't want to be touched?"
Terrence stood up and moved so fast he almost tripped over his own feet on his way over to Adam. He stopped short, sniffling and wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "Y'sure?"
"Dude, I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure. Offer expiring in three, two - oof!" Adam groaned as Terrence practically barrelled into his side. "There you go. Just breathe and calm down, yeah?"
"'Kay."
Adam curved an arm around Terrence, his long sleeves enough of a barrier that he felt comfortable doing this much. The poor guy looked like he'd been sitting in a pool of blood when he'd woken up, his face ash and pure terror, and if cuddling helped, it was the least Adam could do.
"Thanks, Adam," Terrence murmured a moment later, his voice muffled against Adam's side.
"All good, dude. How do you feel about ducklings?"
Terrence blinked in confusion and glanced up at him. "Huh?" he asked eloquently.
Adam snorted and navigated through his phone. "Duckling live cam. There's a whole bunch of animals or places, if you don't want this one?"
Terrence looked at the screen, turning slightly so he was cuddled against Adam's side at a better angle. Ducklings waddled across the screen, fluffy and innocent, and somehow, exactly what he needed right then. "This is good."
"Yeah."
Terrence held on tight to Adam, and just like his nightmare, he didn't want to let go.
...
Hiss!
"What is that?" Scientist Twelve asked, looking to his colleague, setting his bagel down and frowning when he saw Scientist Eleven in a white coat holding a cat carrier by his side.
"A cat carrier; what else would it be?" Scientist Eleven asked, not the type of person to jump from a rhetorical question to a proper answer.
"And the hissing from inside it?" Scientist Twelve asked, wondering if their bagel was worth the answer.
Scientist Eleven could be as temperamental as some of their subjects sometimes. If he tried eating the bagel while talking to Scientist Eleven and he was offended, Scientist Twelve knew he would never find out the answer.
"A cat, obviously."
"Why?"
It was another useless question that should have been answered already. His bagel was sitting there with a single bite gone and he had a desperate need for an answer that was annoyingly delaying the rest of his breakfast. Or was it lunch time by now?
"For Subject 386. I want to test the glasses," Scientist Eleven said, walking past while carrying the cat carrier at a respectful distance of claws and teeth.
"You really think the glasses work? You know what they thought last time - "
"Everyone knows what happened with that nightmare. I'm not as stupid as our predecessors, and I refuse to be turned to stone. That's what the cat's for," Scientist Eleven said, already bored with the conversation and heading through to Subject 386's cell without waiting.
Scientist Twelve looked from Scientist Eleven to his bagel, took another large bite, and hurried after Scientist Eleven while they chewed furiously so they could ask another question. "Did you hear what happened to the wardens?"
Scientist Eleven paused at Subject 386's cell and glanced over to Scientist Twelve with the first expression of interest he'd had that morning. "What happened?"
"Wardens One and Two are rubble. Literally, in fact."
"The calcite and soapstone combination didn't work? What about the graphene coating?" Scientist Eleven asked, curious enough to ask two questions in succession.
"Oh, it worked. But you know how troublesome golems are; apparently they break in intense heat."
"How intense?"
Scientist Twelve grinned on realising that he knew something that Scientist Eleven didn't. It was a rarity and he wanted to wallow in the feeling for a few seconds longer. "The pyrometer won't go higher than 3,200 degrees Celsius, and the super pyrometer won't measure more than 5,000 degrees. They both broke."
Scientist Eleven considered his response for a moment. "The next ones we create will need to have a higher endurance," he said, opening the hatch on Subject 386's cell. "Put the glasses on," he instructed.
"Fuck you."
Scientist Twelve rolled his eyes; Scientist Eleven didn't understand the meaning behind swear words any more than a nun understood sex.
There was a long moment of silence as Scientist Eleven set the cat carrier down on the floor, the carrier's opening pressed against the square hatch in the door. Scientist Eleven opened the cat carrier sliding door and there was a long ten seconds of silence as nothing happened.
"Oh, I didn't tell you the best part: rumour has it, all of the subjects have disappeared," Scientist Twelve announced, grinning when Scientist Eleven looked at him in surprise.
The moment of surprise faded far too soon and Scientist Eleven straightened up, a frown appearing. "I do not listen to gossip or unfounded rumours. It's beneath me as a man of facts and science."
Scientist Twelve made a face at him, annoyed that he wouldn't even consider the implications of the lost subjects, and kicked the carrier with more force than he intended, his foot throbbing. The cat hissed and yowled as it shot out of the carrier and into the cell.
Both scientists put on their reflective glasses and looked into the cell window to see how the cat fared against Subject 368.
The cat was damned ugly, was Scientist Twelve's first thought. Its fur was scraggly and matted, one eye was closed with what looked to be a healing infection, a chunk had been torn out of an ear, and several scars littered the cat's body ranging from white and long healed to pink and new.
"Where'd you get it?"
"The pound; where else would I get a cat and kitten?"
"What kitten?" Scientist Twelve asked, looking around the cell.
In the far corner, a small ball of fur was trembling. It was so tiny that Scientist Twelve might've thought it was a dust bunny, if not for the streaks of orange, white, and black along its face and body.
By the time he'd looked back to Subject 368, the cat had been turned to stone. It was mid-hiss, probably trying to protect the kitten from the human across from him. Subject 368 realised what he'd done with a soft cry of disappointment.
"You were instructed to put the glasses on," Scientist Eleven said pointedly, so he was obviously a robot and not a human being, citizen or super.
Scientist Twelve winced at his colleague's cold and emotionless tone, and saw Subject 368 close his eyes and feel around for the glasses. "Warmer, hot. No, cold! Warmer, hot, hot, there you go."
Subject 368 put the glasses on and took a trembling breath as he looked around the cell, the kitten meowing and trembling in the corner. "Hey. It's okay, I won't hurt you. I've got these glasses now, see?" he murmured, reaching out towards the kitten.
The kitten was in his palm in a moment and he barely heard the slam of both the food and window hatches.
Scientist Eleven picked up the cat carrier and slid the door shut. "We'll give them two weeks together before using the kitten against Subject 368. He will be more likely to comply if the being he cares for is threatened or harmed."
Scientist Twelve glanced from the metal door and back to his colleague. "If we restrict his food, we can see if Subject 368 feeds himself or the kitten first," he mused.
Scientist Eleven nodded, looking as pleased by the prospect as Scientist Twelve had ever seen. "We need to inform Security that Subject 368 needs to be closely monitored over the next two weeks before we run the next tests."
"I'll deal with Security; you don't do well with people and requests or favours," Scientist Twelve said with a snicker, following Scientist Eleven back to the main area and his bagel.
Scientist Eleven simply shrugged in response.
When he was sure the scientists were gone, Subject 368 looked at the kitten and stroked its fur gently. "Hey. I'm Deimos. It's nice to meet you," he said. "I'm sorry about your friend. I'll keep you safe and get us out of here, okay? I promise."
The kitten mewled in response, a soft breath against his palm and fingers, and Deimos smiled as he brought the kitten close to his chest to keep the small creature warm.
...
End of the hundred and sixtieth chapter.
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