"What's wrong with the little lady?"
"She's greener than moss… I had a feeling this would happen..."
"The blue one is tumbling along with her. I'd give her a hand if I could."
"I wouldn't exactly go there if I were you. You almost forgot them the other night."
The trilby man swallowed hard before cringing, "Why do you have to go there…? We all make mistakes..."
Regina playfully pouted at the fallen pride of the darkman. "That's a pretty big mistake."
His view went back to the ground. "Hrmph…" He grumbled to himself.
Regina chuckled lightly before returning to the pedestrians holding each other. "What could have possibly gotten to her? Well… at least they're almost home."
They stood above ground for some time, awaiting for the right moment. The weather was comfortable, besides the minor wind turbulence from high altitudes.
"My Lady?"
"Yes?"
"In your honest opinion… do I appear noticeable?"
"Hmm…" She approached the dark man with intrigue, examining his physique carefully. "If you say you have been away from their eyes for some time, I would have to disagree. Especially with this hat."
She removed the hat, holding it diligently in her hands, allowing his black and white hair to feel the free air brush against his warm strands. He tilted his head back with a smug grin. "I could end up better in league with the doctor."
"Haha. I wouldn't go that far." She paused. "Make sure you keep this on… If you don't… then we got a problem."
"... I'll make sure that won't happen."
Regina brushed off small strands of hair from the hat, cleaning it and making sure none landed on the roof. She beckoned him closer, to which he obeyed. The woman raised the hat forward, gesturing him to bow his head before placing the trilby back on. "You're okay…"
"...Thank you."
The two hosts of the rooftop remained silent before Regina caught a glance of interest. "I wonder where she is going… It is pretty late...and quite unsafe."
"It's getting very dark. Even the moon turned its back on this night."
"She passed her home… I believe she's heading somewhere else."
"Mmmm…" The trilby man sniffed. "Most likely to that little place called a firm."
"But why this late at night?" The woman pondered as she crossed her arms.
"The girl probably forgot something?"
"I doubt it. I can sense a disturbance on her."
"...And what would that be?"
"The way she moves, the way she holds herself… she seems hindered, but her actions appear more intently than just a visit."
The trilby man sipped his drink once more before eyeing Regina. "One thing I wish to ask."
She turned, viewing the dark hat covering his eyes. "Be my guest and ask. Just don't get carried away, now.
"Do we have to continuously check on them?"
Regina's eyes grew wide, almost offended. "Of course we do! I don't want to repeat what happened again that night… I was careless, thus I must keep a watchful eye."
She leaned forward, enjoying the scenery below. The trilby man didn't want to admit that it was quite frivolous to question the obvious. So he came up with another witty idea. "Would it not be easier to tell him now?"
"..." She didn't respond. Yet he knew she thought of his request.
"It turns out I'm not the only one who make mistakes." The trilby man remarked teasingly.
Regina gave her guest, yet again, another look of disgust. "Oooooooh, I'm going to hurt you!"
"...I might like it more than you think." He laughed.
"Oh God… nevermind…" She winced awfully.
The red attorney shot out of bed, his head spinning in an insane pace towards delirium. The place was shaking and his ears rang, as if he were inside a blender. His eyes were vibrating violently as he awoke from another horrendous nightmare that left him sweating harder than what he already suffered. The sheets soaked entirely from his fever that caused his body to be dehydrated.
His entire figure burned as the droplets reheated against the surface of his skin. The muscles tensed extremely and severely as if he was learning to walk again after a decade long nap. The pounding in his head only became worse as each step caused the vibrations to reach his throbbing temples. What added onto his hyper sensitive state was the tingling in his throat. It tingled violently, further obliging him to cough and strain his voice more.
Apollo fumbled with his own weight, arching forward to somehow balance himself from falling onto his face. His fingers hovered below his body, ensuring that if he did fall, there wouldn't be too much impact or friction. The travel towards the bathroom was excruciating as the attorney became numb.
He didn't recognize how long it took him to reach the bathroom, but it was almost in vain for how much effort it was just to get a pill bottle. The Cold Killer X lied on the tile floor where he had thrown it in impulsive aggravation to reach for his phone. The small bottle practically disappeared against the camouflaging floor. He toppled over, hitting the frame of the door as he braced himself.
"AA..AH..H..H…!" The scream cracked several times into inaudible hollers, as he rolled over to comfort his pained side. It was minutes until he finally gained some sort of control of the agonizing area. The bottle was in front of his nose, teasing him in his predicament. The attorney managed to grasp the bottle, before soon remembering he needed some sort of liquid to bring it down.
The attorney lifted himself, his arms buckled as they lifted his weight onto his feet. The cold floor adding onto his achiness. The desperation of remedy got to him as he cupped his hand to down the random amount of pills he threw into his sweaty palm before chugging it with tap water.
He has never felt this kind of pain before. The desperate attorney made a break for the door, so that incase if he passed out, someone would at least find him eventually. With what little strength he managed to maintain, he bolted for the door. The foggy brain was no longer capable of thinking straight. His sweaty finger called for the elevator, luckily it was right on his floor. The attorney held onto the metal frame to keep his balance as he tried once more to hit the ground floor button. Metal doors sealed him inside as he awaited for the box to reach the ground.
A buzzer sounded, allowing the attorney to be set free again. His chin released the condensation from his face onto the ground. Apollo struggled one more yelp of help as he opened the main entrance for anyone, but the streets were empty. The numbness devoured him. His legs were the first to go as his knees slammed hard onto the concrete. Eventually, he submitted to his disease. Alone.
Regina gasped lowly before waving her hand behind, signalling him to hither. "Come here."
The trilby man settled next to his partner, kneeling down, spectating a below.
"You see him?" She inquired softy.
"See who?" He questioned curiously.
"Down there." She pointed to the street.
The face he gave her was partly saddened but also confused. "You're going to have to be more specific, My Lady…"
Roving eyes scanned him, wondering if he was testing her patience. The thoughts finally registered in her head. "OH!"
Bopping herself on her head aggravated. The woman turned to him mournfully, clutching his face tenderly in her fingers, brushing through several strands of his long hair. "I'm so sorry…!"
The exhalation he offered confirmed his acceptance. Releasing quickly, she emphasized, "the boy..."
"Rise and shine then." He muttered.
Returning to the scene, she spectated the moving target.
"I knew it. I didn't know it would hit the boy this hard. I should continue working on my samples…"
The trilby man softly snickered. The pair caught a glimpse of the attorney fumbling, before finally collapsing.
"Uh oh…The boy no longer stands."
"What a shame."
"Let's bring him home."
The trilby man and woman glided down the fire escape before making a leap of faith to the ground. Each thudding against the concrete softly without a scratch. Regina removed her head from the shadows, ensuring no one batted an eye towards their direction. She nudged her head forward, signalling the dark man to come forth.
Regina cupped her hips before leaning on one side. "He's such a mess…"
The red attorney remained faced down on the ground, leaving droplets on the cold concrete before him.
"Doctor." Regina announced as she closed the door. Her hands groped the wall and flicked the switch without peering.
The lab door opened after a moment, revealing the lab coat over a tall man with a 5 o'clock shadow along with the portable modifier in hand.
"Yes, Madam?" He spoke softly.
"We have a patient on our hands. Well, his shoulders, technically." She smiled as she turned towards the trilby man. Over his shoulders was the limp body of the red defense attorney. His arms dangled over helplessly as the darkman held his waist, preventing Apollo from toppling over.
"Oh dear…" He sighed heavily before releasing the holographic computer onto the desk.
"If you are too busy, I can do it." Regina suggested politely.
"No. No. That is fine, Madam. It would allow the worries to drown as I return to my second best handling." He gestured with his fingers. "Come along, good sir. We mustn't let our company suffer any longer than he needs to."
"Hmph." The dark man smirked, following the doctor as Regina held the door open.
The lab yet again, remained stained with the smell of antiseptics and the faint aroma of a hospital. Regina surveyed the empty stretchers that once contained two helpless victims.
"Doctor?" The woman asked, still transfixed on the empty beds. "Where are the other two?"
"The cab driver and the red haired screamer?" The doctor breathed a laugh.
"Of course." Regina tilted her head to the side with intrigue.
The doctor laughed maniacally, his head bobbed lightly, before starting. "I placed one behind a bar. The other behind a brothel. To throw off suspicion. And don't worry. They won't remember a thing."
"...!" The woman gasped unsteadily to herself. "That's evil!"
"Ha…! You really outdid yourself there, doctor." The trilby man sassed.
"I do what I can…" He humbly noted before turning back to his lab partner. "The screamer had a terrible spending habit anyway. Why not show the wife he can spend it there." He snickered loudly.
"Good job on your part." The dark man bobbed his head in agreement.
"Thank you, good sir... I also tested your samples, Ms. Regime. And I must say... I am astonished..."
"Oh?" Regina oriented herself before leaning forward. "Without my permission? You really are mean."
"I am just following your procedures, Madam." He shrugged heartily. "I know you're very busy."
"So are you, doctor." She gestured with sympathy. "How did the results turn out?"
"Once I administered the samples… the healing process was almost instantaneous…" The doctor basked his arms widely. "Not a scar in sight with no side effects."
"Lies!" She hissed. "It is too good to be true."
"I can assure you it is true! You may check the results yourself! I am very proud of you, Madam." He nodded graciously.
The woman leaned backward against the stretcher, almost breaking the strong demeanor she held. The trilby man held her shoulder softly, "... Not now, My Lady. Not just yet."
Her gaze touched the floor, almost in shock. "Thank you, both of you." Her face broke an evil grin. "But there is much more ahead of us. Like the boy."
"Hmmm…" The trilby man turned to his prize he won for the night, settling him on an unused stretcher, almost as if it were made specifically for him.
The doctor placed a borrowed stethoscope into his ears before listening to the heartbeat of the sleeping attorney. "Heartbeat is fine, just fast, most likely due to dehydration. Madam, mind passing me the IV."
"Of course, doctor." Regina replied giddily. Her direction exchanged towards cabinets containing ranges of needles along with transparent bags containing rejuvenating solution.
The doctor removed a small flashlight from his pocket before lifting the eyelid of unconscious attorney. "Looks like our friend here has had the work cut out for him. Those eye muscles are flexing greatly."
"Is that so?" Regina finally brought the assembled IV. "I prefer that. This is the one with perception."
"Such an extraordinary trait…" The doctor mumbled before releasing the eyelid and shutting off the tiny lamp. The doctor placed the IV precisely and carefully into the attorney's arm.
"Strange… his symptoms look too harsh for the developed cells to cause…" Regina crossed her arms with concern.
"Perhaps he may have an allergic reaction? I do not know much in your department. Forgive me." the doctor spoke shallowly.
"Don't apologize. There is no need to, doctor." She walked towards the doctor, hugging his broad back while brushing her fingers against his collar. "I can take care of that. Just make sure you give me a sample of his blood and a cheek swab. I need to see if they would react the same. Oh! And… I'll give him some of the new sample. It would help him from his suffering."
"Will do."
She released the doctor before returning to the trilby man, who was leaning against the door.
"After his tremor passes, I want you to help escort him to the apartment." She glared back at the slumbering attorney. "I have… special plans for him…It would make our lives much easier..."
The trilby man nodded before shooting her an excited grin.
