Panaceia:
I couldn't remember the last time I felt so nervous. I kept going over the lines in my head like I was rehearsing for an audition or something. It wasn't like me to be this nervous, but I felt a certain obligation to them. I had to choose my words carefully and I had to say them just right. I shook my head again. Part of me wanted to think that I had even the slightest bit of control over how they would react. The truth? I knew that no matter how I broke it to them it was going to be devastating. I sighed to myself. I hadn't slept much in the last few days; I felt the need to keep a constant vigil over them. I wasn't sure that I was ready for this, and at the same time I knew I couldn't wait any longer. As it was I'd been sedating Michaelangelo for almost two days. This morning Raphael had woken and this afternoon Donatello had opened his eyes briefly. I couldn't justify sedating them any more. I needed to wake them up and I needed to tell them the truth.
Athena:
"Are you sure you don't want my help?" I asked her.
"No, really, I should do this alone. I'm the only one any of them has set eyes on so far and I don't want to bring new faces into the picture just yet."
"That's probably true. Look, I'll go keep an eye on the other one while you're in there doing your thing."
"Leonardo."
"What?"
"His name is Leonardo, not 'the other one'."
"Oh, right. Sorry, I just haven't gotten used to their names yet."
Iris and Psyche had nearly exhausted the files we'd downloaded from the lab computers before finding out a thing about our guests. I still wasn't sure that those were their real names, but Panaceia said Michaelangelo had responded when she used his name so I figured we'd just go with it then. It was pretty much "whatever Panaceia says, goes" when it came to them anyway.
"Okay, so I'll go check in on Leonardo and you go ruin their lives?"
"Athena, that is just so not funny."
"Sorry, I was just trying to lighten you up a little. You have to look at it this way—at least they're not dead or being used to further somebody else's sick and twisted little agenda. They're going to be fine and they're nobody's prisoners here."
"Yeah, I know you're right, I just don't think they're going to see it like that."
"Give them time. They'll be alright."
"I hope you're right."
"Aren't I always?" I flashed her one of my evil grins and headed off to check on Leonardo.
Panaceia:
Athena could be so incorrigible when she wanted to be.
The thing is, I knew she was right, but I still couldn't get my throat to swallow that stupid lump as I entered the room where they were. I'd seen the files; I knew that they were strong, fast, well trained, and very talented. It was just hard to see that when they were lying there. They just looked so…fragile.
I tapped the commands in on the keyboard and waited. I gave them each equal doses to counter-act the sedative. Any moment now, they'd be waking up. I just hoped they would accept their new reality.
So, any guesses where I'm going with this? The next chapter will tell…