Devil's Proposal
She was perfection. Or as close to perfection as humans could claim. No, Wilhelm could rightly claim the majority of credit. He'd also give Mizrahi his due; the man had vastly improved the overall design, eliminating just about every flaw.
I'm surprised there was anything left of my original experiment. I thought I had destroyed it all. He'd had to, the damn policeman even in death had left something behind, and then there'd been Wilhelm, as usual. Though he was surprised, he hadn't thought the Vector CEO would have lowered himself to be involved in such a thing.
Yet here it is. Evidence that he personally financed this little undertaking. Turning away from his captive, he looked down at the Gear in his right hand. Who came to whom first, it doesn't say. But all of a sudden, there's a woman named Vwud, who's listed as a clone. Of what, it doesn't say. However, several months later, Vwud comes down with the same illness that's ailing his daughter. She's put quietly into the neural institute, and some would say is the end of that. A low moan came from the bio-bed across the room; his captive was slowly coming to.
"Ugh…" Emerald eyes fluttered open slowly, still glazed over from the sedatives. "Wha? Where…" As the effects of the drug wore off, Dmitri heard a sudden gasp, and the jostling sounds of somebody struggling against their bindings.
"Don't. You'll only make it worse." He said, turning around. A small smile crossed his face as his captive glared at him. "Ah, I see you're certainly up and running."
"Where am I?" Shion demanded.
"Nowhere you need to be concerned over. It was hard enough getting you here, let alone ensuring that your friends would fall into that trap with you." The blond man replied, walking over to the bio-bed. Shion's eyes widened.
"Wait. You mean…all of that…"
"Was just for you. But so far…" Dmitri lifted a hand, curling a lock of brown hair around one of his fingers. "You've been worth it-ah!" Shion's neck had suddenly rushed forward, teeth snapping at his finger. A frown crossed Dmitri's face, as he pulled back his hand in time, raising it.
smack.
"Aah!"
"I'd behave if I were you." Dmitri commented. "Unlike Sellers and the rest of those Ormus fools, I won't touch you. After all, you're needed in perfect condition. They'd only butcher you, and destroy everything that they're after by doing so. And I wouldn't want to show you how much worse I can be." Shion glared at him.
"Fine. You've got me. Let's get it over with now; I don't know how to do whatever you want me to do. I don't know what Mizrahi put in me and I don't know how to access it." She snapped.
"Oh, that's a given." Dmitri answered. "Despite the power that's within you, you're nothing but a newborn babe when it comes to wielding it." He leaned idly on the frame of the bio-bed, his eyes roaming over Shion's slender form. She was small for a woman of her age, but it hid the fact that if you were to touch her, you would feel nothing but muscle underneath her skin. Martial-arts training had given her powerful upper strength in her arms, torso, and her legs. Dmitri had seen her in battle; she was capable of sending men flying a good several feet away or rendering them unconscious with almost one blow. Then there was her Ether, she'd been noted in Vector for the strength of her healing skills. And finally, there was the interesting summon that only she could do, it was surprisingly powerful.
"All this power…" He mused aloud, pressing a button on the bed, hearing Shion gasp as two bands slid out, locking themselves in place around her neck and forehead. "Locked inside such a fragile body. You're not like a Realian, they simply can't take it from you, doing so would damage you beyond repair and once again, destroy what you guard. Nor can it be forced out of you for once again, the same results would occur." Moving over to a computer console, he started to input commands, watching as the bio-bed moved down to a horizontal position, scanners coming up and running streams of light over Shion's body.
"What are you doing to me?"
"Relax. It's only a scan." Dmitri said, turning around. "Then after the scans, I'll have to get rather personal, I'm afraid."
"Personal!"
"A U.M.N. dive. Don't worry; I won't look though your mind. Rather…" He tapped in another command, and an image of one of the Emulators materialized not too far away. "I'm rather interested to see how you'll react with one of these."
"Where you'd get that from?" Shion demanded. "You stole one of the Emulators from the foundation, didn't you!" Dmitri shrugged slightly.
"I had to make sure things weren't a total loss." Coming over with the Gear, he started to run it over Shion's body. "I think I understand what Mizrahi was after now. He didn't want the Y-Data or Lost Jerusalem falling into the hands of the ignorant and cruel…" He paused, lifting one hand to run it though Shion's hair. "So you hold the destiny of this galaxy in your hands, the only option left is for you to chose who are worthy of the gift you can grant."
"The minute I'm free of this you are so very dead." Dmitri chuckled.
"Your personality works in your favor." He said. His fingers reached out, traced the contours of the brunette's face. "All fire. But such a clash with your naivety. Yet you're cautious." He moved back, tapping the area over his heart. "You just don't let anyone in here. No, they have to be very special. That makes you a special case." Shion's eyes followed him as he moved back to the console. "You have to be wooed. Courted. Your suitors have to prove their worth." He turned and gave Shion a mocking bow. "Consider me one of them."
"Joy." Shion said dryly. "And I suppose you'll give me the world? Diamonds and pearls at my feet?"
"They're wasted on you." Dmitri replied. "Gold and rubies suit you best." Picking up a hyponeedle, he advanced once again on Shion, pressing the button to release her forehead and neck bands, the scans finishing themselves. "But one of your suitors is being more subtle." He pressed another button, the bio-bed slowly elevated back up to its original vertical level. Leaning forward, his lips went dangerously close to Shion's ear.
"He's seducing you. Or should I call it controlling?" Shion jerked her head sharply to the side, her eyes meeting Dmitri's blue ones.
"...What? Who?" Dmitri straightened, lifting up the hyponeedle.
"I'm afraid I really can't say." One hand gripping the Shion by the forehead, he forced her neck to the side, injecting her. The drugs took effect instantly, Dmitri watched as Shion's eyes fluttered closed, her breathing becoming slow and regular. Asleep she was the true definition of an angel. Her innocence shone though without any restraints, when he'd changed his view to look at her aura he'd had to throw up a hand, it had blazed like the brightest of stars.
"Your game is interesting, Wilhelm." He murmured. "Those fools from Ormus don't count, the Federation's idiots don't count, this is between you and me." He stepped back.
"I have my work cut out, if I want to catch up to your level." The door hissed open, and he turned to the two guards who had come in. "Take her to the Emulator."