Author's Note - As promised a rather prompt chapter release. Not entirely an action filled chapter but there's a lot of information thrown around.

Good news looking further ahead is that I'm about a chapter or two from completing this and I'm currently playing around with ending possibilities. So we won't be struggling for chapter releases for a short while. On the other hand I have reached a particularly frustrating part in a chapter which is making me want to procrastinate like hell. Bare with me, this beast will be completed I promise.

Chapter Ten - Changes

The corridors were dank and heavy with the stench of rotting humans. Lem led her silently through the dungeons, walking her past cells and cells of Formers. She hesitated, staggering backwards a moment to take in the atrocities surrounding her.

"What... what are these?" she asked in horror as one tried to reach out and grab her from behind.

Angelo made a swipe at them to keep them at bay, growling in warning.

"This is what I was trying to explain to you, these were humans once," Lem told her.

"Human?" she glanced back at them and watched as they screeched from their cages, reaching out to them, Imulsion dripping from open orifices.

"Humans are starting to mutate into these Formers once they have been exposed to enough Imulsion to make their bodies change,"

"So you mean this is similar to what's happening to Angelo... he'll turn into one of them?" she glanced down at Angelo who had taken to walking on all fours, he looked glassy eyed up at her and let out a cough.

"Eventually," Lem turned away to hide his hurt from her, "which is why we are doing what we're doing to find a cure."

She drew up to him, "I don't remember you having a vast scientific knowledge Lem?"

"The Professor and I are working for joint purposes, we both have the same reasons behind our actions,"

"So, what? You think turning more humans Lambent will help you find a cure for Gelo?" Angelo leaned against her to rub his head against her hand, as he pulled away she retrieved a palm full of human hair, "You can't reverse this Lem, don't you remember what they said back at the Compound when they found out about Gelo's Rustlung."

"You sound like everyone else," Lem snapped grabbing hold of Angelo's collar, "I haven't given up on him."

"Look at him Lem, he's a human not a dog, surely you wouldn't want this life for him,"

"Why do you think the COG cast us out Aidan!" Lem whirled round and shouted at her, "I wanted to be on that Raven to Vectes, I wanted to be seated right next to your brother but Angelo had become too different to be anywhere near people. They wanted to execute him Aidan, so we ran, we ran as far away as we could go. I would happily turn every COG soldier Lambent if it meant finding a cure for him."

"Shit Lem can you hear yourself?"

As they reached the cells where the women were held, huddled together clinging onto each other weeping openly. Aidie grabbed Lem by the arm to force him to look at them.

"These aren't COG soldiers Lem, these are heavily pregnant Stranded women and their midwives. Where's your reasoning here?"

"Women of a reasonable breeding age are responding positively to our treatments, we need them,"

"Well, I fit your profile more so than they do. I fit your age profile, I'm a healthy female capable of providing children and I'm a Gear, what more could you want. Let them go Lem and keep me for your trials."

"Seriously you'd swap yourself for those women?" he looked at her as if she was insane, "What happened to the Aidan that was only out for herself?"

"I saw a bigger picture, look Lem I took an oath to protect these people. We came here to return them to their families. You and Gelo can come with us too, we'd never cast you out,"

"Mr. Woods?" A deep authoritative voice sounded from behind them making them both jump.

Aidie turned to see an older man dressed in a white coat, he wore a face mask to protect him from the Imulsion fumes seeping through the cracks around them. In one hand he held a dismembered arm, it dripped Imulsion instead of blood from the stump. She took a step back away from him only to find Lem standing in the way.

"I'm assuming you're the Professor Lem told me about," she responded in an attempt to steel her nerves.

The Professor eyed her for a moment before responding, "I was notified about the squad of Gears the Nightmares had captured. Didn't expect to have a willing specimen amongst them."

"There's nothing willing about this situation,"

"Mr Woods put her in the cell with the other women, she'll make a perfect test subject for the serum,"

She felt Lem's grip on her arm and didn't even bother to struggle. She let him open the cell door and push her in, turning to watch him lock it after her.

"You're my family too Lem," she told him firmly, "I won't give up on either of you."

He avoided her eye contact and turned away from her, following behind the Professor like a wounded dog. Angelo glanced between Lem and Aidie behind the bars, trying to figure out what had happened before eventually following his friend out.

It took a while for the women to unfurl themselves from their protective huddle, which meant that Aidie sat alone staring down the tunnel in silence, plotting her next moves. Eventually an older woman approached her, reaching a shaking hand out at her.

"You came for us?" she asked nervously, Aidie recognised her as one of the midwives who had helped deliver Sofie's last child.

As Aidie took in her expression she smiled slightly, "perhaps I am more useful helping you out of this place than providing Sera with offspring."

"Thank you,"

"It's my job to get you home safely," she told them all, "Sergeant Wilks wouldn't rest until Burn relented. And trust me it took a lot of persuading, your leader is a stubborn man."

"That sounds like my dad," a young woman situated in the centre of the huddle responded, a similar age to Aidie and still heavily pregnant.

Aidie rose to her feet and approached her, "You must be Archer's Niece, he's here with us, he came to help. It was actually your Uncle that persuaded Burn,"

The young women smiled, "Uncle Archer has always been my hero. I'm Camille and this is my mum Emma, you're that female Gear I've seen around the village."

"That sounds about right, I'm Aidie. Nice to meet you both, Archer has told me a lot about you," she smiled at the woman who sat protectively beside Camille who looked strikingly like her brother. She then took a quick glance around at the other women to realise that Camille was the only one still pregnant, "how are you feeling Camille?"

"So so, my baby chose to remain stubborn and stay indoors for the meanwhile. The others weren't so lucky though." Camille indicated the two girls weeping uncontrollably in the corner of the cell.

"You tell it to take its time," Aidie reached out and took hold of Camille's hand, squeezing it slightly, "I'm going to get you out of here."

"How?" a harsher voice behind her made Aidie turn to reveal Sofie standing behind her with her hands on her hips and a look of pure hate on her face, "What makes you so special?"

Aidie stood to address Sofie, the pair had never seen eye to eye from the moment she had joined Wilks' squad. Now was no exception.

"Let's face it Sofie, do you have a plan to get yourself out of here?" at her silence Aidie smirked, "I didn't think so."

"I bet you don't either,"

"Why do you always second guess me?" Aidie took a step towards her, being a few years younger she was distinctly shorter than this attractive woman. Sofie had frequently taken great joy in using her height to her advantage, much to Aidie's disgust.

"What's left for me Aidie, let's face it, if you do get us out of this hell hole and passed those creatures what the hell is left for me. I've lost everything."

"Sofie, Tate is alive," she told her firmly, "we're here because he made his way back to us. He's a hero and I'm going to bloody make sure you get home to him."

Sofie seemed visibly shaken, her eyes wide in shock, face white. She staggered backwards till she was against the bars of the cell and dropped to the floor.

"I thought they'd killed him for sure," she muttered, "they left him in a pool of blood beside our babies."

Aidie approached her, taking to her knees to face her, "Tate got back to us in a bad way, they had done a number on him and he'd lost a lot of blood. Cam worked all night to stabilise him so we could get you back to him."

Sofie gazed at her with eyes filled with tears, deep green emeralds glinted back. Eventually she whispered, "Tate is the only one who knew, it's only early days, but I'm pregnant. So I need to get home to him."

Aidie nodded slowly, "I will do everything in my power."

The Commander watched and listened to the conversation from the neighbouring cage, offering advice and suggestions to the scared women. Eventually Aidie drew close to the bars to face her.

"I'm Aidie," she smiled offering out a hand of friendship.

The Commander hesitated a moment, playing her moment to perfection before accepting it, "Freja."

"How did you end up here?"

"I was scavenging in the wilderness, looking for scraps when these horrific looking freaks captured me and dragged me back here. They kept me locked up and raped me at their will, the Professor found me and took me down here. Locked away in another hell but arguably better," a tear perfectly timed its way down her cheek, "I just want to go home now."

"Look we're getting out of here, come with us," Aidie offered.

"You'd do that? But you don't even know me?"

"No but faced between staying here and escaping I know what my choice would be,"

Thoughtfully Freja nodded, a smile spreading across her face, "yes. I'll come with you."

They sat in silence for a while, listening as the Scientist entered every so often to fetch a Former to torture further. Most of the women returned to their tight huddle of protection. Only Aidie and Sofie sat apart. They both lay against the bars, one with her knees drawn to her chest the other leant fully against the cell.

Aidie was aware of Sofie watching her, as if for the first time she was actually taking her in and assessing her.

"I'm not a bad person you know," Sofie spoke to her finally, "all you know about me is what Ollyvar's told you."

"Actually he told me very little about you," Aidie responded cautiously, "a lot of what I know came from Tate."

Sofie took in the answer and considered it, "there's a lot I haven't even told Tate myself."

"I don't quite understand,"

"Ollyvar's accident was the worst thing that happened to the both of us. He had become very argumentative before everything happened, violent almost. His father was getting to him and he was struggling to find a way out. When his squad returned that day half of them were in body bags and the other half the walking wounded. I'll never forget the moment I cast my eyes upon him half of his face was hanging off and his body was a mess. He pushed me away Aidie, not how he wants you to believe."

Aidie turned to look at Sofie, frowning at her, she had to admit this had piqued her interest.

"I went to that infirmary every day begging to see him, but he kept refusing me. The one time I was able to catch a glance he was in a drug addled sleep. He had been destroyed, his face and body were a complete mess. He kept screaming out in his sleep, trying to attack monsters he couldn't even see. I never had the heart to tell him that I had miscarried his child."

"What?" a knot formed in the pit of her stomach.

"I would have stayed with him regardless Aidie, the scars were horrific and it changed the way I looked at him, but I would have stayed. There was something about him that was different, when he finally came round he was a different person, haunted, brooding, lost even. I decided there and then to never tell him the truth. My heart broke as I mourned for my lover and my unborn child."

"You took your time grieving considering it wasn't long before you fell pregnant again, wow you must have been mourning in Tate's bed,"

"If only you knew the man Ollyvar once was. His father was a strict man, all our meetings had been in secret. Tate was the one who had saved me a long time ago, I had always been Tate's, but Ollyvar had wanted what wasn't his. He desired what he couldn't have. He did it because I was forbidden and I did it because I thought I actually cared for him. It was so hard losing him because I couldn't show anyone how I really felt."

"I don't understand why you never told Wilks you were expecting in the first place,"

"You don't think it was something I felt guilty about? Because I hated myself for months. I knew if I had told him he would have done something stupid like propose, which would have pissed his father off so much that he would have kicked him out of his squad. It would have meant that he would never have been there when the Wretch attacked and his father would have lived. But then he would never have been at your Compound to rescue your family and you very likely wouldn't be sitting here right now. I keep thinking about the repercussions behind my actions and sometimes I regret them. Things could be so different." Sofie let out a sigh before continuing, "I even considered approaching Ollyvar when he returned after rescuing you, but it was so obvious that he was over me and so in love with you. There was no going back. Don't get me wrong I love Tate, I had Tate's children. But there will always be a part of me that keeps thinking what if."

Aidie had no clue how to respond to Sofie's revelation, it answered so much of her hostility, it explained so much. And yet all she could think of was the effect it had on Wilks.

"I don't get why you would hide something so huge as losing a child from him, especially considering how he has been lately about you and Tate having children."

"He had his chance," Sofie had grown tired of opening up at the mention of her children, "He chose you. You'd better hurry up and make your move before he hooks onto the next poor unfortunate sap, it feeds into his hero complex quite nicely. That was something that never changed."

"Wilks is going nowhere, two years of sharing his bed at least taught me something," Aidie felt her guard raise the moment Sofie's attitude changed, "I dealt with the fall out of his accident, I helped him through every scream filled nightmare. He trusts me."

"So did anything more happen between you two?" Sofie asked, "Tate was always so tight lipped about it."

"He's my Sergeant, my mentor and my closest friend. I will trust and respect him as my partner until the day I die,"

She squinted at her in distaste, "you're as bad as he is."

Aidie shrugged, "you asked."

She turned to face away from the woman who would never change her attitude.

Hidden in the darkness Angelo watched and listened to the women, somewhere in the recess of his brain he felt an unexplainable feeling for the blonde girl, but he couldn't quite understand it. From the moment she had embraced him he had taken in every movement and word that was uttered from her mouth trying to work her out. He waited and watched until she eventually chose to rest her eyes. He slunk unseen quietly through the shadows and passed closely by her to catch a hint of her scent. His brain kicked out as a vacant memory flashed inside him; a gentle hand reaching out to take his when he cowered in the dark outside a huge Compound wall.

He scampered away into the darkness to allow himself to process this image. How did he know this strange feminine human. She looked like the other pitiful women in the cells, but there was something about her.

An unconscious thought inside him encouraged him to flee down the tunnels to find further proof, as long as he remained unseen the Nightmares would be none the wiser of his presence. Besides Lem was too busy with the Professor hurting the creatures he had started to feel compassion for. He made his way up the spiral staircase towards the balcony that overlooked the Grand Hall. The cells were shrouded in darkness but he could sense the humans inside.

He followed the scent until he stood directly opposite the cell belonging to the man with the scars, somehow he was connected to the girl downstairs.

He placed a haggard hand against the bars and whined lightly until he gained the attention of the occupant inside.

Wilks stirred to the sound of scratching and a slight whimper. Half expecting to be confronted with another Wretch he prepared himself, only to see a shadow sat in the darkness outside his cell. He shuffled on all fours until he was facing the figure, the indicator lights on his armour lent a slight illumination to reveal Angelo sitting staring back at him.

"You," he grunted, "What do you want? Where's Aidie?"

Angelo tilted his head slightly in recognition, it unnerved Wilks to see a human act in such animalistic ways. He reached out to place a deformed hand against his own, attempting to stretch his fingers out along the longer handspan of the Gear. Wilks noticed him frown slightly then look back at him. He pursed his lips to make a sound.

"Ooo," Angelo pointed to him, "ooo."

"Do you remember me Angelo?" Wilks asked, he could see an ounce of humanity trying to emerge from the Lambent riddled human, "My name is Olly. I helped you and your friends to Jacinto."

A sudden look of fear flicked through Angelo's face as he took in the Gear's armour and horrific memories suddenly flooded him. He backed away and clamped his hands over his head to fight off the images. He kept seeing big groups of men trying to hurt him, holding him down whilst Lem kept screaming his name. A gun held to his head whilst the men chanted in encouragement. A gun was fired but it wasn't him bleeding it was the man who wanted to kill him, and holding a weapon was another disfigured human. His face melted away on one side, he shouted to him. Run.

Wilks had read the situation quickly and had stripped all his armour off and stood at full height arms held out in surrender.

"Angelo look at me," he called quietly, "I am a friend."

Eventually he pealed his hands from his head to take in the man in the cell, arms held out wearing only a t-shirt and combat trousers. Around him his armour plates were strewn on the floor. He placed a hand on his chest and then offered the hand to him.

"Friend."

Angelo blinked, shuffling slowly towards him, assessing the potential threat. He opened his mouth before hoarsely uttering words he hadn't heard in a long time.

"Eenndd," he breathed heavily, "Ffrrend."

"Yes," Wilks smiled back at him, "I am a friend."