But what he did know, was that he wasn't bound back with anything he was familiar with. A slow hand grabs at one of his wrists, where he can feel this vine twisting and curving all the way up to his shoulders, but he almost immediately releases it when it throbs against his hand.
"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." He hears from in front of him. If he hadn't have jerked from the sudden noise, he might have just tried to play it cool: as though he was still passed out. He guessed that wasn't going to work now, especially since he had already been spotted. So he tries to steady his fluttering heart and open his eyes.
Though his vision's blurred, and he can't exactly determine what's going on within his surroundings, he can get the general gist of it all; beyond that voice that was so familiar from before, there's also those red blobs, confirming those monsters that had come after him before. Eugene swallowed back the anxiety in his throat, and it almost hurt from how tight it felt. Not only was he surrounded by that man in black, surrounded by his monsters, but he's also in the middle of the man's hive.
Despite how difficult it is to see, it's clear as day when the figure stands, moving slowly towards him. Or, at least, it seemed that way to the terrified Conduit; for all he knew, it only took a second or two. His perception on everything was out of alignment, and he wasn't even sure he could trust his own instincts.
Eugene flinches away from a hand on his chin, but the grip is hard and unwavering. With a slow, steadying breath, he looks up. He can just barely make out the smirk that grows on pale lips.
"...Alex Mercer.…" He sounds timid-hell, he's nearly petrified. And he knows that the virus knows that, too.
He makes this noise in the back of his throat-a grunt, of sorts. And he sounds disapproving. "I prefer Zeus. Call me as you may, but you'd best learn your place quickly. Otherwise…" The Hunters surrounding them take these loud steps closer, growling. The conduit shies back very quickly, but doesn't try to break past that grip. He can't try to break away; not yet, anyway. If he had his powers, maybe, but that wasn't an option right now.
...He's completely at this monster's mercy.
"...Why am I here…? What...what happened…?" He asks, carefully. He's trying to figure out if it's a question that is deemed appropriate, and it seems as though it is, to Eugene's relief, when Mercer doesn't just stay silent.
"I've already told you; I've given you the seed of power. You can help me to save the world, and I want you to help me."
Eugene shakes his head a little, shrinking back into the pole behind him. For some reason, he really doesn't believe it, yet...another part of him can't deny that it's the 'truth.'
"Save…?" He breathes, chest heaving from the adrenaline still coursing through him. His body aches, and he wants so desperately to be able to use his powers once more to get out. It doesn't seem like it'll happen, though. "But...It's been so long since...I-I don't think...I can…" Use his powers anymore, he wants to say. He's afraid that, if he does, he won't have a chance to potentially escape.
He could be slaughtered here, and everyone would be none-the-wiser. His breath shudders and he begins to panic. Luckily, or unluckily, one of those cold, dead hands presses to his chest, and something clicks in his own head. He begins to calm down almost instantly.
"You'll get the hang of it again. And you'll get new powers, as well. And if you don't, then I'll have no use for you, and you'll be dealt with accordingly." He should be panicking at that, too. But his body's too relaxed and too ready to accept the offer. Eugene doesn't even get a chance to think about it, not when his own head nods in acceptance.
That look that he can just barely make out makes something in his chest tighten. It's so malicious, so...sinister. Mercer did say that it was to 'save' the world, but he's not expecting a claw shoved into his chest to be part of the deal. He can't even choke out anything more than a scrambled gasp. Pain floods his entire system from his chest, to the point where he can't even feel the pain in his palms when his nails bite into his own skin.
"Don't worry, Eugene. I just have to put you through the purification process. Once I've done that, then the real fun can begin." The Conduit tries to speak, managing less than a gurgled grunt, followed by a cough of his own blood. "It's necessary, and it's painful, but you'll be a hero; you'll have the power to protect everyone you care about, and even the entire world. We'll be unstoppable; not even the remaining D.U.P. and all of the military can stop us. We'll make a better world for the 'bio-terrorists' like us."
His vision, what he has, already begins to fade. His entire system feels too hot, like he's trying to fight back a fever that's raking through his entire body. And though he's trying to breathe past the blood in his lungs, it doesn't do much good. Eugene can swear that he's dying, and it makes these tears fall from the corners of his eyes because all he can see in his head is how Delsin and Fetch had last seen him, curled up on his bed, refusing to leave.
He could never say a proper good-bye before he had passed. It's the last thought that he can really register past the endless amount of pain coursing through him.