A.N: OK, I'd really like to apologise profusely in advance for this chapter. It's pretty much a filler for Raine etc. a calm before the storm if you will. So, very short, and mainly some explanations but I hope it's ok.

And thanks for all the reviews I've been recieving.

Enjoy.
Overdose

She scribbled furiously at the paper, the white page becoming filled with black pencil smudges as notes poured down the page, equations scratched against paper, notes about results of applications of various materials.

The meeting with Yuan had invigorated her to try and escape, to save her kind, her brother, herself and Yuan himself.

The seraph was still down in the dungeon, but he had proven to be so useful, providing her with all the information she needed to create the 'protective' agent for the leader.

Aionis. It was so obvious that she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it before. If Aionis gave a human the qualities of elven blood…if it essentially turned a human into a half-elf, then surely if you applied it to a half-elf it would make them completely human?

Raine didn't know if that was exactly true, but if everything went according to plan, she wouldn't be around to find out…and neither would he.

She wouldn't, couldn't protect a man like that, someone who was so willing to destroy a race, someone so sickeningly thick-skulled he wouldn't even accept his own race. And she couldn't let him go free…so there was only one solution left. His death.

The easiest way to do that, of course, would be to trick him with his 'cure'. She was too physically weak to take him on in combat and even if they escaped, Yuan and Genis were no better off than her. Hell, Yuan was in a worse state than her by now.

Absently, she lifted a hand to the fading bruise on her cheek, testing the area by gently applying pressure to it. Admittedly, it had only been three days since her …incident with the leader, but she had hoped that the wounds would have healed by now somehow.

She had spent the rest of that day down in the dungeon with Yuan, and into the morning after when they had taken them both back up to the lab by a different route than she was used to. She had been taken back down into the cell when the day had ended as well, kept separate from the friends she had made, the people she had inspired to escape.

Not that that was helping to quieten down the prisoners, from what she had heard from the guards. In fact, her continued absence was only serving to rile them up more. It wouldn't be long before one of them would lash out.

Not long now. She could sense it. Something was coming.

It had been twenty eight days since her and Genis' capture and the wait was finally drawing to a close. Whether she'd manage to escape…

She shook her head. It'd happen, as long as there was still breath in her body, she'd make sure of it. One thing at a time though, first she had to finish this little gem of a task…and convincingly lie to the leader that she wasn't finished with the calculations. Which she wasn't. Not to finish him off anyway.

In three hours time she'd be reporting back to him personally and Raine shuddered at the thought, not wanting anything to do with him.

But needs must and apparently he needed to see her about this project. She just hoped that he didn't try a repeat of the other day.

--

The guard grabbed her by the bicep as she turned for the bathroom, pulling her away from the mahogany door.

"Not today."

"That must mean that he's not entirely happy with me."

The guard snorted "You think?" He guided her over to the elevator, entering with her this time, following her into the room once they'd arrived.

Raine swallowed thickly, memories of the last time she walked through his room flashing through her head and her stomach churned with the thought of what could have happened. Her hand lifted to her mouth, covering it as she swallowed back nausea
"I don't think he's interested in you like that anymore. Not since you gave him that wound."

"Are you trying to comfort me?"

"Hardly. I'm pointing out that there won't be a repeat so you may as well get on with what you need to say when he comes in."

Something thudded above their heads and Raine flinched, taking a step or tow backwards, unconsciously. The guard's hand stopped her from backing up further.

There was a whirring in the distance, the sound of mechanisms being activated and Raine was all too aware of the fact that it was the lift bearing the leader.

He entered the room after a moment…and it was not the same person she had seen before.

This 'Leader' was angry the second he entered the room, as if her very presence was an insult. His steps were heavy, long, intimidating. Hair hung in his face that was already set into a scowl…and his breathing was laboured, the wound she had inflicted upon him paining him.

"You have something to tell me?"

"You wanted the report, did you not? You're the one who summoned me." Her voice trembled, her skin crawling at the sight of the man, the feeling of his mana in the air.

"Yes. Now get on with it."

She held out the papers gingerly, trying to keep her body as far away from him as possibly, arm stretched to it full length.

The leader snorted at her body language, the way her head was turned away, lips pursed in disgust and he snatched the papers from her hand.

Raine recoiled instantly, almost hiding behind the guard now. No matter how much she wanted to show him he hadn't beaten her…she couldn't help her actions, the desire to get as far away from him as possible.

"What does this mean? Adding Aionis will not effect me."

"Adding Aionis will turn…" The Leader glared at the guard and he promptly left. Raine jostled continuing more quietly now "…what is left of your human blood elven. You'll become a pure-blood elf."

"That's not what I desire."

"Do you wish to die when you drop that bomb?"

"Find another way."

"There's no time."

The Leader remained silent. "How long will it take to have the effect of changing my blood?"

"10 days."

"Too long."

"Well if you stop interrupting my studies by calling me here, I can work on a way to shorten that. I just need a few more days to research."

"The bomb will be dropped in eight days. You have three days to complete that treatment."

"I need…statistics."

"What?"

"I need details of your…height, weight and blood type etc. So I can work out the percentages of Aionis needed for the transformation."

The Leader remained silent for a moment, contemplating the consequences.

"I'll have them brought to you."

Raine inclined her head, refusing to meet his eyes.

"May I leave now?"

"Yes."

She turned, hurrying for the door,

"Ms Sage. Your papers." He held them out towards her in the same manner in which she had handed them to him.

Raine shook her head. "You can keep them. I have copies."

She left the room without waiting for a response, rushing into the elevator and taking it down, the guard meeting her at the floor below and escorting her back to her lab.

She almost wept the second he had left the room, the fear she had held inside during the meeting with the leader crashing out of her. Almost, anyway.

It achieved in producing a small shuddering gasp, as if she were about to cry…and then her mouth snapped shut and she lifted her head, looking down at the copied page of notes she had made.

All she needed now were his details and…

The door slid one with the sucking sound of brushes on carpet, yielding a messenger. He handed her a file quietly and left without a word.

Raine waited until he'd gone before opening the file, her eyes pouring over the details and an almost sadistic grin wrote itself onto her face.

She'd give him his 'treatment' alright.

--

Night had fallen, she was sure of it, so it wasn't a complete surprise when her usual guard entered, escorting her back to her dungeon that she was sharing with Yuan. Nevertheless, it was an unwelcome event…she had been working so well today and even with the hour long break when she had reported to the leader, the work had come on in leaps and bounds.

She was so close now. Everything was working itself to a climax.

The dungeon was dark as usual and the light from Yuan's wings seemed dimmer than before, as if he was so weak now that his strength was being drained with every breath he took.

Raine was at his side in a second, feeling for a pulse at the still form's neck. A hand batted lazily at her, knocking her finger's away.

"I'll live." He rasped, turning to look at her.

She rolled her eyes.

"And if I don't then…well, I've had 4000 years…a wonderful, ripe old age, don't you think?"

Raine snorted, vaguely amused by the sarcasm.

"So how was your day, Yuan? Do anything exciting?"

"Well as a matter of fact yes. I lay here all morning because…let's face it I can't do much else and then I rolled over and stared at that wall for a bit. Then I had a crumb of bread for lunch, was allowed to stretch my wings and then I fell asleep."

"How thrilling."

"Oh I know. So what about you, Ms Sage? Any amusing anecdotes?"

"I met with the leader."

The blue-haired seraph remained silent for a moment before pulling himself up to rest against the wall behind me.

"…Uh-huh. Go on."

"I told him I can save him from the effects of the bomb."

"How?"

"Aionis."

"Because it gives humans elven blood." Yuan nodded

"Will it work?

He shrugged "It's never been investigated. It could do…I hope it doesn't."

"That bomb's not going to be released."

"You sound very sure of that."

"I….have faith."

"How sweet. I'll be sure to let Kratos know that."

"…Why are you so insistent that Kratos wants to know this sort of thing?"

"If you don't know, I'm not going to spell it out for you."

"The only reason why would be if…"

Yuan smirked, watching realisation dawn on her face.

"He doesn't…"

"Oh he does."

"He's told you that?"

"No but…I don't need him to. I can read Kratos like a book."

Raine shuffled. "I…uh, I need to ask you a few things about the application of Aionis."

"With a needle. It can be ingested orally but…it takes a long time and the results aren't pretty."

"What do you mean?"
"Well as I recall, about 6 hours after Kratos took Aionis he collapsed and spent the following three weeks throwing up at least three times a day."

"That's…"

"Exactly what this 'leader' deserves…but we can't do that, now can we?"

"…I was actually going to ask about the quantities required."

"To do what to him?"

"To overdose him."

Again, sorry about the length etc but I promise next chapter will be better. It's a Kratos chapter...we're nearing the end, folks.

Please review as always.