….

Nine

Touko stared down absently as she walked touching her lips he could really control her with a little kiss was that drug related. She wanted to talk to him about what he wasn't sharing but then she knew it wasn't going to happen he needed to be away from her. She stopped and turned her gaze before she saw Colress in her path. He looked her up and down with a smirk.

"So you are the beautiful little missus."

She looked down rubbing the back of her neck.

"No need to be shy, I'm happily married but I can appreciate a pretty face when I see it."

She shook her head.

"I guess Ghetsis told you about me?"

"You're Colress aren't you?"

He nodded.

"Your father..."

"Oh no I don't want to talk about him unless you're going to answer my questions."

He shrugged.

"What would you like to know?"

"Why was I drugged? What good is it?"

"You will find out in time, even Ghetsis doesn't have all the information, you see the drug has a few different effects so I can't say for sure why anything happened to you, it depends on which group you end up in when the test is over. We are not making meds but an ingredient for them, obviously there are some larger possibilities but it's more about will you be stronger, faster...more dangerous who knows."

"Is this even safe?..."

"Of course, some Grunts from each of the groups tried to go rogue they were rounded up, it took a while they killed a few people after losing it from some other experiments. When the drug didn't kill them well we deemed it good for others that were more valuable and Ghetsis disposed of them."

She flinched thinking of what it meant to dispose of them his easy going smile widened as his gaze darkened.

"We won't pretend around you, things aren't so perfect here, you're just safe so long as you don't pick a fight with him. We chose to do the experiments in pairs give all the patients a chance to form lifelines, you and Ghetsis may develop different abilities but you were given the same dose. The same mix it is how we keep our partners close. Don't worry if you don't feel sick and only wish to be around him then I assure you everything is normal. For now I'll go talk to Ghetsis, I will give you more information later and do keep this to yourself I'm sure he already told you some aren't meant to be trusted here."

He moved to pull a file out of his bag and handed it to her before turning to leave she watched him go and stared at the folder in her hand before she went to her room. Most of the Grunts were in bed or enjoying their freetime without their boss watching them.

She locked herself in with a sigh as she opened the folder she stared at her photo, blood type, age, no allergies..basic information at the bottom a paragraph about the tests. Under a few instructions on how to best prepare it...that's all it was X. The nameless ingredient was strongest as a powder she remembered developing a taste for the seasoning salt he put on most of her meals wondering if she'd try a new diet they weren't always close but he'd never hurt her.

But it could be overpowered by another ingredient he didn't eat the same thing just pretended she sighed one taste had been addictive. She didn't have to rationalize what he wanted, at the end it said to change the recipe to stop the dependency slowly she stopped wanting it and he stopped providing it. She had lost weight though, granted she'd never been heavy so for a moment she seemed unhealthy until he got the right meal plan for her.

If it has no effect then it'll pass...there were far too many what ifs.

Turning the page she saw Ghetsis's profile her gaze widened he was much larger now, muscle wise this old picture he looked sickly it had a much stronger effect on him. Turning the page she saw notes on weightloss he had, pained muscles, paranoia, then the vomiting. Her little loss seemed so irrelevant she couldn't imagine what they offered him to stay on the plan and be an experiment if he was meant to take over as the head of Plasma.

Thinking of those rogue Grunts she tried to picture if he ever lost it too she chewed on her lip flipping through her mouth fell as she stared at the other pictures he included of Ghetsis. He looked so emaciated.

She covered his mouth he was a shadow of who he was now to think he lived said a lot about him...his inner strength. Staring at the cold dead eyes in the photo she tried to think of what was in his head now. Surely all these tests had more of an effect. She turned them over going through what was left most of the paper had simple notes, patient showed this..patient showed that. Pausing she examined some notes of her.

Frowning she thought of the Triad's ability as she looked through the notes, she had met him before.

Notes and notes of him avoiding her completely before he seemed willing to be around her, to be around anyone. His nervous habits went further everytime just hiding, jumping at the slightest touch, temporary blindless. She rubbed her head as she dropped the file her head throbbed, only the slightest flash in her mind before she fell back against the pillows groaning as she rocked a bit on the bed willing the ache to fade she curled into a ball swearing until she fell silent, still.

The Triad's ability could only do so much until one's memory was pushed.

….

Much later that eveningTouko woke up suddenly sitting up with a start she looked at the mess of papers on the floor her vision was a little blurry she sniffed hearing the knock she shifted.

"Touko, can you hear me?"

She stepped forward, almost forgetting she was on the bed until she fell forward, as the dizziness cleared she absently crawled forward to reach up and unlock the door. On the other side she saw Ghetsis sitting on the ground he glanced at her giving her a knowing look. He stood up and held out a hand to help her up. She slowly grabbed his wrist he held her steady, his gaze never left hers.

"Touko." he said again.

She blinked a few times before she cocked her head realizing who he was she shook her head.

"Listen to me."

She blinked again seeming as though she'd pass out in any moment.

"Just responding to memory loss, that was before the Triad answered to me their loyalty is absolute only after being bound properly. Something Zinzolin failed to do, step backwards, say your name focus."

She did as he said feeling all the more disoriented, until her legs hit the bed and she sat down she took a breath pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Wh...what...happened?"

"Nothing too serious, I noticed you seemed off I came to check since I remember the same feeling though I didn't have anyone coming after me then. Hell of a thing to pull yourself out of alone." he spoke slowly, not as if speaking to a child but like a nurse attempting to calm a patient.

She rubbed her head slowly it was all she could do her body felt numb..like it wasn't hers, he frowned as he looked at the ground and sighed. He could just about kill Colress for showing her those pictures he was just glad she was so out of it and might forget about what happened. She sagged against him shifting not so much because moving her legs would help with the pain but because sitting still seemed to make the ache worse. He didn't like that, it was one thing to see her trying to pull herself together when she didn't even know what the problem was. Then another to feel it and be unable to help.

He thought it was funny thinking of the issues that came from those damn pills...all the powders and such would have an intended effect that would work. She was beautiful yes, he liked women sure, but he was drawn to her far beyond that and he hated every bit of it mostly because he was losing control she'd just barely been around him and it was like this already.

He absently rubbed her hair she sniffed as the pain faded slowly.

Bit by bit she only turned to wrap her arms around his neck it was almost familiar.

…...

That afternoon Ghetsis was awake before the knocking came, he looked down she was still out her arm draped over his waist he almost didn't want to wake her up. Though the Grunts knew better than to come looking for him for nothing. Meaning they wouldn't leave him be until he answered.

"What?" he called.

Touko grunted a bit she felt she been drinking all night and was just barely passing the hangover.

"Sir, you have a meeting with Giovanni and Maxie..they are already here."

He sighed, damned budget meetings, not just money but workers and pokemon mostly an excuse to argue for an hour before getting to results. As Touko realized she had cuddled up against him she backed up he moved to stand up and glanced at her checking for any strain.

"...Sorry."

He shook his head.

"It's fine...normal I'll have a breakfast brought up that will make you feel better I have work to do...do me a favor and lock those files away." he moved to leave and she moved to jump off the bed and grab the photos as the dizziness faded she wondered what happened, her mind seemed blank she expected it would come back.

He'd already willed her to let go to rip up the pictures though she couldn't really remember what she had seen anyways.

…...