Chapter 3

Johnny's POV

A couple of days after the events with the motherboard, Johnny was preparing for another test. He had watched as many of the techs and researchers moving along as if nothing happened. 'Weird…it's almost as if something devastating just happened days ago. Ever since the outcome and the part he played, he had been allowed to travel to other sites beyond Site-17. He would be testing SCP 003-014 based on what his notes say and what Katana had told him. When the helicopter landed on the roof, he stepped off and headed to the door that i lead to a stairwell. Before he could enter the testing room, he was interrupted by a researcher, "There's been a change of direction 9000. Instead of 003-014, you will be testing 004. We managed to get the approval from 05-5 to pursue this course. Johnny nodded and sighed, "Alright. Point me in the direction then." The researcher nodded and led him to a different room that was on the opposite side of the building. 'Everything is the same boring grayish color as it is at the homesite. How does Katana stand jumping from place to place to update files?' As he walked in, he glanced over at the spectator box and caught the familiar mop of brown hair. 'I should have known that she wouldn't be far when I had to do these…experiments.' Entering the containment room he eyed the contraption and sighed. He was beginning to find these tests tedious, but it was his luck of coming back every… single….time that cinched it. He was the ultimate test rabbit. No matter how good or bad things were, he was able to report back on any findings.

He started pressing keys starting with the first set of six. As expected, they tore him apart to varying degrees. Key 6 startled him because his return time to his bed took longer than the standard twenty-four hours. 'Exactly twenty-seven hours' The other five felt like gravity was fighting against itself. Like it was supposed to go one way but did the opposite at every part of his body. Thank god those were instant…'

Katana's POV

Watching the test and the outcomes made Katana start cursing up a storm. When the last key was tested and Johnny didn't show back up until well past the standard timing, she yanked her phone out and immediately started messaging her mentor about the status of her application to make Johnny her partner. The news she received frustrated her to no ends. Her mentor's response was bland, stating that the application needed more than half the council's approval. To speed up the process, Johnny would need to impress 05-5. Katana shot off a quick, 'Fine' before she looked back up at the test not wanting to miss anything. She looked up as researchers brought Johnny back in to the lab. 'He must have just appeared back…'

Johnny picked up the seventh key which landed him in what seemed like a safe room. The microphone picked up him speaking to himself, "Huh. I'm not dead. Nice." He then started on the next four keys. These keys had the same result as the first five as they instantly tore him apart. Hours later, he appeared back in his bed and was brought back each time. Each time, she noticed that he seemed to get more and more annoyed and her assumption was proven correct when he snapped at a younger researcher, "Are we done yet? They were all the exact fucking same."

The young researcher backed up in nervousness but answered, "There's two more keys." The researcher then held up the twelfth box that held the twelfth key.

The microphone picked up Johnny's mutter, "Well.. looks like you all already know what is in there. Huh?! Woah!" Before he had a chance to hear the answer, the researcher left the room and motioned for a security guard to shut and lock the door and shut off the power. In response, Katana heard Johnny shout, "What the hell is going on?! It's pitch black in here."

Katana pulled her communicator out and responded, "I don't know but I will find out." She leapt up and made her way towards the researcher, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Let him out of there now."

"Sorry ma'am, 05-5 thought he would not go in if he knew something would be in there with him. Orders."

At a loss for words, because she couldn't go against the council's orders. All she could do was snap out, "This isn't right and you know it."

The researcher shrugged, "My hands are tied ma'am."

Katana flinched when she heard Johnny begin shrieking in pain and yelling that he could feel someone or something standing right behind him. She knew the pitch darkness of the room didn't help and increased the panic of the situation. A security guard had stepped in her way when she unconsciously took a step towards the door when she heard his heartbroken voice ask if he could come out now. Running out of options, she used her telepathic ability, "I'll figure something out. Please hold on."

She glared at the researcher and growled, "Your hands might be tied but mine are not." She tried to move past the guard only to have him aim his gun at her, making her stop.

"Our orders are clear ma'am. Step away from the door. Now." The security guard spoke.

"This is wrong. This is pure unadulterated torture and it is inhumane." Katana snapped.

It was useless as the guard responded, "It is not our job to have morals ma'am. Step away."

Katana punched the wall nearby when she heard Johnny yelling at something to go away and to leave him alone. She moved back to her seat, appearing to have given up as she pulled out her book. Under the guise of reading, she eyed the door and tried to pull it open with her mind but it wouldn't budge. There was no way she would be able to get the key off the researcher as he would feel her attempt. In her attempts, she heard Johnny still shrieking. Finally, when the guard opened the door and pulled him out, Johnny was apparently so freaked out that he attacked another member of security whose response was to shoot him in the head.

The researcher watched the proceedings and spoke, "Hm.. First time we've seen someone attack rather than harm themselves, or maybe he did it on purpose. Suicide by cop. We will ask him questions when he comes back in twenty-four hours." He wrote the findings in a file. Not tolerating anymore, Katana got up to storm out but was stopped by the researcher, "Don't want to see him use the last key?"

All Katana could say, "I'll be back tomorrow." She walked quickly out of the room without hearing the researcher's response and made it to her onsite office. In the hours that she waited, she was trying to come up with ideas to help Johnny. Twenty-four hours later, she came up with nothing and had to return to the testing room. She owed it to Johnny to be there. As she entered, she watched him be handed SCP-005 and was ordered to open the door with it. To Johnny, the researcher explained, "We've never tested this before so anything could happen." To the guards, "Ready the shields just in case."

Katana watched as Johnny rolled his eyes and heard him sarcastically say, "What fun." However, he moved on and opened the final door. When he stepped inside, the door behind him shut on its own. The researcher looked surprised, "We didn't do that." Immediately, she moved towards the lab door and tried to open it herself. The door wouldn't budge. Katana looked at the researcher, "Let me see the key." She didn't have to wait long and immediately tried to unlock the door while using her telekinetic abilities to subtly pull the door open. It seemed to work, albeit slow. What she saw on the other door, froze her.

Johnny was being lifted up by…something. Snapping out of it, Katana entered the small crack of the door and used her abilities to pull Johnny back down, but he was fighting her, "No! Get out of here! You can't come back!" When he dropped down to the ground, he immediately got up and started trying to shove her out the door. "Get out before it starts whispering to you!"

Knowing she was taking a risk, she shook her head, "Not without you. Come on."

"No! This is the first time I get to die without being traumatized or in agony. Let me have this goddamnit!" Johnny yelled at her in desperation.

Shaken by the sight, Katana whispered, "I'm trying so that won't happen anymore. I was planning on helping you escape from the facility tonight."

Johnny was upset, but he seemed calm, "I'm sorry. But I need this." She knew then that he was finished with being tortured or messed with. Katana looked at him through tears in her eyes. Before she had a chance to respond, she was shoved out the door and the door was shut in her face. What made it even worse was that she had dropped the key inside the room. The force of the shove sent her sprawling to the ground. Quickly, she stood and raced away from the lab. It would be days before she saw Johnny again.

Johnny's POV

Despite being at peace, waiting for what he hoped was his final death, he showed up in his bed exactly twenty-four hours later. He swore. But then he remembered his last conversation with Katana just before shoving her out of the testing room. He stood and tried to find a researcher, "Where's Katana?" His question was ignored as he was bombarded with questions about the room. He quickly answered them and was brought back to site-17. He raced in and was immediately asked for debrief. He tried to find the first researcher and asked for the second time, "Where is Katana?"

"No one has seen her in a few days but those council member interns often disappear to meet with their mentors for training." A guard answered instead.

"Great.. Lovely. Thank you." Johnny responded. He wasn't sure what to think. This was the first moment he displayed his displeasure at how his life had turned and she abandoned him and left him to rot. 'Typical. For claiming she was different, maybe she was no better.' Johnny thought bitterly. He was caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn't realized that the past few days he hadn't been called for anymore tests.

Katana's POV

Days after the final test, she had been called off by her mentor for training. The past few days were exhausting but it was required. When she arrived back to site-17, the first thing she did was try to find Johnny and explain. When she found him, she let the words fall out, "I'm sorry for disappearing for days. I cannot ignore a summons from my mentor when he calls for training. I wanted to speak to you about what took place in the test. I promise." She got no response from Johnny. Katana sighed and tried again, "What's up with you?"

She guessed it was the wrong thing to say when Johnny responded, "You. You're up with me. You couldn't handle me wanting to die at peace because it went against your order, so you left me."

"I understand wanting to give up, but didn't leave you by choice, you idiot. Did you really want me to ignore a summons? I'll end up in a cell right next to yours or worse if I did. The summons was for training but I used it as a pull to get your application progress for being my partner," Katana responded.

"Then why were you so adamant on me leaving that room? We could've…" She heard the break in Johnny's words before he continued, "We could have escaped any day. All I wanted was an actual peaceful death. But you didn't even want me to have that. You just wanted me to listen to you. What made THAT night so important?" By the time he finished, Katana had watched him stand up and approach her.

She responded softly, "Is it wrong that I didn't want you to die cause I care? I knew this place was hurting you and I was tired of seeing it. I had already been planning an escape for that night if the application wasn't moving."

"But it's literally no harm to me. I come back after every death looking brand new. I just wanted one painless death before I got sent back to the grinder. So why was it so important?" She heard him explain.

"I felt like things were coming to a head when things were happening a few days ago… I hated seeing you in pain and being able to do nothing about it." Rubbing a hand over her face, Katana let out a small chuckle forgetting the small tidbit of his ability, "I'm a damned idiot is what. When we were inside that room, it felt like you were wanting a final death. I forgot momentarily that you always come back."

"You do not have to worry about completely losing me. I don't think it is going to be able to happen." Johnny cracked a small smile and responded, "Yeah… besides…that is what that room does. It grants those who enter the room a peaceful death. I'm fine dying if it means you idiots get to understand these monsters better. Speaking of monsters. What the hell happened to that weird alien thing? 003 I think it was."

"Locked down so tight that I can't even imagine." She wouldn't tell the full story because she knew she put herself at risk.

"And the room?" He asked.

"That I don't know. Everything has been relatively quiet." Katana answered.

"What else is new? So what about making me your partner? Has that gone through yet?"