[IC] The Two Sides

[xiaomiau]

@Hawksnest565 Misha made a choked yelp as the doctor jammed the cloth into her jaw. She screwed her eyes shut tight again the panic of what she could only imagine the scientists had planned for her, but she made sure to snap open her eyes to shoot the women with a look of betrayal and rage. Not human trafficking.. Sure, sure, she thought, rattling against the restraints again. I'm going to kill him if I ever get a chance.

Liwei froze at the vibration of something cold and hard in his pocket. He slid his hand into the fabric and pulled out his mobile phone. He had forgotten it was with him, but he was suddenly reminded as he read his superior's caller ID on the smooth screen. "Shhh," he hissed, putting a finger to his lips as he answered the phone. "Hello, sir," he said calmly, putting on an air of confidence as he spoke into the receiver.

[Hawksnest565]

"Hmm..." Brianna's fingers ran over the dials of the electric generating machine. She'd always hated the look of this device. It screamed mad scientist rather than the sophisticated song of scientific justice that it actually implied. She knocked the switch up to the notch of '2'. "Let's start low, hm? If you feel a slight tingling, you'll have to tell me afterwards. The last subject whom that happened to had a stroke five minutes later. It was a waste of resources. I never even knew what animal she was." Sensing she was getting off topic, Brianna flicked some of the switches up. "Electric shock one, intensity level two. Proceeding." She flicked the final switch and the machine started up with a whirr.

"Liwei," The Boss had recovered his composure with the thought of the boy's importance. "I know I asked you to take that subject away but, well, I was mistaken. I think he's more important than I ever realised. I want him back here immediately. Oh, and have someone collect some of the scientists as well. This is an endeavour that we must share."

[xiaomiau]

Misha eyed the machine with wide eyes. She clenched her jaw as the scientist began to fumble with the dials. There was nothing to grab and cut herself free, no obvious tricks to help her escape. She struggled one last time against the restraints that held her firmly to the bed before she closed her eyes and braced herself for the shock. She let out a cry of pain through the fabric but she didn't feel the familiar process of shifting to her animal form. She wanted to think or say something sarcastic about the futility of this torture, but she didn't feel up to the task.

Liwei began sweating. "Uh.. what do you mean, boss? Important how?"

[Hawksnest565]

Brianna switched off the machine and observed Misha. "End of test one. No clear shifting achieved. Visible sign of body tremours but more likely due to spasms caused by electricity than any latent signs of shifting likelihood. Patient reports..." She removed the cloth from Misha's mouth for a moment and looks pointedly at her, clearly waiting for some expression of how she was feeling in regards to shifting.

The Boss would normally have been bothered by Liwei's insistance for an explanation rather than direct obeyance but for the moment he was incredibly excited about the potential the boy could bring. "Every subject we've brought in... every piece of DNA we've examined... It's all been adding together like a massive puzzle. I've come so close to cracking the formula to awaken shifting in our family's genes but all this time I've been missing one vital piece of evidence. I just needed that one patient with the right genes present. I can't explain why, I doubt you'd ever understand, but I believe that boy has what we need. With him, the serum will be complete!" He coughed and his voice turned harsh. "Quickly now. Hasn't enough of your life been wasted without the ability to shift?"

[xiaomiau]

Misha spat as the woman pulled the gag from her mouth. "The patient reports that.. Fuck you!" she hissed blearily, baring her teeth. She tried to headbutt the scientist but didn't get far.

Liwei had turned the speaker setting on before the call, so canon had been conveniently retconned into Ambrose and Mona hearing the call. Liwei frowned. "Sure, boss. I'll send him over." He clicked the phone off. "Alright - new plan. I bring Ambrose to The Boss. Then I leave and pick up a van. Mona runs for the lab while the scientists are gone. She grabs the girl and brings her to the van." He glances at Ambrose. "By the time we have that taken care of, the meeting should be over and you can just run out and get in the van! The old guy won't be able to chase and everyone else will be gone."

[Fionraella]

Misha spat as the woman pulled the gag from her mouth. "The patient reports that.. Fuck you!" she hissed blearily, baring her teeth. She tried to headbutt the scientist but didn't get far.

Liwei had turned the speaker setting on before the call, so canon had been conveniently retconned into Ambrose and Mona hearing the call. Liwei frowned. "Sure, boss. I'll send him over." He clicked the phone off. "Alright - new plan. I bring Ambrose to The Boss. Then I leave and pick up a van. Mona runs for the lab while the scientists are gone. She grabs the girl and brings her to the van." He glances at Ambrose. "By the time we have that taken care of, the meeting should be over and you can just run out and get in the van! The old guy won't be able to chase and everyone else will be gone."

@xiaomiau

Ambrose nods, eager to get started. "Sounds good! Uhh...you'll have to show me where the vans are first, this place is like a maze..." He grins guiltily. "Not quite sure how I'm supposed to find anything here..." he mutters, starting to doubt the plan, but realizing they had no choice if the Boss wanted to see him. "Alright, let's go!"

[Hawksnest565]

Brianna nods slowly and concludes her sentence. "... Aggravation." She stuffs the cloth back in Misha's mouth and returns her focus to the machine. "Current level of electric stimulation too low. We'll push it up to a five." Her words marked her actions. "Subject of this size could handle six at the highest with probability of immediate death at 10%. Probability of immediate death at current ranking of five, 2%. Probability of permanent damage at current ranking, 12%." She listed off the statistics with a professional tone as she considered whether it was worth the risk. "Ah, what is science without the fear of failure?" She starts the machine up again.

The Boss relaxes at Liwei's insistence that the job would be done. When the call was ended, he allowed himself one more fond look at the album. "Soon, my dear family, we will all be free from the curse that begun with me." He sighs and forces himself to refocus on the task, walking over to the lab section of his room. He runs his hands over several clear vials containing the concoctions of the serums created so far. "I am so close..."

[xiaomiau]

The camp was as full as ever, but Dione felt cold and empty. She paced through the tents and scattered fire pits, peering into the woods with each step she took. Each lap she took became more and more bleak. It had been hours since she had seen Ambrose; in fact, it had been hours since anyone had seen Ambrose. As a cold gust of wind entered the camp, Dione took a break for her pacing and anxiously made her way to one of the fire pits. She ran her soft hands through the bouncing rings of her hair, blowing slightly in the autumn breeze. Unease was evident on her face as she grew more and more worried about the boy. I really have to find him! He's probably hurt - or worse. She glanced around, searching for someone to help her.

[xiaomiau]

Misha's eyes began to water as the scientist spoke. She bit her cheek to hide the emotion. There was no point in voicing her distress if the woman was going to continue her cold and clinical dissection - or what felt a dissection. A dissection of psyche. Of genetics? Misha would have rather wiped her heredity clean - shifting and all - than suffer through any of this. Get rid of my family line? Sign me up, she thought grimly, clenching her fists as the scientist shocked her again.

Liwei pointed down the hall. "The van will be running out there. All you have to do is find the door at the end of that hallway, and we'll be waiting." He straightened his spine and started towards his superior's office, a bead of anxiety forming in the pit of his stomach.

[Fionraella]

The camp was as full as ever, but Dione felt cold and empty. She paced through the tents and scattered fire pits, peering into the woods with each step she took. Each lap she took became more and more bleak. It had been hours since she had seen Ambrose; in fact, it had been hours since anyone had seen Ambrose. As a cold gust of wind entered the camp, Dione took a break for her pacing and anxiously made her way to one of the fire pits. She ran her soft hands through the bouncing rings of her hair, blowing slightly in the autumn breeze. Unease was evident on her face as she grew more and more worried about the boy. I really have to find him! He's probably hurt - or worse. She glanced around, searching for someone to help her.

@xiaomiau

Sacha walks out of her tent, sighing heavily to herself, also immersed in her own life's hell. She glances around the camp and her eyes fall on Dione. "Hey Dione!" She greets, as she walks over to the other girl. She nods a greeting. "What's up? You seem pretty anxious...everything alright?"

[Fionraella]

Misha's eyes began to water as the scientist spoke. She bit her cheek to hide the emotion. There was no point in voicing her distress if the woman was going to continue her cold and clinical dissection - or what felt a dissection. A dissection of psyche. Of genetics? Misha would have rather wiped her heredity clean - shifting and all - than suffer through any of this. Get rid of my family line? Sign me up, she thought grimly, clenching her fists as the scientist shocked her again.

Liwei pointed down the hall. "The van will be running out there. All you have to do is find the door at the end of that hallway, and we'll be waiting." He straightened his spine and started towards his superior's office, a bead of anxiety forming in the pit of his stomach.

@xiaomiau

Ambrose nods seriously, and follows Liwei. "okay. Down that hall, there's a door. Go out the door. I can do that!" He then begins making mental maps of the halls and doors as they walk, but after about 5 steps, already gets confused.

[Hawksnest565]

Brianna felt a stab of annoyance as she turned off the machine again. Misha's form had remained stubbornly human. Should she push it up to six? The fatality rate would be higher given that she'd already endured a couple of shocks. It had taken less for previous subjects to shift. It had also taken less for prior subjects in other experiments to clock out on her. She bit her lip. Those buffoons of hunters had taken such a long time to capture two of them... And now, she only had one. Of course, the body would be useful even in human form. Plenty of DNA to examine. Didn't The Boss want results now? Her mind made it up, she pushed the dial to six. "Electric shock three, intensity level 6." She paused for a moment. "Do not disappoint me, subject. Your life depends on it." The machine begun its horrible whirr anew when she pushed the switch down.

[xiaomiau]

Dione looks up at Sacha and tries to smile but can't find it in her to fake 'alright.' She looked down and shook her head sadly. "No." She looked around, then back to Sacha's warm gaze. "I can't find Ambrose anywhere. It's been hours and he's just nowhere." She sighed. "Have you seen him?"

Misha took a deep breath in, basically preparing to die. As the shock hit her, she lost consciousness.

[Fionraella]

Dione looks up at Sacha and tries to smile but can't find it in her to fake 'alright.' She looked down and shook her head sadly. "No." She looked around, then back to Sacha's warm gaze. "I can't find Ambrose anywhere. It's been hours and he's just nowhere." She sighed. "Have you seen him?"

Misha took a deep breath in, basically preparing to die. As the shock hit her, she lost consciousness.

@xiaomiau

Sacha blinks. "No, I haven't seen him..." she then looks around camp and groans. "Misha, destin, and Aya also seem to be missing." She sighs hesvily. "When was the last you saw him?"

[xiaomiau]

<Snipped quote by xiaomiau>

Ambrose nods seriously, and follows Liwei. "okay. Down that hall, there's a door. Go out the door. I can do that!" He then begins making mental maps of the halls and doors as they walk, but after about 5 steps, already gets confused.

@Fionraella

"Okay, kid. Let's do this." He made his way through the halls, backtracking their previous escape route as he pulled the boy towards the very jaws of the people they were fleeing from. He looked down at Ambrose as they walked. "Be careful, okay? We'll try to help your friend but we want both of you to get out safe." They were approaching the door, now.

[Hawksnest565]

Brianna cut the machine's power the moment she saw Misha black out. "Are you kidding me..." She huffs, thinking that the subject should have been able to put up a little more fight than that. She rushed over to the body and checked for a heartbeat. "Subject showing signs of cardiac arrest. I am now undertaking emergency procedures." She rushes to a defibrillator on one side of the room and prepares it for use. In mere moments she presses the charged paddles onto Misha's chest.

[Fionraella]

<Snipped quote by Fionraella>

"Okay, kid. Let's do this." He made his way through the halls, backtracking their previous escape route as he pulled the boy towards the very jaws of the people they were fleeing from. He looked down at Ambrose as they walked. "Be careful, okay? We'll try to help your friend but we want both of you to get out safe." They were approaching the door, now.

@xiaomiau

Ambrose nods firmly. "I'll be fine. You worry about misha."

[xiaomiau]

Liwei nods and gestures for Ambrose to step inside. He follows him and turns the corner with a huff, eyes searching for The Boss. "Hey, sir! I have the subject you asked for, but I have some pertinent paperwork to deal with, so I have to be off." He gave an apologetic shrug. This plan had better work, he thought. Or else that girl is dead and Ambrose might end up even worse off.

Misha: *ded*

Dione's face scrunched up in thought as she drew her mind back to her last memory of Ambrose. "Oh, it was this morning. It wasn't much suspicious." She considered the other folks Sacha had listed. "You don't think this is some sick Brom plot, do you?" Her eyed blinked with genuine fear and concern.

[Fionraella]

Liwei nods and gestures for Ambrose to step inside. He follows him and turns the corner with a huff, eyes searching for The Boss. "Hey, sir! I have the subject you asked for, but I have some pertinent paperwork to deal with, so I have to be off." He gave an apologetic shrug. This plan had better work, he thought. Or else that girl is dead and Ambrose might end up even worse off.

Misha: *ded*

Dione's face scrunched up in thought as she drew her mind back to her last memory of Ambrose. "Oh, it was this morning. It wasn't much suspicious." She considered the other folks Sacha had listed. "You don't think this is some sick Brom plot, do you?" Her eyed blinked with genuine fear and concern.

@xiaomiau

Sacha nods. "It's not unusual for people to be missing, but our prisoners too is weird.."

[Hawksnest565]

"Don't you die on me, Subject 9!" Brianna was not prepared to give up yet, but there was no sign of Misha's reaction. "I won't call this yet... There's still so much you can give to us." She waits before pressing the paddles to Misha's chest again.

The Boss whilst waiting had cleaned up his laboratory. There was ample room for live observation of the boy. "Ah, Liwei, such a good child. Thank you for bringing him to me. I understand, you have your duties. Before you go, just ensure that the boy is about to make any move to leave." He gestured towards the bed in the middle of the lab with handcuffs ready to keep Ambrose from escaping. "Did you summon those scientists as I commanded?"