Agent Dioxide knew from experience that it was procedure to request and possess an odd number of units whenever an action was to be done. The pairs would be coordinating together doing their own thing while the final remainder acted as control and backup for the whole squadron. 

Walking side-by-side with the five teams to the laboratory, he, looking at the corner of his vision, could pick out which people would be the remainder team – not the large bruisers with heavy weapons strapped to their hulking backs, but the menacing, calm, collected ones whose feral eyes hinted a bright intelligence. Brain and brawn, the kind of mixture that Big Boss liked to see under his command. 

The sight must be been ill-boding and terrifying, and Agent Dioxide himself felt out of place dwarfed by their size, and ostracized by the differences in what they fought for. He for their freedom, and otherwise efficiency, they disdainful power display and terror. 

Gershwin and Cody had stood in place, their presence ignored by the people in lab coats around them. She shuddered and shook in the cold air-conditioning that kept this large expanse ventilated, though it still smelled of a peculiar sanitizing agent and if one paid close attention, the ferric odour of blood. What brought her back to attention was the sight of Agent Dioxide leading nearly 20 large, armed men into the laboratory. She was afraid to look at them at the eye, afraid that their hateful demeanour translated to actual violence the moment she even breathed so she held still. 

But then, something dawned on her.

Dr. Jiang-Ping walked over to the two, giving enough breadth for her ‘antropocentric comfort’, and gave orders:

‘The rooms behind me will be where your experiments are held for today. Subject 29, plea-‘

[right] ‘Why should I listen to you?’ [/right]

Everyone, including the static, soulless scientists, looked at her in disbelief.

‘What did you just say?’

[right] ‘My abilities are linked to pain, right? Destructive abilities. You can’t touch me, and you can’t order me or Cody what to do!’ [/right] 

Dr Jiang-Ping growled in anger.