[center][h2][u]MIDAS’ GOLDEN LEASH[/u][/h2] [img]http://i.imgur.com/uvX201s.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/oM6nPmR.png[/img][/center] Location: Safe House Appartment, Lost Haven-Maine → Midas Industries, Lost Haven Maine Time: Morning (Around 7 am) → Afternoon (Around 1 pm) [hr] When Ms. Sparks left, Rach set down the bottle. It made a loud clunk but didn’t shatter on impact causing her eyes to narrow in surprise before she moved from the kitchen. Determination and curious crossed her face as she began to shift from room to room. During her exploration, she managed to discover the bathroom after she opened the second door. It was a simple and elegant set up. The wall extended out a bit and around the corner was the bath and shower, her head peered at it for a moment. She noted the nozzles for a built in jacuzzi feature in the main bath and if it wasn’t for the fact she was trapped here, she might’ve actually appreciated it. However, right now it was nothing more than an elegant cage filled with distracting toys to keep her content and obedient. Racheli sighed then turned about to spy the black marble counter with a built in sink and mirror. Immediately Rach twisted her head about and pushed her hair away. There was a notable bump on her skull side, the place she concluded the detonation device was located. She gently prodded it then braced for the pain. Nothing. With a little bit of focus, she studied and imagined her fingers changing shape. They twitched then gradually the flesh changed color and melted away. They extended with slight bone cracking, her lips tighten in discomfort through she couldn’t feel anything, as she watched the forefinger become a distinct scalpel like blade. It glistened a moment with an admirable lethalness and a spark of excitement curled into her gut. Continuing to hold up her short hair out of the way, she inhaled sharply. Then she began to press the tip into her skin and watched the black blood oozed from the wound. As it continued, her finger started to shake slightly while she traced along the lump’s edge. There was a brief crackle then suddenly electricity surged from the device. Rach didn’t even have a chance to scream. The hot, pulsing energy surged through her head and rippled in her body. Her muscles tighten in place causing her knees to give out from under her, her side smacked the ground hard. Mentally she screamed in a mix of pain and shock. Her finger fastened to her skull thanks to the spasms racing through her veins and even her heart seemed to have stopped, her breath seized up in her throat where it settled. Slowly, the electrical energy ceased and her figure laid there trembling slightly. A bit of her blood bleed upon the tile floor, becoming a small stain and then a puddle. Racheli’s arm weakly reached to the counter edge then tried to pull herself upright. Her legs refused to listen and merely curled underneath her. Everything went black. [center]~~|Few Hours Later|~~[/center] Richard Midas looked through the tinted windows of his stretched limo as the luxury car pulled up to the sidewalk. Normally, Midas would wait for the driver to come around the side of the car to open the door for him, but today he felt that there was no time for such trivial things. Instead, he swung the door open and stepped out of the car before walking purposefully toward the last place that anyone would look for one of his most important assets, the luxurious Halcyon Towers highrise apartment complex. Though he had allowed Ms Sparks to handle Racheli initially, he had decided that he was going to personally deal with her, at least for the time being. He had grand plans for the temperamental young woman, and wouldn’t leave the implementation of those plans to chance. So Midas made his way through ornate front doors of the building and directly to the elevators which would take him up to the top floor, where Ms Desdemona had taken residence in the penthouse apartment. Though she was probably unaware, the apartment itself was not only an elegant living space, but it was one of the safest dwellings in the entire safety. The entire apartment was reinforced with superhard carbon steel and bulletproof glass. In essence, the apartment was a luxury safe room. The accommodations may have been a bit over the top, but considering the circumstances under which Racheli came to be under his employ, he thought that it was appropriate. Midas stood in the elevator, tapping his toe against the floor impatiently as he listened to the sadly outdated Muzak that was pumped through the speakers, until the elevator finally stopped, and the doors chimed as they slid open on the top floor. Midas stepped out into the hallway and strode confidently down the hallway until he came to the final apartment at the end of the hall. Midas stopped in front of the door and waited for a moment, then, after several beats he knocked on the door and waited for it to open. Racheli had lost track of time as she stirred. Her hand raised to her head throbbing and awareness building back to normal levels. Carefully, her palms pressed to the cool tile and her arms straightened up to help her upright. Her legs curled under while she reached for the sink to raise her higher and onto her feet. Racheli felt wobbly as a newborn foal, her knees wiggling like jello, while she edged out the door into the combination kitchen and living room. The door knocked again causing her to speak,[color=indianred] “I’m coming! Keep your fucking pants on!”[/color] Her tone echoed through the room and reached through the door, through Midas likely didn’t care or hear her. She inhaled through her nose during her attempt to collect her strength and fully straighten upright. Casually her hand reached for the knob then gave it very light twist. Part of her expected it to have came off as if she had wrenched it, taking not just the door knob but the platform, screws and more with her action. Rubbing her head, where the device was, gently she stepped back to allow Midas inside. [color=indianred] “Well, what do you want?”[/color] Midas stepped in past Racheli and took a quick gander around the apartment before resting his gaze on the young woman before him. Unsurprisingly, Racheli looked annoyed by his presence. He watched as she shifted her weight from one side to the other. He ignored her indignation as he paced in front of her as he observed the girl, noting her body language, memorizing every movement and facial expression. Then he stopped before her and flashed a toothy grin. “I’m here to pick you up for your first day of school Racheli. I think it’s time you learned to control your powers.” Racheli raised her eyebrow as her head turned, her figure twisted a bit, to see him pace in front of her. She was still in her ‘night’ clothes and dark blood had crusted behind her ear and streaked along her neck. The hand used to rub her head then tried to wipe the evidence away in a casual brush on the way down. Likely missing a lot of it, mentally cursing her stupidity for not washing up before she answered the door. She didn’t like the toothy grin on his stupid face or the mention of ‘school’ as her irritation swell in her chest over it. Starting to figure out that her obvious signs of dislike were getting her nowhere, she exhaled through her nose then tried to calm in her approach,[color=indianred] “You really think that’s a good idea? I’ve already leveled a bit out of Little China Town, I don’t think Lost Haven can stand another place to remodel even if it’s for a [i]’good’[/i] cause.”[/color] Her hips remained cocked as she folded her arms across her chest in waiting for his reply. “A little bit? My dear, they’ll be rebuilding for months. And that’s exactly why it is essential that you learn to control your powers. I don’t think the good people of Lost Haven want to have to rebuild their city everytime you get a case of road rage.” Midas told her as he noted the crusted blood in her hair. “You know, you really shouldn’t pick at that...It’s trigger is almost as temperamental as you are.” [color=indianred] “So I noticed,”[/color] Racheli grumbled, her tone low and trying to remain calm. She didn’t want to admit the shock to her system had literally disabled her, shutting her down for what seemed to be hours until she could reboot and resume. It actually a bit frightening to her, but her pride refused to acknowledge it. She turned her eyes away, avoiding eye contact, while she shifted around him and headed toward the kitchen sink. She paused long enough to add the other thoughts going through her head,[color=indianred] “That still doesn’t sound like a solution because I highly doubt I can go to any local gym and not create more destruction.”[/color] Her hand very, very lightly gripped the sink hand as if she was trying to keep from being infected, then turned it. She flinched while it seemed she turned it a bit too hard. The handle came to an unnatural angle and seemed to stick there causing her to groan, the water pouring out full throttle. She leaned over the sink edge as she mumbled,[color=indianred] “I fucking miss the forge so bad. At least anything I broke fixed itself…”[/color] “Oh, that isn’t something you have to worry about. I have a facility under Midas industries that will be more than adequate for your training. You won’t have to worry about blowing anything up or otherwise causing any sort of mass destruction there, it was designed to withstand a 200 megaton nuclear explosion. I highly doubt that you have anything to worry about.” He bragged before turning to meet her gaze eye to eye. “Racheli, I want you to know that there really is no need to fight me. I’m not your enemy, I just hope that you come to see that truth sooner than later.” [color=indianred] “Either way, I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”[/color] Racheli asked accusingly, her figure rose up and began to search the drawers for a dish rag to wash away the blood. When she finally found one, she shoved it under the rushing water and let it sit there. Her eyes stared straight ahead but her words continued to poke holes into Midas’ attempts to be friendly and tempt her with a place that wouldn’t fall to her unpredictable abilities,[color=indianred] “How do you know for sure that will be enough? I’ve never figured out my own limits which seems to flex and adjust fast than I fucking can it seems.”[/color] “You’re right. I can see that niceties won’t work with you, so I am going to cut all the bullshit and be straight with you.” Midas said, his voice hardening slightly. “You have no choice in the matter. You are going to train with me at my facility where the rest of this city doesn’t have to worry about being blown to shit by you, and you will train there until I am sufficiently satisfied that you have your shit together enough not to blow the whole place to hell. Then and only then, will you have the opportunity to leave. My dear, what I said is true, I am not your enemy. But I’m not your friend. Eventually, I could be either...Friend, enemy. The choice is ultimately up to you.” Racheli noted the tone change as her figure flipped around, her hips pressed against the sink. Her head tilted up and down subtly to survey him, her right hand still held the dampened dish rag, seeming to determine how far she could test her boundaries. She was a difficult individual when she didn’t want to be rope into things, nothing about becoming infested with a virus had changed that. Rach also wasn’t suicidal. Her mind recalled the explosive attached to her head vividly and caused her to rein in her attitude, a bit,[color=indianred] “Can I at least get cleaned up before we take off? I’m covered in… I won’t call it blood, but it’s still gross. Anything else you would like me to do before we leave?”[/color] If nothing else, Midas was a quick study of people. He was able to tell a lot about a person just by watching their body language. Racheli was no different. As she moved around the apartment, Midas saw a young woman who held similar traits to a caged animal. She was tense, she was pacing, almost as if she were looking for her chance to pounce, yet like a pitbull whose master had employed an invisible fence, she stopped short of crossing that line. And that knowledge was powerful. Midas knew that he had Racheli right where he wanted her, resistant yet compliant. It was at this point that she would prove to be most pliable. “Of course. Take your time, take a shower and get freshened up.” Midas replied to her query. “And Racheli, you may want to change your clothes before we leave.” [color=indianred] “I will see if I can find anything...suitable,”[/color] Rach stopped short of spitting the word from her teeth, her hand reached to turn off the water only to stop,[color=indianred] “You know what, never mind. I think you might want to get someone up here to fix that.”[/color] With those last words, she twisted about and walked to get clean, dressed and mentally prepare herself for whatever Midas’ little shop of horrors had to offer her. [center]~Few Hours Later~[/color] [hr] After showering, her figure walked out in a simple pair of ripped jeans and a white tee with the printed etched words: No One Cares, on the front. Her hand finished off toweling her short hair as it barely dripped from the water. She began to lace up a pair of boots while she replied,[color=indianred] “Do I need to bring anything metallic or is there going to be stuff there? Right now, that’s the only ability I feel… alright doing.”[/color] “No need. We have everything you’ll need within the Power Plant.” Midas said as Rach prepared herself for the trip. As he spoke, he watched the young woman. He had a gift when it came to body language, and that gift allowed him to gage what a person was thinking. Over the years, this talent has proven invaluable while negotiating deals and he proudly touted this ability as a major reason for his success. When he looked at Racheli, he saw a woman who was ill at ease. She had a silent intensity about her, and to him, she seemed like a caged animal, and despite all of the safeguards he had put in place, that very fact made her dangerous. “Allow me to lead the way.” Midas said motioning toward the door. [color=indianred] “Alright,”[/color] Racheli said, then shrugged as she approached. Her eyes looked to Midas who carefully opened the door and allow her to walk through. She tossed the towel aside as she moved out the door and a few feet. She twisted about to face him, watching him before she gestured for him to lead the way and followed. “Right.” Midas said with an air of smugness as he lead the way down the hall to the elevator. As Midas led her through the building, he did so with an air of confidence, and purpose. Finally, he had a meta human under his employ that had true potential to be the weapon that he needed. However, he needed for her to learn how to harness her great power, to control it. Truth be told, if she were unable to do so, she would be useless to him. She would be just another loose end that would need to be cleaned up. However, such thoughts were premature. He had every expectation that she would be able to overcome her issues and eventually learn her place. The sun shone brightly as they emerged from Halcyon Towers, and Midas led her to the limo that was parked at the curb in front of the building. Once they reached the vehicle, Midas opened the door and met Racheli’s gaze with a smile as he motioned for her to get in, which she did, albeit almost reluctantly. When the limo pulled away from the curb, it did not immediately go to their destination as one might expect. Instead, the car drove all around the city for nearly an hour and a half. Though he was anxious to get started, he was in no real rush. The round about way of going to the facility also was a strategic maneuver as he did not want Racheli, or anyone who might have an interest in removing her from his custody, to really know exactly where they were going. After the limo took a slow pass by Chinatown, allowing the young woman to get a good look at all the damage she had caused, the ruined buildings and crushed dreams that the destruction that her battle with War-Pulse had wreaked upon the neighborhood, it finally made its way back to Midas Industries. Racheli had been staring out the window, taking the sights in and silent the whole time. Her chin rested on her palm as she tried not to think too hard about what was to come. When they rolled pass Chinatown’s outskirts, her figure tensed. In the daylight the damage was much worse. Pavement was torn to pieces, reminds of fire showed, powerlines down, and other collateral damage gave the impression a natural disaster had struck as the police redirected traffic. Her head turned away, unable to look at it,[color=indianred] “Had to make a fucking make a point, didn’t you? Fucking bastard.”[/color] “Yes.” Midas said coldly. “I need you to understand why we are doing what we are doing. You have an incredible power within you. You can do so much good, or you can…”Midas’ voice trailed off as he motioned to the destruction in Chinatown. “You need to understand why we are doing this, you have to understand what is at stake.” Racheli twisted about in her seat, facing him as she leaned close enough that he couldn’t misunderstand her. Her eyes were heated with fury and heat as she spoke each words,[color=indianred] “Good intentions doesn’t make you a hero. It’s your actions [i]and[/i] motives that determine it. All I want, is to live and without a leash choking me about the neck like a noose.”[/color] “You will have that opportunity, eventually. The simple fact is that right now you are unstable. You don’t have the control over your powers that you need to have in order to ensure the safety of the people around you, much less the rest of this city. Though my hope is that when this is all said and done, you choose to remain in my employ...it isn’t required. You’ll be free to make that choice for yourself, once you’ve demonstrated that you can control yourself.” Midas told her, his tone much sterner than he had spoken to her up to this point. [color=indianred] “We’ll see, but I’m sorry if I have a hard time believing that. So far, all I’ve seen is a pretty cage,”[/color] Racheli pulled back into her seat, noting they had arrived at their destination,[color=indianred] “Let’s go see this ‘power plant’ of yours.”[/color]