[hr][center][h1][color=007272]Noelle "Benji" Aether[/color][/h1] by [@omerta] 
[hr][sub]Ft. Edgar E. Eisley by[/sub] [@beyond visions]

[hr][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7m_qmr7KYA]Zack Hemsey - "Nice To Meet Me" [/url]
[sub]
[i]"That monster brought the seed of life, well now I have become it."[/i][/sub] [/center][center][hr][hr][img]http://pre12.deviantart.net/8b61/th/pre/f/2017/045/1/6/sci_fi_mess_hall_interior_by_nowthatsbrawny-daz2kxo.jpg[/img][/center][hr][hr]
It was actually quite rare to find the administrator of [i]Maximation[/i] make such a casual appearance at the facility's mess hall. No one ever sat alone there, well, unless you purposefully wished to outcast yourself by pulling a chair away from the populated table in order to retreat to a lonely corner. Lunch was scheduled after solo training, this was done with reason, since after spending time alone to practice one's craft or skill, he or she could reconnect closely with the other Hybrid-Humans. At the end of the day, they are all [i]suppose[/i] to be on the same team.  

All of the mutants were there, well, all but Mr. Buchanan and Clyde. Todd had to cut his stealth training short today, he had another messy nose bleed and started aching again due to the type of raging sinus pressure that can make a man go mad. He was given some pressure and pain relief medicine, in hopes to feel better in time for lunch. Though now, he was in the bathroom connected to his dorm room, doing whatever to soak up all the blood draining out of his nostrils. 

Todd or no Todd, Eisley believed that they had the right to know [i]everything[/i], especially since one of them is dead now, Clyde was dead. The tissue meant to form fish gills within his neck, eventually grew to the point of slowly suffocating him in his sleep. At first, Eisley found that tragic, but once discovering that all of the mutants are bound for that same kind of disastrous biological doom, he was mortified. Just as they will be.

Before a single word, Eisley released a disappointed sigh while taking his spec off and staring down at the concrete floor, [color=DA70D6]"I failed all of you..."[/color] There was no beating around the bush for Eisley, he was coming clean and honest. The magnetic door behind him sealed shut and locked, just as he wanted. Captain Jaymes Cane was persistent on Eisley being accompanied by fully-geared [i]Maximation[/i] soldiers, but Eisley declined before arriving at the mess hall: 
[hr][i][color=DA70D6]"N-No soldiers, no, I don't want to rush to hostility. Captain, the Hybrid-Humans, they have been trained and tested to be heroes-- men and women who know how to make the right choices, not animals. I don't want to treat them as if they are these savage beasts! If you wish to lock the door behind me, then so be it."[/color]

[color=688E23]"You're walking into the lion's den, all because you have had an naive faith in humanity. Except, they are something a lot worst than lions. Sir, it is my duty to protect your safety--"[/color]

[color=DA70D6]"Forget my safety! I killed Clyde Aether! And the rest of them are dying because of me..."[/color]

[color=688E23]"Eisley, you take this experimental mishap far too personal... But so be it, their aggression is on your head."[/color][/i][hr] Drops of sweat could be seen dripping from he surface of his forehead and down to the temples, [color=DA70D6]"There is a reason why we have been recently retesting all of you, putting you all through even more medical examinations..."[/color] His palms were sweaty and shaking, even while he held his glasses. [color=DA70D6]"Based on animal testing, the injection was thought to be safe... However, now with human subjects, the serum has developed rapid carcinogenic and fatal qualities. And..."[/color] 

Eisley held his breath for a moment, closing his eyes, considering how he would phrase his next sentence. But he simply chose to be direct, though he still was not even prepared to face whatever may come to him, [color=DA70D6]"One of your fellow Hybrid-Humans was injected through the neck with a serum that would morph tissue in order to develop fish gills. The tissue... suffocated him... in his sleep... Clyde Aether is dead..."[/color]

[hr]She should have known it was too good to be true. Only a fool would believe otherwise.

When Noelle had woken up today, nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary. Her left leg felt numb and prickly but she didn't find that at all concerning and simply massaged the limb until it felt normal again. She yawned, stretched, and rolled out of bed to begin her morning routine. Being the early bird she was the woman was able to take care of her needs and still had some extra time to spare. Clyde appeared to still be sleeping when she stopped by his dorm so she decided not to bother her brother just yet. There was breakfast, she stretched a little, and even got to finish another chapter of that book she was currently reading -all before it was time for her daily training. Her lessons passed without incident. Today was just the basic stuff, stamina training on the treadmill. The machine's speed had been raised but she kept up easily enough and performed as expected. Once that was done with, Noelle headed straight for the cafeteria. A shower could wait -right now she felt like she was starving.

At this point she was functioning on auto pilot. Noelle filled her tray with over-sized portions of the offered meal options and then picked a random seat at the main table. She had no intention of striking up conversation at the moment so she didn't worry about who she sat next to. Noelle just wanted to eat right now. Keeping her manners in mind, Noelle tried not to wolf down her food like a savage as she brought up the first spoonful to her mouth and gratefully chewed. She swallowed, sighed with relieve, and then fed herself another spoonful. That's when she finally noticed three things that are out of the ordinary.

The first thing is that two members of the usual gang are currently missing; Todd and Clyde. Todd she wasn't really worried for but where was her brother? She vaguely wondered if he was still sleeping but the promptly dismissed the thought and assumed he was probably hanging around somewhere. Maybe even still training, although that seemed unlikely. The second thing Noelle picks up on is the unfamiliar presence in the room. That Eisley man is here but... why? It's not like he was a total stranger but the man didn't often show his face around here often enough and Noelle wondered if he was here just because or if there was an ulterior motive. Her unspoken inquiry was soon answered when the man caught everyone's attention and began to speak up. Pricking her ears to listen, Noelle set her spoon down and straightened up in her seat. Finally, is the third part of today's streak of peculiarities; she cannot understand what he's saying. Eisley's lips are moving and Noelle can hear him, she knows the meaning of the words he's saying but for some reason everything is just passing through her ears. He mentioned something about death. 

[color=007272]"Who's dead?"[/color] The silence in the room following Eisley's announcement is deafening so Noelle's voice, though a quiet one, resonates the room as though she just used a megaphone. Clyde. What about Clyde? For some reason Eisley mentioned her beloved older brother but nothing's making sense, it's simply not sticking together in her head. Why's Eisley talking about death and Clyde? A moment passes. And then the reality of the situation finally hits Noelle. Hard. The shock clogging her mind finally clears and she's suddenly painfully aware of everything. Maximation's administrator's words finally have a definition. Clyde is dead. The woman doesn't even realize she's crying until the tears running down her cheeks begin to leave a wet path along her throat. [color=007272]"What do you mean Clyde's dead?!?!"[/color] she snarls. She reacts without warning, tearing herself from the table and lunging for the administrator. 

Like a barbed-wire fence, Eisley felt her fingers surround his face, those ebony claws pressed almost to the point of piercing his pale flesh. Clutching his cheek, his left ear was slammed first against the metal table, while his lower jaw and chin dipped deep down against the raw meat that filled Noelle's tray. [color=DA70D6]"I-I-I--[i]I'm[/i]"[/color] With each piece of him, Eisley wrestled to assemble a single sentence amidst his panic. As each second passed by with him stuttering, the meat became squishier, Noelle pushing him harder against it, while the claws began to break flesh.[color=DA70D6]"... [i]sorry![/i]"[/color] It was all he could gasp in the moment, eyes both widened in a horrified stare that his head could add to the pile of raw meat on her tray. [hr]