[h2][color=gray]HiveMind Underwater Research Facility, Sub Contained Lab[/color][/h2]
[sub]A collaboration with [@WhiteAngel25][/sub]

[hr]

There was pin-drop silence as the pink-haired researcher stared hard at Stella. [b]“Huh.”[/b]

The girl adjusted her goggles, the cherry lollipop making a wet smacking sound as she shoved it into the side of her cheek.

[b]"You really don't understand the position you're in, darling. No... not one bit."[/b]

Stella didn't understand. The scientist had asked her if she felt anything, and she gave the lollipop-smacking bitch an answer. Stella wanted her 'father' on ice although somehow she felt like it wasn't her place to be the one to see the life fade from his eyes. As for the scientist, Stella just didn't like the smell of artificial cherries, reminded her of medicine when she was younger.

There was a cold smile as the girl pulled out a needle, removing the cap.

[b]"I can make your life as much of a hell as I want."[/b]

And she roughly jabbed the needle into Stella's arm, the contents making the room dance before Stella passed out cold.

Stella's crystal eyes widened slightly at the sight of the needle and stiffened. She saw the needle. How she hated those silver pricks. Stella experienced enough needles and surgeries for a lifetime. 

[hr]

When Stella awoke, she was in an entirely different place. Instead of pristine grey and white walls, she was greeted by dark drywall, wooden beams along the ceiling, and the scent of dampness. For all intents and purposes, it almost looked as though she was in a small room of an unfinished basement.

Her padded table was very much the same, except far more futuristic, ergonomic, and tilted slightly so she was looking more ahead than up at the ceiling. The metal cuffs holding her in place had glowing lights curling across the stainless steel.

To her left was a desk showing a holographic display of her vitals. And in front of her watching from the murky darkness, was none other than Von Galloes.

He was dressed a bit differently, lab coat changed for an elegant, dark business suit. His hair was perfectly oiled back, and his eyes had a hunger to them as he watched from the shadows.

As Stella stirred, he stepped forward, towering over her. He methodically began stretching blue latex gloves over his hands, snapping them at the wrists.

His voice was deep and cold, his lips curled in a smirk.

[b]"How are we feeling, daughter of mine?"[/b] 

Stella slowly blinked her icy orbs open as she registered that she was in a different room. She was on a hospital surgery bed of sorts.  Her gaze caught sight of her vitals first before jerking at her wrists to see how secure the tie-downs were. Stella stiffened as she saw Von Galloes step into the light of the room and snapped his glove. 

His words were like a haunting memory. Every instance of her mother begging for a man to leave her alone after surgeries from augmentations were tested out. Then the last augmentation before Stella left, she had forgotten all about the mysterious tall figure. But lately those memories had been flooding back like a dam had broke. Stella quickly realized her mother had place a memory blocker on her to prevent her from ever finding the HiveMind facility, away from her father.

[b]"I feel like you don't deserve to call me your daughter. I am nothing like you,"[/b] Stella quipped back with a glare. [b]"Mom did her best to make sure of that."[/b]

[b]"Ah yes, your dear mother..." [/b]

Von Galloes moved to sit upon a stool, scooting it forward so he was beside Stella. He seemed unbothered by Stella's words, the cold smile never leaving his face. 

Stella did not enjoy the heartless look in those dark, frigid eyes. She gripped her hands into fists as she was trying to stay calm. She noticed that when her blood pressure elevated, so did the urge to murder increase as well as shock-like energy coursed through her body.  The longer she was with Von Galloes, the more the memories were returning. 

From the very beginning of Stella's formative memories, her mother had tried to either hide Stella, under utilize the augmentations, or had Stella feign illness whenever Galloes paid a visit to the Home Facility. 

[b]"Did you ever wonder... what really happened to her?"[/b] His smile grew a bit, a gleam in his eye.

The rhetorical question had Stella placing the puzzle pieces as to what truly happened to her mother. She was told illness, but now, from all she's been through in the last almost two months, she wouldn't be surprised if Von Galloes tortured her sweet mother for every juicy bit of information he could obtain. 

Von Galloes' foot pressed a pedal at the base of Stella's operating table, adjusting Stella so she was lower, and more horizontal.

[b]"Your mother... she made a mistake. A horrible... terrible mistake..." [/b]He continued, grabbing a device - what looks like two dentist's sickle probes - pulsing with green light. 

Stella's gaze caught the glint of medical tools. She had hoped to never see instruments like those ever again. 

[b]"And..."[/b] He cold eyes locked with hers, [b]"She paid the price." [/b]

Von Galloes pressed a button, and Stella would feel a tingling, magnetic sensation as a mirror of her heart appeared above her chest.  

Stella's crystal eyes widened with the sight of her heart being displayed in front of her.  No wonder the dragon questioned as to whether she truly wanted to take the power. Her chest cavity looked like it threw up grape and black raspberry coloring with her heart growing slightly larger in size. 

It looked completely alien. Thick veins of black and purple, a larger heart-shape, flashing with energy at every pulse. It trembled with power, threatening to burst.

Von Galloes had a sick smile on his face as he held the probes at the ready.

[b]"Now, shall we begin?"[/b]

[b]"Begin?! You want to do exploitative surgery on an organ that just absorbed dark matter energy? Are you nuts?!"[/b] Stella snapped as the probes began to hum in Von Galloes' hands before they bent in half with a wave of energy from Stella's heart. She blinked her eyes and sighed in slight annoyance, it was another test. 

Stella closed her eyes.[b] "Did you ever love her?"[/b] She asked as she opened her eyes and just stared emotionless at the ceiling. [b]"Did you ever truly care and love my mother?"[/b] 

Stella smirked coldly, not unlike Von Galloes' own chilly smile. [b]"My guess is probably not. She had loved you at one point though. Enough that she made me think that I never had a truly bad memory of [i]the tall man[/i] watching from the windows. She always said, [i]'He just wants to see the best. And you are the best.'[/i] with that warm smile that made any worries go away."[/b]

He watched, his eyes slightly widening, at the display of power Stella showed. 

[b]"Facinating..."[/b] He whispered under his breath, placing the broken probes in the tray beside him. He stared at her cold eyes for a long moment, before his smile returned, and a low chuckle emanated from his throat.

[b]"Love is... such a strange word."[/b]

He leaned forward, standing over Stella, his gloved hands finding their home around her slender neck, slipping below her white collar. 

Stella glared at him feeling the pressure around the base of her windpipe.

[b]"I loved her as much as I love you, perhaps even more."[/b]

There was a vicious look in his eyes as he began to squeeze her airways, choking the breath out of her. 

[b]"But love always has a price."[/b]

He leaned in close, his hot breath against Stella's ear.

[b]"Now, let me make one thing very clear, [i]daughter[/i]. You fight against me again, and I will make sure you regret it. I will use every ounce of newfound power you have, and use it against you. Strangle you until you can no longer think, until you [i]beg[/i] me for mercy."[/b]

His grip tightened.

[b]"Do I make myself clear?"[/b]

[b]"Crystal."[/b] Stella managed to wheeze out through her limited breath. 

The snow-white haired woman refused to lessen the glare even as her father choked her. She knew that she had little control over her newly obtained power nor did she have the freedom to object Von Galloes. With Nick and #3 hopefully safe with Star, Thierry, Aaron, and Ramses, she had to focus on learning her new abilities. Unfortunately, the only person who could train her was the one making threats on her life. She would have to play the waiting game, no doubt, Von Galloes would figure this into his plans as well. The daughter would just have to out play the father.

[hr]

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[sub][i]Reunion, Part Three[/i][/sub][/center]

[h2][color=gray]Paris, The Louvre Museum[/color][/h2]
[sub]A collaboration with [@Lexisheeps], mentions [@WhiteAngel25][/sub]

[hr]

There was not a cloud in the sky as Subject #3 stood at the grand entrance of the Louvre. It was at a special request of none other than Thierry, the one who had come to help free them. Subject #3 didn't really understand him. He actually kind of scared her with how he handled the rocket launcher at the dark energy crocodile. Dangerous. Kind of like the doctors...

She was more comfortable with Nick, the one who had helped free her from the wolf in the ruins over a month ago. She could get behind that. There wasn't a lot that she understood, having her whole life revolve around tests, needles, and dark energy. But she could understand, just a little, that Nick at least seemed alright.

She swallowed hard, white hair fluttering in the wind, before pushing aside the door and entering the Louvre.

Seven years was a long time.

It was so long of a time, but such passage was not lost within him. While he understood the concept of long lost days to nights and back again, he didn't fully understand the paternal turmoil going on within his husband. He wasn't a biological father and became a stepfather through a set of signed marriage documents. Yet despite being a stepfather, he wasn't on the best of terms with Theo, Thierry's only son, and hadn't actually met Thierry's girls as they'd both been abducted by HiveMind. Several months before he even got involved with The Louvre. It was about time he'd finally had the chance to met the girls, outside of them being captured by an evil corporation. He was certain that if Aurélie didn't hate him for his tone with Sabrina the other day, she'd probably be swayed by Theo. Cosette though, Nick felt he had a fresh start. He had a clear mindset that was unobstructed by returning from a stressful work life, unlike his last interaction with Aurélie. It had been several hard day's night indeed, so he was feeling much better despite the overall situation.

Still though, there were times where Nick felt like no matter what he did, he failed at doing it properly. When he wanted to be social and interact with others, he was a ticking time bomb of pent-up frustration. This type of interaction left people numb to his situation and typically resulted in them leaving him alone, which is what he wanted while in social settings. But then once he was truly alone, his heart would ache and weep for the companionship of others. Thierry knew this well, as the man had empathic tendencies... even if flawed ones when dealing with his own personal endeavors. It was a constant inner struggle of damned if he did, damned if he didn't. He just knew he wanted change in his life, one way or another. He was tired of the constant outbursts and disregard for his own personal welfare. He hated the feeling of vulnerability, but knew he wouldn't get the support at least half of his conscious wanted, if he didn't reach out to others.

He pulled away from Thierry and managed to do so ungrudgingly. He hated leaving Thierry like this, but did so as he left the biological father to his own heartache- if only momentarily. Thierry was currently in the midst of his third or fourth breakdown that morning. Nick had lost count somewhere while trying to gather important family memorabilia and other savable documents Thierry thrashed around his former office space. Thierry's current distorted mannerisms could take Nick's own temper tantrums on a run for his money. The idea of losing his family emotionally over the years imploded, then the realization of how deep the papers were that he'd signed... 

...he hadn't even touched his coffee- [i]a true rarity[/i] within Louvre walls.

Thierry's inner convictions had been so incredibly strong all morning, that they metaphorically fractured The Louvre's walls. Thierry's secretary, Lucy, had broke down in the elevator while clinging to Nick. Stranger still, several staffers approached Nick, trying to figure out what the actual fuck was going on, despite their general dislike of Nick on a personal level. One guy actually apologized for something Nick couldn't even remember happening. It was becoming very obvious to Nick that more than just few other fellow staffers on the 6th floor weren't thrilled with The Louvre's compliance of the signed papers either. And heard rumors that many vowed to thwart any of HiveMind's attempts to even gain access to the 6th floor, let alone Thierry's personal office. A significant temporal vein that kept a decent chunk of the Louvre in tact, had in fact been ruptured by HiveMind's meddling and The Louvre was hemorrhaging...

de Villiers [i]loyalists[/i]...

And many vowed to keep Thierry's family members, [i]Louvre workers or not[/i], and any [i]remaining [/i]documentation safe to the best of their ability. You can't just uproot and remove 27 years without [i]consequences [/i]and while Thierry had failed at keeping Sabrina and his children by his side over the years, he did have a reputable work life. And his fellow staffers now knew the full scale of what The Louvre had been ignoring the last 7 years. Formerly wild rumors had been confirmed, along with many strange questions answered. The scope of the situation for staff was as if they watched a broken man desperately trying to gasp for air in his dying moments. And the outpouring response was nothing less than a mixture of empathic fury. Nick was relieved that he didn't have to pick up Thierry's shattered remains by himself as several people helped him pack his husband's car full of private belongings. There was a bit of a scramble as a timer had been set by the High Table- Thierry had a week to vacate the Louvre. Someone obvious to the chaos had managed to pull some strings to get that much time, as Thierry had only been given a few hours at first.

Nick needed a moment to breathe. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to Cosette when the time came, but he did have an idea for a present for her, [b]"You're alight, [i]Iyvolo[/i]."[/b] He spoke softly to the bundle of terrified fur that nestled in the safety of his zipped leather jacket. An ice breaker in the form a Newfoundland puppy to soften the harshness of the situation. He'd gotten the idea when he remembered Cosette's good reaction to the wolf cub he'd given her back in the cave.

He weaved in and out of traffic on his motorcycle. Speed limits? Fuck those. Despite a few accidents he almost caused and several horns being angry with his lack of grace, he arrived back at the Louvre just in time to see his frail daughter being escorted inside. He damn near jumped off the still moving bike, or had he been thrown? Didn't matter as he tore his helmet off to bare face the chill night air. He caught up to the escort group halfway up a familiar flight of stairs and called out, [b]"Cosette!"[/b] And proceeded to pick her tiny frame up. Nick wasn't a very large man, but had no problems bringing his 17 year old daughter into his arms. His many years of endurance training was currently serving him well, as he adjusted her weight to put the strain evenly on his body.

He carried her the rest of the way up the steps and adjusted her firmly over his hip once on the landing. He didn't know what the hell to say, so he decided to focus on the dog in his jacket, [b]"Hey, [i]Iyvolo [/i]and I [i]missed [/i]you!"[/b] The little puppy wasn't sure whether to be confused, happy, or scared and seemed to be all three at one point or another, before deciding on tail-wagging face licks. The dog's black coat was just as shiny as the Dark Energy wolf cub's was, but Iyvolo was [i]real [/i]this time. He'd decided on such a large dog breed as he had plans to train it to be a guard dog for her. He'd trained some of his dogs before and felt confident that he could get it done, or that he could afford a trainer if need be. The papers that Thierry unfortunately signed only affected [i]Thierry's[/i] Louvre stash and not his own. So care for the dog wouldn't be a problem if Sabrina decided that she didn't want the dog at her estate, due to it's connection to Thierry. She had made it clear at the harbor that she wanted nothing to do with him anymore, but Nick found himself unsure of exactly how far that well dropped.

Thierry stood there in the disaster area that was his former office, breathing hard. He'd just beaten the hell out of his now empty desk by throwing his office chair repeatedly into it. If Vonny wanted his office, [i]c'est la vie[/i], but he sure as hell wasn't getting anything decently maintained and well presented. He had stopped his wraith on the inanimate objects only momentarily to look up as Nick had entered the room. He didn't say anything to announce his presence, but Cosette looked terrified despite a jovial puppy licking her face. It wasn't a good first impression and he was fully aware of it.

Thierry's angered demeanor had shifted to a sense of demanded stability as he spoke. If he couldn't be stable for himself, he at least needed to be there for his daughter, [b]"Cosette, c'est bien toi?"[/b] Then approached his protective husband and safe daughter calmly, [b]"Cosy?"[/b] There were doubts, of course. It had been seven years after all. But the doubts didn't last long, despite Cosette still looking like Subject #003.

Former fits of rage turned to whimpered uncertainty as he gently caressed Cosette on the back. She was real. Really [i]real [/i]and not just a memory, a hologram, or a figment of his drunk imagination. [b]"Ma petite fille."[/b] He had spoken softly with a bit of an inward lean on Nick's steady frame, with Cosette firmly in the middle. For the first time in seven years, Thierry could breathe. The de Villiers loyalists who were in the room with the three of them, attempted to follow Nick's lead in not showing their full register of emotions, if only to help Thierry find his footing in the midst of his reunion. The room had fallen silent save for Thierry's whimpers, happy puppy sounds, and Cosette's sweet little voice.

Thierry momentarily looked from Cosette's augmented eyes, to lock onto two shimmering pools. Despite the constant family-induced chaos Thierry found himself in, all was right with the world in that instant. He knew now that he'd clung to Sabrina because of how his father was and that was not fair to her at all. Or to Aurélie's mother before her. Thierry knew his actions had impacted Theo as well. Would they ever forgive him for using them to hide his feelings towards other men? Society was on the verge of sexuality expressive freedom. Very different from when he was Nick's age. He leaned his head onto Nick's as he listened to Cosette. She had a lot to catch up on over the next coming days, weeks, or however long she needed. And he worried and wondered, but with time he hoped she'd accept Nick as her father, despite some ongoing drama within the family.

Is this what true happiness is? To love and feel loved? Both men thought about making arrangements to meet up with Theo and Aurélie as well. A true family reunion seemed to be in order, whether it was sanctioned by The Louvre or not.

[hr][hr][center][hider=Ambiance][youtube]https://youtu.be/W-7T6KA5GUA?si=h1_tqAoMUn772GvH[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr][hr]

[i][b]"Cosette, c'est bien toi?"[/b][/i]

She looked up, frozen with fear. Her eyes slanted to the desk, dents and scuffs marring the surface of what had once been a beautiful mahogany desk. Is this what Director Galloes had done? Is this what the fallout of expecting the Director's clutches meant?

She felt sick, seeing the man in front of her so broken.

Almost immediately, she couldn't understand herself and her own distrust of the man. Surely a grenade launcher wasn't warranted to distrust something, right? All Subject #3 could see was someone who just needed some compassion. 

Everything felt... funny. Felt new. Even though this man had helped rescue her from the time bomb and made his sacrifice for Nick, going back into the complex to find another way out... Even though she had seen him in action, how he worked, it all seemed so... so strange. Her whole life had revolved around being alone, being a failure. She had no idea that her salvation had only been a few feet away.

Now that everyone knew.

Apparently.

Subject #3's lips pursed, feeling the man's hand caress her back. It was comforting, similar to when the one who claimed to be her mother had held her. But... she felt so inadequate. Maybe this was Director Galloes' plan all along. Reunite her with strangers? With people who didn't recognize her at first, only to torture her further when she couldn't return their smiles like they wanted her to?

It was painful, standing here. Trying, with every fiber in her being to remember the man who wept openly in front of her.

But she couldn't do it. Just like she had been trying all these past few days since she had escaped the facility with Star and the man with the teleporter.

She couldn't do it, but with his touch, his kind gaze.... something in her clicked. The fear... melted away.

[b]"Papa, es-tu... vraiment mon papa?"[/b] Her small voice spoke, looking up with flutters of confusion, not understanding her feelings at all, at the man before her. 

Her father.

[b]"Are you... really? My..."[/b] Tears welled in her brilliant eyes, and her voice choked out.

The curse of having her memories stolen, yet the blessing of having others know who she was...

It was too much to handle.

She trembled as she stood there, the tears pouring more in bitterness to her condition. She'd lose it if she didn't try to distract herself. Anything to distract these painful feelings.

With shaky hands, she lifted up the small, adoring black puppy, showing her father. Her eyes glanced up at Nick, then back to her father.

[b]"L-look, look what Nick gave me. His name is [i]Iyvolo[/i]. You can pet him, but he likes to lick you..."[/b] She said, her voice shaky.

[b]"... really? My..."[/b]

His heart shattered at the realization that his daughter didn't remember him. Thierry's heart had been broken thousands of times by Galloes for almost a decade. He could feel the anger swelling deep within, but remained soft spoken as he answered Cosette. A new set of tears threatened to keep his drying face moist, [b]"Oui."[/b]

Thierry reached into his suit jacket to pull his leather wallet out. With a few flips of cash and [i]useless [/i]Louvre staff cards, he handed her a family photo. The photo was the very last one taken by Aurélie of her full de Villiers family, before literal shit hit the fan. A particular trip to Egypt seven years ago, [b]"This is you."[/b] He pointed to a tiny little girl of the age of ten, who was holding a hello kitty flash light and stuffed rabbit Sabrina had made for her. Thierry watched his wording as he spoke, not wanting to upset her with big words like [i]augmentation [/i]or scary things like [i]brain surgery[/i], [b]"I know you don't [i]remember [/i]Chignon-chignon, but Papa va t'aider."[/b]

Thierry looked to the puppy and gave it several pets and a head kiss, [b]"Hello, [i]Iyvolo[/i]. You're such a cute little guy!"[/b] He smiled at the excited dog. It was a nice distraction from all the bullshit, but despite the happy tail and face licks, Thierry still noticed Nick's sudden lack of participation. The man might have been quiet naturally, but this time he seemed... [i]still[/i], almost [i]surreal[/i]. Thierry's heart feared something was going on with his husband's augmentation, but sincerely hoped the young man was just exhausted from such a hard day. 


[h3][b][i]Ba-bum![/i][/b][/h3]

The sound of a choked heartbeat. As Nick stood there, he would feel entirely overcome. The ‘clearing of the table’ to make way for a word. A wish. A command, as it were.

This time, the command was simple in nature. It could be completed in as little as a few breaths. But its effects would be shattering. As the mastermind behind Nick's strings knew all too well.

The words consumed Nick, not letting him rest until he spoke the words in his mind, snaking around his central nervous system. He wouldn't be able to rest, to think of his own free will, until the words were spoken.

Subject #3 was staring hard at the photo in her hand, trying her best to connect with the small brunette in the photo. She recognized the one who claimed to be her mother, and she recognized her father, Aurélie and Theo. The smallest one, though. It was like water dripping into a cup, filling with knowledge. This was who she was? She had a life and a family before the doctor and tests?

She had lived, truly lived, before her memories were stolen…?

She looked up at her father, blinking through the tears that wet her cheeks. [b]“You'll… really help me… Papa?”[/b]

[b]“Oh, he'll help you alright.”[/b]

Just like that, she felt hands. Rough hands, closing around her throat.

She could see Nick towering over her, hands slowly clenching over her airways. There was a faraway, thousand yard stare in his eyes. His voice was distant, cold.

[b]“Did you really think you could escape my clutches, child? Don't you know that your ‘father’ had the option to save you, but didn't take it? Let you suffer at my hand all these years?”[/b]

Subject #3 gasped for air, one hand holding Iyvolo, one hand holding Nick's wrist. She looked up at him wordlessly, terror in her swimming eyes. Shock, disbelief. She didn't want to hear what he was saying.

There was a pause before Nick continued. [b]“Oh, but you don't remember, do you, pet?”[/b]

[b]"That's [i]not [/i]him! Nick would [i]never [/i]hurt you!"[/b] Nick could hear Thierry's whimpering. Sounded like he was explaining things about the Mute augmentation as quickly as he could, but he stayed there on the floor with his eyes closed, unresponsive. Nick wasn't fluent in French by any means and with how quickly Thierry spoke, it was honestly hard to catch anything. He didn't remember any of it, everything was blank.

How much time had passed? What had he done? When he finally did open his eyes, he saw Thierry clutching Cosette, clearly shaken by whatever it was that had happened. Fearful, Nick managed to pull himself up. He was still sore as he'd hit the floor hard. He could feel blood trickle from his nose. A little more alert, some of Thierry's French strung words and phrases together.

[b]"Von Galloes is a narcissistic manipulator! He likes to play games, there were no real options to save you, Cosette! Surely you know that!"[/b]

Words formed in retaliation to the things Thierry was saying, but he fought to not speak as he pulled himself to his knees. Down the hall he went and around some corners. Then the fancy staircase. Nick didn't stop once he'd reached his tipped bike. He had to get the hell out of Pairs, separate himself from The Louvre, but more importantly, Thierry. As Nick weaved in and out of traffic, almost causing an accident here and there, he had no idea where the hell he was going. But he knew he had to get out, one way or another.

[i]'There were no real options to save you'...[/i]

Subject #3 stared up, lips parted in shock at her father, who held tight to her. The damage was already done. The trust she had formed almost broke with an audible sound as Von Galloes sent a sledgehammer into the de Villers family once again. She gazed up at her father, unconcerned that Nick had tried strangling her. She was used to these things, after all. 

No, what struck her was that her father knew something she didn't. Withheld something she perhaps ought to know. What did it mean? 

Did it matter? The real question here was: Could she trust her father?

That, she didn't have an easy answer for. But she stood there shivering, clutching Iyvolo as her father clutched her. Her eyes were downcast to the floor. Her breath was a whisper.

[b]"...Let go of me, p-papa."[/b]

Tears pricked her eyes, threatening to pour again. [b]"I want Nick."[/b]

Thierry's arms dropped to his sides as his heart slid from his throat. In his rush to explain, he either over did so, or didn't do enough of it. Used the wrong words and said something wrong, but he wasn't sure of exactly what or how to correct it. He'd lost touch of being a father a long time ago. Long even before the girls had been abducted, but knew he needed to say something calming, "Cosette..." He started, but he wasn't sure where to go next with his train of thought. Silence between the two of them lingered a moment before he finally blurted out with a whimper, "I do too."

The speedometer said 50mph at first, then slowly rose steadily. 55mph, 70mph. 110mph. Nick hadn't made it out of Paris just yet when his thoughts became muddled. Confused with thoughts that weren't his own. Just like last time and the time before that when he directly assaulted Thierry, "[i]No[/i], not again. Get the fuck [i]out [/i]of my head!" But the message was clear: [i]Kill anybody related to [i]or [/i]associated with de Villiers.[/i]

At one point, Nick did get off an exit ramp to turn around and head back to the Louvre. Several times. Several resubmissions happened. Again and again. His head felt like it was going to explode each time the thoughts turned against Von Galloes. Some of the pressure was released when Thierry being shot crossed his attention. He thought about what the doctor said at HiveMind, "What? [i]'You'll love it, I promise!'[/i] The fuck kinda love is this?"

On his way headed back out of Paris after yet [i]another [/i]mission update, his hands burned white with how hard he gripped the handles. Subject #6425 was still in the clutches of Galloes, and it was really pissing Nick off. The Mute prototype was desperately trying to take control. Why was Galloes so obsessed with Thierry? He damn near caused an accident at how hard he laughed. It probably wasn't true, but the idea of Galloes being jealous struck him as incredibly humorous. As Nick's mind flooded with indecency, he noted that Subject #6425 fucked rightfully off. It was starting to feel like Mute had finally been deactivated. But it didn't matter much. Nick noticed he was being followed by four semis with an ever familiar HM symbol, "[i]Shit[/i]." They were going to corner him back to The Louvre, or kill him trying. Nick wasn't sure were the speedometer rested as his bike threw him...

Subject #6425 stood up, seemingly unphased as several HiveMind agents approached him, "Sir." The leading agent started, slightly nervous at what he'd just witnessed, "You have a phone call."

#6 Tilted his head, then proceeded to take the opened cellphone, "Yes, Mr. Galloes?" 

It was a toss up. Some of the agents were amused, greed entering their minds at how smooth of an agent they could become with Mute. Some of the other men who stood there? Not so much greed, but feared the repercussions they'd face should #6 become Nick again. Nick was known by field agents all across the board, as being incredibly unforgiving, particularly for traitors to The Louvre or The Council. 

"Sir, in order to do that, I'll need [i]agents[/i]..." He paused, "And [i]guns[/i]." #6 stated coldly then handed the phone to the agent who'd handed him the phone in the first place, "You, you and you, with me." #6 pointed, causing some of the agents to head back to their vehicles.

"Pathetic." #6 eye rolled as he shoved the shotgun aside, "Where you guys fucked up in killing Monsieur de Villiers, I will [i]not[/i]."

"We've been at this for years, #6." One agent shuffled on his feet, as if itching for an all out war.

"Oh yeah?" Nick's shell smirked, "But [i]I've[/i]," He pointed to himself with raised eyebrow, "Got something that you [i]don't[/i]." Nick held out his left hand for the agents to see his lover's ring, "This won't take long. Just don't get in my fucking way." He spat, heading back to his bike.

Headed back to The Louvre, 6 pulled his left wrist to his mouth, "Hey..." He started.

"Where the hell are you?!" Thierry whimpered through the watch's phone setting.

"Outside of Paris, but uh, I've got some news. Good or bad?"

"Bad, as [i]always[/i]."

"Right," Nick chuckled at his husband's routine, "I figured out how to turn Mute off."

"Understood." Nick listened to Thierry's sigh through the watch, "Nicholas, I lo..."

Nick clicked his watch back to the time setting, causing the phone to be turned off, "...You too." Much to Nick's annoyance, his watch rang with Thierry's icon listed as the caller. Five or so minutes went by of him ignoring the call before finally answering with a sigh, "I know you do, but now is not-"

"It's Cosy." Came his husband's voice through the watch once more.

"Hey!" Nick tried to sound calm as he talked to his daughter for potentially the last time, "I'm sorry about before, little angel. I need you to do me a favor! I need you to protect Iyvolo and [i]dad[/i], alright? Can you do that for me?"

[hr][hr][center][hider=Ambiance][youtube]https://youtu.be/zP_lAuTRRCI?si=CZ1lO4VUs9RNWUrT[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr][hr]

Subject #3 listened carefully to Nick's instructions, her bottom lip trembling. What had happened? What was wrong?

[b]“O-okay… I promise. I'll keep papa and Iyvolo safe…”[/b] Her voice seemed a bit relaxed as she spoke, having some satisfaction that she could at least hear Nick.

She looked up at her father who had his watched outstretched to her. There was a whimper in her arms, and she gave Iyvolo a pet. [b]“There, there…”[/b]

Her brilliant eyes shifted back to her father, whom she looked at hesitantly. [b]“Is… Nick gonna be okay…?”[/b]

What she should have asked was if [i]they[/i] were going to be alright. Only a few minutes passed, and huge semi trucks with the HiveMind logo on them parked around each side of the Louvre, with HM agents armed to the teeth surrounding the front and back entrances. The leader eyed Nick/#6.

[b]“Ready on your mark, #6.”[/b]

On #6's mark, Hive Mind agents would flood the museum with one goal: find and destroy the de Villiers family.

Now would be a terrible time for a zombie apocalypse to start. The onslaught of HiveMind agents was immense. Between the heads up Thierry had been given from a phone call with a certain fiery blonde, to the luring of agents by [i]'#6'[/i] himself. A true bait and switch attack that gave the de Villiers loyalists the upper hand they needed. Thierry clearly held some cards. Slumped bodies littered the floor, blood smeared with shoe prints along marbled white flooring. Most but not all, bore an HM symbol. A bland insignia that wasn't nearly as winsome or objet d'art as The Louvre's heirloom crest. The augmented anger slowly made his way to the 6th floor, with the intent of finding Monsieur de Villiers.

But upon reaching Thierry's office, #6 sighed, "How many more agents am I going to have to sacrifice?"

"And exactly [i]which [/i]set of agents is that?" Galloes questioned verbally.

However, Galloes did so through controlling Nick's body just as he'd done previously while hurting Cosette. Simply wanting change in your life and wanting to live life to the fullest, wasn't exactly the simple way out as Nick had previously assumed. It was a mixture of mental and coding stability, if he'd ever truly get a grip of himself again. At one point Nick had been certain that he'd figured out how to control his Mute Augmentation, but as he stood there in the dim lighting of Thierry's office, he realized he'd been battling with Galloes' hackers for awhile now. He stood there with his vulnerability in full view, realizing he'd need people in his life who cared about him, if he ever planned to rid himself of the HiveMind hardware that infected his mind. But who could he trust? He'd pushed so many others away during his short life. Making it colder and now potentially shorter than need be.

"What do you want from me?" Nick questioned while his bottle lip trembled.

"Be a good boy and fulfill your objective, [i]#6425[/i]. Kill de Villiers loyalists, Louvre members, Thierry, [i]anybody [/i]who stands in HiveMind's, no... [i]my [/i]way."

"You'll remove the augmentation?" Nick shivered as his head felt like it was going to throb out of his skull. But his own laughter caught him off guard, causing him to realize that Galloes had no intention of letting him go. Probably not even after death, should he not live to see tomorrow after this. The pressure in his head eased up a bit as #6 slowly took control, while Nick mumbled one last time, "Yes, Sir."

As Nick caved to the mind control of Hive Mind, of Von Galloes, the final phase of the battle would begin. What Hive Mind soldiers remained regroup and met #6 at the top of the stairs, in front of Thierry's office door. With a few buttons from the rifles, and well-placed kicks, the door swung open.

Inside, Subject #3 was peeking up from behind the desk as her father had instructed, hiding, and watching, as HiveMind agents poured into the room, creating a semi-circle, rifles drawn, around and at Thierry.

Subject #3 couldn't take it anymore. She gently place Iyvolo on the ground, hidden from view, and eyed the agent's, swallowing hard as she slowly moved to stand in front of Thierry.

[b]“P-please, you can't do this.”[/b]

The Hive Mind agents only stared down the sights of their rifles at her, waiting for a cue from #6 to take them out.

Subject #3 turned her attention to Nick.

[b]“N-nick, please- did… did I do something wrong?”[/b]

The room started off blurry as Nick slowly attempted to open his eyes. He felt different, [i]great [/i]even. Well, mentally that was. Despite all the aches and pains of the day, he finally felt like himself. Honestly like himself before the damned augmentation HiveMind had given him. His ears picked up a lack of noise one minute, then hushed talking with typing another. He could feel the warmth and sensation of being clutched tightly. It was nice... but then a surge of emotions flooded his mind and almost instantly started to sob.

"No!" Nick cried out, causing the tight grasp to pull him tighter. He wiped at the waterfall that had graced his face. He was surprised, but quickly relieved to see the sight before him, "Cosette!"

Cosette had been the one clutching him. As if he was an oversized teddy bear, "Where's Thierry?! I..." He whimpered, "I shot him! He fell on top of you, I-"

"I'm going to turn [i]these [/i]codes on now."

That voice... "Aaron?!" Nick tried to turn to see who all was behind him, but suddenly fell slack in Cosette's arms. The worry escaped his body like refugees fleeing a warlord.

"And then you slowly reinstate them, starting with this one here." Aaron's voice was calm as he spoke, but sounded almost heartbroken.

The urge to stay silent faltered a bit as emotions tap danced around his thoughts. He could feel a sturdy loving caress across his back, [i]Thierry[/i]?! There were a few more clicking sounds as he listened to Cosette ask him a question, "I don't know." He replied, "Ivaylo maybe? I've had lots of doggos over the years. You would have liked Mr. Putty Putt-Putts. Had a strange thing for chewing on golf balls."

"I don't like [i]this[/i]." Aaron mumbled, followed by, "Avoid [i]these [/i]codes here the best you can."

Nick rested his head on Cosette's shoulder and closed his eyes, just wanting to go to sleep.

[hr]

With a flip of the wrist, a hologram snapped to life in the air in front of the man shadowed in darkness. Sheets of code buzzed in a PowerShell-esque program, highlighting error after error, flashing red. There was a problem - a [i]bad[/i] problem - that needed his attention.

Looking from behind, over the shoulder of the man and his watch, one could see a small woman tied to a table, a glowing black heart hovering outside her chest.

The man chuckled, half-heartedly flicking through the error code with his latex-gloved fingers. It seemed they were finally wising up. Trying desperately to regain some form of control. [i]Heh[/i]. They [i]thought[/i] they were finally getting some kind of advantage. It made him smile, his insides glowing with sick pleasure. He'd let them think that all they wanted.

Soon enough, he'd shatter everything once again.

Von Galloes, smirking to himself, closed the hologram and turned his attention back to Stella.

[b]"Now then, where were we?"[/b]

[hr]

[b]"Nick... why do you have to scare me so badly...?"[/b] Subject #3 murmured, pouting slightly as she pulled him closer.

It all happened so fast. Nick shoved Subject #3 out of the way and shot her father, who fell back. Then, the door opened again, just as the Hive Mind agents trained their sights on her. A smoke grenade was thrown, coating the room in dense smoke, before an unknown assailant took out the remaining Hive Mind agents, bodies dropping to the floor with precision. 

Subject #3's eyes widened as the smoke cleared, seeing Aaron standing amidst the remains of the battle. He had come to save them in the nick of time, and was working on whatever [i]thing[/i] had control of Nick's mind.

In a panic, Subject #3 turned to her father, who was sitting up with a groan. He had taken the shot, but was unharmed physically.

[b]"Papa?!"[/b] Her eyes stared at him frantically. He was okay, but how?

She had tried to catch Nick as he fell to the floor, and now sat trying to keep him as 'normal' as possible by sheer desperate will. This included clutching him desperately.

He was back. Physically and mentally. That's all that mattered.

A pause. Then, a slow inhale. Hesitation. [b]"Nick... what are we? If... Papa is my dad. What does that make you?"[/b]

She wanted to hear him say it. In her terrified state, she needed to know who she could depend on.

The look on his face was one of distraught as he listened to Cosette, but Nick wasn't sure exactly how to answer her. He fidgeted a moment and folded his arms to hug himself tightly. He wasn't trying to scare her and honestly? He'd been scaring himself since getting the augmentation. So far, he'd almost strangled her tiny frame, then shot his husband. What was next? No... he didn't want to think about it. Out of all the terrible missions he'd endured over the years while working for The Louvre, this was by far the worst. At least before he had his full set of faculties and able to control his own personal destiny. He felt like everything in life had been ripped from him, even with extended behavioral therapy. The idea of not even being allowed to acknowledge himself and what he was facing? Made it that much worse.

Mr. Von Galloes was no [i]Mister[/i].

The gaze stayed steadily as far away from Cosette as possible as he answered her, "I- I'm sorry. It's the augmentation." Honestly? Nick wanted to cry, but there seemed to be a sensation that kept the tears from falling.

"What does this code do?" Thierry questioned Aaron while still rubbing Nick's midback, but then turned to look at Cosette, "I'll be alright, Cosy. You just focus on Nick, okay? He [i]needs [/i]you."

"I'm not entirely sure." Aaron sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose, "I'm definitely going to need Ramses' help with this. So for now, I have it disabled."

[i][i]He needs you[/i][/i]... ? Nick let Theirry's words repeat in his mind. Fully aware of all the bridges he'd burned over the years and damning himself for it.

It must of been damn near an hour as Thierry sat there staring at the black screen of code. How did Aaron do this shit all day? Most of [i]his [/i]screens were white and had paragraphs separating thoughts and ideas. But this nonsense? Thierry sighed several times, and once while rubbing his side where the bullet had assaulted his Kevlar vest. If Nick hadn't called him earlier to warn him of Galloes' plan, it would have been fatal. He most certainly wasn't angry with Nick due to the augmentation, but the saddening realization that Nick currently couldn't be trusted alone, was heartrending madness. And the etiolated tone of voice Nick currently sported as he spoke with Cosette, made him feel disastrously vulnerable. He listened quietly as Cosette carried on her conversation with his husband.

"Nick... what are we? If... Papa is my dad. What does that make you?"

Damn. It was a loaded question. A question that popped Nick's gaze back to Cosette's, even if only momentarily. If a scared cat running to hide under it's favorite human's bed could ever be used to metaphorically explain Nick's mindset, it would be now. He hugged himself tighter and wished Cosette would just... let go of him. It didn't help him any that Thierry wasn't jumping in to save him. What exactly had he done to deserve this? To feel abandoned, unwanted. If he told Cosette, would she accept him as her stepfather? Probably not... ?

The question Cosette had asked caused a lump to form in Thierry's throat. He'd help Nick explain, but felt Nick had a right to answer first, uninterrupted. But the longer Nick hesitated to form any congruent sounds, the more Thierry started thinking of exactly what to say and how to say it. Bluntly? Probably. He was a bit surprised, but [i]happily[/i], when Nick's hidden voice reached his ears. 

"I- I'm... We're... your father and I... you see," He started unable to form a full sentence as he spoke, but then finally managed to find some valor as Thierry's hand rubbed across his back again, "We... are married." Nick looked to Cosette, tears threatening his face all over again as he desperately searched her facial features, "I'm your step[i]father[/i]. I'm-" He hesitated a bit as his voice cracked, "Not trying to [i]replace [/i]Sabrina."

Nick was relieved when his husband finally spoke softly but assertively, "You have two [i]dads [/i]now, Cosette." Thierry turned around to fully face Cosette, leaving Aaron in tears as the blonde brother continued typing. He then wrapped his arms around Nick's smaller, but still bigger than Cosette's frame. With one arm around his husband's waist, the other moved up to pull Nick's head close for a kiss on the temple, "This might be hard to process and I'm sure you have a million questions for us, but we [i]both [/i]love you, Cosy. You are our petite fille, and both of us sont tes pères."

Thierry briefly wondered if Cosette would notice the stark contrast of his behavior towards Nick. Verses when he was still married to Sabrina. An overabundance of adoration verses an inexhaustible void. However, that thought faltered as the realization of the augmentation came into play. Damn [i]him[/i], that bastard.

Subject #3 took in a little breath as Nick spoke. She watched more closely how her father behaved around him. Was it really true, then? The woman that claimed to be her mother, was she really alone? 

If Subject #3 had a memory span of longer than a couple of months - if she actually remembered something, would she be upset? She couldn't remember her parents and only had these words and these photos. There was a huge disconnect she just couldn't cross, no matter how hard she squeezed her eyes and banged her head.

Looking at them, though, Nick and her father, there was a strange symbiosis between them. Even she could pick up on that. They seemed... happy.

Thierry finished explaining, and she adjusted herself, sleeves touching Nick and her father. She was almost embraced by how close both were to herself. The both looked at her with soft eyes. Soft expression. Spoke softly, sweetly. Unlike how the doctors spoke. It was like.... night and day.

Was this what a family was? Was this what love was?

There was a long pause as her eyes flickered between her father and Nick. Soft breathing, the click-clack of keys as Arron typed behind them.

A quiet inhale, steadying her nerves. 

[b]"So... should I call you[i] papa[/i] as well, Nick?"[/b] A soft smile on her face.

Yes, this is what family was.

There was rustling behind Thierry's desk, and Iyvolo jumped out, running up to give licks to the trio. Subject #3 giggled, sounding strangely similar to a certain Cosette many, many years ago. Behind them, the door opening as a cleaning crew came in to start removing the bodies of the Hive Mind agents. The Louvre alarm shut off, and everything was at peace.

She looked up at Thierry, her father. [b]"You mentioned you wanted to look at something while I was here visiting, papa?"[/b]

The sounds of typing mixed equally with pitter-pattering paws. Nick flinched just as he was about to speak. Iyvolo's peppy jump onto them had frightened him with a stutter, "You can, I-if you want to."

"I would like that." Thierry smiled softly as he pulled the frantic puppy up for petting. The dog really was a nice distraction, causing Thierry to chuckle a bit at the loving facial licks, but that distraction was interpreted by Cosette's harsh reality, "Yes, I do." He turned around to face the typing brother once more while leaving the puppy on his husband, "Aaron, do you still have that device Dr. Richter gave you?"

"Device?" Nick questioned slowly while holding the dog.

Thierry sighed as Aaron looked frustrated. Something seemed to be wrong, but Aaron wasn't saying exactly what. Thierry wasn't entirely sure, but it looked that the codes for Nick's augmentation had been put in another tab. Just long enough so Aaron could message Ramses. Was something wrong with Ramses? He hadn't talked to the Egyptian after leaving the harbor, but it might have just been job related stress, so Thierry shrugged it off. Maybe he shouldn't have...

"Yeah, I have it." came Aaron with a twirl in his seated position. Once he was close enough, he held up a little device no bigger than a flash drive. First to Nick's left eye, a flash happened causing Nick to flinch, and then again to his right.  He spoke to Cosette, "If my brother is willing to do this, that means it's safe for you too! Look straight into the red dot, please."

Thierry knew that both augmentations were implanted in the brain, but the device wasn't compatible at all with Nick. Showing Nick getting the flash was just to help ease any fear Cosette might have had. And it seemed to work as the flash hit one eye, then again as Aaron adjusted his hands next to her face, "I should have it cracked in a week."

"A [i]week[/i]?!" Thierry whined as he was desperate for this whole thing to end. He wanted his husband and daughter back to normal, but patience seemed to be a virtue he was running out of. 

Subject #3 held perfectly still as the light flashed in her eyes. Aaron’s demonstration helped - she was, well, [i]apprehensive[/i] when it came to medical devices. More often than not they had pointy ends that dug in her skin, leaving her shaking. But this one was alright. She could handle a little light. Little did she know the inside of her brain was getting imaged, a matrix of neural synapses mixed with implants that would take time to decode. 

With their work done, it was time to leave Thierry’s office and move to other areas of the Louvre. Despite the attack, the Louvre was still a captivating enigma, and Subject #3 was curious to see more of what her… what her [i]father[/i] - was she saying that right? - did here.

Director Galloes’ words uttered from Nick’s mouth knocked around in little Subject #3’s mind again. What exactly happened after that family photo was taken? How was she taken? Why couldn’t her father save her? Did he… really… leave her for dead..?

She softly shook her head, trying to dispel her worry. There was nothing she could do about it right now. And it was the director’s way of speaking - he seeding doubt and control.

Shivering, it took her a second to realize Thierry and Nick were looking at her. She pursed her lips together, and offered a hand out to each of them, waiting for them to lead her to the next activity in her time at the Louvre.

Before she would know it, the special event her… brother… mentioned would be here, and she would be busy once again.

Were her days of needles and tests really done?

A slight smile formed on Subject #3’s features, and allowed herself to relax. Just a little. Just for now.

Right now, everything was okay. 

[hr]

[h2][color=gray]The Louvre, Brain Analysis Report[/color][/h2]
[@Lexisheeps]

[hr]

Directory: C:\Users\aaronb\classified\dir\

…Accessing file.
…Loading 60%
…Loading 85%
[color=68ff00][b]Load complete.[/b][/color]

Name: Cosette de Villiers (aka: Subject #3)

Brain scan: Analysis complete. Notes below.

Notes:On the left hemisphere is a protruding augmentation typically seen of supermodels, meant to project out and affect the optical nerves of those who view the subject, Cosette. It warps her facial structure, eye color, hair, and size. This type of augmentation is fringe-type, uses experimental code that is highly risky, and it’s surprising it functions as well as it does. It causes frailty, so extra care should be used when in contact with the subject. To deactivate this passive augmentation, brain surgery is necessary. It is a highly risky procedure, involving separating brain matter from metal nodes. Survival rate for these operations is 40%. An alternative is to deactivate the server sending the signal to the augmentations.

The hippocampus is dark, with less than 50% brain matter and even fewer neutral connections. There is an incision mark on the skull here, where it appears several operations were done to remove more and more connections in the brain. It is proposed to locate the memories taken, if they still exist, and reupload them into the brain over several sessions to rebuild the connections in this area.

On the right hemisphere are the remnants of an unknown augmentation that take over most of the brain area. It is tied intrinsically into the neurons, so removal is not recommended. It appears to be benign, so action isn’t recommended at this time.

…File access timed out.
…Reconnecting 2%
…Reconnecting 9%
[color=red][b]Reconnection failed.[/b][/color]

Access terminated.

[hr]

[h1][color=gray]Chapter Three: The Trial of Unwilling Enemies[/color][/h1]

[h2][color=gray]The Louvre, Gala[/color][/h2]
[@Days], [@WhiteAngel25], [@Lexisheeps]

[hr]

[h3]One week later…[/h3]

[hr]

The Louvre’s massive lobby was polished, glossy, and highly glamorized for such a festive occasion. Red banners hung from the vaulted ceiling, with chandeliers glinting over the crowd. Guests had begun to gather, attended by servers in beautiful red and black uniforms, offering drinks and refreshments to create an inviting atmosphere.

In the center of the gala and red carpet there was a centerpieces sectioned off in red rope, a cloth obscuring its features. This is what everyone had gathered over, set up congratulations over. It was the Louvre’s newest addition, restored by non other than Theodore de Villiers. The man’s father’s reputation preceded him. It was not a long shot to say the entire room buzzed with excitement, wondering what the next generation of archeologists had to offer.

From the east side wing, Subject #3 was dressed in a gift from her father - a full-length pink dress with satin and embedded gems, elegantly flowing. She had never worn anything like this, not that she could recall. Heck, she never worse anything beyond a patient’s scrub just a little while ago. She stood there, staring at the floor nervously, holding the hand of her stepfather… her [i]stepfather[/i], Nick. The presence of rescuer-to-family help[ed ease her nerves a bit, and she hesitantly raised her eyes.

She was told there would be all kinds of people gathered here tonight for her brother. Namely, her [i]mother[/i]... and [i]sister[/i].

She licked her dry lips nervously. It had been a whole since seeing them, and like a lost puppy with short term memory,she was missing them.

So, as they stood there at the edge of the crowd, she glanced between Nick and the crowd.

[b]“Do you see them yet?”[/b] 

[hr]

[h2][color=gray]The Louvre, Gala, Backstage[/color][/h2]
[@Days]

[hr]

A few Louvre staff attended to Theo inside the right side wing connected to the gala. Giving him a once-over, ensuring the mini-mic buttoned to his suit was on and working. 

One Louvre staff member with a clipboard and high heels stared hard at her clipboard, striking one more box off her list.

[b]“Now, when you get out there, I want you to give them a good impression. Talk a bit about your discovery, and then give the backstage the hint to lift the sheet. Got it?”[/b] 

[hr]

[h2][color=gray]Undisclosed Location[/color][/h2]
[@WhiteAngel25] 

[hr]

The week passed with torture, brain surgery, heart surgery, and a few precious breaks off the operating table for Stella as she bided her time in what appeared to be some type of basement.

After passing between resting and pain with Von Galloes and his sick experiments to her heart, things were about to change.

Stella would be alerted to a noise as the door to her ‘contained lab’ opened. Von Galloes walked in, dressed in a different suit, a pensive, thoughtful look on his face. He lacked the latex gloves this time. There seemed to be anticipation in the air.

He pressed a few buttons on the console beside Stella, before turning to her.

[b]“I have an experiment I want to try today, my dear. But it involves your best behavior. You behave, and I will give you a top-secret mission. Disobey, and I’ll just have to find someone else to feel the sunlight outside…”[/b]

He leaned in close, watching her face closely as his sick grin widened.

[b]”Do we understand each other?”[/b]