[b][u][h2]Undisclosed Location[/h2][/u][/b] [@Estylwen] [hr] Stella stayed quiet as the paternal donor of her genetics led her out of her room into a hallway. The space was just wide enough that Von Galloes took the lead. The sounds of Stella’s bare feet plodding on the white tile with the weird yellow glaze most labs and testing facilities had. The walls were pristine white with the annoying hum of the fluorescent lights above. Stella felt an ache in her body as she was towed into a concrete-floored room. This ache was an odd one. It wasn’t of the pain her biological father bestowed upon to ensure obedience. It wasn’t from the tugging and pulling of the stitches on her chest. The pain came from her plum-colored heart. Stella felt sorrow but it wasn’t coming from her own emotions. It was as if she were the host of another being catching a ride. Stella’s dull icy orbs gazed up at Von Galloes as he touched the new growth of her hair. She wanted the pain to end, however, she’d be damned if she would let her psychopath of a sperm donor obtain it. He spoke of her performing a miracle, instructed her on what to do, and what they were going to experience. [b]“Yes, father.”[/b] Stella’s voice had a soft, complacent tone as she entered through the door of the testing chamber. The lights of the chamber blinded her for a moment as she heard her father’s voice echo over the intercom. Stella raised her right hand and wiggled her fingers slightly feeling a tingling sensation before a full-on shock rocked through her limb and a blast of purplish black energy eliminated the test dummy. Stella’s eyes were wide with shock and physical pain as she observed the half-gloopy mannequin. Dips of the faux leather coating the cushion fell onto the tile. She couldn’t believe that power came from her. She glanced down at her augmented arms which were no longer the same abilities that she had before. Stella winced feeling the shocks from the collar, her knees buckled with the electricity but even now, she still refused to kneel consciously. [b][i]’Okay, power-buddy, if you’re as real as I think you are. I need your help please’.[/i][/b] [b][i]’Power-buddy? What is this you call ‘buddy’?’[/i][/b] Stella hid her shock from her father. It helped that she was getting shocked at the moment. She hoped that her theory had been wrong. [b][i]’Fuck me, I didn’t actually expect a response.’[/i][/b] [b][i]’Why not? You asked a question. You should receive an answer.[/i][/b] The voice was surprisingly male in tone despite it being within Stella’s head. The voice spoke in a regal intonation. [b][i]’Look, I just need your help right now, okay? The power of you residing within me is unstable. And until we work as one, the shock and pain will continue. Please, I need your help. I’m sure you can feel it too.’[/b][/i] Stella was trying to stay calm and keep suspicion under wraps. [b][i]’Oh, yes. It is quite annoying, a damaged vessel isn’t ideal. Much better than the female dragon I had been residing in for the last few decades. Poor thing was finally exhausted from the torment.’[/i][/b] With that Stella panted softly as Von Galloes gave his explanation while the shock had finally ended as he commanded another demonstration. Stella sighed softly with her hands on her knees. She straightened herself up and raised her right arm again. [b][i]’Please, help me satisfy him for now.’[/i][/b] Stella begged in her mindscape. With the last plea, the tingling returned, followed by the electric blast that created the purple vortex. She heard Von Galloes’ praise. [b][i]’Thank you.’[/i][/b] Stella thought back as the presence of the other being inside her faded. Her gaze flicked to her father as he spoke of her reward while the original vortex faded away. It seemed that the portals had a time limit. Her eyes widened just a smidge as Von Galloes spoke of where he wanted her to go and what she would do. [hr] [b][u][h2]The Louve, Gala[/h2][/u][/b] [@Days][@Estylwen][@Lexisheeps] [hr] After Sabrina had done her duty as the CEO of a company by greeting a few key individuals, she made herway through the gala crowd. Her sharp golden gaze caught the sight of the Voidlight VP and the head scientist and then her ex-husband and his husband. She smirked softly to herself as she spotted the panic in Nick’s eyes dancing in front of a crowd. Sabrina was glad that Thierry still managed to make the young man stutter, he deserved someone who could give him the love that he sought. She smiled softly as she reached he girls standing with Aaron. Before the mother could even greet her children and thank one of the men that saved her said daughters. Rodrigo Vandelez walked up to her, handing a golden gift box, followed by handing the same to the girls. His words were like nails on a chalk board. [i]...letting bygones be bygones…[/i] Was he serious? Her daughters had been subjected to cruel experimentation by a man insane enough to believe that he could fuse dark energy into augmentations. For what end, Sabrina didn’t know what Von Galloes was up to but she’d spend the rest of her days uncovering every double agent that bastard has under his control. Sabrina kept her expression calm during the duration of the gift exchange, but fire blazed in her honeyed orbs. She gritted her teeth and followed Vandelez’s retreating figure into the crowd. Sabrina’s gentle smiled returned as Cosette was handed a cake by Aaron. [b] “Darling, let’s put these away for now. No need to show off a gift,”[/b] she spoke with a gentle, caring tone. She glanced at Aurelie, hoping the look in her eyes would deter her eldest daughter from being entrance with the sparkly jewelry. She sighed in almost an exhausted manner. Auri and Cosette both deserved to know why she spoke the words she did. [b] “Girls, I don’t want you wandering too far from Aaron, Nick, your father, your brother, or me. Not everyone here is a friend of ours, especially those who are most likely on someone else’s payroll. You both are old enough to know that what your father and I have done for the Louvre wasn’t exactly hunting down skeletons preserved in the ground. We will explain more some day but tonight is about Theo. Leave the jewelry in the box and please, do not put it on until it is further examined.”[/b] She paused just enough to smile softly look at Aaron. [b] “Thank you, Aaron, for helping save Aurelie and Cosette. I hope you don’t mind my informality.” It wasn’t too long after that the lights dimmed and Monsieus Dupont took his place on the stage. Sabrina felt her heart swelling with pride as her son was announce and strode out to the podium. Theo spoke so well and confidence radiated from him that tears began to well up in the mother’s eyes. In an instant, the little boy she had held in her arms at one point was now a man. A successful man. Sabrina’s eyes widened in surprise at the announcement of the Scepter of Dagobert by her son, who uncovered it himself. Her shock slowly turned into a frown as the lights of the cameras bounced off of the jewels. She had been standing close enough to the stage that her gaze caught the sight of an unnatural glow. Sabrina grabbed Aurelie’s wrist and then Cosette’s and began to move them away from what she had seen a time before. Theo was too far away for her to try and snatch, she hoped her ex and his husband would quickly come to their senses and spot the same. The dark violet light began to swell and engulf the scepter’s jewels and thanks to the spot light for the stage, it was just enough to provide a target for a landing on the wall next to Theo… [hr] A young woman’s scream of pain echoed throughout the gala, shattering the blubs of the cameras and cracking any nearby glass or mirrors. Theo’s presenation flicked until it was a static screen. A large swirl of amethyst sand grew larger until what appeared to be a corpse with long white hair and a slight aubergine hue stumbled out of the vortex. Only this was no corpse, it was Stella. A severly underfed Stella. Her dull icy gaze cast around the room. This was defintely the Louvre. Was she in a dream or was there a party going on? No matter if she wasn’t back in time… …another cry of pain left her lips as one hand grasped the collar around her neck but she still refused to drop to her knees. Stella was to retrieve and send a message. [b] “Father sends his regards.”[/b] Her tone void of life and meaning. With a raised hand, a beam of dark energy hit the joint holding the chandelier. The crystal light began to creak and groan onimously, a nice distraction for her hand to reach for the Sceptor as partygoers screamed and ran. A strong grip wrapped around her wrist. Stella found herself locking gazes with deepest arrays of chestnut and sepia. She sucked in a breath, and then ripped her hand away. [b] “Don’t touch me, you’ll be cursed too,”[/b] Stella snapped before suckerpunching the young man in the jaw. The hit was hard enough that it would make linebackers stumble. She punched through the cracked glass case, palmed the Sceptor of Dagobert staff, and was quickly recalled back through the swirling purple sand that dissenergrated into thin air.