The constant buzzing of the fluorescent lights droned on as the other hybrids milled around the mess hall. A quick head-count told Troy that all but two of them were concentrated in the small space. This seemed odd - it was rare that they join together in a group this size unless it was for training. It was true that the mess hall had a healthy amount of activity after individual training, but something, and he couldn't put his finger on what, just seemed off to Troy. Perhaps it had something to do with the added training they had recently been put through. He could tell that they were all being pushed to their limits, and it became commonplace for the metallic scent of blood to waft through the halls during training.
He ran his fingers through his tousled hair, wondering what he could be missing. A tray sat before him forgotten, remnants of food lingered untouched. The sustenance they offered was understandably high in nutrients, vitamins, and all of the necessary dietary supplements they would need to survive and even thrive, but this had no bearing on the taste. It was slop, and that's all it would ever be. At times, when he was feeling particularly displeased with the lack of well-tasting food, Troy would reminisce about the delicacies from his home country.
His eyes quickly shot up as another scent captured his attention. Eisley would be entering the mess hall soon, from the scent wafting through the open door and the sound of his approaching footsteps, it would be just moments. Strange, he's more nervous than usual, and he's coming in alone. Eisley had been the one who introduced Troy to Project HYBRID. When Troy had been working on his Ph.D. in genetics, the two worked together on a grant, and it was through this connection that he'd learned about the incredible opportunity to take part in something so much greater than himself. Eisley had proven to be a kind, thoughtful man. Nervous and lacking in confidence, but well-meaning. He had endeared himself to Troy, and the two had established a working friendship. At first, the two had blindly believed they were helping to advance humanity, but as the years progressed the government's agenda became clearer. Being a participant of the experiment, there was only so much clearance Troy was able to attain, even if he was assisting with the DNA sequencing. Eisley however, as a high-level administrator on the project was able to glean much more of the truth. When he was able to, in short, hushed phrases, he would attempt to fill Troy in on some of the more devastating news. The project was falling apart, and the mutations weren't holding up, the tumors were metastasizing and expanding in unexpected ways, the modifications were slowly being rejected by the hosts' bodies.
When the door locked behind Eisley, Troy stood. He could see it coming before the words left Eisley's mouth; the negative reactions weren't isolated events, they were all susceptible. Clyde was perhaps the first victim of many to come from this project. Noelle had been closest to Clyde, so Troy understood her reaction. Judging by her grief, he felt she would have been capable of taking the messenger's life as a way to try and escape the hole that was inevitably forming inside of her now. Troy understood grief, how overpowering and consuming it could be, how it threatened to throw everything into darkness - but he'd also learned that he was stronger. He stayed observing from his vantage point, distant enough away to have a better view of the room, but close enough to jump in if necessary. Naeemah seemed to be capable of controlling the situation, having pulled Noelle away from Eisley in one swift move, but shortly after that, things started happening too quickly for Troy to be able to control the outcome. While Eisley was in the process of telling Naeemah about Todd, Dante swept up and murdered him so quickly Troy didn't have the time to react.
His eyes narrowed as the dialogue between Dante and Naeemah continued. He'd known not all the others had joined Project HYBRID for the same reasons, but he'd never imagined one of them to be a cold-blooded killer. And what was all this hypocritical bull-shit about a Knight's Code? His hands balled into fists as he considered pummelling the scorpion freak for being such a piece of 'excrement' himself. A quick look at his surroundings told him this might not be the best bet. There were far too many of them in the closed space, and now that blood had been shed, it would only be a matter of time before they turned on one another. Eisley was dead, and Troy knew that nothing could be done for him now. How many innocent deaths will I have to be party to? Is there truly not one among these people who wanted to produce something good for the world? Troy sighed inwardly, then made eye contact with the small camera he was sure the Captain was using to keep an eye on the situation. Was the man trying to turn this into a madhouse on purpose? I suppose the easiest way to get rid of unwanted experiments is to let them do most of the work for you. Troy threw up a middle finger towards the camera to make his feelings known before making his way toward Naeemah.
"You really think begging will get you anywhere?" He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Get up. You're smarter than this." Troy had observed her for some time. She was intelligent, at least when not grief-stricken, strong and capable. She would be a good ally in getting out of their current mess alive, and truth be told, he was curious about Todd's whereabouts as well. "I hate to agree with the trigger-happy moron, but Todd's probably still alive." Troy's fists balled again, and his knuckles turned white. Eisley would've added his name to the list of deceased when he had notified them all of Clyde's death. Naeemah needed a reality check and fast. If she was capable of pulling herself together, they might be able to make a difference. The sound of many boots approaching told him they wouldn't have too much longer.
Shu
Awesomoman64
POOPHEAD189
Vampiretwilight
Alby47
Auz
Red Rust