Of Empires...

[Cuppy/Wonders]

Silas was bored, and there was little that the subtle pro-Empire music spilling from the radio could do to change that. And, to make matters worse, he hadn't been trusted with the convertible. He sighed to himself - the world was trying to tell him something, he was sure. He didn't have the convertible because that had been given to Oryn, and it had been given to Oryn because he had been spotted and had frightened some human, making the Emperor's lackeys work overtime to make sure the human wouldn't mention his appearance again.
He had been punished for showing his face.
It was a sign - a sign that he shouldn't be working for humans. A sign that humans were too prejudiced to deserve his allegiance. At least that was what he was telling himself as he drove towards his next assignment... alongside the assurances that speed limits did not apply to him.

Really Oryn shouldn't have had the convertible anyway... as Oryn had also stolen a job that should have been his. It was he who had convinced the Emperor to do the tests, he who had watched as mere humans became something greater. And he wanted to be the one to prove to them that they were still human - still weak and pitiful and easily wiped from the world.
He wanted to be the one to kill them, but that had been taken from him too. Instead he was given an inspection sheet regarding the teaching of humans, a name that he hardly remembered, and the orders that he was to hurt no one and under no circumstances show his face.

The world just wasn't fair.

He took one hand off the wheel to reach for his phone, was relatively disappointed by the lack of messages, and immediately searched for Oryn's name in his list of contacts. He tapped out a message quickly and sent it before returning his gaze to the road.
Send me the picture once you've killed them - I'll show you how you can improve. S.
He smirked to himself, hoping that he would get the message right in the middle of the job.

He checked the sheet that was waiting on the passenger seat, at the address that was marked in large capitals. He glanced at the name of the street and pulled up, turning the radio off and making sure that his hood covered all of his hair and hid his eyes. He wasn't about to ignore a direct order from the Emperor, even if it was only a teacher he was inspecting.
He longed to see the look of fear on this Clark's face when he realised that his visitor's eyes were in fact red...
He grabbed the inspection sheets, and checked the notes that some human lackey had written for him. He needed to see the sort of questions that he was supposed to be asking - it simply wouldn't do to appear incompetent.

He stepped out of the car, locked it, and walked straight up to Clark's front door. He knocked a few times, pulling the top of his hood forward further and making sure that his badge was in full view.
When the door opened, he flashed a smile that was completely false and forced his tone to be polite. He still couldn't stop the little feeling of disgust that he had to be polite to their kind, however.

"Good afternoon. My name is Silas and I am here on behalf of the Emperor to make sure that your teaching methods are up to the Empire's standards."
It felt wrong just to say the words; he didn't give a damn about teaching. He had a feeling that this would be the longest afternoon of his life.
"Can I come in?"

[Jane]

Atom hopped off the bus in an out of the way village, she pulled her leather jacket closer around her, shoved her hands in her pockets, and started off through the streets, head bent low so no one would see her face. It still spooked her, being among such be crowds of people. Why, there had to be twenty or thirty people on this street. More than she could remember ever having seen in one place at any one time.

Here, in an out of the way corner of the Empire, she hoped she could lie low, at least for a while. Here, on the fringes of things, maybe the security wasn't so tight. Maybe in this place she might go unnoticed, if only for a little time. It was time she needed. Time to get used to being somewhere other than in a test. Time to get used to living with many people. Time to learn how to control herself and her anger so that she didn't blow her cover.

So admittedly she'd stolen some money when she escaped, and used that to get this far, and sure her money had run out, but she'd work out some way to earn some more. What did normal people do to get money? It would be so much easier if she could just remember her past life. Even her real name would be better than nothing. But the scientists had left her with nothing. Shirune had left her with nothing. Oh yes, she'd found out who was behind her problems. It was one of the first things she'd discovered.

It was because of him that she had no past. It was because of him that she had control problems. And it was because of him that she was on the run and hiding. She had no past, nothing except what she'd given herself. She'd given herself a name. She'd given herself freedom. She was going to give herself freedom, and she was planning on giving Shirune a bloody nose the first chance she got.

[Squid (Carys)]

As Clark pulled into his small driveway, he noticed a few things immediately. The first was Cole sitting on his front step, looking both bored and slightly apologetic, and also rather cold and damp. Clark recalled the brief, but heavy rain there had been earlier, and assumed that was responsible for why Cole was currently so wet.
The second thing he noticed was the young woman who lived next door outside doing yard-work. As soon as she saw him she smiled warmly and came over to the fence dividing their yards.
"Hi Mr. Evans! You must have accidentally forgotten to latch your door this morning, I came out to get the paper and I noticed your door was open. I thought it'd be best if I closed it for you."
Clark only glanced from her to his door before he shook his head. "Stay off my property," he grumbled under his breath.
"Oh be nice, Clark. She didn't mean anything by it; she was just trying to be nice."
Clark stayed silent until he made it inside and closed the door behind himself and Cole. "I don't care," he said as he locked the door. "What gives her the right to go on my property and shut my door? What if it had locked and I hadn't had my keys?"
Cole rolled his eyes. "Honestly, do you ever quit your whining and worrying?" As he spoke he crept behind Clark and wrapped his arms around him, silently telling Clark to calm down.
Clark wriggled quickly out of his embrace. "You're all wet!" he protested. Still, he turned around and kissed Cole lightly on the lips. "Go put some dry clothes on and then hug me," he murmured.
Putting on dry clothes would mean that the clothes would be visible, but here in the safety of their home with all the curtains and blinds down they didn't think much of it. Cole's damp clothes got put into the dryer, and the two of them went about their normal lives.
To anyone else, Cole would appear as invisible, and only the clothes he had put on would be seen, floating in the air. To Clark, he saw a mirror of himself: a man, growing old though not yet frail, one half of himself in a separate body.

Neither one of them expected the knock on the door.
Clark's eyes widened at the sound, and he glanced quickly to Cole, knowing that his clothes would be visible.
Neither one had to say anything for the message to be known. They stood up, and while Clark went to the door, Cole ducked out of the room and quickly stripped off Clark's visible clothing to be on the safe side.
At the front of the house, Clark opened the door only the bare minimum necessary to see who was on his front step.
His eyes took in the hooded figure nervously, falling lastly on the badge he wore, marking him as a worker of the Emperor.
He tensed at the sight of it, and felt Cole step up behind him, but didn't dare look.
"Come...in?" Clark murmured, blinking slowly as if he had never heard those words before in his life. He shook his head a little, clearing his thoughts as quickly as he could. "I--It's a bit messy...haven't dusted in a while... We could always talk out here on the porch, right?"

[Cedar]

Oryn eased the convertible into an abandoned parking lot near the outskirts of the village. The car was more conspicuous than he would have liked, but at the moment he couldn't afford to worry over such things. With a glance at the silent pistol and knife in his belt, he wrapped his coat more tightly around himself and started off towards town, his head bowed slightly in the freezing rain. To all appearances, he seemed like any young professional--or perhaps even a student--from the city, on his way to some appointment out of town. Not far off, really, but this appointment was one he certainly was not looking forward to. Rather, he dreaded such assignments. Shirune had forced him into service against his will, but though Oryn resented every moment of being ordered to track down and kill anyone who threatened the Empire, he had little power to resist. Because if he failed, it wasn't himself on which the punishment would be inflicted, and that made them hurt all the more. So, though he hated it, and himself for it, he had never failed. And today, he did not intend to break that unbroken streak of success. Stopping a moment to purchase a newspaper at a stand, he continued on toward the town's only bus station.

The bus he had been following had stopped, letting off its passengers into the streets of the village. Oryn walked slowly past, examining the passengers while appearing to read the paper. He already knew the news--the uncensored version, even, since he worked so closely with the Emperor--but the paper would hide his gaze as he searched for the young woman he was to assassinate. She had to be among the passengers, somewhere...

There. Tall, dark-haired, and pale-skinned--he recognized her instantly from the photograph he had been shown. She looked nervous, too, and though she tried hard to conceal her uneasiness, to Oryn's trained eye she appeared distinctly out of place amidst the small crowd of people. Glancing at his watch, he folded up the news and followed her at a safe distance through the crowd, rousing no suspicion from the onlookers. Once they were away from this throng of people, however, he would have to step a little more carefully so as not to arouse Atom's suspicion; she would certainly be wary of anyone following her, and rightly so, having escaped so recently from the maze experiment.

Atom eventually headed off the main roads, and Oryn followed her on the far side of the narrow street. Around this next corner, he knew, and there would be no people about, and no shop windows overlooking the street. Nor was it far from the forest adjacent to the village; all things considered, as good a spot for his task as he could have hoped for. He grimaced. He did not want to be the one to cut short this young woman's existence, but he knew he could better bear her screams than those of his brother.

The vibration of his phone caught him off guard, and he glanced down in surprise. Who would be texting him during a mission? He withdrew the phone from his pocket and glanced down at the Silas's message. Gritting his teeth, he put the phone away again, not bothering to reply. Nor did he intend to send Silas any images of the girl once he had killed her; the very thought of Silas analyzing his kills repulsed him. He shook his head slightly, refocusing on Atom. He needed to get closer to her before he could attempt a shot--missing was not an option. Slowly he gained on her, till he was within a range of perhaps fifteen meters from the girl. Hoping she would not turn around, he slowly withdrew the silent pistol from his belt, flipped off the safety, and took careful aim. For a moment he stood there, hating himself for what he was about to do. Then he fired.

[Jane]

if there was one thing calculated to make Atom lose all control, it was weapons and being attacked with them. Or just simply being attacked. Her time in the maze had quickly taught her that. So when Oryn's bullet lodged in her shoulder, the haze of red swamped her vision at once.

While her body spun round, completely in the thrall of the battle rage, Atom's mind, disconnected from any semblance of control, wondered about a couple of things. First, how come she'd been found so fast, and two, when would she ever have this under control? But she pushed those thoughts aside and set to work regaining control of herself.

She was running towards Oryn, hands balled up into hard fists. He'd tried to kill her. Now he'd know what it was like to feel pain. Maybe she'd leave him alive. Or maybe she'd kill him and be done with it.

But no, that was a bad idea. That was the rage, not Atom thinking. Even as her fist shot out, hitting Oryn straight in the nose, Atom was forcing her body back into her own control. The red haze of her vision cleared a little, and she knew she could get out of this quickly. She just had to leave. Now.

Whirling round again, she headed straight for the woods, leaving Oryn sprawled on his back, blood pouring from his nose. As the last of the red cleared away, and the pain from the bullet in her shoulder flowed back, Atom comforted herself with the memory of his nose cracking under the force of her punch. It was a small comfort, considering she'd just been shot, and lost control again, but hey, at least he'd think twice about trying to kill her next time. And boy would his nose hurt.

[Cuppy/Wonders]

Silas could already feel the stares of nearby humans on him, and he chanced a look over his shoulder just in time to catch sight of the man's neighbour peeking at him through a gap in her blinds. He glared at her openly even though she couldn't see his eyes, and she quickly disappeared. He turned back to Clark, irritated by the rudeness that seemed to be ingrained in humans, and belatedly noticed just how nervous he was. Hadn't he been informed of the inspection?
He remembered that he had been asked a question, and kept the false smile on his lips.
"I'm afraid not," he said, wishing more with every word that passed his lips that he could just drop the pretence and treat him with the contempt every human deserved. He placed his foot into the tiny gap in the door and allowed a small portion of his power to flow through him as he forced the door open further. "There are a lot of questions here for you, Mr Evans-" There were only five or so, but it seemed like a lot for Silas "-and it took me a long time to reach your home. Isn't it common courtesy to let a guest inside?"
He gave Clark less than a second to think about it before pushing the door open further and sliding inside.
"Thank you for your cooperation."

If the house was messy, Silas didn't notice. He hardly if ever cleaned his rooms, constantly warring with himself regarding whether it was worth letting humans clean for him when it meant they would touch his things. What he did notice, however, was that Clark had a sofa that looked better than most sofas he had seen. He practically threw himself into the cushions, grabbing his hood and making sure it didn't slip backwards. He sighed happily and turned his attention to the notes, pausing to look up at his unwilling host.
"Aren't you going to offer me a drink?" he said. "Isn't that what you people do to be polite?"
He shook his head, reading over the questions again and muttering under his breath. He no longer cared if he appeared incompetent - maybe if he received a complaint the Emperor wouldn't make him perform such degrading work again.
"Right," he began, finding a suitable question scrawled across his notes. "Can you tell me the average ability level of the children you-"
He froze, his senses suddenly screaming. He snapped his head to the side, peering over the edge of the couch and seeing nothing but empty space. But he had felt it, and he still felt it.
Someone was standing directly behind him, even though nothing was there.

[Squid (Carys)]

Clark stared at Silas in shock and confusion as the man just forced his way inside and then dropped himself down onto the couch.
"Uh, right... I'll go make some coffee, I suppose..." He disappeared into the kitchen, and Cole came with him.
Once they were safely in the other room, Clark turned to Cole and started muttering in a low voice. "Where did you go today? What happened? I find you locked out when I come home and now there's some inspector here asking questions..."
"Calm down, Clark. He doesn't know about me. Nothing happened this afternoon. He's just here to do the same inspection that happens every year about your teaching."
"You're sure?" Clark asked, taking a few breaths to try and calm himself as he went about brewing a pot of coffee.
"Yeah, I am, so stop worrying or he will think something's up."
"Alright, alright. But just, stay in here, okay?"
Cole didn't answer, and Clark just poured some of the coffee into a mug and then went back out to the living room and gave the coffee to Silas.
He hadn't yet sat down when Silas started his question before cutting it abruptly off. Clark tensed and willed himself not to look at Cole, even though he wanted very much to glare at him for not just staying in the kitchen.
Cole had frozen in place, watching the man carefully, and wondering what had made him turn and look suddenly. "Stop just standing there staring and answer his question," he muttered to Clark. "Distract him."
Clark's eyes and expression betrayed him for just an instant as he shot a worried and annoyed look to Cole before looking back at Silas. "All of my students tend to do quite well during testing... I have quite a few bright students this year..."

[Cuppy/Wonders]

Silas turned back to Clark when he spoke, drawing his eyes away from the empty space reluctantly. He clutched the coffee in his hands but didn't bother trying to drink it. He was on edge now despite himself - he hated the thought of anyone sneaking up on him, especially a human. He nodded in response to Clark's answer, his eyes darting across the room to try to find some hint of another person. He was trying to convince himself that he had imagined it, but he felt as though he was being watched by two people and not one.
"Have you kept to the syllabus that was given to you by the education specifiers?" he asked, just making up the questions now and not listening for the answers. He had noticed the strange look aimed at something over his shoulder, and that only reaffirmed the feeling that something was very wrong. Something was in the room, something that he couldn't see. But he wouldn't be played for a fool.
His senses had never wronged him, and he was sure that today was no different. He spoke quickly, not caring if he cut off Clark in the middle of his sentence.
"Do you live alone?"
Hopefully the abruptness would make him slip up, and he would look towards the invisible thing for guidance. And when he did he would confront him, just like the Empire would want him to do.
Suddenly the mundane inspection was much more entertaining.

[Cedar]

Oryn felt Atom's fist collide with his face, felt himself slam into the rain-drenched pavement. But the physical pain was distant; he had no time for it. Taru... His brother's screams from the last time he had performed unsatisfactorily still haunted him, and he dreaded the thought of what would happen if he utterly failed such an important mission. So he had barely hit the ground before he was stumbling a bit unsteadily to his feet, cursing under his breath as he wiped his sleeve across his bloodied nose and reached for his pistol. He raced towards the forest, ignoring the pain of each step. His quarry was hurting more, though; he knew he wasn't such a poor shot that he hadn't managed to seriously wound her. He doubted she would be able to get very far in her condition, and he intended to take full advantage of her weakness. He felt tears pooling in his eyes, tears of shame and self-loathing for his own actions, but he pushed aside his shame and raced onward.

She was fast, Oryn quickly realised, and made swifter by urgency. But she wasn't the only fleet-footed one in this hunt, and it was not long before he drew, once again, close enough to fire. But to hit a moving target while running, Oryn knew, was not a gamble he wished to take, and especially not with Atom. Instead he increased his speed, his nearly inaudible stride bringing him closer to Atom in a burst of energy. He had nearly overtaken her when he finally fired again at his target. Without waiting to see how she reacted, he tackled her. He knew already that she was superior in a physical fight, but she was injured and unarmed, whereas he had the element of surprise and, by now, a knife in his hand, which was aimed, as near as he could manage from this angle, at her heart.

[Jane]

The pain of the bullet wound was bad enough to make it already difficult to keep herself calm, but when the assassin caught up and shot her again, Atom completely lost it. He tackled her to the ground, and something in his hand glinted. A knife. Her vision went blood red. A knife meant danger, meant fighting.

As the assassin brought the knife down towards Atom's heart, her hand shot up to catch his arm, stopping the movement dead. Few people were stronger than Atom in full rage. She twisted his arm, not stopping until the knife fell from his hand. Then she head butted him twice, one hitting him straight in his crushed and bloodied nose.

Then she grabbed both his arms, flipping him onto his back and kicking him straight in the ribs a few times until they cracked. Inside, Atom was horrified at the way she was behaving, at the fierce joy the mad part of her was feeling, but she was helpless against herself.

Finally, she hit him across the side of the head, knocking him out cold. For a moment battle furious Atom stood there, triumphing over her victory. But the logical, calm, real Atom, was already gaining a little control. She was going to hurt a lot soon. One of those wounds was in a bad spot. She had to get out of here before the fury left her, before she became too weak to run. She had to find a spot to lay low and heal for a while.

Turning, she left the assassin lying on the ground and sprinted through the trees. She splashed up stream when she met a river, and ran over rocks to hide her trail, until finally, the fury gone, and waves of pain overtaking her, she collapsed inside a rocky overhang, curling into a painful, bloodied ball.

[Cedar]

Oryn blinked slowly, wincing as the pain flooded through him. His head was throbbing painfully and there was a searing pain in his ribs and face. The light of the day was fading, and he had been unconscious for several hours, though he found it difficult to think straight. Groaning, he stood up, doubling over and gasping for air as the pain in his ribs intensified. He saw no tracks leading away from the spot, and he was fully aware that in his condition he didn't stand a chance of finding and killing Atom in the darkening woods.

Nobody was on the streets when Oryn staggered back through the edges of town, headed towards his car. He was barely strong enough to stand, and his vision was blurred with blood and tears, but somehow he managed to reach the vehicle and collapse within, glad he had kept the roof on to deflect the rain. He had a first aid kit in the back, he knew, and he reached for it, unearthing enough tissues to get the blood off his face, and several ice packs for his nose and ribs. It was a poor first aid job, really, but he was too exhausted and shamed to do more for himself. Secretly, a part of him was glad Atom had escaped, but this twinge of gladness was completely crushed by the thought of what his brother would have to endure when he arrived back at Shirune's headquarters.

With a heavy sigh, he started the car and eased it out of the parking lot, picking up speed as he reached the highway. His reluctance, however, slowed his speed drastically, and it was at a speed considerably lower than the limit that he drove on, hating every moment of the journey yet wishing it would never end. He had nearly reached Shirune's headquarters when his phone buzzed, indicating he had a message. He glanced down to see who it was from. Shirune.

Where are you?
Oryn sighed, and punched in a quick reply while driving. Almost back to headquarters.
I assume you have taken care of Atom?
Oryn grimaced. The question he had wanted to avoid, the question he knew was inevitable. His reply was short and honest. No.
There was no reply for the remainder of his drive, and Oryn was left to work himself into a state of dread and anxiety.

Several minutes later he stepped into the well-lit entryway of Shirune's headquarters; a massive building on the edge of a large city, with rooms dedicated to everything from scientific experimentation to tax collection. Shirune was waiting for him by the doorway, and from the look on his boss's face, Oryn knew that his own appearance gave away everything Shirune wanted to know.

"I am disappointed," Shirune said simply, when Oryn walked up to him, eyes on the floor.
"I know," was Oryn's soft reply. He knew, also, what was going to happen now.
"Come, then, and let me remind you why you would find it advantageous not to disappoint me."
"Yes, sir."

Oryn followed Shirune through the labyrinth of well-lit hallways, eventually arriving at a room in the residential section of the headquarters. Here resided mostly janitors and the like, people who were employed by the government and had no homes of their own. As well as one other--a prisoner, really, kept alive only for the purpose of keeping Oryn working. Taru. The brother Oryn seldom saw now--Shirune allowed him only infrequent visits--yet for whom he sacrificed everything. It was before the door to Taru's room that they halted.

Shirune spoke over a radio, and several minutes later two men appeared, dressed in military uniforms and carrying guns. One stood next to Oryn, his gun raised lest the assassin try anything, while the other vanished into the room and returned moments later with a hand-cuffed Taru, who looked at Oryn with a wide and terrified gaze. Oryn could not find it in himself to meet his brother's eyes.

They were marched down several hallways, and Oryn was led into a small room outfitted only with a wooden chair and a large television. Taru was taken into a room adjacent to it, a room Oryn had seen several times before and had wished never to see again. The television crackled to life, and Oryn was once again greeted with the image of that terrible room. He watched, horrified and shame-filled, as Taru was strapped into a chair attached to multiple wires. For the next eternity, Oryn was forced to watch. Whether it was the screams or the look of sheer agony on his brother's face that broke his heart, Oryn didn't know, but he did know that his soul was shattering.

[Squid (Carys)]

Clark forced himself to focus intently on Silas. He couldn't afford for his eyes to drift back to Cole, not with this man already seeming so suspicious. He kept his eyes on Silas, and now that Silas was looking away he risked moving. He crept carefully to stand beside Clark, making sure he didn't brush against anything on the way.
"Of course I stick to the syllabus," he answered quickly, trying to keep the guilt out of his voice as he said it. Of course, his guilt was nothing that this man could arrest him for, but it still wouldn't pay to have his inspector know how he felt. His crime was not one against the Empire, or the education specifiers, but against himself and his students.
He was in high school when Shirune rose to power. He remembered what had been taught in school's back then. Even when he'd first become a teacher he noticed how the curriculum had changed, and for the past thirty years he'd been watching it change more and more; each grade of students he taught becoming more brainwashed than the last.
He'd realized fairly early on what the Empire was trying to accomplish with the restrictions they put on the curriculum, but he'd always gone along with it. He'd known of the treachery and was too scared for his own safety to fight it, and that was the source of his guilt.
"A lot of my students complain about some of the work of course, but I understand the importance of sticking to the--" He broke his sentence off when Silas interrupted.
"Do I..." He trailed off, his eyes widened at the question and his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes strayed from Silas nervously, although he managed to keep himself from turning all the way to look at his other half.
"Stay calm and focus," Cole murmured softly from beside him. His hand brushed Clark's lightly, not actually clasping it or doing anything else that might make it look like Clark was holding his hand strangely, just a slight touch to reassure Clark.
Clark still reacted to the touch though, turning his hand a little and his fingers curling slightly, wishing to hold Cole's hand outright. "Yes. Just me here..." he murmured quietly.

[Cuppy/Wonders]

There it was. The slight eye movement betraying him, as well as his answer. If he had said that there was someone else living here Silas would have put the feeling down to his senses being overactive, as they often were. Even though he usually only sensed those in a close enough vicinity to do him harm, there had been exceptions in the past.
He put down the untouched mug slowly and purposefully, relishing the anxiety that was no doubt building within Clark. He stood up and smiled.
"I don't believe you."
He took a step forward and touched his hood, longing to pull it down. His eyes had always been effective weapons - people were always horrified when they saw them. There was some sort of primal instinct in humans to fear red eyes, and so far not one human had disappointed him. Not even Shirune - he remembered the Emperor recoiling when he first saw them and refusing to meet them on most occasions.
"Now," he said conversationally, stepping closer, "there are very few reasons why you would lie about this. You could be embarrassed for some stupid reason, like so many of your kind, but it's so much more likely that you're hiding someone. Someone that you wouldn't want an officer of my calibre seeing."
He grinned. Who cared if he disobeyed the Emperor? The worst he had to lose was a pretty car, or his phone, and he could always steal someone else's. He pulled his hood down and blinked a few times before widening his eyes, making sure that Clark definitely saw the black schlera and bright red irises.
"Sorry, not seeing," he continued, stepping closer to him and not blinking again. "Noticing. So, at the risk of being arrested for hiding a non-human when the Emperor has such fair guidelines regarding them, I'll ask you again. Do you live alone?"

[Squid (Carys)]

As Silas stood up and started advancing on them, Cole moved his hand to grab Clark's wrist. It would keep Clark from moving his hand any more, and also had the effect that Cole could pull Clark out of harm's way in an instant.
When Silas revealed his eyes, Clark stumbled half a step back, panicking even further from the already quickly building panic Silas's comments caused.
When Clark stepped back, Cole had the opposite reaction, moving slightly more in front of Clark. His defensive instincts were all being triggered right now by Silas, and when it came to protecting Clark it would take more than some strange eyes to scare him off.
Clark was willing Cole not to do anything reckless, but he couldn't afford to tell him that. He tried, but didn't really succeed, to get his breathing back to normal. "I told you," he stammered quickly. "I'm the only one here... Every once and a while a mouse will find its way in I suppose, but uh, just me here normally..."
He swallowed a little, his mind racing, trying to figure out how he had known, how he could get out of this, why his eyes were so inhuman...

[Cuppy/Wonders]

Silas laughed, grinning at his fear and the rush of power that flowed through him as Clark backed away. His senses were strengthening the closer he stepped, and he was sure that the other person he was sensing was in front of him. But he was not afraid - far from it. He was looking forward to the look of despair when Clark was forced to give up his invisible companion...
"Don't treat me like a fool," he said. "What are you so afraid of? The experiments? The pain is nothing - or at least it would normally be."
He paused in front of Clark, examining him while his senses were informing him that the other was close. Very close.
"You lied to me, and you're still lying. Giving false information to an official is a crime."
He fought back another laugh and grabbed the front of Clark's shirt, drawing his other hand back and allowing some of power to rest in his fist. If the blow connected, it could easily knock Clark across the room.
"The experiments themselves will be humane... but I'm not. There's nothing human about me. And I don't appreciate being lied to."
He swung.

[Squid (Carys)]

Clark vaguely wanted to point out that he wasn't technically lying, but that thought was only a faint glimmer amidst several others that were much more urgent. Everything was happening too fast by that point for him to really think through anything anyway. In one instant Silas grabbed Clark's shirt and pulled his fist back. In the next he swung, only to have his fist change direction in midair when Cole grabbed it and pulled down in an attempt to flip Silas.
In the same motion Cole had pulled Clark's wrist forcefully, pulling him sideways and out of the way.
Silas hit the ground hard and Cole repositioned himself in front of Clark protectively. His eyes were on Silas, watching intently for him to try anything else.
Clark was staring at Silas too, though his expression was much more fearful than Cole's. This was all going to end horribly for him, he was certain.

[Cuppy/Wonders]

Silas got to his feet, quickly recovering from the force of hitting the ground. He could sense the invisible man - he was sure that was what had attacked him - standing in front of Clark, and he immediately lunged for him. His fist collided with an invisible chest, and he saw Clark stagger backwards as though something heavy had just fallen into him. He swung his fist again, aiming higher. He only struck air, but the edge of his knuckle caught on something solid.
Something struck him hard and he stumbled back - whatever this invisible man was, it was stronger than normal humans were. Silas edged to the side, closer to Clark, trying to sense where exactly the invisible man was. His head stung, and he dodged to the left. A harsh blow struck his right arm and he was knocked to the side. Another blow followed, catching him in the face before he had time to react. But as soon as he had time to think he didn't go for the invisible man.
He grabbed Clark's wrist, yanking him close and wrapping his arm around his neck.
"Dare to hit me again and I'll break his neck," he vowed. "Surrender to the Empire and I'll let you both live. Your choice, Invisible."

[Squid (Carys)]

Clark stood motionless except for his trembling, staring with wide eyes at Cole and seeing the fury in his other half's eyes. Cole wanted nothing more than to tear Silas apart for daring to grab and threaten Clark. But when he took a step forward, Clark shook his head, managing to gasp out the word "No!" before Cole could accomplish anything.
Clark and Cole locked eyes, concern for the other showing in both of them. For a moment everything was silent except for their still ragged breathing, and then Clark spoke, slowly, deliberately choosing each word.
"Okay. He surrenders. He's not going to attack... Please, just let me go, I'll cooperate..."
He had his doubts about this, but at this point he had no idea what the best plan of action would be. All they could do was wing it, and their secret was already at least partially out.

[Cuppy/Wonders]

Silas edged towards the door, keeping his arm around Clark and shaking his head.
"I don't believe you."
He kept his eyes on where he thought the invisible man was, reaching for the lock on the door with his free hand.
"You humans are so predictable," he mused. "Always giving up to protect one another. That's where you go wrong. If you didn't give a damn, you wouldn't have these problems."
He pulled his arm back a little, placing a bit of pressure against Clark's throat.
"Make sure he stays in front of me, and doesn't try anything."
He forced the door open and stepped backwards, down the porch steps and towards the car. Silas no longer cared if the nosy neighbour was watching - he was too busy thinking of the rewards he'd get for managing to capture someone who was invisible. He would rub his success in Shirune's face...
He released Clark when he was in front of the car, shoving him towards the door.
"Get in," he ordered, "and make sure your little friend gets in too, or I'll run him over."
He wasn't sure if he would succeed, but he most certainly would try.

[Squid (Carys)]

"Keep your eyes forward," Cole told Clark quietly. "That's where he said he wanted me, so that's where you need to pretend I am," he instructed.
As Silas dragged Clark outside, Cole kept moving, watching Silas and waiting for his opportunity to free Clark. "As soon as he let's you go, run, Clark. Just run. I'll stop him, and you know I'll catch up eventually, so don't worry about me. If you get the chance, go."
Their chance came once they reached the car Silas had parked outside. The second Silas released Clark, Cole landed a punch on the side of Silas's head. Clark turned and stared at him, hesitating for a moment before Cole shouted. "Just go!"
Clark nodded quickly and then turned and started running. He hated leaving Cole behind, but right then he knew that his being there could only make things worse. Silas couldn't possibly hurt Cole, but if he laid a hand on Clark again both of them could die.

[Cuppy/Wonders]

Silas fell into the car, cursing as stars appeared in his vision. He saw Clark run, and just as he moved to follow him another fist struck him. He hit the cold metal of the car again and couldn't stop the growl that passed his lips. He no longer cared about holding back. He swung for the invisible man, and he felt his fist strike flesh and knock it away. Far away.
If it was a human, the force of it would have caused their skull to shatter into a million pieces.
Not pausing for a second, Silas ran after Clark. The slight hesitation had made the gap between them shorter, and the undiluted power rushing through him was making his strides even bigger. He could feel the invisible man behind him, catching up to him, and dived after Clark. He felt their fist just brush his hair, only just missing him.
He tackled Clark to the ground, and lashed out just as he felt their fist near his skull again. He held himself back at the last moment, knowing better than to kill someone with a gift Shirune had yet to see, but the force of the blow was still enough Clark's head to strike the tarmac hard enough for blood to bead on the wound.
He felt the presence of the invisible man suddenly disappear from behind him, and he was filled with a sudden panic. If he had severed the link and killed them...
"Stupid humans, being too breakable..." he muttered under his breath, checking for a pulse. There was still one there, and Silas didn't know whether or not he should be thankful or disappointed. But he had a job to do - Shirune would want to see what he had found.
He pulled Clark off the ground and threw him over his shoulder, rolling his eyes at how uncomfortable it was. He'd never had to move a body before, especially not one that was bigger than him. He carried him back towards the car, still half-expecting the invisible man to emerge from the shadows and attack him, but paused beside the car. After a moment of deliberation he grinned and opened the trunk of the car, casually dropping Clark into it before slamming it shut.
He climbed into the driver's seat, freezing when he felt a pair of eyes watching him. He turned slowly, and met the horrified gaze of the woman who lived next door. He grinned at her, waved, and closed the door behind him.
Just before speeding back to headquarters he sent a text to Shirune.
I've got a surprise for you. S.

[Jane]

In all her time in the maze, Atom couldn't remember ever having been shot before. She'd had some bad injuries sure, but being shot was not one of them. And she was pretty sure that the bullets were stuck in the wounds. She was going to need to get those out before she could really get to work healing. Even if she healed faster than anyone else, she still wasn't really going to heal that well if she had bullets lodged inside her.

And she needed shelter. Food too, though that wasn't such a pressing need. Really, she just needed somewhere to rest up, heal, and plan her next move. The little rocky overhang had done well enough for the moment, but she really needed something else, preferably near water so she could wash and drink.

It hurt to move. it hurt a lot. But Atom wasn't stronger than the average human for nothing, and she pushed herself through the rocks and back into the trees. She'd crossed a river not too far back. If she retraced her steps, she could find it again. She just needed to focus on navigating, rather than on the pain caused by her wounds.

Yes, there it was, glinting through the trees, coming out of a cleft in the rocks. On investigating this cleft, Atom found that it had a narrow ledge where she could sit or lie down and rest. And there was plenty of wood too. She set herself up there, not daring to light a fire to keep herself warm. And then she got to work, cutting out the bullets with the assassin's own knife. As blood dribbled down the handle, trickling over her fingers, she made a vow to make both the assassin and Shirune pay for what they had done to her.

It was done. The bullets were out. She'd torn up her under shirt and used that as bandages. Now to sleep and let her body heal. And then, after that, could come the plan making. She needed a better plan if she could be found so very easily. But later. She shifted until she was as comfortable as the hard rock and her wounds would let her be, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

[Cuppy/Wonders]

As Silas pulled up the car inside headquarters he was surprised to see Shirune himself waiting for him. He stepped out, making his expression one of awe.
"The Emperor himself, waiting for me? I'm so honoured!"
He laughed once and moved towards the trunk, not even bothering to look at his employer. He clicked it open and dragged the still-unconscious Clark out, glancing at Shirune just to see his reaction.
"This teacher you sent me after was hiding an invisible man who has heightened strength and possibly speed. I think he controls him, because he vanished when I knocked him out, but not very well."
He folded his arms and shook his head.
"How many times has this guy been inspected, and it took me less than ten minutes to realise someone else was there? This is what I mean when I tell you that your human workforce is incompetent."
Clark was starting to move, beginning to regain consciousness. Two armed soldiers had appeared when Silas had been speaking - whether they were on stand-by or Shirune had ordered them he was not sure - and began to drag Clark to a holding cell of some sort. He hardly watched them go.
"How did Oryn get along on his job?" Silas asked suddenly, coating his tone in false curiosity. "Seeing as he got the nice car and the assassination... Was he a credit to the empire?"
Something told him that Oryn hadn't succeeded, and not just the lack of reply to his text. He had grown to expect that. The convertible was badly parked, and Shirune's expression when he had brought his own car in had told him all he needed to know.
He had known that he should have been given the job.

[Dragonsashes]

Gage had been locked up before. He sat with his legs crossed in front of him on the bed. Ten little marks sat on the wall to his left. Ten days he had been in this room. Before it, he had been in another fifteen. It was almost time to move.

The last room they locked him up in had a camera in the corner. On day fifteen, Gage tore the camera out and ran for it. This one had a mirror lining one wall. This was the only wall with a door, of course. In his form now, Gage couldn't make out anything on the other side of that mirror. If he just shifted a little bit, focusing on his eyes like he had before, he could see the figures behind it moving around. People in white coats would stop behind the mirror and watch. They'd write small notes down on their clipboards and stare as Gage sat. He didn't do much in the cells. He never shifted more than he had to, only focusing on what was necessary to let him escape.

Today though, there was more activity behind the wall. He watched as guards half carried, half dragged an unconscious man down the hall. People followed behind in a scurry. Some of them the white coats that Gage recognized, some of them new. Huh. Maybe today was a good day to escape again.

Gage stood up and stretched. As he did so, he focused on his muscles, bulging them out with a bit of his now hidden bulk.

If his skin started to scale up, Gage didn't notice. He stepped closer to the mirror, waiting until most of the footsteps died down and he didn't see anyone else running by.

His hand gripped the door knob tightly and twisted. The lock broke and the door slipped open without a sound. Gage smiled to himself as he stepped through the door. Now just to get one of those white coats and he'd be long gone.

[Cedar]

Shirune shook his head in response to Silas's question. "I am afraid he was not. He has, of course, received his arranged punishment for failure, though I have yet to talk with him. I don't know if they're done with him in the hospital ward." His mouth twisted into the grim semblance of a smile. "I suppose I should have sent backup on such a mission, though at this point Mr. Gyvres should be expected to be able to handle this alone." He sighed. "But you appear to have had unusual success, for which you will be rewarded. Take tonight and tomorrow off." Shirune turned on his heel and strode back into the building, the very picture of businesslike authority.

They were, in fact, finished with Oryn in the hospital ward, and once they had released him he had chosen to simply wander aimlessly about the establishment that was Shirune's headquarters, trying in vain to forget the day's events. The place was full of intricate hallways; it was easy to get lost, especially in the parts of the building Oryn was less familiar with. He was in one of these at the moment--the wards where some of the non-humans were kept. There were a few scientists about, but they took little notice of him. He was on relatively good terms with them--occasionally worked with them, even--but they left him to his own devices, for which he was grateful.

He heard a commotion coming down the hallway behind him, and flattened himself against the wall as a group of guards and scientists swept past carrying an unconscious man. Shirune was following the group, and as he walked past Oryn he paused for a moment. "I wish to speak with you later tonight. Expect a call."
"Yes, sir." Shirune swept past, leaving Oryn once again alone in the hallways. Several moments later, he heard a click behind him, and the telltale sounds of a door opening. He spun around swiftly, catching sight of a somewhat inhuman man stepping out of a room far down the hallway. One of the non-humans, doubtless. Escaping. No sooner had Oryn caught sight of the man than he was sprinting down the hall towards him, pulling out a radio to send an alert to the head of the ward's guards. In his current condition he could barely keep up with the escaping prisoner. It was, however, unnecessary for him to do so, because moments later a group of guards appeared, surrounding the prisoner and forcing him into heavy-duty handcuffs. It took several of the guards to manhandle the struggling prisoner down the hall. One of the guards stayed behind and walked over to Oryn.
"I'll put in a good word for you over that, eh? You probably need it after today."
"You heard, then?"
"Most everyone has."
Oryn sighed. "Great."
"You've got a lot of proving yourself to do, eh?" The guard gave him a sympathetic look and walked away, after the guards. "We're taking this one to high security now!" he called to the others. Oryn watched them for a few moments, then turned and continued his dejected wandering of the hallways.

[Cuppy/Wonders]

A day off. Silas wasn't sure if he should be pleased or disappointed. He liked his job, despite having to work under Shirune - after all, how could a job killing humans be anything but enjoyable?

He wandered back towards his rooms, taking the long corridors and tapping message after message into his phone as he walked. It was so much easier to just live at headquarters instead of attempting to return to his old home, after all. He knocked into someone and almost dropped his phone, and he quickly turned to break the person's arm. He had grabbed them and was just about to crush the bone when he recognised the stranger as Oryn. He grinned and released him, finishing his message with one hand and tucking it in his pocket.

"Well, well," he said, absently rubbing one eye, "I heard someone had a bad day. Was she too tough for you? Well, I suppose that it's a good thing you took the convertible - you needed to hurry back to your boss and hope that he didn't punish you too badly while if I had it I doubt I'd be able to fit a body in the trunk. So I suppose everything worked out in my favour."
He paused for a moment, scrutinising Oryn.
"They punished the kid and not you, didn't they?" he said suddenly, his tone empty. "I have never understood why they do that. What's the point of just hurting one kid over and over to make you feel bad? It's not going to make a difference. Don't they get bored? Don't you get bored? They don't even hurt him, they just scare him a little. The kid hasn't even known real-" All condescencion suddenly disappeared from his face and was replaced by raw hurt. He looked away quickly, rubbing his eyes.

Don't think about it.
"In the brotherhood..." he said slowly, "I was set upon a dozen full-grown soldiers at the age of ten, and the injuries they inflicted upon me are things that would have easily killed your brother. Maybe one day Shirune will let me demonstrate how I managed to get out of that alive."
The story had calmed him slightly, and he glanced back towards where he knew his rooms to be. His previous plan to just go and sleep no longer seemed appealing.

"...I heard you were good at chess."
He didn't really know why he had brought it up - he didn't particularly want to spend more time with Oryn, but he knew that winning a couple easy matches would quickly put his mind at rest. He hadn't played in over a year, but how hard could it be? Humans were stupid, so he was certain that he wouldn't lose.
"Care for a game? I haven't had an opponent in far too long..."

[Squid (Carys)]

The soldiers brought Clark to the ward where non-humans were kept and laid him on a bed in one of the rooms. Behind the soldiers a man in a white lab coat entered, going straight to Clark's side with concern.
Clark had started to move weakly when the soldiers had carried him off, but he was still far from being awake. The man checked a clipboard quickly and then addressed Clark by name. The second time he said Clark's name louder and he managed to open his eyes a little and blink slowly. He didn't seem as though he were actually comprehending where he was or what was going on.
"Sir, can you tell me your name?"
Clark made a soft groan of confusion and blinked slowly at the man. "Air school?" He tried to sit up, but the doctor gently pressed him back down into the bed.
"Sir, I need you to try and tell me your name."
"Bird," Clark murmured distractedly.
While he continued questioning Clark to try to determine how much damage had been done, he also hooked Clark up to a monitor and shone a light in his eyes. "Do you know what day today is Clark?"
"Pop quiz today," he responded, his words slurring some. "Air school?"
The doctor sighed a little and then held one hand out with one finger up. "Can you touch my finger?"
Clark frowned at the man's finger and didn't respond for a long moment before he eventually lifted one hand and reached forward. His hand missed, grabbing at the air next to the doctor's hand a few times before he managed to make contact.
When he pulled his hand away again he touched his head lightly where it had hit the asphalt. "Air school?" he repeated a final time, his voice getting more urgent.
"Clark, just try to rest, okay?" And with that the doctor left, going to report to his higher ups that Clark had a pretty severe concussion but that there wasn't much to do but let Clark rest and perhaps give him some pain killers if he complained of pain. He made note also of the phrase that Clark kept repeating, although he wasn't sure what was meant by it.

[Jane]

Atom woke slowly. For a moment she couldn't remember where she was or what had happened. It wasn't until she moved and the healing skin on her wounds pulled, that she remembered. That's right, someone had tried to kill her twice yesterday. Shot twice. And what had she done? gone and lost control. She could have killed him. And she'd definitely left him with some injuries that he'd feel for a long while.

Why did it always happen this way? Why did she always have to break her clean streak? One of these days she was going to kill a human being, not just one of those monsters from the maze. They never understood. No one did. Everyone seemed to think her strength was the greatest thing ever. They didn't understand it was a curse.

Still, the healing quick thing was good. Already the bullet wounds from yesterday had closed over with fresh skin. They were still angry red and sore as anything, but give it another couple of days and she'd be almost completely better. The quick healing was about the only good thing to come out of that maze experiment.

She couldn't stay here in the woods, Atom knew that. She'd have to find civilisation again, lose herself among other people. She winced just thinking about living among a crush of other people, among streets and roads that reminded her painfully of the maze. But it wasn't like she had a choice. She'd have to go if she wanted a chance to stay alive.

Taking a drink from the stream, she headed back to the town she'd reached only yesterday. She'd find her way to a bigger town somewhere else. More people should mean less chance of being found. And while she walked, she pushed the disturbing memories to the back of her mind. That was the worst thing about being injured and going berserk. It brought back so much stuff that Atom really would rather forget.

But she was good now. She was under control, and she'd locked those memories and emotions away for the moment. Time for survival. Time to find a place of safety again, before she could begin to plan for the future.

It was a couple of hours later when she stepped off a train and into the bustling station of a larger town. Really, it seemed almost a city. And there were so many people. This should be the perfect to lose herself. Atom shoved her hands into her jacket pockets, and stepped out into the crowd.

[Cedar]

Though Oryn was angered and deeply hurt by Silas's comments about Taru, and didn't have a great desire to spend more time with the non-human, he had been offered a distraction. He needed something to take his mind off of that day, and he assumed chess would serve as well as anything. It was getting rather late, but Oryn knew he wouldn't be sleeping this night anyway. "Sure," he finally replied.

Silas seemed pleased, more or less, and they made their way through the corridors till they arrived at Silas's room. Entering the cluttered room, they crossed over to a table. Silas cleared off the table and began setting up the chessboard.

"I'll play black," Oryn said quietly, studying the board, his mind already running through countless scenarios and formulating a strategy of defense and attack. "Your move."

[Dragonsashes]

Gage struggled against his captures, trying to press more strength into his muscles. They were stronger than him, stronger than any human had a right to be. Gage didn't think he'd be able to get away without transforming completely. Instead of giving away what might be his one last advantage, he slumped forward. The guards didn't even pause in dragging him to his same cell. They tossed him in and bound him, and examined the lock. One of them cursed, causing Gage's lip to twitch in a smile. This room would be unusable, he knew.

One of the guards grabbed Gage again and tied something around his eyes before dropping what felt like a burlap sack over his head. Well, this was knew, Gage thought. They led him through the corridors before a swooshing noise let Gage knew a door had opened in front of him.

The guards followed him into the room and Gage's body tensed. The door didn't close behind them. He was just about to turn and strike out when someone hit him in the back of the head with a taser stick. His entire body shook for a few moments as he head flew backward trying to protect his neck.

The guards used that moment to push him down onto a chair and strap him in. Gage heard the footsteps retreating before the door shut with a whoosh.

"The least you could do is take off this stupid sack and let a man see!" Gage called out to no one.

"I don't think that is a good idea, #20290." A voice said behind him. Gage turned his head to the noise but didn't even hear breathing coming from that corner of the room.

"You might not enjoy this... but I will." The voice said.

That's when the pain started.