Nat wore an expression of pleasant surprise and relief as Reaper asked about Azrael and Sirena's romantic status; it meant that she wasn't the only one suspicious about the lack of wedding bands, surely. The skull hero was observant--good. She stored that little tidbit away for later, along with Hawthorne's reply to her question. When the man began to address her own concerns, she decided to lighten up on her harshness and listen as politely as she could.
"We have a separate facility for villains once they are questioned. They are given one of two options, a facility with the same nullification as our room that is heavily guarded. The second is a similar prison, but rather they are given collars that prohibit the use of powers. Sometimes they have no option, and it is decided by our best judgment."
Okay...Alright. That was somewhat better. She momentarily wondered where this facility and prison were located, hopefully as far away from innocent citizens as possible. Hell, it wouldn't hurt to drop them off on a remote island, but even she winced a bit at the cruel thought. Besides, she of all people knew that even good people did wrong things for personal and desperate reasons...
Shaking the thought away, she cleared her throat before muttering, "That is a pretty good security system, don't get me wrong," she started slowly, "But if I know anything, it's how to forge an ID and gather adhesive solvents to mold a replica of a person's unique skin pattern. If you want to really put a tight lock on that scanner, I'd suggest also adding a recognition system on the molecular-level. It's something that I still have in the works for WPPD, but I should have a prototype up and running in a few days..."
Her brow furrowed.
Why...in the hell was she talking like she worked for them? She wasn't about to give up her position at the precinct and transfer over to WPHO! That was just freaking ridiculous. Angrily shutting her own trap, Nat merely shrugged while muttering, "I know, Quincy made that loud and clear." She could tell that Hawthorne was a genuinely good and caring man, but that did nothing to life the reluctance.
Heaving another sigh while rubbing her face, she finally decided to take a sip of tea in hopes of soothing her nerves. The last thing she needed was to snap at someone, get fatigued, and fall over convulsing. Absolutely not. Setting her cup down, one hand ran soothingly through Quinn's hair, who visibly relaxed from the motion. Her vibrations eased significantly, though a remnant of bouncing remained.
"I appreciate the sentiment, I really do...but I'm cautious. I like everything to be concrete, organized, and well-planned. You have said "assumed" six times since the beginning of this briefing, which is three over my comfort count. I don't care for that word, personally-speaking, but that's not even the point. What's really eating at me is the fact that I just now got back the love of my life after thinking she was dead for a fucking month." A soft tremor shook her words. "And now, not even ten minutes later, you're asking both of us to put our lives on the line." She tossed the documents down, paper meeting the table with a soft thud.
"I...I wish to not interfere in your business." Night Owl's voice snagged Nat's attention again. He sat forward cautiously, as if prepping himself to deliver bad news. "But it may be best for your lover to stay here, yes?"
A snort of disbelief escaped Nat, her face twisting with a grimace. "And how in the hell do you think that's a good idea? This place is a fucking hotspot for bad blood and shortened lives." She momentarily felt Quinn freeze under her, but was far too focused on Night Owl to react.
"I have been overlooking your lover for the duration of her disappearance," Night Owl informed patiently--
"YOU WHAT!"
Nat nearly launched herself over the table at the man, pure and unfiltered rage kindling in her eyes. However, Quinn's hold on her remained strong and hauled the woman back into her lap, though she still struggled lividly. "And why in the FUCK didn't you contact me?! Her poster was fucking everywhere you son of a bitch!" As she spat those last words, Quinn's face finally exposed itself, her chin propped up on Nat's shoulder.
"Precious, it's alright," she whispered, her voice the purest hue of exhaustion, "Let him explain first." If Nat could embody her current spirit animal, she would be spouting waves of fire; however, with great reluctance and annoyance, she gave in with a grumble, falling limp in Quinn's grasp.
All the while, Night Owl seemed completely tranquil and unperturbed. "You are the calm now, yes? As I was saying before the interruption occurred," Nat scowled, but some strange sixth sense told her that he didn't intend for his statement to be taken as offensive, "I indeed wished to contact you when I first found your lover. However, she refused to let me and she is currently in a state unlike herself, as I am sure that you know."
"Superspeed doesn't mean she couldn't have fucking come home," Nat grumbled while leaning into Quinn almost protectively. What was with this guy anyways? She didn't care for the way he spoke, all proper and naive. He was probably fucking with her or yanking her leg, taking pleasure in making her hackles rise. Asshole.
Night Owl nodded. "I agree. However, it is more than her speed, yes?" He glanced directly at Quinn, as if awaiting her to grant him permission about something. Whatever he was asking for, the blonde eventually gave it with a very, very anxious nod before shoving her face back into Nat's shirt. The hell...?
Apparently given the go-ahead, Leo continued, "Your lover is suffering a very serious mental trauma. It is likely a side effect of her abilities. It causes her constant pain and distraction. She was vibrating, yes?"
Nat squirmed uncomfortably. "I...yeah, she was. How'd you know?"
"That is indeed what she does when she is feeling distressed. My friend..." Although Night Owl was wearing a mask, Nat could've sworn pure concern and sympathy beamed through the holes of it and nailed her dead in the chest. "I understand that her love for you is indescribable and yours as well for her. Along with this, I care for her as well. Please, these people may indeed have a way to assist her with her troubles. Whether or not you stay afterwards is entirely up to you, yes?" He looked over at Hawthorne for confirmation.
Meanwhile, Nat's jaw shifted around in equal parts anger and internal conflict. Quinn...Quinn had indeed been acting quieter and more tense than usual, but she had tossed that up to adapting to her powers. But if her girlfriend was actually suffering...Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. "B-babe...is that true?"
"Um..." Quinn's voice was muffled against her shirt, but she was able to make out the gist of her response, "Y-yeah. Even now, she...she's talking to me. In my head. Always berating and torturing me, I," Her hold on Nat strengthened. "I-I wanted to come home to you so bad, Precious. I swear. But it feels like I'm losing m-my mind. I'm going crazy and I couldn't...couldn't put you through that." A long, shaky breath escaped her, followed by a quite curse and what Nat could've sworn was the utterance of Colette.
"You...you really..." Nat felt lost, her eyes jumping from hero to hero with an almost helpless look. Why couldn't things be simple like they used to be? Sure, they used to traverse their fair share of hills and valleys, but they were tame and comfortable in comparison to this. All of this...Nat just wanted to go home with her Quinny and forget this month-long nightmare ever happened. But now...
Steadying herself, she clenched her jaw before addressing Hawthorne stiffly, "Help her and I'll consider joining. And only consider. Nothing else beyond that is promised."
"We have a three digit code as well that we are attempting to grant each member to bump up security. We are more than joyous to look into other options as well. If the molecular device proves to be successful, WPHO is willing to pay for compensation for such a machine." Hawthorne paused as he realized Ms Kross was right. He was not producing confidence within his words, and in a matter of life and death within this organization. He needed to be sure that the entire team was safe. Training was one. Security was two. Elimination of a threat was three. It seemed so simple within his head. Producing the outcome, however was going to prove to be difficult. He needed to insure that his employees felt safe under the roof of his organization. How could he do such a thing when it was very obvious that something was not right? Death at every corner of Hawthorne's little, scarred family. He bit his lip. He did not want to admit how much he was hurting, and how desperately he wished to protect his city.
"I promise you we will provide safety. I promise you will we provide protection." Hawthorne vowed, his hand over his heart. However his head peeked up as Leonardo began to speak, mentioning his care for Quinn when she had vanished.
Oh no. Hawthorne could picture what happened next. This is what occurred every time he informed his wife that he had taken their child out to go to the park, or a movie. You took my little girl without telling me. He could perceive the fury in Natalie's eyes and sure enough, she began to lash at Leonardo. Hawthorne was tempted to snap his fingers, but noticed that Quinn had held her back, Leonardo's form completely relaxed. Jennifer had her arm before Leonardo, glance intense as she seemed to stiffen. Gwendolyn and Arthur both slowly raised their masks(only enough to reveal their lower face), in seeming unison, to take a sip of their tea. Savage had his hand over his face in a groan, Stitch following in unison as a claw travelled over to it's countenance. Hawthorne's breath caught in his throat as the two conversed, fear ever present in his stomach. If Natalie dared to be released from Quinn's grasp, he would do what he needed to. But luckily, it appeared that Natalie relaxed within her arms.
Thank God above. That could have been awful.Hawthorne swallowed as he noticed how calm Leonardo was, how defensive Jennifer appeared, and how cold and angry Natalie presented.
"We can try and help, miss. We have experimental technology that we could attempt." He admitted, although he was not certain how well it could split this woman back to normal.
"I feel your astral presence is weird ~" Arthur cooed as his mask was lowered and he gestured to Quinn with trembling fingers. "I can try and fix that? The only promise is I don't have a physical shell to move the energy. Which means pretty much, if I do find a way to uh...Move your astral being, there are two problems. One, I don't exactly know which energy is which. There are two. One...one...I feel agitation. I think? The other...also agitation. A lot less at the moment. Number two, if I do move the energy, we have the problem of, oh shit, I killed someone because I quite literally moved a person's soul from their body."
"Can you do that?" Reaper inquired skeptically. "Move someone's spirit from their body. Doesn't sound like something you can do."
"Uh...not necessarily. I can move astral energy back to it's place. An astral form of sorts. So if it's misplaced...I think I can move it? It'd be pretty experimental. It is more me guiding the energy to where it should be, which is where it wants to be. I think? It's a feeling I get."
"Dear God do not let Noble anywhere near that woman." Reaper muttered with her hand over her mask. "Dios ayude a esa mujer (God help that woman.)"
"We can assist as much as we can." Hawthorne finally claimed, rubbing his temple. "I promise I will do everything in my power to make her well. Now that we have that all organized and understood...A spoken rule rather than a written one...there is no need to attack one another? Good. Good." Hawthorne mumbled as he brushed stray locks of grey hair from his face. "Now then ~"
"Here." Gwendolyn and Arthur replied at the same time, glaring at each other briefly before handing the papers.
"You sure you two are in agreement for this?" Hawthorne clarified as he gathered the papers. They nodded.
"I want to protect the city. And if there's a force that has a chance at hurting my loved ones, I want to stop it." Gwendolyn replied before Arthur chimed.
"I think this could be fun." Arthur paused as he could feel Gwendolyn's glare dig daggers into his mask "And I want to protect my city and of course the ones I love. Mostly the ones I love."
Nat had to use every ounce of phantom patience (meaning patience that she didn't actually have) not to outright glare at Reaper and Noble as they sipped their tea in synchronized "Oop, shit's about to go down~" Detective Yamanashi fashion. She had worked with the eccentric man long enough to pinpoint that gesture from miles away and decode the mischief behind it. What, did they think this shit was funny? A fucking joke?
This team was really starting to grate on her nerves. Usually, Nat wasn't so standoffish and violent, but losing Quinn had apparently bred a whole new level of rage for her. And it was beyond difficult to suppress. She could admit that she was going to regret launching herself at Night Owl for several reasons, so she secretly appreciated that her girlfriend had held her back at last second.
"We can try and help, miss. We have experimental technology that we could attempt." Nat didn't like the lack of certainty in his voice, which meant she could conclude two things. One, Hawthorne himself wasn't sure if WPHO had the equipment to help Quinn. Secondly, Night Owl had lied to her. Oh...mother fucker.
She would remember that.
The brunette merely crossed her arms and huffed, glaring holes into the documents. She had already read through everything twice over (she had to learn how to speed read cases while simultaneously entertaining Carter, appeasing a pissed Colette, and repairing the latest techno-fail around WPPD).
The pay did indeed seem reasonable, along with the free education system, though she and Quinn didn't have issues in either department. She had an IQ of 145 (the value didn't mean a damn thing to her, in all honesty, but she was forced to take the analysis anyways) and her job at WPPD paid generously. As for Quinn...she was very smart, just lazy as holy hell. Nat never pried about why the blonde was so unmotivated because she could tell it resided in a very sensitive place. As far as money was concerned, she had a decent income rolling in as a full-time blogger for West Point's leading Creative Writing and Fine Arts enthusiasts, PenMePress. Nat never understood the name, though Quinn hinted that it something to do with the owners, who were married and sickeningly shipped as Penmi around the office.
Frick--Nat was getting off track, wasn't she? Not a good sign. That was commonly a correspondent with heightened stress. Nope. Nope, nope, nope, not now dammit. Taking another sip of tea, she listened to Nobel's explanation with a narrowed skeptic gaze.
"Uh...Look, I don't get the whole astral spirit stuff you're spouting," Quinn muttered, "But...I'm desperate here. If you want to try, then I'll freaking do it."
Nat's stomached flipped. "Babe..." she started in a warning tone, "I want you to feel better too, but this could really...really backfire." The blonde groaned loudly, clearly on the edge of losing patience as her head softly bonked into Nat's arm.
"I knooooow," she whined in utter defeat. Nat absolutely hated to hear that tone escaping her girlfriend and it made her visibly soften...
Okay. That was it. She was going to fix this and pronto. Without sparing Noble a glance, she snapped her fingers before pointing at him. "You. If you think you can seriously separate astral energies, then we need to talk. As for you," She strutted up to Hawthorne with Quinn in tow, "Where's your labs around here? You've got a physics engineering team or am I and Noble working by ourselves?" A pause. "And I swear I won't physically attack anyone anymore. Just got a little heated," she muttered with the tiniest hint of pink tinting her cheeks. Despite her pain and disarray, Quinn had squeezed out a chuckle at the embarrassment in Nat's tone, which only darkened her blush. "Sh-shaddup..."
"I didn't say anything."
"Gremlin"
Nat had to blink back her surprise as Night Owl suddenly showed up next to her, contract in hand and bearing a sunny smile. "Excuse me, Hawthorne? Can the protection services be extended to team members as well?" He gave a particular look Nat's way before snapping back to Hawthorne.
Once again, Nat saw red.
"Oh--Oh! I'LL GIVE A REASON TO GET PROTECTION SERV--" "It is only, as you Americans say, a pun, my friend," Night Owl chuckled. "I merely needed a reason to talk to you and crack the funniness with you." The lower half of his features softened with something akin to remorse. "I fear that we had acquired the wrong foot. I only wish to be amicable with everyone, especially the lover of my dear friend, yes?"
Like a punctured tire, Nat deflated, absolute bafflement coloring her features. "What...What is up with you?" Just the faintest hint of horror peeked through. Seriously, she couldn't understand this man. To make matters worse, Night Owl actually looked up at the fucking ceiling, then back at her in crystal clear confusion.
"I apologize, but I do not understand. Do you see something up above that I do not? And why is with me if I am down here?"
A beat.
Three more long beats...
Night Owl shrugged, brushing off the awkward tension. "Well, it does not matter. I simply came to apologize for anything that I may have said to offend you, my friend. Per customary, we seek closure with a hug of friendship, yes?" Nat could only sputter as the man suddenly enveloped her in a big hug, her feet actually leaving the floor for a moment. Utterly baffled, the only thing she could do was drawl out an intelligent, "Uhhhh" and hesitantly pat him on the back. Satisfied with that reaction, he put her down, beamed at her and then addressed Hawthorne again, "I shall give you my answer when Bearskin does, yes?"
Without another word, he left.
...
"You..." Nat pointed at the retreating hero while looking at Quinn, her jaw literally meeting the floor. "Why in the h-hell are you friends with him??"
Quinn shrugged.
"He's cool. And he fed me. Like, a lot."
"...Right"
---
"I think I fixed the problem, mue Querido!" Leo claimed happily as he made his way over to Bearskin. He held up the contracts, his smile as sunny as ever. "Now then, what are your thoughts about this, yes?"
Despite his smiles and sarcastic gestures towards the infuriated woman, Arthur thought his head was going to roll off his neck. Pain throbbed in his skull as three, distinct voices fought within his head. He had grown used to his helpers, but their voices remained to be silenced when he was attempting to do something Arthur thought he would never be able to do again. Think.
"I TOLD YOU TO BE NICE TO GABRIEL BECAUSE NOW HE IS GONE HILL AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE COULD BE!"Eliza's voice boomed ruth(heh, insert proud Arthur here)lessly through his skull. Eliza was usually ever so gentle and loving with Arthur, but now he knew she was upset. After all, her friend was missing and could be anywhere. Eliza was not the type of person to be quiet if Arthur was harmed, and he assumed it was no different for Gabriel Owens.
"Eliza please be quiet. I feel like our boy is having a fucking migraine. God, I feel it too. Arthur, stop having a migraine. Jesus...If thinking this much hurts..." Gunner commented from the side of his head. "Don't do it boy. You'll kill us all."
"Gunner shut up. I can't...gaah...I feel like Gabriel's disappearance is affecting me too. Is it natural?"
"We wouldn't know. Generally the mask is given up after the owner is dead. Technically, Gabriel should still have this. But my guess is...well, you are connected to him somehow. If you can truly feel he isn't dead. Now, for the matter of splitting this woman apart. You are right. I feel two separate entities in there. I don't think we have ever tried to accomplish something like this before. If the energy doesn't have a vessel, it's lost. You best tell this crazy bitch that before she launches herself at you too."
"Relax Gunner. I don't think she will do that. She just seems to really care about blondie. I want to help."
"Arthur, honey, just remember. Be careful. Do not kill."Eliza's voice gently reminded him as she grew calmer. Hill was surprisingly quiet today, although Arthur dared not question it.
"I know. I know. Relax. No deaths on my watch. Now. Please remain quiet...I need to focus on charming the fuck out of cute brunette."
"You talking about Reaper or crazy?"
"...Reaper falls in both of those categories Gunner."
"Remember that the next time you try to sweep her off her feet." With that, the voices pipped down and he felt at peace once more. He exhaled calmly, noticing that the beast seemed to note his distress. The beast had crawled under the table and gently rested it's head upon Arthur's feet. He tensed, but realized that the purring of the animal set him at an odd ease. Gonna ignore big dog at my feet...if I can call it that.His face twisted underneath the mask and he felt sweat building at his brow. What he would have given to tear the accursed thing off his head.
"Talk with me all you want sweetheart." He snapped his fingers before straightening into his seat, watching as Hawthorne appeared to have a moral dilemma.
"We have a laboratory as well as some scientists. They study powers and such, as well as cures for certain DNA ailments that might be caused by powers. I can assign a few to your case."
"Oh and one more thing. Sweetheart, if you want me to separate blondie and the energy, I need a physical vessel. If that means the molecular splicer or whatever, then that means I can help on a..."
"Spiritual level? Dios mio, Noble. I never thought anyone would go to you for spiritual guidance." Reaper turned her masked face towards him, eyes glinting with amusement.
"Hey. Call that agnostic guilt." He snapped his fingers again before watching Savage hand the paper over to him, silence nearly overtaking him before he admitted.
"I need three panic pagers. Two hours?"
"Two hours. Thank you for your service Savage." Hawthorne gave him a very pleasant smile before turning to Natalie, eyeing her up and down as she was willing to hand over the application. "Thank you Ms. Again, feel free to look into the labs and speak with the physics team. They will be more than willing to..." He was interrupted as Night Owl suddenly hefted the woman into a hug, causing Arthur to stifle chuckles.
"Don't make a 'this could be us joke.' " Reaper mumbled, sliding in her seat. "I'll give you a hug if we live through this, deal?"
"...More than enough reason to live." Arthur claimed with a big grin, suddenly relieved that he had an opportunity to actual hug the damn grump. About time. "Hey, so we have Bearskin and Night Owl now ~ The animal buddies are pending ~. What do you say honey? Why not join the team?" His eyes locked with Bearskin, who seemed slightly agitated. As soon as Night Owl approached her though, her muscles seemed to have relaxed.
"If you ever call us the animal buddies again I'll snap your neck. Or...Reaper you dabble in bones? Ill pay her." Reaper seemed amused by this and snickered under her breath as Bearskin reread the document, seemingly over and over again. "Okay querido..." She mused, her shoulders slumping in near defeat. "It seems cut and dry. Pay is nice. It gives an opportunity to protect the city more efficiently, we have a heavier amount of backup...but..." In a lighter voice, Arthur could have sworn he heard "I do not know if I trust this place." Bearskin sighed and her fingers trembled as she slowly began to trace it down the paper. "What say you, meu anjo?" Bearskin seemed to mutter a quiet 'fuck it' under her breath before scribbling her name. "I pray this is not my soul I am selling." She slid it over to Hawthorne, crossing her arms as she kept her head down.
"Aye, that wasn't too bad honey..." Arthur piped up and he could have sworn he heard a low growl emit from her. "Sorry...sorry...er, welcome to the team?"
"My going rate is fifty dollars a pop, madre oso. Just a reminder." Reaper winked at her, leaving Noble chuckling lightly still. In the background, Eliza began to fuss about the wellbeing of Arthur's neck.
Nat could've sworn her eyes rolled all the way into the back of her head when she heard--
"Talk with me all you want sweetheart."
...
...
"Woo-saw...woo-saw...woo-saw..." Nat whispered under her breath while massaging her temples. It was alright. Everything was okay. She couldn't afford to snap. Don't snap. Don't detonate. She had a mission to take care of--helping Quinn.
Exhaling one last time, she peeled her eyes open and nodded. "Thank you, Hawthorne. I'll need two extra pair of hands with minimum understand of quantum physics, peace and quiet, distance from the birdman, Noble, and Quinn."
"Oh and one more thing. Sweetheart--" "Mother fu--Call me sweetheart one more time!I dare you!" Again, Nat's rage had to be settled by a restraining hug from Quinn, whose visage was a strange mix of resignation to the permanent position of girlfriend rage tamer and blandness.
"If you want me to separate blondie and the energy, I need a physical vessel. If that means the molecular splicer or whatever, then that means I can help on a..." "Spiritual level?" Quinn finished with a proud grin, though it vanished as soon as it came. The pain made a reappearance and she emitted a groan while clutching her head tightly. She leaned into Nat's back, gripping fistfuls of her shirt. The brunette didn't resist; her anger was once again swept asunder by Herculean worry, suddenly finding it difficult to swallow around the lump in her throat.
She had tuned out Reaper and Noble's bantering, opting instead to wait (im)patiently for them to finish before saying anything...And then Noble was over flirting with Bearskin. Nat's hands buried in her hair as a furious growl grated at the back of her throat. "For fuck's sake lover boy--WOULD YOU COME ON?!"
She literally stomped over him (although, miraculously enough and with the powers of Loving Girlfriend, managed to guide Quinn along gently) like Stitch's demonic woman cousin hauled from Hell, eyes very much on fire. Once she was within reach of him, she crossed her arms and flashed an incredibly honest expression that screamed, "Sir I am a crazy bitch on edge please don't test me."
"Now that you've acquired three death wishes in the span of one hour, twelve minutes, and thirty-eight seconds, are you ready to go so we can discuss this in detail?" Although she framed the sentence like a question, there wasn't any room for disagreement.
"Dude," Quinn drawled in a daze from Nat's back, "This dude...Noble, right? You are freaking suicidal in style." In Quinn-speak, that was considered a compliment. Oh wait...now that Nat was thinking about compliments...
Stiffly, she turned to face Reaper and said, "Also, good call on pointing out Sirena and Azrael's romantic status. Your observations are more keen than I gave credit for and I won't make the mistake of underestimating you again." In Nat-speak, that was also considered a compliment.
With that wiped from her raging conscience, Nat placed her hands on her hips and addressed Noble again. "You ready to go? Good. Come on." She marched out of the Briefing Room with Quinn, expecting the masked hero to follow.
...
...
...
Face as red as a lobster, she peeked her head back into the room and mumbled, "Hawthorne...Where's the Physics Lab?"
"You're so adorakable--" "Babe! Not in front of everyooone!" Nat whined childishly.
---
"Ah, so we say yes?" Leo double-checked with his Querido, although he could tell that nerves wracked her on the inside. He wasn't clueless to the weight of their situation. Accepting would lead to future traumas and dangers, but, as he had said several times before and would continue to say, he was always by her side through thick and thin. He looped an arm around her to pull her into a brief hug for comfort.
"I say...that this decision will come with many trials and tribulations, yes? But I am certain that we can traverse this together and with our new friends. I have faith, meu Querido." Either way, his Querido seemed devoted to the decision and she turned in the contract. Leo easily followed suit and signed wherever necessary (there were a few instances n which he almost accidentally wrote "Leonardo" instead of "Leo", but had caught his slip ups at last second). He slid his contract along to Hawthorne as well and beamed at the man. "It shall be a pleasure to work with you, yes?"
Arthur smirked under his mask. Arthur was not the typical man to flirt, that was unless he truly knew the female. Gwendolyn Slade was the type of woman he would try to swoon discreetly, considering he wanted to get it right. Although that wasn't working well. Considering the dinner she had planned. At the restaurant he booked. As he waited. For two long hours. He swallowed the lump growing in his throat. That wasn't the appropriate thing to think about right now. Nor would it ever be. He had a city to protect, and some people to mess with.
"I'll send Quincy. He talks about quantum physics all the time. Sometimes I don't really understand it, but it'll work. I'll get another worker in there too as well." Hawthorne confirmed, seeming to make mental note to remind himself later. However, Arthur's attention was cut short from Hawthorne back over to the woman as she nearly graced him with a horrid nickname
"Well excuse me sunshine! I have learned never to call another man a fucker of one's..."
"Ah...okay there is no need to finish that sentence." Reaper mumbled and pushed at Noble's shoulder lightly. "Go already. Just go ~" With a small huff, Arthur rose from his seat and stretched out his back.
"Alright let's go chat. That should be fun. I'll see you all soon ~ Reaper, I bid you farewell..." He raised her hand before she snatched it away, chuckling. "Perhaps at a later date then." He exited with the woman, only to have to come back as she had no idea where the lab was. He shoved his hands in his pockets and grumbled lightly.
"Two halls down. Take a right and then a left and it's there." Hawthorne claimed as he took more applications within his hands. A smile gracing his lips.
"Thanks dude ~" Arthur cooed as he made his way back out into the hall. He swallowed unsurely as he started and he turned to the woman. "So, I have never truly tried to do this. I want to help blondie but I don't know if it will be well upon her or the other astral presence within her body. But you best believe I will try..." Arthur sighed as he patted down his hair once more.
---
Jennifer was surprised to feel that her body almost melted into Leo's as he gave her a reassuring hug. She was never sure how this man made her feel this way, being able to relax in an instant, but she decided not to question it. "I am sure, meu querido. I have faith too. Just promise me we have each other's back?" She smiled at him before glancing over to Hawthorne, who had taken Leo's papers with a smile.
"It will be a pleasure to work with you, Night Owl. I thank you for your assistance in protecting this city. You and Bearskin."
Nat's head was certain it was going to explode. The sheer magnitude of hot embarrassment inflating her poor skull was on the verge of spilling over. Well, okay, that was somewhat of a lie. It was already overflowing into the hot blush on her face, the humiliated and timid twist of her eyes, the hasty dipping of her head away from the door, and the grumbles tumbling from her lips without resistance. Hand pressed to her forehead and gaze slightly lowered to avoid eye contact with Noble, she seized Quinn by the hand and followed Hawthorne's directions.
"I hate everything, why me, I hate everything, why me, I hate everything, why me, I hate--" "You don't hate me," Quinn quipped helpfully, her voice still swimming.
"..."
"..."
"I hate everything except you, why me..."
Her helpless mantra lasted up until she realized Quincy was waiting in the halls--obviously for them. She gave the man a curt nod and kept it moving, assuming him to tag along with prompting. She wasn't in the mood for chat outside of business.
When Noble addressed her again. Immediately, her brow pinched as she heaved a tired sigh, tussling her wild hair without much care for it. "We're not going to try, we're going to succeed. Don't worry, I wouldn't do this if I wasn't confident that everything would turn out as predetermined. If..." She glanced back at Quinn, giving the woman's hand a comforting squeeze, "If she really does have a second conscience within her, then it's likely a parasitic situation. She's in far too much distress to function properly. That likely means there was some enforced genetic rearrangement, which can never produce a complete and neat product." Nat caught herself rambling again, but decided it was okay to continue since her terminology wasn't pushing into dangerously incomprehensible territory. She (perhaps foolishly) placed faith in Noble to understand and Quincy was apparently adept in Quantum Physics. He clearly had more patience to fill Nobel in if needed. "Point is, I'm certain when her and the parasite's DNA were spliced apart to allow merging, the "patch up" job is likely shoddy, bringing on the dissonance going on with her head. Their beings are literally battling for dominance. But that could be good news for us. If we do this right, I could possibly mimic the genetic footprints and re-splice them on a molecular level, not enough to full separate, but enough to persuade their DNA to reverse the effects. We'll keep providing a proper external stimulant as a sort of powerhouse to help it along. This should also encourage proper protein production to give the parasite his or her physical vessel back. The only factor I'm uncertain of is the vessel's state."
Nat's fingers tapped rapidly against her lips, visibly zoning out.
"We'll need a stabilizer on hand, so I assume Quincy and the other assistant can assist with that. As for you, Noble," she finally locked eyes with the masked hero, "Your astral projection might be the extra boost we need to guarantee success. I admit that this part is somewhat speculative for me since I'm not entirely familiar with this...principle, but from what you've told me, you mentioned difficulty identifying which energy belongs to whom, right? I don't know how much this'll help, but since my Q-..." Fuck, she almost slipped up. Inhaling slowly, she recovered from her mistake and continued carefully, "...My girlfriend. Since my girlfriend has retained physical dominance along with majority mental occupancy, I assume that her energy is more...prominent? I guess? Maybe that doesn't help, but that's the only hypothesis I can draw up without a thorough rundown of her astral reading methods--" She snapped her fingers. "Speaking of which, be sure to run them by me as we work on the molecular splicer. Don't leave anything out please."
With all that said and done (rather rapidly on her part), Nat finally saw the Physics Lab in view and entered with Quinn quickly. On a regular day, she would've frozen solid where she was, gape like a puffer fish straight out of water, and let her jaw smack into tile as she drooled over the equipment. But she didn't. Instead, she found a seat and gently guided Quinn to sit down. She cradled the blonde's face in her hands, trying to guide her disoriented blue gaze to her own. "Sweetheart? Listen to me carefully, okay? I'm going to fix this. Stay here and let us do what we need to."
Quinn nodded, not exactly able to formulate anything on her lips other than a pained groan or a grimace. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Nat stalked over to Quincy and said, "Whenever that assistant of yours get in here, please ask them to check her vitals. We'll need to know all that we can. Meanwhile, Noble fill me in on the astral voodoo bro and don't hold back." It wasn't hard to find the supply and tool cache. Jesus...the variety. The quantity and quality was...amazing--
"Fucking focus Nat," she grumbled to herself. She arched an eyebrow at Quincy. "You ready? I'm not planning on wasting any time."
Leonardo "Leo" Delgado Miranda | Location: WPHO Briefing Room | Interactions: Jen & Hawthorne
Leo beamed pleasantly at his Querido. "Why of course," he said, his side hug around her shoulders remaining, "I shall always be in possession of your back, as you shall be in possession of mines, yes? I have promised since the beginning that no harm shall befall you for as long as I breathe and this promise breathes alive and strong today. It is, as you say, immortal."
His attention then strayed over to Hawthorne as he thanked the both of them. The entire interaction was composed mostly of politeness and standard lines, Leo knew that much. Thus, he would not overstep any boundaries that American society had set up for these situations. He wished to ask him if he knew the team's favorite hobbies and pass times, what made them feel joy and forget the ugliness of the world, even if temporarily. He wished to ask Hawthorne how he acquired such marvelous abilities that could create food! It was wonderful! Hawthorne could cure world hunger if he applied enough effort and focus, and worked with a solid networking foundation.
But, again, Leo would not bring those up. Business. This was all business. Plastering on a pleasant smile, he nodded and chimed, "Bearskin and I believe strongly in justice and the safety of our loved ones, yes? It is only natural that we wish to help. I am certain that we all enjoy working with one another." After considering--and wisely turning down--the idea of hugging Hawthorne goodbye, he turned to face his Querido. It was nearly impossible to detect, but the mood of his tone sobered ever so slightly.
"I believe we have things to discuss considering living arrangements, yes?" His eyes softened. "Particularly involving me apologizing to you, meu Querido." He gestured patiently to the halls, where he hoped to attain a bit more privacy in comparison to staying in the room (though a part of himself felt guilty for leaving his new friend Reaper alone...He would be sure to come back and see if she wished to converse--if she would still be there by then).
It took the will power of a saint for Arthur to hold back the chuckles as she was given directions, then promptly began to explain her hatred for everything in the world. He squeezes his hands into his fists, remembering a similar feeling when he was diagnosed. He hated everything. The way the air would rush into his lungs on a new day. The concern lit in Izzy's eyes as her hand squeezed too tightly around his. The smell of roses and lilacs from his mother. The warmth of the sun upon his pale skin, illuminating his freckles as he knew he was going to lose his hair. The warm, fuzzy knitted hat that Izzy made for him resting upon his head. He hated all of it. Yet...looking back, he realized he learned that he needed to love everything, good and bad, in order to survive the ordeal. He learned to love the chemo, he learned to love the white walls and the smell of plastic that plagued the hospital room. He learned to love drinking nothing but chicken broth because he became easily sick by anything else. He loved the doctor that told him that his condition was only going to worsen. He loved the sound of his own heartbeat. He loved the white background that his eyes flickered to when he thought he had died. He loved the smell of roses and lilacs that had died over the course of the weeks upon weeks of treatment.
He loved the hug that he thought was to be his last. He was miraculously broken from his shattered memories, sharp as glass pricking his skin for blood.
"If the situation is biological, we can assume the energy from the accident mended their bodies together. Perhaps the second consciousness was too weak to survive on their own due to predetermined conditions, and the consciousness latched onto your girlfriend's here. So we have some problems if that's the case. One, if this is a parasitic reaction, the secondary consciousness may not be able to survive without it's host. Even if you separate them, there is a reason your girlfriend is currently the dominate one. Number two, the energy that would be needed to splice these two in half would be tremendous. My guess is if we are lucky enough to get the secondary consciousness's body back, it would be scarred. Hell, there is a possibility that the spirit, or astral energy, would not want to move back to it's original space. It may be latched. So, we can have a few solutions. Know your girlfriend will live, fear that the secondary individual will not." Arthur finished, noticing the recruiter, Quincy, seemed appalled briefly by Arthur's explanation. "What? I was a MicroBiology major. Fucking nerd. You should have this in your files." Arthur chuckled under his breath before he realized he needed to explain the astral energy.
"Well, in some cultures it's referred to as a soul or spirit. In this case, astral energy is that living being. It's their consciousness, their soul, their electrical impulses. Because your girlfriend is the prominent "soul" of sorts, it is easier to define her. She is comfortable in her body, well, for the most part considering she has a parasite attached to her astral being. The secondary being is...weaker in a way. Not in control. Is upset. Um...It's weird to say, but consider it as colors. Your girlfriend is a flickering blue on the verge of red. The secondary being is fully red. One is closer to it's being than the other. I know it sounds bizarre, but that's how it uh...Looks in a way. Again, I have never dealt with this sort of situation before, but I can assure you, I can sense the anomaly." Arthur entered the physic's room and felt his jaw drop. Now, Arthur was not the best at physics and quantum mechanics, but that could not prevent his inner student to flourish and bounce for joy.
"Holy shit." He muttered "I...I think I believe in heaven now..."
"If you'd like more proof later on, Noble, I will show you the chemistry labs. I will get on to assisting your friend." Quincy pipped up as he made his way over to Quinn, calling out for a fellow agent to assist him with checking her vitals and physical being.
"Anything else you want to know about the astral mumbo jumbo?" He claimed, summoning a flicker of blue energy at his finger tips.
"I hold the very same promise to my heart meu querido. No harm shall be place unto you, as long as I am still breathing." She hesitantly sneaked her arm around his waist as her eyes flickered close in her peace. She was broken out of it as she realized Hawthorne was thanking them for their assistance, and Jennifer realized that had she been back in her squadron, hugging one of her brothers in arms was a no go. She slowly, and very hesitantly, released her grasp upon him and let out a gentle exhale.
"I know you and Bearskin are good, efficient, and empathic workers. I look forward with working with all of you in the future." With those who were still within the room, Hawthorne offered his hand in a shake, being accepted first by Savage, followed by the beast whose beady, red eyes seemed to shine with affection, and then Reaper. Reaper almost seemed hesitant to reply to such a goodbye, but she did so anyway, her eyes trained carefully upon the man.
"Thank you for the opportunity, Nigel." Jennifer could only assume the woman was smiling under the mask, and much to Jennifer's surprise, she noted that Hawthorne was smiling too. He released Reaper's hand and Jennifer shook his next, draping her hand along her forehead before out striking it in a salute.
"Pleasure to be able to work with you sir. One favor. Keep that Neil man far away from us as much as you can. Particularly for his own physical safety." A smile graced her lips, something that appeared to send shivers down Hawthorne's back. He did laugh however as the shock passed and he brushed back his greying hair.
"I understand your concern. I will handle it as best as I can." Hawthorne replied, his tone layered with a lighthearted jovial teasing. He moved to saying his goodbyes to Leo, his eyes suddenly softening as he returned to the head of the table. His glance traced upwards. His mouth gaped open briefly before asking
"Would anyone like to stay further for questions?"
"I may." Reaper mumbled, although her hand traced the back of her head. "Then again...I should head home. I am worried that I have extended my usually one hour shift to much longer. Oh, could you also get me a panic pager? Actually...make that two. Can you get that in by tomorrow?"
"Certainly. Savage?"
"I promised someone I'd be home by now. Come on Stitch." Savage whistled lowly, strolling out of the office as stood upon it's hind legs, struggled briefly to walk before reverting to it's natural state. Jennifer sighed lightly at the creature, who was inspecting everyone within the room with a gentle kindness. Once they had left, Jennifer directed her attention to her querido, features softened as she realized what was going to happen.
"Okay sweetheart." She mused gently as she got up from her seat, heading out into the hallway. Once she was sure Leo had followed her out, she ran her fingers along her scalp and inhaled sharply. "Querido I am not mad at you. Know that, for there will be no apologizes spoken. I should be apologizing for not assisting sooner...Honey I didn't realize you were...were homeless. I would have let you stayed with me for as long as you needed. Hell, that offer is still open if you are willing. I just..." She bit her lip, staring down at her sneakers. "I want to make sure you are in a safe environment. Not out on the streets. And I get it if you want to stay here. Just...just know you are always welcome. Always." She hesitated as she reached up to pat his shoulder. She tried to smile, as painful as it was upon her lips. "I will not pressure you into anything. Just as long as you are safe in your living environment."
Nat nodded and grunted at appropriate moments as Noble inserted his own speculations and concerns about splicing Quinn's DNA, her eyes dull with indifference. However, on the inside, she couldn't help but feel pleasantly surprised. His theories and breakdown of genetic consequences were more eloquently than she had planned to give him credit for, to the point of where she assumed he had some proper education in the subject matter. Her suspicions were confirmed at the mention of a Microbiology major.
Another bit of information she had stored away. Reaper was very observant. Sirena and Azrael shared disagreements about starting a family. And now Nobel had sufficient understanding of Biology on a molecular level. Despite her reservations, she could admit that if--if--she ever joined this team, there were fellow intellects around.
"You've got a point there," Nat sighed, "Whatever predetermined conditions this parasite was forced to flee from, I'm hoping that Quinn's vitals will help shed some light on that mystery. Whatever it is her body has, that was what was needed to survive. The most recent and obvious change to her genetic makeup would likely be..." Her breathing stuttered as the lungs beneath her ribs clenched. The explosion. The viscous crackling of blue electricity. The roaring flames. Scorch marks. Ashes. Screams. She had never wailed with so much anguish in her entire life. Swallowing painfully, she forced herself to remain stable and continued, "The Power Grid Explosion. My guess is that we would need a power source of similar measure, which would probably be around..."
Her eyes shifted about in her skull as she calculated.
"345,000 volts." Nat cringed. Fuck, Noble was right. Garnering that much energy would be nearly impossible. Although she was certain that a facility as advanced and massive as WPHO utilized an assload of voltage on the daily, she couldn't afford to wring the building dry, as they would need other equipment to keep the parasite's body stable afterwards.
"Jesus Christ..." Nat ran both hands down her face, the frustration of everything threatening to crash down over her. No, no, no--Nat, don't you fucking cave now. Take a deep breath and count. One, one, two, three, five, eight, thirteen, twenty one, thirty four...okay, alright. You're good. Everything's fine. Help your Quinny. After taking a shaky breath, she listened to Noble's expansion on astral energies with as much tolerance as she could fabricate.
"Okay, so...The mental image I'm getting is ink loosened up with a lower concentration of water. Or oil and water floating about in a jar. Point is, they're attached, but not melded." Nat wasn't sure if she described the most accurate depiction, but that was the best her frazzled brain could scrape up at the moment. She swept her hair back with a tired sigh. "The most I can do is hope that this...secondary entity wants their freedom just as badly as we want them out. I imagine a willingness to separate would help in some way? Or am I wrong? Is there anyway you can confirm such a thing? Also," Nat set off to gathering the tools she and the team would need, prepping to construct the core of the splicer. She would hold off on further work until after Quinn's vitals were thoroughly analyzed.
"Look, I know how absolutely risky all of this is, but I can promise all of you two things." Her head absolutely throbbed. This was happening. She was seriously embarking on a project so insanely dangerous and dire with people she had just met--to perform on her ailing girlfriend! It was almost too much for her poor pounding skull, but the discomfort paled in the face of whatever Quinn was suffering from. "One, we're not going to let the second entity die. We're going to mimic the core aspects of whatever's going on with Quinn's system that's sustaining it and have it on the ready. Two, I know I've been a bitch and hard to handle. I'm prickly, not blind. But if we get through this all of this and you help her..."
Her bottom lip almost trembled, but she pressed the back of her hand against it. No emotions. Not now. There was too much work to be done. Her eyes burned as she locked eyes with everyone in the lab.
"It will be stupendously impossible for me thank all of you enough. Just...thank you now for helping. This m-means so much to me and I'm just afraid that..."
She couldn't do this. The steel around her heart was rusting more and more by the second. Sucking in a sharp breath, she shook off the lapse in weakness and finished sternly, "That's all. Let's just do this. I need those vitals as soon as possible, Quincy, and as for those volts, scratch that. We shouldn't need an exact match, but at least something within a certain range. I imagine this building may be enough to power the splicer. But for now, these factors are tentative."
Leonardo "Leo" Delgado Miranda | Location: WPHO Halls | Interactions: Jen
"Perhaps neither of us should apologize then, meu Querido," Leo said softly, "You could not have assisted me because I was being the stubborn and keeping my living conditions a secret from you. There were many times in which I had wished to tell you, but...I foolishly feared that I would be a...burden."
--- "No, no, Leonardo. You're not a burden, it's okay..."
"I burden! Bad! Bad burden!"
"Hush, sweetheart. Don't say that. Don't say that..."
---
Leo snapped back to the present with a tender smile. "I understand your worries, meu Querido, and it hurts me to see that my actions had caused this." He reached out to take both of her hands in his, his thumbs swiping back and forth comfortingly across her knuckles. "Security has...I shall admit, it has never been important for myself. That is, until I have met you. You make me long to care for my safety, so that I am able to see your gorgeous eyes and revitalize through your loving spirit. You...My care for you is what keeps me safe, meu Querido."
His crystal blue eyes shimmered with endearment, giving his Querido's hands a gentle squeeze. The smile upon his features widened ever so slightly. "And, if you truly certain, I would love nothing more than to live with you, yes? I just...I only have warnings that I come with certain...corks, as you say, yes? They may be aspects of myself that you will not be accustomed to."
"Did...did you say 345,000 volts?" Arthur whistled lowly under his breath as his mind struggled to comprehend how in hell that this woman was able to survive. It would certainly explain how something was mended together, the heat from it would be enough to stitch just about anything together. But keeping this body alive? It had to have been short of a miracle for this woman to be standing here. Arthur swallowed uncertainly. This...this would be hard. And if they did manage to get enough energy to split them apart, it's possible this time the voltage would kill them. Arthur wouldn't be able to live with that guilt, and the constant nag from Eliza, Gunner and Hill all seemed to say...
It's better to not lay a hand on the victim than to be the one to end their life. Arthur swallowed. He hated this. But he knew he needed to help. He had the resources to help. And...and...
"I can generate some of that energy. Er, if what you say is true and we don't need that much..."
"I'd estimate we can do around 340,000." Quincy pipped up, removing his shades before depositing them within his pocket. "Even less would be preferable, but the building can manage. I do not know how well Hawthorne would take it..." Quincy hesitated. "Noble I believe you can generate electricity with your astral energy? It's pretty much your body's impulses correct?"
"Er...yes. I haven't measured exactly what the voltage is, but I am assuming I can generate a good amount. Not enough to stimulate the entire explosion, and my guess is if I do more than uh....let's say thirty percent of what we'd need, I think my body would begin to reject the out put." Quincy nodded at Arthur's explanation and took a deep breath.
"Then do not out put more than your body can handle. The building's energy system should be more than enough. If we do end up blacking out for one night we have emergency generators...if those happen to be of assistance." Quincy's brows pinched momentarily. He snapped his fingers. "I bet you we still have equipment that we can use to stabilize her afterwards. There has been some experimentation with electrical powers, although, uh, the last person who had electrical abilities was..."
"Freak show or..."
"No no...It was Sirena. She was the whole "weather, ocean" type of woman. Really surprising what she could generate, but she needed stabilizing. We still might have equipment to adjust with that." Quincy stored that away for later usage, noting that Arthur took no time to explain the spiritual situation of the parasitic soul.
"If I know anything, astral energy from a human perspective wants to stay in a very particular place. Within it's original host. One of two things could happen. One, the energy is willing to go back because it is comfortable there, or two, it enjoys being within it's current host. I believe...I believe one is more likely. Depending on the state of the vessel." Arthur swallowed. He prayed that the second vessel would be strong enough to handle what was to come. He wasn't certain of it, and only assumed that the additional energy would only put pressure upon it. He exhaled. He could handle this. He knew he could. "Listen...you haven't been a bitch. I have however been a dick and I apologize. I promise I will do my best to save her. Quincy, how are..."
"Vitals seem healthy for now." He mused as he inspected Quinn yet again, head tilting. "Although I do suspect the anomalies appear once in a while...particularly blood pressure and heart beat, but one can assume that is from stress...I'll have the assistant watch over her. I am going to go see what I can do to power the splicer." Quincy promised as he left the new assistant with Quinn, confidently strolling down the hallway. Arthur grimaced.
"I admire your strength." Arthur finally claimed, swallowing the lump within his throat. "If I am going to be honest, if my girl...if my friend was in this position I would be panicking." He chuckled, shaking his head in his absentminded thoughts. "So I applaud you." He brought his hands together. "I..I think I can generate at least twenty five percent of what we need. But over that it isn't going to be good. Trust me on that." He wished his fearful grin could shine though the mask this once to reassure this woman.
"Leo...meu querido...You could never be a burden. It is physically impossible for this to be true. In fact, I am certain the home would be twenty times safer with you in it. You are an asset more than anything else. Besides, I can't stand to think that you are out on the streets...without blankets or warmth when my door is open to you. I feel as if I should have offered this sooner, because I know that if I ddi know earlier...I would have probably insisted more heavily than I am now. You do not deserve to live in such a fashion. And as your friend, and as your querido, I refuse to let you remain in such an environment."
She squeezed his hands once he took hers, her eyes glazing over with concern and endearment. She smiled lightly, running her own thumbs along his knuckles. "Querido. I am glad to hear it. Now, as much as I share the sentiment, that you are a great reason for why I have been taking better care of myself...let me ask you something. If you do consider your safety, know that my home is. However this facility seems to be safe as well, and I wish for you to only feel comfortable as to where you are. As...as much as I do love the idea of you living with me, I want you to chose where you believe you will be the most sound. If that is at home with me...so be it. If it is here, I understand and I support you."
"If you do wish to live with me, then so be it. I accept it with a full and happy heart. I will get a copy key made if this is truly what you wish." Her head tilted, and slowly she raised her mask, eyes glimmering with amusement. She glanced back and forth between the hall to make sure that no one could observe them, and she grinned lightly. "Corks? I believe you mean quirks meu anjo. I will accept them if you accept mine. One of those being keeping the TV on at night some times, or waking up for a midnight snacks. Sometimes I have nightmares, I will admit, but they are not bad. Generally I fall asleep right after them, but do not be surprised if I jolt up." She swallowed before letting a laugh ripple through "That being said, I accept no matter what, okay querido? Although, I am curious. What sort of...corks do you have?" She squeezed his hand, brow raised in genuine curiosity. "Just curious. No judgement here, meu querido."
It could not be worse than Jonah's snoring, or Abigail's fumbling. Hanna's whispers in the night, Evan sometimes having to hug a pillow to his body in order to sleep soundly. If she could handle a household of crazy, power filled siblings, she could handle a quirk or two from the man that she trusted above all else.
Nat nibbled on her thumbnail as Noble and Quincy pitched possible compromises to their power source dilemma. "Okay...Okay. Good. Thirty percent contribution should be just what we need and we can settle for 320,000 volts. That's the safest goal."
"One of two things could happen. One, the energy is willing to go back because it is comfortable there, or two, it enjoys being within it's current host. I believe...I believe one is more likely. Depending on the state of the vessel," Noble said. Almost immediately, Nat shook her head, though it was soft and distracted.
"Nu-uh. If the parasite attached to her is the person I think it is, she's likely fighting tooth and nail to get the hell out of there and back into her own body. Those two could barely stand being in the same room longer than half a minute." The brunette knew how much Colette outright detested Quinn. No one really knew why the French woman hated her girlfriend so much; people around the precinct assumed that their personalities just didn't clash well...However, there was more to it. A secret that Nat planned to take to the grave. She hadn't even told Quinn about it for a slew of reasons, the most significant one being fear. Fear that it was make the blonde upset, upset enough to leave her...
Now wasn't the time for that.
Nat heaved another sigh, taking a moment to count once again. The Fibonacci Sequence rolled from her lips in a whispered frenzy until the racing in her veins slowed a minor fraction. Calmn. Serenity. Zen. She spoke to Noble slowly, "No...You're not a dick and I guess I'm not a bitch. This situation itself is just...fucking insane. Don't worry about apologizing." She nodded gratefully as Quincy set off to gather a power source for the splicer. In the meantime, she had some building some do. She rolled a chair over to her main work space where she had gathered her tools and started roughly sketching out measurements and formulas for the device's exoskeleton. As she scribbled away, she paused to address Noble again, "And your thirty percent should be more than enough to offset the facility burning. I swear we won't push you beyond that."
"I admire your strength."
Nat couldn't help but scoff and laugh bitterly at this, a hand pressed to her pounding forehead. "Oh God. No...No, I'm not," she chuckled weakly.
"If I am going to be honest, if my girl...if my friend was in this position I would be panicking. So I applaud you."
"Don't waste your energy doing that," Nat said. She was back to writing furiously. The formulas were almost done, which was fast even for her. She had finished them in a matter of minutes, while on a good day it took her an hour on average. She only halted when something wet stained the paper, smearing the equations before her. Followed by another plop, and another, and another...The tears rolled freely now, cascading down her face in silent and fat globules. Despite the tears, her voice remained steady and feeble. "I'm so fucking scared that it hurts. I want to scream and cry and just hold her and will everything bad that has ever happened to her away. I just want to give up. B-but I know I can't do that and...I'd rather put myself in her place and take all of the pain away if I could, but I can't do it like that...This is the only way I can possibly help. So yes, Noble. I'm panicking. Really, r-really fucking bad."
Without another word or sparing him another glance, she went back to work.
Leonardo "Leo" Delgado Miranda | Location: WPHO Halls | Interactions: Jen
Leo found his Querido's extensive reassurances and care and patience beyond endearing. She spoke in the most cautious, open-minded, and non-restrictive manner her mind could possibly fabricate; it was as plain as day upon her features. It was simply one of endless aspects of herself that he absolute adored about her.
Even now, the Brazilian man wondered why he hadn't asked to live with her sooner...Well, no. He knew why but now, in hindsight, the logic was painfully flawed and fruitless. A waste of hesitance. He waited quietly and patiently for her to finish before speaking slowly. Comfortingly. "I appreciate your care, meu Querido. I truly do. However, believe me when I say that nothing, absolutely nothing, would make the happier than to live with you, yes?"
However, his brow furrowed in light confusion. "Oh...My apologies. Quirks. Yes. That sounds more correct." He would research the definition of corks at a later date. His lake blue eyes shimmered with amusement as she listed her own quirks, each one proving to be more adorable than the last...though the last one made his chest throb a bit in sympathy. Such deep, deep sympathy. "I see," he started softly, "Well, I can assure you that TV at night shall not bother me. I sleep outside in the city, where there is constant noise everywhere, yes? I have learned to selective tune out what I need to. And wondrous news! I have always wanted to the "midnight snacking" with a friend, so I shall look forward to this activity! As for the...nightmares." A fraction of the energy spilling from him dulled. "If you are ever to jolt awake from such a thing, I promise to remain by your side as comfort and a source of cuddles, yes?"
When it was his turn to share his corks...No. Wait. Quirks. That was it. When it was his turn to share those, he gulped as stealthily as possible before muttering, "I...I do not actually slumber at night. I am, as you say, an insomniac and only require a minimum of four hours to function properly. I simply nap once or twice in the early morning. Um, oh! I also have the tendency to unfurl my wings in my sleep, but I will do my best to suppress the action. Oh! Also!" His grip on her hands tightened a tad as his shoulders scrunched up like a child expecting a scolding. "I prefer to dress as little as possible while I am relaxing. Sometimes I shall be without a shirt or pants as well. It...I cannot explain it, but the sensation of clothing against my skin is highly uncomfortable...I've heard that this is unacceptable in American Culture, yes?"
He paused, debating on whether or not share his last, and most troublesome quirk...but decided against it. He settled for smiling brightly. "Those are all of my quirks, mue Querido."
"320,000, thank God." Arthur mumbled under his breath as she estimated the safest amount of voltage they could produce. It was less for him to produce as well, but he knew it would also decrease the chance of the participant of dying. That was good. Even if it wasn't the largest percent increase of survival, it was still there. "I never thought I would be discussing how to split a human being into two. Then again, being what I am today I was not expecting either." He mused more to himself than anyone else, annoyed by the sudden itch that plagued his eyes. Oh, curse this godforsaken mask. He would get to it later.
"Good. That at least increases our chances, but the thing is sometimes weaker energy might cling to other things..." He mused, realizing he was speaking of the spirits within his mask. Yet, Eliza and Gunner enjoyed his company, what about Hill? Arthur never truly questioned this, nor did he wish to. He just knew that in the cases of emergencies, he would have two out of three people at his back. "No. It should work in our favor if the energy is repelled by our host's." His eyes glazed over momentarily. He wondered what it must have been like. To be trapped in a body that was not your own. Yet, he knew what it was like to not feel like his body was not his own. It changed once the mask was off, but once it was on...Arthur didn't truly feel like a person. He felt like a collection. He felt like a puppet. He wouldn't admit that. He was confident, healthy too. He was Arthur Ruth. But better.
Hollow and cruel. Yet noble and filled with purpose.
Weird huh? Arthur still needed to learn his balance, because his flirtations and variety of odd sayings made him nearly nauseous. He swallowed as he managed to collect himself, feeling more like Arthur Ruth than an embodiment of Ruth, Hill, Eliza and Gunner. He tried a grin. He was relieved the woman couldn't see the pain collecting behind it.
Arthur did begin to sense panic settling in her aura, and he attempted to call out to Eliza for help. No response. With a grumble, he placed a gentle, gloved hand over her shoulder as he swallowed. "Don't push yourself. You are hurting. I...I feel it. You should not work in this state. It will only hurt your physical state and provide no help to your mental and emotional state. I can work out some of those equations. I may not have been the best math student, but I was in Calculus for a reason. I can handle whatever you give me. Take a break. Cry if you need to. But please, do not over stress yourself. Your love does not need that." He squeezed gently, before letting go all together. "Please. Hug her. Reassure her. let me handle the messy things. You can check over it when you feel ready. Hell, it's getting late too. Rest wouldn't hurt." He knew there was a strong chance she wouldn't listen to him.
He wished to try anyway.
"Hell, Quincy there can help. You can help the assistant with her vitals." He mused, knowing she wished to still be of assistance. "Please? I can't stand to see someone hurting so badly, especially when I can assist."
"Good! Good good, that makes me very happy." She admitted with a small grin, squeezing his hands lightly as he confessed to wanting to live with her. That was good. She did not want to admit it to him, but she felt a lot more safe with him around the house, even more so than having a gun underneath her pillow. Jennifer figured that her querido already knew that, and perhaps would given an explanation as to why she was so relieved he decided to stay with her. As much as she did fear for his safety, she knew having the both of them together at a particular time would increase their chances at survival. "Ill get you a key made as soon as possible. And i know a person who might be able to make you a cute little keychain, never go wrong with the bear one anyway. Well, if you can live with my late night talk shows and occasionally eating ice cream until I fall asleep on the couch, then I think whatever quirks you have I can live with." She confirmed with a nod, a gentle smile presented along her demeanor.
"Don't worry about the nightmares. I will cuddle you as they come, for I suspect that will cure me of my ailments." Her head tilted as he began to list of the beginnings of his nightly habits and for a moment, Jennifer thought the idea of his wings unfurling in the middle of the night to be almost adorable. She smothered the feeling and slowly nodded before she claimed "I did not realize you were an insomniac. But that is no matter. I will be sure to stock the fridges if you get hungry. I have various of other things to do at the home if you get bored, and I am willing to stay up later." She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth absentmindedly "Midnight snacks it is. You can help me finish a carton of ice-cream." His next quirk did catch her off guard as he squeezed her hands, seeming to prepare himself for a scolding from her.
"Oh... I see. No no, that isn't a problem. Honestly when I sleep alone...sometimes I'll do so without a shirt...It isn't a problem but...what about cuddles? Does that make you feel uncomfortable with the shirt and all?" A blush grew at her cheeks at the thought of him snuggling her with little to no clothes on.
She was ashamed to say that the blushing wasn't because she thought she wouldn't like it.
Bad Jennifer, bad!
She had talked to herself about this before. She would not go there just because her friend happened to be beautiful. Was...was that the right word for Jennifer to use? It didn't matter.
She thought.
"I accept your quirks if you accept mine, okay? Now, would you like to...to head home?" She smiled gently at the thought of having him with her. It eased her heart after a long day of uncertainty and bizarre people. "Chinese and disney sound like a plan?"
"Isabelle extend your arm for me, would you dear? One more time and I promise you can go back to sleep. We are attempting to see if it has finally worked...you have shown no improvement for the last thirty six hours and we are getting impatient. We do not believe it is your fault, no, but we would like to see if...if your body has adjusted. Stop sniffling. I will...I will let you call your cousin in the morning if you do this, okay? Just tell him you are with your step father or something and haven't been able to visit. I am sure his little heart can understand..." The man, a human being that Izzy began tor refer to as Wicker, grasped onto her gaunt wrist. She was in no position to struggle against his grasp. She hadn't been properly in days. Her stomach rumbled weakly as her eyes flickered in desperation for sleep. They knew how to break the girl, waking her for testing at late hours. Feeding her properly once a week. Keeping her alive for blood samples and prayers that she would be the first to work. But Izzy was not one to be beaten to easily, and despite herself, she attempted to pull her arm from Wicker.
"No! No no no! It isn't going to work, it hurts so badly, if you do it I will scream..." Her eyes hardened, grateful for the little light by her poor excuse for her bedside. Without it, Wicker would have woken her up with pain. She had grown so tired in the dark the last week or two, and she knew it was a weakness. She couldn't escape without it. She had tried, every week she would try.
Three times she was close. Three times she received scars and bruises. She grew accustomed to their ways. She knew their schedules. But now...now she grew weary. She grew weary and weak and wondered if mama was right. God was waiting.
She could never be so certain with mama, who she missed deeply, a pit setting into her stomach. "I won't stop fighting you..." She whispered lightly as she cradled her arm, desperate for release. Desperate for freedom. But she supposed she gave that up for the freedom of her mother. Who had told her to speak up against him? Was it her psychology teacher, who could clearly see bruises upon her wrists and cheek? Was it her cousin Arty, whose innocent brain could not comprehend why Izzy was crying when no one was around? The one time she gained courage to speak against him, against the monster who charmed her mama...he put her here. With the monsters. With the goddamned needles and blood tests. Izzy suddenly desired chocolate. Steak. Hell, even the cheap mozzarella sticks her mother would claim to have made homemade. She would have given anything for...
For her little life back. Even if it wasn't perfect. Even if the only person who seemed to love her was her little cousin. She would have kept her mouth shut if she knew this was going to happen.
"Isabelle you know fully well that this must be done. The sooner you show results, the sooner we can stop these tests. You and I both want that. Now, give me your arm and you can go back to bed..." Wicker reached for Isabelle, who had curled up so tightly upon the mattress that the man struggled to undo her frightened form. "Son of a bitch Isabelle, stop acting this way. It is immature. I will do this test elsewhere, and you know this. Give me your goddamned arm!"
"No! No!" Isabelle nearly wailed, her throat raw and sore with rage and fear. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" The two struggled briefly, and Isabelle let out a scream so loud, so high pitched that the man turned her to hit her in the cheek. She gasped, her body tensing and relaxing as she reached up to protect her face. He grabbed upon her arm and rolled up her sleeve as sobs collected in her throat, and slowly he reached down to his side to pull up a metal piece, hot, burning wax dripping from the edge. It streaked past the stainless steel, dripping and bubbling as it began to solidify at the edges.
The test was simple. See if Isabelle could withstand the heat. See if she could burn it right off her skin. They wanted to see if she could burn things. Ignite the flame. But, Isabelle knew she couldn't. The tests weren't as sophisticated as they seemed to be. Whatever...whatever they had done to her. It wasn't heat.
It was something hidden in the darkness.
"NO. NO NO NO!" Her skin scorched and screamed as the wax dripped onto her skin, burning, sizzling...Her eyes fluttered back in pain as she felt it drip past her arm. Onto her legs. Past her sheets. The pain seemed to last an eternity as her entire body shook, a scream hidden behind her throat.
Her eyes ignited in pain as the room was swallowed in bright, nearly heavenly light. Her body tensed as she heard Wicker scream, spilling the remaining hot wax over his lab coat. The light died, but his screams continued as he reached up blindly for Isabelle's foot. Her eyes slowly flickered open, and she was surprised to see she was not affected as her tormentor was. Anger suddenly bubbled within her, but it passed and she slowly, gracefully, stomped her foot onto the man's wrists until there was a satisfying...
Crunch.
"You bitch!" He bellowed, clawing at his eyes and desperately attempting to rid his lab coat from his body as the wax trickled down to his shirt. She grimaced, raising her hand and closing her eyes as another bright light entered the room. The man seemed to whimper in pain as his figure curled into itself, leaving Isabelle with her arm, burning and damaged by the hot wax. Suddenly, she found that she did not care. Whatever this...this miracle was...
It was getting her out of here. Tonight. She slipped from her bed, holding her hand up and noticing a bright light emitting from it. "Fire manipulator...that's...that's not fire..." She mused painfully, wax occasionally dripping from her scarred arm. "Sure as God made black and white, what is done in the dark shall be brought to the light." She cooed musically, her pain and tears masking the panic behind her eyes as she exited the room.
She felt the excitement build up in her chest. Her bed gown was tattered and stained with solid wax, weighing her down to the ground it seemed, her body swaying with exhaustion. The lucky news for her was, the light she gave life to in her hand was giving her life in return. She noted the figures and silhouettes of the scientists in front of her. She raised her hand...
Flash.
Flash.
Flicker...
The men before her fell to their knees, agony overtaking them as their blindness settled in. Isabelle did not care. She strolled past their bodies, the wax upon her arm now fully solidified as she walked over a man's torso. She was not sure how long the hallways were. How time passed.
"Someday...we will meet again...don't know when...don't know where...but I know we will meet...some sunny day...when the blue skies, drive the dark clouds...far away..." She whispered the words her mother would sing to her when nightmares consumed her. "We will meet again...we will meet again...mama..." Her breathing seemed to snap. The exit was before her. Footsteps behind her.
Flash.
Flash.
Flick.
Flick.
The screams no longer bothered her. Her own had haunted her more than those cruel men ever could. "Some...some sunny day..." She pushed the door open with her free hand, exhaustion overtaking her as she took her first breath of fresh air in over three months. She staggered, barefoot against the soggy soil. She stumbled past the main lot of the facility, ducking into an empty street where trees loomed over her, shadows dancing and frightening all around her...
"When the blue skies...drive the dark clouds..."
She stumbled to her feet, slowly dragging herself into the freedom of the brush, hiding herself with soil, leaves and the safety of the nearest bush. She curled up, her breathing shallow but a deeply etched smile sown into her face.
Nat looked between her formulas and Noble anxiously, her bottom lip throbbing from the abuse her teeth administered. Although she had recently gain confidence in his intellectual prowess, she was still hesitant to just...abandon ship. Even for a brief break. She had to get this done as soon as possible...
But then she looked at Quinn again. She had been quite the entire time, cooperative when Quincy had checked her vitals. However, it seemed that another wave was crashing over and she had curled forward until her forehead met her rapidly vibrating knees. All ten fingers dug into the sides of her skull furiously, scraping at scalp like nails on chalkboard. Nat's heart plummeted into the acidic pit of her gut. So much silent suffering...
Nat needed to be there for her. Inhaling sharply through her nose, she finally nodded in consent and stood up. "Okay...Okay, you're right. But only for a little bit. I refuse to nap or sleep or...or whatever until I've built this damn thing." She was just about to approach Quinn, but then caught herself at last moment and looked at Noble, long and hard and with hard eyes set in concrete.
The she hugged him. Gentle and brief. When she pulled away, she held him away at arms-length by the biceps, as if fearing that the space between them would close again without her knowing. "Thanks. Seriously. You're an annoying lover boy, but you're a good guy in my book."
Without waiting for a response (she was too socially awkward to handle the aftermath), Nat went over to Quinn and knelt in front of her. The vibrating had reached worrisome degrees, far more intense than her episode at the briefing. The brunette splayed her fingers over Quinn's, guiding her nails away from her scalp. "Please...don't hurt yourself like that, sweetheart."
Quinn looked up slowly, her gaze pained and unfocused, but she was dipping into her very last reserves of will power to tune into Nat's presence. Her sky blue eyes flickered with a wordless apology. With a shaky sigh, her head fell to Nat's shoulder and fingers ran soothingly through her blonde mane.
"It's okay...W-we're gonna figure this out. I swear," Nat whispered brokenly. Her composure was already breaking and a bittersweet emotion stung at the corner of her eyes. The tears, only a lonely few, trailed down her cheeks as she cradled Quinn like this would be the last time she held her. She pressed a kiss to the suffering woman's temple. "I swear."
Quinn didn't have words. Instead, she fisted the back of Nat's shirt and held on from dear life as the pain spiked. Her vibrating didn't cease.
