"I'm sorry." She replied quietly. "I know you'd never hurt me on purpose." She continued, a frown on her face. "I just… that knife thing freaked me out." Rowan traced the thin white line on her wrist from where the cut had healed.
"I know," Armand said simply. "I'm still your enemy Rowan." He felt no need to explain. He didn't need her getting close. They rounded the corner and approached an open tile doorway, leading like a maze into a designated shower area. "Take this," he said, pushing a towel into her hands, and pointing into the area. "I will wait for you here. If you run into anyone, tell them that you are with me."
Rowan nodded quietly, unsure of how to respond. "I don't think you're as bad as you say you are." She stated, taking the towel out of his hands and disappearing into the showers before he could respond. Rowan was more than happy to be clean again. She stepped out of the shower with the towel wrapped around her small frame. "Hey Armand?" She called out. "Got any clothes you can toss in here for me?"
They would have to see about that. He waited, switching from one foot to the other when he thought about it. He'd wished for no allegiance, though not to rebel, however, there seemed no in-between and Armand owed his life to Harrison in the meantime. His logical brain told him it was the only thing that made sense, he couldn't bring down everything the person who'd saved him had worked for. He wanted to push her in the right direction but she was distant, and he could no longer influence her tyranny. He'd hoped that using the Empathy punishment he could show her that things had gone too far.
"You can use one of these robes," He said, pulling a towel from a wall of folded white ones, and tossing it to her.
Rowan grabbed the robe and put it one. She felt a thousand times better, but also a bit vulnerable at the moment. She used the other towel to wrap her hair and walked out, her feet making unpleasant squelching noises on the tiled floor. "Alright let's go back before Yuki and Petree worry too much." She said, looking at Armand. The robe was big on her, stopping just below her ankles. "I'm slightly shorter than I remember." She muttered, narrowing her eyes and glaring at the robe playfully.
He had to smile a little. She seemed to know his sense of humor well and he enjoyed her innocent play. It was unfortunate for him, but he still chuckled a bit, she looked like.. well almost like a child in the large robe. She'd been so quick to forgive his mistake. He began walking back alongside her. "Are you feeling better?" he asked.
(Sorry! I went to walk my dog!)
"Well I'm not dead… so yeah. I'd say a lot better." Rowan shrugged. "Little awkward without any clothes though. These floors better be as clean as they look." She grumbled, glaring at the shiny tile under her feet.
"Of course they are. I'd settle for nothing less." When they returned to his office, he went through some bins to find scrubs in a size similar to hers, tossing them to her. "Well there, some clothes." He turned back to his desk, back to her, looking over notes and how the now destabilized solution would affect her condition. It wasn't having any negative effects right now, but he wasn't sure what would happen now. He began comparing notes for a few minutes, turning things over in his head.
Rowan got changed into the scrubs, happy to be covered up. She turned back to Armand to see him, brows furrowed, pouring over notes. "I don't suppose what you're looking at is very fun. Looks like you're planning a funeral." Rowan teased, waking over to him and peeking at his notes. The words were all written in scrawl Rowan could hardly read.
"You're chemically imbalanced now." He said, scrawling things out some more, returning to his notes, comparing, scribbling again. "Solutions are called so because they are balanced. I had to remove an ingredient of the solution to help you, and now you no longer have a stable solution in your system." He didn't know if she'd understand, but it didn't matter to try to explain it any better. He was going to have to figure out how to fix this problem, somehow.
"Chemically imbalanced? What elements are we talking here? What compound did I react to?" Rowan massaged her temples and bit down on her lip, her expression becoming serious.
"So far it's good and bad. Your cells no longer inhibit reproduction because they are no longer cyclin-dependant. But," He said, pausing for a moment, pinching her arm, pulling slightly at her skin. "the protein that helped regulate this is gone, so when you feel pain, or are hurt, your cells maintain a thickness that continues to protect you. That's the good part. The bad part is that the amount of pain you feel without this protein is exponentially worse, and the healing process that comes with it." he rattled, scribbling and finally finishing his thoughts.
Rowan hissed in pain, tugging her arm back and cradling it. "Could've gone with the demonstration." She muttered, but there was no real venom in her words. "So now what? I just act like a soccer player every time I get hurt or can you fix this?"
Before Petree could run after Rowan and Armand, someone yanked her out of the window she jumped in from.
"Hey!" she protested as she hit the grass, looking at the person who had pushed her.
It was a boy.
An incredibly cute boy.
AHHHHHHH!! Petree screamed in her head, this is NOT the time for you to FALL IN LOVE. NO WAY.
"Sorry!" the boy apologized, "Next time, choose a less fortified entrance, seriously!"
"That window is 'fortified'?"
"Yeah…" The boy replied, saying 'yeah' slowly with a face that said "well of course it is, you dumb*ss".
"Are you a rebel?"
"I'm a rebel. Name's Ainnik."
SIX HOURS LATER
"I really like you, Petree." Ainnik smiled a little.
"Me too," Petree replied, totally unaware of what she just said.
"I found a really nice place to sneak in…" Ainnik said, pointing at the little door at the side.
Petree followed Ainnik, who was dragging her by the hand over to the door.
"We're here."
"But… isn't this the main lobby?"
Ainnik didn't answer.
"Nyir-" he said to the lady, "I've found someone suitable for the gladiator duel."
(Sh** yo)
(Oh heck) Nyir stared at her, grim faced. "The thief?" She remarked. Could Kodiak beat her? Would he want to? "Thank you, soldier. Let me speak to the rebel alone, please."
Armand sighed, as far as he knew the protein he used was the only one good enough to stabilize the solution. He sat in his chair and stared at her, as if the girl could give him an answer. "It'd be a series of tests. Tests that would be tortuously painful for you." he looked away from her, "Regrettably, though, I don't have time to wait."
Yuki sat atop the roof of the building. It was windy and her short blue and green hair blew in her face. She hoped Rowan would be alright. For the first time in years, she actually had a friend.
"Tortuously painful, huh?" Rowan let out a nervous laugh. "Right now?" Rowan forced a smile. "W-What're you gonna do to me?" She stammered.
He didn't look at her. "Add and subtract new proteins until you don't feel the pain anymore." he stood. "Go sit." He didn't want to have to make her. Armand moved to his shelf of liquids, selecting a few different ones with the properties that may or may not contain the chemical to reduce her symptoms. "And yes, now."
Petree stared at Nyir and then whipped her head around to face Ainnik.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING???"
Rowan stared at Armand for a moment. A single pause to convey the doubt she felt. Without another word she sat in the chair. Fear coursed through her veins, but she refused to speak another word. I am not a coward. she repeated the phrase quietly in her mind. With a deep breath she watched Armand as he came over to her.
Petree continued to stare at Nyir.
"Fine. Let's TALK." she spat.
(I need Nyir… to continue story. this is gonna b awesome)
He had to use the restraints. There was no way she was staying in the chair without them. She was going to hate him. His stomach turned. As he approached her he placed the vials in order on the table, and moved to pull the straps on the arms and bottom of the chair around her, tightening them until they were flush with her skin. The final belt was fastened around her head after her chest, and he couldn't bare to look at her face. He took a moment turned away to breathe, and ready himself.
(Nyir come baaaack)
(Nyir was on half an hour ago…)
Rowan froze. Armand strapped on skin tight restraints. Oh god, oh god, oh god. Rowan's breathing become more shallow out of fear. She attempted to move her hand, but couldn't under the tight strap on her wrist. She was growing frantic, eying the vials suspiciously. She sent a panicked look at Armand, but he refused to meet her eyes. "Armand?" She called out for him shakily. "W-what're you doing?!" Her voice rose due to the heavy anxiety sinking deep into her stomach. I have to trust him.
"I already told you." he shuddered inwardly as he reached for the first vial. This one would be the easiest. He was sure to have his targeted protein killers on hand until he found the right one. "Your first injection will go smoothly. Then we test your skin's resistance," He pulled the liquid with the needle then found her vein, inserting the first protein. He waited a couple moments, biding his time by contemplating on a scalpel. The longer the tests ran, the more lethal the instrument he'd need to use until the correct protein came in to play.
