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Annie wrinkled her nose and took a deep breath and muttered to herself, sounding more like she was trying to reassure herself of the ethics of the request then the others, "I... I suppose so. It isn't like they aren't already dead... and you will need a test subject willing to undertake the risks..."

Nodding she said, "Very well. Though my abilities are fairly powerful as is." Annie quietly continued, "We're going to have to figure this out as soon as possible, right? It would be quickest if I just did this, right?"

Crossing her arms she added, "But, it is up to you two to figure out some decent compensation for me for the risks I shall be enduring in the name of science."

Annie stared at the mouse and smiled, "Can I see the fire breathing mouse? He's so cute. Does he have a name? I think I'll call him Chimera!" She came closer to the cage and leaned down, opened the cage up and picked up the fire breathing mouse. It broke so many scientific protocols, but the mouse interested her. Holding the squeaking creature and petting it, the mouse let out a purr with a bit of fire mixed in. She was cooing over the rodent like most girls would coo over a human baby or a kitten.

"I don't know about it being that much better alternative," replied Annie, as she nuzzled the mouse. "This is a creature with no understanding of its abilities. Who's to say it doesn't mutate to something that can burn down an entire building with a yawn? What might be a small dosage for someone my size will be a lot bigger of a dosage for little Chimera."

She shrugged, "But, yes you are right, using a rodent would be best." Kissing the rodent on the head she said nuzzling it, "Come, come little Chimera, Mummy has a... a um... treat for you."

The mouses answer was to look up at her with little beady eyes. Yet, despite that, the mouse seemed rather calm as she held it out to Shane, "Okay, Chimera... be good for Daddy now."

Annie frowned, "Maybe Phoenix would have been a better name for him." Taking a deep breath she continued, "Well, that is interesting, I suppose. Chimera is now flame proof and can set himself randomly on fire. Well, apparently, the substance is safe enough for animal consumption, but to fully test the results of this, since as you said the mouse can't talk, will take days or weeks. We don't have days or weeks."

Annie leaned over the container and began to pet the mouse, "Hmm... little Chimera feels warmer than before. I wonder if it is just a side affect of his power with the substance enhancement, or just the affects of the substance enhancement...."

She leaned down to look at the mouse closer who opened his mouth and a burst of flames shot at her, which Annie doused in seconds (mouse and flames) by gathering water in the air and just failing to change it to acid as she usually did and letting the water fall on the mouse. The water sizzled upon contact with the mouse, like water falling on a hot stove. Cooing to the mouse Annie said, "Now, now little Chimera... be a good boy, come to Mummy." The mouse turned and ignored her, perhaps upset about the sudden dousing of water. Sighing, Annie stood up, "Apparently training rodents is not in my future." She turned around, and crossed her arms, "So, good sirs, what is the next step?"

Screaming.
It came out, irregular and warped, like the shrill cries of boys and girls on a bumpy roller coaster, one of the types like the fairs that come to your town bring, rickety and wooden, way too fun to be safe. Waaaaay to fun.
Come



A child runs from a beast of a man, all metal, soulless and crazed, a wild barbarian. The little boy has snot running from his nostrils, slinging tears from his eyes as he wails, suddenly pounced upon, a sterling fist, more maul then appendage, rising with a thunder crack into the air, crashing into frail flesh and guts...
Rod.

A city falls, shifting under it's own weight, harrowing and dead, buildings toppling like dominoes, so simple, so efficiently destroyed that none live in this black abyss, this pit of hell that spits fire and cries raining ash, none dare defy the gravity that only fires down down down..
Blitz.

And so it was, the sky rained blood a thousand times over, A mother watching as lightning, rouge as the spilling electricity around her soul, split the sky, arcing and lancing into millions, frying untold numbers until their bones were grilled, their souls nothing but fragments of their after burn image...
Leviathan.

Laughing, laughing from a man wearing a strange backpack, the roar of a lion in his many voices, the grind of a future far more Utopian, far more real then ever drea-
---
Leviathan's eyes flew open, his once blue iris's now crimson, coated and smeared like a murder scene, himself staring about in cold sweat, his breath harsh, chest heaving. Feeling his rapidly aged face a moment, the demon of a man scratched at his crotch, then his chest, looking over at a slumbering Rod.
Blitz stared directly at Lev, eyes unwavering, beady, calculating. "Stop that." Lev spat, pushing himself to a standing position. Blitz only continued staring, finally looking off into the distance, a lazy roll of his eyes. "You've been asleep a long time Cortez." Blitz mused, his hands laced across his chest, relaxed, sunken back into the couch.
"You say that like yer studied my dreams boy. You achin' for a psyche degree Blitz?" Lev joked, stepping up to one of the shaded windows. Another jitter, another burst of irregular energy. "I need another fix.." Lev looked at Blitz, then to the snoring Rod. Blitz continued staring at Lev.

"Cut the s**t!" Lev suddenly erupted, black energy surrounding him, anger clouting his judgment. Blitz didn't flinch, only looking away. "Cut..the s**t.." Lev grunted, pulling the backpack from under the coffee table afront the couch. Pressing one of the side buttons, a compartment popped open, ooze filled to about 1/4 it's containment level. Lev's fingers shook like a man addicted to hard drugs, a heroin addict getting another buzz, another fix of the good ol' stuff, grime and goo and all that glory. Lev tapped the side of the rectangular holster, poking his finger into the mix, swirling it a moment.

He then put his finger to his lips, lapping it a moment, then sucking his finger dry. Immediately his hair began to rattle and shake, the lightning, thick and clotted, forming a devilish crown about his skull, Lev breathing heavily out, new veins creeping up on his forearms, his fingers beginning to grow blacker..
Blitz only idly watched, Lev closing the box up, strapping it to his back. "Slap him awake," Lev pointed to Rod, "And cut the s**t Blitz."
Blitz obliged Lev, poking Rod's face until Rod, mid-snore, snapped to his feet, slinging punches and screaming. Lev had to bob and weave a moment to not lose his head, the metal fisted maniac still in his clouted dreams, suddenly murmuring awake, "No NO NO no..no..What, huh?" Rod spoke in almost a whisper, standing now, Lev looking at him c**k eyed, Blitz giving him the usual silence.

"Sleep walk n' talk much Rod?" Lev mused with a tilt of his chin, unlocking the front door.
"All the time boss." Rod gave a sideways smirk, sniffing up a loose booger. Even Rod's teeth had turned a shade of silver, the boy mutating as quickly, if not more so then Lev by the hour. Blitz now stood as well, heading for the door behind Lev, eyes low, always silent in his resolve, smart and cunning in his choice of words, or better yet, choice of silence.
"Fellers, it's time we get back to step numero Uno." Lev looked to Blitz, then Rod, a maniac's grin on his vein ridden and charcoal hued face, "Shall we?"

With that, the three set off into the breaking night, heading for none other then Trinity's home, walking straight up the road like they owned the joint.
And they did, oh they did.

Annie raised a brow surprised, "Trinity agreed to come? That's unexpected, I thought she wouldn't considering how wrapped around Mr. Cortez's finger she seemed to be."

Sighing she stood up, "I'll come with you. No offense, but the fact that you are Gidget's brother might be a bit off putting to her..." Frowning, Annie added, "Of course, then again, I did attack Mr. Cortez, so..." She ended with a shrug, unsure of what else she was going to say.

Shane also shrugs in response to Annie's comment. "Hey, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, I stopped trying to figure out how Gidget gets things done years ago. If I think about it too much my nose starts to bleed."

He chuckles and sighs while turning his head toward Dr. Acula. "Excuse us Doc, but we have to take care of someone my sister is bringing by."

The ME nods and bids them farewell, too busy staring at his new firemouse to care about anything else.

Shane shakes his head and waves for Annie to follow him. As they walk toward the main elevator he pulls out his PDA and texts as he walks. A moment later and he is done with the message. He closes the device and looks at Annie. "From what little you spoke to the man, what can you tell about Cortez?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gidget looks down at the ground and fidgets with her hands nervously. She's never had anyone dislike to such a degree before, and it's making her extremely uncomfortable. He says quietly, "I brought it back last night, right after I carried you home."

Lily gasped as she jumped up from the curb, looking at the brown haired man, he looked worse then she did when she had been in the crossfire of Annie and Lev. Her eyes widen to full circles as she quickly went to his aid, but as she neared him, she noticed something strange about the man. He changed, his skin, his hair.. Changed.. she gasped, looking at the man now passed out at her feet. She had to do something, and for the life of her she couldn't remember where he lived. So, regretfully she pulled out her phone, shocked to see that she had no missed calls.

Her fingers agility dialed the only number she knew to dial. A small girl who went by the name of Gidget, a girl who rudely hung up on her previously that same day, she listened as the phone rang, impatiently waiting for the girl to answer. She got nothing, so she clicked her phone shut, and hoisted the man up on her shoulder. Not knowing what else to do.

She drug him out of the street and onto the curb, laying him on the soft grass as she dialed another number.. Someone she didn't leave on good terms with. Gidget's very brother. "Come on, Morris, pick up the damn phone." she cursed as she waited for the phone to stop ringing with either a friendly voice, or dreaded voice mail.

As she waited for him to pick up the phone, her mind was crowded once again by unsightly visions, they passing her lids so fast she couldn't make them out. She cursed herself for a moment, not wanting to see the images laid out in front of her, but then, she saw a familiar house. Trinity's house. Her eyes flung open wide as she listened to the steady ring, ring, ring of the other line.

Shane nods as he clears his throat. "Like with Charles Ray. Gidge told me about you warning everybody. It's a damn shame they had to learn the hard way."

Shane jumps slightly when his PDA starts buzzing in his pocket. He pulls it out and glances at the display screen. He makes an odd expression when he sees the name. "Huh, surprise phone calls just keep coming in today." He flips open the display and puts it up to his ear. "This is Shane, what can I do for you Lily?"