Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was late, he knew as a low growl of his stomach threatened to echo in the empty lab. It had not been unusual for him to be the last doctor remaining nor was it unusual for him to spend too many unhealthy hours of refusing to eat while he toiled away looking for the correct solution that with so many variables seemed hide in the deepest corner of some unknown space. Matt was reassured he would find it, but the question was when and how still easily alluded him.

Peering through one of the various telescopes set up on the table he looked up jotting a few notes down on various sheets of paper next to it before peering again. It was a constant process, that remained the same for some time before moving to the next telescope. There was beeping something that had been running had stopped but he ignored it still jotting down various scribbles of things before stepping away all together. Setting the sheets of paper he had jotted down on he stared at them both before rubbing his face.

So far nothing.

He rubbed his face again before sitting down on a stool propping his elbows on the table and tapping his pen against it in an annoying fashion before scribbling a few more times on the page and rubbing his forehead again. The machine beeped again, he looked up as the lights cut off.

“s**t.” The word easily crossed his lips before any other thought process was rendered. “Great, just positively great.” No lights meant no power, no power meant that the little machine that had spent the last four hours processing various samples and sent it to the computer had likely not saved what he needed and all that he needed was gone.

He groaned resting his head on the table, how long was this going to take?

There was noise, heels clicking on the floor and something rattling as Matt’s head shot up from the table frantically looking for the source of the noise or disturbance in the supposedly empty lab. A shadow moved, making its way towards him as he started to scramble looking for the cellphone he had left in his pocket, or maybe it was in the office?

Either way it was too late, their voice was close, low, saying the words of don’t move followed by a threatening growl that sent the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. If they had wanted they could have already killed him without speaking, there was the possibility of still being killed but his eyes darted looking for anything sharp. A few scalpels near by, but could he reach them in time?

“Dedicated?.... Maybe? Stubborn and determined yes.” Matt took a deep breath of air, heart pounding in his ears as he tried to calm himself. Laying the palms of his hands flat on the table he kept his head forward, resisting the urge to whirl around to stare at the shadowy figure. “Well… at least at the moment we can agree to that I have no interest in being harmed or killed for that matter. What is it you want me to do? And how do you know I can help you?”

He paused his heart almost beating in his throat, debating the risk of asking any more questions that could in some possibility offend his new guest. “Are you going to kill me if I can’t?”

He kept still as she moved closer, at least still as best he could as the palm of his hands pressed even harder into the top of the table his fingers stretching out as he tried to catch a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye. It was taking most if not all his willpower to not whirl around and face who it was that spoke, or even more so to dodge towards anything that could be considered a decent enough weapon.

“A woman after my own heart, that is being fond of being alive and not giving up. I can at least say I will try and failing is not a particular habit I want to start picking up even if it’s under such circumstances.” Not as if she would take his word for it, if everyone believed in promises Matt would have doubted she would have needed to resort to reminding him of disposing of his corpse if he didn’t put forth some sort of effort. What did pique his curiosity was the words “my kind” and “common occurrence.”

As she stepped to the side Matt slightly turned his head slowly looking for the first time at the person who had so casually threatened his life. His body gave a slight jolt away as his palms slide forward on the table, lips pressed in a thin line to stifle any yell. The look of surprise faded immediately away and was replaced with a scowl of disapproval.

“Please don’t tell me this is some poor joke set up by someone and that you aren’t in some sort of costume sent here to make some ridiculous promises for a fake organization.” His fingers doing the air quotes to organization as he looked her over again still unsure with the dim light that what he was seeing was an elaborate costume or something of any interest. “Because if this is some prank and someone is going to jump out from behind a table surprise I am not interested. If those horns are real and your problem is real and they are connected in some way or another then you don’t need to entice me with promises of strength and speed. The chance of studying something no one else has medically is enough to make me curious to see what it is you truly want from me.”

He watched her, brows knotting curiously as she pulled the coat off, the chains clanging against one another and then the table as she laid it down. Sitting up stiffly Matt kept his eyes glued to her, he wasn’t entirely sure if she had merely removed her jacket so she wouldn’t spill any blood on it when she tried to kill him or that there was some better point than death she promised.

Really there was no telling with people who walked into hospitals with horns on their heads wearing costumes, their sanity at times could have been counted as questionable at best.

He continued to sit stiffly as she walked effortlessly over to him, his eyes glancing over to where a few scalpels where before watching her take a seat at the edge of the table. Blue eyes studied the woman that sat before him from her ankles up to her knees, thighs, chest and then hand she held in front of him taking in every inch of what he could see in the dim light. Scales scattered down her arm and coated most of the back of her hand, his mind jumping to elaborate latex parts but it was hard to doubt that her problem was more serious than some accident of using the wrong glue for a costume. Matt noted the joints slightly misshapen in size and a look of surprise showed on his face as she showed off her claws that she, better than a cat, could show at will.

Hands were already half reaching for her hand as she gave her permission for him to examine it. Running his fingers along her fingertips, joints, and then scales up her arms the look of surprise turned to someone deep in thought as he tried to look at it closer. “So they really are real and this isn’t some joke. Is this your entire problem then or is there more that I need to know about?” Looking up at her he tried to get a closer look at her horns, eyes, and anything else that showed unusual traits but the dim light made it hard to do so.

“You said I would be the first to study this in which I needed to help you. What is it exactly you need help with? Getting rid of all of this or something else? And what would I need to do to join this so called organization?”

Matt merely nodded as she spoke of finding somewhere more well suited for him to thoroughly examine her over. “Most people won’t come here this late at night but yes here is probably not the best place if you desire not to be seen by anyone else. I have an office that is unless you would rather withhold until I give you my consent on joining the organization.” In which he didn’t doubt that was the stipulations, if he refused it was likely that any other inquiries that he had would be terminated with a dismissal from her.

“You were human once?” The question was faint, almost trailing off into a whisper as he gave a brief but puzzled look at her statement. Despite everything she had shown him so far she was still human regardless of the cosmetic changes she had undergone. The horns, scales, so forth were so far to his knowledge a side effect, or some sort of condition to whatever affected her and those rose various other questions to his inquisitive mind. Whatever had affected her, she knew what it was and he did not and that it had not only affected her but from what she spoke a few limited others as well. An isolated problem, something obviously locked in the confines of whatever secret organization, and at the moment out of his reach striking a chord of annoyance deeply.

He quirked a brow as she continued on describing her current symptom of memory loss, it was puzzling that the side effect only started to show a month ago when everything else started a year. There was a chance that it was related or there was the possibility that it was something else, and as she mentioned her kind again, did others like her show the same problem? Too many peculiar questions that were if Matt refused to join he would never know the answer to and that was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. It was as if he was resigning himself to utter defeat if he said no and there was the likelihood of it haunting him forever afterwards, that was if he was allowed to continue his existence. There was no mention of what would happened if he did not agree. There was as well all the promises in her eloquent sales pitch she was making to take in consideration. Matt was a little doubtful of it all considering it as a too good to be true situation, but in the terms of joining the organizing or dealing with a quick demise it didn’t sound as if it was the worse proposal.

Looking at the hand offered his thoughts mulling over and over before returning a glance at her with a slow exhale of breath. “If I can keep my job, and be able to study your condition, alone, then I will agree to join your organization.” The words were sharp and deliberate as if he had completely settled on his decision but there was still apprehension in Matt’s mind to what he had agreed to.

He watched her with curiosity as the smile widened on her face, as a thousand crowded doubts, questions, and advice ambled through his mind as if trying to figure out what he had said was the appropriate answer or not. It was too late now, Matt had promised his word and there was little that could convince the man to completely back out of an an arrangement that was as long as she at least held her end of the bargain and didn’t traitorously stab him in the back when she saw fit.

There was no movement other than the nod of acknowledgment to her words as the doctor watched her move from the table. He kept his eyes pinned to hers dubious of what was her next move was in this so called arrangement. Another endless roll of inquiry, speculation, even some over-extended imagination badgered his mind as his fingers curled into fist at his side as if waiting for her next command. He had been completely aware that she had been in control since arriving because fear and power at times could be a wonderful motivator for living.

What he had not expected was her hand on his chest, brows knotted in bewilderment as a question formed on his lips unable to ask as she pushed forward in. His expression slowly unfolded into horror as he watched powerless to move as her hand effortlessly sank further into his chest as words of terror laid trapped in his throat. Pain slowly started to ebb out as she searched, reaching for something that he was unaware was there and when she brushed against he winced pain echoing out before doubling as she wrapped her fingers around it.

Pain seared across his body as she continued, all he could do was focus on her and her efforts of whatever she was doing, changing in him. Nails dug into the palms of his hand as he unconsciously bit into his cheek letting the taste of iron fill his mouth as his knees screamed to buckle underneath him. Matt wanted to reach out to hold on to something but he remained rooted in the spot, as every fiber in his being fighting to get away to escape agony that continued to blossom from his chest.

When she spoke Matt simply glared at her, loathing to show any sign or indication of fear or willing to surrender. What was a little pain and sacrifice in order to get what he wanted anyways.

Matt kept his focused on her, the scowl deepening until with a rapid jerk she had pulled her hand away from his chest the pain hastily fading away at the loss of her touch. Putting all his weight on one hand he leaned against the stool heavily as everything that had disoriented itself attempted to find its place as if trying to put his new self back together again. His stomach churned as if debating up heaving or settling down in a disruptive roar as everything in sight seemed swirl in and out of view. It wasn’t until she spoke again that he noticed between the blurry eyesight that there were now gloves pulled across his hands meeting a the black edge of an almost suit like trench coat.

How the the hell did that happen…. There was no recall of getting undressed and dressed again but considering what happened it seemed like some form of unearthly magic, much like what the woman had displayed before with her nails and scales.

“A mineral? Not in particular, about my extent of minerals beyond in the lab are things like diamonds, gold, and pyrite. Anything you could maybe find in a jewelry store.” He snorted as the room finally settled from its previous perception of turbulence as if he was on a boat on rough seas. Now being able to gain some footing reassured he wouldn’t collapse to the floor Matt took a moment to inspect the new clothes before giving her only a nod in approval at their appearance. [Good enough.

His weapon though he held it up. “A fairy wand...really. I hope this means I am not going to be someone’s fairy godmother and have to go around granting wishes too.”