[About a Day or so after Going Home]
Warning: Suggestive Content, Blood.
Warning: Suggestive Content, Blood.
"So...I've called you here today for something, interesting to say the least. " Michael folded his hands behind his back and looked over at the two. There were notes posted all over the walls and another wrapped item sitting on the table. "I've engineering the harness I would need to fasten to you, but it will require your shark, eating a part of your shoulder." He walked off, pulling a tube on wheels with him, and a face mask.
Arno stared at Michael and then at Moira. "Huh?"
Moira just stared at Michael for a bit, actually surprised he was going to, and sort of just did, legitimately ask Arno to eat part of her arm. Unable to hold back the laugh, she just sort of started chuckling, "I might have suggested to him that to get into my arm - which is an issue because the last time that happened it was a bad time for everyone - was to have you maybe eat part of it because my skin is too strong to have normal needles going through it.."
Arno looked at her and then at Michael. "If she's okay with it, I guess."
Michael nodded at him. "The other thing I need is if you get any bone, you spit it out immediately. I'm still working structure for her arm." He warned, and then lifted up the face mask for Moira. "You will want to breathe on this for a while. It will make you very loopy. There's a comfy chair here...." He drug a chair over for her.
Arno still looked skeptical about the whole thing. "So what's the plan?"
"I'm so glad you asked, see, I plan to take this..." He opened the fabric up and then the box up to reveal a harnessing plate with screws. "And use the bite holes you leave to fasten the harness in, and attach it to her body. "
Moving over to the chair, she sat down in it, and just sort of fidgeted in it for a little while, hoping that whatever it was that he was going to give her was at least strong enough to actually knock her out. If her time in Haven was any indicator, her body was not too friendly to the normal drugs. "Hopefully it'll all go well..."
Michael pushed up his glasses. "Well theoretically, it should go well, depending on the circumstances." He looked at Arno. "I just need you to not, screw it up for everyone? I guess those are the words I'm looking for." He reached over and handed the face mask to Moira. "Please breathe this in." He turned a nozzle on the tube to start releasing the gas.
Arno grumbled. "I'm not going to screw it up, I don't want her to die. “
Taking the mask, she just stared at it for a moment - this was actually much better than how they usually did it, a little easier to take - before sticking it onto her face. Taking in a deep breath as she leaned back in the chair, her eyes starting to flutter closed as she continued to take in deep breaths, her mind quickly starting to wander as she just started to relax completely. It didn't take too long for it to kick in.
Michael tapped her shoulder, not getting a response and motioned for Arno to get to work.
[Blood]
Arno bit down and had a little hard time getting into her arm correctly, so it took him about three bites, but he'd never tried to bite through her frame. He spat out bone and was panicking, since he injured her he knew she was bleeding all over the place.
Michael had a bucket down already, and tools and cleaning supplies ready. He was getting ready to place the hardness in, which had a port for the blood, and a spot so he could introduce a coagulant to stop the blood flow.
Michael had a bucket down already, and tools and cleaning supplies ready. He was getting ready to place the hardness in, which had a port for the blood, and a spot so he could introduce a coagulant to stop the blood flow.
As the bites happened, she didn't react to them, at least not right away. After a couple of seconds, her body suddenly tensed and her eyes snapped open, a slight glazed look over them like a wild animal now on the hunt for prey. Moving to stand, Moira ripped the facemask off as she moved, soon throwing it to the floor and clenching her hand.
Michael panicked for a moment. "Moira?" He placed the item back in the box and kicked it across the floor to keep it safe. "Moira?" He questioned again, backing up, not sure what power to get ready to deal with what was going on. Or what medicine.
Arno looked super confused, looking back and forth. "Uhhhhh. Momo?"
She didn't respond to either of them calling her name, her eyes glancing both of them over, but once they locked onto Arno, she seemed to grin wickedly - a grin that he wouldn't have ever seen before gracing her lips - before pulling back and throwing a punch, one that seemed to be the same strength as the one she had thrown to him a week prior.
Arno lifted his arms up in defense, grunting as she hit him and budged his position. "Moira, the hell's wrong with you?" He questioned, hulking out into his feral form, the pants he was wearing, now shredded to heck. He grunted, assuming a defensive posture, unsure what to do with her.
Michael scrambled about the room, hitting a button on a side panel that set an emergency lock-down of the base and turned to eye-ball Moira. "I don't know what's gotten into her, but you want to restrain her. If you can not handle it, I will attempt something. “
Moira continued to fail to respond, her head tilting to the side as she took a step back and laughed, a deep laugh that sounded like someone who had gone past the edge of no return in their minds. Pulling back, she threw her fist forward for another attack, her entire weight being put into the punches now in comparison to how she normally fought. Her eyes were wide, but still glazed over, something not really right with how she was behaving.
Arno took the next hit and had enough. "Alright, you asked for it!" He growled and reached forward to grab her arm as it was recoiling, to try and pull her into a grapple. It had worked the last time, and he wanted to make damn sure it worked this time. One more solid hit from her, and he knew he'd be out like a light, leaving the weak nerd to deal with it.
Her grin faded when her arm was grabbed, and as she was pulled into the grapple, she seemed to roar out in anger. Flailing about, she tried to get free, losing more blood as she did
Arno grunted and pulled her tight to keep her till. Michael hastily kept in and slapped a cloth over her wound with a coagulant and backed off for the moment, hoping it would stick.
"You will probably have to knock her out. " he called.
Arno nodded and moved to give her the suplex again.
Trying to lunge out at Michael as he stepped in and put what was pretty much a bandage over her arm, she growled and continued to try and wriggle free from Arnos grip, though as her feet left the ground, she thrashed about again, though it wasn't enough. As the back of her head, neck, and upper back came crashing into the tiled floor, a sickening crack could be heard.
Arno let go of her immediately and panicked. He stared at her. "Is she gonna be alright?" He grunted, getting down to the floor and sniffing at her.
Michael ran to her side and continued to pat the wound closed. He removed his glove with his teeth and touched her neck. "I think I still have a pulse here, you didn't kill her, that's for sure, but right on shark man. Beautiful wrestling performance." He got up and moved around the room to an intercom. "Kate, I'm going to require more food, please. The healing kind. "
Arno flew up in a rage. "You think this is some kind of game?" He slammed Michael against the counter he was at.
Michael scrambled back and put a hand up. "If you swing again, it will be your last swing of the day." He warned, a laser starting up on his finger.
Arno snapped his jaws. "Bring it, you ******** nerd. "
Michael sighed and fired it off at Arno's chest.
There was indeed still a pulse, but a weak one. As she was laid out on the floor, the wound on her arm patted down to stop it from bleeding, the source of the crack was soon evident. The back of her head was bleeding, one that was soon causing blood to pool under her head while several crystals from her neck and back lay partially shattered on the floor among the shattered tiles. Moira's breathing was shallow and slow, almost difficult to even catch that she was even breathing at all, but she was definitely alive.
Arno reached out to smack him.
Michael groaned as he hit the floor and then removed the gravity around Arno to make him float. <******** you....Your girlfriend is bleeding you a**..." He crawled across the floor to check on her. "She's got a head wound you dumb shark ********> He growled, feeling his internals smashed. He ripped his coat off and placed it around her head, tightly.
Arno stopped for the moment. "You.. I..." he stormed out of the room, albeit grabbing his gut.
Michael attempted to drag Moira to a sitting position as Kate came in with the soup.
She was pretty upset when she saw the bruises on Michael. She'd have a word with him later.
Michael kept waving her away and pointing to Moira. They had her vitals being checked and worked the food down her throat.
As the food was worked down her throat, she eventually came to, though very groggily. Staying where she was, she Moira lifted her hand to her forehead and rubbed it, feeling a strange pressure as well as a faint ringing in her ears. "What happened..?" She asked, Her words partially slurred.
Michael shook his head and finished the glass of water that was in front of him. He was rubbing his temples. At least she had been stopped before she wrecked the lab. Michael bit his lip and decided it was best not to say anything. While she had been out, he took the liberty of finishing the job. she would notice she had a semi-flexible metal harness screwed onto her shoulder that would give her sensations of it being touched. Michael looked like he had bags under his eyes while his glasses were off. he was trying to polish them but they had been cracked by Arno's temper. he was bandaged around his chest, bruises on his face evidence from Arno's assault. "Uh huh..." he put his broken glasses on his face and sighed. "How is your head? You took quite a hit." He explained, trying to work some blood off of his hands at the nearby sink. He was taking his sweet time, versus his normal sporadic movement.
Still holding her head, Moira looked over to him and took a moment to take in what he looked like right then, but her memory was still foggy, partially cloudy as if what she was seeing wasn't going to stick. Closing her eyes, she took in a breath and shook her head, feeling much more out of it than normal, though as she looked down at the newly installed harness, it seemed to take quite awhile before it even registered what it was. "Uhm, thank you..." Moira muttered, having a feeling that just words wouldn't be enough. "I...I did?" She asked, not even moving to stand yet as it felt like her entire body would respond sluggishly. Moving a hand to the back of her head, she felt a large lump as well as a messy bandage. "Dizzy...nauseous..."
"Normal. Here, a bottle of water." He dried his hands off and handed her a room temperature bottle. "Thankfully all you suffered was a concussion and a fractured skull. Unfortunately, I'd normally put staples in your head just to keep your skull together but it's not quite an option." he sighed. "So I put you on some medication and you are not allowed to leave my sight for a while. I have to make sure there's no brain hemorrhaging."
Taking the bottle, she opened it carefully, placing it between her thighs and twisting off the cap, soon drinking the entire thing. "So..am I just staying in here...?" She asked carefully, her voice much softer than normal, as if scared to step on anyone's toes.
"For the moment, yes. But I'm not going anywhere either. I've got a device between your mammaries that is monitoring your vitals." He knelt down in front of her and pointed to it. "I swear, what am I going to do with you hooligans. Does anyone in your family have a tendency of getting suddenly fighty?"
"I'm not actually sure. I never really stuck around long enough to know what either of my parents did, powerwise." As she spoke, she moved her hand to her head again, trying to think, but it seemed like it was difficult to pull up the memories.
He nodded and pat her shoulder. "Well rest up. The shark has been locked out of this room for the time being. He needs to go for a swim and douse his head." He sighed and sat back down at his desk, facing her and started typing into his keyboard, the keys clacking softly. He had a machine attached to the laptop now, a sample of her frame underneath an analyzation tool.
Taking in a deep breath, she leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes, her head still ringing softly as she tried to think. After several minutes of silence from her, she spoke up, "My grandmother might know."
"That would be a start. kae right?" He questioned, glancing up and going back to scribbling. "Blasted glasses. " he mumbled. "Let me know if you are hungry...I can put on some music if you like."
"Yeah, that would be her...and I think I'm fine for now, thank you." She stated quickly, wishing she could give more information.
"You have such a unique bone structure. That's a compliment...." he sighed about the uncomfortable feeling in the room. "Do you want to know what happened?"
Moira nodded, "yeah. Last thing I remember was waking up this morning"
"Well we were performing the procedure and into about the third bite, you suddenly stood up and started wailing on the shark. It wasn't until he finally decided to fight back that you went out like a light bulb. He used a suplex."
"I...I started attacking?" she asked, turning to look at him with horror, clearly unaware that she had done such a thing, let alone with such power.
"Yeah, you had this mean grin on your face and it was easy to tell you weren't really holding back. The shark isn't here because he assaulted me, rather than being dead. So...." he watched her expressions as they changed and bit his lip. "Apparently under extreme stress your body goes into fight mode. Part of the flight or fight responses I'm sure. "
"I-I didn't even know that.." Moira let out an awkward sigh and tried to curl up on the chair, closing her eyes and bringing a hand to her head and rubbing it. Her stress levels, if visible, would be off the charts, more so as she seemed to be trying to internalize almost everything.
"Just breathe. No one thinks you did it on purpose. If anything I'm the a*****e for not really being upset about the situation at first." he recounted the events. "But I kind of learned my lesson. The shark is really protective of you. Almost annoyingly so.”
Taking in a deep, shaky breath, she slowly let it out, and continued to do so, "I-I should tell him he doesn't have to be so protective of me... I can take care of myself.." as she whispered she ran her hand through her hair, which was all knotted from blood and sweat.
"Debatable, but that's not something I want to argue about." He flipped through some notes, got up, grabbed a few chemicals and miscellaneous metals and started mixing them. "Back to my wanting to help people. I have ulterior motives. Please never forget that. I'm not the saint that some people see me as.”
Moira fell silent, just sort of watching Michael putter about doing his work, not wanting to distract or cause anything that might be bad. The day was already bad enough with her apparent berserker mode, so she was quite content on just curling up for the rest of the day being silent and unresponsive.
"I really would like to hold a conversation. I don't get much of that aside from the pondering of other members about the things I'm doing or the things going on outside. I don't know much about you, other than you are capable of tearing through the earth like a bat out of hell. “
"I don't even know what you'd want to know about me, honestly.." Moira continued to watch him, still completely unsure on what she was supposed to even say in regards to that.
"Well, what do you like to do for fun? I'm boring, I like doing my science, exploring new avenues, and things that will help not lose any of the Renegade. I consider everyone here important to me in their own way. Take that as you like. “
"I don't know what I do for fun anymore..so much has changed since I got captured that nothing feels right to me anymore...." She took in another deep breath and closed her eyes as she let it out, "I had what seemed to be a normal life with my husband before I got captured.."
"Did you want to talk about that?" He looked back at her, the chemicals in front of him bubbling. "I've been trying to be more thoughtful and acting as a counselor to the Renegade, and I think honestly, you talking to me might help you. You look stressed out all the time. “
"Which part, the being captured part or my life before being captured?" She asked, rubbing her forehead again, not really quite aware that she looked incredibly stressed out.
"Both." His eyes paused on her for a moment. "And I can tell when my comments bother you." He laughed softly to himself. "It's what I get for watching people so much. “
Moira tried to relax a bit, letting out another sigh, "I guess I could try and remember things before I got captured, but everything from like...my teen years on are a blurry mess.."
"Well, you could start by just telling me about your husband." He had noted the ring, but had never heard mention of the man. So either he was dead or she didn't know.
"His name is Vic Jessue, and he's apparently still alive and being held and experimented on by Haven, like I was, I just don't know for how long....or what they've done to him." She took in another deep breath, this one shaking her entire body, clearly upset that she couldn't protect another man she loved.
"Well, I'd like to really steal their research and wipe their hard-drives, but that's a fool's errand. Do you have any idea of which facility?" He questioned, his interest peaked. If someone were to take Delilah away, he'd have a ******** conniption.
"I think it was in the files - that's the only reason I found out - as I saw his name...I ....I want to find him and save him, if he's.." She had to pause, her breath hitching in her throat at just the thought.
"Yes. If he is, I'll lend you a hand. But let me know, I have things to prepare." He smiled. This entire time, he'd forgotten to put his mask on, forgetting that his cut mouth with exposed. "I'm sure he was a sweetheart if you still think about him after everything. “
"I want to find him, I really do...he saved me from ...from a lot of things that Arno is helping me with right now..they're....actually fairly similar, I just...want..both of them..if that even makes sense.." Moira mumbled, keeping her eyes closed as she tried to get the thought of her husband being dead out of her head.
"So you are polyamorous?" He questioned, mixing a metal in the solution and then letting it sit. He was hoping to hyper harden the metal he was working with by subjecting it to a chemical bath. He walked forward and pulled a chair, sitting in it normally. "It does make sense, ancient people used to practice that."
"If that's the word for it, yeah.." She opened her eyes again, now just looking at Michael with tired eyes.
"No sleeping, remember? Trying to make sure you don't die." He waved his hands in front of her. "It's fine. I'm not here to judge. I don't even look at people that way. “
"I just...if he is alive...and we do get him back, I don't...want either of them to think I was using them." She went to close her eyes again, thinking for a moment, "They both fill different but similar voids in my life.."
"Well, any explanation of that will allow me to back you verbally." He replied. "Otherwise, I can only defend the fact that you like the two of them. Whether it be at the same time or not."
"I think..if I explain it the right way, they might get it. I just...." She took in another breath and let it out, rubbing her head again for a moment, "I remember not having the greatest childhood, of what I can remember of it."
"Progress..." Michael whispered as he listened. "Yeah? What wasn't so great about it?" He had slowly pulled pocket notepad and started writing.
Well, if she was going to try to remember, she might as well try, right? Though as she thought, there was a pretty bad pounding in her head, causing her to grimace a little, but she pushed past it, "Was left alone with my brother Silas, we were supposed to be looked after by my grandmother..."
"Yes, and I suppose she pre-occupied herself?" He questioned, scribbling still. He took his glasses off to rest his eyes for a moment and then slipped them back on and chewed on the end of his pen.
Moira nodded, "I ended up leaving the house a lot..I remember that much...and eventually I got sent to the dorms after yelling at Alice- one of my moms - for being a horrible parent."
"Was that because you are the oldest sibling? Or...? " He raised a brow. "Sent to the dorms at Sanctuary?"
"I wasn't the oldest, I think I was technically the youngest...and yeah, I was sent to the dorms when it was originally called the Academy..." Moira slowly started to stretch, the headache getting worse, but she kept just doing her best to ignore it.
"Would you like another glass of water? Perhaps some fresh tea?" He questioned, sitting forward. He could tell that she was feeling uncomfortable. He laid his pencil down.
"Tea would be wonderful.." She stated, letting out a sharp breath and rubbing the bridge of her nose, looking like she was dealing with one hell of a headache.
Michael got up and moved over to the sink, reaching underneath and pulling a kettle. He filled it and walked over to a flat surface and placed the kettle there. He hit a couple of buttons, waited for a moment, and within half a minute, the kettle was whistling. He brought it over, along with two cups, and kicked a small foot-stool over. "Which do you prefer, Earl Grey or Green?" He had a tea-bag in each cup already and was waiting to pour the hot water.
"Uhm.. Earl Grey." She said quickly, not wanting to think on that for too long for some reason, her head now throbbing in pain.
He poured the cup for her and placed it in front of her, and poured the water in his cup and lifted it up to blow softly on it. "They were my last two bags. I'll need to get some more eventually..." He sighed softly, leaning back and hearing his joints pop. "Now that being said, were you kidnapped from the Academy, or was it that you wandered off again?"
Taking the cup in her hand, she held onto it, the warmth pleasing. After taking a moment to just stare at the mug, she started to speak again. "I was actually taken when I was heading home after work...this was way after I moved out of the academy and got married."
"Did you notice anything out of the ordinary before it happened? Did you always have the gems on your face? Was it publicly known you were a meta?"
"Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, I was pretty clearly a Meta - I had wings back then, both arms...no gems.." After another moment, she took a sip of the tea and just seemed to enjoy it, "Everyone at work knew I was a meta, but didn't seem to care.."
"Hrm. Everyone liked you at work? No one was hesitant about you? It's very strange that it would suddenly happen unless someone tipped someone off or was getting paid..." he tapped the pen to his chin, rubbing on an old cut.
"Not that I'm aware of...I was a bouncer at a bar, so I was doing my job...it's possible that someone I threw out was super salty.”
Michael paused on the thought for a while. "Which bar? If I might ask. " he wasn't thinking anything nice, and if she was watching closely, she could see his lip twitch.
Moira took another sip of the tea, thinking, "Horizon, I think."
Michael stood up and walked over to his computer, clicking a few keys. "How long ago..." he ponders out loud. "If there was ever a thing I learned from Cordelia...." he continued to press on keys and scrolled a mouse wheel down.
"Over twenty years ago, so probably twenty-one or so years ago...not sure if any records are kept from that long ago.."
"They are required to for the government. If it ever was stored in a format that could be sent...." he paused for the moment. "Or I could just make a house call. " he folded his hands over the table. "But this is not the time for that. I'm quick to anger. I ripped my wings off a long time ago, but there is no reason to take yours." He leaned back in this chair, it being one of the only in the room with wheels and a leaning back. It had obviously seen some wear due to the arm rests being tattered.
Moira couldn't help but chuckle, "Mine got turned into another way to torture me..." looking down at the mug again, her eyes seemed to just be incredibly tired, but also very dark. The entire torture ordeal was definitely something that was still fresh in her mind, despite being done to her over a twenty year period.
"Yes. " was the only response out of him . He reached into his desk and pulled out a stress ball. He squeezed it rapidly for a while. "Although I've never had the unfortunate experience, I am at your aid. Regardless of personal gain." Michael thought of Paige and it made him even more angry.
She fell silent again, deciding it would be best to just sit there and drink the tea as she saw him pulling out a stress ball. Her breathing had returned to normal, though every so often it'd catch in her throat but she eventually managed to calm herself down again.
He pursed his lips and returned to his tea as well, staring blankly at her. He turned to his research, looked at a timer, and then put the tea and stress ball back down. He removed his bandages from his chest, it still black from the bruising. He pulled fresh bandages from the medical kit he had earlier in the month and began to rewrap himself. "Cracked ribs are the worst.”
Moira watched him for a moment then looked away, "They are fairly bad..." she said quietly, not wanting to get into a game of 'who's had it worse'.
"Yeah. I've never really been injured much so I hurts a lot worse than it probably is. Although torture... I just... I hate bringing that up. I'm standing over here whining like a child. " he placed his glasses down and continued until the bandages were tight and clipped them off.
She shrugged slightly, "Pain is different to each person, I think."
"Albeit..." he smiled at her. "Well, thank you for indulging me. Do you have any questions for me? I feel like all I've been doing is prying."
Moira thought for a moment, "I just have one...is there any way that you could possibly look into someone's dreams?"
"Me personally?" He questioned, tilting his head at such an odd, first question. "No I'm not that talented, I'm afraid. All I could do is verbally analyze it for you. “
"That's...not really what I wanted.." She sighed, sipping on the tea again.
"Well, elaborate?" He blinked rapidly and realized he'd left his glasses on the table. He got up and slowly made his way to them, putting them back on his face. "My powers are aggressive, to say the least. Nothing so peaceful as dream travel or sight. “
"I just really want someone to verify what I saw, but at this rate, it's been more than a little while since I had the dream. It had happened at some point last week and it's still haunting me a little bit." Moira stated, looking down at the mug and staring into it before she continued to drink from it.
"Well modern science can try to elaborate on such things, but it seems like you have a feeling that it meant something...like sight beyond sight?" He questioned, folding his hands.
"It's...sort of linked to one of my powers I've had for awhile. It was originally giving me little blips of future sight, but when I dream it'd be of the past...this is only the second time it's happened though."
"Is it working in reverse? You could have just evolved one of your existing powers to work either way. It's a thing that happens with a lot of Meta." There was some rustling of papers and he looked back.
Kate had slipped into the room through the emergency hatch with a few grilled cheeses. She giggled at Moira, placed the plate down and whispered to Michael. "The shark is going nuts. He thinks you are dissecting Moira." She looked up, waved cutely at Moira and then went away back down the emergency hatch.
He grabbed one of the sandwiches and chewed thoughtfully.
"It's working how it's supposed to---" she paused and just stared at Kate when she showed up, watching her as she spoke, as if not really thinking she was there until Michael grabbed one of the sandwiches. "Uh.." she mumbled, now having to find her train of thought again, staring at the sandwiches for a moment and shaking her head. "I think it's working like it should...as I saw K-- my grandmother - and it was before the uh.." she motioned to her left arm.
"Well, I'm close to a replacement but not quite...So you are saying that you saw this before I was finished with a replacement, or the harness in general?”
"Uhm.. no, I mean, I saw my grandmother in a place that looked similar to a place I was held in, and she had one bandaged arm but another one not bandaged yet, like how she looked when she arrived.."
"That's odd. Do you think she might be in danger?" He looked at his phone suddenly, his face giving away his concern for the situation.
Moira shook her head, "I think this was in the past, like my other dream..-- is ...something wrong?"
"Nothing. " He eyed the text messages and shook his head. "She should be safe..." He whispered and closed his phone back up.
She fell silent again and looked down at the now empty mug of tea, closing her eyes halfway.
"Well, is that the only question you had Moira?"
She nodded, "Yeah.."
"Well then. Do you want to go see Arno, or would you like to sit here for a little while?"
Setting down the mug, she moved to sit normally, as she was still partially curled up on the chair, "I'd like to go see him, if that's okay."
"That's fine by me. It'll give him a chance to know I haven't dissected you yet." He chuckled heartily, and hit a button on his phone which caused the door to open. "He just tripped two sensors, he heard the door." He chuckled, the thudding of Arno's footfalls echoing down the hall. "But please, meet him at the door. I don't want to see him.”
