#oc maybe

Arriving home I quickly descend the stairs into the hidden cavern entrance. There is more than one way into the lab, but this particular entrance is closest to the kitchen and pantry. I drop the small crate with my gifted project from Benzin on the floor. I unloaded the groceries into the dry pantry and put the wine and meat in the ice box until we start dinner. I should really check on Singed, mainly to see if we are feasting or mourning. The potential patrons should be gone by now, and I'd like to know what we may actually be getting ourselves involved in by negotiating with the Chem Barons. I’ve never seen or met one. I'd only heard whispers of their brutality, shady dealings, and general lust for power. I wonder which one of them came, if they did at all. Maybe they sent a representative instead. I mean which of the Chem Barons would actually want to bother to wander around in a damp cave and meet with an infamously eccentric chemist? I should make us some tea, that will ease the mood no matter what has happened.

I grab the kettle and quickly fill it from the tap. Turning the stove top on high, I set the kettle atop the angry flame to boil. I grabbed the tea box and immediately scooped a hefty amount of the aromatic leaves into the porcelain pot. Placing the teapot on the tray I finished arranging our cups and assortment of accessories. I leaned back on the counter as I waited for the water to boil. 

I really hoped today went well for Singed. When he’d first given me the option to stay willingly, I pounced on it. He never pressured me with the same things my mother had. No vicarious goals set upon me unless it was something I wanted to help with. He was not ruled by societal obligations. He let me have full reign over whatever projects I wanted to pursue, within reason of course. I suspect the partnership we share is a facade though, so that he can continue to observe the positive results from my resuscitation. I knew I was his treasured second successful experiment, Rio technically being his first. He was sustaining her life beyond the natural aged death she should have succumbed to. He said it was to preserve the mutation. I’m not sure what that means, and he has been nothing but vague anytime I asked. What I did know was that Rio and I had one thing in common: we were precious to Singed. 

The sharp whistle of the kettle startled me from my thoughts. I swiftly grabbed it and poured the steaming water over the leaves. The soothing scent of tea wafted around me as I gathered up the full tray and headed downstairs.

Walking briskly into the lab, only eerie silence greeted me. The wall sconces had been nearly extinguished with only the soft green glow of Rio’s tank spilling into the room. 

 “Singed? Are you here?” I curiously asked as I stood at the doorway and I squinted into the dim lab. 

This was an oddity, he never turned off the lights in the lab. He claimed it was because he wandered around at all hours and didn’t appreciate stumbling on hidden obstacles. I glanced around the room once again.  My desk lamp was on, it gleamed menacingly at me from across the darkened room. I was pretty sure I turned that off when I left earlier. Goosebumps pimpled my skin, something was not right. I walked cautiously towards my desk.

 “Singed?” I loudly called out again, but only the soft gurgle of Rio’s tank answered me. Where is he? 

I quickly strode over to my desk and gently deposited the tray off to the side. My books were still neatly sorted and the notes still anchored down. But as I looked closer, I noticed what seemed so odd to me. My quill was laying in the center of my desk, the silver inlays sparkling in the lamp light. This may be Singed’s lab, but he never moved my things. I leaned over and reached out to gingerly pick it up, squinting suspiciously, I slid it back into the tiny silver cup. I stand there, quizzically staring at my desk. Where is Singed? The air in the lab felt too still, stifling even. But then I heard it, rapidly approaching scuffing sounds behind me. I whipped myself around quickly to only be abruptly halted. Giant hands appeared out of the dark and tightly death gripped my arms. I squirmed and thrashed, this was not happening again. Screaming I swiftly bring my knee up into the man's groin. He painfully grunted but only removed one hand to roughly spin me around and wrap it around me. With my freed arm I quickly pulled a stick from my hair and stabbed at the arm that is tightly clutched around my chest. He grunts but tightens his grip, punching the air from my lungs. He wrenched the hair stick from my hand and tossed it away into the dark. Then his grip loosened.

“What the fu-” he began to gasp out only to unceremoniously collapse on the ground.

That sedative really is effective. I’ll have to thank Singed later. I need to get out of here. From the dark another man emerges. He stalked predatorily towards me. How many of them were there?

“Who are you? What do you want?” I screamed at him. I yanked my chair out from my desk and swung it between us. He only briefly stalled before he grinned wickedly and stalked towards me once again. I shoved the chair towards him and bolted to the side. I needed to get to the hall. I knew the labyrinth of tunnels well enough, hopefully I could lose him. I heard the crash of the wood as it splintered too close to me and I felt pieces of wood collide with my legs. I stumbled and lost my balance falling forward onto the floor. I quickly rolled over onto my back snarling at him and yanked another stick from my hair.

“Get the fuck away from me!” I scrambled backwards and wildly swung my weapon at him. He lunged for my ankles, I jabbed, but he quickly retreated. He menacingly began to stalk around me, I pivoted my body following his path, slowly standing again. I faked to the right, but he was quicker, he lunged at me and landed a swift punch to my shoulder. Agonizing pain shot through my arm and my weapon fell from my hand. He grabbed both my arms, spinning me around and wrenched them behind my back. I wailed, the pain was nauseating and my vision was swimming. 

“Stop playing with your food.” A disembodied smooth voice hissed from the darkness. 

My attacker tightened his grip and whipped us around to face the sound of the voice.

“Sorry, Sir, but she's a feisty one.” Slightly out of breath, he grumbled

Out of the shadows a tall slender man confidently swaggers towards us. The green glow from Rio’s tank slowly illuminates his form. Shrinking the distance at his leisure he saunters up to my restrained form. He's neatly dressed in clean polished boots, a dark maroon and black vested suit with gold accents. Dark slicked back hair crowns his head. A beautiful pale blue-green eye swiftly examined me. But it’s the other bright red and yellow unlidded eye surrounded by sunken vertical scarred lines that stands out the most. 

“And who might you be?” The man snarls, leaning into my face and stabbing into my sternum with a slim rigid finger. He smells of stale cigars and an overwhelming woodsy cologne. 

“That would be my assistant, and not some intruder like your men had assumed.” Singed’s voice called from the doorway as he reached a thin hand over to open the valve for the lamps. The warm illumination of the sconces returned. “My dear, this is our potential patron, Silco.”

“Hmmm, and I assumed you worked alone. I wasn’t expecting company.”  Silco says, still threateningly staring at me.

“On the primary experiments, yes I do indeed. She mainly assists with the mechanical workings in the lab among other things. She is also the “volunteer” for my experiments with the concoctions of the flora that I was telling you about.”

“Can he let me go? Your guard dog is hurting me.” I snip, glaring at Silco.

Silco huffed a small chuckle. He raised his hand and gently plucked my last hair pin from my head, freeing my loose bun to pile hair around my face, he held it up to his eye level and began looking it over. “Let’s disarm you of your tiny trinkets first.” Silco then slips it into his breast pocket. “Did you just kill one of my men?”

I began to shrug nonchalantly, only to wince in pain.

Singed tiredly sighed. “No she didn’t kill him. It’s a mild sedative and he should be right as rain in a few moments.” 

As if on cue, a loud groan rolls out of the man lain prone on the floor.

“Ah good, I’d hate for our meeting to be interrupted by a death. Go ahead, release her.” Silco dismissively waves his hand.

I gasped painfully when the brute released his hold. Blood rushed back into my stinging appendages. I gingerly rotated my arms and massaged my injured shoulder. I can feel the bruises settling to my flesh. That's most likely going to be sore for days. I quickly rushed across the room to stand beside Singed. He looked  me over, gently grasping my shoulder and assessing my injury. 

“I’m glad to see my gifts are effective, my dear.” Singed says as a smile gently wrinkles his weary face.

“Where were you?” I whispered accusingly.

Singed tilted his head, settling me with a considerate gaze. “I was showing them the archives when you returned, they heard your rummaging and assumed someone was here to spy on them.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s fucking paranoid.”

Singed fixes me with a stern glare.

“I'm sorry. I thought I was out for long enough. I hope I haven't mucked things up.” I softly speak, looking away embarrassed.

“My men should be the ones apologizing.” Silco interrupts. “They know better than to be threatened by some tiny thing like you.”

I scoffed, turning to face him.

“Don’t get me wrong, you put up a good fight. In order for a tiny creature such as yourself to survive down here, you had best have some claws.” Silco growls, glaring at me. “And as for “mucking things up”, don’t worry dear, I’m still interested in the happenings in this lab.” Silco gestures dramatically towards the room. “So…among your many job responsibilities, you’re also the subject of his experiments?”

I curiously looked up to Singed. He nods approvingly, “One of two surviving participants, yes.” I side eyed Silco suspiciously.

“May I see the proof, little one?” Silco sweeps his stern gaze slowly up and down my body.

Glancing over to Singed, I questionably raise my brows.

”Go ahead child, let him inspect you and see the damage that I undid.” Singed smiled and gently grasped my shoulder squeezing reassuringly.

“All of it?” I quizzically raised my brows.

Singed nods. “Whatever he wants to see, my dear.” 

I glance back over to Silco, squinting suspiciously, then move my gaze to his insubordinates, “Only if they’re not present.”

He stares at me with a look of consideration. “I’ll allow that bit of privacy for you.” Silco waves his hand in a dismissive gesture and the two bulky men move into the corridor just outside of the lab.

I exhaled the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, and started to remove my clothing. Starting with my boots, skirt, vest, and then my shirt. Leaving myself in my camisole and underwear. I pause for a moment, side eyeing Singed, and he gives me a nod, I stare directly into Silco’s eyes, and quickly slip the camisole over my head. Taking care not to irritate my injured shoulder more than necessary. With clothes piled at my feet, I stand patiently, staring off into the glowing corner of the lab that housed Rio. The air is still and chilled, and I can feel the goosebumps pulling my skin taut. When I haven’t sensed any movement, I turn my gaze back to Silco. “You can get a closer look, if you’d like.”

Silco hums deeply, nodding slightly, and stalks slowly over to me. Raising his hand slightly, he glides his thin fingers over the raised blue scars glittering my body. Starting from my thighs up my hips and then sliding them over my abdomen. His fingers grazed over my ribs, causing me to involuntarily flinch. A smirk ghosting his otherwise blank face. Slowly walking around me as he follows their paths until he is facing me again. His fingers are frigid, but his fondling is gentle enough. He ghosts his fingers over the painful contusion already blossoming with vibrant purple and blue bruising on my shoulder. His ministrations still on one of the more gruesome scars, the jagged ones above my heart and below my collar bones. His thumb gently massages over the bumpy scarred flesh. “You should be dead.” He states matter of factly.

“Yes, I should be.” I whisper as my gaze somber as I look into his eyes.

Silco quickly stared down at my face, searching my countenance. His expression is mute, no tells to speak of that would give evidence to the thoughts running through his mind. All except for his mismatched eyes, his right eye squinted in scrutinized concentration while the left eye was wide open and all knowing. His pale green eye widened a fraction and his lips parted in a sharp inhale. He quickly pulls his hand away from my chest, as if stung by my warmth, and swiftly hides his hands behind his back. Perhaps, he had just realized he was touching a real live human being and not just a specimen. He stepped away briskly, but his eyes didn't leave my face. His posture was regally stiff and his scowl momentarily returned. He grinned smugly, the scarred side of his face twitched, as if the action pained him. “That’s enough proof for now, you can redress.” He hissed. 

I looked over to Singed, he was already nodding in affirmation. I gathered my garments quickly and hurriedly put them back on. The chill slightly abated, I wandered back to Singed’s side. 

Silco swung his gaze around the lab, taking it all in, then landed Singed with a stern stare. “How did you heal her?”

“I used small doses of the serum made from the local flora in precisely timed increments.” Singed matter of factly replied.

Silco hums in thought. “Are there side effects?”

“None that have negatively appeared in her, as of yet. Other subjects did not fare as well, though.” Singed shrugs. 

“Is it addictive?” Silco sighs.

“Not in the small supplemental doses I have administered so far. The serum dose itself can be varied. But I have not started those trials as of yet. I would like to start collecting specimens to study the effects of larger doses. But that takes time and funding. Which is why, I’m hopeful that what you’ve seen today will encourage an alliance on your part.” Singed amugly smiles.

“An alliance?” Silco furrows his brows..

“Yes, a symbiotic relationship if you will. I’m quite sure you’re not just here to admire my scientific studies, you must have your own agenda as well. I'd be naïve to believe otherwise. Whatever that is, I don’t outright care. I am just in need of sponsorship and protection from any other conflicting parties. I will assist you in whatever way you want, so long as we can continue our own self interested studies.” Singed bowed slightly.

Silco turns away from us, stalking confidently around the lab. He looked like a predator, roaming his own territory. He wanders over to my desk, kicking aside broken bits of my chair in his way. Arriving at my desk he glanced over his shoulder, his angry flame colored eye staring at us. “If I decide to sponsor you, to ensure protection of our shared interests, I would need you and your lab close at hand. Are you willing to relocate?” Silco said as he plucked my quill from its silver cup.  

“It would be a tedious process to move all the necessary equipment, but I’m sure the arrangements can be made.” Singed shrugs nonchalantly.

Silco turned towards us, he raised my quill and inspected it. As he lowered it I realized he was staring directly at me. He swaggered back towards us, not dropping his gaze. “I’ll have a location ready for you by the end of the month.”

I snapped my head towards Singed. “I thought nothing was going to be decided today?” I whispered nervously.

Singed turned to face me, he fixed me with a stern glare. “You are correct, I did say that, my dear. But this is my lab, so in the end, it is still my decision. Agreed?”

I tugged my bottom lip between my teeth, glancing nervously between Singed and Silco. “Yes, Sir.”

Singed nods approvingly. “Good, now we can begin to discuss the finer details of this relationship.” 

Silco leaned menacingly towards me and pressed my quill into my palm. “How about you go and start packing, my dear assistant?”