As the chaos of Stahs arrival in the lab goes on….

Gears carried Virus hastily to the room, feeling one of the shapeshifters in monitoring reach to him he scanned the cameras. Stahs. Virus didn’t want Stahs harmed. Wagner didn’t want Azazel to have Stahs. He quickly altered all the cameras in the facility to loop, backtracking the cameras in the lobby and elevator to before Stahs had come on screen. Virus made a slight face as he was carried to the room. He felt a call but couldn’t place it and couldn’t wake up. His body needed time, he groaned a little. Gears carried him to the bed, laying him down gently before moving to lay down next to him, pulling the unconscious energy vampire into his arms and holding him close. Virus was laid down as he would slighting murmur. Easily pulled into Bex arms. He murmur his hatred for 24, twitching lightly. Virus stirred, but not able to wake, just murmuring and kept near gears, while gears seem to monitor the oncoming massacre. Gears debated on alerting Wagner to Stahs’ presence as he monitored the situation. He was good at illusions. Maybe he could hide 24?

He reached to Wagner, pushing the knowledge of Stahs’ approach to him. Wagner stopped outside his quarters, reaching to Gears now to alert him to alter the locking mechanism on the door, effectively locking everyone out if the room before he continued on his way.

Getting the message Gears went into the systems, both changing the access code and cutting power to the lock so even if someone overrode the access code it it wouldn’t budge.

Azazel marched by the private quarters planning to head to Wagner. To see why 24 was kept in the combat area.

Gears watched the chaos unfold, as he watched Azazel try to head for Wagner he relayed the information to Wagner hastily as he could. There was only so much he could do from here. Bex charged past Wagners room, unaware of the occupants inside, just blindly trying to get to Stahs. He could see the light blazing around the corner of the hall. So bright he had to squint the closer he got. Gears watched the chaos unfold, holding tightly to Virus. Gears was absolutely losing it as he held onto Virus, the lab was a wreck. The shifters Stahs had freed clustered at the elevator desperate to get out but none of them knew the code. He was watching Stahs though, practically screaming at Wagner through the hive. Virus was still out through all of it, unaware what was happening

Gears grit his teeth, this wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t how anything was supposed to happen. He growled, burying his face against Virus’ shoulder as 24 killed Wagner. Gears was furious with Wagner for letting 24 go (not that 24 had given him a choice), and more furious Wagner had ignored him about Stahs. He understood why but he didn’t like it. Virus stirred and stretched a little under gears hold, but just seem to stop as a small groan left his lips. Gears lifted his head as the small groan left Virus’ lips. Looking over him again worriedly. “God damn idiot…” Gears muttered as he worked to erase the footage of all the chaos, careful to make it look like there’d been some kind of power surge to the server those files were held in to explain the damage.

Gears settled back once he’d completely eradicated the footage, carefully covering his tracks. He knew Wagner would likely get the blame for that as well. But he trusted Wagner could figure his own way out of it, or Virus would deal with it later. Gears monitored Wagner, as much as the man’s idiotic ways infuriated him, he couldn’t help but worry a little as Wagner went to meet Azazel. This wasn’t going to be good. He rested a hand on Virus’ stomach, he knew how important it was to him not to fail. To prove that he could do it. He checked on the life form’s status with his nanites. The life form was stable and continuing on. Virus body was now storing up energy. Gears smiled a little seeing that the life form had stabilized. He lay like that, one arm around Virus and the other gently touching his stomach as he watched Wagner in the cameras. Gears lay next to Virus, holding him, unaware of the potential threat to the two unconscious minds in the facility. The one in his arms and the one in the cage.

A creature infiltrates the labs among the chaos….

Kal happened upon the shack in the sorry state that it was in. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that it was the destination of the path, and he was quite at home in the shadows it provided…especially when he saw the darkened elevator shaft. Well well well. What was this? As he eased his way down into the darkness he reached out, probing for any vulnerable minds that may be sleeping down here. This could be a fun little adventure if it was indeed the entrance to that infamous laboratory. Kal descended the rest of the way through the elevator shaft, dipping into shadows and lacing through them as quick as a whip. He had a vague notion of conscious minds, and he was bent on trying to find the one he’d just infiltrated. This one was -delicious- and he was going to ensure he had easy access to him. Cells – some kind of prison. A shade sort of laboratory indeed, but that meant this was where those rescued experiments were found. Or well…some of them? There were bodies everywhere – somoene had thrown quite the party.

A bedroom! The dream eater noticed its placement with glee, though it was -rather- far down the hall and if the lights were all working properly that would make for an undignified place to get trapped. Tch. At least he had the old ‘under the bed’ space to retreat to.

So many minds in chaos down here, but the conscious ones were barely flittering insects on the edge of his consciousness; he couldn’t touch them, only knew that they were there. Two were quite alseep, however….well, more than that even, it seemed. He danced on the edge of the caged angel’s mind, but that one was – curious. Already half-locked in a nightmarish dream of its own making, he could feed off of it already. There was another though; the vampire. Deeply unconscious, he wouldn’t even have to try much to keep him locked in that state. As he lingered in the elevator shaft near the base, his eyes glowing a pale gold, he started to pick at Virus’ mind to tease out whatever fears could push him into a dreaming state that could be exploited. Virus was already tittering, he wasn’t one to dream or really know what a dream was at all. He shift some making a face.

Gears tilted his head to look at him as he made a face, asking softly, “Virus?”

This one didn’t dream? Oh, we could fix that. It was even better when they weren’t used to it. Again he pried, flashing various visions across the back of Virus’ consciousness in order to get a reaction: The laboratory in ruins, a hall splattered in blood, a pile of corpses, various types of needles, Stahs’ face, Bex’s face…the images flipped through and cycled as he tried to get a reaction from him. Virus stirred at the flashes,making a slight face, up until Bex should and then he growled deeply. He hated bex soo much.

Gears watched him as he… dreamed? He had never seen Virus sleep for long, the only other time he’d seen him sleep was after the first time Wagner had involved him in the breeding, and then Wagner had spirited him away quickly then. Was this normal?

Oh well -there- we go. Kal was absolutely purring. That was easy enough – he was fairly familiar with how Bex looked and moved thanks to the lucid dream he’d observed him in. He solidfied the image of Bex, his smile a cruel sort of smirk. “Ah, there you are, my worthless little imp,” he chided, the space around them fading into view; a laboratory room much like the one they were in, though fairly generic at the edges. “What brings you here tonight? And why aren’t you standing? I’m quite sure you know to be on your knees when you approach me.”

Virus growled as he saw Bex he hiss. Turning his hands into claws “it is you who will be on their knees, begging. You will pay for everything. For how you took Stahs from me…for almost killing the life form…for just having to have to be everyones first choice.” He yelled.

Outside the dream he was growling and stirring, his fingers grew claws. Murmuring in a seething tone “Bex”

“-Almost- killing?” Bex asked, his head tilting. “You should know by now that I never do anything -almost-. I haven’t taken anything from you, you worthless stain on existence. You never had them to begin with. Someday you’ll learn,” he purred.

Gears watched worriedly as Virus growled and stirred, brushing back a bit of hair from his face. He saw the claws come out, hearing his murmured words. “Damn that 24…” Gears growled.

Virus hissed “you did not succeed, our assessment is never wrong.” He then snarled “I hate you……we did nothing to you…you took everything…you smug little bug. WE ARE BETTER….WE DESERVE HAPPINESS NOT YOU!” He went to shoot lightning at Bex in rage.

Outside he stirred more growling and screaming, causing electrical. Things to haywire, but not too bad, he wasn’t scream fully loud.

“Oh? Assess again, failure,” Bex chided. Within the dream Virus could ‘assess’ all he liked, but the only result would come what Kal designed it to be; he had no idea what this life form was, but it would be quite, quite dead. The dreamer’s mind usually did a fantastic job of filling things in. As the lightning was flung at Bex he gracefully extended a hand and directed it to the side with a sweep as though shooing away a fly. “You deserve nothing, or you would have it. But you have -nothing-. You have no Stahs, you have no power, and you have no wretched little life form despite your desperate attempts to save it.” Bex stepped forward then, his eyes narrowed into cruel slits as he reached out to grab Virus by the throat and push him. Picking him up may have shown power, but pushing him down to his knees showed dominance…and humiliation was a beautiful thing. “Admit it, failure. You’ve lost everything because you’re worth nothing.”

Virus looked so confused “no…no we know it was alive…we know.” He say.”no no no.” Virus stared to send out a painful wave at the hive, calling for help. He was freaking out, seeing how Bex manage the lightning “that isn’t possible.” He says. He growled “I have my hive…always. you are the one who is nothing. Sneaky, backstabbing thing. ” he hiss and screamed loudly. It was enough so he screamed loudly out of the dream making everything truly go nuts, lights computer. Then silence as Bex grabbed his throw. He tried to fight him. He was sure he was the stronger one, this made no sense.

Out side the dream Virus was flailing and screaming no over and over.

Gears watched Virus as he screamed and the lights and and devices on the room flickered. Then he felt the painful wave as Virus tried to reach for him. Feeling his desperation as he called for help.

“Virus! Virus wake up!” He tried shaking his shoulders as he failed and screamed, starting to panic as well in the flickering lights and the buzz of haywire electronics.

And yet as he called out in the dream for help, there was silence. What was a hive? Kal had no idea, but he knew that whatever it was, Virus was calling to it…and would get no answer. Only darkness replied, and a cold, empty silence. “Sneaky, backstabbing…but victorious. And in the end, isn’t that all that matters?” he asked, leaning down to loom over Virus. His face took on a sick, mocking expression of sympathy. “Ah, gone, all gone, poor thing. I told you, didn’t I? I destroyed it, I’m -quite- good at that, you should know by now.” He leaned down though, his face mere inches from the vampire’s as he purred, “But that’s so cruel of me. You cherished that little life form, didn’t you?” From along is sides grew long, thin tendrils bristling with back-facing spines as he purred. “I know. How about I replace that life form with one of my own. That would make up for it, right?”

Kal had Virus deep in his clutches; it would take a hell of a shock to wake him as the dream eater clung tightly to his consciousness like a parasite.

Virus was trying so desperately to call his hive, so very painful call them. Staring venomously at Bex “why wont you just die.” He yell. He couldn’t understand, thigs didn’t make sense here. He stared to feel like he was cracking. He wonder if he was malfunctioning. He stared at Bex open his jaws completely and tried to lunge at him to bite. Desperately trying to get at bex, to hurt bex. He could hear Bex, he didn’t want that filths dna for breeding.

Outside the dream Virus was in a panic, black tears rolling dow. His face as he kept screaming no no no.

The moment his mouth opened, several of those tendrils swarmed down his throat. Five of them at once, as thin as a thumb each. They surged into his mouth as a twisting mass, Bex’s smirking face visible just behind him. “Shh, shh, what are so upset about? I’m giving you something you could never achieve on your own. Then you’ll never have to worry about forgetting who it is that you’re inferior to.” Three, six, eight inches….a dozen. The bulk of the tendrils stopped then, and Bex tilted his head with a crazed, elated smile. “You’re going to look magnificent when I’m done with you.” The tendrils pulled back then, barbs digging into Virus’ throat before surging another inch, three, five, as though they were going straight into his core. Already they leaked a bitter, caustic fluid, but there were two more tendrils coming around Virus’ sides now, their sharp tips positioning themself just under his rib cage before they started to burrow in.

Gears was freaking out now, feeling Virus’ desperation but seemingly unable to do anything to rouse him as black tears streamed down his cheeks. He began trying to gather more of his nanites in the power system to him, trying to think of a way to wake him since shaking him and yelling his name seemed ineffective.

Virus face still full of venom, but it was so confused to, this didn’t make sense. He was sure he was strong, why was the hive not here. It wasn’t possible, the hive should have come. Hearing Bex words as more hatred bloomed in him. Virus glared at Bex when his head was tilted. Virus went to grow his tendrils, yes he knew he could, then use then against Bex, yes this is a good plan. He felt the barbs, Virus hadn’t the concept of pain cause outside the dream they were cut off sensors. Like he knew what physical pain was, but couldn’t feel it outside the dream. Though this was kal dream not his, he feel two more burrow and he arched back as he tried to scream around the tendrils, trying to curse Bex name.

Virus flail more as he was balling outside the dream, before he screamed “Gears…..Wagner….” desperately.

It was then that the thin tendrils in Virus’ mouth swelled, the two plunging into his guts coiling and giving a slight tremble. Bex looked up to the ones sprouting from Virus’ body and clucked his tongue. “Look at you, trying to fight back. Are you that eager to lose to me again, just like you always do? he murmured in a voice that would have been sweet as a lover if not for the hateful words themselves. It was then that the tendrils started to flex and move and…-something- was pumping into Virus’ throat and abdomen. They traveled down the tendrils in waves about the size of a golf ball, forcing Virus’ jaw open wider. “Let’s give you some new life forms to take care of. You’ll feel better filled with my spawn anyway.” Virus could feel the things pouring into him like an infection, though Kal was already releasing the dream. He’d implanted the thought into him, vivid as any memory; it was time to let the creature wake up.

“I’m here, it’s ok, I’m here.” Gears said. Gears gathered some of the nanites to him trying to think what to do as he held onto Virus. He concentrated them on his palms, interlocking his hands together carefully with Virus’ claws, trying to generate a low but consistent shock with the nanites. Hoping more energy would rouse him.

Virus luckily wasn’t a breathing type, he glared at Bex with soo much hatred. He was nothing but hatred now, just hatred for Bex. It was consuming him completely. Virus eyes went wide as he felt the thing travel in him, he wasn’t going to carry Bex life form no. He wouldn’t do that, he would feel it and god he wanted to crawl out of his skin.

Virus was crying and screaming, until he shot up a wake screaming. He look around confused,he was very sure it was real and wasted not a moment to claw at himself at his stomach “have to get it out…have to get it out!” He screamed.

Gears was knocked back as Virus shot up awake screaming. He saw him start to claw at his stomach, rushing to try to grab his wrists and try to pin them to bed. “Virus! Virus! STOP!” He yelled, “It’s me, it wasn’t real!”

Virus was hysterical at this point as gears was pinning him, he flailed about screaming “get it out! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT! NOT HIS…I REFUSE HIS……GET IT OUT!” He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Gears ears started to bleed from the volume at the proximity but he held his grip fast, his nanites concentrating at where Virus had begun to claw at his stomach, glints of silver in the black ooze.

“VIRUS! LOOK AT ME! IT’S GEARS!” He yelled, trying to reach through the hive to try to gather what information he could about what Virus had seen in his dreams. Speaking more softly now, trying to push the words to him through the hive as well, “Shhhh it’s not his. That was just a dream. It’s still the same lifeforms from before you fell asleep. Don’t harm it. Just look at me.”

Virus was freaking completely out, he screamed “No! GET IT OUT!” He voice cracking intoba robotic sound as he coughed up black goo. Black tears streamed his face. He stared at gears, still struggling against him as he says in that broken vocal cord “no….no…he…he got us…he killed it….please get it out…we don’t want 24 dna…..hes not worthy….get it out.” He plead, having hard time wrapping what a dream was.

Even though he knew it was a dream he was furious with 24. Couldn’t he leave them alone? His eyes started to leak again between the anger he felt for 24 and Virus’ fear and pain. “I know, I know it felt real but it wasn’t. It isn’t 24’s dna. It was an illusion. Just focus, assess it. I promise it wasn’t real.” Gears said, trying to calm him.

Virus was shaking from the hysteria he was in, staring with fear at gears. He was trying to do as Gears said, but he was so confused. ” he killed it…..he forefully replaced…” that broken mechanical voice spoke. “We had assessed….” he was so confused. “are we malfunctioning again?” Pain and fear in his face.

Gears ached for him, for the pain and fear he saw on his face and felt through the hive, more tears spilling down his face as he tried to soothe him. Listening as he spoke in that broken mechanical voice. “No, not a malfunction. A nightmare. Brain activity during sleep. Like a hallucination.” Gears tried his best to explain. “Please, assess again.” He pleaded softly.

Virus stared at Gears, tears rolling down his face.” We assess…..we can’t beat 24. We can’t…….we are weak…..you should leave…find better…we are weak.” Tears rolling down his cheek. “No matter what we do, he wins…always…”

Gears leaned his forehead to Virus’ still holding his wrists for fear he would try continuing to claw what he believed to be 24’s spawn out of him. His shoulders shaking, swallowing down his sobs as he listened, his chest ached. “No no no. That’s not true. That’s not true at all. Please don’t believe that. That was just the nightmare. You are strong. He won’t win.” He choked out through his tears. “It’s not true.”

Virus stared at Gears “yes it is….he always win and we always suffer.” He told him. Frowning “can’t win…..he wins….” he repeated in the mechanical tone

“No, he can’t win forever. He can’t.” He released his wrists finally, quickly moving to hug Virus tightly to him. “I won’t let him. I love you.”

“This is all his fault. He did this. He must be punished.” Gears murmured against Virus’ shoulder as he held him tight.

Finally centering in on the source of the mind he’d tresspassed upon, the dream eater edged into the room to peer at his latest little snack, only the faint glow of his two eyes visible against the darkness of the rest of his body. But he was here with someone else…now who was this? Curious….