The Turning Point

The Faraday Project

St. George's Holm. Home to people like the ever-pretentious Miss Victoria Byng, rockstar Nick Lightbearer, and once-Hamlyn Anton Verloc. But no-one really knew Verloc was there. Only the Turner twins - only those two knew his whereabouts. Along with Verloc's personal white-dressed Alabaster Bobby.. but he didn't matter. Not to them.

Where to start with those twins, now.. both were eccentric, that was for sure. Their masks and posture painted them out to be self-indulgent and important, but..

"That couldn't be any less true, could it?"

Doctor Faraday stood up with an alarming glance, facing Anton Verloc with glazed over eyes. Her pupils were no longer enlarged, her Joy levels dropping drastically. Thankfully, Verloc didn't seem to notice. The businessman had a somewhat frighteningly self-assured smirk on his face, no longer hidden from view. His glasses seemed to glint, malevolent and beady, like his dark eyes. He couldn't bare a second thought on how Faraday had found him.. he already knew the answer. He'd work on it after this stupid little meeting.

"Hah! Important! The Turner Twins are a disgrace. Constantly screwing things up, leaving for weeks at a time.. how are they worth minutes of my own?"

"Mr. Verloc.. they are your employees! Your highest ones, if I remember correctly-"

"Highest? Excuse me-"

The man let out another strange, stangled-sounding laugh.

"Doctor Faraday, do take another Joy, and sit down."

Trembling, Faraday stood her ground. She kept her posture, arms by her sides. Even if it killed her, she had to stop taking that psychedelic drug. Even if Verloc killed her with his own bare hands. How had he noticed anyway..?

"I can't-"

Great. Blew it.

"I insist."

Verloc's voice was full of poison - it was strangely.. addicting. Intoxicating. Faraday felt the familiar sensation of a tug of war starting in her head. A game that she and her sister used to love.. the memories.. the.. the memories? They were all flooding back, but before they became any clearer, she was stunned by a sharp prick in the neck. Verloc had forced that Joy into her system.. or had he? Faraday's vision swam - the man was just about visible.

"Now. Sleep tight. Rest assured, you will not be hurt."

What a lie.

Is what Faraday would've exclaimed, if she wasn't knocked completely, dead unconscious by a massive jab of Propofol in the neck. Verloc smirked, the sickening expression spreading all over his face. His bodyguard, the Alabaster Bobby, stood in the corner of the room, unspeaking; not even looking. Verloc wondered for a second.

"You know what you need to do." Verloc shot at him, steel grey eyes suddenly sharp as flint. "Catch the twins. We can't have them all over Wellington Wells - not if we want to keep the secret of Haworth Labs.. well, secret. Faraday was already running her mouth.. we can't have that for the other joyful citizens, now, can we?"

The Bobby remained in place for a second, before saluting, and making his way out. Helena and Harold Turner? They were dead V-Meat.

Verloc chuckled, placing his long, pale hands together. Withdrawing, he stood up straight, and dusted off his dark suit with a languid gesture. In a swift movement, the businessman swung open the largest window in the room, and carried Faraday over.

"It's been a joy.."

Bones splintered on the pavement below.