" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

x | uncontrollable

yuanfen.
act three, chapter ten.
"uncontrollable"

_

DAHLIA WAS THANKFUL WHEN Winston finally dismissed her for the day. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy working with the ape, because she did; after the episode where she completely lost control of her body, wanting nothing more than to murder the kind scientist, however, it felt almost wrong to continue working with him. Winston was seemingly oblivious towards the incident, which she was thankful for. No one could ever know that such murderous desires overcame her, even if it was only for a few moments.

The surprising comfort of the bed in her dorm calling her name, Dahlia quickly scurried through the hallways of the headquarters. She did her best to avoid the populated areas, though it wasn't always so easy. Even though she had only been on the base for a few days, she had already experienced the countless distrusting glares that were shot in her direction. Agents and recruits alike made little effort to hide the fact that they spoke so badly of her. It was obvious that, although a select few senior agents showed kindness towards her, she wasn't exactly popular around the base.

Dahlia was nearly at the exit of the building when she suddenly heard the sound of hushed voices behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, surprised to find a group of recruits watching her from a few meters away. Upon making eye contact, one of them, a tan-skinned man with jet black hair, pushed himself off of the wall he was leaning on. Dahlia quickly looked away, moving to exit the building, though the sound of him calling after her caused her to freeze in place.

"Where are ya off to?" The man asked, and suddenly he appeared in front of her. He wasn't much taller than her, though his shoulders were wide and muscles rippled beneath his shirt. A dark tattoo wrapped around his arm, an intricate design that she would have admired in a different circumstance.

"My dorm," Dahlia responded simply. Her eyebrows furrowed together as the man's companions approached her, too. The looks they shot in her direction told her that they meant trouble, and she could only hope that they wouldn't do anything too stupid in the middle of the headquarters.

"Are you sure you're not on your way to feed information to Talon?" The man questioned, earning a snicker from someone behind her. He took a step forward, making the gap between them even smaller, and flashed her a twisted grin. "We know who you are and what you've done. What's your plan? You gonna kill us all while we sleep?"

"No," Dahlia responded flatly, doing her best to ignore the chorus of voices that whispered in the back of her mind. She was once again reminded of the incident in the lab, and she realized with a frown that she could've easily killed Winston while his back was turned. She almost did, and there was nothing she could've done to stop herself. She took a step backwards, knocking into one of the man's companions. They stepped aside, grumbling something incoherent under their breath, though no one stopped her as she pushed past the first man and out the door.

Her suspicions had been confirmed. The majority of the agents on the base were unable to see past the person she was forced to become, and she feared that, no matter how hard she tried to change, it would remain that way forever.

'

'

'

That night, Dahlia was awoken with a jolt. Moonlight shined through the curtains, causing shadows to dance eerily across the wall. Her heart hammered against her chest, seeming to echo loudly throughout the room. A thin layer of sweat had formed on her tan skin in her slumber. She had no idea what had woken her up. If she had been dreaming, she was unable to remember what it was about. She felt odd, almost disconnected from her physical body. Dahlia sat up in bed. She held her hands out in front of her, flexing her fingers experimentally. Her eyes now used to the lack of lighting, she was able to see her moving digits, though she was unable to feel anything.