The Torn Weft ~ COMPLET

the horror laboratory

The sound of the blast sent shivers through the campus in the late morning, just at lunchtime. The area was cordoned off, fire trucks, flashing lights and technical maintenance vehicles were everywhere. The area was sealed off and the campus evacuated, as empty as a city after a post—apocalyptic zombie attack. The group's footsteps echoed on the asphalt as if they were on conquered ground. Gwen thought to himself, smiling, that they looked like a bunch of superheroes in an action movie. All that was missing was the explosions around them and the epic music to complete the picture. He laughed slightly, earning curious looks from the others. He pursed his lips. Man had done a great job. The explosion was just bad enough to worry but not to endanger people. They had picked up one of the ΔΔΩΦ group. He was a twenty-something student with a nerd look. Stereotypes have a ring of truth to them sometimes. Gwen understood what their "prisoner" might have found attractive about manipulating things that others couldn't, especially "normal people". There were and always will be 'clans'. Those who were in the light, to whom everything smiled, filled with self-confidence, and the others, riddled with complexes and insecurity. He rubbed his forehead where Griffin was laughing. It was true. He and Griffin were part of two different 'clans'. But what Gwen had learned from the intimate contact with the demon in his head was that each of them envied the other something. It was how they expressed it or not that was different. He glanced again at the boy about his own age... He couldn't see him as a man. Did that mean he now considered himself a man?

Misery wrinkled his nose. The Cerberus couldn't stand the smell of magic from the kid. Despite the absence of most of his powers, after passing through the porch of the university, he could see/feel the copper-colored aura rippling around the man and trying to crawl over his skin like some kind of oil. It made his hair stand on end. Something told him to beware. It scratched where his sense of danger lay. He sneezed. One of the ghostvan had arrived outside the hotel at nine o'clock this morning with the alchemist inside. The Cerberus' first reaction was to feel sorry for the kid, barely of age, pale as death, glasses askew and shivering. This lasted until he got out of the car. It wasn't the words, it wasn't the shouting or whining voice that changed his mind, but the look of pure disgust and hatred. This kid was full of venom. Man had scanned the kid and his first reaction had been to recoil. Tragedy had caught him and reassured him with a squeeze of his hand but each of the Cerberus and to a lesser extent the Partners had felt the wave of bad feelings through their bond.

The Chemistry building was just as empty as the rest. They climbed up to the lab. Emmett, even his name was cliché for a nerd, was pushed forward. Agony grunted, causing him to let out a high-pitched scream.

— Open the door.

— You can't make me! I have rights and...

Agony pushed him harder, causing him to stumble. Emmett's voice went high again.

— Don't touch me! Dirty... dirty...

Agony smiled dangerously.

— Finish that sentence and I'll finish you.

Gwen helped the young man to his feet.

— It would be wiser to open the door yourself. Man, could force you without resorting to violence... but that would be...

He glanced at Man and smiled conspiratorially. Man nodded in return, winking at him. Tragedy and Misery grunted in unison, making Zia giggle. Gwen finished.

— ... very unpleasant.

Emmett blanched and shook Gwen's hand nervously and involuntarily. He gritted his teeth.

— It's already unpleasant. You can't make me. I don't see why I should help any...any...

Agony shuddered again, but the Alchemist spat with venom all the same.