Chapter 10

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Narrator-

Archer stood behind the one-way mirror, along with Vivian and the scientists who were monitoring the sleeping gas that would be used on the mutant Test Subjects.

He looked over the naked men who stood on the other side of the glass, their hands covering their nudity, their bodies shivering from their lack of clothing. Their eyes pranced around the blank room, the fear orbiting around their pale tones.

"On your command Doctor." Stated Vivian, her arms clasped behind her back, her skirt suit hugging every inch of her feminine form.

The tank she wore under her suit jacket sat at a modest level, yet the tease of a cleavage was quite clear. Her glasses somehow enhanced the strong features of her face, and it matched the badass demeanor that she carried. She stared ahead, pretending to not care about the Head Scientist's eyes on her.

Archer knew what Vivian was doing, and he smiled internally.

There was a reason why the Head Scientist chose Vivian to be his secretary out of all the other people that had signed up for the job.

"Alright. Let's see it." Archer stated after peeling his eyes away from her.

Vivian blinked and gulped softly.

Ever since she walked into the office after catching Archer and Melissa, she hasn't bothered to look the Scientist in the eyes, and it was his fault. Vivian had one condition when Archer glass hired her, and he broke it.

The scientist who came up with the gas nodded and signaled the tech to release the invisible substance. The gas had no color, it had no smell, and for a minute nothing happened, but then one by one, the men's bodies plummeted to the ground, and soon they were all unconscious.

The poisoned air was flushed from the cell and a few minutes later, the guards moved in to assure that they were still alive. When Mateo sent a thumbs up across the glass, we knew that it worked.

Relieved sighs could be heard across the room, and Vivian's shoulder slightly relaxed.

"Alright, get the system installed in the vents for both quadrant Exa and Dina. Be ready to execute the plan tomorrow. I suggest none of you fail me. You are all still on thin ice. Vivian?" and with that the Boss headed to his office, with a smile on his lips when he heard Vivian's footsteps a shadow behind him.

#

"Okay let's try this again. Give me Matthew." Prompted Jackson, and Khairo suddenly morphed into Matthew's form.

"Sick!" clapped Matthew, sharing a handshake with his new clone.

"Good. Now Khiran, think you can ice up again?" asked Jackson.

"Why not?" shrugged Khiran.

He took a stance and made his entire body go rigid as he concentrated, yet he was still normal. He made a face as though he was forcing himself to ice up, and yet nothing changed. Lauren giggled when Khiran made a face as though he was constipated, and eventually Khiran gave up.

Jackson nodded and turned to Khairo as he said, "hit him."

Khairo smiled as a ball of fire erupted in his palm.

Without a second thought, Khairo launched ball at his twin, and seconds before the fire scorched Khiran's skin, his entire body changed into ice, causing the fireball to diffuse into multiple sparks and smoke.

"Nice." Muttered Khiran, before he turned to normal.

Adina's back was turned to Lauren, when she made a water ball, and threw it at Adina, but it was though Adina had a pair of eyes in the back of her head, she turned in the blink of an eye, as she placed her hand out, causing a transparent shield of energy to appear. Lauren's water ball splashed against it and dripped to the floor.

Adina irritated conjured an energy ball and launched it at Lauren.

The ball knocked Lauren in her shoulder, tipping her off balance, but she was back on her feet in the blink of an eye.

"You bitch!" attacked Lauren.

Adina conjured a ball in each palm, ready for Lauren.

"Try me!" dared Adina.

Valerie stood to the side, angry and afraid.

"Cat fight!" whistled Matthew, the twins standing to the side, ready to see how this would end.

Lauren suddenly went invisible, and before Adina could feel it, Lauren was blocking her mouth and nose with a watery palm.

Adina began to choke, and on instinct, she flew up. Lauren's grip slipped from around her, as she floated above the heads of the others. As soon as Lauren came into view, Adina moved one of the icicles from Khiran's practice. Using her mind, she drove the icicle from the wall and flew it across the room, stopping breaths away from Lauren's neck, who held her hands above her heads in surrender, and chuckled nervously.

"Alright, alright." Stated Jackson, who stood by and watched the entire fight unfold.

"Good job ladies." Clapped Jackson.

Khairo groaned as Khiran chuckled and said, "when we get out of here, you owe me."

"What?" questioned Adina in confusion, while slowly letting herself back on the ground.

Matthew laughed and explained, "the twins made a bet about who would've won between you and Lauren if you guys got into a fight. Obviously Khiran bet on the right person."

"What?" Adina questioned once more, steadying herself on her feet.

"We knew Lauren was going to attack you again, we were just waiting to see how it would play out." Elaborated Matthew.

"That's childish and immature." Disapproved Adina.

"Not as immature as the fact that Lauren hates your guts. Perfect reason for a cat fight." Shrugged Khairo, he seemed to always carry a laid-back tune, unless he was angry or aggravated.

"So high school." Stated Adina as she rolled her eyes.

Then she turned a blaming glare towards Jackson and said, "you knew about this bet?"

But instead of replying directly to Adina's question, Jackson changed the subject altogether, "Alright! I think that's more than enough practice for one day."

#

"Is there a reason why your attitude has changed towards me?" asked Archer, his calm gaze resting on Vivian's figure.

They were currently standing in his office, with Archer's back leaning against his desk, and Vivian standing close to her exit, her eyes trained on the wall behind Archer.

Vivian chose not to reply to Archer's taunting question; he knew that he had broken her trust and Vivian didn't plan on entertaining his already inflated ego.

"Is there anything you would like to say?" he probed further, his eyes showing his disapproval of Vivian's stubborn and resilient silence.

"I wish to retire to my room for the evening." Vivian simply explained in a monotone.

Vivian couldn't help but feel suffocated by being locked in the office with Archer. Frankly, she currently couldn't stand the sight of Archer Glass.

"Until you answer my question, you don't get to wish for anything, now stop sulking." Archer spat with a mean scowl under his bald hairline.

Vivian pursed her lips but said nothing.

"So what we had an agreement?" Archer asked with an arrogant shrug.

"I'm the boss, you're the secretary, as far as I am concerned, I can do whatever I want, I can dish out whatever tantrum I want, it's your job to handle it, or get out. Except in this case, you can join Jackson, maybe you'll become a freak or a mutant." Archer threatened.

Vivian's eyes glazed over his image behind her glasses. She blinked, showing that his words meant nothing.

Archer was over her silence.

"Stop brooding about, and do your job without the hostility, or I will kick you to the curb and have you replaced quicker than you can blink. Now get out, and next time you knock, and I don't reply, I suggest you leave me be and return later. Let us not have a repeat of this conversation." And with those words of dismissal from the Head scientist, Vivian didn't bother to look into his eyes again.

She simply turned on her tows with her spine erect and exit his office. It took all Vivian's willpower not to scoff and roll her eyes at Archer's comments. His words hurt, and that man's level of cruelty made her sick to the stomach. Archer knew he was full of shit sometimes and knew that Vivian simply held her tongue for her own dignity, sanity and self-respect.

Vivian had to admit to herself that she wasn't immune to his verbal assault, but neither was she prepared to let Archer gain the upper hand on her. Vivian sighed and walked down the hallway, while a resolution molded into the crevices of her skull. Vivian told herself that she simply had to bid her time and prepare for the moment when everything would backfire on both Archer and the Warlord. Vivian was counting on the day when this entire organization would go up in flames. She wanted to be there to witness the Warlord's world burn.

As Vivian approached her room, Melissa came approached her in a haste, while she stuttered in a nervous wreck "Vivian I-I-I-I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I am not that type of person or woman. I am not the woman to sleep with taken or involved men."

Vivian's eyes scanned Melissa's pitiful appearance behind her corrective lenses and noted her insecurity in the frazzled scarlet blush that blotted her round face. Melissa's eyes were puffy, her busy jittery fingers making her appear weak and pathetic in Vivian's point of view.

It seemed the only tome Melissa had a backbone was when she was on her knees in front Archer.

Vivian wanted to scoff now. Her heart failed to sympathize with Melissa. Vivian wasn't here to make friends. She was on a mission and didn't have the time to nurse to a weakling's guilty conscience.

Vivian smiled a bitter grin and placed a cold hand on Melissa's shoulder.

"Melissa, I should be the one apologizing." Vivian pointed to her chest with a mock frown.

"What?" Melissa fell for the bait.

"Well, knowing that now Archer knows what you carry under that skirt, you will never have his respect." Vivian shot.

Melissa's face and furrowed eyebrows told Vivian that she felt the blow deep in the pits of her ego. .

But Vivian wasn't done.

"Oh and you should know, for the upcoming promotion, he will expect you to put in a bit more effort than the other scientists, that is unless he of course gets rid of you completely before that time comes." Vivian continued.

Melissa gulped, her face and neck running red with guilty anguish.

Vivian removed her hand off Melissa's shoulder and wiped away any visible lint off her suit jacket while drawing in a breath.

The she looked back at Melissa, ready to bury her entirely.

"So, I suggest you take whatever little self-respect you have left, pack it up, kiss your coworkers goodbye, and kiss my ass. You make me sick."

With that declaration, Melissa's mouth dropped, Vivian's grin grew, and she turned leaving a new set of tears building in Melissa's eyes.

Vivian didn't care that she came off as a bitch. She knew women like Melissa, who always put on a front only to stab the unsuspecting victim when they least expect it. Melissa wasn't sorry, Vivian was sure of it. And it served her right to think that she could grift Vivian into thinking that she was innocent.

Vivian believed that Melissa should've been expecting this backlash the day she decided to seduce Archer. Had Vivian accepted Melissa's apology, she believes that Melissa would've attempted to sweet talk her into convincing Archer to keep her around.

Vivian scoffed. Not today.

Reaching the door of her bedroom, Vivian thought of Melissa's shocked face, only now having a chance to revel in Melissa's misery. But the reveling was suddenly cut short when a blaring alarm shook Vivian's eardrums and vibrated in her head.

Before Vivian could understand what occurred, Mateo came running around the corner.

"Ms. Vivian! The creatures escaped from quadrant Dina! Our bullets are not doing much to slow them down! We need to go before they find us!"

At his words, his iron grip fell onto Vivian's forearm, and their legs began pumping away from the approaching creatures. The escaping couple soon heard Melissa's steps a few feet behind them, but then all the sudden, her screams pierced the fluorescent atmosphere.

Mateo and Vivian turned to find Melissa on the ground, tackled by one of the turned scientists. His eyes glowered down at helpless victim that wept beneath its weight. His lips gargled and snarled, drool dripping from its inhumane lips.

"Please help me." Whimpered Melissa, as she lifted a weak arm towards Mateo and Vivian way.

The creature's eyes snapped up to the couple standing a few feet away. His black orbs striking fear deep within the pits of Vivian's stomach. Then, he groveled once more, sinking its teeth into Melissa's neck and shoulder.

She wailed and thrashed, blood spurting out of her mouth and throat in an agonizing melody. By the second, Melissa's movements became lethargic, until she was as still as silence itself. The creature pulled away, ripping some of her meat with him, then his eyes snapped to the gazing couple, trapped by amazement and fear. It sprung to its feet, and that's when Mateo knew that it was time to go.

Mateo's hand fell on Vivian once more, and the couple dashed off.

It didn't take long before they heard the creature on their tails.

"We have to get to the main center!" explained Mateo, and Vivian didn't plan on arguing with him.

As the couple ran through the once quiet white halls, they noted the various shades of red which bathed the floor and walls, along with splatters of meat, bones, and a few teeth.

Never in a million year did Vivian expect to see the lab come alive with fresh blood, and deceased physiques. Vivian held bad a gag at the gruesome sight of bodies, which only a few moments ago, were alive and breathing.

As the couple turned down the hall which lead to the main center, they came face to face with two creatures who were currently busy tearing apart one of the soldiers.

"There's no way we're going to make it to the main center this way, we have to find another route." Vivian stated, though her eyes were unable to look away from the savage nature of the unexplainable creatures.

Mateo nodded and looked around their space for a quick solution, when his eyes landed on the ceiling.

"We can reach the center through the air duct. Up here!" Pointed Mateo, before approaching a white ladder, which led up to the sealed doorway of the air ducts that ran over their heads.

Mateo climbed first, and Vivian quickly followed suite. They were trapped against the ladder, and Mateo quickly worked to unlatch the door.

At first, the latch wasn't moving, and as Mateo began to struggle, Vivian's heel slipped, and she gasped, quickly regaining her footing. This however didn't go without consequence. The creatures heard the noise, and their eyes quickly zeroed in on the two humans caged by the metallic ladder, surrounded by an iron, cage-like tunnel.

The creatures growled and they began rushing our toward the couple.

"Mateo! Mateo! We have to go. You need to hurry! They're coming our way!" Vivian forgot her cool and began to yell.

Her heart suddenly skyrocketed, and as the creatures approached, Vivian quickly lost all sense of reason. Without a second thought, she reached for Mateo's assault rifle, aimed it, and shot the closest creature between the eyes. The second creature did not seem fazed by the gunshot, in fact it only excited him. The creature began to run towards the couple, and Vivian's hand shook with adrenaline.

Vivian was so focused on making the shot, she failed to notice that Mateo had managed to open the latch. It wasn't until Mateo grabbed her forearm and hoisted her up, into the metallic tunnel of the air duct, that the creature fell from Vivian's sight.

Mateo urgently pushed Vivian away from the latch hole, then closed the door, twisting it shut.

Below the couple, they registered the sounds of the creature scratching and banging against the door.

Mateo grabbed his gun from Vivian's fingers, which were still gripping, or rather choking the metal, and he looked at Vivian with a smile and commented, "impressive."

Vivian scoffed and rolled her eyes before replying, "What? You didn't think I could handle a gun?"

"Well I was sure you could handle a gun I just wasn't sure you could handle it so well under pressure." He clarified.

Vivian nodded subtly, not failing to realize that this would be the first time that she and Mateo had a conversation which lasted longer than ten seconds.

"Oh trust me when I say I can handle a gun any time." Vivian said with a proud smile.

Mateo performed a mental double take at Vivian's boldness.

He seemed to recover from his shock after a silent second, and he opened his mouth to say something, but was stopped when Archer's voice buzzed though his radio "Mateo, come in Mateo, over."

"Mateo here, over." Replied Mateo, his eyes looking away from Vivian.

"Where are you?" questioned Archer.

"The air ducts above section 32, across the hall from the main center. Ms. Vivian and I will be making our way to you soon. Over." Explained Mateo, sending a swift look towards Vivian before averting his gaze again.

"Well what is the hold up? Bring Vivian here safely and now." Ordered Archer, and Vivian rolled her eyes, instantly developing a headache.

Vivian could only imagine that Archer's blood was boiling knowing that she was stuck in a closed space with Mateo.

"Will do sir. Over." Mateo closed his radio.

Mateo looked at Vivian and said in a much more formal tone, "guess it's time to bring you home Ms. Vivian."

Vivian didn't miss the change in demeanor. This earned Mateo a scoff, and a push as the secretary rubbed past Mateo and began crawling towards the end of the air duct.

"What?" Questioned Mateo after the woman.

"Nothing." Vivian brushed him off.

"No, it's something." He persisted, while he started to crawl after Vivian.

Vivian stopped and turned to look at Mateo while saying, "I know what the rest of you think happens between Archer and I, but let me make something very clear to you, I am not Archer's lap girl. I will never be his lap girl. So, you can get whatever image or idea that Archer and I sleep with each other out of that peewee brain of yours, and you can shove it up where the sun doesn't shine!"

Mateo blinked towards Vivian, his slightly wider eyes telling her that he didn't expect that response from Vivian. He stayed silent, which Vivian took as a sign to keep moving, so without another word, and once final glare, Vivian started crawling toward the latch which opened directly inside the command center.

Mateo made sure to wait a few seconds before following after Vivian. He kept his eyes focused on her ankles, and didn't look any higher. Vivian meanwhile wasn't even worried to think about the picture of Mateo crawling behind her. She was too busy focusing on the fuming anger which bubbled in her veins. She wasn't Melissa, and she hated to think that all the scientists and others saw her as nothing more than a toy to Archer. She was here as a professional, and nothing more.

While the couple began nearing their air duct exit, Mateo decided to make one thing clear, "I never thought of you as Archer's lap girl. But we all notice the tension that always surrounds the two of you, and frankly no one wants to come in between that. So, I apologize if I offended you."

At least he was sincere about it.

"Mmh okay." Vivian muttered, not really caring much for his apology.

The damage was already done.

"So what?

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