"I'll promise. I will make sure you'll return to your home." The sweet sound of the determined boy held her hand. Warmth touched her small palms when he grasped for her hand, assuring her of safety. Everything is too painful. She almost had her vein burned at the chemicals entering her body through intravenous administration. Her vision was blurred from crying brought by the excruciating pain. The experiment slowly destroys the child's body. Damaging each organ and burning blood vessels, even the tiniest nerves on her fingertips lost their sensation. Once again, the hand grasping hers now reached for her cheeks.
"I can't. This is what I will gain for what I have done." She sobbed, shaking her head in denial. Delirious even. It's too much to bear for a child but her body kept fighting not for the success or to satisfy the head scientist's expectation but to live.
"You'll live. Can you do that?" His gentle voice pulls her away from the fear. She turned her gaze up at him. Her blue eyes were glossy and red-rimmed. His thumb swiped the stray tear off her cheeks, bringing a lightest comfort to her to the area where she can still feel. "You'll live. It'll be over soon."
A promise he kept despite the agony. A promise he won't give up on when freedom is within his grasp. He pleaded. Again and again until the man in coat listened finding out what his body has to offer. He managed to ease her torture where in return his body too slowly change. The price he paid for taking what agony have for her. His screams echoed through the empty white halls mirroring the prison for insane. Day by day, she sneaked to meet him. Her wonder made her like an angel trapped in a place bringing hell to people.
13:35
"Trance." The firm voice pulled her away from daze. Her gaze snapped up to the owner of it who called her. Nine was grasping her arm in a gentle manner. She's leaning down in a tad bit to reach the height of the table while her unwavering gaze fixed on Trance. There's a slight tug on the edge of her lips while her gaze slightly narrowed yet wondering as she saw the confusion written all over the woman's face.
"Sorry, I'm thinking about something." Trance's lips tugged upwards to form an awkward smile. She shifted slightly on her seat, causing Nine to let go of her and pulled the chair beside her. It's quite a domestic view that two agents like them appears as a normal student. Too genuine interaction for the individuals trained to kill. Trance guessed she couldn't get away from the academic responsibility for once.
Nine, on the other hand, pondered for a moment. Her blank gaze landed on Trance's desk. The woman's brows knitted into a line with a wave in the middle. Torn between her choices. After a moment, she sighed then turned at Trance, "Alright. You're pacing out. Human eyes need moisture that's why we blinked. That's all."
"It hurts a bit now that you mentioned it."
"It hurts now?" Nine mused. She pulled the chair next to Trance. Still eyeing the woman with clinical fascination of a university student. "You can trick your brain by thinking you blinked or you must be in a really out of it."
"What do you mean by that?" Trance turned at her, her brow mirroring the same motion of Nine's earlier. She squinted a bit to relieved the sting from almost dried eyes. Her hand hovered over her closed eyelids before rubbing it.
"You shouldn't rub it like that. Especially when your hands are dirty. Matter of fact, better when you don't rub it all." Nine grimaced. Trance gave her a meaningful—judging expression currently written all over her face. Nine smiled innocently before she fished the wet sanitary wipes in her bag pocket and handed the pack on Trance.
Trance kept her stare then carefully reach for the pack. She opened it and wiped her eyes. She crumpled the used napkin as she stood up. Nine simply watched her while the rest of their classmates do their usual businesses. The blonde hissed when a piece of paper hit her neck, right next to her carotid. She glared at Felix who's grinning. Her middle finger immediately shot up in annoyance. Nine hid her hand in a haste once Trance returned to her seat.
"Thanks, Nine."
"Yeah. Just don't do that next time." Nine waved off.
"Did you studied med before joining Excalibur?" Trance blurted out of nowhere. Her eyes wandered. Checking who's still inside the room. After all, they're still her responsibility. Which makes her think again. If years passed since she joined Excalibur then why they haven't age or anything. It took her long to realize. Her question still hangs in the air. Nine cleared her throat before she shifted on her seat. Still wary that Trance might've seen her glaring.
"Not exactly. I simply liked the study of human body. That's it." She shrugged and shifted her gaze up to Trance. She appeared calm at the moment, no sudden outburst or schemes. Just the nonchalant Trance she knew.
Meanwhile, Trance noticed her stare and frowned. She leaned back with her arms crossed as she seized up the blonde before her, "What's wrong? Something in my face?"
"What? There's nothing wrong."
"Thought you got staring problem."
"I don't. I just—" Nine grunted in annoyance of not finding her excuse. She scooted away, making Trance's frown deepened.
"Yeah. Whatever, Nine." Trance waved it off. Dismissing even a micro expression flashed on Nine's face. Yet, it seems like it saved Nine a trouble of explaining. Trance shifted her body to face the blonde. Her head in a slight tilt while keeping that unsettling eye contact that she always do. Trance was about to open her mouth to speak when her and Nine's wristwatches beeped.
On the small screen, their Captain's orders flashed. Trance read it quietly while Nine turned to her stoic self.
"I need the two of you to investigate the perimeter of this coordinate. 58.6235, -80.3147. Report immediately if there are any suspicious activity."