Ren sat in the sterile clinic, watching Corvin move around in his white coat.
He stared at the small syringe in Corvin's hand and immediately remembered that he had something like that in his backpack.
'Where is my backpack?' He thought in fear.
He hoped the backpack had been disposed of or gotten lost somewhere; he couldn't afford to let Axton find the contents of his backpack. He might have miraculously escaped death this time, but if Axton ever discovered that he was also sent to seduce him, he was certain he wouldn't live to prove his worth.
He focused on Corvin as he heard his footsteps approaching him.
"Your hand," Corvin said, extending his gloved hand to Ren.
Ren reluctantly offered his hand to Corvin, his eyes sharp and observing.
Slowly, Corvin's needle gently pierced under Ren's skin, and Ren watched as his blood gradually filled the syringe.
"Hold it, firm pressure," Corving spoke gently as he withdrew the needle from Ren's vein, placing a small gauze pad on his wrist.
Ren nodded, holding the gauze pad down with his thumb.
Ren watched as Corvin took his blood to a table filled with different medical instruments. The doctor transferred the blood into a transparent vial, then he opened something like a mini fridge and carefully placed the blood inside.
"Now, how are your wounds?" Corvin asked, returning with another vial.
Ren stared at his shoulder. It wasn't as painful as before, but it was still open, closing up very slowly.
"I don't know," Ren replied.
"You're weak. Your body needs replenishing. That way, your regeneration would be faster, " Corvin said, staring at Ren's face.
"You are not fit to make a trip back to your base. But, since the captain commanded it, I'll also get a benefit from it." Corvin placed the vial on Ren's lap.
"Bring me your sister's blood, I also need to run a series of tests on hers," Corvin stepped away.
Ren frowned, "No. Keep my sister out of this madness -"
"You will do as he asked," Axton's voice cut in, silencing Ren.
Ren gulped. He was never going to get over the chills he felt whenever he was in the same space as Axton.
He looked up, his eyes slightly widening as he saw Axton walking in with another man beside him.
He remembered the man. It was Lieutenant Rhys, the man who had slapped him the other day.
'Why are they here?' Ren thought internally.
It was always bad news whenever he met Axton.
"Was I clear?" Axton questioned as he halted in front of Ren, those silver eyes analysing Ren's condition.
Ren slowly nodded, "Yes, Captain." He agreed.
It was better to bring Mira's blood than to bring Mira herself. He would never let these crazy people lay a hand on her sister.
"Proceed, Rhys. Give it to Corvin," Axton ordered calmly.
Ren watched curiously as Rhys went over to Corving and handed him a small black bag.
"Put a name on this, Corvin," Rhys said to Corvin as he took the bag from him.
Corvin paused, "It would Dr. Corvin, Lieutenant Rhys." He said and proceeded to the table with different medical instruments.
Ren's curiosity grew, his eyes trained with unblinking focus and following Corvin's every movement. His anxiety spiked as he saw Corvin's hand open the bag to take out what was inside it.
'No!' Dread filled Ren's entire form, his soul leaving his body as he stared at the familiar vial in Corvin's hand.
"No," He gasped quietly behind Axton.
They had found his bag.
They found the vial.
Ren instantly held his breath as Axton turned to face him once more.
Axton's brows knitted in a slight frown, his eyes like twin blades piercing Ren's soul, "I do hope the vial proves how important your death would have been." His voice slithered into Ren's ears, causing him to gulp loudly.
Ren knew that the vial didn't just prove how important his death would be. It was his death.
Ren couldn't meet Axton's gaze. He was too scared to see the hatred in them.
Ren clutched the sheets by his sides as Corvin slowly walked toward them, the contents swirling inside the vial.
'Please tell him it's something else,' Ren internally chanted in desperation.
"Captain," Corvin began, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk touching his lips as he looked at Ren.
"The vial contains no lethal agent, which is a waste of a perfect specimen. Rather, a concentrated aphrodisiac, a dangerously high dose. This wasn't an assassination; it was an attempt at seduction. He was tasked to get you alone and use this to... compromise your legendary control and make you vulnerable to his touch." Corvin delivered the revealing information.
Axton's aura darkened, the air instantly soaked up with unbridled danger and tension.
Everyone felt the powerful shift, and Ren... Ren could already scent the smell of death deep in his nostrils.
His commander's mission has flopped, and now, his life is about to flop, too.
"Captain, do you need me to -"
Axton raised his hand, silencing Rhys.
Slowly, Axton's hand went under Ren's chin, forcing his head. He looked into the eyes of the man who thought he could have successfully deceived and seduced him.
Once again, Axton dismissed the slight hum in his head. He needed to check with Corvin about the new symptom.
Ren felt raw fear in his bones. The fact that Axton's eyes were silver didn't help; it instilled a silver-lined fear in him.
"You want to seduce me?" Axton's voice was lower than usual, almost as if he wanted only Ren to hear.
Ren's body shivered, and his throat felt drier than the desert's sand.
At this point, he needed to come clean, at least, to stay alive; he was already celebrating secretly because Axton had previously asked him to go spy on his base for him.
That was the only opportunity he had to see his sister for the last time. Dying now wouldn't be the best.
"Captain," he gulped, "I do not want to seduce you... I -"
"Then explain why you had an aphrodisiac in your backpack," Axton's hand left Ren's chin and went down his shoulder.
"Ahh!" Ren gasped in pain, Axton's hand found the healing scissors wound and pressed down on it with firm pressure.
"Answer me, Renault," Axton commanded, jaws clenching.
Ren's lips were parted in a silent scream as he felt his wound opening all over again. Now, he wished his regeneration were faster as Corvin had suggested.
His hand came up out of instinct and wrapped around Axton's strong wrists, trying to pull the hand away from hurting him.
"Speak!" Axton suddenly pushed Ren's shoulders, causing him to fall roughly onto the floor.
Ren grunted painfully, his hand shaking as he quickly pushed himself up.
He stood, facing Axton's raging eyes.
"I'll speak, please, don't hurt me anymore," Ren pleaded breathlessly.
His body was withering. He needed to preserve all his strength for the journey.
"It wasn't me... Reed, Commander Reed asked me to inject you with the aphrodisiac..." He paused and winced.
"Then? Let's pretend you did inject me with the aphrodisiac..." Axton covered the distance between them, grabbing Ren's chin.
"What would you have done when you finally got me at your mercy?" Axton's deep voice rumbled.
Ren panicked, shaking his head, "The plan never involved your body, Captain. I was tasked to find information about your latest research on the virus cure. Commander Reed is trying to steal your ideas and manifest them. He believes that finding the cure to the virus puts him in first place, gaining the world's recognition as the Earth's saviour." He drew a sharp breath into his lungs.
"I was never meant to touch your body, Captain. My disguise was just a front, not for carrying out the part," Ren spoke with difficulty.
Axton stared at Ren's face for a while and pushed Ren's face to the side, stepping away from him.
He was enraged. The last thing he would tolerate was a challenge, and Reed had challenged him.
"Reed infiltrated my borders... I will conquer him," Axton spoke in a sinister voice.
"Do you want your sister to live?" Axton questioned, taking the clean cloth from Corvin to wipe Ren's blood off his hand.
Ren nodded, "I do."
"Bring me back Base7's map, agricultural plans, and... your sister's blood," Axton listed calmly.
"No one is to suspect you, Ren. Just like you wanted to spy on me, it's time to spy on your base. You have until midnight to return with everything I've asked for," Axton said dismissively and turned away.
"I need those serums," Ren's breathy voice stopped Axton in his tracks.
Ren knew he had his attention now. He could feel Rhys's cold eyes on him but he didn't care. He knew Axton was the man, no one dared do anything without his order.
"What did you say?" Axton asked, his voice daring Ren to repeat his words.
"I need those serums for my sister, or, you can kill me now and forget about your experiment and conquering my base," Ren's voice was firmer now, his green eyes a subtle challenge to Axton's silver ones.
He knew his value now. They wouldn't kill him, they needed him.
He would try to use himself as a leverage to something, things vital for his sister's survival.
"Load him up with a thousand serums," Axton said quietly.
"Captain?" Rhys asked cautiously, but was shocked.
"Yes, Captain. I will release the serums," Corvin replied, walking over to Rhys.
"Are you questioning the captain, Lieutenant Rhys?" Corvin asked.
Rhys bowed his head to Axton, "Right away, Captain. I will send my men to deliver the serums.
"Good," Axton said.
"Renault?" He called, facing Ren.
Ren looked up at Axton's face, "Yes, Captain?" He answered, fists balled in hatred.
"You have the serums now. Make sure you return with everything I've asked for, especially... yourself," With that, Axton walked out of the infirmary.