Corvin froze as he felt Axton's mood shift to a dark edge.
He removed his hand from his microscope and cleared his throat.
"My apologies, Captain. I only wanted to test his regeneration speed. I never meant to harm him," Corvin said, his head bowed.
Ren furrowed his brows, his nose unconsciously scrunching up as he stared at Axton's figure.
'Was he trying to protect me?'
"What did I ask you to do, Corvin?" Axton asked, placing his hand on Corvin's shoulder.
For the first time, Ren saw Corvin cower visibly in front of Axton.
He couldn't understand why Axton seemed so worked up. It couldn't possibly be because Corvin had sent him into the timed bathroom; Axton doesn't care if Ren gets hurt.
"You asked me to put him in the glass room, Captain," Corvin replied.
"And what does the glass room do?" Axton questioned, his hand tightening on Corvin's shoulder.
Ren suddenly panicked when he saw the wince on Corvin's face. He knew that Axton was hurting Corvin because of him, but how could he stop Axton?
Corvin gritted his teeth, grabbing the side of the table for support.
"I'm sorry for disobeying your order, Captain. I just thought -"
"What does the glass room do, Dr. Corvin?" Axton asked again. This time, his voice was more formidable.
"Ugh," Corvin grunted, glancing at his shoulder.
Axton's hand was like steel, slowly dislocating Corvin's shoulder.
"The glass room cleanses and scans for any possible infections, Captain. I'm sorry for disobeying, argh!" Corvin screamed as a distinct pop was heard; his shoulder had been popped out of place.
"Ugh!" Corvin's face was filled with pain as he staggered back and stared at his shoulder in disbelief.
His hand was hanging at a weird angle, and he dared not move as Axton still had his angry eyes on him.
Ren gulped, staring at Axton in shock.
What kind of a man would inflict pain with the calmest expressions?
"Who does Renault belong to?" Axton casually pushed his hands in his pockets, looking down at Corvin.
"You, Captain."
"Who do you work for?" Axton asked.
Corvin shut his eyes in pain but kept himself on his feet. Showing weakness was one thing Axton hated.
"I work for you, Captain," Corvin replied, panting quietly.
Axton turned his gaze to Ren, his eyes slowly running up and down Ren's body.
"I asked you to dispose of him, but you didn't. I asked you to place him in a glass room, you didn't either." Axton walked over to Corvin and raised his hand to the dislocated shoulder, "Disobey me one last time, and it wouldn't be just your shoulder dislocating." his voice was gravely low as he wanted Corvin.
"Yes, Captain-Argh!" Corvin said, screaming louder as Axton suddenly pushed his shoulder in place.
The pain was even worse than pushing it out.
He doubled over, holding his hurting shoulder as a strong wave of pain rippled through his body.
"Keep in mind that Renault belongs to me. Only I have decided what happens to him. Are we clear, Corvin?" Axton raised a slight questioning brow.
Cirvin straightened up, "Yes, Captain. I understand, I'm sorry for the trouble." He said with a steady voice.
"Carry on," Axton ordered, returning his gaze to the microscope Corvin had carried over.
Ren gulped.
Axton was even more deadly than he thought.
Every second beside Axton was walking on a landmine, you never knew when you'd take the wrong step and explode.
Ren understood that Axton hadn't been protecting him; Axton had only been angry because Corvin disobeyed his orders, not because he cared that Ren was about to get cooked alive inside the bathroom.
"I mixed my blood with Renault's and thus happened, Captain, take a look," Corvin said and stepped aside for Axton to look into the microscope.
Axton furrowed his brows slightly before moving over to the microscope.
"The serum is an antiviral medication that only helps our bodies fight the virus by targeting just specific parts of the virus, inhibiting its ability to replicate," Corvin explained quietly as Axton looked into the microscope.
Ren slowly neared, intrigued in learning what Corvin had discovered about his blood.
"The serum reduced our symptoms, lowered the viral load, and made us slightly immune to the virus, but only if the reinfection isn't strong enough. But, Renault's blood..." he paused and watched Axton raise his face from the microscope.
"Eliminated every trace of the virus," Axton completed Corvin's words, staring at Ren with something new in his eyes.
"Impossible," Ren murmured under his breath.
His mind reeled with strange, scary thoughts.
So what happens now?
Are they going to drain his blood and drink?
Are they going to fatten him up like a farm animal and milk his blood periodically?
What were they going to do to him?
And, how on this dystopian Earth have such properties?
"I would disagree, Renault. Scientifically, I've proven that it is possible," Corvin walked around the table and met Ren.
He held Ren's hand and led him toward Axton, who still had his unwavering gaze on Ren, as if he was incapable of looking anywhere else.
Corvin made Ren stand in front of Axton, then he walked over and brought the vial that held Mira's blood.
Ren felt like he was now the specimen under the microscope from the way Axton was looking at him. It was scrutinising, measuring, and even questioning.
And behind all those, Ren suddenly felt like there was something else about Axton's look; he couldn't put a name on it, but he was sure there was something more to that look, he felt it deep in his bones.
"I'm a survivor, and Renault's blood eliminated every trace of the leftover virus in my DNA. Now, to be sure that Renault is what we think he is, I will blot and mix his and his sister's blood together," Corving placed Mira's blood down beside the microscope.
"She is on the verge of beastifying, am I right, Renault?" Corvin questioned.
Ren blinked, breaking his gaze from Axton's steady one.