Inside the lab

[Seaheart]

Seaheart followed her and said "A jail term? It implies that I have no time from jail and that I'd bust out. I'already wanted on at least 50 wanted list, from the police, and from the people police hunt, so why should one more jail make a difference, eh? You really don't know me at all. Don't act like you do, because once you figure me out, you've only figured half of me out, and you don't really want to figure my other half." He said becoming a shadow and coming up behind her, whispering the words, dragging htem out like some crazed demon. Worse. He spoke in Chaos's voice, a deep and cold, hard voice, that seemed amused most of the time.

[Arlaye]

Anya smiled at his advice. He would never understand her and she would never understand him. Mentally, they were strangely similar, except he clearly hadn't yet learned the finer details of the word 'consequence'. Or indeed, the word 'imply'. Maybe they weren't so similar.
And it sounded as though he was breathing down her neck.
She turned towards him, deadpan. Several years of agency experience had taught her not to show emotion in these situations. She'd never dealt with anyone quite like him before, though...
"Listen, kid," she snapped, "I know. You're special. You're gifted. Aren't we all? You don't have to show off to me. It doesn't matter what you do, I've seen worse. So stop trying."

[Seaheart]

Seaheart kept his face emotionless like hers. "Well, well, well. It seems we've recieved some of the same training...concerning emotion of course. I'm not trying to show off, and worse? I am very aware of that. But you haven't witnessed what I've witnessed. I'd like to see how you stand up to Chaos or Death or better yet, the true gifteds I know. But keep in mind, watch yourself, because if you continue your little research, I will send your whole labaratory into the shadows, whether your in it or not."

[Arlaye]

Anya looked over at the laboratory door, feeling slightly protective of the various live specimens she kept inside. Well, not truly protective of them, but hoping that the time she'd spent working with them wouldn't end up wasted. The smallest disturbance would have devastating effects on them, possibly also on her and whoever was in the way if anything particularly rabid escaped. Chaos and death: that's what would happen in her laboratory if anybody did so much as tip a flask over. She wasn't about to stop her work just because this kid told her to. Preventing her research would hardly bring him any benefits, so why was he so interested? There had to be another agenda.
Not to worry. She wasn't afraid of his shadows. After much dabbling in the occult, she'd learned that such things could only affect those who believed in them. What better excuse to believe in nothing? There were no higher beings, no good, no evil, and no justice. There was only reality, and in reality shadows were only an absence of light.
She didn't deign to speak, but offered a shrug and a lighthearted grin before walking away. The gesture said it all: I don't care.

[Seaheart]

Seaheart was dabbling in her mind, just to see if she was gonna say yes or no. "So your afraid your specimens might break loose? Like higher beigns don't exist? Or shadows can't hurt you if you don't believe. Dear.....babies, have no beliefs or much mindset. So they don't believe in shadows. But any type of shadow sword, power, destruction, will evidently hurt or kill it. So it would just as evidently hurt or kill you. Wait.....better yet, it could hurt....no, I'd just kill your specimens. Careful dear. Leave no caring to the people who don't have a reason. But you care about your specimens. Tell you what. Contine your research, but keep it to a low. Make sure I don't catch anything suspicous or all your little jars? I destroy them and whatever critters you've been working on are all around the school. Who to blame? You, of course. How would you liek the consequences of jail when you nearly killed all the students in this school? Hm?" Seaheart didn't grin, but he was really ejoying screwing with her.

[Arlaye]

((Whoa sorry I forgot to tell you before you posted that she's got a suitably pathetic power now. She had to have one because of the plot, otherwise she'd be covered in skin rash (not that she doesn't deserve it, eh?) anyway, her power is ...d'oh I can never explain them well. Mental immunity, maybe? I'll let it go this time since it's my fault for not telling you anyway, but in future people can't read her mind anymore.))
Anya ignored the kid and kept walking. The thought of her 'critters' rampaging around Cassis had occurred to her many times. Most of them were feeble and would die outside of the lab, but the stronger ones could wreak havoc in the city. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time she'd had an escapee. There had been an incident with an eagle last year, who still hadn't been recovered. Anya had practically given up looking for her - so long as she didn't cause trouble, there wouldn't be a problem.

[Seaheart]

Seaheart sighed. "Quiet, are we? Well just so you know what your dealing with......." Seaheart bit his thumb, gettign some blood. He looked at her and said "So where are they? These.....critters. At least if you do plan to.....change yourself into some beast, I can have an idea of what I'm up against, no? If anything less, you may have some animal I haven't seen or hybrid of animals that could catch my....interest. What do you say?"

[Seaheart]

(Errr....sorry....my other proboard osmetimes godmoded, and even though I didn't do it alot, I did it sometimes. I'm sorry. Scratch out fingerprints......let me work on modifying my post.

[Arlaye]

Anya sighed and came to a stop. "You're still curious," she stated, wondering about his motives. Folding her arms, she turned to face him again. "You know what, kid? I like you. You're a right smartarse. And I may just be willing to tell you things, but as it happens I don't trust you to leave my 'critters' alone. I'd like to know why it is you are so curious about my work. What are you trying to do here? Surely you don't just go around threatening people without reason..." She trailed off, eyebrows raised.

[Seaheart]

Seaheart put on a smirkish toothless grin. "You must understand my dear, I'm not your normal 17-18 year old. I have a dark being living inside me, been doign missions of spy, sabotage, cover-ups, assasinations, decoys, and much more sicne I was...10 years old. I know things you will never find out by research. I'm not some dumb kid wanting to pet your little critters. I'm smart or maybe I'm not. But I'm not stupid enough to not know your up to soemthing with your little critters and beast research. I've figure alot of you out. You make threatenign bluffs to hide your little......weak power. You think you hold all the secrets when really, your trying to figure out everyone else's, including mine. Your trying to make yourself powerful to converge yourself into what you think will be a strong beast. You have to understand.......even though you seem to be much more intellectual than others, which you are, even I cannot deny that, you focus solely on the fact that you are, thus, becoming overconfident of yourself. It then blinds you to the answers in front of your eyes, you don't ask questions you should and well.....I think that about covers it. And you don;t trust me? Trust none dear. So why should one more make a difference." He said looking around, and checking her body as if she had a weapon or transmitter. "And if you don;t trust me, why havent you called security." He said making it more of a statement than question.

[Arlaye]

Anya blinked twice, her throat tightening. She hadn't called security because 'security' was a complete imbecile, but she didn't really want to tell that to this kid. There was a slight pause as she looked him up and down. In all her work as an agent, she had never come across him before - which was a little unusual. It was usually the same stupid people doing the same stupid things to take over the damn world...
"You make a good point," she finally admitted. "You want to know what I am doing? I will tell you. Self-improvement, I said before. But I am not making myself into any beast. You say that my power is weak, and for now you are right. But unlike others, it is growing. I do not have the limited potential of most 'gifted'. In fact, I was born completely without power. My laboratory is used to unlock the secret of just what makes the gifted, 'gifted'. And replicate it... shall I go on?"

[Seaheart]

"Limited potential? No. Every...'gifted's' potential is not limited. But unlike you and me, we know otherwise. Many think once they know how to control their power, they are fine. That is it. All they were meant to do was that. You weren't born gifted but oyu have gifts now? Usually....." Seaheart that this this girl- wow, he considered a 27 year old woman, a girl. PRobaly because he had the maturity.....OK, not maturity but e wasn't acting 28 year oldish.-Anyway, usually late people like her could be a problem. "Don't try to find the secret. Once you do, you remember what I told you about perfection? As gods we will all kill eachother to find the better one. If you find out, others will too. It could be simple. A true gifted could be one who uses his powers to it's unlimited potential. Your intellectually power....your power I'll guess.....is unlimited. Your knowledge is unlimited in a way, isnce it is your power. All gifted, have extraordinary power. Think of a vampire. When someone becomes one, wouldn't it seem that his brain senses are all unlocked? Smell, hearing, sight, feel, taste are all brought to a higher state regular people cannot achieve. I'm just guessing that, but it would seem. But maybe along with it, comes the need for blood to supply the brain's power to withhold those senses. As gifted, our mind's abilities are unlocked. Normal people have the potential to be gifted. Yet....their mind does not become open to it's powers. Simple. But the truth is......there is no true gifted. Because that would mean you would unlock your whole mind to every power known. And think for a second. If a vampire, with only his senses unlocked, craves blood, what would having the weight of all powers make us crave? We would be nothing more than a tool to our own powers." He said in a whispering sort of voice seemign to go with the wind. His eyes flitted back and forth nervously, as if the beasts whcih he had spoke of would come out to kill him for perhaps knowing the truth.

[Arlaye]

Anya nodded, arms still folded defensively. "Take what you are saying, and apply it the other way," she said thoughtfully. "In the wrong hands, my research could be used in the way you are meaning - that is, to contain all possible gifts inside one person. That person would become a paradox, unable to live or die. Imagine being trapped in such a limbo forever... immortality, the endless curse. I won't do that. Not to myself, at least."
She stopped, realising that she was waxing philosophical. But it was a logical philosophy. "I am reverse-engineering gifts. Making antidotes for various effects, of which there are hundreds. But in order to reverse the effects, I first have to create them. That is what my 'critters' are for."

[Seaheart]

Seaheart sighed. "That can't happen. You have to realize, once someone gains those powers, they will not accept your little cures. Thier brain possibly won't accept them even if administrated. Once the damage is done, so to speak, it can't be reversed. Using science and textbook knowledge to find a cure for a uncurable disease is pointless. Last time science was used and it created a gifted or rather....Viridis.....it made Ven. Elliot was long gone, and now Ven is there....."Seaheart said remembering the man hwo hated him and who hurt him so much. "You can't go through with it. If you do, there will be no stopping the monster you create. I don't mean movie monsters. I mean a 'monster'. Unstoppable. He'll destroy the whole world. And guess what? Only the Lone Wolf is meant to destroy this world. And that's where the Arcumis Crest comes in. But against this monster, will be no defense. And he'll live. And what will he do once he's the only one left? Cross into other dimensions until nothign is left? and when he's done, and his power has reached maximum, will be be a god? If so, could he cross into Heaven and Hell? Once he does, he'll kiss us all again. and we'll be NOTHING. Hope, existence.....it will all dissapear. Your critters could well be turned into the one I'm talking about. Dare go through with this, and I will kill you, your research, critters. Everything you've established will be gone." He walked close to her and lifted her by the shirt. "Do you understand?!" He yelled into her face.

[Arlaye]

Anya's eyes were wide with fear, body tensed. Her natural reaction would have been to fight him off, but she didn't think it would be worth trying. Besides, he didn't seem to be thinking rationally, so she didn't want to aggravate him into injuring her.
Staring straight at him, she spoke in an unwavering voice; "No. I cannot stop. You still do not understand." She paused and carefully weighed her words, before continuing. "I have told you about consequences. I am not stupid, I keep my experiments small. Mostly plants, and only a few others more advanced. But by killing me, you will erase all knowledge of how to keep them from becoming, as you say, monsters."