Gareth had a promising ping of his quantum computer about curing the Maddened. One of their test subjects had shown favourable effects returning to a more calm nature. Still, his lab rat saw sparking off scorching the side of the glass tank.

Smiling, seeing that it had worked at least once, unfortunately, the second test didn't work as the rat died soon after receiving the injection. Gareth consoled himself with the fact that he was getting closer to his answers. He just needed more time, but there was a day before the arrival of the foreign teams, and he'd be made to communicate over every little thing that happened.

Gareth stopped to look out of the window down at the ruined city. Remembering that Alan had been assigned to go out there and find the wild supers. He wondered who Alan was going to encounter and what their powers were going to be.

But at least he was progressing in his work, but considering he had the entire building working for him. All his experiments had scaled up tenfold; however, it was surprisingly slow. He'd assumed the results would continue as the last test did with a fifty-fifty ratio on the survival.

Like lots of things, he was required to wait for his results, so he had to check on his other tests. The physical fitness test which was already showing results, as they found out the supers could, run faster, further and longer than any average person. They could efficiently manage to hit the Olympic level of play. It also looked like they weren't slowing down in their strength gains.

There were those supers that could enhance their strength to unbelievable levels, there were a few who could speed up and break the sound barrier. It really was one of those insane superheroes movies, he used to watch. It was beyond his reasoning, but if he could simply mimic the end-result then maybe he could understand it.

But as before all that he saw one of the gate moving open with two small dots, walking through it, he was sure Alan had left on his own. Maybe he brought someone back who needed help, and the Wild ones couldn't help them, I'd best go see what happening he walked to the lift eager to see what Alan had brought back.

Leaving the building to a much quieter base, he walked over to the Command tent and enter without being stopped. Upon entering, he stopped dead as saw the second person, besides Alan hugging his arm. She was looking up at him with piercing red-eye, the white flowing down her petite body that he was covered by a gothic dress. In clothes of red and black, it made him recoil in fear the pure strain of predator had been bred into her, Gareth wouldn't be surprised if she was a pure meat eater.

His heart also stops as she looks towards him. A look of hunger of superiority was etched into her; there wasn’t a need for her to express any feelings she just was. Has he wondered if he could retreat out of the door without anyone notice, but that was shattered as the Commander laughed, noticing him. "Dr Gareth that was the exact feeling every soldier and I had when they saw her."

Alan gave a sad smile and spoke in a calm voice. "It's ok, everyone's had that kind of reaction since I've returned, but she's quite harmless at the moment at least I've not seen her react with anything more than curiosity. Considering Elvira's a vampire."

Gareth wondered if he'd missed something because he was pretty sure that Alan just said, "Vampire" which is impossible of course. Still, I'd better make doubly sure, "Alan, did you just say, Vampire, I'm just making sure I didn't miss hear you?"

Alan smiled, “Nope, you didn't hear wrong, that's what I was told she was. I do know that Elvira isn't human, she has none of the right origins. A person would, apparently she requires one thing blood, any blood and the supposed creator how I'll happily never see again told me she was one.”

Gareth eyebrows rose along with the commanders who were just hearing of this right now and had the same surprised look as I assumed I had on my own. “Right now you're telling me that there's someone out in the city that can create mythical creatures?”

Alan was going a little pale as he spoke "That's precisely what I'm saying, and it only gets worse. Since you're both here, I can tell you they have about more than seven super, not all of them under the one organisation I meet the Phoenixes, but we have an agreement with them. As for invading them, consider it problematic. They've got hundreds of miles of underground passages and caverns filled with the maddened and other things some seemed familiar with, and others were utterly foreign. I think Michael, who's the life designer, we can call it, has created an army of creatures that can breed and are entirely loyal to him.

Even Elvira here would happily betray us even without knowing why. I want her in isolation with no way out so that her spying can be minimal, while we can study her.”

In the pause, the bleached Commander spoke up, "If they had an army, why don't they attack?"

Alan shrugged, "I'd assume they're waiting for something big enough to challenge the skies and bigger armaments of the army, let's look at Elvira here."

Speaking directly at Elvira, “Could you run as fast as you can to the other side of the tent and return to my side?”

She was gone and had returned within a few blinks of the eye, and it was a dozen metre long tent. Commander commented "Fast, and I bet a few bullets would slow her down but not stop her?"

Gareth couldn’t help but say “This is getting very strange.”

Alan gave a laugh, “You telling me, I thought all of us had psychic powers not having the abilities to create new life?

Either way, I threatened them that if I see Michael anywhere near the tower. I'll hunt him down myself, so Commander if you happen to ever see a man surrounded by women don’t do anything just call me.”

The Commander's eyebrows rose as he heard the venom that seeped through Alan's voice, "Sure!"

Alan, happy with Boris's answer, continued talking. "As for what they're trying to make, I've no idea, but it will most likely be a dragon or something, either way, it'll have a huge amount of the armour, and firepower."

“Alan,” Boris spoke carefully with worry in his face, “Would you be willing to disrupt their plans?”

Alan looked carefully at Boris, "No we just sign a contract, and I keep to me word, if they attack the tower then I'll help. I'll not attack them just encase they go all out and attack while I'm away from the tower."

Boris nodded and smiled regretfully, “Very well, thank you, Alan, It's not in your contract to fight anyway."

Gareth could help himself, "Alan, do you think we can look at Elvira?"

He shrugged “Sure, how about we head to your labs to see what Elvira’s insides are like.”

Those few words had managed to get a reaction out of her as she blushed and hugged Alan arm closely which got Alan blushing too, and Gareth simply was confused. Alan shook his head, and he moved off "Come on, Gareth let's go."

They quickly moved up to the CT room, which told Gareth what to get done as fast as possible. The lab techs were quickly preparing the machine while Alan was preparing Elvira. After she almost ripped the hand off the female assistant and said that her master was the only one allowed to touch her.

Gareth was entirely assumed when Elvira walked with a simple gown and lay down on the retractable table with Alan there having ordered her down. In contrast, he walked into the glass room as red as raspberry and whispering, "She just did what I ask, that's completely terrifying didn't even hide."

Gareth, not sure he was supposed to hear Alan, answered, “Not used to having power or leadership?”

“I don’t like either, the responsible just bores me, but it was just the fact she did at my words no one else's."

Alan's reddened face calmed down as he breathed in and out.

The results were shocking, and Gareth immediately wondered how everything worked. He even asked if she'd died since vampires were supposedly immortal if that was true. He had at the moment no idea then would he ever get a chance to get a closer look at her insides.

He could at least take blood and tissue sample of each and see if his guys couldn't work it out. The fact that someone made it a person intelligent it was like magic, wondering what else could this Michael create and who did he require biomass. Still, considering this man was making them breedable then maybe there's something limiting number of times he could use it at least that's what Gareth was hoping.

"That's amazing, Alan, that's completely impossible, and I don't wish to believe, what is our world coming to? How can some psychic powers change into this."

Alan shrugged, “Whether they’ve changed or evolved it is, as it is. The writers have probably gotten bored of this simulation and decided to play an entirely different game.”

Gareth laughed, it was an interesting theory that the world was just one big simulation. Not that it really meant anything if you believed in the idea, what would you do, nothing and lose out on everything or you can act like we only have this one world and live. Gareth knew which he'd pick since there could only be one answer.

"I think that I don't want to think that this is a simulation theory, assume it's all real and then I’ve wasted nothing!”

Alan smiled and looked at him, “Dude, you need to get out more.”

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

Tilting my head, I pondered over Alan's answer, he goes outside a lot I'm assuming that his talking internet and work. I haven't gone out to a party or bar from years, maybe I should get out and just relax, he thought on the idea as he thought about the likelihood he could get time off with the agents here.

He laughed yeah right, looking over to Alan, he asked, “Alan do you want to go for a drink after we’ve settled this, there's a pub the off duty soldiers have rebuilt, how they get their beer I don’t know.”

Alan's eyebrows furrowed together, "You know I'm sixteen, right?"

"Ah, it's not a problem you can have one with a heavy meal. And I doubt it'll affect you, I guess it could be a good training regime to have to put up with drunk guys. They'll be women there, and you might get lucky."

Alan gave a curt laugh, “I’m not lucky with girls and wasn’t your team that said no interactions?”

Gareth waved his hands about. "Puff doesn't mean you can't talk to them and I'm sure that a Billionaire, handsome young guy with superpowers that can control reality. You could get most any women you wanted, just by showing them some of your power create something pretty and they'll flock to you."

Gareth gave a short laugh, "I just thought maybe you'll have trouble finding someone you're famous. Making a sun in the middle of the arena which terrified everyone, it just is a good idea to break their image of you."

Alan watched as the team and Elvira organised themselves and figured it would be a good idea. "Yeah sure let me get Elvira settled in a room, we then could chill have some nice food and a drink.”

Gareth smiled “Do you mind if I bring a friend his name’s Hew?”

Alan shook his head, "No, I don't mind."

A knock on the glass door brought his attention to the room and saw that everyone had back away from the plain gowned Vampire girl. The mic flicked on, "Alan, could we get your assistance, please."

Alan was already rolling his eyes, and Gareth wondered if he heard his teeth grind, but he walked into the room and shouted, “Get down from there and treat them as you’d want to be treated.”

Something had obviously gone wrong as the glass smeared with blood. All Gareth heard where the screams of his tech assistant. Almost instant later everything was normal the screaming had lessened all he could hear now was someone screaming just slightly muffled.

The blood vanished, and everyone in the room had paled faces. The screams etched onto their face as if they were looking death in the face. Their clothes had been torn, where Gareth had assumed they'd been cut, they looked regular with everything looking so good. He almost wondered if anything had happened at all.

The only thing giving it all away was the bloody looking girl who looked quite happy with herself, covered in blood and restrained in mid-air unable to move. Alan had paled and looking to turn green, he clicked the mic. "Alan holds her I'll get an iso assigned as a priority, give me a few minutes, everyone else out of the room!"

He didn’t need to tell them twice as they all fled the room, the scream must have attracted the guard he came streaming with massive guns and pale faces. With his hand on the phone already talking to someone, looked over and saw the Captain of the guard, "It's all in hand, Captain, you and your men can relax."

He took a second as he heard the reply from down the phone before he looked back up. "Captain do you think you could provide escort and clearance of people to the 37th-floor iso room we have a violent captive."

He nodded shouted orders at his men who rushed out of the room. Started yelling at other people to clear the corridors, he nodded his head as everything was clear. He moved, grabbing the clothes of Elvira and guided Alan, by tapping on the window Gareth met Alan outside and asked, "What was that about?"

He talked aspirated and little green-faced, "I didn't know after I said that she started gleefully chopping and slicing everyone. The weird thing is I don't think she was trying to kill them simply to cause pain in them. I think I need to be more careful about what I say to her, not even human concepts, definitely considering her creator.”

Nodding Gareth guided Alan, who had Elvira floating behind towards the lift. A couple of minutes later, they had Elvira inside an isolation room that had been reinforced earlier for the supers.

Patting Alan on that back came just out looking red faces from the room. Holding the bloody dress and having again just ordered Elvira back into her regular clothes. He spoke, "I think I just realised why she's wearing the black and red dress.”

Curious Gareth ask, "Why?"

His eyes were distant, "Too hide all the blood spill on it, Since I'd just clear her clothes to give some time to get some newer ones, I found it almost covered in blood as if she just swam in a pool of it. Don’t ask me why it doesn’t stink I’ve no idea. But that’s why she’s wearing a black and red dress.”

Gareth stepped back a little remembering how he'd just been carrying them. He shook and tried to rim himself of the memory and went to wash his hand, dragging Alan along to get. Finding that no matter how much scrubbing the thoughts were still there. The only way those were going was grabbing a drink and smashing down a bottle of beer and hoping the memory faded over the night.

Luckily they’d already planned too, so after a quick call to the people Hew, and his team supervisor and told them that he was off the clock. With replies coming back with the cheeky comment of, "About time," or "so we do have breaks here that's good to know." and "Well we're doomed if the boss needs a break before foreigners get here!"

Smiling, he finally felt like moving so told Alan to get changed into something else. Even he went off to change out of his work clothes and into some jeans and some horribly coloured t-shirt. He almost fell asleep as he relaxed as the world released some of its holds onto his shoulders.

But splashing some water onto his face he awake again and really feeling that relief as he almost skipped to meet his outside in the lobby, where saw Hew, Alan and Boris who was still in his camo uniform smiling politely but indicated for two other people to come over and He was there as they joined, and Gareth managed to listen as to Commander spoke,

"Now I don't mind if you want to go out, but you're going to have two bodyguards with you, they'll deal with anyone who'll cause you trouble. I don't expect anything to happen on my base. It's something you're going to have to get used to so why not now. Everyone's respectful, and I've been thinking of giving you a commander rank. So if anything happens as the biggest asset around, you'll be able to guide people to get the most out of you. Or something like that, I don't know quite yet if you want it?"

Alan shrugged and shook his head, replying that he wasn't interested. The Commander took it quite well and shook Alan's hand before leaving. Gareth knew that the Commander wasn't going to give up he was going to continue to push Alan to join the army in some kind of function. It was all the start all very military recruitment they are determined to get them.

Offering power and leadership, thankfully, he had learnt that Alan didn't like either of those things. Which would probably only make him more desirable to the army and politicians to know that he's not going to take their power.

“You guys ready?”

Alan smiled and spoke, “Yeah, I’ve never got us a chaperone we can get lost.”

Hew nodded and said, "Yeah, we're ready and looking good, better than a long time."

Smiling at the compliant, and he looked at his two partners in the crime. Hew was wearing some Jeans, a rain jacket never one to think of fashion which suited Gareth down to the ground. At the same time, Alan also had jeans and was wearing tight striped t-shirt light brown and white, and then a brown leather jacket with a thin scarf.

That’s when Gareth realised he could see his breath, shrugging since the bar wasn’t far but would have heaters. Seeing The Open More Than Usual bar’s sign with ruined buildings crudely painted on it. The opening they stepped over rumble, climbing up the fallen stone. Hearing the loud songs being played as they reached the top, where they saw the colour lights. It brightened the dance floor dozen of people fit soldier dancing and laughing. The bar was filled with soldiers, few civilians that had decided to stay even after been told the risks.

On the far end of the building, he saw tables and chairs in a more shielded area. Filled with eating soldiers and much jovial laughter, dotted around were heaters that were blasting out hot air to keep the wind at bay.

Smiling like a bunch of idiots the three slipped and tripped their way down Hew went to the bar saying he’d get the beers, Giving Hew their orders Alan not knowing what was good just told Hew to get whatever. The remaining two went to get a table, which went surprisingly well. Alan drew up to a table they seemed to blanch when they noticed how he was. Then they saw the two solemn on-duty soldiers they excavated a table without comment or complaint.

Gareth went along with it, seeing Alan fidgeted and kept looking down as the information swept throughout the bar and people started looking and whispering. "Well, they must really respect me just give up their table to me so easily. Hopefully, it isn't my age getting to them that would be embarrassing. Come on Alan let's not be rude."

Upon sitting down, he asked what Alan wanted, passing the menu. It wasn't long until Hew had gotten back with the drinks and handed a pint of brown foaming liquid to Alan. The latter placed it down on the table.

It wasn't long before they'd decided what food to get noticing the table number Alan offered to buy them and jumped I making a dozen people flinch. Bubble formed around him as he walked to the bar to order the food speaking to a busy barwoman who smiled. Seemingly unaffected by the significant amount of space that a had formed on her part of the bar. After paying, he returned with equal ease finding the extra space quite useful now, even if he didn't like it. Upon his return, someone tripped and bummed right into almost knocking Alan over. Even Gareth and Hew held their breath as Alan helped the soldier backup how seemed to have drunk a bit too much a little too early. He teammates cared for the dance floor and offered their apology before moving towards the door.

Smiling, Alan joined them back up, "What's up do I have something on my face?"

Hew shook his head, "No, you, just took that rather well."

Shrugging Alan said, "Yeah, well, it's easy to do when I see it coming.”

Gareth thought about it, and asked, "How'd you know he was coming because neither of us saw, and why didn't you do anything about it?"

“Why do you want to know?”

Gareth shrugged giving a sad smile, "Probably because I can't turn off, and I get curious.”

Alan stared at Gareth, "I've got the same problem, I can't turn off my powers. I know everything within eleven metres of me inside and out, everything it's bizarre. I can still look away, but I can't help but notice anything new entering my influence, I scan it and then my notice calms down until something new comes up.

So I knew that man was drunk and as he got close, he lost control and took a step to many and overbalanced. As for stopping it, I didn't think about doing anything. If I think about it now, I'd say he wanted to be in that state then it was his responsibility to take care of himself. If I remove the alcohol from his system he’d notice, secondly he obviously what to be like that, who am I to stop him.”

Hew nodded, and Gareth spoke, "Thank you, now who'd you want to win the premier league?"

As they conversed the room relaxed as party-goers realised that Alan wasn't here to be anything more than themselves.

The food came and disappeared gratefully that, the chefs weren't stuck here trying to make him healthier as the oils and fats danced on his tongues. After they'd managed the first drink, Alan deciding that alcohol didn't taste nice and got a coke. Eventually, they all ended up on the dance floor, making merry with everyone the sounds of music running through their soul uplifting them.

Then Gareth got a call, he peeled off the dance floor sweat regrettable leaving his dance partner continued dancing towards Alan. The latter had a vast cheese-eating grin as he was surrounded by girls. Hew wasn't doing so bad either answering the call himself heaving breath the music in the background fading away as he put distance between the two.

Then the voice spoke, "Hello, Dr Gareth, my apologies. The woman in iso 37 D is screaming in pain and is trying to call for her master Alan, We've tried asking what's going, but she seems unable to answer. We've tried putting her to sleep, but it hasn't worked, so we need help, preferably Alan's."

Sighing Gareth replied, "Yeah sure I'll get Alan. I'm sure he won't be mad, be up soon."

Closing the phone he looked over to Alan who just happened to be staring at him, and Gareth spoke out loud, “I know you heard that, come on Alan the precious servant is begging for you!”

Alan's face dropped as he left the dance floor at calls of the women still dancing; he made his apologies and went towards Gareth. Hew had been asked to keep an eye on Alan followed along with the two guards who kept an eye out for trouble.

Joined up the stepped over the collapsed bar and retreated rapidly toward the tower, Gareth watched Alan's face fall into something that he deemed horror. It was when the sound of her scream that Alan stopped, and didn’t move.

"What's up to Alan? Everything ok?"

He whispers back “I don’t think I can do it!”

Gareth wasn’t sure whether he should ask or not, he had this feeling that whatever was tearing at was bad enough saying out loud might just make it harder to do. “Sometimes it's best to get it over and done with rather than putting it off and waiting, definitely if they’re in pain.”

Alan looked up at him with dead eyes, it made him stop and took a step back a little. Is it really that bad?

He stepped into the first door into the iso room while Gareth dashed into the observation room, watched Elvira as the scratched at the door, leave gouges in it,

“Please Master praise me, support and help me!”

“Please Master care for me, gratify me and help me up!”

“Please Master feed me, use me and break me Pleaseeeee!”

Gareth was utterly shocked as Elvira begged at the door. As Alan stepped through she grovelled at his feet, "Please master I know not what I've done, but I'll strive to improve, please order, teach me and shall do my best to please you!"

Alan croaked, “Then you’re not allowed to hurt anyone unless I order you directly to hurt them.”

"Yes, master, teach me, train me. I'll do anything, please break me it hurts.”

Alan looked sad as he spoke, “Fine!”

He grasped into the air where her face instantly became crimson and had excitement crawling through her eyes which brighten. She cooed, shouting, "Please, master!"

A spray of blood shot out of her and scream in excitement “More master, more!”

More of blood as Gareth watched complete mortified as Alan twisted Elvira limbs around like a corkscrew. She screams in delight, complete loving it as the room was doused in her blood. Her eyes disappeared into her head as she gave one last scream of pleasure before Alan dropped her like a sack of potatoes and ran out of the door complete drenched in blood.

The room was utterly silent as they watched one quiet and appeased Elvira. The limbs of the latter were slowly reorienting themselves, snapping back together. Elvira had fallen asleep with a smile on her face.

Gareth eventually broke the silence, “I’ll go and check on Alan, you guys clean her up and get her in bed and make sure there's fresh blood in the room for when she wakes up.”

Gareth left the room seeing some anxious guards looking down at him from down the corridor. Jogging up to the toilets and entering without any hesitation, hearing crying and someone being sick, walked up to the few toilets in the bathroom. "Alan, you ok," he pushed the door open to see Alan over the toilet vomiting up diamonds and gems.

Alan wept, and in rasping voice spoke to Gareth. "I felt everything, I watched every bone break every firing of a nerve. All of her ligaments, muscle, tendons being torn to shreds and I was doing it so easily. Her hot blood splashing into my face, I've even cleaned myself of her blood and yet it is still there cover me when I stare at the mirror."

Gareth could say anything, would he let Alan do it if he knew, could anyone else do it? Regardless it was a painful experience for one of them. He couldn't do anything but comfort Alan, patting and rubbing Alan until he'd emptied his stomach. He'd got his power under his control, and we moved to his room where he fell asleep. Gareth returned to his own completely exhausted.