YOUR WORLD - Book 02 of The Neo Trilogy

[GLKnight]

Moving unseen past the horde of bickering modern nobles squandering their chances of unifying against a common foe, Agents Merlin and Apollo coasted to the front of the meeting room. The voices of the generals and representatives from over 25 of the most powerful and threatened countries in the room remained consistent in tone and fervor. Uncaring as they ignored the only ones focused on protecting the planet they all lived on for their own petty squabbles.

"Sh-Should I call for their attention?" Daya asked, nervously.

"No need," Merlin told her. "Apollo?"

Giving the two women a nod, the strong looking Black man clapped his hands and put on his best attempt.

"Right! If we can just-"

And in response, the men and women sitting in counsel grew more raucous. Their voices getting louder as they all chose their own issues over the task at hand. The frustration was palpable, etching itself onto his face at the indignant response the Agent was given.

"If we can begin-"

Once again, those who should be more orderly and presentable only grew into more of an uproar. Actively getting up and escalating into full blown physical threats of impending violence. The terror was there, to be sure. But Merlin could tell there were also hints of opportunism afoot. Some using the gloom of devastation for personal vendettas, or momentary gains. Or in the vain hopes of just looking tougher than everyone else in the room. And she knew something extreme had to be done to undercut the bullshit. So she quickly approached the notary with an idea.

"Daya," the eldest agent calmly asked the taller secretary. "Could you borrow an M17 from one of the soldiers?"

Knowing what to do, the gawky girl nodded her head with a serious look. Placing her folders down and running over to the guard. As she moved, Merlin was surprised by the way the girl moved. It wasn't uncommon that the staff usually came from non-military backgrounds. In fact, in Miss Martinez's family was a mixed generational home. The daughter of an American and a first generation El Salvadoran immigrant, her background constituted a primarily well mannered lower middle income household. Born and raised in California, background in Computer Science. But the way she moved, the way she held herself. There was a natural athleticism to the girl that was hiding there. Even when she was given the gun, it seemed to fit so naturally in her hand. Holding it like she had trained with one all her life as she hustled back to join the Agents.

"Okay," she said, smiling awkwardly. "What now?"

Agent Merlin crooked her a knowing smile and held out her hand.

"If you'd please-"

Without missing a beat, she watched as the secretary raised the pistol towards the ceiling and quickly fired off three shots. Each one loud and clear, forcing all those with aesthetic power to be reminded of their own mortalities as they abandoned their arguments and dove for cover. Screaming or crying out in shock as the sounds of war were brought far too close to their own comforts. Letting the air hang heavy and still as the sudden shock of sudden combat left their petty motivations wither on the vine.

Apollo and Merlin, however, could only look dumbfounded as the overeager secretary jittered with overexcitement. The biggest, goofiest grin on her face as her huge doe eyes remained wide from adrenaline at what she had just done.

"Hoo boy!" she cheered, giggling. "You only get to see something like that in the movies!"

"Have you... ever fired a gun before today?" Apollo asked, slowly blinking at the girl's gumption.

"H-Huh? Um, no! First time, actually!"

Slowly reaching over, Merlin remained stoic as she gently grabbed the M17 out of Daya's hands. Flicking the safety on and putting it on the table to show all the world leaders they were completely safe as they climbed out from beneath their places of cover.

"This girl is meant for more than menial office work," she thought to herself as they began the meeting.

[GLKnight]

"Now that we are allowed to begin," Apollo huffed, pressing a remote that brought the massive screen behind him to life. The Department Of Containment's shield and logo blazing in full glory behind the two agents. "We'd like to formally thank you all for arriving and being so amiable to arriving in such an orderly fashion."

"We understand your worries and concerns," Merlin added, doing her best to chose her words carefully to keep every official as calm as possible. "And as the main branch of the United Nations' Extrajudicial arm, we must remind you all, for the sake of record and personal re-education, that we take our jobs with the utmost professionalism."

Both agents glanced to the left, directly at Daya herself. Causing her to shrink slightly at their gaze.

"With that out of the way," Apollo stated, taking on an executive air as he took charge of the event. "We would like to be informed on why this meeting has been called."

An older gentlemen, dressed in the uniform of the United States Army, rose from his seat. A stern look on his face, like he had smelled something that didn't agree with his preferences on the bottom of his shoe. Clean shaven and broad, his hair a shocking white that was more stark than his crystal blue eyes.

"I called this meeting," he said, loudly and confidently. "Because things are starting to look grim. Your operatives are the only ones who have been able to make any headway involving these damn Neons!"

"Neos, General Raleigh." Merlin reminded him. "It's short for Neo-Alsarnian, the apparent name they are calling themselves."

"I don't care WHAT they are called," he shouted, slamming his knuckles on the table violently. "What they are is inhuman, damn it! Have you been able to study the extreme few we were able to neutralize?"

"We have," Apollo said, pressing a button on his remote to start a video. Everyone in the room watched as a small unit of soldiers attempted to infiltrate a building in Central Africa. Only to find the place guarded by one woman. One Neo. The room began to bristle as they watched well trained men raising their guns to apprehend the Orange Neo. Confidence and pride swelling before being crushed in a single moment of pure violence. Gunfire unable to hide as the Neo swiftly charged at the soldiers. Screams of pain as bones were pulverized and metal was rent.

One man used as a human shield before being thrown behind her with an evil grin. Another trying to charge her in kind, only for her to swipe at him with her claws. Blood pouring out of his throat as it ran beneath his savaged body armor. The body camera capturing its owner being grabbed by his throat and launched into the far wall with incredible speed. Lying useless on the ground as he watched her dig her claws into the last standing operative's arms and swipe them down. The bloodcurdling scream cut short as the camera watched the girl swiftly placing her hands on either side of his head. Then, with an almost maniacal laugh, press inward. The futility of the man's struggles was sickening as he tried to squirm his way to freedom.

The meeting room was growing terrified at what they were seeing. Viewing for the first time what their enemy was capable of in explicit detail, but unable to look away as they witnessed something that was not humanly possible. The Neo's form began to swell, her body gaining size and mass as she continued her torturous execution of the soldier. His screams growing louder as the pressure mounted. Then, in one disgusting display, she brought her hands together. Causing the man to fall silent and still. With a contented smile, she dropped his now headless corpse and sighed. Then, with a mischievous look, turned her black and orange eyes towards the last living intruder. The man begged for mercy, holding up his hands as she stalked towards him. Kneeling down, her eyes were fully on her next victim.

It was here Agent Apollo paused the video. Keeping the Neo's eyes centered on her prey, both on the recording and in the real world.

"This is the fate of Unit Seven," he told them all with a grim expression. "Which you all authorized two weeks ago. From what you have just seen, we would like to inform all of those in attendance that the carnage inflicted by this woman was done by one of the lowest ranks of the NAE."

The uproar was immediate. People shouting over each other, panicking at the full extent of what they had just witnessed.

"LOWEST ranks?"

"There are MORE?"

"If one could do this, imagine a whole-"

The questions and comments flowed like a broken dam. A deluge of commentary and criticisms and other things to circle around the topic at hand instead of broaching it. Merlin quickly stepped in to take control, clapping her hands as loudly as possible.

"Ladies and gentlemen! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! FOCUS! FOCUS!!!"

Somehow, through sheer force of will, the audience was able to retain control of themselves once more. Going from a room full of Kindergartners given too much sugar to fully respectable adults again within the span of a few seconds.

"We know you have questions," she continued, talking the remote from Apollo's hand. "But your answers will be covered in due time. Before then, we feel it is important we go over everything we've learned until now."

Clicking the remote once more, a whole slew of diagrams and points of interest overtook the screen.

"Now, if you don't mind. Let's go over what we do know about the Neo-Alsarnian Empire."

[erocha75]

For personal reasons, I had not been able to read the latests installments of this awesome story. Same as always, they are fabulous. We are left with an exciting cliffhanger, where it seems Apollo is about to provide some long awaited answers as to the nature of the NEO-A Empire. Also, we are eagerly awaiting to hear Desi's version as to what happened that fatidic night 2 months ago. More chapters, pleaseeee!! 

[GLKnight]

"First and foremost," Apollo stated, standing with a regal posture as he pointed towards the picture of a small handful of Neos. Each standing as if posing for a piece of propaganda. "All of those selected to become Neos are Women. From what intel we have gathered, not all of them were assigned female at birth."

This caused a small burble of concern from the dignitaries, with the representative from China's twenty seven year old Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Madame Li Chao Fang, standing to pose a question.

"So what you are telling us," she asked in practiced but stilted English. "Is that these... things do not adhere to the notion of Binary gender?"

"Or more importantly," Merlin spoke up, taking control of the conversation. "The better question might be asked is that, if they are capable of taking advantage of the notion of transgender identities, does this not prove that the notion of Binary gender is inherently irrelevant to any topic of discussion?"

The reaction was swift and powerful, striking a very deep chord within those of power. Their very notion of Conservative values at odds with the truth they were being presented.

"If I may continue," Apollo demanded, clearly taking the bull by the horns. "The women, including those who were born male, who are selected to become Neos inevitably fall into one of five colored ranks."

A younger gentlemen, Ambassador Aldo Lazzeri from Italy, quickly raised his voice.

"I was wondering about that," he said, his voice strong and clear. "So these colors? They have a greater meaning?"

Apollo nodded his head. pointing to one of the ladies with Orange hands and eyes.

"As you saw from the video, the lowest serviceable ranks are marked by Orange color. Each individual, through this transition process, is infused with energies from an extradimensional realm called the Axzhurat. This energy transforms each individual woman over time, altering their bodies and abilities to astounding degrees."

"It just alien plastic surgery and steroids," General Raleigh casually spoke out, an air of derision on his breath. "It's not like it does more than something like gives them laser eyes or anything!"

Merlin pressed forward on the remote, bringing up not only a picture of a heavily stacked Blonde lady with Blue skin and eyes, but some hand drawn sketches of bizarre technology schematics. The wolf whistles were immediate as soon as the Blue Neo came on screen.

"Not laser eyes, no. But that's where the next level of Neos comes into play. While the Orange Neos are considered the rank and file soldiers of the NAE, these Blue Neos are the Science Corps. Hyper intelligent, hyper flexible compared to all others. Within Neo society, Blue Neos break with the expected strong and powerful build found within the other ranks. Going with a more seductive and purposefully alluring physique over one designed for strength and destruction."

While most of the male dignitaries in attendance were openly ogling and fawning over the beauty onscreen, the others who were able to handle themselves with dignity focused on more important matters.

"So these Blue Neos are the ones we should be most concerned for?" Ambassador Fernanda Rocha from Brazil asked, trying her best to get the attention of the men who were lost in lust. Apollo quickly stepped up, pointing towards some of the schematics on display.

"Partially. Blue Neos are the ones who created almost everything they have on hand. From rifles capable of firing a neutralizing frequency of energy, to a device capable of creating a proposed Five Dimensional map of whatever environment they are in that is capable of fooling any and every form of surveillance. And most notably, an explosive device that completely destroys immediate terrain while leaving no victim behind."

"I remember that one," Raleigh added. "What happened on Wall Street. All those people who were atomized? Gone in an instant."

There was a brief pause as both Apollo and Merlin shared a knowing look.

"Sir," Merlin began, not sure how to put it other than succinctly. "They were not killed."

The silence was palpable as her words sank in.

"What do you mean by "not killed", Merlin? We saw the video footage."

With a sigh, Merlin went back one image. Back to the image of Neos standing beside each other, before aiming the remote at one soldier in particular - a stalwart looking woman with shorter sleeves that showed off her impressively muscular arms.

"Do you see this Neo, General? The one looking like she's ready for a fight?"

"I do," he said, confused. "But what does that have to do with-?"

Merlin clicked towards the Orange Neo, bringing up another image of her. One clearly more normal looking. Smaller and more proportional to what a person would imagine an ordinary woman would look like. Her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail as she was dressed for work in a simple skirt and blouse.

"This is Louise Alcombe. She is twenty five years old. Five foot two, one hundred seventeen pounds. Majored in Economics and Business, New York University."

Before even going back to the first picture, things were falling into place for General Raleigh. His face going white as the small unit of Neo soldiers came back up again.

"And this is Louise Alcombe," Apollo stated, pointing towards the same women several months apart. "Approximately five foot ten, one hundred and eighty to ninety pounds. Same woman, several months apart. Listed as one of the missing from the attack on Wall Street by this woman."

Merlin clicked another button, bringing up a still from the Wall Street bombing. A stern and powerful looking woman, caught with a flash of red behind her sunglasses.

"This is Laura Nowell. As we learned quite recently, she is a high ranking member of the NAE. A Red Neo who has been given the moniker of Reaper Of The Red. I don't really need to tell you what that implies."

Everyone was frozen by this revelation. Not only were the people who went missing during the terrorist attack over half a year ago still alive, but the implication that many of them may have been converted to their cause was too much for most of those in attendance to handle. General Raleigh, in particular, let his fury show as he slammed his fists into the table before him.

"God damn it! God! Fucking! Damn it! My daughter is among those missing! And now you're telling me that my angel might be with them? FIGHTING FOR THEM?! I cannot accept this!"

"Sir," Apollo soothed, trying his best to keep the General under control. "I understand this is very worrying for you. But you have to understand that she may not be-"

General Raleigh slapped the agent's hands away, causing some of those in attendance to gasp at the outburst. Creating perfect cover as the door to the meeting room opened while two soldiers walked in and saluted Agents Merlin and Apollo.

"I don't care whether she's fighting or not," he screamed. "We gotta nuke these bitches back to wherever they-"

"Sir!" one of the soldiers loudly declared. "Ma'am! Guest One has arrived, as ordered!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Merlin waved for all of them to come in. The dignitaries murmuring amongst themselves as they watched Desmond Nowell - all five feet and four inches, one hundred and ten pounds dressed in loose pajamas that did nothing to hide the inhuman bulge between his legs - was led to the front of the room.

"And who the Hell is this?" General Raleigh asked, incensed that his burst of anger was being interrupted.

"My name is Desmond Nowell," he told them all as he stood by Agent Merlin's side. "I am the son of Laura Nowell, the Reaper Of The Red. War Mother of the Neo Forces. And I-"

Desmond slowly reached up, closing his eyes as he took off his sunglasses. Looking at the outlines of dull white light emanating from each of the people in attendance before opening his eyes. Letting those in attendance scream, cry out and gasp as they looked into his translucent stone orbs. Letting the full terror of what had been done to him be put on display like a sideshow freak before continuing.

"...I am one of the informants that shared the info you now have on the Neo crisis, as well as a victim of their plans for all of Humanity."

[Saxony Red Devil]

This set up is tasty, I wonder if they can even dent the NEO forces

[GLKnight]

The questions came fast.

"How did they do this to you?" was naturally the first one thrown at Desmond. Followed by questions like "Experiments on civilians?" and "What do you mean by plans for humanity?" It was a flood of worries and panic, all coming in one massive wave of terror. Fears of the past, practically genetic memories of the traumas from the horrors of World War Two, tinged on every breath of concern. The primal fears, of the loss of humanity, of identity, of everything that defined and threatened their very existence, was quite literally staring all of the delegates in that room down.

Apollo and Merlin raised their hands, silently asking for calm to return. They chose to let their guests regain their composure, allowing this outburst to run its course as every figure of importance worked through their emotions until they slowly began to settle down. Soon returning to their seats once more to conduct business like grown adults should.

"I don't wanna talk about what they did to me," Desmond calmly stated, his voice gaining a bit of authority. "But I'm here as a reminder of what you face. I was tortured. I was physically and sexually abused. I was conditioned and experimented on. And... And I was their excuse for going to war."

Merlin rubbed Desmond's shoulder, watching him struggling to hold back tears as his memories began to overwhelm him.

"Mr. Nowell is a victim of the NAE," she reminded them, strongly and clearly. "If you had read the report we had prepared recently, you would have learned what he has been through. For nearly a year, he was treated as less than human. They beat him. Starved him. They used psychological warfare on him. And he was the first male specimen they used in their experiments."

"That is brand new information," Ambassador Lazzeri interjected. "Why was that not in your reports?"

"Because that information came from Guest Two," Apollo said, clearly gauging the collective's response. "One of the informants we were able to retrieve."

"You recovered more than one victim?" Madame Li asked. Merlin took off her sunglasses, clearly ready to answer.

"Not a victim, no."

"Then who?"

Merlin looked at Apollo, who nodded his approval. Then, with a defeated sigh, threw her sunglasses onto the table, next to the discarded M17.

"Guest Two is Desiree Nowell. She is Desmond's younger sister, though you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at her."

Clicking the remote, pictures of Desiree appeared on screen. Pictures from years ago, smiling brightly with her brother before he left for college. Pictures of her from a couple years ago, from a moment when her mother was clearly not involved. And several pictures of her now - her detainment, in the lab, of her eyes. X-rays and MRI scans. And one of her recently, her arm around her brother in a candid moment. A protective look on her face as she eyed down everyone in the room at that moment. The sheer difference between then and now highlighting the extremity of her change to date. A petite, almost frail looking young teenage girl to a muscular guardian that looked to be in her early twenties in the span of one year's time.

"You have one of those things living on these premises?!" General Raleigh screamed, slamming his fist on the table.

"One of the conditions of Mr. Nowell's recovery was that she be brought in, General." Apollo shouted back. "And she came willingly! Did you really think we wouldn't use espionage to recover the information we currently have?"

"But to agree to working with one of these bitches," Raleigh fired back, storming towards the front of the room. "To allow one to get so familiar with-"

"She's not the only one, General!"

Raleigh froze, his head snapping towards Merlin after her outburst.

"What did you say, lady?"

"We have been in contact with more than one Neo, General!" Merlin admitted, getting in his face as she jabbed her finger into her chest.

"None of you fully read the damn report," Apollo asked, staring every official in the room down. "Did you?"

All they got were a series of grumbles and half-mumbled excuses. Receiving an answer louder and clearer than anything that could have been proudly said.

[erocha75]

Very interesting!! We want to know the rest of the contents of that report, pleaseeeee!!

PS I do wonder if, being NEOs so powerful compared to normal humans (given the evidence shown here, as well as all the previous info provided on Book 01, particularly regarding Laura Nowell's military exploits), why haven't the NEO s conquered and subjugated all of mankind already?? What's stopping them??

[GLKnight]

The disappointment both Apollo and Merlin felt was immeasurable. They were called to a meeting by the United Nations' oversight committee for their specific secretive branch. They were told to put together a report in less than twenty four hours, to put together a presentation. They had spent the last full day without sleep, with little to eat. Under incredible duress to comply with their officiating body's demands.

And not even a single member of their committee had even read the twenty page report they had given. Twenty pages of schematics, of pictures, of anatomic details of Neo bodies that had undergone partial transformation. Twenty pages of important figures - names of ranking authority within the NAE, theaters of operation, various shell companies and social outreach facilities created in the name of charity. Twenty pages of internal structures, important sites within US borders and surveillance of what they could find. Twenty pages of enemy agents and the various spies they were able to convince to work on behalf of Humanity itself. Twenty pages of proposals and ideas, even half baked for the sake of argument.

Twenty pages of work collected over several decades of records and research. And instead of doing their job, the people in power gathered together to bicker and argue over a solution rather than trying to consider the problem itself.

He slammed his hands on the table. She threw the remote in her hand at the wall as hard as she could with a scream of frustration. Desmond, on reflex, jumped when both authority figures lashed out.

"It was twenty pages!" Merlin shouted, her face going red as her stoic countenance vanished in a puff of smoke. "Twenty fucking pages that you received this morning! It's now almost five in the evening! You could have read that on your journey here! WHY?!"

None of the committee were openly willing to give an answer. Madame Li was the first one to work up her nerve.

"You think we are not struggling?" she asked, looking Merlin dead in the eye. "My country is suffering, Agent. They opened many places. They preyed on vanity. Too many in my country want money and power and status. Few deserve it. But now, every time we crack down, two facilities are built underground. My President is furious and we cannot keep up. Like they know what we are doing."

"Si," Ambassador Lazzeri added. "They are insidious, signora. They go after the people more than open war. And when war is had, they overwhelm us in strength and tech and tactics. But always insidious, first. Like they are leeching the people away."

Apollo sighed, already understanding where they were coming from with their concerns.

"We already knew that. We have lost many allies - Japan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, parts of Africa and Central America. And then there are those that didn't show like India, England, Norway and Russia. Trying to act like they can do things on their own. And we gave some answers in the damn report!"

Desmond noticed General Raleigh, still standing by the side, eying the entire room with a smirk. He reached up, hoping to get Merlin's attention. But his hope was dashed when the General marched to the front of the room. His chest puffed out as if he knew this was his moment.

"There was one thing about your report I knew before coming in here," he crowed, posturing as if he was officially taking over the meeting. "One of my aides told me about it on the way over."

"And what would that be, General?" Merlin asked, tired and officially done with this procedure.

The smile that grew on the General's face was one of pure twisted evil. As if he knew what he was going to say would be on par with shaking a hornet's nest.

"Project Remodel."

Both Merlin and Apollo visibly grew agitated at the words.

"There is no way we can allow that notion to move forward, General." Apollo said.

"And why not?" the General replied, crossing his arms and making his blocky build seem bigger than before.

"Because we cannot condone NAE style Human experimentation, even in the name of Preservation!"

Desmond immediately started to put the pieces together, needing few context clues for what it could entail.

"NAE style experimentation?" Desmond demanded, circling in front of his chaperones.

"We didn't want to tell you," Apollo told him, trying to keep things under control. "To be honest, it wasn't even supposed to be in the report. But they demanded ALL of our ideas and-"

"Tell me what the proposal was!" Desmond shouted, clearly thrumming. Merlin and Apollo looked at each other, trying to gauge how to react. But a chuckle from General Raleigh stole the wind from their sails.

"Project Remodel," Raleigh laughed, looking at Desmond with a bemused look. "Or as it was also put, Operation Neo Soldier."

The word echoed in Desmond's mind - NEO. His head began to swim as the full concept dawned for him. Neo Soldier. As in, their own form of Neos.

"You want to make your own Neos?" the slight man croaked, his voice weighed down by the pain of betrayal. Merlin rushed to Desmond's side, gently putting her hand on his shoulder. Her voice hushed as a mother would to comfort her child.

"We don't want to do that, Mr. Nowell. We would never-"

"Need I remind you," General Raleigh said, lording over the meeting. "That we are in the midst of a battle for Humanity's very survival, Agent Merlin?" We must do everything we can to ensure our survival."

Apollo rushed forward, forcing the older officer face him like a man by twisting him around violently.

"Anything but that, General! I cannot in good conscience-"

"Do what, Apollo? Allow your fellow humans to survive by any and every measure? Even if it means we can make our own versions of the Neo forces to fight back? Maybe even win?"

The cruel look on Raleigh's face, as if he knew the idea of fighting back on this idea would be suicide in a political sense, was enough to give the younger Agent pause from the implication he was willing to betray the rest of Humanity in the name of morality.

"How dare you imply I intend to betray the world like that, General. This is an inhuman proposal you're putting forth right now. Some downright evil shit the Nazis would have done."

"Between the Nazis and Neos," Raleigh proudly declared, narrowing his eyes as he sensed a victory was at hand. "I'll do whatever it takes to ensure we can face both. So let's put this to a vote."

Raleigh turned towards the committee, pointing around the room at every delegate that had shown up with a politician's smile.

"We are the last hope of Humanity. And we must do whatever it takes. Project Remodel will allow us to do just that by making a force of Neos loyal to Humanity and the world. If you want to save your homes. If you want to save your people! Then you have to vote yes! What do you say?"

The room fell silent. An empty pause, giving room for a sigh of relief.

"I vote yes."

Ambassador Rocha stood, her eyes not proud but still resolute in her vote.

"I'm with Rocha," Li said, standing with more resolution. "I vote yes, as well."

"Si," Ambassador Lazzeri said, a look of shame on his face. "It's not what I wanted, but it's what must be done."

More and more of the delegates stood, casting their vote in favor of Raleigh's proposal. And with every vote, Merlin and Apollo, those who understood what they were truly up against, felt their hopes shrivel with every voice.

[GLKnight]

General Raleigh turned towards Agent Apollo, flashing an evil smile at him.

"I think we can consider this meeting at a close," he loudly declared. "Thank you to everyone for coming at my request."

With that, the delegates slowly began shuffling out of the room. Each official being led by one of the several soldiers standing guard in the meeting room out into the hall. General Raleigh just gave the Agents a non-committed salute before walking away with a gleeful chuckle.

"What the Hell just happened?" Daya asked, trying to wrap her head around the sudden turn of events.

"That son of a bitch railroaded us to get what he wanted," Merlin proclaimed, eying the pistol on the nearby table with full intent. "That glory hungry, power obsessed Hawk knew what was in our report before he even got here."

"He even used the idea of his daughter's disappearance against us," Apollo added. "That motherfucker has always done what it takes to ensure he gets the latest toys and weapons. And he views the Neos as just another implement for him to play God with."

"Just like my mom." Desmond quietly admitted. Daya could feel the pain in his voice, the decades of trauma he must have gone through as evident in his words as tears running down a lost child's face. She reached out, rubbing the altered man's upper back. Feeling him shuddering as he fought back tears.

"We'll have to take stock of what we have in The Butchery," Apollo spoke up, anger clearly welling up within him. "We're more than likely getting started on Project Remodel tomorrow."

"If you don't mind me asking," Daya asked, pushing up her glasses. "What is Project Remodel, anyway?"

Merlin ran her hand through her long dark hair, throwing it over her shoulder with a weighty sigh.

"Project Remodel, or as Raleigh giddily put it, "Operation Neo Soldier", is to use the NAE's methods against themselves. Taking what we know of Neo genetic structures to create our own form of super soldier, in a way. Though far more human looking, by several margins."

Desmond, upon hearing the plan, silently put his sunglasses on and shuffled towards the exit.

"Mr. Nowell?" Apollo asked, clearly concerned. "Where are you going?"

"Back down to Five," he tiredly replied, not even looking back. "Desi needs to know. And she's not going to be happy."

All those with a vested interest in the Nowell's care could only watch as Guest One headed to the elevators. A defeated gloom hanging over him as he stumbled like a phantom to tell Guest Two the horrifying news regarding how Humanity agreed to play by the NAE's rules in order to face them head on. A measure that both Agents Apollo and Merlin knew would lead to a decided escalation of open warfare.

[erocha75]

"Project Remodel"?? Very intriguing/exciting!! Moooore, pls!!

[GLKnight]

For two hours, Agent Merlin and Agent Apollo thought things were finally settling down. Politically outmaneuvered by US Marine General Raleigh, who had perceptively coupled the current Neo crisis with his own personal loss to coerce the Department Of Containment's oversight committee into approving a project which neither had wished to present. Washington was breathing down their necks, looking for any new developments which they could apply to the mounting war. And the fact that they were the babysitters for not just one of the experiment subjects that dropped into their laps, but the only living Neo who was willing to aid them in every endeavor despite slowly withering away before their eyes.

For two hours, there was peace.

That was before alarms blared loudly through every corner of CB Zero.

"ALERT! ALERT! CONTAINMENT BREACH ON LEVEL FIVE! I REPEAT - CONTAINMENT BREACH IN SECTOR FIVE!"

Taking the elevators down with a small retinue of specialized train soldiers for on-site security, the Agents stepped onto Five and stopped short. Surveying the carnage all around them. There were bodies everywhere, clearly still breathing but completely taken out of commission. No one had been spared - office workers, soldiers, scientists passing through. Shattered glass and fractured walls on nearly every surface. Flickering lights from people being thrown around. It was a vision of violence that bordered on the fantastic.

"I'LL MAKE THEM FUCKING PAY!!!"

As soon as they heard her voice, the Agents knew what, or more exactly who, was capable of such levels of destruction.

"Contain," Merlin warned the soldiers on hand, giving them a deadly serious look. "Do not neutralize. Do you hear me?"

The squad on hand nodded in approval, switching from the standard issue rifles on hand to tranquilizer guns they had been ordered to carry for this exact reason. Merlin drew her own pistol, knowing that if anything happened, it'd be on her head. She caught Apollo doing the same, quickly putting her hand on his arm to lower his gun.

The larger black man looked at her, trying to posture himself in a way to let him help. But he looked at her and saw something that he could not argue against. It was the same look his wife, Lanie gave him on occasion. The look of a mother's resolution.

"You stay put. For Mackenzie."

Hearing his daughter's name caused Apollo to reconsider, his eyes drifting to his wedding ring before solemnly nodding his head and doing as Merlin asked.

"For Hailey."

Merlin paused at the name. The daughter she had given up so she could bear the full weight of responsibility regarding the NAE. The forty three year old woman knew it was his way of bantering - trading names of importance to ground themselves in the moment. But she was sure that Apollo was also reminding her who she was facing the menace for.

"You know it."

Raising her hand, Merlin clenched her first. Ordering the security detail to follow her as she raised her pistol and silently stalked forward. It was obvious where they were, the sounds of a man crying out as he was thrown all around the nearby hallway. But as they approached the bend, they had to quickly fall back as a scientist was bodily launched their way. Hitting the adjacent wall and falling to the floor with a heavy landing, groaning in severe pain as he huddled into a ball.

Merlin took one look at the man, not seeing any blood on his person and taking a quick sigh of relief before her eyes drifted to the hallway leading to the rooms of Desmond and Desiree.

"Desiree," Merlin called out from the safety of the corner. "I know you're upset. But you have no right to hurt so many people."

"No right?!" Desiree screamed back. "You cannot treat Desmond like our fucking mother would!"

"It's not like that," Merlin heard Desmond gently reply. "They're nothing like mom!"

"Yes, they are! They just want to use you! To use us for their sick fucking games!"

Knowing things could escalate at any second, Merlin gave the signal for the soldiers to hold before raising her hands and walking out into view. Seeing for the first time what a Neo in full emotional breakdown looked like as Desiree stood between Desmond and the litany of unconscious employees for the base. Bullet shells and shattered concrete all over the floor as the only living Neo on the premises stared down her handler. A feral look in her eyes as they sparked with every deep breath she took. Her six fingered hands looking ready to eviscerate whoever came close, her black talons fully extended in pure primal fury. Looking every bit the Apex predator that rumors led the Neos out to be.

Merlin took in everything she could. The white dust on Desiree's knuckles, matching the white concrete walls. No large pools of blood, meaning she had not torn anyone open with the razor sharp claws at the end of each finger. The way Desiree was placed in front of her brother, meaning she was trying to defend him from some form of threat that she felt came from the people on premises. The almost hysterical reactions noted a trauma response.

"Fuck" was all Merlin thought to herself as she realized what had led to this moment.

[GLKnight]

Merlin kept her eyes trained on Desiree, doing her best to remain as tactical as possible. This was the Agent's first time seeing a Neo react in such an inhuman way and she knew she couldn't let anyone else get close. As she was, her ward's sudden mental collapse because she was currently in the midst of a trauma response was a menace to any and every Human on the premises. Lives were potentially on the line. She had to treat this as a type of hostage negotiation.

No sudden moves. Keep a cool head. Don't let the hostile get spooked or suddenly take action. Keep the Neo's attention on her at all times. Deescalate, not decisive action.

Merlin gently held out one hand, keep her gaze locked on the Neo and her brother. Then, letting the gun in her other hand suddenly twist, began to lower herself down until she was practically in a ball. And with a nod, simply placed the gun on the floor before standing back up.

"It's okay," Merlin said in as motherly a tone as possible, using what she knew of the Nowell's experiences growing up to play towards their fragility. "No weapons, no fighting. I will explain what is going on. Okay?"

Desiree's eyes narrowed, trying her best to remain in as threatening a state as possible.  Holding out one arm to shield her brother as much as possible as she gently began pushing him back into his room.

"You don't need to explain anything!" Desiree growled, the whites of her eyes flashing brightly. "You authorized Project Remodel! You gave them the okay to take our DNA!"

"It wasn't us," Merlin soothed. "It was the actions of the Oversight Committee. I didn't even want to put the damn proposal into the notes for our presentation."

Merlin could feel Desiree tensing at the other end of the hallway. The poor girl was in hysterics - her clothes partially torn, the roots of her short hair on full display from two months of growth that left it two-toned in white and black roots, the exhaustion that she must be feeling from both a lack of treatments and taking down nearly thirty people alone, the subtle trembling of her hands. This was her driven to an almost completely feral state.

"You lied and did shit our mother would pull on us! What Doctor Bernard would do to us! You didn't keep your fucking promises!"

"Desi," her brother begged. "Please! You n-need to stop!"

Merlin saw the look on Desmond's face, like he was in sudden pain. The stress was mounting and it looked like the violence would continue. The human agent took one step forward, doing her best to approach this in as non-threatening a manner as possible.

"Desiree-"

But the Neo's response was anything but peaceful. Throwing Desmond back into his room.

"You can't fucking have him!"

Desiree prepared to charge. Merlin prepared to at least put up a fight.

What neither expected was for a sudden burst of light to come from inside the room, followed by a wave of pressure equal to the effect of a five rockets exploding upon impact simultaneously. Knocking everyone in the hallway off of their feet and slamming them into the adjacent wall. Merlin lucked out, only getting the wind knocked out of her from her back making contact with the concrete and plaster. Desiree, however, was not so lucky. Slamming into the wall with enough force to cause it to fracture. Leaving an indent before falling to the floor on top of a slew of unconscious bodies and debris. Merlin saw Apollo approaching before she heard him, his voice partially muffled.

"...are you okay?" He asked, kneeling to help her get back up.

Plugging her nose, Merlin took a deep breath and blocked her breath. Feeling her ears pop from the internal pressure fixing itself before nodding.

"I think so? What the Hell-"

She felt an icy chill run through her body when they looked down the hallway and saw what was the cause of the explosion. For there, beyond the shredded doorway of Desmond's burnt out containment cell, was Guest One. Floating inside his room, arcs of white and purple and orange and blue and green and red of his twitching form. Hissing in a jumble of different languages and electric pops and static as he was caught in a full blown seizure. His eyes glowing brightly in a cascade of colors as he hovered out of his room. A river of flames below his feet as he slowly drifted their way.

[erocha75]

Whoa!! Desmond having a full-blown nuclear episode!! What an exciting cliffhanger!! Pls, give us the next installment!!

[GLKnight]

Everyone who was cognizant was locked in terror as Desmond floated their way. The surveillance footage of Desmond's last freak out two months prior was disseminated to personnel as soon as they were able to give it. But looking at him now, flesh and bone replaced by crackling energy that popped and filtered like an old snowy television that had lost its signal as he menacingly came their way, was something else entirely. The way his head and body spasmed, as if every inch of his body was unable to do anything but be overwhelmed by the massive amounts of extradimensional energy flowing through him, was frightening to behold. The words he was screaming with a harsh feedback, like it was coming through several different speakers and microphones in a thousand different voices, inflicted intense pain throughout Level Five.

All were caught in abject fear. Some were caught in wonder.

As the sprinkler systems flared to life, dousing the flame as best they could while electric fireworks burst forth with contact from every drop that touched his hovering frame, reality set in for Merlin and Apollo.

"Grab who you can and get to the elevators!" Apollo screamed at security, reaching down to help with evacuation. "We have a Code Black! I repeat a Code-"

Apollo went silently, staring at his partner in confusion as she looked at Guest One with an almost pitying look.

"M? What are you doing?"

"I need to reach him," she said, trepidation in her voice. "I need to pull him back."

His hand shot out, grabbing hers as she took a step forward.

"Don't do it," he shouted. "If you get near him, you're just gonna get yourself killed!"

Merlin was having none of it, though. Once more giving him a look only a mother can truly give as she pulled her hand away from his.

"Someone has to, A. It might as well be me."

For a scant second, it was almost like a moment of understanding had come to be. A moment of acceptance for what was about to happen.

"Alright, M. Godspeed to-"

The look of shock on Apollo's face as Merlin was suddenly thrust his way was practically comical as she fell into his arms. Each looking to see what had forced her to fall and quickly finding Desiree, with a sad, angry look on her face, slowly walking towards her brother.

"You'll be killed," she growled, a hint of regret in her voice as she marched down the hallway. "I won't. Stay here."

Each wanted to reach out to her, to stop her. But as soon as she broke into a sprint, they knew they had no choice but to let her take care of her brother. The journey was short, quickly meeting her brother in the hallway. Her arms wrapped around his waist, contact causing a brilliant burst of light as she held him in place. An immeasurable amount of pain coursing through her body as the power of the Zhurat ran through both of the Nowells. She could feel their essence flowing through her, into her. Her body relishing every particle, every iota of their realm. She felt like she could run for thousands of miles, lift the entire planet. At this moment, her corpus was being given exactly what it needed. What it wanted. What it craved.

For the first time in two months, the pain she had been feeling every single day had felt like it had been worth it for this moment.

But promises beat out promises. And the promise she made over a year prior, to protect her brother, battered down every delicious temptation she was feeling at that moment. She had a job to do.

"Desmond!" Desiree screamed out, her grip getting tighter around her brother's waist. "Desmond, I'm sorry! Please! Calm down!"

She felt his hand on her head. The tingle along her forehead and scalp as visions invaded her mind. Visions of the Axzhurat, of the crackling hellscape of pure energy. And of the Zhurat themselves. Immeasurable, imposing. Overwhelming. In wait for their chance to come through. For their chance to be seen. For the next to join them in their vast and formidable pantheon. All of their unseen eyes gazing down at this child, this speck of white in their ocean of purple light that dared to interfere in their plans. All that Desiree Nowell wanted to do in that moment was scream.

And scream, she did. Unleashing a fear-laden cry of defiance as she suddenly wrenched herself to the side, twisting her body and slamming both herself and her brother down to the ground. Another explosion of light and pressure rocketing down every hallway upon impact. Forcing everything to come to a stop, both living and automated. Water ceased flowing. Darkness plunging everything into abyss for a brief moment before the lights flickered and came back to life. Those that were able to stand did so, clambering back to their feet as the experience they had just survived slowly set in for them.

"Help! He needs help!"

Merlin and Apollo watched as Desiree pulled her hand out from the back of Desmond's head, seeing the bright splotch of red against the leathery blue skin of her palms. Tears flowing freely as sudden terror began to overtake her.

"Call Medical," Merlin shouted as she rushed to the Nowells' side. "Get'em here ASAP!"

Merlin quickly began checking what vitals she could on Desmond, his glowing nude form laying in a small pool of water. His body was hot to the touch, every inch of reforming flesh like grabbing a lightbulb that had been left on for many hours. But as she watched flesh form from pure energy, matter reconverting back to its original state, the forty three year old agent couldn't help but hear his sister babbling incoherently.

"My fault it's my fault I hurt him I broke my promise I hurt him oh God I hurt him"

Glancing over, Merlin saw Desiree was in the midst of a complete meltdown. Curled up into a ball as she rocked herself back and forth against a nearby wall.

"He'll be okay," Merlin offered her, trying her best to reach the younger Nowell sibling. "A team's on their way up. You just gotta stay-"

Merlin paused, suddenly realizing something about Desiree. For the past two months, Desiree had been practically withering. Her body losing mass despite how much she was eating and how much she seemed to work out. Losing twenty pounds in the span of two months. In fact, arriving down here to manage Desiree's sudden moment of violence, she had seen the girl had lost even more weight.

But now, looking at the girl up close a few seconds after Desmond's sudden transformation, she looked completely different. If anything, she looked like she did when she first arrived. No, scratch that. There was definition she did clearly did not have when compared to her first photos. Her body clearly had more mass - through her burnt top, you could clearly see that her arms were bigger than before. And her obliques had definitely become more shredded. And her abs popped out more, as well. But if one wasn't aware of these details, all you would see is a fit women in tattered clothes currently spiraling as she sat next to an unconscious kid.

The sound of running footsteps pulled Merlin out of her observations, quickly moving aside as the medical team pulled a gurney alongside Desmond's prone form. They quickly got to work checking on his vitals as Merlin sat next to the poor girl. Putting her arm around Desiree's shoulders to try and comfort her while they loaded her brother's body for transport to Level Three.

[GLKnight]

Within ten minutes of the incident, the Medical team on Level Three had their hands full with the number of bodies taking up space. Over forty people needed to be cared for that day, though it was a small miracle that all but one could leave under their own willpower within the hour. Most had moderate to severe bruising. Quite a few had broken bones. But only one was held for longer observation - Desmond Nowell, who was currently in a state of catatonia post-rematerialization.

As Agent Merlin sat by his bedside, keeping watch over him as he lay unconscious in his bed, she couldn't help but blame herself for Desiree's bout of violence. One of the stipulations involving Project Remodel was the collection of DNA samples from possible sources. And as per their reports, Desiree fully admitted that the experiment repurposed her brother's reproductive cycle, meaning his sperm would produce only Neo children. Thus making him a highly sought after commodity and why he was valued as a breeding specimen by the NAE. This also meant that a sample of his material would have been collected for the purposes of the experiment.

The only problem was that Desiree was somehow uninformed of her brother's involvement. It triggered a negative response. And thus, the whole of Level Five was now in dire need of a complete repair.

Marleen rubbed her eyes and sighed in disgust. Just another installment in the massive shit show that was Humanity's response to anything Neo related. But she didn't have long to let herself vent before a soft knock on the door of the private room that Mister Nowell was put in pulled her away from her inner turmoil.

"Come in?"

An older Asian man poked his head into the room. His kind eyes spurring a bit of relief within the Agent's heart.

"Can I speak to you, Director?"

Merlin nodded as she composed herself, putting her sunglasses on as he quietly entered the room.

"Any updates, Doctor Nguyen?"

"A few," he tittered, quickly scanning the tablet he had on hand. "Mr. Nowell apparently suffered a contusion on the back of his head that sent him into a full blown seizure. He had to have struck it on something within his quarters when his sister pushed him back."

Merlin groaned as she looked at her charge, lying peacefully in his bed.

"Let me guess - he's fully healed, now?"

The doctor nodded as he handed the reports over to Agent Merlin for her to look over for herself.

"Like every other time he has reformed himself. Fully reset. Though I wanted to talk about some of the scans we were able to receive. Particularly the PET Scan."

She quickly swiped a few times before bringing up a video of the scan in question. Holding her breath in wonder as she watched Desmond's organs fluctuate wildly in color, infused with the same arcs of light that seem to fire out of him down on Level Five before slowly settling into the normal coloration of a typical scan of a human being.

"Do you have any theories on what this means, Doctor?"

Nguyen quickly wiped his hands on his blue scrubs before taking the tablet out of her hands.

"I'm not sure," he grumbled, trying his best to make sense of what he was seeing. "But these scans were taken ten minutes ago. And it took my team about an hour to get him in for this scan, which implies his body might have had this energy circulating through his body since receiving the injury to his head."

Merlin tried to put the puzzle together, hampered by her aching body and the headache she was currently suffering.

"It doesn't make sense," she huffed, rubbing her eyes. "His body ran hot until you were able to get the Positron Emission Topography scan. He's never had bolts of energy coming off of him before today. And the way Desiree reacted to touching him, it was like she was.. unable to handle him."

Merlin paused when she heard the words that came out of her own mouth. Desiree implied that she was able to manage her brother in the energy state he was in. And in all honesty, she had. But the way she cried out? The way she screamed? It was like she knew she had to act quickly or something really bad was going to happen. And every other time Desmond had transformed, it was always for brief moments. But down on Level Five, it was like Desmond was not himself in the slightest. He was coherent, if chaotic during the interview. Everything he was saying, the way he sounded, was like it was coming from someone else. Several voices, even if it came in the blasting howl of overly harsh feedback. Many voices, many languages. Like whatever was in the hallway was not Desmond whatsoever. Like whatever it was had planned to stay for an extended period of time.

And whatever it was practically scared Desiree to death. Causing her to act before something worse might have happened.

"Charles, I need you to contact Level Seven. Get some of the crew in the Labs to bring some things for energy readings and multi-level imaging.

"What for, ma'am?"

Merlin reached down, touching Desmond's hand. Noticing just how warm he still was despite his body settling down.

"Just do it, okay? I gotta call Apollo. He needs to know we're still in a Code Black."