Where do we go now

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Silas covered his face with his hand and took a deep breath to calm ravaged nerves. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that anyone so morbidly ignorant, so blissfully stupid, was allowed anywhere near such important work. How did the man ever earn a medical degree, much less anything outside of human anatomy? "And I'm the head of behavioral studies. I know what I'm doing. You don't." Any monkey could hold a knife and cut something open. "And I've got three more weeks, Shawn. You give me that, or so help me God, you'll be sorry." Silas hissed. He didn't have much in the way of threats, but he did know that he could go the board and file for data interference. It wouldn't be the first time the man had so blatantly disregarded the terms and conditions of someone else's studies.

He couldn't understand why someone hadn't blown the whistle yet. "It's not a theory, it's proof! Have you even read through my work? Have you so much as touched anyone's files lately? Have you not even walked by Joseph's office?" Tacked to the man's bulletin board, clearly visible through his window, was a picture 089 had drawn for him. A picture obviously meant to portray Joseph and 089. Vladislav, Joseph called him. While he didn't agree with how close the pair had gotten, Silas couldn't deny the fact 089 displayed the highest intelligence, the highest emotional resemblance of any human child in the facility. How could Shawn look at that and not see any intelligence? How could he not look at his own and see some tiny, tiny sliver of something, anything, resemblant to emotion? "I ought to have you reported for disrupting my research. When I blatantly told you again and again not to say anything regarding 090's termination! You give me my three weeks, Shawn."
 
"Oh, I've read your research alright. Doesn't mean that I give a shit. Doesn't mean I care or not if he has close to human intelligence. He's never interacted with anyone other then our research team, so it's hard to say, that it's not just 'pack instincts' from his canine DNA." He looked in the glass and watched as the small boy walked around, sniffing everything, and chewing on anything he could get his jaw around. He rolled his eyes, wen Sean started using his back foot to scratch his ear.

"I moved it up. Some big wigs from China want to see me dissect one. So I chose 090, and the boss agreed. So it's happening, four days from now, nine thirty in the morning, in room E-17. I'm going to have men strap your dumb fucking dog to a table, then I'm going to cut him open like a fucking fish." He looked so cold while he said it, but there was a spark in his eyes, of cruel excitement. He'd been really pushing for the past eight weeks to have something to dissect. He knew that Sean was almost as close to human as Jonathan's. But it just made it all the more exciting. While they weren't really supposed to operate without anesthetics, he could always use the excuse that it was past its use date, or that someone had knocked it over.

"It really is your fault you know, for getting so attached to it. Now go say goodbye, I'm going to order that he be cut off from human contact tomorrow morning, first thing." He made a shooing motion with his hand, before he turned around and walked out of the cell block, to go torment some other poor coworker or experiment.

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Sean sat there and played with his doll, coming up with some strange adventure that the two of them went on together. After they were finished, he congratulated it on a job well done, then tucked it in with the blankets so it could rest. The mangled toy was missing an eyes, with stuffing falling out of its side, and hardened spots where he used to chew on it, but Sean has promised him not to chew on it anymore. "Tomorrow is a big day." He told it, smoothing down its hair, just the way he did whenever he was talking to Sean. "He's going to bring us new toys to play with, so we can have even more adventures. Doesn't that sound fun?
 
Silas wanted to stomp his foot and yell at the top of his lungs. He wanted to scream, to curse at the man. But he knew the childish gesture wouldn't do anything, and certainly wouldn't improve the man's perception of him. Head of the dissection team or not, it wasn't his place to decide which experiments were terminated. It wasn't his place. It was out of his jurisdiction. And yet, he'd made the call. Sadistic bastard. "This is a new low, Shawn..." The man shook his head. "You're going way past your jurisdiction with this!" He hissed as the man walked away. Alone, Silas took a deep breath and took off his glasses. He stored them in the relative safety of his labcoat pocket and proceeded to cover his face with his hands.

He let out a long and tired groan. He wasn't so attached or emotionally invested as Joseph. He certainly didn't see 090 as a surrogate for the children in his life that'd grown up and left him. 090 was what the clinical, serial number of a name suggested. He was an experiment. Like all things, experiments had to come to an end. Silas knew and accepted the fact, but what he wasn't willing to accept was how soon this one had to end. Why. Why couldn't it last longer? There was still so much to learn, so much to understand and figure out. There wasn't any need to destroy what was still such an invaluable tool. 090 housed a wealth of information, and the poor thing wasn't even remotely aware of it.

Silas looked into the cell, and placed his hand against the glass. He watched the child intently, playing with his toy. He could see his lips moving, chattering away to the doll, going on about something obviously important to him. He wondered what sort of scenario he was envisioning, if such was the nature of his play. Did he use his imagination? Did he create foreign worlds, or did he recreate his time in the lab? Silas wanted to groan again. It was another mystery specific solely to 090 that he would never figure out. He didn't even have his last four days to get anything done. Silas couldn't wrap his head around the order for a lack of contact. He supposed it was more for his own good, than 090's, or any of the experiments for that matter. It was a chance to finish up without tackling on anything new. A chance to create distance. Having only aborted fully termed fetuses until this point, Silas had never interacted so heavily with any of the chimeras of his design. He wouldn't admit to himself that it wasn't just the research that kept him so invested.

Again, he ran a hand through his hair to calm his nerves. They were too shot for the simple gesture to hold any weight, but he did it anyhow, more so out of habit than real necessity. A thought came to mind, as he stared at the child and watched him play. A ridiculous, stupid thought that was best to let die. There was a way to continue his research. It was stupid. It was dangerous. And it was brilliant. If and only if he could pull it off. Shawn would make the call to cut off all contact at 9. It was the standard time most decisions were made. Silas knew that if he could be in the facility by six, he had a little less than three hours to get in, get out, and take what he needed with him. His gut tied itself in knots and he felt the urge to throw up for even considering the stupid idea. But he'd be damned if he was forced to pull the plug on an operation that wasn't ready at the whim of a sadistic sociopath.

With his mind made up, Silas retreated to his office, where he spent the rest of the evening formulating his plan and logging the day's observations. "What am I supposed to do after I get him out??" He'd muttered repeatedly between spells of vigorous typing. "How the hell do I get him out?"
 
After he had played for hours and hours, Sean got sleepy, so he decided to tell his doll a bed time story. Nothing too extravagant. Just a tale of a scientist who was smarter and nicer then all the scientists in the lab. His experiments seldom hurt, and he'd always pat his favorite experiments head. When he was finished, he rolled over and hugged the doll, wrapping himself up in blankets. His little nest was warm and safe, just like him. He rested his head on the cool tile floors and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Sometimes, when he was asleep, he would see things. Never really good or bad things, but sometimes they were strange. Like that night, he saw that him, and 088 were running around the halls together. But then he came in and saw what they were doing, and he was angry. He forbid Sean from ever talking, thinking, or smelling 088 ever again. But it was hard, because Sean was sure that he would never be able to forget the smell the other experiment had. It was nice, soft, kind of like and apple...but not.

He woke up hours later, but the lights weren't on, so that meant he'd be alone for another....three or four hours maybe. He quickly un-tucked his doll and held it close to him. He really hated the dark, really really hated it. Because while he could see very well in the dark, things happened. Bad things. Sometimes the others would come in, and run really painful tests on him while he didn't know. Or maybe he did know.

Sean shook his head, completely defiant of the thought. There was just no way, that he would ever let something bad like those things happen to him. Sean knew that he hated it when one of the others made him upset. He'd lecture them on 'tampering' or whatever, and then tell them they couldn't come back for awhile.

Sean looked at himself again, but then quickly looked away. He was such a bad thing to look at, in his own opinion. He huddled in the corner, trying not to cry. Sean didn't understand how he could ever stand to look at him. The recent operation, that removed eight teeth did help him seem a little easier to look at, more human. But Sean, still saw something awful.
 
Silas went to bed with 090 on his mind. He stayed up to the wee hours of the morning, thinking, questioning the real intention of his own plan. The man worried that Shawn's comment held more weight than what he'd initially given it credit for. Silas couldn't deny that he was attached to 090. He liked the child; he was agreeable, certainly sweet enough. If not completely childlike, the man liked him like a good dog, he supposed. But more than that, he just wanted to learn. 090 was fascinating, in every regard. From his accelerated growth, to the ever increasing signs of intelligence he displayed. Such things were promising, given the goal behind his creation.

When he did manage to sleep, it was unrestful. He didn't need the alarm he'd set to get up and get ready; his own anxiety fueled his internal clock to go off. Silas's hands shook and his knees trembled. When he looked at himself in his bathroom mirror, he looked twice as ragged as he felt. His dark skin had a grey, lifeless look to it. There were heavy bags under his eyes and his hair stuck out in every which direction. He could hardly hold himself together to comb it down. That alone made him worry. If could hardly comb his own hair, how could he pull off sneaking a chimera out of the lab? "This is madness. I've gone bloody insane, I shouldn't be doing this! I need to go back to bed." But he didn't. Silas continued to get dressed and ready. 'Ready to commit treason.'

He was rather thankful he'd skipped dinner; he wouldn't have been able to hold it down. Silas arrived at the lab a little after six, just as he'd planned. Most workers didn't trickle in until around eight, and hardly anything got done until nine. The only people on the premises now were security officers, guards employed with keeping people out. Silas knew them well. Sometimes in his free time, when he wasn't scribbling things down for future reference, typing at his computer or dealing with any of the chimeras, he talked to them. He dared to say that they were on good terms, but he knew without a doubt no matter how well acquainted they were, nothing would stop them from flagging him down if he was caught.

Again, he felt the urge to throw up. 'This is wrong. Go home, Silas. Go home. Don't do this.' And yet, down the halls he went, keys to the cells in hand. It occurred to him, just before he reached 090's cell, that he hadn't brought the child the toys like he promised. There just hadn't been enough time. But there was time for another thing that he wanted. Something he'd been adamant about. In the darkness of the cell, Silas could just barely make out 090's small figure huddled up in a corner, clutching his toy close to him. "0-Sean?" Silas whispered, peeking his head in after opening the door. "Are you awake?"
 
He had been drifting in and out of an uneasy sleep, for a few hours. Every time he woke up, he'd clutch the doll closer to his chest, and curl up into a tighter ball for warmth, as the room he was in, was very cold. He'd never bothered to complain about it, but that didn't mean it wasn't uncomfortable, it was just...manageable. Exactly like everything else in his life. Manageable. No comfort, no happiness, no excitement, just continuous tests and studies.

The last time he woke up, he was surprised to see him standing in the door way. The lights weren't on, so he knew that, he wasn't supposed to be there. He got suddenly suspicious, as to why the scientist was disregarding the rules. "I'm awake." He said slowly, like he was expecting him to do something else strange and against the rules.

There was a sudden drop in his stomach. This wasn't normal. It was against his behavior patterns. There was something happening, and by the look on his face, it wasn't something good. He really couldn't help it. He just dropped his face into his hands and started sobbing. He knew it. Sean knew that he was going to be put to sleep, but it happening so soon? He had expected it within a few weeks, but he realized that he wasn't ready to disappear. "Liar!" He said accusingly, rubbing the tears away from his face. "You promised! Your promised that you weren't going to let them put me to sleep." He sniffled, and started rocking back and forth, trembling taking over his body. "I don't want to disappear."

He let out a pathetic whine, and bit down on his doll, almost ripping the poor thing's arm off. But he didn't want to destroy it, so he let it go, as it was the only possession that he cared about. The two of them, had spent years together, playing. So, his doll, was just like him in a lot of ways. "Please don't let them put me to sleep. I promise I'll be a good boy. I won't cry anymore, even during the most painful tests, and I'll take all my pills without complaining, and I wouldn't even ask for more toy. But please....Please." It really must have been pitiful to see a child beg for their life like that.
 
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Silas was rather unnerved by the fact 090 was awake at this hour. Then again, he really shouldn't have been. He'd probably heard him coming in. What was worse, however, was hearing the child start to sob. "No, no, no, no, no," He chided quickly, hurriedly coming to kneel in front of him. "Shhh, shh, I- I did- I did promise," He stammered, hardly able to properly form a coherent sentence. Silas felt just as worked up as 090, and a large part of him wanted to hold him just as much as the boy probably needed held. But he didn't. He was overstepping one too many boundaries as it was. "Yo-you're a very good boy... And, I want to help, be-because I don't want you to go away either." He extended a trembling hand to touch the child's head, just like he usually did. He tried to smile, but that smile faltered and cracked fast.

"Don't cry now, and please don't yell. I'm keeping my promise. You're not being put to sleep. But you have to listen, or else I'll get in a lot of trouble." Whatever trouble meant to 090, Silas hoped it was enough for him to want to cooperate fully. "I didn't bring a new toy..." He admitted, "but there will be a lot of new ones where we're going, okay?" Silas coaxed him up off the ground. "Take your doll with you this time." There was a long pause. "088 might like to see it, before we go."

And with that, the scientist led his experiment right next door to 088's cell. The other chimera was already awake as soon as he'd opened the door. He was backed into the corner furthest from the door, every hair standing on end, his teeth bared in a defensive manner. The other child still wore the protective mitts from the other day, though a fresh trail of blood had streaked down his temple. A matching streak decorated the inside of the door. "K-keep this very short, alright?"
 
Sean felt and intense relief when he said those words, and place that kind hand on his head. He wanted to reach out and curl into his arms but he restrained himself, and sniffled a few times, trying to rub his tears away, and be a silent as he could. He felt his heart swell with a great feeling, like he'd never felt before. "You don't want me to disappear?" He asked, trying to stop his crying completely. He smiled up at the scientist, not feeling afraid anymore. "Am I really a good boy?"

He did as he asked, and didn't make too much noise. "I promise I won't yell, and that I'll listen to everything that you tell me." Sean looked very afraid, that he might be punished, and shuddered. The very thought of them turning on him when they were supposed to be a pack made him sick. "I don't need knew toys, so long as you're okay. I'll bite all their ankles if they try to punish you." Sean promised, rubbing his head against Silas's cheek in an affectionate way.

He got really excited with the promise that he was going to finally get to meet 088...that he was going to meet someone new for the first time ever. He held his doll tightly, and trotted over to the door, and waited patiently, like the good boy he knew he was.

His first thought, was to approach 088 with his stomach turned upwards. So that's what Sean did, to show that he wasn't trying to dominate 088. He bent his neck back slightly, so that way 088 could smell him easier. His instincts were really kicking in for the first time, and he somehow knew that between him and 088, he was the submissive one. 088 was the alpha. He let out a whine, waiting for the other boy to do something. "Hello." Sean said meekly, pushing the doll closer to him. "Do you want to play?"
 
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Silas managed to relax, just a little, when 090 did. It helped a bit, knowing he could help keep him calm. It was reassurance he was capable of doing something. "Shh, no. No, I don't want you to go." Seeing 090 smile, Silas wiped away the child's remaining tears. "You are. You're very good. Now come on, we don't have a lot of time." When 090 promised to listen and be good, Silas was pleased, but his offer made him a bit upset. If anything happened, biting was the last thing to do. "No. If anything happens, you do not fight back, do you understand? You a good boy and you listen to what they tell you, do you understand?"

Stepping into 088's cell, Silas was nervous again. The anxious feeling certainly never left, but it got worse inside the small space with the feral child. He silently prayed for 090's safety, lest this whole thing be a bust and he get in trouble for entirely different reasons. And right now, it certainly looked like the little operation was going to go belly up. 088 snarled at the intruders. The cell was his space. His. He hated it whenever anyone came inside- especially when the lights were off. It meant bad things. But, he was... surprised, to say the least, seeing another --thing, for lack of a better description-- like himself in the room with him. 088 had seen this one before. He saw him playing in his cell with a toy, sometimes sleeping, when he was taken out for examinations. 088 was most always jealous of the other boy, who almost always looked happy on the rare occasions that he could see him through the glass. It wasn't fair.

So when he saw the boy in front of him now, his initial reaction was one of anger. What was he doing here? That he was out of his cell, the obviously better one, and invading his personal space? 088 continued to growl at them, every greasy black hair on his body standing on end. And then he heard that submissive little whine, accompanied by the soft voice and the toy being presented to him. 088 backed off instantly and he stared at 090 in confusion, as if to ask, 'What do you mean?' A mitten covered hand hesitantly came forward to bat at the doll. It didn't make any noise, or any move to hurt him for touching it. 088 continued to stare at it, not sure what to make of it, or the other boy in front of him.
 
Sean knew that Silas made 088 really uncomfortable, so he ignored the scientist, to put the other experiment at ease. He slowly turned over, but stayed laying on his stomach. "Play. It's like this." He said, as he bat the little doll around, and then back to 088. Sean kept the back on his neck exposed, so that the other boy could smell him, and know that he had no bad intentions. He very slowly got just a tiny bit closer. He sniffed at the ground, taking in the scents. "I'll bite someone, because they never showed you how to play." With a little bit of anger in his voice. He turned back over onto his back, so that 088 would know, that he didn't mean the threatening words to him.

He observed the experiment, who had blood running down his forehead. He reached up slowly, making sure that the other could see his hand, and gently dabbed the blood away. "It's painful, I know that, but please don't hurt yourself anymore." He whispered, with wide eyes, making sure that he wasn't hurting the poor thing. He sat up all the way this time, but moved just as slowly as his hand did, and made sure that 088 could see every twitch of his muscles. He slowly leaned in, and laid his chin on the other experiment's shoulder. Another sign of submission, intended for 088 to be able to have complete access to his scent glands on his neck.

He looked to the side, and saw him still standing there. Sean felt really bad, for putting him through so much, and smiled at him, with the same gentleness he had been showing 088. "I'm sorry." He said, still bundled up with 088. "But...I don't think....I'd ever forgive myself if I left him here." He said, lightly running his thumb over 088's hand. "He's really not a bad boy, he's just had really bad people around him. I'm sure he'd even be able to start talking like me, if we....brought him with us?" He bit his lip and tensed up, waiting for the answer that would either save or damn the poor experiment. "Actually, I'm sure, that the only reason I am how I am, was because you treated me like a human, instead of a wild dog, but his people didn't do that for him." He gulped in a lungful of air, and tried to let his body loosen, so it wouldn't make 088 think that there was something wrong, remembering that the boy ran purely on instinct at the moment. "I refuse to leave without him. We're a pack now, and packs don't abandon one another. Even I know that."
 
Silas watched the two interact as best as he could manage in the dark. It was interesting, seeing how well 090 knew how to respond to 088; how he let animal instinct take over his physical actions, while still keeping his humanity to speak with him. The man was even more impressed hearing the child try to mimic the way he spoke to him. Silas couldn't look away, though he knew it was probably smarter to do so. He couldn't keep his eyes of 088, undeniably the calmest he'd ever been without any sedatives in his system.

088 had undeniably calmed down from the time Silas and 090 had come in the cell. He enjoyed the other boy's company. His scent, his voice, the warm hand on his head. None of the scientists were warm. Their hands were always so cold, so impersonal. They never spoke to him, not like he did. He flinched initially, feeling the contact- his teeth were bared for a split second before he all but melted into the touch. He was so warm, and so comforting. His scent was different. Clean, and pleasant, but different and strange at the same time. 088 liked it. It was a warm, pleasant smell, and a welcome change from the sting of antiseptics.

He closed his eyes and rested his head against the other child's shoulder. If he had a tail, he would've wagged it. Had he been a cat, he would've purred. This was the happiest he had ever been, and he didn't want it to end. He could barely feel the other's thumb rubbing against his hand through the mitt, and his fingers twitched inside as far as their confines would allow. 088 wanted his hands back to touch 090. His ears twitched hearing the other speak to the scientist, still hovering over them. 088 couldn't understand what 090 was saying. He spoke like them, the language was foreign and hostile. But he sounded so kind; there was no way he would bring harm.

Silas simply stared at 090 for a good while after he brought up the suggestion. He'd been afraid of something like this happening. "Y-you know we can't!" Silas protested, "I- I've got enough to worry about with just you! I shouldn't even be doing this in the first place- I can't..." He hadn't been able to look into the boy's eyes as he denied the request. When Silas brought himself to look at 090 in the eyes, he wanted to curl up in a ball and die. He wanted to wake up from whatever hellish dream he'd been in for the past nine years. This was wrong. Damn it. There was another long silence between them. Silas had to think things over. "... If he makes one sound. If he doesn't cooperate. If he gets to be too much of a hassle, he's out. I can't do this if he's not willing to listen and be good like you." With that, Silas urged 090 to get up so that they could get moving.

088 didn't take well to the sudden change however, and he growled at the scientist for trying to make him leave the cell, especially in the dark. When the left the cells while it was dark, the worst things happened. 088 didn't consider himself stupid enough to fall for it again, even with the soft tone of voice directed at him.
 
Sean observed a strange light in his eyes. It was the same look that he had whenever the others were watching him during an experiment, and it made him strangely uncomfortable. But he didn't let that translate into his body language, afraid that it would send 088 into some kind of panic. Even Sean knew that would be a disaster. He let an air of calm wash over him, already understanding that he wasn't going to do anything to hurt them. He was too kind, too gentle, to be like them.

He was a bit surprised that he agreed so easily. Sean turned to 088 and smiled at him, wide, truly happy. "Hear that? You get to come with us." He said gently. He lightly took 088's hand, seeing how reluctant he was to get up. He pulled, very softly. "It's okay to be afraid. But, you don't have to be. I'll protect you from now on, I promise." He wasn't actually sure if the other experiment could understand him, but the way they communicated was through body language, touch, and smell. So, he knew that he had to show desperation. Just a bit though. Enough to show 088 that they needed right then, to go with the scientist. He let out a whimper, and dropped to his knees, looking like was going to cry. "Please come, you have to, he's going to save us. They were going to put us to sleep. So we have to go!" He grew more and more anxious, but never got rough or violent with 088. He gently took his hand, and started to undo to protective mittens on them.

When the other experiment's hands was free, Sean let their fingers interlace. He looked into 088's eyes, desperate, needy, but still somehow calm and caring. "Trust me. It's going to be okay." He stood again, not letting go of 088's hand, and waited for him to react. He looked over at Silas, and reached for his hand, grabbing on of the fingers. "He's part of our pack to. He came here to save us." He let go of the scientist, and held his hand out, so 088 could smell him. Trust was built with smell, so he hoped that 088 would stand too, and run with them. "If you don't get up, right now, I'm going to sit down next to you. Then we'll both disappear." He said, with a light shake in his voice.

He took a deep breath, and let his body show how afraid he was of that, but still let it relax enough to show 088, that it wasn't the scientist that was scaring him. He waited patiently, not letting go of 088's hand, looking extremely nervous. He bit his lip, and let his toes curl and uncurl. He begged the other experiment, more with his eyes then his words. Which might have been better to begin with, as it was the language they both understood.
 
088 jerked his hand away from the other one, still determined not to leave. Bad things would happen. Bad things that he knew he was smart enough to avoid. This, this whole thing, it must've been a trick; to lure him out, and then to hurt him. 088 wouldn't fall for it. He was no idiot, despite what his lack of speech would dictate. 090, who was simply 'the other one' to him, could plead and beg all he wanted. 088 wouldn't budge. And he held firm on that until 090 began taking off the mitts to free his hands.

The scientists didn't dare take them off of him, especially before an experiment or test. And yet, the one standing there now seemed to approve of the gesture. Everything was very confusing to him; both the scientist and the other one were sending very mixed messages that he didn't know what to do with. He whimpered in confusion, even as the other began to hold his hand. It too, was such a warm and comforting gesture, but he was confused and scared, and that lost feeling worsened when his hand was let go of.

088 growled seeing the other boy take ahold of the scientist's hand. That was wrong. And yet, the man didn't seem to mind it. 088 watched the man's fingers entwine with the other's in bitter confusion. He didn't want to smell the man's scent on his hand, but he did. 088's eyes went wide at the sudden realization that the boy smelled like him. That warm, comforting scent came from the scientist; the very person, the very group of people who'd never done anything but hurt him. His head hurt from overthinking things; it made him want to cry. It was a different sort of pain, one that hurt worse than anything physical.

Silas hoped and prayed that 090 could convince 088 that he posed no threat, and he prayed it happened soon. He had to get them to the house so he could get back before the lab was officially opened. He had a plan, but he wasn't sure how viable it was. "You need to hurry," He reminded him, impatiently tapping his foot on the ground. Silas didn't mean to rush him any more than he had to, and he certainly didn't want to come across as mean to 088, lest things blow up in his face, but they needed to hurry and get out fast.

Reluctantly, 088 began to push himself off the ground. His thin body shook and shivered in the cold air, and he held onto 090 for purchase. He wasn't quite used to walking entirely of his own accord; more often than not, he had to be dragged out of the room. He couldn't remember the last time he willingly walked somewhere on his own. When he was on his feet, and could walk independently of 090, the boy kept close to him. He made sure that he stayed a respectable distance from the scientist, much to Silas's displeasure. Before they left the room, Silas had picked up the mittens that were wrapped around 088's hands. He took them with them to dispose of any evidence he might've left behind.

Their escape was what Silas presumed a simple one; they'd neither run into guards or anyone coming in early, which was all good news. Both 090 and 088 were being exposed to new areas of the lab outside the cell block and the examination rooms, and Silas knew he'd either have a thousand questions to answer, or two very confused chimeras to keep calm. It never occurred to him before now that neither of them had either been in or seen a car before. The thought itself nearly gave him a heart attack. "You're- you're- you're both doing very, very good, right now, and I promise, nothing outside is going to hurt you. You're both safe with me, do you understand?" Silas knew he was getting through easier to 090 than 088, but he hoped that if 090 remained calm, 088 would as well.
 
"Yeah, just like that, come on." Sean said, helping the chimaera get to his feet. He made sure to hold onto 088 when he felt how unsteady his legs were. When they were both standing, Sean took hold of his hand again, and squeezed it, to give encouragement. "Alright, we're ready." He told the scientist, and then the three of them made their way to the exit of the lab. Sean never once let go of 088, looking at him every so often, just to make sure he was okay. When he looked around him, he saw a thousand things that confused the living daylights out of him. He was curious, but didn't stop to ask, understanding that they needed to hurry. He just decided that he was going to ask later then.

When they were standing outside of the lab, he looked around with his mouth gaping open. Above him, was something wide and a light orangeish color, that seemed to be chasing away the dark blue, back behind huge white puffy things. A host of new smells went into his nose, some of them good, and others not so much. He move a little closer to Silas, looking for answers about the huge stuff around them. He looked behind him, at 088, with a huge smile on his face. He pointed at something. "That's called a tree, I saw it in a picture once." He said, seemingly very excited. He reached out his hand, and tugged off one of the leaves, and felt it between his fingers. He put it into 088's free hand.

"Where are we going?" Sean asked the scientist. He looked at the large metal contraption in front of him, and rested his hand on it, letting it trail over the smooth surface. He sniffed it, but there really wasn't a scent on it. He looked into the clear barriers that blocked them from climbing inside, and knocked on it lightly. He knew what glass was, but he had no idea what it was doing there. He looked at the round things on the bottom, and poked one, not touching it with his claw, in case he broke it. "I really like whatever this is." He said with an excited movement with his free hand.

He turned around quickly, and looked at 088, his eyes wide with adventure, his cheeks flushed a light pink. He frowned just a bit, and tilted his head to the side. "We should name you." He said, thinking how indecent it was for 088 not to have a name. He boopped his head against the others lightly, to show affection. "I wanted to call you James, but names....are special. I don't think you should have one of their names." The way he talked about the other scientists was a bit weary, and unkind. He smiled, and leaned away from the other experiment, and looked at Silas. "What should we call him? I don't know many names."

When they were finally settled into the metal thing, he relaxed at how comfortable the seats were. They were better then anything he had ever sat on, ever, and eased a bit of his worry about getting in it. He kept his upbeat attitude the whole time though, trying to keep the other experiment calm. Sean let his head fall into the boy's lap and closed his eyes. He looked up, suddenly, a little startled when the door closed, but quickly calmed back down, realizing that it wasn't dangerous, just loud. So he went back to cuddling with 088, completely content. "I'm sleepy." He said with a yawn, closing his eyes, but trying to stay awake.
 
088 didn't take near as well to the sudden onslaught of new sights and sounds as 090 did. He squeezed the other chimera's hand in a death grip, holding onto him for dear life. His heart beat agonizingly fast and painful in his chest, and his legs were so shaky he could scarcely hold himself up. He wanted back in his cell, where he was comfortable and he knew what was going to happen. This. All of this was new and it sent the sheltered child into a panic attack. 090's words went in one ear and out the other. The bright smile sent his way did nothing to reassure him either. 088 yelped and cried when the leaf was placed into his hand. He dropped it and wiped his hand off like the leaf was dangerous- as if it'd bite him and poison him. He clung to 090 for comfort, whimpering .

Silas looked back at the two of them, starting to have more than second doubts about 088. "We're... we're going wherever it's safe for you two." It was a cheap cop out, but it was all he had in the name of explanations. He didn't really know himself. "This thing," Silas started to explain, "is a car. My car. I use it to get around everywhere without having to walk. We go long distances in it. It's safe. But you need to sit still inside." He had an easier time explaining the contraption than he did their destination; he knew what the car was and how to explain it. The same couldn't be said about the future and the open road ahead of them. He opened the back door for 090 and 088 to get in. Hearing 090 go on about coming up with a name for 088, Silas shook his head. "...Sean. Not right now. He's scared."

The scientist helped them both into the car, and helped buckle them in, which had sent 088 into another small scale panic attack, being strapped down. "Shhhh, shhh, you're okay!" He promised, petting the child's head the way he did 090 to calm him down. Safely situated in the car, 088 once again clung to 090. He didn't understand how the other could be so calm about everything; not when his own senses were being overwhelmed and overloaded with new information. He laid his head against 090's, though not to rest or close his eyes. He leaned over him protectively, keeping him safe. When the car started, he growled at the unexpected movement, and held 090 a little tighter.

"Go to sleep, Sean. You need your rest." Silas looked at them in the rearview mirror. "You and Tucker both." He tried his best to smile at the boy, but he couldn't much see him with 088 leaning over him. "See if you can keep him calm, okay?" With that, Silas started the drive back to his house. With every car he passed, he feared it was a coworker or someone who would later recognize his car. The fear was entirely irrational; the windows were well tinted- the back was too dark to see either 090 or 088 inside. Even if anyone managed to see them, nobody could've possibly recognized them.

The car ride was stressful for 088, even moreso than stepping outside for the first time in his life. The movement of the vehicle made him sick. His head was spinning, and his stomach tied itself in knots. He would've thrown up if there'd been anything in his stomach to release. All that came up was bile, but he forced himself to swallow it back, burning his throat in the process. It wasn't terribly long before they'd reached Silas's house. It was a nice place, much better than the laboratory. Silas let the boys out and quickly ushered them inside. "This is my house... It's where I live, when I'm not at the lab with either of you. We're not staying long." He said, shaking his head. "I have to leave you two here for a just a little bit. I- I- have to go, but I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? Please be good, and keep an eye on him." He said to 090. To 088, Silas knelt down at his level and placed a gentle hand on his head. "You're safe here. I promise. You're okay... Nothing will hurt you here." Turning his attention back to 090, "Don't you dare touch anything, do you understand? You can look around all you want, but don't you dare touch anything." And no sooner had he brought them to the house, Silas was gone, leaving 090 and 088 to fend for themselves. Just for a little bit; long enough for him to head back to work and cut a few final ties before making the real getaway.
 
When he woke up, he was irritated. He felt so warm with 088 holding onto him. He cuddled closer to the other experiment when he left them alone. He was a little heartbroken by that, but he understood that he was coming back. He gently grabbed 088's face in his warm hands, and smiled at him. "We should rest." He said slowly, trying to make sure that 088 understood him. Sean held the other's hand and moved around the house, scrunching his nose up, at the feeling of the soft carpet underneath him. He climbed underneath a table, where he thought it would be safe. "See, under here is like a nest." He promised the other experiment, pulling him under.

He curled up into a ball, and situated himself next to Tucker, trying to gain warmth from the other experiment. He tilted his head backwards, in another sign of submission, but also to tell 088, that he was sure they were safe there. He curled his fingers around 088's hand and smiled. "I feel very safe with you, do you feel safe with me?" He asked, moving closer, so you practically couldn't tell the difference between the two. He really loved being close to his companion. "I like your new name." He rubbed his nose into Tucker's sent glands, when he smelled the boy's unease. He nipped the boy lightly, letting his instincts tell him how to best calm him down.

He rolled onto his back, exposing his belly, trying to get Tucker to play with him. He rolled around on the floor, and tried to drag Tucker with him. "Come on, let's play. He said we couldn't touch anything, but he never said we couldn't have fun." He wasn't really sure how to engage Tucker in his playfulness, but he tried his hardest.

He remembered his toy, that was still locked up in his room, and suddenly felt sad. He sat down on the ground and pulled his knees to his chest. "Don't leave me alone." He begged Tucker, reaching out for his hand with sad eyes. "Please, please, please don't leave me alone."
 
088, unlike 090, was not heartbroken by the fact he and the other boy were being left alone. He was glad the scientist was gone; he didn't trust him. What bothered him more, and it bothered him considerably, was the unfamiliar area within which they were left alone. The whole house reeked of the man. Though on 090, it'd been a comforting scent, here, it burned his nose. It smelled too strongly of him. And he didn't trust it.

He was off put by the carpet between his toes. The soft texture was unsettling, what with the way it seemed to sink beneath his feet and tickle his bare toes. 088 flinched and gasped feeling 090's hands at his cheeks. He looked at him with wide, and confused brown eyes, more resemblant of a wolf's than any humans. He didn't agree with the notion that they were safe; he couldn't justify the other's misguided ease about the entire situation. It wasn't normal in the slightest, and that was grounds for mistrust.

But 088 didn't know how to tell him that, other than with the limited language he had. He whined, but that didn't deter him from taking his hand. The boy unwillingly followed, growing more and more uneasy with each step he took on the unfamiliar ground. At the sight of the table, 088 tilted his head. He'd seen tables before; he wasn't that sheltered. But he'd never seen one quite like this, so low to the ground and made of all wood-- an unfamiliar substance to him. Every table he'd ever laid eyes on was metal, or some other hard material. It was surgical, barren. This was, different. Cluttered, but with papers and cups and a plate with old food scraps on it. The food smelled old and stale, but more appetizing than anything he'd ever smelt before.

Underneath the table with 090, 088 curled up closer to him as well. It was safe underneath the table. The small space, made both warmer and smaller by their bodies, was very much like a nest. The fuzzy carpet, he could do without, but it was warmer than tile, and he had no room to complain. 088 squeezed the fingers that interlocked with his hand in a show of solidarity and need. He didn't exactly feel safer with 090 with him, knowing that the other experiment was equally powerless as himself in any given situation, but he most certainly felt better with him- not so alone. He liked his company and his scent. He liked his voice and the way he talked to him. He liked the kindness and the warmth in his painfully human eyes.

088 did manage to calm down a little underneath the table. That was until the other child started to move about, wanting to play. The shift in attitude was abrupt, and it negated any progress 090 made with him. He was just as tense as he was before, and he made himself clear that he wasn't coming out from under the table any time soon. That was until 090 seemed to remember something. He could smell the sadness on him. It radiated off him in heavy waves that stressed him out just as bad as the change in environment. The sadness was entirely unbefitting of his companion, and 088 forced himself out from the safety of the table to wrap his friend up in his arms.

He would never leave him alone. Never, for as long as he lived. They were a pack now.


Silas was a nervous wreck. To say that he was anything less than a bundle of nerves was an understatement. He should've taken something to keep himself calm, but he had no medicine for anxiety. It'd never really been something that he felt the need to concern himself with; he was never an overly anxious man. But now, he really wished he could've taken something, anything, to keep his heart in his chest and his head from exploding.

He worried about 088 and 090. He feared they'd get into things; that 090 would get bored and not heed his instructions. One of them may have had to use the bathroom, and he most certainly didn't want to come home to any sort of mess. Something like that had been his main reason he never had a pet. He refused to tolerate the mess. But those little worries aside, his biggest fear was simply not being able to pull off the charade he was attempting to play. No matter how many times he'd envisioned it in his head last night, nothing prepared him for the inevitable stress he'd face now. The man left 088's mitts, and 090's doll -which he slapped himself for not giving to the chimera at the house- in the glove box of his car.

Silas parked in his usual spot. He forced himself to feign calmness, sleep deprivation, as he walked through the halls he'd already walked through once this morning. He went through his usual routine of organizing and collecting previous files. Only now, he gathered up all of his research, in preparation to turn it in for 090's destruction. He had his own files, the ones he wanted to keep, safe at home. When he convinced himself that he'd put on a good enough show of normalcy, and he looked calm enough, he made his way to the cells, where his acting would be put to the test.

090 and 088's cells were predictably empty. But it didn't stop him from throwing a fit about it anyhow. "What? Where- where is he?" With as stressed as he was, it was easy for Silas to appear devastated. The man unlocked 090's cell and entered the room, as if to look for the boy, but he was nowhere in sight. His head turned at the sound of Shawn's footsteps clicking down the hall, and he rushed towards him. "Where is he!" Silas demanded. "You said you'd cut him off from human contact, you didn't say a damn thing about taking him out of his cell, where is 090?"
 
(I'm sorry how short this is, I'll edit it later.)

He opened his eyes wide, a bit shocked at the arms wrapped around him. It was an awkward clumsy sort of hug, but it was still very touching. He leaned against Tucker's chest, and smiled at him, trying to hide how upset he was. "I'm sorry if I worried you. You're very afraid right now, and here I am, worrying about myself." He looked at the carpet floor, trying to hide his face.

He cuddled up closer to the other experiment, content to just sit there, and breath. He closed his eyes, and clung to Tucker's shirt, with a small smile on his face. It was nice, finally having someone who understood him.

-----------------------------------

Shawn looked at his coworker with clear hate in his eyes, a sour look on his face. "We believe...090 and 088 escaped, last night."

The head of 088's operation, looked at them both coldly. "If word gets out about those two, we'll be finished. We need to capture them."

"They can't have gotten far, they've never been outside before."

"They are still a security breach. Order the guards, to shoot and kill on sight."

Shawn looked like he had swallowed a something extremely salty. "Too bad, I was really looking forward to cutting them to bits."

"We knew that already, you psychotic bastard."
 
088 nuzzled closer into 090, gaining more confidence in hugging him as time passed on. It was still a clumsy, awkward hug, but the boy was comfortable, happy like this. He relaxed for the first time since he left the facility-- scratch that-- the first time in his life. He'd never been relaxed. Even at ease, the boy was always in a state of unrest. Pain or anxiety one left him a bundle of nerves, unable to calm down. but with 090 with him, the child relaxed for the first time. He'd never felt anything so wonderful.


Silas' scrambled nerves worked well with him, and he used that to his advantage. "[BCOLOR=#000000]Escaped? T-they- they escaped![/BCOLOR]" Hearing that they needed to find them, Silas snapped. "We nothing! I'm done! I can't work like this! I can't do it. I don't want my name tied to this mess anymore. You," Silas pointed a finger at Shawn, "you've violated protocol one too many times. You've interfered with my research enough- and this- this is the icing on the cake. I told you! I told you!" He hissed at him, something in him snapped. "I told you a thousand times before I didn't want his termination mentioned! Now look! This is your fault! Word of this gets out, and you'll be out on your ass without a job for the rest of your life." He shoved Shawn to the side, storming down the hall in a hurried huff.

He went to his boss right after to tell him the news, as if he didn't already know what was going on. He quit right then and there. "Delete my research. Keep it. Do whatever the hell you want. But my name is gone. I'm done with this. I signed up thinking I'd make groundbreaking work, but I can't work under these conditions. I refuse. Find some other poor fool, because I'm done." Silas hurried off before anyone could raise any questions. The man cleaned out his office, shredding papers that weren't needed anymore, deleting his presence from the little cubicle. When all was said and done, the man went home.

Silas was surprised to find 090 and 088-- no-- Sean and Tucker-- curled up on the floor together. Nothing appeared disturbed that he could think of. He'd brought Sean's doll in from the car, and he knelt down and gave it to the boy, affectionately patting his head. "I'm back."
 
He rubbed small circles in Tucker's back with his fingers, trying to get him to relax again. He felt the other boy's muscles slowly start to relax, and felt a satisfied smile grace his lips. He rubbed his face in Tucker's chest and sighed. "When we first me,when I saw you through glass, I thought you were kinda mean." He admitted with a soft smile on his face. "But now...I really can't imagine how that thought entered my head. You and him are the nicest people in the whole world." He curled up his knees so they were closer to his body, making him look like he was a ball with arms around Tucker's middle. He felt his own body starting to relax, and he was trying not to fall asleep.

He was still sad that he didn't have his toy with him, but it was very nice to be held so tightly in the arms of someone who would never betray him. Sean let his eyes slowly fall shut, when he felt it was no use to fight it anymore. He let out a sigh when he finally drifted off to sleep. He didn't have any dreams, and through his whole sleep, it was like he could still feel Tucker's arms.

He was startled, when he felt smooth fingers in his hair. But then he realized who it was, and a huge stupid grin lit his face. He leaned over and started to shake Tucker. "He's back!" He was acting like he never expected him to return. He held Tucker's hand, squeezing it softly. Sean looked back at Sails with a pout on his face. "Hungry." He rubbed his stomach in a circle motion. He looked at his new caretaker expectantly, waiting for him to either grant or deny his request. He laid back down, while still looking at Sails, so he could wrap back up into Tucker's arms. He wondered if the other experiment was hungry too, or if he even understood what hunger was. It didn't matter, honestly. He doubted that he would bust them out, just to let them stay hungry and stop existing.

He bit the inside of his cheek, feeling a sudden onslaught of anxiety. "They taking us back?" He asked, his voice soft like a frightened child's. His fingers tightened around Trucker's hand unconsciously with his worry. He imagined what that other guy was going to do to them when they found out the three of them had been so bad. They'd all be punished for sure.
 
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