Catalysts: IC 2.0 Announcement in OP!

Seeing the woman's fright, he smiled. "You have some spirit. I bet I can guess what you're thinking: escape." He produced four zip-ties, and secured her to the table by her arms and legs. He cleaned the crook of her elbow with rubbing alcohol, and injected the serum. "Now, we wait."

He grabbed Steph's waist tightly and grinned as they watched their own personal demonstration of the infectious virus. "Now.. Let's pass this along.. Calm my dear, no fighting it. If you fight too hard you might ruin your chances and simply die. We're sorry but we have to test. You're more likely to survive which is why we chose you."

Nox breathed a sigh of relief as the initial convulsions faded into unconsciousness. For a few minutes, nothing happened. Then, the mutation began. The woman grew... Talons? On her hands? Soon enough, she opened here eyes and shrieked, exposing the slit like pupils and the lizard like teeth.

"Oh my. The woman looks like that serpent bird thing. What was it called? Quetzocoatl or something along those lines? Something very mayan. Either way, this woman is a good specimen. She should serve well." He licked his lip in anticipation. A potential scout? He jokingly mentioned spies and the woman claimed to have been OSS but he hadn't believed her. No ID to show him and all.

Steph kept her mouth shut. What she was seeing, she didn't like. "This some sort of joke?" Lizard like, with talons. Not unlike her blade hands and snake form. Still, she couldn't leave just let. Placing her hand on the woman's face, she leaned closer. "Tell me, does it hurt? I can relieve the pain with just a few drops of blood. I produce the sedative in my body naturally, it's no problem to share it."

"Are you.. Sane?" At the woman's nod he tentatively cut the zip ties. The woman spoke, now in a hissing, reptilian voice. "Thank... Thank you." He helped her up, then turned towards Ragnarok. "I would say more of velociraptor."

"... Just guarantee me she CANNOT open doors." He smiled, making a little of a Jurassic Park joke for lightening the mood. "Our home is your home, Sister. Welcome to the Catalyst movement. You feel high and mighty right? We're avoiding others who would repress us."

Nox was excited at the successful experiment. He went up to his room to keep up appearances. Coming back, his hair was now neat and tidy and he was aware of the vampiric fangs growing in place of his top canines. "Ragnarok, am I growing fangs?"

"Son, you are a vampire." He nodded at him and sighed contently. "Yes. Fangs. Do you have the strangest urge to suck blood? Because you honestly look like some kind of fucking Lightning God Vampire creature." He smiled at his brother at the new undead like appearance.

"Nope. But I do want to become a cyborg and hunt giant mooing mechs, now that you think about it." He looked around. "MGS joke. You wouldn't really get it." He took out the sword. "But this does look like Raiden's."

"Bitch please you act like I'm not americanized enough to play one of the best franchises of all time. Just do me one favor. Never. Stop. A battleship. With your skull. I'm fucking serious on this one, ya got me?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't be fighting at daytime anyway." He thought for a moment, then spoke again. "I'll be right back." He went to one of the closest squatter camps. The leader, an old friend, greeted him. "You've caused quite a stir, David. That much is certain."

He licked Steph's neck affectionately and grabbed her hand leading her back up to their room. He wrapped her serpent body around his waistline. "I missed you so much my dear. How are our children? Have your needs gone unsatisfied? Do yout need love? Pleasure? Addiction?"

He discussed his plan with the old man. The man agreed with him. "David, on most points it's tactically airtight. But how do you solve the problem of traitors in your midst? How can you know who to trust?" They debated for a few minutes. "David, my people respect you. Don't lose that advantage. We know where you sleep, and many of us would protect you with our lives."

She looked at him in a mixture of feelings, mostly concern with his change of attitude. "I was thinking yours were going unnoticed actually." She retracted her body from him slightly, sitting down on the bed. "I'm not sure if I am capable of caring for them. I mean just think about it, I fed them energy so they'd grow faster, when it was convenient. What kind of mother does that to her kids?"

"Dear who cares? We knew this was going to happen. Just nurture them more. Show them kindness. They're not weaned off the tit yet so there's still plenty of time to impression them." He sat in what would qualify as her lap and kissed her cheek gently. "Now come on, Stephanie, did you honestly expect to be a parent this soon? Of course you're going to feel a little PTSD but they're going to be fine!"

She nodded, lying back on the bed slowly. "If you say so." Closing her eyes, she resumed her human form. "Oh, I forgot to mention... somewhere along the lines my human skin turned scaly." She buried her face in his shirt, almost ashamed to reveal it now it had changed completely.

He rubbed the scaley skin affectionately and smiled, with an air of calmness. "I like it. It feels really nice. Like rubbing snake scales the right way, that odd smoothness. It's addicting." He kissed her nose gently and whispered. "I love you, Steph. I always will. Even when I die."

Tears rolled down her face again. Such dedication, not even her parents came close to showing that much care for her. "I do too." She rested her head on his shoulder once again. "I'll have as many as you want, or none at all if that's what you prefer. I'm sorry I doubted you before, if anyone is insane, I am..."

"No my darling Steph. I must remind you that you were stressed. I had vanished into the wilderness without nary a warning. You had every right to go insane. Now shh. Cradle with me. I am your rock." He stroked her snakes and laid back on the bed, holding her against his chest as he did. "What do you mean as many as I want..? I don't think I get your meaning."

She shook her head again. "I don't know anymore. Just, watching the transformation, reminded me too much of what I'm doing to Kate... My mind, it's reverting to that girl in the alleyway." Everything was closing in on her, the reality of the situation. "I'll get over it eventually."

Sitting in true lobby, he put his iPod on shuffle. The song playing was "Gone Forever" by Three Days Grace. Why now? That was just worsening his mood. Ah, well. He was following the bouncing ball in his mind anyway. And now it's coming clear, that I don't need you here...

"Maybe you don't need to. Morality is a key thing in what someone does and the only reason I felt so good doing what we did to the poor girl downstairs is I was almost sure the woman would get through. Not a cold in the last three years, can ya believe it?" He held her close, her ear resting over his heart. I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take, when people run in circles it's a very very... Mad World.

She clutched at his shoulder again. "Thank... you. You always know what to say, when it matters..." Her eyes closed again as they filmed. "Might as well make the most of this. If things go according to plan, we won't have hours to ourselves like this for a while."

"What's planned? Please don't tell me you want this island as our territory alone. We have to leave victims or else they'll bomb this island out of exsistance." He felt worried and thought about their infants, his heartbeat undoubtedly picking up speed.