Conquest moved closer to Famine, stating out lightly. "Ya... Well, the footage I just got says otherwise." Sean moved to the end of his chain, asking with a deep concern. "Mark?! Is he alright?" Conquest looked to Famine, who nodded and moved away from the cell to pace a bit. Conquest then told him honestly. "He's fine. Just... Tied up at the moment." Sean jerked against his chain, shakily retorting. "Well? What are you waiting for?! Go get him!" Conquest huffed, tossing his golden hair off his shoulder as he snapped back. "First of all, I don't take orders from the likes of YOU. Second, he's not my man. So, it's not my place. And Third, I don't rush into anything without knowing what I'm dealing with. The women are crazy... Not defenseless." Sean glared at Anti who was still laughing uncontrollably in the corner. He didn't see what was so damn funny. With that thought though, Anti composed himself enough to chuckle out. "Don't you get it? They finally found people crazier than them! I think that's funny." Sean rolled his eyes.
Famine sat on the worktable, staring at the dirt floor as he said softly. "That explains a lot about their battle tactics... But why would they think that? Have they not seen the men on our side?" Conquest leaned against the wall by the cell, answering coolly. "I don't believe so. They have men that guard the gates and work around the compound. I honestly don't think any of those women have even looked beyond the walls for a few months at least." Famine nodded, mumbling out. "So, the question remains... What would Death and War being trying to do with them?" Conquest shrugged, adding in a more discreet voice. "There is something else too. Mark was attacked within the compound by someone who knew he was a Warlord." Famine raised his head slowly with a face full of concern. Sean shrugged, interjecting hopefully. "What does that mean? You just said that you had infiltrators on the inside. Could the person have been-?" Famine cut him off to rush out bluntly. "Impossible. Those infiltrators went missing months ago. They wouldn't be able to identify Mark as a Warlord. He was only just made one. His scar hasn't even healed yet."
Conquest scuffed his armored boot in the dirt, regaling lightly. "Well, someone knew. What do we do now?" Famine jerked his head up to the sound of heavy footfalls on the stairs. At the sound of War's voice, Sean backed up to the wall listening to him greet the others. "Hello Gentlemen... We were wondering what you two have been up too." Conquest straightened up, staring at War with tender eyes. Famine rolled his eyes, lifting his clipboard to casually answer. "We've been working. What have you been doing?" War gestured to his Warlords that were following him. The Warlords set small covered cages on the floor than quickly retreated back up the steps. War tapped one cage with his foot, causing the creature inside to snarl and thrash about. Giving Famine a lusty grin, he informed him smugly. "I've been hunting. I figured you would want to play with your new pet. So, I got you some toys." Conquest's shoulders fell watching War stroll up to Famine without even acknowledging that he was in the room. Famine lazily looked up into War's face, asking dryly. "Where is Death?"
War forced Famine's legs apart, lifting the hem of his black robes to expose Famine's bandaged legs. Stepping closer, War slid his hands up the inner thighs of Famine, purring out closer to Famine's lips. "His men are out trying to find the hoard. While he's soothing Lilith after her miscarriage. Such a whinny thing his woman..." Famine snatched War's wrists before they went too far up his thighs. Squeezing his wrists, Famine glared into his face as he said sternly. "You're one to talk... Don't touch me." Conquest turned his back on them, staring blankly into the cell but not at anyone in it. Sean didn't understand what Conquest could possibly see in a man like War... but it hurt him to see the pain in his bright crystal blue eyes. War didn't feel the pain of Famine's grip as he leaned closer, causing Famine to lean back against the wall. War's eyes drifted to Famine's gold dangling earrings when he softly purred out to him. "I haven't forgiven you for tasing me. But I'm trying to be the bigger man about it." Famine raised an eyebrow, sarcastically shooting back. "Is that what your gifts are for? A peace offering. What do you take me for, War? You can't hunt down my affections. Now I'm warning you. Back off."
War smirked, raising his hands to grab Famine's throat upon sneering out wickedly. "No. I will tear these bandages off you one day. I wanna see you vulnerable and longing to be touched by a firm hand." Famine sat up, his hands going to War's waist as he teasingly purred out. "You know something... You're right. I do need a firm hand." War grinned, pulling Famine's neck closer to kiss him. Famine brushed his lips lightly over War's, then punched War in the balls. War yelped, dropping to his knees to gasp for air. Famine huffed, chuckling out smugly. "See? Firm hand. I feel better already." Famine then hopped off the worktable and moved up behind Conquest. Over his shoulder, Famine whispered to him sweetly. "Nothing has changed. Go before you get hurt." Famine discreetly kissed his neck, before Conquest reluctantly turned to leave without looking at Famine. Famine watched him go with a saddened sigh, then looked at Sean to say more prudently. "If you don't mind. I'd like to try something a little drastic."
Walking away, Famine stepped around War to retrieve a cage and peeked inside. Walking back, he opened the cell door. As Famine stepped in, Misa suddenly got up and rushed out! Sean gasped in shock, while Anti dryly commented from the corner. "And there goes lunch..." Famine merely turned to watch her leave without a trace of worry. While Sean watched in horror as War bolted up to his feet and ran after her. Sean couldn't see her, but he heard her scream before a loud 'CRACK' deafened the room. Sean fell to his knees upon hearing something hit the ground. Famine peeked out of the cell, asking War curiously. "Frustrated are we, War? How about you feed her to Death's pets and cool down." Famine waited as War trudged up the steps, then casually told Sean. "Sorry about that. But I know you wouldn't have eaten her anyway... not with the stuff Zero has been sneaking you." Looking up at Famine with a worried face, Famine lightly added in. "Relax. I don't care as long as you eat. I'm learning as you do."
Sean swallowed, nervously asking him. "So, what am I to you... Just a lab rat?" Famine huffed, removing the cover off the cage as he answered bluntly. "No dear boy. You are the golden goose. THIS is the lab rat." Sean's eyes widened at the sight of a small hairless rat with solid white eyes and a long licker tongue. Famine carefully reached inside to grab the rat, while telling him soothingly. "Just stay calm. I've discovered that Lickers can taste the pheromones for fear in the air. You show no fear and they don't see you as food." Famine held the little rat like a pet in his hands, despite the long tongue sliding over the backs of his bandaged hands and arms. As Famine kneeled in front of him, Sean wondered why Famine wore bandages. He didn't appear to be scared or infected with anything. He had to of been touched at some point to have the tattoos on his back. By the wall, Anti chuckled out. "Could be a phobia. Go on. Touch him. Grab his wrist and see if he shows fear!"
Sean ignored Anti, watching Famine extend his hands out to him as he said. "Here. Take him. Hold onto him, but don't squeeze him." Sean shook his head. Famine coaxed him to take it, calmly telling him. "Don't be afraid. Just don't let his tongue get around your fingers. He's not strong enough to break your wrist, but he has enough to break your fingers." Reluctantly, Sean took the Licker rat from Famine. The Licker's tongue slid along the back of his hand lazily, while the rest of him just settled in his hands. Sean had never seen one so docile. Famine smiled, removing something from his robes as he said sweetly. "He was recently infected. Can you feel how warm he is still? With longer exposure they get colder." Sean raised an eyebrow, anxiously asking him. "Ok... Why did you give him to me?" Anti rushed over to drop down beside them, excitedly telling Sean. "Eat him!" Sean looked at Anti with concern, who only chuckled out as he shrugged. "What? Don't look at me like that. You were thinking it before me." Sean shook his head, snapping out. "No, I wasn't!"
Anti shrugged, rolling his eyes as he just blurted out. "Maybe it was me. Who cares! EAT IT!" Sean stiffened, grumbling out to him. "I'm worried about you..." Anti crossed his arms, sarcastically shooting back. "Really...? You're the one hallucinating but 'I'm' the crazy one? Now who's worried about who." Sean flashed him a fowl look, then blushed when he saw Famine was looking at him with worried eyes. Sean cleared his throat, mumbling under his breath. "Sorry... He... I... Did you say something?" Famine moved a little slower, touching Sean's wrist as he brought what looked like a pen to his arm. Famine held his arm still and jabbed him with it. Revealing that there had been a hidden needle within it. Sean winced with a yelp, snapping out. "What the fuck did you do that for?!" Famine didn't answer, his eyes were watching the rat. Sean looked for himself and began to panic. He was bleeding from where Famine had jabbed him, and the Rat's long tongue was going straight for it. As his panic set in, he tried to hand the rat back to Famine, shouting out. "TAKE IT! TAKE IT BACK!"
Famine held his hands to steady them but didn't take the rat. The Licker's tongue slid up the blood trail leaking down his arm before the end of the tongue split open to reveal three sharp talons. Sean screamed as the Licker's tongue latched onto where the bleeding hole was. He could see it drinking and that freaked him out into trying to drop the rat. Famine held him steady though, telling him calmly. "Easy now. Look." Sean shook his head, trying to tug his hands from Famine... until he saw the rat. The rat was changing in his hands. Its body was growing white fur and its white eyes were turning back into a clear brown. The tongue detached from him, shrinking back as the rat curled up and squeaked timidly in his hands like it had an upset stomach. Famine turned his own wrist to watch the time on his watch as the rat changed. After a minute, the Licker had become a normal little rat. Sean gawked at it, petting the rat with his fingers. Famine's face lit up in excitement, saying excitedly. "Oh my god... It worked!" Famine took the little rat from Sean, slipping it back into its cage.
Back in the colony, Mark tugged against the handcuffs that were attached to the metal frame of the bed. He couldn't believe he had gotten himself into this mess. Inhaling deeply through his nose, he yanked his hand down trying to get his hand free. The only way to slip them would be to dislocate his thumb and he hadn't succeeded so far. Trying to stifle his pain to keep the shock collar from going off, he kept pulling until it was too painful to keep going. Relaxing, he looked over how red his wrist was in the furry cuffs. He wasn't against pink as a color, but the pink fuzzy cuffs seemed to mock him in his current situation. After what felt like hours, Amy slipped back into the room with a basket. Locking her room door, she cheerily told him. "Good evening, Mark. Look what I've got? It's a welcome gift from the Madame. Isn't that sweet?" Mark bit down on the sash in his mouth. Wasn't like he could answer if he wanted too. Amy set the basket on the bed by his leg, her smile fading a bit as she guiltily said. "You're mad. I get it... This isn't how I envisioned this going either."
Amy sat on the bed, leaning over him to add in a hopeful voice. "Oh, Mark... Please understand. I'm doing this to save you. You can be so rash... I can't lose you. This is my way of keeping you safe." Mark shook his head as his only response, spurring her into saying sweetly. "Don't be that way. Just hear me out." Amy sat up to remove a pink champagne bottle from the basket, taking her time to open it as she regaled to him. "I don't know what it was like for you. But I watched my friends die... and for so many nights, I cried myself to sleep. I had no one that I could really talk to except for the Madame. She really opened my eyes. Mark, you should hear the future she has planned for this colony." Amy opened the bottle and began to pour the liquid into a tall glass from the basket as she continued on dreamily. "Imagine a world that is perfectly balanced. With women in charge, we could map out a whole new way to live. While men do exactly what they were built for." Mark stopped breathing as his body tensed up in the restraints. He didn't like the way she had said that. Amy giggled at his expression.
Setting the bottle down, she took a glass and sipped it. Lowering the glass from her lips, she sweetly informed him. "What? You like being muscular and having sex. In Madame's new world. You'll be able to do just that. You'll put all those muscles to use as you help us rebuild the new world. And you'll breed when we want you to." Mark muffled out his thoughts in a soft tone to keep the collar from going off. However, his words were distorted too much for her to understand. Amy put a hand on his chest, petting him as she ignored him to continue on. "Of course, Madame has been putting up rules lately... People have to get a license to breed and only so many males are allowed to be born at one time. She says that we should only have as many males as we need. Enough to keep women in power. After all... You men can be such a pain to control in large numbers. I mean, come on. You ruined the world with your pointless wars. It's our turn to set things right." Mark sat up as much as he could and shouted a muffled question that got him shocked for his efforts.
Amy laid over him, resting her head on his chest as she purred out lovingly. "Did you know that the Madame was going to set me up with her son, Kenny? Thankfully, you arrived to change that. Kenny isn't bad... but he takes so many EpiPens for his allergy to bug bites. I first met him in the hospital after a mosquito bite. I felt so bad for him. Now that you're here, Madame agreed to let me have you." Mark thoughtfully stared at the ceiling. Lexi was the Madame that was filling these women's heads with this nonsense? Mark shook his head in utter disbelief, until Amy told him with a small sigh. "Which brings me to why I've brought this up..." Amy slowly sat up to look at him, taking another sip of her drink before stating out. "Mark... I had to turn those EpiPens back in. They weren't yours and if something happens to Kenny, the Madame will be so distressed." Mark jerked wildly against the restraints as a muffled 'WHAT?!' burst from him. To Be Continued...