One of the mutants advanced, a sinuous, pointed tentacle unfurling from the back of its grotesque form. With a swift and precise motion, it plunged the tentacle into Xavier's neck, a jolt of paralysis coursing through him like wildfire. Pain shot through his body as he grunted helplessly, each gasp of air reminding him just how far he had lost control over his own limbs.
Watching the scene unfold, a fierce-looking female Demaranian stepped forward, her gaze unwavering as she approached a padlock that held Xavier captive. As her hand made contact, the padlock sizzled and then clicked open with an ominous finality.
*It's not just an ordinary chain,* he thought, dread pooling in his stomach. *But could the gauntlets have unlocked it? I guess I won't find out now...*
As if to punctuate his thoughts, Xavier's body was unceremoniously dropped onto the cold floor. The mutants quickly encircled him, lifting him effortlessly and strapping him to a cold steel board. Just as they prepared to carry him away, the Demaranian raised a hand, halting them.
"Unstrap him and remove his clothes," she commanded, her voice sharp and authoritative. "He must be naked for the evolution to proceed."
Xavier's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, completely caught off guard by the demand. The mutants growled in agreement, their obedience a chilling reminder of their cruelty. They tore at his clothing with reckless abandon, hastily unfastening the steel ropes before ripping his garments away, as if they held no value whatsoever.
Strapped down once more, Xavier felt a wave of vulnerability crash over him as they carried him toward the very wall from which they had emerged. The Demaranian followed closely behind, her strides confident and purposeful.
As the wall slid open, revealing an eerie darkness beyond, Xavier was transported into the unknown, his heart racing with a mixture of fear and anticipation. One of the mutants advanced, a sinuous, pointed tentacle unfurling from the back of its grotesque form. With a swift and precise motion, it plunged the tentacle into Xavier's neck, a jolt of paralysis coursing through him like wildfire. Pain shot through his body as he grunted helplessly, each gasp of air reminding him just how far he had lost control over his own limbs.
Watching the scene unfold, a fierce-looking female Demaranian stepped forward, her gaze unwavering as she approached a padlock that held Xavier captive. As her hand made contact, the padlock sizzled and then clicked open with an ominous finality.
*It's not just an ordinary chain,* he thought, dread pooling in his stomach. *But could the gauntlets have unlocked it? I guess I won't find out now...*
As if to punctuate his thoughts, Xavier's body was unceremoniously dropped onto the cold floor. The mutants quickly encircled him, lifting him effortlessly and strapping him to a cold steel board. Just as they prepared to carry him away, the Demaranian raised a hand, halting them.
"Unstrap him and remove his clothes," she commanded, her voice sharp and authoritative. "He must be naked for the evolution to proceed."
Xavier's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, completely caught off guard by the demand. The mutants growled in agreement, their obedience a chilling reminder of their cruelty. They tore at his clothing with reckless abandon, hastily unfastening the steel ropes before ripping his garments away, as if they held no value whatsoever.
Strapped down once more, Xavier felt a wave of vulnerability crash over him as they carried him toward the very wall from which they had emerged. The Demaranian followed closely behind, her strides confident and purposeful.
As the wall slid open, revealing an eerie darkness beyond, Xavier was transported into the unknown, his heart racing with a mixture of fear and anticipation.
What he saw stole the breath from his lungs.
He was in a vast underground chamber—far larger than anything above. The ceiling stretched so high it disappeared into blackness, and the walls were lined with glowing tubes, humming machines, and massive containment pods. The air was thick with antiseptic, electricity, and something fouler—something organic and decaying.
Rows upon rows of grotesque figures filled the space.
Mutants.
Twisted, deformed, and barely recognizable as once-human. Some were fused with metal, others bloated with tumors or stretched into unnatural shapes. A few were chained to the walls, twitching and moaning softly. Others floated in pods filled with greenish fluid, their eyes closed, their bodies suspended like failed experiments.
Xavier's stomach turned.
This wasn't a lab.
It was a graveyard of ambition.
A monument to cruelty.
At the center of it all stood a surgical platform—brightly lit, surrounded by robotic arms and surgical tools. A man stood over a restrained human, elbow-deep in their chest cavity, humming to himself as he worked.
The man was hard to miss.
He had spiked orange hair that jutted out like a crown of fire, a pierced nose with a chain looping to his ear, and goggles pushed up onto his forehead. His lab coat was stained with blood and oil, and his gloved hands moved with disturbing precision. He operated with the casual grace of someone who had done this a thousand times—and stopped caring after the first.
He didn't look up as he spoke.
"Took you long enough, Bignath," he said, voice nasal and sharp. "I was beginning to think you'd broken another one."
Footsteps echoed behind Xavier.
The Demaranian had arrived.
Still in her monstrous form—towering, grey-skinned, eyes burning yellow—she stepped into the light, her presence warping the air around her. The scientist finally looked up, wiping his hands on a bloodied cloth.
He grinned.
"Ah. There you are. And I see you brought the specimen. Good. I've cleared a table."