Chapter 4: Interstitial: Otherside

The freak practically fainted. It must have hit him entirely at once, because it was out for the count entirely. The professor launches up from his spot. “Get him out of here, bring him some water or something. There’s a couch in the break room he can lay down in.” Frank picks not-me up by the scruff of its neck, getting it barely standing. Bianca moves to help but; “Not you Bianca. Stay back, I need to talk to you for a minute.”

She dutifully closes the door behind them, turning back. “I know I screwed up, professor. I wasn’t expecting them to poke around in the lab, I truly thought I locked it. This is all my fault.” She looked sullen, her small frame shrunk even further down. 

He huffs haughtily. “Well at least you know. You know what you’ve done? If this ever gets out, not only am I ruined. You are too. You know what they’re going to say? ‘Freak causes freak accident’. They’re going to drag you through the mud for it. You better hope this stays quiet. You know what people like that would do to poor girls like you.”

She looks utterly frightened. Completely shell shocked. “Sir, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I don’t know what I can do…” 

He sighs. “What you can do is stay with the subject. Get as much data as you can, get information out of him. Keep an eye on him as closely as possible. You’re the one that created this mess, you’re the one who’s going to have to look after it. And if we can’t solve it right away, you’re the one who’s going to have to clean it up. I hosed enough rotten corn and ape off myself for one lifetime.”  She looks flush, like she’s going to faint. “Look. Take a few hours, go collect yourself. Go get lunch or something. And then when you come back, you’re on duplicate duty. Got it?” 

She scurries away, tears nearly in her eyes. Closes the door behind her again. Her creepy robot pipes up next. “I’m going to see her out, and then bring my charger here. I feel like I’m going to be needed for the long term, no?” He waves it off, turning around to type on his computer. It does the ‘I’m watching you’ fingers at me behind his before turning out of the room too. What did I do? Besides getting nearly killed to save my dumbass drunk friend.

“And then there was one.” He slides his glasses up and stares at me. “You know how to keep your mouth shut boy?” I grit my teeth, flick my lighter. I knew a lot of men like this. He turns back to his computer. “Good. Next time we talk it’ll be in my office, at the bottom of the stairs, nice and private.”

“Sir? No offense, but can’t I just go home? Be alone? Why did you even let it get this far? Why not just get rid of it before it woke up? It’d be easier to hide everything.”

He scoffs. “What do you think? I need to get as much data as I can. You know what a once in a lifetime opportunity this is? Human testing this early?”

“And all it takes is violating my privacy.” 

“Boy, you waved that when you walked into my lab. If you’re so mad about it, go ahead and kill it yourself when I’m done. If I can crack the code off of this sample I can skip years ahead on my research. I’d be the biggest name in the scientific community for my breakthrough work.”

I cross my arms, leaning back against the wall. “You mean hers. Didn’t you start this project when she joined? I thought exposure would kill her reputation.”

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He laughs. “Don’t you get it? I own her, boy. Anything she makes here is mine, anything she breaks is hers. It’s a perfect system. And I’ve been waiting decades for someone who can work at the speed that I think. Her little witch quirk is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. In the last six months here we’ve moved at a clip faster than the last six years on my own.”

I huff. “So you just hate women, then.”

“Who told you that was a woman?” He puts a predatory smile on his face. Mine scrunches up in confusion. “I admit, he’s gotten pretty easy on the eyes as of late.” Oh. Oh she’s one of… those. And he’s one of these. “All you have to do is say ‘oh what a good girl you are’ when he does something right and they stick to you like a puppy dog. Way easier to control than a real girl.”  

I feel sick to my stomach. This guy is disgusting. Are all magicians slimeballs like this? “I’m going to go.”

He waves me off. “Yes, go check on the sample. And remember, I need to see you in my study. Tomorrow.”