What If...

Author's Note: This story had a life of it's own, I was just the calusari. And you think I'm kidding! ;) It stemmed from a single thought, a single what if...and took off from there.

Darien Fawkes paced the white room restlessly. This wasn't so uncommon for him even after all this time. With a lengthy sigh he collapsed back onto the white-sheeted bed and stared up at the white painted ceiling. He was really sick of the color white, it mocked him at every turn.

The room itself consisted of white walls, a white ceiling, a white floor, and even a white door with no handle. Other than that there was just the bed and Darien, dressed in his usual white cotton shirt and pants. He hadn't worn anything different for...he didn't know how long anymore. With another long sigh he grumbled out, "Boy, I'm just in a winter wonderland here, aren't I?" His eyes strayed up to the camera nestled in the corner, purposely out of his reach. Its black eye gazed hollowly back at him like some demon spawned from hell.

Darien suppressed a shiver and squeezing his eyes against his fears rolled onto his side. Opening them again, he stared numbly at the silver band around his left wrist. Other than the camera, it was the only thing that wasn't white and something Darien had even more hatred for. The bracelet was small and flat, the edges were smoothed to a polish with the lock just as smooth so it formed a solid silver oval ring about his wrist. Across the top was imprinted 'QSTS1' and at first glance a person would say that was all the bracelet contained, but Darien knew better. The lock for instance wasn't a real lock per say, or least nothing he could pick. There was a sort of electromagnetic mechanism inside the thin metal that with a special key caused the metal band to unclamp. The bracelet also contained a tracking device, Darien had learned that out the hard way. He was pretty sure it wasn't the only tracker on him anymore. They hadn't said anything of coarse, but with all the secret tech crap in this place he just couldn't see it any other way.

Reaching up to idly finger the silver ring he glanced at the tattoo on his right wrist, a perfect example of that hidden technology. The snake tattoo glared back at him as it curled biting its tail, well over half the body was red against a dark green. That was what, he thought to himself, about ten minutes of quicksilver use? He contemplated cutting that time down some, it would be much better than what he knew was coming. But no, it was too early, he'd be invisible for only a minute before they'd come in and drug him, forcing him to wait.

No, Darien thought angrily, he wouldn't give them that pleasure. He'd had a lot of practice now timing this well, timing how best to disrupt their experiments. He got up and began pacing again. Running a hand through his hair he could feel the loose curls flop shaggily back. What he wouldn't give for a mirror, or a clock, or just about anything.

The click of the lock at the door startled Darien out of his mood, his heart skipping a beat reactively as he felt his mouth go instantly dry. He wanted to hug himself against the sudden chill as the door swung open, but Darien resisted, barely.

A shorter, balding man entered, his black uniform accented by the holstered gun, radio, and cuffs attached to his belt, along with a couple other various small objects. "Hey there, buddy." This time Darien couldn't suppress the shiver that flooded his body as he cringed at the name. Bobby Hobbes was certainly 'not' his 'buddy' and on several occasions Darien had made a point of pursuing that exact fact. He had long since been persuaded otherwise. The man pretended not to see Darien's reaction and told him casually. "The Keeper wants to see you. It'll be a long sit, so I'd advise you take a pit stop."

Darien nodded and with a motion from the man followed Hobbes out of the white room and into the white walled hallway. It wasn't all white, there was some variety, but it looked exactly like you'd imagine any secret underground government installation to look, a padlock on every door. His room was slightly different, you had to pass through an extra room where the monitor was set up and another security lock before one could even get into the hall. This entire section of the complex, Darien also knew, was blocked off to anyone outside the QS personal with yet another security gate at the end of the wing. Darien had gone past those doors only a few times the entire time he'd been kept here, the last time during one of his escape attempts.

As was usual every time Darien was taken out of his cell, two armed guards took up position behind him and Hobbes, each wearing thermal sunglasses and carrying dart guns. "Hello, Scott, John," Darien greeted blandly. They didn't answer, they never did.

Feeling alienated and claustrophobic at the same time all Darien could do was follow Hobbes down the empty hallway. At least they weren't cuffing him anymore, Darien grimly thought to himself. Actually, they had stopped doing that after Darien kept snapping the chains off them.

"Alright, make it quick," Hobbes stated leading Darien into the men's room or at least the equivalent of such. It was more like a large stall, the mirror and anything else that could be a potential danger had been removed. Privacy had gone right out the door the first day Darien was instituted in this hellhole.

Darien sighed slightly, but then spotted with surprise a magazine someone apparently had forgotten on the back of the toilet. He automatically reached for it, but Hobbes snatched it up in an instant, grumbling some obscenity under his breath. "Ah come on, man!" Darien protested and then immediately fell silent from the look on the man's face.

"This is not for you, my friend," Hobbes stated, his face contorted in annoyance. Darien didn't doubt that who ever had left it there was going to be in serious trouble before the day was through. "Get on with it, I haven't got all day," Hobbes ordered.

"Alright, alright," Darien murmured, turning back to his task, but it wasn't easy, his mind was still on the magazine. It looked like a Times magazine with some face Darien didn't recognize on the cover, but Darien didn't care. It was something different, something from the real world.

His mind came crashing back to the reality of his nightmare world when they entered lab 5. Three scientists were hovered around a piece of machinery, one was on the ground with the bottom panel open and messing with the wires inside. "Okay, try it now, Claire," the man said from below.

The woman, Claire, also the Keeper who Hobbes had referred to earlier, flipped a switch, smiling as the sensors came flickering on. "That did it Mike," she said pleased.

The third scientist, the youngest of the three, walked over to another set up as he checked something on the screen. "I think they're aligning, Claire," the young man told her with a grin.

"Good, good. All right Ben, Make sure you do a diagnostics test before we go any further." Claire quickly replied. Hobbes cleared his throat to get the woman's attention. "Oh yes, put him in the chair, please." She told him distractedly and immediately went back to the console she was working on with her companions.

"Alright, kid, you know the routine," Hobbes gruffly said guiding Darien to the chair in the middle of the large lab. The chair itself wasn't so bad but with everything that surrounded it, the thing looked like it was about to be eaten alive, which was how Darien felt half the time.

With a small sigh he sat down and let himself be strapped in. The restraints bit slightly into his skin from the metal reinforcements that had been added, especially where it rubbed against his id bracelet, and he grimaced slightly in protest. The Keeper came around to the side of the chair, her face creased as she critically examined his face with her eyes. Darien wasn't sure what she looking for but imagined he looked pretty pathetic.

"You're not eating enough," she commented then.

"I haven't been hungry." Darien had meant to say it with sarcasm, but instead the words came out dull and monotone.

Her frown deepened. "I don't want to put you on a drip again." She sighed then, her mind shifting gears. "Alright, what's his usage at?" Claire asked Bobby.

"Six, going on seven," the man told her referring to the snake that monitored the quicksilver.

"Good, let's get started. We've got plenty of time before QSM."

QSM, Quicksilver Madness, that was the event Darien dreaded the most, and the event he tried to bring on himself as fast and as often as he could get away with it. Tomorrow, he firmly told himself and with some nervousness settled in for whatever experiment they were planning on trying today.

Hobbes had been right, it was a long sit. Much to Darien's apprehension, the piece of machinery the scientists had been meddling with earlier was exactly what they planned on using today. After an hour or so, they had Darien covered in various wires and monitor set-ups. An hour after that he sat listening to the beep of said monitors. Bobby stood opposite him leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. It was kind of unnerving the way the man could just stare at Darien for such long periods at a time and have only the barest of emotion filter across his face. It was his job, Darien guessed. He turned, looking to the door where Scott and John stood guard, looking almost as stoic as Hobbes did.

Then the Keeper came back around with Ben at her side baring a syringe and vile filled with a foggy red liquid. "Whoa, whoa, what's that?" Darien immediately tensed, vainly trying to back away.

"Calm down, Darien. This will go much smoother if you just relax." She told him taking the syringe and filling it. The way she said it made him even more nervous and when Ben reached out to hold his head still, Darien jerked away.

"Hell no! Get that stuff away from me!" Darien growled out. He no longer cared about waiting, he knew where they planned on putting that needle and he knew exactly how much it was going to hurt.

"Darien," Claire chastised annoyed, motioning to Bobby.

The man was on the other side of the chair in an instant and between him and Ben they were able to hold Darien's head still without disrupting the wires. Darien's cries of protest turned to screams of pain as Claire injected the substance into the artery in his neck. "Mike!" Claire called out even as Darien's eyes rolled up in his head and the scream faded away to unconsciousness.

"It's good, we're getting feedback on...damn!" Even as he said it a sensor went off, the violent beeping accented as Darien suddenly came awake. He surged forward against his restraints sucking in a large breath of air. He sank back breathing in quick and sharp his eyes going wide against the pain that throbbed through his head to his body. His muscles felt like they were on fire and his chest constricted. The claustrophobia rose like a fog and Darien frantically sucked in even more air searching for the air his mind told him wasn't there. The panic rising with the pain, Darien jerked even harder against his straps in a growing frenzy, his nails digging into the palms of his hands as his knuckles went white with fear.

"Mike?" Claire called again in alarm.

Mike was frantically typing at a keyboard but shook his head. "Sorry, Claire, the tracer's not taking, the gland's rejecting it completely, forcing it into the other areas of his mind."

"Ben," Claire ordered sharply, the kid taking off for the fridge at a dash. "Hobbes, help me get him out of the restraints before he hurts himself."

"I don't think that's wise-" Hobbes began, but Claire cut him off and they pulled the last strap off as Ben came dashing back with a fresh needle already loaded with a clear liquid.

Taking it while they grappled with Darien to hold him still again, Claire pushed the substance directly into the gland. Darien screamed again, but as his cries faded so did the pain, leaving him feeling completely exhausted.

Darien's mind felt numb as he lay there limply on the chair, listening with unhearing ears as the three scientists discussed 'what went wrong' and staring blankly at the far wall. Then quietly, a rage slowly began to grow in his mind till it fill his every thought, and with a sudden start Darien realized he wasn't currently restrained. Darien didn't think anymore, but let the red-hot anger fuel his motions.

The quicksilver covered his body even as he grabbed Hobbes' gun and snaking an arm around the man's neck jumped off the chair. All the wires and connections had frozen from the quicksilver and snapped off without a problem, setting him free. "Let me out of here!" Darien screamed holding the gun on the smaller man as he frantically backed up trying to use Hobbes as cover.

Scott and John had their guns drawn as they sprinted towards him. "Get back! I'll shoot him, you know I will!" Darien yelled at them to keep their distance.

To the average viewer it looked like Hobbes was just standing there a floating gun to his head, but one could see where frost was forming around the man's neck and on his shirt, where Darien's arm held him in a head lock. The two guards stopped their advance, and then Claire tried. "Darien, why don't you put the gun down. You don't want to do this. You don't want to kill."

"Oh yes I do," Darien growled out venomously.

He felt Hobbes relax then, it was the only warning Darien had before a piercing pain engulfed his knee and Darien stumbled back, all his limbs going briefly numb as they tried to absorb the shock of the pain. The quicksilver shed. Hobbes reached around grabbing his gun back as he spun out of Darien's grasp, his leg coming up in a kick.

"Not the head!" The Keeper needlessly called out. Bobby hadn't planned on it and his foot made sharp contact with Darien's ribs forcing the man to the ground gasping once again for air.

Darien squeezed his eyes shut, curling instinctually as his chest constricted again, but this time every gasp sent knives through him and it was all he could do to get any air in at all. His muscles complained loudly and he couldn't even feel his leg through the burning that consumed it. The rage buried itself deep within him, leaving Darien weak and to the thralls of fear as he lay there unable to move.

Sighing, Claire shook her head in regard to Darien before moving to Hobbes. "Are you alright?" She asked critically checking his neck for frostbite.

"Oh ya, no one takes Bobby Hobbes hostage!" He said though he rubbed at his neck grimacing, it was still cold but there was no damage.

Glancing from the cringing man on the floor to the two guards now standing over him, she said with another sigh. "You might as well shoot him, I'm going to have to set his knee anyway."

Scott nodded but before he could pull the trigger Hobbes took the dart gun from his hand to do it himself.

Fear flooded Darien and he swallowed hard before opening his eyes to gaze up. Hobbes' face was like stone as he met Darien's gaze then the dart struck Darien's chest and Darien felt the toxins add themselves to everything else. He relaxed unwillingly, sinking back into unconsciousness, unfortunately, this time, the pain followed him there.

Bobby motioned for his men to pick Darien up and put him on the table as he turned back to Claire. "You know he's going to try to go QSM prematurely when he wakes." Hobbes told her.

"I know," Claire said as she checked the snake, another segment was filled now. She looked frustrated. "What I really need is one full cycle without quicksilver use and without drugs," she quietly exclaimed.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Hobbes asked.

Claire glanced quickly up at him, a small laugh on the tip of her tongue before she said seriously, "Bobby, the last time you 'talked' with him, he was unconscious for five days. As is I think you might have broken a couple of his ribs."

Bobby shrugged, "I won't touch him, I promise." Claire looked back up at the man with raised eyebrows of disbelief. The man smirked, "Don't worry Claire, Bobby Hobbes is your man!"

When Darien woke again it was to the same white walls in the same white room he had started the day in. Feeling groggy Darien tried to move but the second he did his chest and leg protested violently. Catching his breath Darien gingerly reached up and probed the sore and tender areas. Bandages were wrapped around his chest under a fresh white shirt. He felt his hair, it was dry but his pillow was still slightly damp, telling him they had bathed and dressed him while he was out. He wondered if this was what if felt like for people in nursing homes, except he doubted they ended up in as much pain as he was in right then.

Grinding his teeth he shifted again, determined to get a bit more comfortable. Gratefully, the second he lay still and relaxed the burning faded to a dull ache. Curious, Darien looked down the length of his body to his leg. He could feel the wrapping on his knee as well and experimentally tried to bend his leg wondering if it was broken. It wasn't, and the leg did bend, though not easily. After a bit Darien just let himself relax, staring up at the ceiling with numb thoughts.

A couple hours went by and growing restless Darien began to push his limbs into movement. He could only lie still for only so long, no matter how he felt. Yet he soon discovered that the more he stretched out his stiff muscles the better he felt, as long as he didn't breath too deeply or put pressure on his leg, he was doing fine.

At the same time, it didn't take long before he'd sapped all of his energy and Darien found himself collapsing back on the bed exhausted. Sitting against the wall bored, Darien numbly looked over to the door as it opened.

Hobbes came into the room a chair in hand that he set down a couple feet away and sat on backwards, crossing his arms across the back of it to make himself comfortable. That said something to how much they felt Darien was injured to risk bringing a chair into the room. Either that or Hobbes was just confident it wouldn't make a difference at this point. Darien swallowed against his dry throat thinking it probably wouldn't.

For several long minutes the two men just regarded each other, their faces expressionless. Then Hobbes calmly stated, "We need to have a talk, kid."

Darien cringed reactively shrinking a couple inches away. He felt the pain in his chest burn in response. Hobbes regarded Darien carefully, a look of consternation on his face. He reached behind him and pulled a magazine out of his back pocket and tossed it on the bed next to Darien.

Staring with trepidation at the forbidden object, Darien asked in confusion, "What's this?"

"It's a magazine," the man answered the obvious. "I remembered something about you liking that philosophy crap." He paused when Darien still sat frozen in place then shrugging with indifference moved to take it back. "If you don't want it-"

"No," Darien cut him off, his hand quickly covering the object and pulling it towards him. Yet he couldn't take his eyes off of Hobbes expecting it to be some sort of trick. When the man settled back into his chair, Darien finally, cautiously, lifted the "Philosophy Now" magazine looking longingly at the color filled cover. When he realized his hand was trembling, Darien let the magazine lay on his lap and frowning over at Hobbes quietly demanded, "Why?"

Lips thinning Hobbes told him, "I want to make a deal with you, kid. Until the Keeper says otherwise I don't want you using any quicksilver, not a drop, and each day I'll give you something new." He motioned to the magazine. "Like that. Now I know we tried this before and it didn't work out so well, but I have a feeling you might be feeling differently about it now."

Darien looked from Hobbes to the magazine. He knew what they were asking, and Darien had made a point of not giving it to them, but...His fingers moved over the thick paper. It was a hard choice, cooperating with them and begin allowed glimpses into the real world, or not, and letting his rage manifest.

"Look Kid," Hobbes said sincerely as if completely understanding Darien's dilemma. "You're less then a day from QSM, we know you plan to push it again." He paused watching Darien carefully as he said, "If you let the Keeper do what she has to do, I'll take you topside, I promise."

"What? You mean outside?" Darien asked in shock. He hadn't been let outside in over a year, why would they let him now? "Why should I believe you?" Darien couldn't resist from questioning and inwardly cringed when Hobbes stood up.

"Bobby Hobbes always keeps his promises," the man stated. Darien knew that to be true, no matter what the promise was. He softly let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when Bobby picked up the chair and took a step towards the door.

It clicked open for him, and turning back Hobbes steadily asked, "So, we have a deal?"

Darien swallowed. He looked at the magazine again and finally nodded, softly agreeing, perhaps to his doom, "Yes."

"Good." Hobbes replied and left, the door shutting behind him.

As soon as the man was gone Darien backed himself into the corner and taking several slow breaths to calm his nerves he eagerly opened the now sacred magazine.

*****

Darien took several nervous breaths as he stared through the eye protection goggles at the metal and light sensors that surrounded him. He felt like he was a coffin, he thought ruefully. Darien automatically tried to move but the way he was strapped down to the metal slab made that near impossible and he breathed in harder against the growing panic. He could hear through the casing of the machine the immediate response.

"Claire, his heart rate's rising."

"Bring it down Darien," the Keeper's voice sternly ordered.

"Easy for you to say," Darien grumbled but purposely slowed his breathing trying to force himself to relax. The dull ache in his head suddenly flamed and he jerked against the straps crying out between gasps. The headaches that signified the coming of QSM had been growing all day, or night, he rarely knew one day from the next anymore. With the reddening of the ninth cell they had cocooned him within the infernal machine to await and monitor every step of the change. That was hours and hours ago.

Darien gasped again, grinding his teeth as he fought the next wave of pain. It wasn't just a sharp pain, like a knife, but was more like the gland itself was alive and the beast wanted out. He knew there was only two ways for the pain to end, with counteragent, or to let it happen, to let the animal free. Darien wished he could claw at his neck, if he could pulled the damn gland out with his bare hands he would.

When the pain faded away to the ache he sighed, taking the momentary relief, but the sharp taste of iron filled his mouth and Darien realized with remorse that he'd bit his tongue. "Great," he breathed out fighting back the urge to speed the process up. All it would take now was not even a minute of quicksilver use to push him over the edge, to end the pain, and then they'd be forced to give him the counteragent and he'd start the whole process over again. It was tempting, really tempting, but so was the idea of seeing daylight, if even just for a minute. Actually, he'd prefer it if it was night, they never turned the lights out down here, but the whole idea of stepping outside and breathing real air convinced him to hold out. He only had to do it this once, right? He lamely tried to convince himself, and squeezing his eyes shut Darien steeled himself for the next attack.

When the final one came he was so consumed by it that the world turned surreal, and when it ended, it was as if everything just fell away. The pain, his fears, even his rage fell to a determination that suddenly engulfed him. Darien wanted only one thing, to kill everyone and anyone who had put him here.

They left him like that for some time and Darien listened to all the science talk that was transpiring outside his confines, blood in his eyes and murder in his thoughts. Annoyed and impatient Darien pulled against the straps. He couldn't feel the pain of the bruises it caused, all he knew was that he wanted out and so he pulled harder, but the straps held. With frustration Darien yelled out several threats and obscenities, hoping for a reaction. There was a pause, but the scientists just ignored him, continuing with their 'research.'

Darien called out a few more choice words before he stopped, and with the beast he calmly waited.

A couple hours later the metal slab slid out from its cocoon and after Claire removed the covering from his eyes, the beast grinned up at the Keeper and Hobbes. "Wanna play?" Darien calmly asked. All at once Darien growled out as he jerked even harder against the restraints on the off chance one might break. They didn't, but he was satisfied by the fact that he'd managed to startle them and smiling widely, Darien out right laughed.

"Alright Darien, time to put the demon away," Claire said with thinning lips. As she spoke she prepped the needle of counteragent.

Darien sniffed the air like an animal might sniff a familiar scent. "But the demon really wants to play with you, Claire," Darien drawled out grinning at her hungrily. He wasn't fazed as she plunged the needle into his arm and injected the serum. With a voice full of malice he vowed, "I'm going to kill you one day. All of you." A second later his head lulled back and his eyelids fluttered closed as the counteragent took effect and he slipped briefly to unconsciousness.

"I don't doubt it," Claire murmured biting her bottom lip as she regarded the unconscious man.

Bobby looked up at her a little startled but he didn't comment. Instead he asked, "did you get what you needed?"

"Yes," She told him and began to undo the straps holding Darien. "In fact, I think it's enough information that we can begin to administer the counteragent before his reaches QSM. At least, for a few months anyway."

"The kid will be happy to hear it," Bobby stated gruffly, also unfastening straps, then with an odd expression commented, "Somehow I don't think he's going to let us do this more than this once. I know I wouldn't."

Claire flipped off the last strap and frowned at Bobby. Her thoughts were interrupted as Darien came awake.

Blinking back the fog, panic, and fear as the remains of the beast flooded through him, Darien sucked in a shaky breath. Pushing himself off, he moved away from the contraption as fast as he could, hitting the far wall as he hugged himself against the cold that threatened to engulf him. The counteragent may chemically reduce the effects of QSM, but putting away the rage that fueled the beast was a completely different matter.

"Darien," Hobbes growled out in warning.

"No, no I'm good, I'm being good," Darien said squeezing his eyes shut and shivering that much harder. Then he sank to the floor, his old and new pains making themselves quite prominent in his mind. "I'm good," Darien continued to murmur more to himself than anyone else.

Hobbes walked over to the man. Darien looked up at him with pleading eyes, unable to swallow his fear, he quietly stated, "I didn't go invisible."

"No, you didn't." Hobbes replied, then reaching down swung one of Darien's arms around his shoulders to pull him up. Darien bit back a cry as his ribs rejected the action, but he already knew he wouldn't be able to stand for long without help and endured the small inconvenience.

"Eat and sleep, in that order," Claire stated sternly.

Panic filled Darien's veins. "You said I could go outside."

"You will, after you rest," Hobbes told him.

"You said I could go outside," Darien repeated the panic rising unwanted.

Hobbes shook his head, "Alright, if you make it through your meal without falling asleep, we'll go outside then." Darien nodded numbly although the Keeper looked ready to protest. Hobbes just raised a hand saying to her, "Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

Well, Darien didn't make it through his meal before collapsing from exhaustion. If he hadn't been so tired before hand he would have accused them of drugging him, but when he woke he was pleased to find himself still able to move, if stiffly. Several new bruises lined his arms, legs, and midsection, which he examined gingerly, sarcastically thinking that he had to get his prison stripes somehow. Then Hobbes came into the room, and after taking Darien to eat and such finally lead the man past the wing doors to the upper levels of the compound and finally to the outside world, bringing with him a platoon of security.

Darien stepped from the second elevator into the hollowed building that housed it. He could see bright light streaming in through the fogged and dirty windows and blinking, headed straight for it like a moth to a flame.

Hobbes made several hand motions, the guards separating, taking close but still discrete positions where they could watch everything from the perimeter to Darien should he try anything. Personally, Hobbes was amazed the man could stand at all and trying not to rush the guy stayed quietly at Darien's side.

From the second Darien stepped outside the building and took his first breath of real air a smile of pure bliss spread across his face. Closing his eyes he breathed in deeply, savoring the smells that infiltrated his senses. Then opening his eyes he stared around at the dessert and shrub terrain. There wasn't much to look at, and it was pretty close to how he remembered it but it wasn't white, and that's all he cared about.

Spying a picnic table Darien shuffled towards it, cringing slightly as rocks bit into his bare feet. Frowning down at the dirt ground as if he hadn't expected that Darien moved even more slowly, carefully picking where to put his feet to avoid the sharper rocks. At the table he sank down, Hobbes coming to sit quietly on the other side.

Darien sat in silence for a long time then, grateful that his constant sentry remained quiet as well, Darien didn't want anything to disrupt the moment. Determinedly looking past the men that watched them, Darien studied everything from the stark looking buildings to the spiny tress that lined the compound. They were at the back entrance to the installation, he could see vehicles moving in the distance at the other end, and a small dirt parking lot that a few people were meandering about in. All of it safely tucked away from any prying eyes.

Darien turned his eyes up to the sun then, it was high in the sky, so it was about noon he figured, or early afternoon. For Darien, it still felt like early morning. Struggling for a minute with the thought he readjusted himself to the time of day and feeling satisfied smiled at his self-accomplishment. Here, outside, with nothing to remind him of the horrors that existed below, Darien could almost imagine, if just for a minute, that life was normal. He was just some normal guy sitting outside, enjoying the sun. Sure. Right.

An hour passed in silence. Then an hour more. Darien would have stayed out there till the sunset, but he knew that wouldn't be allowed. Frankly, he was amazed Hobbes hadn't dragged him back underground already. Darien pressed two rocks together in his fingers as he looked over at the man sitting opposite him. Hobbes returned the gaze, his face a mask of stone.

"So," Darien began hesitantly, he'd relished in the silence up till that moment, and then at last his apprehension got the better of him. "Why do you..." he paused again realizing quickly this was not the question to ask but knew he was stuck with it. "ah, do, what you do?"

Hobbes' eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded his charge. "I serve my country, my friend," he answered studiously.

"No, but what's the real reason?" Darien blurted out before he caught himself. A dark looked crossed the other man's face and Darien unconsciously held his breath. "Sorry, I did-" Darien began to mumble but was cut off.

"The pay's good." Hobbes suddenly stated and standing up, commented, "I think it's time for you to go in."

"Ya, sure, okay," Darien quickly agreed silently cursing himself for opening his mouth in the first place. He cringed as he stretched out his stiff and sore joints, his knee was throbbing now, something Darien hadn't really noticed till he tried to move it, but it still held his weight and walking even slower than before, Darien limped his way back towards the building.

They had just reached the door, the outer guards coming in behind when Hobbes stretched out a hand across Darien's chest to stop him. Darien froze, his body going taunt in fear, but Hobbes removed his hand and turned it palm side up. "The rocks?" He requested.

Darien felt breath come back to him and he looked down at the two stones still pressed between his fingers. He hadn't meant to bring them, but he didn't want to let them go, either. Regretfully, he dutifully dropped the objects in Hobbes' hand and stepped back into the hollow building.

The trip was short, but Darien still imagined it to be very much like riding the elevator down to hell. An inevitable trip for someone like him. With a long sigh they entered the sterile hallways once again. There were more people on the upper halls, more of a lot of things, Darien thought with envy and gazed with open curiosity through every window they passed along the way.

There were people of various dress codes up here, all of which flattened themselves against the walls as Darien and his armed escort passed them by. Darien could feel their eyes on him as he passed, he could only wonder at what these people were thinking, did they know anything of what existed on the lower levels? From the whispers that erupted in their wake, Darien was beginning to think they didn't. Then again, these people were all scientists, and since when were scientists human? He angrily thought to himself. All at once, Darien couldn't wait to be back in his quiet white room.

He was so consumed in his thoughts that Darien didn't even realize something was amiss till he heard Hobbes call out in warning.

Darien watched wide eyed as a woman burst out of a room only a few feet down the hall and with a savage cry blindly surged right into their little group. One of the sentries had stepped forward to catch her but with a grunt was pushed back heavily into the wall before being knocked to the ground. The girl let out an inhuman cry and flung about widely with whatever came within a foot of her, managing to take another guard down in her frenzy.

Darien was in shock. She was dressed in whites, just like him, even had a silver bracelet around her wrist, just like him, and right now if he didn't know better he'd swear she was in the thralls of QSM. Then Hobbes was there, and with quick movements the man had stopped her flight with a crack across her skull, she fell to the floor with a sob as she curled reactively on her side, but she didn't fall unconscious.

At that moment two thoughts ran through Darien's head. The first was bread into him from the day he came here. That was to escape. If there was ever a time, it'd be now, when everyone was distracted and he was so close to the surface. Yet the other thought was oddly more persistent, and Darien suddenly leapt forward, pushing the others back as he awkwardly knelt at the girl's head, murmuring insistently, "You're alright, you're fine, you're going to be okay."

She turned tear filled eyes up at him, they were red from crying, but nothing else. Reaching out to him, Darien pulled her close. Seconds later several men in lab coats burst through the same door the girl had come through only minutes before. They skidded to a halt to see their runaway in the company of Hobbes and his elite. Darien watched silently, feeling the woman's fear seeping into his own as he hugged her protectively tighter.

A dark featured man, the apparent leader of the scientists, glowered first at the girl, then at Darien and finally at Hobbes. Hobbes returned the look with equal hatred unlike any Darien had ever seen before in the man, sending shivers running down his back.

"Well, thank you, Hobbes, for finding my charge," The scientist tersely stated.

Hobbes took a step towards the guy, his men automatically forming a circle around both Darien and the woman. "You wouldn't have lost her if you took the proper security measures, Henderson," Hobbes stated in a dangerously low voice that changed emphatically as he said the scientist's name. Henderson's face washed with displeasure, though his companions backed up slightly nervous.

"Yes, well. I'll be sure to remember that, Bobby." Henderson quietly said meeting the unspoken challenge. "Now. I need her back. We've still several more tests to run."

Darien felt the woman cringe and cling so tight he gasped in protest, his broken ribs sending ribbons of pain through his chest, but he didn't let go of her. Hobbes glanced over his shoulder at the two on the floor and turning back to Henderson stated, "I think she's had enough for today. I'll make sure she gets to where she's going."

Henderson scowled with open anger. "Hobbes you can't do this. I'll report it," he threatened, but Hobbes just brushed it off.

"Go right ahead," he growled back, then motioned to his men.

Darien felt the hands lifting him up, felt the woman in his arms tense ready to panic again and adding his support, quickly reassured, "It's alright, come on." As they stood Darien saw Henderson scowl some more, a look of murder in the man's eyes as he regarded Hobbes, then the man turned those eyes directly on Darien. Chills swept through Darien's body. Then, slowly, with help, Darien and the woman were propelled down the hall away from the fuming scientist and his team. Hobbes looked just as angry as Henderson had as they passed through the second wing and took another elevator to the lower levels.

It was in the elevator that the woman spoke for the first time. She looked up at Darien, and then over at Hobbes, saying quietly, "Thank you."

Hobbes made a sort of huffing noise, his face still contorted with his dark thoughts and what ever resentment he held against Henderson. Then he calmed some and asked, "What's your id number?"

Inwardly Darien cringed, it was such a callous question, but she answered it simply, "APTS32." With a hesitant look up she finally stepped away from Darien and startled, looked around the elevator as if realizing for the first time where she was. "Who are you?" She asked suddenly.

"My name's Darien," Darien answered, then after seeing her eyes stray to his id bracelet added, "QSTS1." A look of shock and some fear reflected in her eyes as she took a step back. Darien felt his heart drop and his throat constrict from her response.

Hobbes hit the stop lock button and turned a penetrating gaze upon the woman. "What do you know of project QS?"

She quickly shook her head. "Nothing. Really."

But Hobbes asked steadily, "What has Henderson said?"

The woman, APTS32, swallowed and told them, "Not much. He's been mostly bitter against it, against you," she said looking to Hobbes. "I hear him complain that it takes most of the funding. Nothing else, really..." she faded off nervously biting at her lip.

After a second Hobbes nodded and hitting another bottom the elevator resumed its ride. When the doors opened Bobby said to her, a surprising amount of gentleness in his voice, "I'll have to hold you in his room till I can sort things out, but I promise you'll not be seeing Henderson again, at least till tomorrow."

The girl glanced nervously at Darien but nodded. Darien walked through the last security gate into the lower wing with an immense wave of depression. Was he really some kind of monster? He wondered silently.

Hobbes left the two in the white room, and Darien limped over to sink down on the bed with a small sigh of relief. Feeling awkward and a little invaded, Darien looked over at the woman, but she looked just as nervous as he felt. "So, my name's Darien," Darien said sliding back to sit against the wall in the hope that he would come off as non-offensive as possible.

She chewed her lip again and pushing her hair back behind her ears replied, "Mira." She still seemed skittish, but looked to be relaxing somewhat as she looked around the near bare room. "So, this is...your room?"

"Ya, well, it's sort of between...things," Darien stumbled as he gazed around at what he called home. "It's not much, but...I've got a magazine," he told her realizing just how lame that sounded even as he pulled it out from under his pillow to show her.

Mira immediately turned away to face the wall. "What?" Darien asked feeling even more put to shame.

"No, no, it's not you," she quickly told him. "I just can't look at numbers or words, I go crazy."

"Ya, I know what that's like," Darien grumbled and sliding the precious object back under the pillow said, "okay, it's out of sight."

She turned cautiously, then regarding him for a minute smiled and laughed softly. "This is silly of me, I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely.

Darien frowned, not sure how to respond. He was beginning to think he'd been disassociated from society for far too long. Shrugging slightly, he commented, "I don't exactly get guests, so..." He faded off as she walked up to him. The fear in her eyes was gone, replaced by a welcomed empathy.

She glanced around the room again, taking in everything. "They really keep you on a tight leash, don't they?"

"Ya."

"So, what's so special down here?" She asked.

Darien shook his head nervously glancing at the camera in the corner. "I can't...you don't want to know."

"Is it you?" He numbly nodded, worried she might back away afraid again, but instead she surprised him by sitting down and putting her hand lightly on his. Darien froze at first but then relaxed when she smiled and said, "You don't seem so bad."

Then Darien took a chance and looking at her with eager eyes asked, "What's the date?"

She was surprised. "You mean you don't know?"

"I didn't even know it was day until today," he replied ruefully with a hesitant smirk.

Her lips twitched into a smile, but she still questioned, "This is all they give you? This is it? Not even paper and a pen?"

"They gave me a pen once, but I drew on the walls and they took it away," he replied impatient and turning imploring eyes upon her pleaded, "The date, please?"

She melted with that look and smiling sympathetically told him, "It's the fifteenth, of July."

"July," he murmured amazed. "Two Thousand and One?" She confirmed with a nod and he in turn nodded, digesting the information.

Mira frowned. "How long have you been here, Darien?"

"Too long," he said mournfully, then quickly sought to change the subject. "So, why are you here? I mean, in the compound and everything. Endless of coarse you can't talk about it, cause that's okay," he quickly added not wanting to cause trouble, but she laughed lightly and Darien suddenly found himself smiling in response.

"I could care less what they think," she told him honestly. "Until about two months ago I was a marine,"

"Was?" Darien questioned, the way she said it implied she didn't expect to ever be again.

Shrugging, Mira continued, "We were behind the lines, things happened, and I ended up barely alive with brain damage. A couple weeks later I regained a lot of my normal functions, but some things, like reading I can't do, and there's been other weird stuff, but I don't know how to explain it. That's why I came here, Dr. Henderson's trying to help me through it." Yet she shivered when she said his name, and Darien got the impression the help he was giving wasn't the kind she had bargained for. She looked away from Darien's gaze and hugging herself said, "I really shouldn't have bolted today, I just went crazy."

"Hey," Darien softly exclaimed to get her attention, and when she looked up he told her, "Sometimes you can't control the crazy, it just comes out on its own." She smiled grateful, and once again Darien found himself smiling in response.

In the adjoining room Hobbes stood next to the Keeper as she watched the monitor screen with deep interest. Claire leaned forward a bit when she saw Darien smile again, and listened to their conversation continue to talk about the world upstairs. "Well I'll be," she murmured quietly. Then glancing at Hobbes said, "I'm glad you came and got me. Your instincts were right on the money on this one, Bobby."

Hobbes didn't look so please but still commented, "And you expect anything less?"

Claire's lips twitched in a smile but her eyes were completely fixated on the occupants of the white room. "What was her id number again?"

"APTS32."

Nodding some in thought Claire murmured, "Yes, I remember her. I read Henderson's reports, he hasn't gotten very far. Heard the project was going to be vetoed as a wasted failure." Beside her she felt Hobbes go tense and with a sly grin told him, "Relax Bobby." She leaned in even closer to the screen saying, "I think we can find an even better use for her."

Hobbes huffed out, "Anyone's better off away from Henderson."

Frowning, Claire looked over at him as she watched him pull out a small bottle and dry swallow two pills. "I thought you weren't taking those anymore?" She asked.

"Just when my instincts tell me something's going to change." He replied completely serious as he slipped the bottle back into it's hiding place.

"Oh?" Claire asked lightly, though she regarded him with sober eyes. "Are these changes for the good or for the worse?"

Bobby didn't answer her directly but turned his attention steadily to the monitor. "I think that depends upon the point of view, there Keepie."

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4