The Enemy Within

Mer:

"Uh-oh."

I glance from Desmond to Tully in worried concern.

Should this place become a warzone he is NOT going to like what he sees.

I zone out a little trying to remember something important before a loud squeal startles me to attention and I am hugged from behind.

(Russa) "Mer! Where have you been girl?!"

She looks between the three of us in excitement clearly more intoxicated than we were.

She laughs and runs over hugging Desmond and Tully too.

"I... "

(Russia) "Blythe kicked my assssssss."

She laughs menacingly.

(Russia) "I did kill that that hybrid though. Took me long enough too, was a massive feat considering it was one of Boron's. I always had a soft spot for turtles but that one was pretty sick. Anyways, Blythe totally slugged me before I could get to you. Where did you go girl? Are you ok?!"

I blink at her having no clue what she was on about.

"

Desmond:

Hugs back and blinks at all that...

Looks from Russia to Mer.

"You think she had mushrooms too?"

Mer:

"Most likely.."

I respond to Desmond as Russia keeps prattling away.

(Russia) "Ah please, I had maybe like.. a quarter shroom if that."

She squints at him for a moment before zipping up her hoody all the way.

(Russia) "What are you two doing here?"

She looks playfully down at Tully then back at us again.

(Russia) "Whose that guy?"

"Rush.. we are kind of in a bad spot actually."

(Russia) "Oh?"

"Yes, the King has completely lost his mind making clones and he.."

I wave my hand highly.

"Attacked Desmond."

There I said it, I got it all out.

...............

Wait. What did I say?

(Russia) "Makes perfect sense."

She looks back and forth between the two of us.

(Russia) "Is Beolan with you? I kind of missed the end part there."

"Russia, we actually have no idea what you are talking about."

(Russia) ".............."

...............

(Russia) "..............:

Desmond:

I don't know if the whole weed fumes slowing the mind was the culprit but I swear there were a lot of words.

Rubs aching head.

I slowly try to understand everything going on but ultimately just zone out on all the talking as I just stare at Russia's zipped-up hoodie trying to understand why she zipped it up. As if there had to be a grand cosmic reason to such a simple action.

I think... It might have been a dis to me given my mushroom comment...

Or...

Maybe she's trying to hide her little foxy-ness from the bad tiger who could eat her...?

For some reason that doesn't seem that offensive. Clearly, she knows Mer didn't get eaten. She's talking to her.

Maybe she's hyper-conscious of her fox scent and doesn't want to accidentally attract me to her in a different way? Since Mer and I broke up but are clearly still BFFs and are hanging out right now...? And our break up was soooo recent...

Awww... That's considerate of her.

"You're such a good friend."

Grins stupidly, nodding.

Russia:

I did not understand what was going on.

Everyone was looking at me like I had two heads or something.

Mer and her famous memory loss...

I sigh feeling cold before tucking my hands inside my sleeves feeling a little out of it myself.

Desmond calls me a good friend.

"Awe, thank you."

I criss cross my hands over my chest at the sentiment.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

I offer.

"Maybe while you two hang low I can pass on a message or something. I am pretty sneaky you know."

Desmond:

Watches her hands.

They disappeared into her sleeves. Then she crosses her chest.

More hiding... From me... Us... Everyone... I knew it.

Huh?.. Peers at Russia as she talks more.

"Oh. Message. Message..."

I glance away in thought and almost get distracted by the sky. There's time for that latter.

Looks back at her.

"The king is bad.. Everyone is bad... It's all bad... We should... Probably ditch?"

Sways head and stares at Mer wondering if that sounds good.

Desmond:

"Yess. Yesss. Perfect."

Nods.

"You could never!"

She's too amazing to let anyone down ever in the history of ever.

So much excitement. So much energy.

After she leaves I lay down on the grass and stare at the sky cloud watching.

Feels the grass and soil at my restless fingers at my sides.

After a bit I look at the soil and pulled up grass roots. As I do so, I get a DEEP sense that Russia is a boss.

"Russia is... Like... these roots... one with the town... One with the planet... one with... the universe..."

Nods.

Tully:

*Just sticks up hand upward giving a thumbs up.*

What just happened?

*curls up and SLEEPS*

Fritz:

Klaus doesn't explain ANYTHING as he exits the pink car. But I guess it makes sense he has a VAMPIRE heart and all. Maybe hes just worried its going to grow back and attack us

I'm sure he means us all well. 

"Wow Klaus must have killed the vampire.."

I walk back over to Crystal impressed but a redhaired women comes pass howling out a message.

???!

I wasn't sure what to think. Did the King get turned? 

"Wait!" I call for her to come back and EXPLAIN but she doesn't come back.

A old bitter hunter man in black leather and a cowboy hat lowers it with a shake of his head.

(Old man): "NEVER trust a redhead.."  He advises

Crystal:

I give a nod to Fritz' excellent deductive skills.

"Yeah... Only thing that makes sense I guess."

Hmmm.

Boren is a different group then vampire... Is it an enemy of my enemy thing? Or was my initial conclusion wrong?

Watches the red head.

Did the chest zap finally do something or was it the Vampire attack?

Mer:

I wake up feeling groggy.

We need to get out of this weed cloud or we will never sober up.

"Desmond come on, let's get into the car and drive a bit."

It doesn't have to be far just away from here.

I grab Tully around the waste from behind and drag him to the vehicle.

We just need to try and drive strait for a couple clicks then park again.

We are in the middle of nowhere how hard could it be?

Zones out a bit staring at the car wondering if this was the right one.

 I think so..

Desmond:

Hmm?...

What happened? I wonder confused.

Did I fall asleep while sky gazing?

It takes a bit of effort to get up but I keep muttering to myself 'I can do it.'

Slowly and with some pauses along the way, I follow Mer.

"Strong. So strong." I compliment Mer.

I fumble with the door and open it for Tully then get in the passenger seat not feeling good enough to drive.

Mer:

I'm not sure if single mindedness would be classified as strength - plus what I am about to do is really stupid - but I appreciate Desmond's compliment all the same.

I drag Tully into the car.

This takes about a half hour as I was not really strong and kept on pausing from getting distracted.

I close the door and lean against the vehicle to steady myself as I feel my way over to the drivers side to get inside.

"Ook."

I laugh

"Here we go."

Here we gooo!

I start up the engine and begin to drive forwards.

OMD WE ARE MOVING SO FAST I NEED TO SLOW DOWN!!!

**They are only going about 1 mile per hour (1.6 km per hour if you're Canadian **

I keep slamming the breaks of the van every so often to keep us from crashing.

**They are not going to crash, Mer is just hallucinating a little.**

This begins the gangs several HOUR journey to help save the day 

Carry:

I hear a mystical voice call out a warning, when I look outside it was already GONE as if it had been the wind.

Hmmm...

*closes the window warily* 

"Children I think you should head to the basement now, just in case. I'm going to look for your mother.."

I tell them as Ettie hurries to put muffins and jam away in a big basket to take down. 

I sniff the air it was a creature, a kitsune perhaps. Not to be trusted but.. 

Sebatation hasn't been checked for  'degergation' in awhile, I cant help but fear things could have went wrong.

I need to go back..

I carry onward to the path where Zorra possibly could have gone to get vervain and white bark.

I haven't walked through the woods so without sense, it was like being blind or deaf.

Yet there was something peaceful about not knowing. 

I consider in quite many years to use my beast form to increase speed of how far I could travel quickly but decide not to push my luck right now and just take off my glasses to pick up pace.

Zorra:

I had collected some of the plants but made sure not to be over eager. There was only so much plant life still on this planet as it was. What was here seemed to be flourishing despite the radiated lands just beyond... Or maybe that was wishful thinking...

I carried my bundle and stopped, ears perking up at the sound of distant yelling. I felt a sense of unease and dread. Was a vampire attacking someone??

I glanced at my bundle and thought what if it was my kids? I'd want someone to help them.

So I set off running in the direction. The yelling kept coming every once in a awhile in short bursts. (It was Des freaking out some times when Mer would slam on the breaks. He'd look around wildly thinking she was going to hit something. Just to relax when he'd not see anything. Zone out and then forget and repeat the cycle of what in the world is going on.)

As I did so I caught Carry's scent.

"Carry!"

Runs faster. A woman on a mission.

Zorra:

I spot Carry and hear the yelling further on.

I pass him deciding to try to handle it before he gets himself anymore hurt in his condition.

Flies up on sparkly white batwings and lands on the top of the slow-moving van with a thud, (which causes another yell from Des).

My earwings standing at high alert, I perch onto the edge of the van, and lean down over the edge and gaze upside-down at... Mer!? and Des through the front window.

"Oh Mer. Nice to see you alive, dear."

Peers over at Des, then past them at what looked like a past-out Tully in the back. I look back at Des and Mer.

"What are you yelling about?? What is going on??"

Sniffs and wrinkles my noise. My ear wings flutter and lower in disappointment.

Err.......

"Carry dear! I think the children are having a bad trip!" I call at him.

Pokes window, thinking maybe Carry can come over and give them venom or something.

My bat batwings fold nearly so they don't take up the whole window space in case they were on the lookout for something in the woods but I kinda doubted whatever it would be was real and not a drug-induced hallucination.

"Also Mer is alive!"

I inform, wanting to give Carry a heads up before he sees her. I don't want him to have a heart attack in his condition.

Carry:

I hear Zor's voice and cant help feel not to surprised about Mer being alive.

She just always finds a way...

I catch up to them and see the van. Smell a certain plant.

Currently such things I did not EXSPECT the 'city heroes' to be up too.

There was something about Meridieth that... caused me alarm - CLONE.

And Tully... something was wrong.

But I ignore that different scent in the air before fiddling with my bag for a scanner.

"I dont think the Overlord drugged them it looks.. to be a herb."

The sober up pills - detox need to fizz in water. I put it in a water bottle and wince knowing Des cant take it.

"Sorry."

So I offer it to Meradith. 

((Zorra this might be a trap..I need to talk to Desmond alone..))

But he wont be sober and I cant give him venom or pills... 
Did ORION set this up?

I worry about the kids back home and wonder where we should take them too.

Zorra:

(Desmond): "No worries. Such is the way of life..."

((Okay... I'll keep an eye on the others.))

I peer at Tully concerned. Was he... even breathing?..

Stares at his chest. Unsure if it was moving.

I don't smell signs of death or decay from him though...

"Why don't you go have a walk, Des? Get the blood flowing and fresh air."

(Desmond): "Stroll through nature... One with peace and the universe. Inhale the good... Exhale the horrors."

"... Sure."

Honestly, I couldn't say if that was the drugs are not. He's always... Odd...

Des manages to open the passenger-side door and gets out.

Mer:

My mind responds slowly to the thud on the van.

Desmond screams but I do not.

I was getting a strange sense of Deja Vu from all this before a HOrRiFyNG creature appears out of nowhere right in front of us. 

Her eyes were where her mouth would be and her mouth was where her eyes should OMD!!!

I slam on the breaks and join Desmond with the screaming.

The creature speaks but I do not respond to her out of sheer terror.

Bad trip. Bad trip. Bad trip.

Cary hands me a bottle and I immediately forget what just happened.

"Oh hello Cary."

I take a moment to respond to him before taking note of what it was.

It was WATER.

"DON'T give any of this to Desmond!"

I panic after it was already established that he couldn't have any **slow response time**

Desmond can't have water he'll DIE.

I go quiet and drink from my bottle completely forgetting what happened 3 minutes ago.

Carry:

((Thank you.)) I reflect my gratitude to Zorra as she manages to convince Desmond to come out for a walk.

I glance once more at Meridith making sure she didnt choke on that water bottle over there. 

"I wont."

I reassure her I wont be giving Desmond water.

I rejoin Desmond's side thoughtfully.

"Whats happening Des? Mer is alive, you clearly didnt.. what has happened?" 

I put my hand on his shoulder trying to get him to focus. 

This seems complicated.

Desmond:

I gaze out at the trees. If they could reach out there branches they could all connect and make a sky hug web thing...

I startle seeing and hearing movement in my peripherals and look to see Carry.

"Hiii..."

He starts asking questions and the unease I felt when startled doesn't fade given what's asked.

"Bad... King bad."

I vaguely poorly mimic Carey's action of putting my both hands on him. Not on his shoulder just on his chest then stare at my hand bandage wraps being reminded those exist.

Lays forehead against Carry's chest tiredly thinking in the moment I was one of his kids like Ettie memories and he'd put me to bed and I'll wake up and badness will be gone. Maybe dad will take care of it. Which makes my mind drift to the others who need to be saved. Dad will save them. Save them allll.

"Bash did all bad stuff. Set me up so he could make clone. Clone Meri. It creepy. Save her dad. Save her. Shouldn't be his weird doll thing."

I pay him then look at my palm.

"I tried. Got hurted."

I hold up hand to him like show and tell.

"Don't get hurted! He blinds.... Blinds with blood."

I gaze up at his glazes.

"Good. Good you already know... The glasses... Protect."

Nods to self and lays head back on him tired.

Carry:

Desmond was quite intoxicated. I give him a light head pat as he rests on me.

I'm sure it was more then the herb, he has been through alot.

I think about how I would have felt if I thought I ate Zorra, how horrid that would be. Life ruining. 

"I'm so sorry.."

I wish I could have helped him but it all happened so fast. Too fast. It makes sense the King did it all so quickly. There wasn't even a trail. 

It did confuse me though, Bash didn't seem.. as capable of being calculated. 
Of course my mind goes to Blythe.. 

I was one of the rare few that knew and wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. I felt her for pressure to always have Boren in the back of her mind. I knew she didn't want to be like him.
But loosing her sister and Sorin.. Shard... would it have broken her this point?

It was hard to see her like that.

This talk of clones makes me concern the rubyeye and its strange side effect.. of splitting souls. perhaps it wasn't a science based clone at all.

"Desmond, are you sure it was Bash... he.."

I stop myself not feeling like it was my place to say it after all this time.

"..he didn't break the curse, he is going mad as the planets freeze. The Dark Lord certainly has set this in motion, to break our wills. Belief. We can help him and Meridieth and figure this out, we cant be divided. We cant let everyone believe the lies about you. The planet needs you, we need to stand together agonist whatever is coming today.."  

There was something hollow about my speech as if I was a child talking to his master. (dane)

Desmond:

Head pat. Mmm. Purs slighly content at it and as my instinctual way to show I don't blame him. He has nothing to be sorry for.

I stop and lift up my head at the question but I'm still slow to react and don't resond by the time he's explaining stuff and saying that I'm needed.

I do feeling something deep in me want to continue on despite all the horrors and mental trauma of late.

I give a slow nod then pause and look at him confused.

"How?"

Zorra:

I take in as many scents as I could without making it too obvious. In case Carry is right and this is a trap that will soon be sprung.

I look away from the still Tully and observe Mer.

"Feeling better?" I ask casually instead of bombarding her with questions to keep up the appearance of at-ease and not suspecting anything to any lookout that might be watching.

Carry:

"I'll go to Bash I'll find a way to treat him.."

I reassure Desmond and try to prop him up to move him, walk us back to the van.

If the attack could happen any moment we shouldn't be outside.

 "Desmond are you sure ...the Mer you are with is the real one or the clone? If its the clone.. I fear he would not have let her go to easily without some sort of ... surprise. Theres always a catch."

There could be a tracking device or even a BOMB. 

The paranoia is legendary I wasn't sure what to expect. Shard was hardly King when he went mad, he was already hiding in the church and let Saber rule. 

Bash wasn't a coward like him. I try to remind myself. But I think of the Xern and who the Xern was always with. Klaus.

Sebastion made a terrible choice in that friendship.

Desmond:

The previous speech, the fresh air and the seriousness that Carry talks about now was helping to prod me out of my regressing mind set. But it was coming to terrible news.

I start to feel a wave of panic at what he says and feel upset and gaze at him alarmed.

I hope he just means a tracking device but given what was done to me and how long she was missing who knows what some of preprogrammed mind shit could be in there that she has no idea about?

No, no, no, no, no, no, noooooo!

That was horrible! Poor Meri!

He specified the clone aspect though. What does that mean?? She could have been made with explosives or something in her??!!

"I..."

This is sooo much to take in and process! I wanna go back to not all this!

But I feel something pushing me to keep going forward. Panicking and breaking down again won't solve anything. It'll just leave us all in danger!

I think back to the... Weirdness I saw before.

"The Mer with Bash... Didn't even say anything... She was just... There..."

Like a plaything for him... A doll... My already upsetness turning go anger that Bash reduced her to that.

But what if I'm wrong? Is it better or worse if I'm wrong?

I gaze up at the trees as if they can give me some sort of sign.

"But... Everything happened so fast... Maybe she was just in shock that she got walked in on?"

I look at Carry.

"She was... She was at the center with Bash... They were fucking...."

Stares at him.

"Really really bright light fucking..."

Looks away back to the trees.

"Maybe that's why she didn't say anything... Senses all... Blinded...?... Overwhelmed?"

I look back towards the van.

"After Bash blinded me Mer.... I mean van Mer took care of me. She cleaned off the blood from my eyes and everything. And she did all she could to try to help me find help for my mentality.... I..."

I take in a deep breath.

"Wouldn't it be too cruel to make Meri nice and helpful and her amazing self just to mentally flip a switch command or something? Hasn't he... Hasn't he done enough?"

I understand it's possible especially with everything just to break me... Is this just to break me again?...

"I want to believe this is the real Meri... But even if she is or isn't... It doesn't matter... I know he had her long enough to do something to her. To either one... And I hate that. We need to help her and everyone."

Carry:

I feel like I might have overwhelmed Desmond. It was not my intention but he has been through quite a few traumatic experiences back to back. 

I'm sure he wants his real girlfriend not to be the one he saw with someone else..

It was hard for me to picture Bash doing all this, but then again... the madness may be worst then his father's after all it was ment to end and it didnt. Its not like Shard didn't have his far share of destruction. 

"Its possible, she could be used negatively somehow. Maybe we can go in the lab if she permits testing we would know..clones that are allowed to age up naturally a bit tricky but there is rapid gene editing technology involved for a adult.. created so quicky... it may still be in her blood... my senses have been..lessened  quite drastic  after a... attack." 

I hestiate to add something else, the rational would be of course clone. But ... 

"Theres another possibility Desmond, there a.. magical artifact that can split the soul into the physical realm. You said you saw light? If that's true then both will be negatively effected and would only recover being put back together...with the rubyeye...one of Bash's treatments proposed was to split him...so the madness would pool into one and not another...Morgian might have done it since I've been too sick to treat him... maybe it split her and not him...or it split them both and they are both... different.. "

Morgain's idea. I didn't think it would work. They would both be mad.
But Beolan.. exists doesn't he? Why is he immune from it.. *has no idea Beolans BAD LUCK*

Mer:

"I think so, yes.."

I respond to the woman, feeling like I had a headache or something.

"Where did Cary and Desmond go?"

I question, setting the bottle aside for now.

Zorra:

"They just went for a walk. They'll be back soon."

Well, she wasn't freaking out but maybe she blacked out the bad stuff or nothing has come to her yet.

Tully:

*wakes up SCREAMING being robotic triggered to FIGHT*

I use whatever is around to attack MER.

*hits her with a BIG rainbow shaped bean bag pillow found in hippy van*

*kicks a intense pot burner sitting on the side at the girl Dr. Foxe*

"LET CHAOS RISE!" *shouts out like I did real DAMNGE*

Mer:

I am told that Cary and Desmond went for a walk before being attacked by a pillow.

Ugggh Tully!!!

I throw the pillow right off before trying to understand what he was on about.

"TULLY?!?! WHAT THE HELL???"

I snap at him confused

Desmond:

I get told even more things. There might even be a second Bash and not clones but.. They could be just the same split?

I put a hand to my temple.

Oh... This was a lot... I try to process.

"The rubyeye... I think... I know what your talking about..."

I suddenly hear Tully and Mer yelling and reach out touching Carry's arm and teleport us back to the van.

Zorra uses Lycan strength to pounce onto Tully and sits on him.

(Zorra): "Stay down, little cub! You're in time out!" She glares intently and licks a small burn mark on her arm from the pot burner.

Carry:

Desmond transports us back as something happens. It was ..Tully?

I look alarmed wondering if he was a clone or a split now too.

How bad did things get?

Zorra had him pressed down and he was unable to get free,

"Choas..."

I hear his words here. 

"Thats a hag Boren enslaved,  since his death maybe she got free..."

She wasnt always like that... 

I remember her before.

"We need to check him in the lab too."

Oh no there was so many elements here.,,

Desmond:

Tully was a traitor too!? How many are there!?

Okay... After EVERYTHING that I've been through recently, maybe this is a sign from the universe, the goddess, and the god that I should actually start looking into people. Cause this is messed up. Maybe Crystal has the right idea when it comes to snooping on everyone except not for drama but for all this real dangerous stuff... Be even more proactive. Take that whole preventative theorizing with the battle simulations guide work but to the next level so I can keep myself and the people I care about safe.

...If we even survive today...

No, when... When we survive today. I survived worse. Throw that positive energy out there to the universe.

Carry continues showing how he's the best mentor ever as he figures out more stuff so easily.

"Right. Right..."

I take off the vials from my belt and put them in my pocket, then go over to Zorra and kneel down.

"Let's bind his hands behind his back." I take off my belt and use that with Zorra's help to maneuver his hands behind him and holds him there for me.

Zorra keeps glaring at Tully, expecting him to do something stupid with us so close.

Tully:

*snaps out of it confused*

"H..hey wait..what happeend?" 

I struggle on the restrains nervously. 

.. all I remember is a pillow fight... 

*zoned out and goes still*

(Carry): "Very disturbing...speaking off...Des perhaps you should..break the news.."  He gestures to Merideth.

Desmond:

I ignore Tully and look to Carry.

"Uh, yeah."

Looks to Mer.

"We were talking and... Think maybe you should get checked out in the lab... To make sure that nothing happened to you during all that time you were gone."

I look to Tully as an example.

"Like... Whatever unconscious mind-flip programming Tully just did... Or... Worse... Like physically worse..."

Er... Was that too vague? What if I freak her out and that triggers something?? Like an elevated heart rate trigger? Is that possible??

"Like tech or something... Just in case."

I look back to Meri.

"If that's okay with you?"

I pause because I had been trying to avoid saying Bash's name to her but she needed to know. It was best she didn't find out the hard way.

"Also there might be two Bashes."

Mer:

Tully's sudden change was quite disturbing.

It was like he wasn't even aware what just happened!

Cary gestures my way regarding "breaking the news"  after Tully's small episode.

..........

What Desmond says however sounded quite reasonable so I relax a bit.

"Yes, of course... Whatever you need."

I nod my head a bit shaken when he mentions Bash too.

"Oh yeah..."

I blink having nothing to say to that.

Carry:

Meridieth takes it very easy going. I tilt my head wondering... 

I decide to remain positive and hope for the best. We would know shortly. 

"Thank you."

I reply and look at my wife.

((I sent the children to the basement shelter... did you want to go to them? I can handle this. Well Desmond can..))

I tease at my own expense given my ..health. 

I wanted to  offer her the chance to go since she has been gone the longest.

Zorra:


(Desmond): "Good.:" He nods to Meri relieved she'll get checked out and not having to mention possibly bombs in the process.

Tully goes still again... It was... Errie... To say the least.

I glance from him to Carry. My poor sweet, heroic and noble, Carry.

I look back to Tully and think of the children. It would be better for him to remain safe and with the kids. Especially today of all days and with so many potential hostiles.

(("No, it's fine. You should go. I can do this."))

(Desmond): "If everyone back ground up please. Uh.. Into the van maybe?" He asks assuming we were all going to the same place and teleports us.

I leave the supplies with Carry and remind Des of the correct lab. Then give Carry a kiss goodbye.

Carry:

I really hated to leave Zorra, but she was right. These tests were important and out of the both of us she had a better chance.

((Be safe, we'll be waiting.)) I squeeze her hand as I pass by to exit the vehicle. 

"Desmond I need to get home, but Zorra will run the tests you need, good luck..everyone..."

I  say to him and with a nod to Mer and Tully. 

It all looked so bad, I cant imagine what is going on over there... 

I take the supplies Zorra gave me and head back down to our shelter on the ranch.

Zorra:

(("You keep yourself and the kids safe too."))

(Desmond): "Okay! You and Ettie and the gang, be safe!

I watch him go and also give a farewell nod to MoFo.

We get to our lab for the dangerous stuff that we don't do under the house and I turn on the lights and move off the sheet to keep dust off the necessary equipment.

Given what Des had told Mer about tech in her I decide to start with an X-ray first.

"Okay. Let's do Tully first. Lets move him here." I gesture to machine I just uncovered and tug the motionless Tully along. Des does his best to assist but Tully was... Quite heavy... "Maybe just teleport him?" Des gives a nod and does so. He stands at Tullys side just in case he tries something and I activate the machine. It instantly shows...

"Oh my-" I stare wide-eyed and gape at the results.

(Desmond): "What!?" He suddenly backs away alarmed that Tully is full of bombs and gets in front of Mer to protect her.

"He's... An android. Powered by..." Tilts head. "Cold fusion... And these vents..." I trail off observing the pipes connected to what might be a reservoir or something? Hard to tell without opening it up. But the piles go up to his throat and eyes. "Strange..."

Mer:

I just stand there helplessly when... I'm assuming Cary's wife and Desmond help Tully up to be examined.

I was so.. very overwhelmed OVERTHINKING everything, especially when Tully is discovered to be a robot.

"What?!"

I exclaim at the same time as Desmond when he comes to my aid.

"That's.. that's terrible.."

I cover my mouth wondering where the REAL Tully was.

Tully:

I scream and pull at the restraint freaked out.

"H..hey come on I am NOT.."

I gulp at the screen, the evidence was quite...

*goes into self destruct mode becoming SELF AWARE OF WHAT I AM**

**mouth opens WIDE to exspell the liquid FREEZE**

Zorra:

I get an intrusive thought of shoving a shiny apple in that gaping maw and dissecting the android to see what is going on in there, but the disgusting liquids that start to pour from his mouth quickly dispel such notions.

I drop down behind the consoles at the freeze beam.

I glance up and the computer screen catches in my perifrials. I look over and notice the imaging readout results are changing but with everything going on at once I can't focus on it as I roll away behind another lab setup trying to think in the heat of the moment...

Mer:

"Desmond!"

I yelp and tug him back even further from android Tully when his self discovery leads to something strange coming from his mouth.*

What the hell is that?!

"Desmond we need to get out of here!"

I exclaim before glancing around to see where Cary's wife went.

Desmond:

I stare at whatever in the universe is happening with Tully's mouth.

So much... Weird liquid...

"What the f-"

I get jolted back to my senses and stumble into Mer at her yelp and tug and blink refocusing.

"Right! Right!" I nod warily and look around for Lady Foxe.

(Zorra): "He's going to explode!" She yells over the sound of the mouth stuffs coming from Tully.

I look over and see her eyeing the x-ray real-time view.

I teleport us to her then teleport us all out to the van and look back at the lab concerned as Zorra moves to the front passenger seat.

My first thought is to teleport back in there and try to absorb his electricity before he does, but I remember Zorra said it was cold fusion... I... don't know if it would work then?... That wasn't exactly electricity, was it?...

How-how big do you think-"

(Zorra): "That lab was made for dangerous experiments... It'll... Probably be fine..." She says looking back at it.

I look to Meri a bit shaken... What if there was something inside her and as soon as she found out like Tully it activated as the trigger?.. It's a... It's a good thing we didn't test her then... Right?... Or is it worse not knowing?... No.. No.. I need to take this as a sign she's fine. She coulda thought if Tully was a robot or when she heard the bomb thought she has a bomb or something else that she could have too and that would have triggered it but it didn't. AND she wanted us to get away and be safe instead of triggering some message of chaos mind programming.

She's the real one. I know she is. And she's fine... Physically at least...

My ears itch as I hear the explosion. Zorra does too. She ducks her head and covers her mutated ear-wings at the loudness.

I swallow and add in to Meri. "At least... At least we know nothing trigger in you. So.. So you're good."

I nod to myself.

The logic is sound... It had to be.

...But now what do we do?

I look out the window. The blue bubble is still there... How am I supposed to do anything then?...

Do we... Do we just go now? Get Carry and the kids and ditch like we planned? Not that they'll go... I heard him already. His speech I have to help! I just... Don't know how?

Meri doesn't need to be fused with her possible other half?.. But... What if the other Meri is trapped with that monster and can't escape? I think warily feeling dismayed on her behalf...

I look back at the shield and wonder if there's a way under it?

Suddenly, movement catches my attention in the fields and my eyes widen and I get up the window and point to the cyborg hybrids.

(Zorra): "What? What is it?" She asks unable to see it.

I briefly hesitate unsure how to explain it. "...Fleshy robot things!"

Mer:

Desmond teleports us before we are taken out.

I close my eyes disturbed reminding myself that, that was not Tully and ONLY a duplicate.

But it acted just like him, and.. its confusion before it blew up was so very disturbing.

Like really, REALLY DISTURBING.

Desmond mentions that I wasn't triggered taking that as a good sign.

It was still kind of hard not to feel paranoid about it though..

The check up would have put my mind to rest - now I'm starting to wonder.

My attention is redirected to some nearby fields when Desmond sees something.

"Fleshy robot things... like Tully?"

I hear firing in the background and wondered if these robots were it, like this was the start of Boron's attack.

....

"We should take cover. Perhaps even find weapons?"

For self defense at the very least.

I look up trying to spot Beolan as I hadn't seen him since I woke up and maybe.. maybe I can reach him so he can help? **assumes he is flying around for the battle**

It was so hard to figure out what to do now that we were cut off from the others.

I glance at the shield with a sick feeling wondering if we were of the last left.

Perhaps everyone else is a copy too and then, then what? 

"We needed to try and reconnect with the others.. we need to see how many of us are left and join the fight."

I exclaim not knowing Cary and Desmond's conversation or what they discussed.

"Maybe, maybe we only.saw duplicates in the lab and maybe Sebastian is in the dark about them too."

I suggest finally allowing myself to process that 'two Bashs ' thing Desmond mentioned.

I then remember waking up in Bash's room and that conversation and confusing story about what happened and I start circling back again.

No.. no.. unless that was a duplicate too.. or the same one...... and the whole place is being run and attacked by these Boron bots?

Where are our people's original bodies though??

Silently Panics.

Desmond:

I keep an eye on the fields.

"These things look way more cyborg-y." With Tully we couldn't even tell!

Mer talks about weapons and regrouping.

"There's what the hunters were preparing back at the barn. Though, I think it was mostly for Beo and Xern vampires then whatever this is."

(Zorra): "Who could have though of whatever this is! Only that Craze hag..."

I wonder if we could make something back in whatever remains in the lab but that might be a dead end on a ticking clock.

"Carry thinks it's possible Bash is Bash but split two people. There was talk earlier to use the rubyeye artifact on him to stop him going crazy because he was going nuts due to the curse. He lied to us all about breaking it."

I keep a look out at the fields.

"But given everything going on who knows?. There might be multiple people everywhere!"

Mer:

Ok.. so we should go to the barn then?

Cary's wife- 

"My apologies, what's your name again?"

I ask her so I stop struggling here before Desmond unloads a lot more unflattering information about Bash.

I can't believe this.. he was always so sweet and for such a change to only come out n-

I think of my own father in pause.

The noise of the attack was becoming so loud I could hardly hear myself think! Let alone what Desmond was saying.

"Should we go to the barn!?"

I yell out a suggestion