It all started with Ahmet Benici. The World's lead scientist published his findings that the laws that govern our world would change so drastically human life would not be possible. It was his findings that urged the U.S government to begin a secret project, Project New World. The purpose of this project was to save humanity from its impending doom. So I invite you visitor, whoever you are it doesn't really matter. Come, sit down at your keyboard and tell me, what role are you going to play in this story?
Setting
There are many rumors and stories to be told about the city of Chase. Stories and tales rise from the mysterious forest that borders its northern side. There's big talk of some government project happening on the other side, but no one can know for sure. The small town has a rather sparse population of 20,000 people and is kept isolated from its neighboring town by Wyers lake.
In terms of time, this site will follow real time to accommodate for the short life expectancies of compound patients. The current month is December, the year 2062.
Note: Please note this site is rated PG-13.
Disclaimer: All pictures and images on this site belong to their rightful owners. We do not and will not claim to own them. However the site plot and idea belongs to Time Lapse, please do not steal!
Big shot? Well, Rowan decided to let the conversation end there. Casting the senior guard a wary glance he wondered what could possibly be go be going on behind such a blank face. Was he waiting for him to screw up? He wouldn't talk to his father would he? Or was he just going to 'do his job' and let his inexperienced peers do whatever the hell they wanted? His silence unnerved him as as Feral took off again, Rowan muttered a curse. Honestly couldn't he make his job a little easier? Guarding anyone was boring but guarding him was the worst thing he'd had to do. He'd even had to babysit a freak girl who'd lost her marbles. She kept yelling at him, convinced he'd possessed her cat. I mean even that was more desirable then guarding this hostile patient who seemed more concerned with causing trouble then ignoring them. As if they should be impressed by the dexterity of his animosity, it only made Rowan restless.
Quickly matching Feral's pace, Rowan watched him disappear up the tree. He wasn't about to tell him to come down. It's not like the nasty individual planned to jump them...right. Stomping his boots to warm his feet, he took up a position not too far from the tree. Somewhere he could watch Feral, just in case he was planning some elaborate attack. Even though he seemed like the kind to act, then think, Rowan wasn't about to take any chances.
Turning his gaze towards the sky he wondered if it'd snow yet. The gray blanket of clouds cast a dull light over the compound property. Snow might be nice right now, it might even coax Feral inside so they could escape the cold. Squinting towards the freak he offered him a deal, "so was that a no to those scarfs and carrots? You're not going to catch a cold are you?" The second question was more than likely to ease the mood of his companions. It made sense to properly clothe him. Benici might still kill them if he got sick.
The senior guard simply continued to watch, having no trouble letting the less experienced try their hand. He was merely here to ensure they didn't screw up, ensure they didn't get themselves hurt or do too much damage to Benici's favorite. Or his once favorite. There was no real telling what the head scientist thought about the beast now, almost seeming frightened by what had happened. Not that he could blame him of course, having been there during that incident. He was more experienced dealing with the beast than most, and the scars he bore were probably good enough evidence for that, if not solely the missing fingers.
He looked over to Rowan though, catching him in the midst of a wary glance. He said nothing, simply giving him a nod towards Feral's direction, a silent reminder to stay focused, especially since the freak had headed off on his own again, getting a good head start. He let the two go after him before he'd sigh, catching up with them soon enough.
"Fuckin' freak." Twitchy muttered as he glared up the tree. "Why do we even let him out?" he continues, kicking the base of the tree before joining the other two. "So you can do your job." the elder finally spoke, crossing his arms over his chest. Though he clearly wanted to say more, twitchy kept his mouth shut, knowing better than to argue with the big guy.
Feral had been content pretending he didn't hear a single thing, continuing to break down the twig before he dropped the pieces down into the snow below. Can't break bones? Break twigs, apparently. Not as satisfying, but it did help him somewhat. Try as he might, he couldn't ignore the comment. "Look. You don't want to be here, I don't want you here, go get yourselves some carrots and shove them up your asses." he mutters. "If you're waiting for me to freeze you are gonna be waiting for a while." he assures.
So he could talk! But even the brief interaction between guards had his skin crawling. He might keep a calm facade, look stern, carry around a weapon, even dress like them, but Rowan could only 'aspire' to be like any of the compound guards. Maybe it was his own insecurities, or the persistent jingle of his ID tags, but Rowan couldn't help but feel their was a yawning gap between them. He on one side with the rest of the patients, and them on the the. No matter how hard he tried to bridge the gap, he just couldn't be them. His gaze lingered on the senior guard before Feral would snatch his attention away.
He'd rather the patient didn't freeze, but could he protest? Not without whining. Before he could offer any reply a low growling sound would attract his attention. From over the rolling hills of property puttsed a black canvas van, delivering supplies perhaps? Keeping a careful eye ok the freak in case he bolted, Rowan removed the stun baton, shifting from foot to foot before he remember to keep his composure. So long as the truck didn't stop they should be fine, right? The patient wouldn't be stupid enough to try hitching a ride, or bothering whoever was driving, right? Well, he hoped not.
"Take all the time you need. I'm patient." Or, he was learning to be. Whether it kills him or not, Rowan settled for waiting for Feral's stubborn streak to end...if it ever would.
Feral continued toying with twigs until a sound reached his ears, the beast perking a bit as he looked towards the direction it was coming from. A car? His actions had paused completely as he watched it curiously. He'd only tear his eyes away from it long enough to notice all three of them had also noticed, batons ready. Oh come on. Did they really think that little of hi- No who was he kidding, he was definitely planning something. Old habits died hard, after all and his plans probably became a little more obvious when he sat up, positioning himself on the branch with clear intent to jump. Or it seemed like he was anyway, hesitating only because of the guards below.
"Patient, huh?" he asks, eyes back on the van and not tearing away this time as he spoke. "How about you be patient somewhere else then?" he continues, standing up then and holding himself steady against the tree as he kept watching, formulating a plan... Or maybe just debating whether attempting anything was worth it.
"Feral." the senior guard spoke in a warning tone. "Don't try anything." Fuck... "Don't know what you're talking about. Don't be paranoid, old man. Not good for your heart." he mutters. He could probably make it to the car, but whether or not he'd actually be able to do anything about it was another matter, since he was sure they'd be right on his tail.
Rowan was somewhat relieved as the senior guard spoke, watching the approach of the truck with unease. Even if he did jump, what did the patient hope to accomplish? Escape? That would make this dull assignment interesting, but more likely then not, Feral would probably frighten the driver into a snowbank. And even if he did somehow hijack the car where would he go? It's not like they couldn't radio ahead and catch him. So what was his plan? Eyes narrowed, Rowan watched Feral carefully, the rumbling of the truck growing closer. "Thanks, but no thanks." A hint of sarcasm crept into his tone as he reached for his baton. He would use it if Feral gave him the opportunity.
The low hum of the baton was lost as the gutteral growl of the vehicle grew closer. It was nothing but an old farm truck, carrying with it produce and vegetables from the town nearby. Or, this was Rowan's assumption given it looked nothing like a government vehicle. Bouncing along the path it drew nearer. It was a wonder the thing didn't just break down already! The driver behind the wheel stared at the new land with wide eyes, peering around as though he'd never seen the compound before. Had he? Rowan had little time to wonder as his gaze snapped towards Feral. Would he be wrong to assume that any moment now the patient would do something terrible reckless? Maybe? Maybe not.
Couldn't even accommodate him, eh? Feral was not surprised, responding to his sarcasm with a growl, eyes moving from the truck to their batons before looking upward. The beast actually climbed higher, seeming to think being higher up would give him more of a chance to hop over them, though it certainly wouldn't make the inevitable drop very fun. What did he hope to accomplish? Escape? Tempting, but this wasn't his first rodeo. He'd tried. So what was his purpose? Well, if he got far enough, he supposed they'd find out, getting up to a higher limb that, sadly, wasn't as secure. But it held his weight at least, even if the poor branch creaked and groaned. Not a perch he'd want to remain on for too long, but he didn't plan to.
Within mere seconds, Feral actually leaped, the branch breaking off under the force and dropping down to the ground as he himself dropped in the snow behind them with a none too pleasant crunch. If that wasn't bad enough, he'd kind of miscalculated the snow, cringing as he tried to get his footing. He started off on all fours, surprisingly enough, and might have gotten far had it not been for the old timer's speed. The freak yelped in surprise, the small contact with the baton enough to stun him, keeping him from moving long enough that the senior guard was able to step down on the small of his back, preventing him from getting up. "And that, kid's, is why you have to be ready for anything." he lectures them, expression never changing. Honestly he might have sounded confident, but it was only the beast's sluggish movement's that made actually getting him possible.
"I'm needed elsewhere." he begins after receiving a message from his earpiece. "At this point, I think you can handle things from here." he adds, mostly addressing the Junior Wolf, perhaps the more capable of the two guards. "You've got at least a good half hour before he starts recovering. Don't fuck up." he finishes, waiting for the two's acknowledgement before he'd step off of Feral and head towards the direction of the truck.
Feral, on the other hand, remained face first in the snow. Needless to say... The baton worked. Perhaps too well. Everything hurt and he didn't want to move so he made no attempt to, even as Twitchy decided to approach, giving him a little kick nudge in the side which elicited a growl that actually caused the man to take a cautious step back. "Little bitch deserves worse." he growls back. Too bad the old man had to steal their thunder.
As Feral leaped, Rowan crouched preparing to spring after the beast before he could make his escape. But before he could leap at the chance to prove himself, the senior guard would intervene stunning Feral into immediate submission. The gap between him and the guard was once more painfully obvious as Rowan could only stare, eyes glinting with a look that may have been mistaken for admiration. He didn't admire the guy per se, he didn't admire any of the guards. But he admired his ability to do his job, something he himself had been too slow to do. It was for this reason, he open his mouth to protest the senior guard's departure. He didn't want to be left alone with the other, the man seemed far too eager to cause trouble. But before the protest could be made, the senior had given clear instructions. A little disappointed Rowan could only dip his head. "Yes, Sir. We'll do our best, you know?" And hopefully, their best would be more than good enough.
A little discouraged, he saw the senior guard off with a heavy sigh. With him gone there was little reason to act official. In the least offensive way possible, Rowan thought the other guard was an idiot. There was little pressure to impress him, if any at all. Taking no notice of the truck as it passed, he strode over to Feral's side. Was the kid okay?
Mr.Eager didn't appear to share his concerns. How unfortunate. Pausing at Feral's side, Rowan knelt down warily. "Is he even conscious?" He prodded Feral's cheek with a finger, poking him several times before the growl reached his ears. "Awake and grumpy. It's our lucky day, you know?" He tried to avoid his little repetitive phrase while on the job, but with the senior officer gone, he didn't appear to be concerned with keeping face. He'd been scolded that 'you know?' not only made no sense when he said it, but it sounded completely unprofessional. But did he care? Not really. Kicking a kid when he was down was unprofessional, but did anyone complain about that? No.
"Either way, we should get him onto his feet before he catches a cold, you know?" There it was again. Sliding an arm beneath Feral's torso, he draped one of his arms over his shoulder, slowly supporting him as he rose them both to their feet. He cast the guard a quick look in case Feral would try anything. But if there'd be no resistance, Rowan slowly returned them to the tree, letting Feral rest against it. "Your welcome."
The guard had not shown much, but he was going to hold the teen to his word. If things were to go wrong, someone would have to take responsibility for it. While the elder could easily blame the two less experienced ones, he wasn't that type of man and would naturally take responsibility for leaving them alone with the beast. It wasn't exactly the wisest decision as far as he was concerned, but he decided it would be a decent learning experience. And if nothing else, Feral should be less trouble for at least a little while, giving them time to prepare. He decided not to concern himself too much with it now though, having other matters to attend to.
The kick was bad enough. Getting poked was just annoying and Rowan was just fortunate Feral was too reluctant to move, otherwise he might have tried to bite him. Then again, none too eager to get shocked a second time, he supposed it would be back to trying to behave. The eager guard didn't seem to share his sentiments again, not finding it too lucky. Then again, if he were knocked out, that meant they'd just have to drag his ass inside, which probably would have been even more of a pain, as tempting as the thought of leaving him out here to become a popscicle might have been.
This was likely why he was hesitant to help Feral up when Rowan suggested it. "Hey, he got himself into this mess, he can get himself out." the other man shrugged, only slightly annoyed by the overuse of 'you know' but not saying a thing. As Rowan began to lift him though, he groaned before reluctantly helping. "You're my witness. He bites me and I'll kick his teeth out." he states as they lift him. He really shouldn't worry though, should he? Out of the two of them, he was probably the authoritative guard now that the old man had left. After all, this might be the head guard's kid, but he was also a patient at one point. Tempting as it was to potentially bring this up, he kept his mouth shut. Could have consequences, you know? Really the biggest factor in him not saying anything was Feral interrupting. "With that kick?" he growls. "You'd end up hurting yourself more than anything." he mutters. Probably a good thing he had that baton handy. Not exactly the strongest of brutes he'd dealt with. Way to damage the guy's pride.
He could tell the man was hardly able to hold back from retaliating and Feral simply gave him a cocky smirk, one that faltered the slightest when he stepped down on his right foot. Great... A sprain. Could be worse though. Eventually he was returned back to the tree though, the other guard having pulled back from helping the brat anymore and letting Rowan do all the work. "Fuck off..." he mutters again as he rests against the tree, seeming to be his favorite response to everything. Yeah... Jumping clearly wasn't worth it. Now he was soaked from the snow and his whole body was still tingling from the shock, an uncomfortable feeling. Why did it always make him feel so tired?!
Couldn't they both be civil and shut up? All this banter would only add to the tension in the air, Rowan shot the guard a look hoping he might catch on. But nope. With a sigh he turned his attention instead on Feral, slithering away from his wet body the moment he'd been returned to the tree. "Did you hurt yourself?" This time, he was asking out of genuine concern, if not looking out for Feral, then for his own neck. Dr.Benici -should he still care- wouldn't consider it their fault if the patient injured himself, right? Rowan would rather not take the chance. But if Feral was injured, "we should probably head back just in case, you know?"
Clasping his hands behind his back, he studied the freak from head to toe. "It'll take us enough time trekking through the snow, and you're not in the best condition either." Was he really trying to reason with the freak? Well, it was easier then dragging him by the collar. Casting the other guard a look as if this time for support, he found himself suddenly irritated. Why was he taught to withhold his emotions when guys like him were on the guard? It made the hot-head an easier target for Feral of course. Not only that but it had piqued Rowan's annoyance for the umpteenth time that day, made him wonder why he himself even tried to keep face.
"Besides, we can't have you catching a cold." he tossed the last few words in Feral's direction before properly replacing his baton. He hoped there would be no need for it.
Was the guard actually concerned? "Of course. Wouldn't want to get in trouble, would you?" He knew? Well he wasn't completely stupid. When the guards who literally made a game out of kicking your ass suddenly stopped, you kind of had to question things. He supposed he preferred it that way. Rather have them do it for their own sake than to confuse the poor beast by actually showing sympathy. He's had enough of that, thank you very much. "I'm fine." he snarls, not seeming too eager to head back. Going back just meant he'd probably end up locked up again. He kind of ruined his chances for a good day by acting out, he supposed.
"I already told you before. Go the fuck away if you want, I'm fine staying here." he mutters. Except now that he was soaked, the wind felt a bit more chilly, making him shudder a bit as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was almost hopeful the other ass hat would be too stubborn to help anyway, making his chances of going back seem less likely. But it appeared the man wasn't that stupid to play the way the beast wanted. "Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." he bargains, already having his baton ready. Feral actually eyed it warily this time, now that he knew what it was capable of. "Getting the sweets on me now, are you?" he teases with a growl.
"Feral, I swear to god...!" the man gets angry, approaching the beast who actually flinched away. Can you really blame him? Course the moment he saw the freak shy away from his attack he seemed satisfied, smirking proudly at himself. Good. The animal ought to be scared of him! "That's better." he states with a new air of confidence, the beast glaring up at him with a snarl, completely unamused. "Get your ass up, we're going inside." And, miraculously, Feral pulls himself to stand, using his claws to get a good grip on the tree, leaning on it for support. He'd have his chance to get that fucker soon enough, let him pretend he was tough shit and then break him down when he least expected it. He had every intention of making him suffer when the time came, and with another guard around to stop him, now unfortunately was not that time.
Did he have to be so bloody difficult! Honestly, the urge to shock him and just drag him back had Rowan weighing out the pros and cons. Luckily it wouldn't come to losing his temper as the other guard lost his first. Given he had no experience handling the beast, Rowan stood silently as the other intimidated Feral into submission. Or was it submission? Aside from the monster everyone kept talking about, beneath the soaking clothes and a rather miserable appearance, was there something more to Feral he'd missed? Why was he so eager to up and follow them all of a sudden? Well, eager wasn't the right word but he was following without protest. That was new. With a suspicious squint, Rowan waited for Feral to pass him before falling in step behind the beast.
Casting one last glance at the claw marks embedded in the tree bark, he opened his mouth to say something cheeky about defacing compound property. But one glance at the cocky guard and rather unamused patient told him he'd better shut it. But his mouth was already open, so why not say something? "It's supposed to rain tonight," he grumbled quietly from behind Feral. Did anyone really care? Well, no one ever did but a cloudy sky meant he wouldn't spend his night on the roof. "With the weather getting mild, all the snow will probably turn to slush, you know?" Casting Feral a sly glance he added, "you sure you're sure about that snowman?" He didn't expect anything other than a scoff, a snarl, or an unsavory retort, not just from Feral but from his peer as well.
Feral would spot Rowan soon enough, tearing his hateful glare from his new target for a moment to give him a look as he passed him by. The ex-patient would at least not have to worry about too much of his aggression being pointed towards him for a while, as long as this other idiot was in their company. He growled at the thought, walking along after the self-proclaimed leader with a slight limp. If anything else, the cold was numbing most of the pain? Something to be thankful for, he supposed, even though he'd be a lot more pleased if he could stain the snow with this fucker's blood. Another time, perhaps.
Well, maybe not. At the mention of rain, Feral sniffed the air as if to confirm if that was the truth or not. The clouds in the sky didn't necessarily mean a thing but unfortunately, the kid seemed to be right. Snow might be leaving. Course. He spent most of his time indoors, missing most of it. It almost seemed too soon. His brows furrowed at the thought as he continued without a word, the other guard instead expressing relief. "I'm so sick of snow, the sooner it's gone, the better." he responds. But no sooner did Rowan open his mouth to speak again, managing to receive sounds of disapproval from the both of them, a groan from the guard and an annoyed growl from Feral.
"If we're lucky, we can get him locked up for trying to escape." he points out, an entertaining idea. He was aware of the beast's fear of the isolation room. Not through personal experience alone, but from other guards who'd taken to gossiping about the monster now that he required more security. "Heard he get's real scared when he's locked up in the dark." he laughs. Ah, yes, further encourage the beast to want to murder you. He kept quiet though, head down, and the guard is of course satisfied, seeming to think he broke him.
No one wanted to hear about the weather? Okay. Poor Rowan fell cold and quiet once more, stomping his feet to keep them warm. He wasn't foreign to the disinterest most people showed given his topics of conversation. But did they really want to just walk in silence? It was...awkward. It made him feel uncomfortable.
Rowan watched Feral's limp with a hint of concern. "Seriously, you need a hand walking?" Though his tone was gruff, it was a genuine offer this time. Casting the other guard a glance he nodded warily. "Let Carlyle discipline him." Somehow he had a notion the Head Guard would be more fair? Feral had tried to escape but it wasn't much of an attempt. Besides watching him limp, they'd need to take him to the infirmary first. He felt it wasn't their place to inflict punishment on the freak, as annoying as he had been.
As they trekked through the snow his tags would jingle about, leaving Rowan to finally tuck them into his uniform beforeFeral could break out in 'Jingle Bells' - as if he would.
If Feral even were to be interested in the offer, he didn't have much of the time to respond as the other cut in. "Don't baby him. He already thinks he's entitled just cause he's 'tough shit'." he mutters, almost sounding annoyed the other guard was showing even slight concern. Then again, should he be surprised? The kid stood in the same position as the freak before, so maybe he did sympathize. That wasn't a good thing though.
Feral just kept walking forward, giving a gruff response to the other teen walking behind him "I'm fine." he growled, even putting more pressure on his foot as if trying to make a point. It hurt, but he could get through it. Not the worst pain he had to endure, right? Besides, he didn't want any sympathy.
Did he appreciate the two talking about punishments? Of course not. Did he respond? Well aside from looking rather agitated, he kept his mouth shut, biting his tongue. "At least we can get out of this fucking snow." the guard sighed in relief and at that point, Feral couldn't stop himself. "I kept giving you the option." he points out. Multiple times, even giving them ideas of what they could do to kill time, like fucking themselves with carrots. Ah, but they didn't listen, sadly. If they had, he wouldn't be in this mess. "Not my fault you dumb asses can't listen."
Couldn't even go five minutes without trying to piss someone off, it seemed, and it had done the trick, the man suddenly stopping and moving to actually trip the beast. Unfortunately for him, his plan backfired as Feral instead gave a very rough kick to the man's leg, managing to knock him off his feet and into the snow. "Oops." he offers in monotone. "My foot slipped." So much for waiting? Well this hardly amounted to payback, but it did make him feel better seeing the guard eat snow.
Did it ever occur to Mr.Eager the patient could have a long lasting injury? Did he even think for a moment that walking on it might make things worse? That refusing to 'baby' him might bring Armageddon upon them? But again it seemed Feral would side with the guard, shooting down his offer. Fine then, he wouldn't offer anymore help. With a sullen sigh he fell silent, clasping his hands neatly behind his back as he trailed Feral.
It seemed they preferred a less civilized conversation, 'content' to banter back and forth. Personally, Rowan didn't understand why there had to be so much tension between the guards and this particular patient. Wouldn't it be easier on them all if Feral behaved, giving them less reason to strike out at him? Watching over the beast's shoulder, he listened to the two bantering back and forth, a scowl forming on his face.
The more lip Feral gave them, the faster his patience dwindled away. Fortunately, he wouldn't be the one to slip up this time. As Feral struck out at the guard, Rowan lurched forwards grabbing him by the shirt collar. He yanked the beast backward, digging his baton into his back. Oddly enough he hadn't turned it on, but if Feral gave him another reason to he would. "That's enough. From now on, neither of you talks." He wasn't punishing the guard, far from it! He was doing a favor telling him to shut up before his big mouth got him in trouble...again.
"And you," he added, tightening his hold on Feral. "Try a stunt like that again and next time I will use this." There was a sudden animosity in his tone that hadn't been there before. He found it worked when laying boundaries with patients. It was the 'I'm being serious now' tone that he'd only ever used once or twice. Most patients were content enough not to mess with the burly guard. Feral on the other hand, not so content.
