The Cat and the Canary in the Coalmine

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

He worked hard to get his position. He fought through so much and finally got away from his father, but with every day that went by he could hear the accursed man's laughter in the back of his head. The corruption ran deep. The whole thing had gone rotten. Systems that had been put in place had been eroded by nepotism, under-the-table money, and blind loyalty to the other boys in blue.

Alex had enough. He could feel his skin burning with his rage, as even now his reports have been 'lost'. If his bosses think they had cowed him, they made the common mistake of underestimating him. He sat in his cubicle or went out to investigate, keeping his head low and biding his time.

Meanwhile at home he worked on a different investigation. He remembered stumbling across a rather interesting hitman some years prior, one of the many with rules about who they would not hunt. This man, however, had a discount on scum, even if that hadn't been exactly the same wording used. He'd taken mental note about it and moved on at the time, doubting he could afford that since he decided to take a job in something extremely dangerous with awful pay that generally kept him too drained to do much in the way of coding at home. Having certain reports ignored was taking it's toll, and he knew he wouldn't last much longer under so much corruption; he spent too many sleepless nights staring at his service pistol, not sure what impulse felt stronger.

 

He started spending those nights tracking down that one hitman again. It took entirely too long, but finally he sends a message.

 

I need your help. Police corruption is blocking investigation on a Mr. Furest. Children are involved.
 

He signs with his contact information, none of which are traceable back to any real, or at least living, person. He made sure to cover his tracks, just to prove he at least isn't some random kid trying to cause trouble. He steps away from his laptop in his small apartment to drop on the couch and check the news of the day, hoping there would be a ping alerting him of a response sooner rather than later.

Comments

[monsieurnoir]

I suspect I wouldn't. Maybe. You will. Soon.

Felix is shifting in his seat, reaching for a set of noise-canceling headphones tugging them on. He doing the cuffs of his pressed button-down shirt, neatly rolling his sleeves up past his elbows. There are pale silvery scars on his skin and further up there are tattoos under the dark slate of his shirt. His hands reached up and undid his tie letting the length of dark grey fabric settle as he undid his shirt collar and the first couple buttons.

I know you're anxious and excited about this but I need a couple of days to wade through this. If I need anything else I'll give you a nudge.

Silver rims in place, music now pumping through his headphones. He's clearing everything he doesn't need out of his way, refilling his brandy and settling to read his way through all the information that Alex has supplied to him. Some of it he's shifting on to a thumb to keep and pass on when the time comes.

He will absolutely kill Furest since that seems to be what Alex wants without out and out saying it. But Felix knows better than anyone how this kind of shit goes. You take one boss down someone else rises up in the ranks thinking they're the next big bad and Felix isn't going to fucking have that. Felix might be a shady as fuck hitman and boss but he's not going to let someone getting away with abusing and hurting fucking kids.

Felix's rules are very lax but he doesn't allow shit to happen to kids or women. That is a fucking hard pass. He doesn't do family hits. He'll take out the fathers, grown men no problem. He'll ruin a cheating spouse, tear a woman to shreds in the press - if she meets the very, very specific criteria for him to do anything like that. But he doesn't kill or physically harm women or kids. Any of his team he finds doing that find themselves in his office on their hands and knees with his hand fisted in their hair, his gun shoved down their throat while they gag and beg.

As Felix is reading over what Alex gives him, he's checking it against his own sources. Some of his own are far, far more detailed. Which is both a good thing and a sickening thing. Either way, he's quarreling away the newer more in-depth parts to pass on to Alex as he goes. It's three days out before he messages Alex again.

I've cross-referenced your information with my own. I did come across more but what you've given me has been confirmed. Let me know when you'd like me to send along the additional information I scoured up. I'm still digging into my resources but like you said, intel sharing, right? I'll be going in to see what things are like in person soon. I have my own way in. Don't worry about a thing. I'm presently out of my office but I can get it to you when I get back in in a few hours.

Presently, he's in his car still on the road. They have another twenty minutes before the driver is parking and Felix is sliding from his car. Stretching and arching, Felix is walking into his favorite out of the way mom and pop place. It's truly out in the middle of nowhere. He's greeting the couple behind the counter with happy cheek kisses before letting them usher him to a chair.

He's not alone for long another blond that looks a lot like him only with green eyes, and more golden than platinum hair is joining him. "You always seem to step into some interesting things. Fe." To his credit, Teddy played the parts he took on easily - especially if it was bored little rich kid looking for a thrill.

"It was as bothersome a task as you made it out to be but I managed." He's taking out a couple of carefully constructed invitations. "You fucking owe me."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex sends another message back, though it easily takes an hour or so for him to do so. He immediately wipes the messages, just in case.

I'll connect to the same address as before tonight.

It was a struggle to focus on his work knowing what would be waiting for him once he finished another late night of paperwork he hadn't yet figured out how to automate. He hated this part the most, but with how careful he keeps records he knows how important they can be. He gets home a few hours after he should have had dinner to keep up normal appearances or have at least complained about hunger, but he didn't have the energy to put effort into his already awkward attempts at trying to eat normally.

He logs back in after grabbing a bowl of instant ramen, querying a direct connection to Felix's address and waiting for it to be accepted and the file to come in. Three dots appear one at a time only to disappear and start over again and again while he waits, slurping ramen in a dark windowless room, wrapped under a pile of fleece blankets. He needed to relax, but he could hear his own heartbeat.

[monsieurnoir]

Felix is sitting with Teddy and they're eating. Planning out outfits and everything for the party. They're like this for hours. Eating, drinking happily while they plan this as if they're going to just another big event. Four or so hours later they're parting, each going their own way in their own car.

As soon as Felix is home he's getting that message and clearing it out of the burner. Then he's heading home into his office, setting up his rig as he starts stripping away his clothes. He's settling in his chair half-dressed belt and pants undone as he connects and sends those files along. Judging by the files it's obvious they were gotten by some not so legal means considering they're from various international agencies and there a few on CRP, too. Not as many but a few.

These are what I have so far from my international contacts. Tomorrow, I'll be going to one of their events to get close enough to see how they work in person.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

If they ask "And where do you hail from?" answer "The Aryan Nation". It will open a lot more doors. Do not go in with any bugs, wires, or weapons, though that should be on the invitation if you have them.

He can't help himself, he goes to review the intel he got on the CRP. Of all the intelligence agencies to know what was going on, the French had the most foreign intelligence on the operation. They knew it was some kind of human experiment and far less details than he had collected, but there were officials named as having known involvement, and, surprisingly, a classified report on attempts to infiltrate the program.

That would easily take up the evening of the party. In regards to his father, however, he's a little surprised to find his father is Wanted in Germany for "Dissemination of Means of Propaganda of Unconstitutional Organizations". It takes a quick duck-duck-go search to find it's a law specifically targeting those who spread mainly nazi propaganda both in the country or overseas. That was it? A slap on the wrist. No wonder they offered him extradition on the psychopath in exchange for Alex keeping his mouth shut. Those fucking pigs.

He leans back in his chair, closing his eyes and trying to regain his even breath. I'm sure you are capable, you've been around for this long, but this might be more dangerous than either of us could suspect. They don't leave paper trails if they can avoid it, and do not share information, pictures, videos, and propaganda digitally. Which leaves the question of how he got digitized versions. He's sure Felix could put the pieces together. He couldn't imagine being able to get in there himself, not with his job, his history, and the threat he had become to them. He's pretty sure he's only not dead because of some kind of arrangement they have with the CRP, or the government itself.

[monsieurnoir]

So then I'm some Nazi, white power kind of bastard? I figured as much from the information I gathered but it's good to have a proper confirmation. I suppose it is a good thing that I look the part - blond hair, blue eyes all that...

Yeah, we weren't planning on any of that. We've got our invitations and everything. We'll be fine. We've done things like this before. The fact that no one knows me for this and only knows me for what I want them to helps. I know you're concerned, Alex. But just trust me.

He's already got everything ready and set up. It helps that Teddy is assisting him this time. It made things easier since they were often seen in public together for galas and functions like what the party was listed as under the invitation and everything. He and Teddy had set up social media several years ago - it was carefully curated thanks to their family name and presence in the press. These accounts they kept up; pictures here and there, some flaunting money, connections so on...

These actually came in handy for things like this if people wanted to dig into things. They'd easily be labeled as well-connected rich playboys, pretty to look at sometimes underestimated as laidback or even stupid in Teddy's case but that was how they liked it honestly. It made their jobs easier.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Furest at least is friendly with the Russians as well. Anyone who can claim Aryan blood, really. I'll be waiting for an update.

He can't help his anxiety. He's scared of getting caught, scared of them getting caught, scared the CRP would intervene, scared they had some victims of their own they brainwashed into serving them. Hell, since they know about shadow projections, as they call them, he wouldn't be surprised if they selectively picked the first few to get a poorly understood psychological upper hand. If they had someone, just one person like Mikel working for them for extra pay, a gilded cage, the rest would be easy.

I trust you.

[monsieurnoir]

I'll make sure to pepper in some Russian and German then. Everything will be fine. I need to get ready. I'll reach out in the morning.

Felix is yawning softly before running his hand over his face. He needs a shower and a shave. So he's starting to shut things down and leaving his office to go head into his bathroom for a shower and shave before getting dressed. He and Teddy arrived at the party together. It went about how they expected to. By the end of the evening, Felix and Teddy had made connections; and were taken on as potential members.

It doesn't bother either of them that they end up with 'pets' and 'playmates' pressed against them rolling on drugs and all too eager to please. Teddy wasn't happy about it but it was part of the task. By the end of the night, they're leaving and parting.

Felix is coming home and texting Alex. Tonight was interesting. I know I'm contacting early but I wanted to let you know it went well. As well as could be expected. And he might be attaching a picture. It's been scrubbed on any identifying information - no landmarks, no geotag or anything like that, and its from a mirror that gives a nice back view of two blonds, fitted slacks, perfectly tailored corset vests.

Needless to say we made a very good impression.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex is surprised to feel his heart skip a beat seeing the two handsome blonds from behind. He's not sure what to make of it, so he ignores it for now. He switches back to the message screen, I'm glad. You will probably need more intel I do not feel safe sharing digitally. He had a good sense for people now. Alice had taught him a lot about that. Age taught the rest. He wanted to be sure of exactly who he tells this to, and not even risk a single other soul hearing it. Shipping lines, names of victims, who he last knew to be resilient still. How to watch someone and tell if they could still fight, or if they'd given up. Information that would help the wrong person more than he would ever feel comfortable with.

You have it on the honor of the pledge I took to serve and protect that this will all stay quiet. He honestly wouldn't blame them for refusing to meet him. But he's neck deep in this, he's sent payment, Felix could be holding all those records and give it to the right people, and Alex would disappear.

He felt a bit on edge leaving it all up to a stranger whose face he doesn't even know, whose personality he is basing off of what cases he publicly says would and would not take. It could be a front, he's seen things that made less sense, and he's always felt that just because he is paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get him. He'd rather keep his hand close, be cautious, than risk allowing another person to take advantage of him, even if he's still figuring that out.

[monsieurnoir]

To be fair vows and oaths like that usually only mean something if they mean something to the person that makes them. However, you've given me more than enough intel and money to show me that you're at least genuinely concerned for these people and children being trafficked and used. And the fact that I know who you are, where you are already it makes it easy to agree.

He's reaching up to undo his tie. Raking his fingers through his hair. I need to get a bit to sleep off my drinks before we meet. That'll give you time to pick a time and place plus; a codeword or something so that you'll know I'm me and I'll know you're you. I'd invite you back to my offices but I know you're too cautious to take me up on that just yet. So think about it tonight and let me know in the morning?

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

I wouldn't be putting myself in this kind of risk if it didn't. He starts considering the different options he has, still ruminating them as he fell asleep.

In the morning he messages Felix back, Do you know the Grand Central Whispering Spot? It is his favorite poorly kept secret other than Rat Rock. 9 P.M. tomorrow. I will whisper into the wall, "What comes with great power?" Reply, "Great corruption." You know my face already, so you know when to approach. He can feel his hands shaking as he waits for a reply. Why was this making him so uneasy? Was it really uneasiness, or was it butterflies of nervous excitement? It hovered in his core, nestled right between his ribs making him both want to puke and laugh. He takes a deep breath, trying to find a quiet place in his mind, but it felt like every neuron was buzzing with some kind of encoded message, making the entire atmosphere static.

He shakes off the anxiety by pulling out his suit, a smartly tailored tough jersey fabric with leather shoulder and elbow patches, ensuring it could last much longer by just replacing those after getting into something physical and stretch enough it wouldn't split the seams. He sets it aside to be put on before his shift, and then starts going through his closet, picking out clothes he could hide a knife in- just in case things went south. Bringing a gun seemed an insult, but he didn't want to be unarmed. He also didn't want to look like a hobo, his usual off-duty appearance. He might not generally care about appearances, but even he could recognize that first impressions have lasting effects. He wasn't good at this, but Loretta taught him enough he could do it, and it would take enough focus that he wouldn't work himself into a senseless panic attack waiting for a reply, or even just for time to pass.

[monsieurnoir]

I know. And I wouldn't be willing to meet you otherwise; however, here we are. Let me know in the morning. Goodnight, Alex.

He was signing out, moving around his office, putting things away, stripping away his corsetvest, undoing his cufflinks so on as he readies for bed. He's a little bit tipsy so mp shower he'll do that in the morning.

In the morning he's waking up to Alex's message and reading it as he makes his coffee. Nine. Does he have anything to do at nine? No. No, he's usually done with things before that late. So then he's nodding to himself after doing a quick check of his schedule, just to make doubly sure.

I do. That works for me. I'll see you then, Alex.

He's moving about his day. He checks in with Teddy then checks his email and things. There's nothing much for him to do today so he's just puttering around his house. He's not getting his shower til three since Felix honestly just relaxing and doing little things here and there. By three he's picked out and gotten everything ready for his meeting with Alex before hopping into that shower.

Freshly clean and dressed, it's only then he's heading out. He's going to get a trim and get something to eat out rather than cook for himself. Killing time til 9 really. Then he's heading out to where they'd agreed to meet. He's approaching the wall and Alex - he knows it's Alex but he's careful not to approach too closely. He's giving a subtle nod, waiting for Alex to prompt him.

When he does he's answering, properly, his voice hushed as he comes closer. "Great corruption." Then he's coming to a stop a foot from him, extending his hand forward - there's a silver ring on his middle finger of his left hand a matching black one on his other hand the right. "Hello, Alex."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

He settled on a well fit print top Loretta had bought him. It is one of his favorite shirts because of how comfortable the high-quality cloth is. It at least is fashionable, and he wears it with a pair of jeans one of Loretta's friends had designed using him as a mannequin, tailor fit jeans as payment. He left the hoodie at home, instead slipping a knife into an inside pocket on a replica Starlord jacket.

He doesn't arrive too early, and pretends he doesn't see Felix nodding to him. He was casually standing by one side of the arch, and only when Felix is on the other side does he whisper the question. He takes Felix's offered hand and shakes it with his own jewelry-free hand, offering a strong grip- a tip another officer had given him when he was a rookie. His voice breaks as he speaks to respond, "Good to meet you." He clears his throat and continues, "I know a great karaoke place nearby." They could rent a private room, put on some songs and no one would be able to hear them, or even question it. It wasn't strange for business partners to do as much, though they were usually surprised to see an American partaking in the hobby in the same way.

He couldn't help but notice how well dressed Felix is, and how much he would love to wear such clothes himself. It was the first time he saw something that looked both feminine and masculine being worn by a man, and it seemed perfect. He pushes a smile and starts leading Felix towards the exit. The middle of a terminal wasn't the best place to discuss their business, afterall.

[monsieurnoir]

Okay, so Felix thinks Alex is adorable. It's cute how his voice breaks. He's taking that hand in a firm steady grip and shaking it. To anyone walking by they're just two guys meeting. Maybe for work, maybe a date, maybe for a reunion of some kind. He smiles and it's a playful kind of smile - open, warm, amused. "That sounds like fun. I think I know the one you're talking about but I'll let you lead the way."

He's drawing his hand away. Alex is cute. He'd clearly dressed with both comfort and style in mind; likely an effort to impress Felix. Just like how Felix had dressed down a bit - slacks replaced with form-fitted black designer jeans, the short-sleeved shirt under his less elaborate corset vest; he does have a blazer in hand but he'd intentionally left it off so that Alex would know he wasn't carrying a gun or anything.

Felix is letting Alex lead him, keeping at his side - not ahead of him, not behind him beside him, and making idle small talk as they go so as not to seem suspicious. "I'm glad you could meet me. It's been a while and we've both been so busy." Mundane boring chat like that that wouldn't draw attention if overheard. And once they're there he'll be ordering a handful of drinks for each them; some regular drinks, others alcohol - after paying for four hours of time alone in a room. That way they'd not raise questions - They'd have more than one drink so no one would come and ask if they wanted more and ample time so that no one would buzzing them with any time warnings or anything like that.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex plays along, complaining about the damn wind the way a Londoner might tut about the rain. He seemed to be old hat at filling the air with conversational nonsense, saying nothing while speaking a normal amount.

Alex does his best to not scrunch his nose over the order for alcohol. He doesn't really judge people for it anymore, but it was hard to resist that gut reaction. He is glad to settle into the room, pushing in some numbers as soon as they enter so there is something better than the terrible stock music playing. Finally he can ask the handsome man, "So, uh, i-is there something I c-can call you besides 'hitman'?"

[monsieurnoir]

Felix is taking the drinks and putting them on the table after hanging up his blazer and locking the door. He's reaching for one of the drinks. Alex might not have noticed yet but none of them are strong. They would be the kind that would take drinking double digits to get even a weak buzz. And it's obvious he doesn't expect Alex to drink if the way he nudges a glass of soda toward him gently.

He's settling into the couch and offering Alex a smile. "Felix Agreste. You'll find out soon enough now that you've meet me. You can call me Felix. It's only fair you be able to find as much information about me as I can about you - That way we're both on even footing here."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex smiles a little, relaxing a bit with how casual Felix is. He takes the soda and opens it, taking a sip before relaxing back into the couch. "I'll admit it makes me feel better having at least that." He quickly verifies the name is legit on the burner phone. It's a normal smartphone, but a Japanese model running an unrecognizable OS. A pop up notifies him that it would create a report for him on this individual after he double-taps the image. He puts it away and takes another drink.


"Where should we s-start?"

[monsieurnoir]

"Trust me. You'll find more than enough. Though to be fair, it's all rather clean and mundane. I'm good at keeping my lives separate." He shrugged and sipped at his drink watching Alex. Where should they start? That's a good question but honestly, Felix doesn't know where they should begin. Alex had been the one to say he had things to tell Felix. Things that couldn't be shared like they had been communicating.

"I believe that's your call. This meeting is on your terms."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

"I'll admit I'm rather nervous," he says with a silent stutter and nervous laugh. It's the first time anything illegal digitally had turned into an in-person meeting. He didn't want to slip on his other actions, that blackmail would either mean his actual name went on the most wanted list or he did whatever Felix asked of him. It isn't hard to just pretend that fear was from being a good, clean cop who never thought he would be doing something so illegal.

He readjusts himself and takes a deep breath, "So, I need to know. How thorough do you want to be?" He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Opening them again he meets Felix's gaze, "Because I have a theory, call it an investigator's hunch, but to explain it there's some information I would need to reveal that I'm not so keen on talking about with just anyone. I need to know I can trust you."

Felix might feel a sense of something unusual in the air, like it had just been ionized. Some people could feel shadows, even if their senses weren't nearly as acute as the shadow eaters had evolved to become. Or been engineered to become. With any luck, it should stand out that the CRP files had any overlapping with an international child trafficking ring investigation.

[monsieurnoir]

"Only natural really. We're putting a lot of trust in each other rather blindly. After all, you're a cop who took an oath to protect and serve upholding the law. But I think you realize that that oath can be a hindrance - especially when some people can find ways around the law and punishment. In this way, we're the same. We both want what is right I'm just not hampered and bogged by the laws written by rich men and instead answer to something a bit closer to true justice; unable to be corrupted by money or other incentives."

It was just easier for Felix to explain it that way. He had money he didn't need it. Hell, most of what he 'earned' on a job went to charities it was just his way of having proof and security because hiring someone like him wasn't legal and if the person that reached out to him turned out to be shady or willing to double-cross him - well Felix knew how to handle things.

"The more information you give me on what I'm dealing with the more efficiently I can do my job." There's a shrug of his shoulders, "I don't know how you show you you can trust me. If the fact that I'm here and obviously am unarmed isn't enough I have no idea what you'd want. Words are cheap and given my performance last night at the party it's obvious I'm something of an accomplished actor so -"

There's a shrug of his shoulders. "You don't know that you can. I could say that til my face was purple.." He trailed off at that shift of the room around them he can feel - for a second there's a prickle of unease in his eyes then he's putting the drink aside and sitting up; just a bit on edge as those silver-blue eyes scan over the room.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

The feeling fades as Alex appears satisfied with Felix's answer. He shakes his head, "You got one thing wrong. My Oath says nothing about upholding law."

"On my honor, I will never
Betray my integrity, my character
Or the public trust.
I will always have the courage to hold
myself and others accountable for our actions.
I will always maintain the highest ethical
standards and uphold the values of my
community, and the agency I serve.

"The agency I serve does not uphold the values of my community internally anymore. I will do what I must to fix that." Sure, he's talking semantics, but those semantics are very important to him, and even while he speaks calmly, there's an undertone of intensity, pride in his word, disgust at all those who would break their oath and the whole system that supported them.

"How much do you know about the organization I asked about, The Children's Rehabilitation Program? CRP?" He pulls out his phone again and pulls up some documents, a report, home-made but with more detail than most police files on known criminals, though it was far more interested in the daily life and actions, not just connections and criminal actions. He doesn't pass them to Felix yet, not wanting to get ahead of himself.

[monsieurnoir]

"Mm, close enough honestly. All police forces take some variant of that oath, I certainly don't have the time or inclination to memorize them all verbatim for every place I work from." But there's a little smile at that. Good. That's definitely good.

"I showed you most of what I found so I know that. But I have a sinking feeling that with a name like that it's a hell of a lot shadier than I thought." His brows furrow and he's rubbing at his chin. "It just seems like it goes a fuck ton deeper than trafficking kids and all that. I'd almost say that that's some kind of a perk of whatever is deeper under the surface."

He shook his head. "Whatever it is I know I won't like it and I also know that their protection goes pretty far up the chain - and is in multiple countries. It seems like a pretty wide web honestly but it's centralized here which is why you're here if I had to take a guess.."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Of course Alex had it memorized. He took it far more seriously than most- he was pretty sure he was quite possibly the only officer, even among the ones that follow the spirit, who actually has it memorized. He hands the phone over to Felix, a screen showing a number of names he would recognize as involved in this ring, and everything he had collected on them.

"It's a mass human-experiment, t-the CRP, that is." He swallows hard, "Any product of this program stays quiet. If we didn't, we wouldn't get our supply of these." He pulls out a pill bottle and offers Felix one of the pills. "Without it, something goes wrong in our DNA. It's..." he shivers. "and if that doesn't help, they fall back on the claim that the DNA tests were to test for mental illness triggers as a preventative program. But it's easy to lock people up if the rest of the world will call you insane if you bring any of this 'conspiracy' forward." He looks up to Felix, anxious to see if he would believe him, or if he wasn't familiar with the heavy local and targeted political propaganda.

But the USA wouldn't do that, it's illegal, and the CRP 'patients' are all unstable, of course they would be, that was the point. The number of normal people that come out is clearly an indicator of success, right?

"I'm not here just because I want to fix this, but because Furest is my father. I'm also a victim of the CRP.

[monsieurnoir]

He's leaning forward to take that phone when it was offered to him. Those icy blue eyes are scanning over the names. Idly, Felix is ticking off the ones that he knows and has been before in his other files. Right.

"I knew to was going to be something shady that I didn't like. Goddamn it." Teddy was right. He did always find the weird and over the top cases to take on But at leat Felix will never ever be bored. "Genetic modification and manipulation then. On kids. Fucking kids.." It makes his stomach churn and feels sour - And the parents. The parents were complicit? And he thought that his father was a monster.


Holding his hand out he's taking the pill. "So you need this then? This pill and they withhold it if you act out?" He's staring at the pill gaze intense. "Can I take this one? If I take this all down you will I need this won't you? It would be better if I could figure out the composition of the medication and see if I can find a way to produce it for you and the other victims - I know a few people in this kind of thing; very hush, hush that has been on my payroll for nearly a decade."

Felix is blinking at that anxious look. "Well, yeah. That's usually how it works. Granted, there are some things that are obvious bullshit - but these files are in front of me, you're in front of me. I found some of this information independently from valid trusted sources."

The blond tilted his head. "Well, yeah. While I wanted to hope that it wasn't the case no matter how slim, I know the look of someone who has been betrayed - your anxiety, the way you were when we were first talking. There are signs of you being betrayed by people who were supposed to take care of you - and that it's deep so it couldn't have been just your captain or anything like that - the hurt is deep; one that deep? It can only be family."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

"of course," he says as he gives the pill to Felix. He still had a bad habit of putting off taking them, enjoying the bit of time he could grab without seeing other's shadows before it began to make him really sick.

He didn't expect Felix's simple, truthful words to hit him in his core. He looks at his hands for a moment to see they're shaking. He diverts, "They should be replicable. It's a patented protien, however, so not legally. And if one us the resistance were to start giving them out, well, it's far too dangerous. They haven't even caught a scent of our actions." And it meant it was taking years, but with how powerful weapons they made to the government they could not risk someone getting dragged off, and force to spill everything they knew one way or another.

"From what we've gathered, there's at least some tacit involvement between the two groups. They have much more control over the newer 'patients', and I recognized one of them years ago while I was still sometimes working for my father. They've also moved to provide boarding as well.

"Parents, well, most of them, aren't entirely complicit. They're made to sign a non-disclosure before getting the test, and the technicalities in the contract say that the test meant agreement to program participation. If they didn't qualify or they believed the parents to be a risk after the observation stage, a part marked as a part of the required testing needed to determine eligibility, they are denied. Only after that is anything mentioned, and it's still framed as a wonderful new technology. They never mention that it would change DNA enough to disqualify us as humans after the International Animal Rights agreement of 2015." He sighs, "and all reports to international human rights groups seem to disappear as well."

His voice cracks, "And of course there's nothing to do by US laws. We're nothing more than dogs."

[monsieurnoir]

He's moving to get his coat and taking out a cigarette case that he puts the pill in so it won't get lost or crushed. He's moving to sit down.

"The question is will it hold up and if so can it be replicated in a different manner or can one be made that is similar enough to be just as if not more effective. Their patent is for that specific arrangement of molecules - if it could be recreated with one or two different or made more effective with a couple added in their patent wouldn't hold up. And if they're all dead or taken under arrest for these kinds of crimes that patent could be up for grabs."

He shook his head. "I wouldn't be you giving them to them directly. I would just need someone to let them know the name of the supplement it would become and so on..."

That helps marginally that helps. He doesn't want to kill a lot of people but.. It help him to know that. "Alex..." A frown tugged at his lips and he moved to sit next to him reaching out to pet his hair gently.

"Sh... Shush of course you're all more than dogs. All of you are people. Different people from me or anyone but that' always been true. Even without altered DNA - That doesn't change anything at all. You're still human just a different kind."