Grace Walker's body lay motionless on the observation table, her breathing shallow but steady. Strapped into place once more, she looked drained, a stark contrast to the explosive power she had unleashed just hours ago.
The medical monitors above her displayed stable vitals, though her neurological activity still spiked irregularly, evidence of the new energy coursing through her system.
Damian stood near the control panel, his expression unreadable as he reviewed the data.
She had reached 50% ability unlock, but her powers were unstable, painful, and unrefined. For now, they would wait to see if time would stabilize her ability or if another procedure would be needed.
To Kessler, she was an imperfect success—proof that the method worked, but also proof that it was inefficient. The process could be refined further and varying doses would be given to future subjects to see if a slower awakening would be more stable, such as awakening 10% a day.
To Damian, she was valuable. Not only was more than half of her potential awakened, but if Damian could push it to 100% before consuming her, then the benefits would double. Even if she suffered side effects, Damian could heal those when he transforms her into a Superior Minion.
The medical team had been ordered to let her rest, allowing her body to adjust to the forced awakening. The lights in the containment chamber had been dimmed, and only a handful of researchers remained.
Beth and Anabella were among them, monitoring her vitals. Both women were quiet, still shaken from Grace's sudden outburst earlier.
"She nearly crushed my ribs," Beth muttered under her breath. "Does Mr. Kessler want to keep doing this?"
"I don't think he'll stop now," Anabella replied, her voice distant. "Not after seeing what's possible."
Damian said nothing, his mind focused on how to approach Grace once she woke up. This was an opportunity, one he wouldn't waste.
A soft beeping from the vitals monitor caught his attention.
Her heart rate increased slightly, muscles tensing as consciousness slowly returned.
Beth and Anabella tensed, watching closely.
Then, her eyes fluttered open.
At first, there was confusion. Then, the moment she realized she was still restrained, panic surged through her.
The air around her shifted, a faint hum of psychokinetic energy vibrating through the room.
Damian took a slow step forward, raising a hand in a calming gesture.
"Easy," he said, his voice steady, controlled. "You're safe."
Her violet-glowing eyes snapped to him, breathing erratically. "Where am I?"
"Hmm, seems your memories might have been affected. Hello, my name is Alex, and you're in a First Sons medical lab," Damian explained. "You had a… reaction to a procedure. You've been unconscious for a few hours."
Grace's jaw clenched, her muscles straining against the restraints. "Let me go."
The infiltrator, Beth scoffed as she walked over, ready to play out Damian's little play. "Yeah, that's not happening."
Damian shot Beth a pretend warning look before focusing back on Grace.
"You're weak right now," he said. "Your body is still adjusting. If you lash out, you'll just hurt yourself again, so relax."
Grace didn't trust him, but she paused, scanning his face for deception.
He let her.
Finally, her breathing slowed, but her eyes remained full of distrust.
"You work for them," she muttered.
Damian tilted his head slightly, as if considering. "Yes, I do technically, but I'm in it only for science. I study Conduits. Oh, conduits are people like you who are the next step in human evolution. They manifest powers like superheroes on television or in comics. You're a conduit whose power is…"
She frowned, cutting off Damian's explanation. "And I'm just another experiment to you?"
Now came the most important moment.
Damian softened his expression, lowering his voice.
"I won't lie to you," he said. "Yes, the people here see you as an experiment. The man in charge of this facility wants results. But I—" He hesitated just long enough to make it seem real. "I want to help you survive."
Grace's eyes narrowed slightly, but she was listening now.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the facility, Sasha moved with quiet precision, her disguise as a high-ranking security officer still holding perfectly.
Her preparations were halfway complete, but the most critical elements remained.
Escape routes needed to be finalized.
Emergency contingencies had to be put in place in case things went wrong.
She needed to retrieve the hard drives that the two scientist infiltrators had stashed.
Additional distractions had to be prepared.
She had five more days to finish.
For now, she continued making minor security adjustments, ensuring that no one would notice the pattern until it was too late.
Back in the lab, Damian finished adjusting Grace's restraints, loosening them just enough to show her he wasn't like the others. He needed to build trust fast, and nothing worked better than Stockholm syndrome.
As he worked, the doors hissed open.
Kessler entered with slow, deliberate steps, hands clasped behind his back.
"Ah, Miss Walker, correct?" he greeted smoothly. "Welcome back to the land of the living. I was afraid we lost you there for a moment."
Grace tensed, the restraints creaking slightly under her raw strength.
Kessler chuckled. "Such hostility. And after we've given you such a wonderful gift."
Grace's teeth clenched, but she didn't speak.
Kessler's eyes flickered to Damian. "Her powers?"
"She's stable," Damian reported. "Soon we'll test the limits of her power under conscious control."
Kessler nodded, pleased. "Excellent. Prepare the test for tomorrow morning. Afterward, give her another dose to see what the results are."
Grace's breathing hitched slightly. Damian could see the fear flash in her eyes before she buried it.
Damian didn't react—at least, not visibly.
Inside, he was already calculating.
After Kessler left, Damian turned back to Grace.
She was watching him, searching for any sign of weakness or deception.
He met her gaze. "Tomorrow will be harder," he said. "You need to prepare yourself. If we can show some results, then I should be able to get you transferred to a room without restraints."
She glared at him. "Why do you care?"
Now came the next step in the manipulation.
Damian sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Because you're not the first person to go through this." He let just enough exhaustion leak into his tone. "And most people don't make it. I'm tired of seeing that."
Grace's eyes flickered with uncertainty.
Damian leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.
"I'm the only reason you're still alive," he said. "Kessler wanted to push further. He wanted to dose you again today, but I stopped him. However, I can't do that forever. So please work with me tomorrow, if we succeed, I can get this project slowed down and buy you enough time to figure out your abilities. With those, you should be able to escape from this facility."
The truth was twisted, but not a lie.
Kessler had wanted to push further.
And Damian had made sure Grace survived.
He also planned to take her out of there after helping her learn more about her abilities.
But not out of kindness.
Because she was useful.
Grace stared at him for a long moment.
Then, finally—she nodded.
A small step forward.
That was enough, this small step was all Damian needed.
As the night settled over the facility, Damian and Sasha brushed shoulders in passing.
In that brief touch, information flashed between them.
Grace was beginning to show trust.
Kessler planned to accelerate the tests with multiple subjects.
Security changes are halfway complete.
Five days remain until the plan goes off.
Everything was moving according to plan.