Predator or Prey? (Open)

[Raal]

His mishap with Mister Deadly Dental Floss left him in quite a situation.

Despite the parasite-virus' ability to resist whatever was being thrown at it, he still couldn't take a severe shelling that would've vaporized entire battalions. Really, direct hits from advanced tanks? Ouch. He had to flee the previous fight due to reinforcements arriving. Things really were not going his way. He had no idea where to go, who to talk to, why the huge patrols, when they came out, and what were those tanks made of. All he did was pierce through their armor. They didn't blow up like the ones back home. Hell, they had ENERGY SHIELDS, dammit! That was the stuff he had only seen in sci-fi movies!

Host, into the alley!

Oh right, he was still on the move.

Hunter sharply turned into the alley, where they couldn't possibly fit one of those heavy-hitting tanks into it. If they did, then holy shit, his goose was cooked. Catching his breath, he waited for a second. This could not continue. The soldiers he had eaten were too mutated to don a proper disguise from. He had no clue where to hide and lay low. The virus would give him away if they had detectors!

Run! They come!

Energy dropping, he ran like a bat out of hell, up the side of the building. Instead of stopping to search for a place to hide, he just roof-hopped. Keep moving, keep moving, they can't catch a fast-moving target. Can they? Well, knowing their advanced tech by witnessing it first hand (and getting the brunt of it), he didn't put it past them.

Hopefully they didn't have aerial support!

[Linx]

Somewhere in the vast recesses of the laboratory, an alarm began going off. A silver eyed squint peered out from a dimly lit workshop. With a sigh, he pushes aside the pile of parts on his desk, tapping a button on his forearm that brought up a holographic map before him, his silver eyes wandering across it quickly. It would appear that anew type of bioweapon was loose in Isafaro. How interesting. Vulture might be a little miffed to have his toys taken away from him, but this new one was loose, a renegade. "How interesting." he murmurs to himself, standing and dusting off his jeans as he rose. He was dressed in a black t-shirt with a lab coat over it, along with his jeans and boots.

With an idle glance at the map, he tapped another button on the keyboard attached to his forearm, sliding a pair of glasses onto the bridge of his nose, he walked briskly from the room. Perhaps he'd have something new to study. He approaches a metal door frame set against a steel wall, tapping a series of numbers into his keyboard as it hummed to life. He pokes his head through, looking around the area, before looking down. "Hmm. Set it too high." he thinks to himself, stepping out and dropping to a roof top ten feet below him. He squinted as he looked around, noting the figure fleeing across the rooftops in his direction. He raises his hand in greeting, stepping from behind the wall into full view. "Excuse me?" he begins as the figure came hurtling towards him, wondering if he'd bother to stop and listen to him. They rarely did.

[Raal]

Hunter dashed right past Linx, not even bothering to stop, "Run! Military coming!"

He turned to leap from a shorter building, to run up the wall of a taller one. Hah, those tanks couldn't catch him from way up here! He thought those teleporting tanks had a short range, so he allowed the virus to take control of his feet to get him to the top of the building. Hunter felt safe... for now. The only thing that would be able to catch him was their aerial units! Ha hah!

He has been wrong before.

Finally sitting down, he was able to relax slightly, but not by much. His environmental awareness remained at peak performance. The virus made a strange sound in his head. It was snickering at him.

What's so funny?

Host thinks predators have lost prey. Prey needs to be aware of this.

Yeah yeah, tell me something I don't know.

Host ran by a scientist.

Dammit! This night just kept getting better, didn't it?

[Linx]

"Military? Oh bother." he says, turning and watching the man sprint past at an incredible speed, his eyes narrowing as he tracks him. Tapping in numbers on his forearm. A couple extra snaps and he was caught up to the man, turning to look back at the distance they'd crossed. Impressive. Before ascending to the upper area where the man was resting, he pulled out a small cube, setting it down and nudging it with his foot. It hissed and sputtered before a moment, whining to life and he stared at it. "...I need to fix you." he mutters, shaking his head as he looks upward, unable to spot the new specimen he wanted to study. He starts walking, turning horizontal as he walked up the wall, poking his head up to get a look at the man.

"Hello there Mr. Bioweapon, my name is Linx. I was wondering if you might be needing some help in escaping the Isafaran military? I could help, for a price of course." he says, attempting to smile pleasantly. He was rather inexperienced at it however, spending most his time in his lab, scowling at various mechanical creations like the one beneath them. So it came out as a little more creepy than he'd intended, but still. It was a smile. "It is entirely up to you Mr Bioweapon, but know that the price is one you can easily afford. I merely request you to sit still for an examination, as I've a fondness for examining new things, and you are quite new to me." he says, continuing to smile at him. He cocked his head back as he heard the military approaching, watching them carefully, holding up a hand to motion for the man to stay still. He was proven justified as they fanned out, moving past them, unable to pierce his holographic overlay. "Amateurs." he said, shaking hi head before turning back to Hunter.

[Raal]

Hunter swapped through his vision types to track the reinforcement units down below. He needed to make sure he wasn't taken by surprise. Linx certainly surprised him by appearing over the lip of the building's edge. His expression changed from alert, to a dubious glower. The virus itself alerted him that this was the scientist it saw as he ran by.

He listened to what the scientist had to say, and yet again, it involved a laboratory.

Hunter was about to move until the scientist told him not to with a hand gesture. Well, the military did figure out where he was hiding after all. Until they went past them. What did that scientist do? Wait, scratch that, he didn't care. He wasn't going back in a tank! Hunter didn't trust this guy as far as he could throw him, and he could throw humans quite far! Then again... he needed to escape from the military....

"More tanks and needles? Are you serious?"

[Linx]

He blinks and looks at him, sputtering indignantly. "Tanks and needles? Tanks and needles!? What do you take me for? Some crack pot human he doesn't know which end of the hypodermic goes into the patient? Bah!" he huffs, glowering at the specimen before him. "Tanks and needles indeed you daft fool! I'm insulted!" he snorts in indignation, glaring at him. "My methods are far more advanced and elegant than those boorish humans who I've bet created you!" he rages on, waving his arms in agitation, before blinking in surprise as he lost his footing, crashing down onto the roof below them, blinking up at the man.

"It appears I've fallen." he says, blinking as his eyes pan over to his little cube, still sputtering at him, as if mocking him. He gives it a glare before realizing he'd been in the middle of something. "Where was I? Oh yes." he raises himself, leaping lightly up to stand beside Hunter, looking at him with a glare. "Tanks and needles." he snorts. "There are no tanks and needles. Just a bit of poking you to get you to comply." he says, wiggling a finger at him. "Entirely painless. I'm curious as to the organism inside you and how it's affecting your normal human biology." he says, tapping in notes onto his forearm as he examined the man. "Now, will you accompany me to a painless examination in which you shall be fed as much as you desire to eat, I assume your metabolism is running rampant given the feats of speed and dexterity you've exhibited. Oh, and of course, you shall be free from the Isafaro military, and I can deposit you anywhere on Genesis you wish once we have concluded our tests. You are also welcome to stay and rest at my workshop, should you so desire." he says, silver eyes staring at the man.

[Raal]

He watched the man with a smirk, getting him off his rocker before fully grinning at getting him off of the roof. All scientists were the same, no matter how much they boasted to be better than the others. This man was hilarious. Aww, he wanted some of his blood, how cute! His curiosity will be the death of him.

"Well, as adorable as your seemingly harmless claims are, Doc, but I'm not going back in a lab. No matter how pretty you make it sound! We both know-"

He was quickly interrupted by the virus, FOOOOOOOOOOD!

Holy shit, that was loud. He rubbed his temples in irritation, so loud was the virus that it gave him a headache. The temptation of more things to consume made the virus morph Hunter's hands into metal-shredding claws. The claws were shiny, and his arms were covered in a twisting, deep purple- were those TENDRILS packed together?!

The mutant's grin had faded off, turning into a slight scowl. He still didn't trust this quack!

[Linx]

"Doc? Well, I'm not technically a doctor. I never studied at a university." he says, waving his hand dismissively. "Regardless, I should like you to...oh. Oh my. Well this is fascinating." he says, dropping his face to the mans newly grown claws, staring intently as he prodded the mass of tendrils with his finger. He pulls lightly at one, letting it snap back taut, narrowing his eyes in examination. He was probably vastly irritating to the man, but he didn't exactly care. He was far too fascinated for such things as courtesy and the accommodation of the feelings and the personal space of others. "Can you do that at will? Is that the organism within you, or a natural mutation you were born with? Do they become anything else? How tough are they?" he asks, firing off his questions rapidly as he typed in notes to his computer.

"Fascinating, simply fascinating! Oh this is quite intriguing!" he says, bouncing from foot to foot in excitement. He taps his fingers against the claws themselves, staring at them as he lifts the claw up, examining it's underside, sensing the virus within the man. "Oh! It's a separate identity within you! Well now that won't do! How rude." he scowls, using one of his various abilities, changing the DNA of the creature within Hunter, putting it to sleep for the next few hours, binding it into silence as he basically edited out it's ability to speak to Hunter, wiring it to sleep. "I hadn't realized it was a seperate being. My apologies. I hope you don't mind me putting it to sleep, it seemed quite rude and detrimental to you." he says, another thought, and he cleared Hunters headache, stepping back as he examined him critically.

[Raal]

Well this... this... should have not surprised him, but somehow it did.

The scientist wasn't human. No human could have jumped back up from a roof that low. Why didn't he notice it before? Well he was busy watching for the damn military, that's why! Speaking of the doc, he clearly had zero regard for personal space as he poked his claws, babbling on with typical scientist questions. Hunter warped and shifted one of his arms to become a bladed whip, raising it high and ready to play whack the quack with it!

That was when he did something to the resilient virus, that caused it to react out of instinct, No! Host goes with us!

What the hell was it doing? He suddenly felt really drowsy. It knew something was severely wrong, so it was using the nearest entities to adapt to the changing situation and drill through his mental defenses, putting him to sleep too before it went to sleep first! It was taking him with it, and it was working!

His arms shifted back to their original state, the man dropping to the roof like a sack of potatoes. Well, Hunter was asleep, and so was the virus. He wouldn't be insulting Linx anytime soon.

[Linx]

"Oh how rude. Such an annoying little organism." he says, sighing lightly, flicking his hand to recall the cube beneath him, letting it fold into a small, palm sized piece of metal, before returning it to his pocket. He reaches down, lifting the man easily with one hand, his other typing in a code onto his computer as a portal shimmered into being before them that he steps through, leaving the rather dreary rooftops of Isafaro and into his personal quarters. It was useful, being able to have a vast workspace such as his available on command for occasions just such as this. He deposits the sleeping man on the couch, a rather comfy one that he regretted the man was taking at this point in time.

He sighs, sinking into a well worn armchair by a small fireplace, aware how odd this place seemed to most that saw him just as a scientist or tinkerer. It seemed strange to him even, having an actual living quarters. He sits back, crossing his leg over his knee as he folded his hands in his lap, tapping his foot impatiently as he sat back, waiting for the man to wake up. Now of course would be the perfect time to examine him, but he much preferred lively specimens to study. The conversation was usually pleasant, even if it didn't last very long. He kept his silver eyes on the figure on his couch, wondering how upset that he'd be when he woke. Oh well. It was either this or leave him to the mercy, such as it was, of the Isafaro military.

[Raal]

He did not have to wait for very long.

The mutant woke up... to a sight he had never seen a scientist have. He was still pretty drowsy, so everything was blurred. Hunter managed to pick out a few things that stood out to him as a personal space to live, not a laboratory. Interesting... but there was still the scientist to deal with.

"Alright doc... what did you hit me with?"

No mocking, no threats, not even a jab, it was just a question from a sleepy man. He felt like he could go back to sleep... and not from the virus. The couch was a really comfortable one. Wait a minute... was this another trick?

[Linx]

He pulls himself from his contemplations as the man stirs, blinking. "Hmm? Hit you with? Nothing. I merely put the parasite to sleep. It does seem rather rude. Instead of leaving you to the Isafaro military, I brought you here. This is my own little world. Laboratories, workshops, and so on. Are you hungry? Thirsty? I will be more than happy to accommodate you, of course." he says, a mental nudge and a couple of robots scuttled forth, bearing trays of food and drink of various assortment on them for his pleasure. "You're more than welcome to anything I have to offer, of course. I still wish to examine you, if you are willing of course. I assure you, it is quick and painless." he says, shrugging lightly.

"I suppose it would do well to properly introduce myself at this point. I am Linx, last of the Draconian Empire, recluse and rather eccentric inventor or scientist, depending on my mood. I take in strays, observe the goings on of the world around me, no matter which world it might be, a,d enjoy the occasional study of a unique specimen such as yourself." he says, smiling pleasantly. "The study is entirely optional of course, I do so hope you'll agree. I'm curious as to the parasite within you, and I assure you once more, it'll be painless and quick." he says, taking a small glass of wine off one of the robotic servants, sipping at it lightly. "My methods are not as crude nor as invasive as those that you might be used to. All it would require is for you to sit there while I run a scan over you. I much prefer the in depth, hands on examination, but you seem rather wary of that prospect, with good reason, I'm sure." he says, sitting back, wondering if perhaps he'd spoken too much for the mans liking.

[Raal]

Hunter sat up, looking at the doc with a sobering stare. Well, now that he was out of the military's sights, he could relax. The virus itself was still groggy, so it wouldn't cause trouble for him yet. It did, however, take up the offer of food, and promptly emptied the trays of all of it with a few feeder tendrils sprouting from his shoulder blades. It completely consumed the material, getting less groggy.

The mutant listened to the offer, not trusting him at all. He didn't really have much of a choice, now did he? Well, fine. He would go with it. If the weird quack tried anything funny, he was chow.

"Fine, doc. I agree to your terms," he said at last, scrutinizing him with a critical eye.

[Linx]

He grins at the man. "By all means, call me Linx. Might I get your name as well?" he says, tapping in a few commands into his computer, looking at the man with a critical eye. "It is interesting to note that whatever affects the parasite affects you as well. Rather petty of it. I'd like to know its planet of origin, that I might go study them in their native environment. I wonder if they latch onto other species native like they have you. Hmm." he muses to himself, lifting his hand, pointing it at Hunter. He twitches his fingers, starting a full scan of the man. A second mental nudge brought forth more robotic servants bearing more food for the man, the drink tray still standing idly by for his comfort.

"Would you care to tell me about yourself? I can read all of the medical data here of course, but that tells me little about how it has actually affected you. How did you come to have this thing inside you?" he asks, reaching out a finger towards the man, before pausing. "Don't worry, just part of the exam." he says before resting a finger lightly on his shoulder, closing his eyes as he began reviewing the information he was getting. "Hmm. Interesting. The parasite seems to have bonded with you on a cellular level. Exceedingly difficult to remove, and more than likely lethal." he murmurs, frowning as he began processing the information. "A unique variety of abilities, I see. Partial metamorphosis to augment combat capabilities, superb physical abilities. My my, you are quite the specimen indeed." he says, stepping back, sinking into his chair as he folded his hands before his face.

"What realm did you come from? I assume some form of Earth, given your clothing. Tell me about that, I'd like to know exactly which Earth it was. They are rather hard to keep in order, usually having only minor differences." he says, reaching over to his cup of wine, sipping at it lightly. "Feel free to say what you will. Little you could say will bother me, and I give you my word of safe passage. After our time here, you are free to depart wherever you wish to go." he says, wondering if he should deposit him personally, or give him the means to come and go as he pleases. He scowls at the thought, a rather formidable bioweapon going freely through his own world, wreaking what havoc it could amidst his things. Like hell, it'd take ages to find the damn thing in here. Even after all these eons, he still got lost on occasion. He was going to drop this thing off personally at the end of all this.

[Raal]

All these questions, so many questions, it was making his head spin. He had never been asked (interrogated?) by a scientist before. The previous ones had just poked him with needles and made theories from there. Maybe this quack was different. There was one problem though. He knew next to nothing about the virus. The only thing he knew was it could mutate. What to tell him?

Everything he knew, of course, "I know next to nothing about the virus. All I know is that it always consumes and evolves."

The questioning about which Earth he was from made him stop completely. There were other Earths? Other worlds?! This blew his mind wide open. He was stumped on what to say to that. If there were other Earths... then where was he now?!

"Woah woah, doc, wait, other Earths? Where am I and what the hell is going on?"