The lab.
The droid injected the entire black serum through the left pupil of Rufus. His black pupil shrank to the size of a point as the serum liquid covered the inner lens.
"ARGHHHHH!"
Rufus’ blood-wrenching scream pierced throughout the lab. His optical nerves ruptured while the lens cracked like the surface of a mirror.
Slowly, the left sclera was covered with black threads. Much to his horror, his pain receptors turned more sensitive.
He continued to scream and wail with saliva dripping around.
[[Please don’t disturb your companions by shouting.]]
The droid gripped Rufus’ chin and pressed it up to shut his mouth tight. During the moment of pain, it was a natural response to scream to relieve oneself. This was an innate desire which helped in relaxation to some extent, but now even that right was denied to him.
His face muscles tensed further unable to handle the boiling stress inside. All he could do was let the pain torture him from within.
[[Kindly open your other eye.]]
The fine hairs on his body stood up in trepidation and pain. He realized with terror that he dreaded Claudia more than Kiba.
At least, Kiba has emotions in his voice and expression. The emotions of anger and ruthlessness were something Rufus could understand.
But Claudia was different. She carried out everything in a nonchalant manner as if torturing was something obvious and nothing to think about.
The droid freed his chin and moved on his eyelash. Rufus helplessly felt his right eyelid forcefully being opened by the droid.
A giant needle greeted his vision and his heart skipped a beat. The pain from one eye was suffocating enough, and he didn’t dare take imagine the plight of having both eyes infected.
"I will talk---"
Before he could complete his words, the needle pierced through his pupil. The other hand of the droid once again shut his mouth while the black serum injected through.
[[You would talk but not answer what my master wish to know. This means it is useless to let you speak now.]]
Claudia said as the droid emptied the serum in the other eye. The syringe retracted inside the hand of the droid, and in its place, a surgical blade protruded out.
[[Procedure 1 completed. Starting the next procedure of the planned ten.]]
The remaining revolutionaries cowered in horror...
....
City Heart Hospital.
The corridor on the 17th floor was mostly empty since most of the staff were resting given the clock has just stricken 4 AM.
A man in the early forties slowly stepped through the corridor. The man was almost bald save for the black hairs on the side. His facial features weren’t exactly striking except for the short mustache.
The sound of his steps was low as if his every step was taken lightly. If one ignored his white doctor coat, one might even mistake him for a thief given his nervous walking.
The identity tag on the coat read: "Arnie - Junior Doctor." He was indeed a junior doctor working in the hospital from last four years.
"Calm down," Arnie told himself to settle his rapidly beating heart. His face was precipitating and there was some hesitation in his eyes.
"I can’t stop now," Arnie muttered while glancing at a small mechanical bead in his palm. The bead has the ability to create an obstruction in surveillance devices for a few minutes.
While the time was indeed short, the bead ensured the security system wouldn’t detect the obstruction in this high-tech hospital.
"Just who is the owner of this bead?" Arnie wondered before shaking his head, "I have to complete the task before the power of bead subsidizes."
He arrived in front of VIP ward. He glanced around before slowly opening the door. The bead has ensured the door would open without any hindrance.
In the center of the room, a bed was placed surrounded by various medical equipment. Felicity was lying on the bed in deep sleep.
From toes to her neck, she was covered with a blanket. Her face was slightly pale but it was clear she was in a better condition before she was brought here.
Arnie took out a syringe and a small glass bottle containing blood-red fluid from his coat. He withdrew the fluid from the bottle into the syringe before walking towards the bed.
Arnie glanced at the face of Felicity and his hand trembled.
"I shouldn’t," Arnie’s mind was a mess with opposite thoughts, "She has done me no wrong...but I would be doing her a favor by freeing her."
He was there when Zed operated on her some ten hours ago. So he knew her condition fully well.
Arnie believed she would rather prefer to die than live in such a state. At least, that’s how he convinced himself.
He took out her hand from the blanket and placed it on the side of the bed. With no more hesitation, he put the end of needle on her wrist while his thumb moved on the top of the plunger.
"Forgive me," Arnie muttered as his thumb pressed on the plunger, "Huh?"
Arnie was startled. The plunger was not pushing down. He applied more pressure but the plunger remained in the same place.
"What’s going on?" Arnie was shocked.
How can the plunger be struck?!
Arnie gritted his teeth and used both his hands to press the plunger. Much to his horror, the plunger still remained in the same position.
He brought the syringe close to his face and examined it.
"There is no problem in the syringe so why is it not working?" Arnie muttered.
"Should I help?"
A chilling voice came from behind.
"W-what?" Arnie hastily turned around.
There was someone else here?!
The next moment, his eyes sighted Kiba.
Why was he here?!
"Don’t you need help?" Kiba asked in a voice that carried savagery. His eyes were filled with madness while his face carried a ferocious expression.
Arnie felt the fine hairs on his body standing up while his heart shuddered in fright.
Just how can a human have such brutality in voice and expression?
"I asked you something," Kiba raised his hand and made a grasping motion, "So you better answer."
"What are y---" Arnie felt a sucking force from ahead. Before he could make sense of things, the syringe flew out of his hand.
"Blood from the heart of red-scaled mutated snake mixed with fragments of poison ivy," Kiba said in a cold voice, "A perfect lethal combination."
"How do you know this?!" Arnie asked in disbelief. It has taken him an hour of tests to know about the composition of the blood-red fluid.
The fluid was a perfect method to murder someone within the span of an hour. It would leave no traces of existence since it would blend with human blood after taking away the life.
Even detailed autopsy would only show natural factors as a cause of death. In Felicity’s case, the poison would relapse her earlier treatment and thus killing her. The relatives could only blame the gods and no one else for death. This was why Arnie agreed to use the poison after verifying the properties through detailed examination.
But now Kiba has stated the composition in the span of seconds!
Arnie was terrified.
How can such a man exist?!
"I would take your silence as consent," Kiba’s cold voice awakened Arnie from his thoughts, "Now the plunger should work without any hindrance."
"?" Arnie’s eyes turned wide with horror as he saw the syringe striking towards his heart. He moved his hand down to intercept the syringe, but alas, he was far too late.
The needle struck on his heart and the plunger pressed fully. The blood-red fluid injected inside his bloodstream in a second.
"No!" Arnie removed the syringe but the entire barrel was empty. There was not even a drop of the fluid left...