CHAPTER FIFTEEN
DOCTOR IS STRANGE!

❝ YOU CANNOT SAY ANYTHING TO THOSE DAMN OFFICIALS-
WHAT HAPPENS IN MY LAB
STAYS IN MY LAB ❞

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The sound of newly bought black shoes pattering against the cold pavement of the laboratory resounded in the male's ears. He felt absolutely sick being in the place but he just had to be here, after all, he was looking out for someone. He looks down, tugging on the snow-white lab coat he had over his shoulders, covering the black on black attire he decided to go with today. Although citizens weren't allowed to wear clothing other than the color range and style given to them, he was an exception for he was what they called an Insider.

The silver plated nameplate he had shone under the bright light that hit it upon entering his designated observation room. His sharp eyes scanned over the perimeter of the room, seeing around four to six workers present. I guess some are still traumatized after cutting off the subject's wings. He thought to himself, masking a frown underneath the stoic face he had put up.

"Ah! Kim Dongyoung!" The Chief Scientist exclaimed after spotting the familiar black-haired doctor.

"That's me." He nods his head towards the scientist, making his way to where the scientist stood. He glances over to the scientist's assistant with a weak smile before locking his gaze towards the large windows, onlooking today's experiment.

"Glad to have you back, Doyoung, was it?" Hansol said with a small smile, his eyes studying the subject's behavior before peering down promptly to take down some notes. "We're just finishing up with our last experiment for the quarter so I hope you don't mind waiting a little bit."

Doyoung shook his head, "Oh please, I don't mind at all, doctor."

Hansol took this as sign to continue with his experiments, running a few tests before ending it off with a loud clap. Doyoung's gaze trailed around the observation room, eyeing a couple of samples that were held in little glass tubes. It fascinated him how it was legal for someone to do such things; to experiment on fellow human beings.

A couple of days monitoring what has been happening in the laboratory, he had picked up all sorts of information. It tore him apart hearing relentless screams that echoed in his ears every time he went to sleep. There were no days that he didn't stop by his friend's bedroom just to help him get to bed without anything haunting him.

Doyoung took a deep breath and shot his head up, seeing as a fellow someone had their eyes on him. A weird thumping sensation that clamored against his ribcage, narrowing down his gaze at that someone who happened to be the scientist's assistant. He rose a brow, "May I help you?"

The woman recoiled in her seat, shaking her head. "Sorry, was I staring?"

"Kinda." He murmured, suddenly looking down at his shoes.

"It's just, I feel like I've met you before...like, before you went to work here."

Doyoung's breathing hitched and he felt his stomach churn in distaste. "No. You don't know me, as far as I know I haven't met you before I started working here." His tone came out harsh and his once troubled gaze was sharpened; sharp enough that she felt rather scared for simply asking him about her own curiosity.

The assistant was about to speak up when Hansol had interrupted, walking in front of her. "We're done for today, it's time to clean up." He looks over at Doyoung who stood still, waiting for him specifically. Hansol motions him to follow and they both left the observation room.

The two men walked side by side together, passing by the hallway that lead to where their captives were being held. It was a surprise that they weren't much guarded as Doyoung thought they'd be, but after being here a couple of times, he understood that there were shifts and a bunch of contraptions ready in case of another escape.

Hansol glanced down the hallway, feeling a tingle in his heart when he heard someone bang against the thick glass doors. His gaze lingered for a quick minute before leading the fellow doctor inside his office.

A swirl of peppermint tickles Doyoung's nostrils the moment he stepped in, his eyes flickered onto the stack of peppermint leaves Hansol had on his desk. The scientist shrugged off his lab coat, hanging it on a nearby coat rack before attending the doctor. He sat down on his desk, opening a bunch of his files. "So," he began with, "I don't really get why they'd send me a personal doctor- or whatsoever."

Doyoung let out a chuckle, taking a seat on the office chair provided for him. "Well, officials said you've been acting..." the doctor takes note of Hansol's small actions. "...weird."

"Weird?" Hansol scoffed. "Everyone here is weird. Mad Scientists, they say. Not as mad as those plantation owners though."

"Say, Doyoung?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever wondered about those subjects we keep toying on?"

Doyoung knitted his eyebrows together in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

Hansol laughed a little but kept his gaze down onto his paperwork. "Well, I just thought that these Irregulars they have captured are much more than we thought."

"Excuse me?" Doyoung's eyes widened, nearly choking as he coughed and pounded his fist against his chest.

Hansol shook his head, "Don't get me wrong. I admire UA's work and all, I do not have an ounce of curiosity towards their ideals but I just- I think—"

A cackle from his visitor stopped him from speaking any further. Fear rushed through his whole body as a wave of panic pounded in his chest, wanting to run out if ever the man accuses him. "Forgive me, Doctor Ji, but from my perspective it does seem that you have a tiny bit of curiosity wondering of why these Irregulars were captured- do you not?"

"I mean, come on! They are humans too, they have feelings too, they have their own beliefs and what not's! Don't they?" Doyoung questioned the scientist who sat still. The scientist was beyond baffled, nor afraid or anxious anymore. He was caught up in his visitor's words, repeating the same sentence over and over again in his mind, as if it would crack some sort of code.

"I- I never said anything like that!" Hansol almost squeaked out, swallowing the thick lump at the back of his throat and pushing himself away from his desk.

"But you thought of it, didn't you?"

Doyoung's words once again struck him like a lightning bolt. A faint gasp to slip out of those chapped lips and those brown eyes dilating as realization dawned upon him. Curiosity was never good. Curiosity always lead them to do bad things; they say. The aura around Hansol had shifted and his gaze travelled down to the ground, more ashamed than he ever was in the past. Hansol stood up and shot a finger towards Doyoung's direction, the glare was unmistakable. "You cannot say anything to those damn officials- what happens in my lab stays in my lab."

"My, my. You just admitted to cross the bounds of curiosity the UA has set for everyone- including curious cats like professors, scientists, and so on. You are starting to doubt the UA's ideals and the borders of this reality you live in." Doyoung smirks, finally catching the fish they've been trying to hook on the tail. "You wonder about the endless possibilities and wonder about the forbidden truth—" he glares at the stack of paperwork Hansol had. "and you've been researching about the past Irregulars."

"These are necessary as we are conducting experiments on them anyway." Hansol snarled, now standing in front of the doctor—or so he thought was a doctor. The height between them was a bit far, with the older being rather small, regardless of the gap, it didn't stop him from sending snarky comments. "Who are you..." the scientist trailed off, looking deeply into Doyoung's eyes which were devoid of anything. "No." Hansol shook his head and decides to replace his words, "What side are you on."

The corners of his lips tugged into a little smirk, "I'm from the Rebellion, of course."

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quick info!
hansol is a scientist who works on a project (one wherein they experiment on 'captured' irregulars)
in this chapter we see doyoung (a hidden irregular) works undercover as a doctor

in their 'world' they believe that to be curious is to lead yourself to your own death and that siding with the rebellion will cause that death