𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍|
— The Labyrinth Laboratory, Munich, Germany.
—10:00 a.m., January 16, 2015.

"𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄!" the witch banged her fist against the glass.

Dr. Kennedy Jones clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You're off your meds again, aren't you, Moria? Would somebody here get Ms. Reeves her meds?"

"Moria?" Dr. Stein asked, clutching a handful of clipboards to her chest.

Kenny sighed and shook his head. "Specimen 0-36. If Lord Kaos is putting you in charge of the Labyrinth, you might want to start learning the names of the specimens."

Dr. Stein shook her head and tried to catch up with Kenny as he turned at the end of the next corridor. "Dr. Jones."

"Yes, Frankenstein?"

She frowned at the given nickname. "I just wanted to let you know that I highly admire your work and I meant no disrespect when Lord Kaos offered me your position. I presumed that you had accepted work elsewhere."

"That's certainly an option that I'm beginning to consider," Kenny agreed, "It seems that my work here isn't appreciate and I'm only being held back."

"Please," Dr. Newman scoffed as she joined them, "If you wanted to leave you would have done so ages ago."

"Blake," Kenny said the name with disdain.

"Kennedy." She returned the favor before turning toward the cell of specimen 0-36, syringe in hand.

Kenny looked down at the watch around his wrist with a huff of impatience. "What time did Kaos say he'd be getting here?"

"Ten," Agent Mors replied, stepping out of the shadows, "You'd know that if you ever checked your email."

Kenny gasped. "Seth! You've come to visit!"

Seth's nose wrinkled at the thought, and he quickly shook his head. "No, Lord Kaos sent me ahead to ensure that all of the preparations had been made for his arrival."

"Still playing errand boy?" Blake asked with a hint of amusement.

Seth frowned. "Actually, I believe I'm due for a promotion here soon."

"So, you'll start picking up his dirty laundry too?" Blake asked, the smirk on her face growing.

"Would someone just show me around this rank prison?" Seth snapped.

Kenny's hand shot up into the air. "I volunteer as tribute!"

Seth's expression grew uneasy. "I'd accept literally anyone else..."

Blake shrugged, waving the syringe around in the air. "Sorry, the rest of us are preoccupied with making the final preparations."

"I have loads of spare time since I was demoted." Kenny nodded in agreement.

"I can't imagine why Lord Kaos would ever think of demoting you," sarcasm dripped from his tone as he rolled his eyes.

"I know." Kenny nodded his head as he slid his arm around Seth's. "I don't think he's all there sometimes."

As if he'd been touched by a disease, Seth quickly pried his arm free and held it out away from his body. "Can we just get this over with, Dr. Jones?"

"Please," the doctor waved away the formalities, "call me 'Kenny'."

"Dr. Jones." Seth reinstated his formal address. "The tour."

"Right this way." Kenny motioned for him to follow.

Seth glanced over his shoulder and Dr. Stein shrugged and whispered, "Good luck."

Dr. Newman, on the other hand, was enjoying herself far too much. Seth looked as if he wished to say something, but he was never given the chance as Dr. Jones pulled him away, deeper into the horrors of the laboratories.

"You'll be pleased to hear that the experimentation associated with the Daedalus Initiative has gone well," Kenny commentated, "We've utilized different aspects of Dr. Stein's Caduceus Formula that revived Lord Kaos's shadow in a way that could produce an opposite effect."

"Meaning what exactly?" Seth asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We're just about ready to make final preparation for the Daedalus Initiative itself," Kenny replied.

Seth appeared pleasantly surprised. "I thought Dr. Stein said that she needed more time in our last meeting."

Kenny shrugged. "You ever watch Star Trek?"

"What?"

"Have you ever seen an episode of Star Trek?" Kenny repeated himself.

"I don't see how that is relevant, Dr. Jones." Seth frowned. "If this is some sort of tactic to ask—"

Kenny interrupted him. "My point is that lots of engineers ask for an extension on a project to make the time in which they complete it more impressive. They did it on Star Trek all the time. Said they needed days when hours would suffice."

Seth pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration; however, he straightened to attention at the sound of other footsteps approaching. Lord Kaos seemed to greet them. "Dr. Jones. I hope there's good news."

"I was told that you were the one with news," Kenny corrected him without fear.

"Perhaps... only if you can correct the malfunctions of your projects." Adrian crossed his arms. "Like the failure of the shadow."

"Technically, that one wasn't mine." Kenny shrugged. "My experiments have been viewed as successes in my eyes."

"Including the escape of one of your fallen angels?" Adrian asked, reminding him of his own failed projects.

Kenny only shrugged. "She proved to be smarter than I anticipated. An excellent thing actually if you think about it in the context of what it means for—"

"I'm not here to discuss your feathered warriors, doctor," Adrian interrupted him. "Where might, Dr. Stein be? I'd like to speak with the head of operations down here."

Kenny seethed but placed a false smile on his face. "She should be here soon."

"I apologize for the inconvenience of my tardiness," Dr. Stein spoke with a formality that was like nails on a chalkboard. "I had some last minute things to tidy up."

Kenny mocked her from behind. He was surprised that she hadn't bowed down and worshipped the very ground that Lord Kaos walked. Like just about every other scientist within the Labyrinth, she viewed their leader with an unbearable amount of respect. To him, Lord Kaos was just another wealthy white guy hiding behind a title. In an instant, he could have brought him to his knees; however, Kenny remained calm knowing what the organization did to beings like himself. He appreciated the ability to conduct uncontrolled science too much to step out of line.

"How can we be of service, Lord Kaos?" Dr. Stein asked.

"I want you to focus your efforts on the shadow, Dr. Stein," Adrian replied, "I see that the beast has the potential to acquire the last few elements of energy needed to conduct our mission. However, it needs work. Another failure like the last will not be accepted by the Titans Council. Successfully work out the kinks and I think you've got a bright future here."

"Ahem," Kenny cleared his throat, "I believe that you said your proposition would be beneficial to all who work here in the underground."

Adrian slowly nodded his head. "So, I did... I'm providing full access to each member involved in the Daedalus Initiative. There are no more time limits or moral obstacles. Do what you must... additionally, I think we've been foolish to overlook your program, doctor."

"The Wings of Icarus?" Kenny asked, his hopes rising.

Adrian nodded his head again. "The girl we brought in a few months ago, I want you to include her in the initiative."

Kenny paled and his eyes widened. "But that would destroy her!"

"Dr. Jones," Adrian didn't let him continue, "I have provided a means through which you can continue your program, albeit not the way you intended, but you should take what you can still get. There are a number of stars rising up in the ranks. I would hate for you to be overshadowed."

"Of course." Kenny's eyes lowered to the ground as his hands balled up into a pair of fists. They trembled with rage rather than fear, and it was growing harder to remain in check.

"On another note," Adrian turned to look at the other beings locked up in their cages around the room, "is specimen 0-13 capable of completing a few more retrievals?"

Kenny looked up in confusion. "I thought you said Project M.I.N.O.T.A.U.R. was too unstable?"

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "You assured me that you could handle the boy."

"I can—"

"Excellent," Adrian interrupted, "I would like him to be returned to the Argonaut."

"But I just got him back here in the Labyrinth—"

"Dr. Jones," Adrian continued to interrupt, "I suggest you accept the compliment of your work and do as requested. The more useful you prove yourself to be, the greater the benefits that you experience. You know that is how our arrangement works."

Kenny slowly nodded his head. "I'll have the arrangements made."

"Excellent," Adrian nodded in agreement. "Agent Mors, I believe we're finished here."

Taking his cue, Kenny stormed from the room back toward his private lab. He slammed the door behind him, thankful that he hadn't accepted the upgrades offered around the other facilities. Although he appreciated modernity, he preferred to do things the old-fashioned way. He immediately approached his desk and took a seat, slamming his head down against the cool metal. The impact was hard enough to bruise, even break skin, but he didn't flinch. He knew he'd heal within minutes.

He sat in silence for a moment before lifting his eyes to look at the objects messily scattered across his desk: a crudely sharpened scalpel, feathers of a variety of color, several bird diagrams and models along with notebooks filled with his own calculations. The things within that lab were the culmination of his life's work.

No matter where he moved or worked, his stuff was always there with him. It was reliable in ways that people and machines weren't... that is unless they were made by him. He prided himself in his craftsmanship, maybe even too much; however, it never stopped him from pursuing the next evolution. He was always searching for the next evolution. Just when he thought he had achieved it, it had all been taken from him as he went too far. He'd had to start over before, but that didn't deter him.

This was different though. This time, starting over meant destroying everything that he'd worked so hard to create. He didn't mind tearing things apart if that meant he'd be putting them back together in a way that was stronger; however, he knew that wasn't the case this time. Adrian Wren was set on destroying the evolution of nature, he always had been. He was insane but on the opposite spectrum that Kenny was insane. Adrian was consumed by power, even though he was trying to destroy it, while Kenny was tempted by knowledge. That was the reason why he had to go through with everything his gut told him not to.

He lifted the scalpel from his desk and walked to the back of the room where he'd restrained the girl earlier. Dried tears stained her face, but there was defiance when she slowly opened her colorless eyes.

His gaze softened as he looked at her with fondness. "Specimen 0-01—"

She spat at the given name. He wiped the liquid from his face and blinked a few times to clear his vision. Her blonde hair fell in front of her eyes, but she quickly huffed so that she wouldn't lose sight of him for even a second.

"That wasn't very nice," Kenny clicked his tongue, chastising her, "You think that you'd show your creator some respect."

"You didn't create me." Her voice was raspy, almost as if she'd been screaming for hours on end. "You mangled me and assumed that meant something."

"Since you're so displeased with the results, I suppose you'll be content to learn that I was given the chance to restart." Her eyes widened in horror at his implication. He grinned, self-satisfied, and continued, "A storm awakened inside of you that wasn't there before... I have every intention of learning why."

He didn't offer sedatives or anything to relieve the pain. The pain was his favorite part. It was the only thing that brought him pleasure anymore. Her screams were like music to his ears, like crystal wind-chimes colliding with one another in a delicate fragile way. Perhaps that was how she had earned her name. She was his pride and joy. She was the crystal of his achievements, reflecting everything that he had ever tried to accomplish. She was an angel, but he had made her that way. She would be his guide through this next step of his evolution.

———

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞| Thanks for reading! This chapter marks the end of act one. How are we feeling so far?