“No, I refuse so sign off on this. This is pointless, I do not agree with the amputation of his wings and tail for....for something as stupid as walking quietly and being able to do a flip!” Clay argued, waving his hand in a slashing manner.
Braden had completely drowned the scientist out and spoke over him as if he wasn't even there.
“Thank you, Hardie, for your insight, I'll send the suggestions to our medical team immediately. The surgery's will be scheduled. Then, afterwards, I'll call on you for another evaluation.” Braden shook the mans hand, snickering to himself as he saw Clay's jaw hanging open.
“ARE YOU COMPLETELY MAD!!??” Clay roughly grabbed Braden's shoulders and shook him viciously as soon as Hardie had gone.
“Let go of me you emotional dolt!” Braden snarled, swatting at Clay's hands.
“Didn't you hear a thing I said...at all!?” Clay was practically shrieking now, “We can't just remove parts of 'A's body just because this...Hardie, thinks it's a good idea. It's inhumane. How would he feel? How would it effect his body? How would we even tell him?” Clay grabbed at his messy hair, completely losing it.
“Do you even hear yourself? You speak as if the experiment has a say in the matter...He's an experiment, he was not born or conceived in a natural manner. We don't have to be humane because there isn't anything humane about him.” Braden argued.
“What? I made him! He has human DNA, of course he's humane. He's not snarling and running around like a deranged animal. This...this is wrong.” Clay inhaled sharply, he wasn't about to let ANY of this happen.
“Clay, I think you are having trouble understanding this. The current Experiment is only one of many. The experiment is just the first, however, before we can make more, we have to perfect this one so we know exactly what we want the end product to be. It will save us the hassle of going through evaluations with each and every assassin we make. Your experiment...the one you call 'A', will never actually become a real assassin. He didn't start out perfect, so it's already too late for him. Once the others are made, we'll more than likely just use him for new tests and upgrade experiments. So it's best that you let go of him now.” Braden shrugged, it was the bitter truth.
“But....” Clay's eyes widened, his mouth dry like sand, “but still. We know Hardie said that the tail and wings can be removed, so why not just take that into account when making the next ones? If he's not actually going to be a real assassin...then why even bother removing his?” Clay was grasping at straws now, then again, why did he have to explain any of this to Braden?
“It's not that simple. We have to make sure that Hardie's assumptions are correct, if it turns out that removing those parts does not in fact help, and we go and make a bunch of new experiments without tails and wings, then we'll have lost precious time.” Braden was growing cross, his patience slipping away for the scientist.
“So, there's a possibility that the removal of the tail and wings will not be beneficial, but we're still going to make 'A' go through with it!? He could be losing them for nothing!” Clay barked.
“IT'S A NOBLE CAUSE. You're just so...UGH!” Braden threw his hands up in aggravation and stormed away from the GYM, leaving Clay feeling just as upset and bitter as he was.
Braden did his best to avoid Clay for the rest of the day, refusing to even be in the same room as him. After the meeting with Hardie, he rushed off to the Medic sector, getting everything prepared for the upcoming surgeries.
“Tomorrow, I think it's best to start as soon as possible.” He muttered as he spoke to the head of the medical team.
“I'm surprised you were able to talk Clay into it...we've been trying to get him over here for the brain implant for weeks.” The head medic grumped, fiddling with the scalpel in her pocket.
“Brain Implant?” Braden raised a brow, leaning on the counter for support. The woman nodded her head as her eyes rolled lazily.
“The experiment had a speech therapist who claimed that the child's stuttering wasn't something that could be corrected. Then the neurological team found a tiny mistake in the DNA make up and created an implant to replace the missing developed areas of the Cerebral Cortex. They sent the CEO's the blue prints and they approved the idea and sent it off to their inventors who made the implant and sent it back here to us. Everything has been ready for weeks, except for Clay, he has refused to schedule the procedure.” She sighed.
Braden seemed interested in the new information and quickly thanked the head medic. After making sure Clay was nowhere to be found, he rushed back to the tall office he had taken over. He pulled out his communication device and swiftly dialed a number. He twirled and spun in the chair like a bored kid as he waited for the device to reach the other caller.
Finally, after a very short while, the device clicked, and an old voice like a rusted hinge, creaked on the other end.
“What is it Braden?”
“Ah, I think it would be wise if you guys were to stop in tomorrow.” He cued, fooling as if he desperately missed whomever he was speaking with. There was an audible scoff before the other person continued.
“Braden, just what in the world are you trying to pull? You know we are all very busy, and if this isn't serious, I might just block your number.” He snorted.
“Aw, i'd miss hearing your voice.”
“Braden!” the older man barked.
“Sorry. Trust me though, I may actually NEED you guys down here. As it turns out, there are two surgeries that need to be done to the experiment and I have scheduled them for tomorrow, against Clay's will. However, I'm almost positive he'll find a way to stop them, apparently he has successfully evaded one of the procedures that you told him to go through with. Something about a brain implant.” Braden sneered, a sly smile sneaking over his slick lips.
There was a short silence over the other end as he heard the elder man sigh deeply.
“Hmmm, I'm sorry to hear this. We will be there by morning.” The device then clicked as he hung up. Braden victory punched the air and tucked his device away safely in his pockets, now there was nothing Clay could do to stop him.
However, Clay was a determined individual with a strong passion for 'A'. He had formed his own schemes as he plotted from the empty Zoologists sector of the labs. His blood was boiling over like an active volcano and he was seconds from erupting. He had guessed that Braden would try and schedule a procedure behind his back, but he was prepared.
He ordered for half the medic team to take the week off, while the rest he had fixing up hundreds of syringes filled with the growth enhancer. Of course he didn't plan to actually use the stuff anymore, but it was busy work to keep them occupied and unable to perform any surgeries. Clay muttered under his breath as he leaned against the still blood stained wall, watching as 'A' climbed on the now empty crates where the Stalkers used to be.
“I'll have to think of something else soon. I doubt that will keep them busy for too long.” He scratched at his head thoughtfully, but nothing came to him, and the only thing he got was a piercing headache.
The clock on the far wall sped through the few hours of the day, and soon, the night would fall on the small Hyperion base. Clay succumbed to a yawn as his eyes slowly wondered up to the time piece, shocked by how long he had been hiding out in the Zoology sector. He closed the tattered notebook he had been brainstorming in and slipped it into one of the many pockets in his Hyperion lab uniform. His arms stretched before he slid over to a creative fort 'A' had made out of left over tarp and empty cages.
“Come on 'A', time to head back.” He called, lifting one of the flaps, not at all surprised to see the child curled up in a ball, already asleep. Carefully, so not to wake him, he scooped him into his arms and cradled him close. Cautiously he peaked out of the Zoology sector, relieved to find the project labs completely void of life. The work lights had been shut off and all the offices were locked and closed for the night, they were finally free from Braden.
Clay felt a swelling sense of accomplishment knowing he had successfully prolonged all the pesky procedures for at least two more days, perhaps he could rest easy. Finally, he allowed his mind to slip off to a happier place, fantasizing about his upcoming “date” with Tabitha.
“18 hours to go.” He sighed as he slipped out of the labs and into one of the many empty elevators. His heavy feet led him back to his own lab and room, where he hardly noticed his Clap-Trap waiting patiently for him.
“I was starting to worry about you...wondering where you had gotten off to.” He called to the scientist, but his words fell on deaf ears. Clay walked straight through his lab and into his bedroom where he plopped 'A' down on the small twin in the corner.
“I wonder if she'll cook...or order food...” Clay muttered to himself, his stomach growling with anticipation, yet it was too late for a snack, and he was too exhausted. Clay flopped onto his own bed, kicking off his boots with his toes.
Bitter about being ignored, the purple robot whirled into the bedroom, arms crossed as he clutched a folded piece of paper.
“You could at least say good night to me. I mean come on, I've only been "under the wrench" all day and you haven't so much as asked how my new parts are functioning.” Clap-Trap fussed. Clay grunted, waving his hand towards the irritating noise, yet Clap-Trap continued,
“I had so much free time I got bored and decided to draw a picture for you. I figured you love 'A's amateur drawing so much, why not have a real masterpiece for once?” He held out the folded paper towards his master, waiting for him to grab it. When Clay didn't move a muscle, and his eyes simply fluttered shut, the robot exploded.
“CLAY! I MADE THIS FOR YOU!” Clap-Trap shouted, smacking the scientists foot. He unfolded the paper and slammed it roughly over Clay's nose, earning a startled yelp from him.
Clay shot up, letting the paper slide down and rest in his lap.
“Clap-Trap...what has gotten into you!!? I'm...I'm trying to sleep!” He was more whining than anything.
“I am tired of being ignored by you, with your stupid human function excuses. At least look at the picture I made for you...then I'll leave you alone, I swear...AFTER you tell me how great it is.” Clap-Trap clapped his hands excitedly. Clay wanted to crumple up the drawing just to spite him, but he knew he would never get to sleep if he did so. With a tired sigh he picked up the paper, letting his eyes take in all the surprisingly skilled details. He knew Clap-Trap was a fine tuned piece of machinery, but his skilled sketch was more than he had expected from him.
Clap-Trap had depicted a man...or...at least that's what it looked like. He had on a strange looking mask with glowing blue eyes, a poor taste indeed. Clay took another second to study every detail before speaking.
“Clap-Trap...this is actually really good...but...who did you draw?” Clay raised a brow as he passed the paper back to the robot.
“Oh...I just drew one of the attackers from yesterday, I went and showed it to Tabitha before you got back, she really like it too.” The robot seemed proud. Clay suddenly shot up, yanking back the drawing. He studied the picture again, trying to imagine what the person behind the mask looked like, who they were, what their name was and their mysterious motives.
“Thank you Clap-Trap...do you mind if I keep this?” He questioned but didn't wait for him to answer and simply stuffed it in his pocket with his notepad.
“Oh it honors me to know that you will cherish it a carry it with you always. I had been hoping it would be fridge worthy, but this is so much better.” The robot hummed, and true to his word, turned to leave, letting the scientist get his much needed sleep.
Sweet...it tasted all so sweet. Clay had his eyes shut as he hummed peacefully to himself, rocking his head gently in his hands, supported by the table beneath him. Was it pie he was smelling? Or perhaps cake or brownies or cookies even, he didn't really mind what it was, he new it would be delicious.
He peeked one eye open as he heard the shuffling of feet nearing him. Tabitha smiled merrily at him as she carried a massive tray of desserts and sweet bread to the table. Carefully she set it down before him, the table shaking slightly from the heavy weight of the food.
“I wasn't sure what you liked...so I just made a bit of everything.” She blushed before taking her own seat across from him. Clay quickly scooped up a cookie, cramming it in his mouth. He chewed and chewed, expecting to be hit with that savory rich taste of melted chocolate chips, but there was none, in fact, he didn't taste anything at all. Yet, he didn't mind, and finished the small treat anyways.
“Don't eat too much, supper will be ready soon.” Tabitha cooed, watching as he grabbed another pastry.
“Supper...after dessert?” His eyes widened as if he had never heard of something so unconventional. His look of surprise earned a soft chuckle from the mechanic and the lights around them seemed to dim as she leaned forward on the table. Candles, which Clay hadn't noticed before, suddenly lit and the warm light danced across her face playfully.
“Clay,” her voice broke the silence as she reached out to grab his hand. “Come with me.” She begged him, rubbing circles in his palm.
“W-where?” He blinked back the heated blush he could feel burning at his cheeks.
“Anywhere. Away from here, somewhere where there are no CEO's, no Mason's, no Everetts, and no Bradens.” She laced her fingers with his and stared longingly into his eyes. Clay was at a loss for words, his mouth gaping open as he tried desperately to keep up. A loud buzz all at once echoed from the other room and Tabitha quickly yanked her hand away.
“Dinner is ready.” She said as she left the table. The obnoxious oven timer only grew louder and fiercer, as if it was drawing close to his head. He began to feel colder, despite the warm glow of the candles, and he could no longer hear Tabitha in the other room. The walls around him began to fade and wobble away while Clay felt the sensation that his eyes, were actually closed.
He struggled to hang on to this sweet reality, but the beeping was too much and it rattled his brain. With a sharp inhale his eyes shot open, adjusting to the green glow of his alarm clock facing him from the bedside table. Furious he sat up, yanking the power chord right out of the wall. The beeping stopped.
Across the room he could hear 'A' groan with irritation, the noise had disturbed his sleep as well. However, despite how Clay's dreams beckoned for him to return, he knew his day had to eventually start. Reluctantly he slid his legs away from the warm sheets and onto the cold hard floor.
“11 more hours.” He muttered under his breath, reminding himself that it was only a matter of time before his dreams would be somewhat of a reality. He knew most of what his brain had fathomed up was unrealistic, but he couldn't help the excitement and anticipation that grew in him as he waited for 7 to roll around.
He had himself on a mental countdown, as if he was waiting to bring in the new year. All throughout his morning he would glance at the clock, figuring just how much longer he had to endure Braden's nonsense.
As soon as he had entered the labs with 'A', Braden was on him like a fly on honey. He had files he wanted Clay to look over, documents he needed him to sign, and all sorts of absolute rubbish that had Clay glued to his office desk for nearly three hours. As he scratched his signature on the last paper, Clay glanced down at his time piece.
“7 more hours.” He sighed, standing from the uncomfortable swivel chair. It was only then that he realized 'A' was no longer in the office with him. His little corner of the room was empty, except for his open coloring book and crayons that littered the floor. No doubt the child had gotten bored hours ago and went off to find something to entertain himself.
Hoping to squeeze in a quick snack before Braden came back with some more ridiculous papers, Clay rushed from the office. He was picking his way back through the labs, passing the different sectors, when it dawned on him how quiet it was, this was never a good sign. It was little past high noon, workers should have been bustling about retrieving their lunches, but there was absolutely no one around.
He continued through the main lab until he passed the Medic Sector and he would have continued on by, if his eyes hadn't spied a small red crown, broken and lying on the floor just by the doors. His brows furrowed and the cogs in his mind began to turn. His gut twisted and told him something was amiss, but his mind was desperately coming up with excuses.
“That could belong to anybody...” he told himself, “A could be in there...looking for something to do.” His voice trailed off as he neared the door. Curiosity got the better of him, and he pushed his way inside. He was met with a front desk, the receptionist jumping in her chair when she saw him.
“Doctor C-clay!” her eyes darted around, but they were the only two in the foyer. She seemed so frigid and on edge, Clay found that just looking at her made him feel slightly anxious as well.
“Uhm...” he began, casting an eye towards the clock behind her, just 6 hours and 45 minutes left. “You didn't happen to see the experiment come through here did you?” He asked, knowing she wouldn't recognize him by the name 'A'. The woman rung her shaking hands, as her head hung slightly, her silky bangs draping over her brows. It was as if she was trying to hide behind them, but they were far too short.
“N-no I haven't seen anybody.” She stammered, avoiding eye contact. Clay's brows furrowed, what was wrong with her, and why was she the only one there?
“Do you know where everybody is?” He shot her another question. Her shoulders jolted and she quickly threw her hands on the key board in front of her, pretending to use the computer.
“Nope, whatever do you mean? Everyone is on lunch break...I don't know where they are.” Her words were a quick train wreck and Clay found he hardly understood a thing she said. The scientists decided that ignoring her would be his best option, and he quickly began to take note of the Medic sector.
Every door was closed, every window had its shades shut tight, something was definitely going on. Somewhere down the hall behind the woman's desk, he could hear a door click. The receptionist ignored the sound and continued typing meaningless words on an open document. Clay quickly stepped past her, making off towards the noise he heard.
“N-no wait!” She called after him, but Clay wasn't stopping. His pace quickened and that terrible feeling in his gut only grew. As he rounded a corner, he spied a meeting room, it's door closed but the windows weren't covered. He caught a glimpse of Braden, and that was enough of a clue for him.
Immediately he was on the door, flinging it open, eyes glued to Braden.
“Where is he?” Clay spat, watching as Braden jumped in surprise.
“W-wha...” Braden took a moment to collect himself, “What are you talking about Clay?” His fright melted away almost instantly and was replaced with his cocky half smile. Clay clenched his fists, stepping into the room and letting the door slam behind him. He didn't stop to take in his surroundings, he knew other people where in the room, no doubt this was some special meeting, but Clay didn't care who they were. His attention was on Braden as he stared daggers through the mans very soul. He wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but he new Braden had something to do with it, and he was livid.
“I know you have 'A'.” Clay hissed, walking around the massive table to get closer to Braden. “Now.where.is.he!?”
Braden's brow twitched upwards as his sly grin revealed his teeth. A chuckle erupted from him and he lazily plopped down in one of the meeting chairs.
“Look at you, coming in here like you're the big bad wolf or something. Yeah, I have 'A', what of it?” Braden sneered. Clay wanted nothing more than to sock his lights out right then and there, but he needed to find 'A'.
“What of it!? You tricked me into hours of pointless paperwork, and then basically kidnap him. That's...that's gotta be illegal. As his care taker I demand to know where he is.” Clay grumbled. Braden laughed again, kicking his feet up onto the table, making himself right at home.
“He's not yours, Clay. He belongs to Hyperion, so technically I wasn't kidnapping anyone. Just...doing my job, as for where he is...” Braden's hand slipped into his pocket, retrieving a crumpled up file. He placed it on the table and slid it towards the scientist. Clay stared at it, unsure if he even wanted to take it or not. That terrible feeling of dread only grew within him, causing his hands to shake. Finally he grabbed the file and flipped it open, his breath hitching in his chest as he eyed the familiar blueprints inside. It was the brain implant he had balled up and thrown away, of course Braden would rummage through his trash ben, that filthy rat.
“You didn't...” Clay's hands dropped the file, this was not happening.
“It wasn't your place to decide if this procedure happened or not. This was demanded by the CEO's, and I am just doing what you failed to.” Braden snorted, his arms folding over his chest. Clay couldn't hear him for the sound of his own heartbeat echoing in his ear drums. His fists shook, his teeth gritted together and all he saw was red. Clay didn't give a warning, or a second thought. His fist flew from his side and collided with an echoing crack to Braden's jaw, sending him toppling out of the chair. Then Clay was on him like a maddened bull. His knees dug into Braden's gut as he leaned over him, holding a fist full of his shirt collar.
“YOU WORTHLESS BASTARD!” Clay shrieked, shaking him so hard his head banged against the cold metal floors. Braden's eyes were wide, completely stunned. All he could manage was to clutch Clay's arms as he roughly shook him and shouted in his face.
“I DON'T CARE WHO WANTED THAT PREOCEDURE DONE! I DON'T CARE, YOU HEAR ME!!” Clay wanted nothing more than to rip his throat out, but his hands were locked in a death grip on his shirt, and it was all he could do but to throttle and slam him into the floor repeatedly.
There was a loud commotion behind the scientist, but he payed it no mind, his eyes fixed on Braden. It wasn't until he felt people grabbing at his clothes and ripping him off the poor man, that he finally snapped out of his fitted rage. His hands un-clinched, shaking from adrenaline as he was dragged away from the stunned Braden.
“Doctor Clay! Cease this wild behavior immediately.” The disappointed growl of one of the CEO's shot through Clay's head like a bullet, and he immediately jumped to his feet, what had he done!? His body spun around to meet the disappointed glare of the CEO's, all standing before him like angry parents. Braden finally came back to himself, pushing his back off the floor. He took deep heavy breaths as he held his aching jaw.
“D-did you see that!?” Braden stammered, pointing towards Clay. “He...he tried to kill me, he's crazy!” Braden blurted, still sitting on his bottom. Clay cast him a nasty glare but quickly snapped back around as the oldest CEO tapped his foot.
“Clay, what has come over you? Braden hasn't done anything wrong.” They pointed out. Clay could feel his mouth drying up, he'd really slipped up this time, why hadn't he been more aware of their presence. Blinded by his own rage he had stormed into the room and made a fool of himself. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, looking about the room again. This time he noticed four armed Hyperion soldiers, positioned against the far wall, their guns were drawn and aimed right for him. He gulped the lump rising in his throat, letting his gaze fall on the single clock above the door.
“6 more hours.” He muttered, he could make it, he could hold out with this nonsense just one more day!
“S-sorry, I don't know what came over me.” He sighed, letting his head droop in defeat.
“Hmph,” The eldest grumped, crossing his arms. “Braden has informed us of your...lack of cooperation and we came to see for ourselves if this was truly the case.”
Clay flinched, yep, they were mad.
“No doubt he was right. However, I can't help but wonder what it is that is making you so...difficult.” The CEO tapped at his chin. “If you can't get back on track...we might just have to cut you out of the project completely. Then you would go back to you mundane job in your old lab, creating half baked ideas that probably wont get past the production stages.” He sighed, shrugging as if it was just a thought.
Clay wanted to roll his eyes, he half wished they would cut him from the project, let him go back to the easy droll of his old work. He missed the late mornings and flexible schedules. He hated the stress and confinements of the projects, and the recognition he had hoped to receive was nothing more than an illusion. No one really cared who made it, as long as it got done. He would never have to see Braden, or the CEO's ever again if he didn't want to. Heck, he'd even pick Mason over them any day.
His thoughts then slipped to 'A', his little experiment. Braden had said it himself, they weren't going to use him for actual assassination, he was basically pointless to them. Yet they were still determined to put him through all those pointless procedures.
“I'm sure you wouldn't want to be kicked off your own project, now would you?” The CEO smirked, thinking he had scared the scientist into submission. Clay let his nervous shaking slip away as his shoulders pushed up into a shrug.
“You stopped letting me make decisions on this project a long time ago, I'd hardly call it my own now.” He grumbled, perhaps if he explained how he really felt about it, they would ease up on him.
The CEO's frowned, glancing between themselves bitterly.
“Clay, the truth of the matter is this,” one of them finally spoke up. “We are demoting you. Braden is project manager now where as you work under HIM. These procedures will happen, weather you like them or not. You no longer have a say in it. If you wish to continue working on the project at all, you will cooperate!” He hissed, jabbing his finger into Clay's shoulder.
Clay clenched his fists, that same fury from before re-burning inside of him, this man was just asking for it.
“5 hours and 55 minutes.” His brain reminded him. He exhaled sharply, trying to burn off steam.
“You guys don't understand, you can't do that!” He wanted to scream, to rip something apart, it was killing him on the inside knowing all the terrible things they had planned for his 'A', and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.
It was almost like a gift, drifting on the breeze and right into his brain, the idea that caused a small grin to sneak across his once cross expression. Clay's mind was kicking into overdrive. It was too late for him, he had messed up, his dreams had been crushed before they ever became a reality, there was no fame for him at Hyperion, nothing great waited for him in future days. Now he was back to square one, shamed and kicked from his own project, but that was fine, oh that was just dandy.
Clay couldn't take it anymore, he was through with them, he would leave, just like that fantasy of his from long ago. He would take 'A' back and hit the road, going to some far off planet where they would never find him. They could have his ideas, they could have his blueprints and lab and tools, but they could not have his 'A'.
“I...I think you are right.” He began, feigning humility. He let his eyes drop with sadness and his whole posture changed to that of defeat. The CEO's stiffened, listening to his words.
“This...this project has gotten to be too much for me. I think it would be better in the hands of...” he gulped, he couldn't believe he was actually doing this. “would be better in the hands of Braden. Clearly I've let my emotions get the best of me, and I would like to return back to my normal everyday lab work.” He stated. Clay could feel his stomach flip inside him, he had said it. There was no going back now, this was it, he was done with the project.
Already an invisible burden lifted from his shoulders and he stood up straighter. He wanted to give a victory dance, the small thrill of a new mission rising in his chest. He envisioned himself saving 'A' and breaking out of the facility, on the run like fugitives, it was intoxicating. Lost in his brief happiness, he peered back to the clock. 5 hours and 45 minutes left, oh he couldn't wait to tell Tabitha.
“That's too bad.” The oldest CEO spoke, his voice had dropped so deep, that Clay snapped his attention away from the clock. He looked with confusion upon them as the CEO motioned to the soldiers across the room. Clay's heart raced when the armed men all at once darted towards him.
“Wait...wha...” his voice hung in his throat as the barrel of a laser gun was viciously pressed into his jaw, he dare not move another muscle. He could feel one of the soldiers behind him grab his arms, roughly pressing them against his back. Within seconds he was bound and cuffed like a deranged animal, guns still poised on him.
“That was never one of your options.” The CEO spat, his brows furrowed so low they almost touched. “But it's clear now that you can't work on this project anymore either. This was your last chance and you blew it.”
Clay's mind ached with confusion, and for a moment, he began to fear for his life.
“I...i don't understand. Why am I cuffed?” He tried not to let the fright seep into his voice, but it was pointless to hide it. Just seconds ago he had felt free as a bird, practically ready to fly away from Hyperion for good. And as quick as lightning everything had changed.
“We can't let you return to your lab after being kicked off the project. Do you realize how much classified information you hold!?” They pointed accusingly towards him. “What would stop you from running away and selling this information to the highest bidder? And, technically speaking, we have every right to imprison you. When we offered you the job, you signed the Hyperion forms of agreement. Yet, during this project you went back on one of the terms, meddling in project intel.” He retrieved a file from his jacket and slammed it on the meeting table.
“You switched the stalker DNA and mislabeled it as soldier DNA, when it in fact was NOT!” they hissed. “Not only did you meddle, but you purposefully left out this information, and because of this, you have lost all your rights.” He sneered, smiling as Clay's skin paled, his eyes shaking. The CEO snorted a chuckle,
“Take him out.” He waved to the door, watching with a pleased smile as Clay was dragged away.
Authors note:
Welp, here it is, the big chapter (or at least that's what I like to call it) It was originally going to be longer, but I've tortured myself enough with this one :')
ns 15.158.61.12da2
