We are the Monsters

a moment, once she approaches him, for the man to notice the forced confidence on her face. Her eyes are red as if she has been cr

lie and he would mos

g a dark red shirt in the same shade as hers, instead of that white one from the night before. However, as seems to be

man is standing by a big dining table and has his back towa

shakes his head in mild incredulity. When he

es a different metal platter on the table. This one is filled

which has leather straps on its armrests and onto its fr

is is going to be?" She looks back at him with a chuckle.

sigh as he fills one of the syr

out of the syringe, and begins to approach her. Looking rather

ver down her spine. And while Malva would usually push others' limits a bit longer

ts to remain impassive are in vain

Mal is so surprised she barely feels the press of the needle against her skin; barely feels whatever

," she smiles through a wince; eyes flooded aga

ack after injecting its li

ing bad to you?" He asks in a

Mal grunts, finally sitting on the

eally feels like biting a piece off his face. However, he was clearly a smart man and kept

es toward the straps with her c

ore connecting a subject to the CORTEX, which is the reason you are here. Normally, I would do a physical exam first. But given the circumstances prior to y

ing scratching at the back of her min

voice is at the ba

ead feels heavy and foggy. It looks like I'll b

er head lolls forward. "Eve

the straps on her ankle

mytal. You'll recover in a few moments.

her of that night in that ice-cold room back in the locked

e up, doctor," she gasps weakly

to protect everyone from me

s and just remains quietly sitting in fron

o him and touch his chest. "I'll start by asking you some s

absentm

is you

lies robotically

our are y

la

s the d

cted her with, it worked fast. And it worked pretty well. Mal's mind is easily letting every piece of information requested slip out like an open faucet. Th

h trouble to get you?" Vikram asks, with slight

hing Mal hears

's a sigh. Now

her lips slowly, and her unsteady breathing begins to even out;

pushes. It only takes him a moment to decide is safer for b

ody at once. In the blink of an eye, her shoulders sag and she lets out this l

s looking him directly in the eyes now. "This medicine you used on me makes m

doesn't sa

at the ceiling, gaze fixed on the chandelier - Vikram notices she is making that into a habit. But s

ram's hands tighten into fists at the mention of his brother. "You know, the whole trying to kill you in your

she notices Vikr

rugs. Still laughing, albeit softly. "It

sks, gritting his teeth. Rag

nd he hadn't noticed. "Oh, come on! Don't try to deny it. You still move like a predator, despite trying to hide it, V. You knew what was going to happen from

s Vikram couldn't categorize all of them. The most obviou

Vikram asks himself

ed. Being what you are, you could have. But you just let him fool you a

s glimmer with a sick form of realization. It makes a pi

ly enjoyed the feeling of being deceived... If you already knew what you were by then and all y

hless. The only noise in the room is the s

d me so far. And who knows?" She chuckles.

es as she cl

gling to come out at this very mo

d have prepared him for something like that. He simply did not know what was happening in

l chuckles again as if all of

am question

o stupid to bear so far. "She doesn't trust me. And we have an agreement that I c

as more ashamed than he would ever admit. But he definitely should hav

d. Instead, you drugged her to get some stupid answers to even stupider questions." Mal pauses again and looks him in the eyes. "You could at least have given her something to eat, you know? M

rsed straps weren't tied this snugly, I would have loved to rip your face off with my teeth. You look kind of hot, and so damn delicious w

hums almost happily. Then she breathes out and whispers, "A word of advice: Mal will not be of use to you i

ng difficult to sound confident in

ower. And Vikram finally understood what she was aiming to do: she was trying to provoke h

concern in his voice. But mostly only feeling resigned to the failure of his little experi

o his feet and goes for the notebook he had left on the table bef

bored. "You want to know why she was in the locked ward? It wasn't her fault. It was me. I got us locked in there because I hated

n the notebook

too risky for him to smuggle basketcases out of the locked ward. Had I met him in person before accepting that job I wouldn't be here, but it turned out he outsmarted me without eve

; he notices. And it's rather amusing that, despite the clear c

d vulgar. She managed to disgust

's almost time

in silence. Deep in thought, he pays no mind to the girl while she r

a finally came back, with a cough and a groan of discomfort. Gas

from his notes and at he

be surprised at the sight of blood with how quickly her face turns pale. Her voice is

in, before her body tr

e questions in a low, strained voice. She looks con

im, Vikram realizes. He stops p

he knew something else was wrong and he was going to have to

r self had to say. She was clearly right regarding their current physical conditi

t was fa

rl's tired features. She's turned so pale so suddenly he's sure that a

her and starts u

on the chair when she started to loll forward. Her skin felt clammy and warm despite b

ast thing she says

er Mal was correct. They might have a perfectly strong mind for him to work

and carries her back to the ro

making a mental list of all he was

fficult, he thinks. Bu

for anyone in