The Forgotten Zodiac

((Hear. Adur.))

Kyle rolled his eyes upward, pondering what to say to Werr, then settled on the truth. "I want to use you as a test subject to study how to more efficiently extend the lifetime of the Gifted. The Institute wasn't lying completely when they told people they were extending life. That is their goal. Then they'll do lots of other things to stay rich and powerful and evil, but that's not my department." He spun around in his chair once, then pointed to a chair in the corner. "You could sit down, you know."

((I had figured as much.))

"I'll stand," Werr frowned. "What sort of test subject are we talking here, exactly? I'm not exactly one for surgery. And there better not be any serious side effects. And if there are, there'd better be a high chance of this stupid thing working." He waved his bloodied hand in front of Kyle. "In case you haven't noticed, I don't have much time left, so I don't intend to waste very much of it suffering."

"Surgery?" Kyle laughed and shook his head. "Do I look like a surgeon? Medication." Kyle pulled a bottle off the shelf and tossed it to Werr. "Once a day for a week, which should change your physiology enough that, one, you won't die, and, two, your powers will either spike, disappear, gradually rise, or slowly shrink into nonexistance. Or you'll die, but that's very unlikely."

Werr caught the bottle in his clean hand, peering at it grumpily. "So, I take these, and I either become stronger or I lose my powers..." He pulled a single pill out of the bottle, inspecting it. "How am I supposed to know that this isn't poison or something? Taking unknown drugs isn't exactly on my list of 'things to do before I die'."

Kyle shook his head. "No, no, no. You don't understand how this works. Either you die and you never take one of these pills, or you die because one of these kill you, or you don't die and your powers dissappear, or you don't die and your powers get much stronger, or you don't die and your powers slowly move toward gone or more powerful."

Werr made a 'tch' sound, obviously unhappy. He looked at the pill for a moment more before popping it in his mouth and swallowing. "Well, if I do die, I'm going to come back as a ghost and haunt you for the rest of your life. And then, when you're dead, I'll haunt you more."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "I'm not killing you. I told you almost everything." He stood up to leave the room, clearly about to abandon Werr to whatever he'd left out. "Bathroom's out the door to the left, then it's the second door on the right."

Werr got up after Kyle was gone, moving into said bathroom. He washed his hands there, though he couldn't avoid looking at himself in the mirror. What glared back at him was a ragged, exhausted 18-year-old, far from any place he could ever call home, taking drugs from mysterious so-called scientists...

Werr wrapped the handtowel around his fist and shattered the mirror with a single punch before washing his face in the sink.

Kyle reached the kitchen, where everyone was, and sat down at the table, glaring at Sylas, though he was looking more at Michael. "Explain why he's here."

Michael crossed his arms and glared at Kyle. "Simple. I brought him. Technically, I don't have to tell you more than that."

Sylas was frowning, looking much like he was being scolded. And he didn't like it one bit. "Why can I not be here?" He asked quietly, fidgeting with the sleeves of his usual suit.

"Sylas isn't like other Iyouis, he's nice," Quinn put in for Sylas' defense.

Kyle crossed his arms and glared. Because, either you're a homicidal, flesh-eating maniac, or you're enough to attract one from anywhere. Plus, I hate Iyouis." Strangely, Sylas was less involved than anyone would have supposed. Really, Kyle and Michael wanted an excuse to argue like they always did.  Sylas made an easy target.

Sylas didn't object, but he looked much like he wanted to cry after that. Instead, he got up and started rummaging around in the pantry and fridge. "I don't really like you much either, but can I use your food to make dinner for us all?"

Kyle rolled his eyes again, looking more annoyed every time someone who wasn't him said something. "And now he wants to cook me dinner. Fine, whatever. I deal with enough poison anyway."

Tyler reached over and patted Sylas gently. "Don't worry. Kyle's just mean. Everybody who isn't stupid like you. Everybody who's nice like you. Kyle's stupid and mean."

"Sylas is an excellent chef, just you wait," Quinn pouted at him.

Sylas gave a small smile to her and Tyler before getting to work. "What should I make, shepherd's pie?" He asked Tyler with a happy smile.

Tyler grinned up at Sylas and shook his head. "You should make chocolate cake, and ice cream, and apple pie. I love apple pie. It's my favorite." He climbed up onto a seat, closer to Sylas, and blinked at him adorably. Hopefully, it would make Sylas more likely to give him what he wanted.

Kyle rolled his eyes and leaned back against the chair. "If I die, I'll die being right. Which means, Michael, that you'll be wrong. Just to make that clear."

Michael glowered at the other teen. "Your conversation alone is enough to make people want to poison you."

"Those are desserts, but I guess I'll make apple pie for that. What about dinner? How about...oh, perfect, I'll make soup. With chicken and leek and onion and celery." Sylas nodded, pulling out the ingredients he would need before getting straight to work.

In twenty minutes or so, Sylas was done and serving everyone the food. It was delicious, as Quinn said it would be. And it definitely wasn't poisoned.

Tyler immediately began eating his soup. Shortly afterward, he held his empty bowl out to Sylas. "I like soup. It's my favorite too. It's just as good as apple pie, but not the same."

Kyle watched and glared until everyone had taken a bite, then decided it was safe to eat. Shortly afterward he finished eating the soup. "That wasn't terrible."

"I do not make terrible things, I make good things." Sylas shook his head, already getting to work on the pie. "Please don't assume that I must be bad just because of my brothers. I may be one of them, but I am definitely not the same. I do understand why you would be afraid of me though, and I'm sorry about that..."

Kyle looked at Sylas sceptically. "You're one of what, a hundred of those 'siblings'? You're, like, one percent. It's a safe assumption, even if you aren't lying." He stood up and dropped his bowl in the sink with a clatter. "I'm not scared of you. I'm annoyed that Michael was stupid enough to bring an Iyouis here. There's a difference."

"Michael is not stupid!" Sylas snapped at him. He had been upset that he was insulted, but now he was more mad than anything else. "No more name-calling! I get that you don't like me, I get that you hate Iyouis. But you know what I hate? Name-calling! Mean words! I am very tired of hearing it, from all of you! If you aren't going to be nice to each other, then why do you stay together so much?!" He spat, enraged. There was silence; no one had ever seen Sylas this mad, not even when fighting. The Iyoui turned and stalked out the door, leaving his half-made pie filling on the counter.

"...Well," Quinn broke the silence after the door slammed shut behind Sylas. "Er...that was..."