Chapter 52: Containment

The office was silent, but not empty.

It never was.

Markus Cain’s father stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, hands clasped behind his back, watching the distant skyline beyond the Cain Foundation. From this height, everything looked smaller, more manageable and way more predictable.

It was an illusion he allowed himself to enjoy.

Behind him, the room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of embedded panels and a single desk lamp casting long shadows across polished wood. Files were stacked neatly, screens hovered mid-air displaying live data streams, and at the center of it all stood a man who had long since stopped seeing people as individuals.

To him, they were variables, "Subject classification?" he said.

A voice responded immediately from behind him, "Mark 8 infected, sir. Confirmed cases are being gathered as requested."

He didn’t turn once, "How many?"

A pause.

"Seven confirmed... possibly more still unaccounted for."

Markus’s father exhaled slowly, "Seven," he repeated. "And we’re calling that contained."

"No, sir." The voice replied shakingly.

"Good." Victor said.

He turned then, finally facing the room.

His sharp eyes looked calculative and cold, but not a tad bit careless.

"Bring all of them in," he said. "Every confirmed Mark 8 subject. No exceptions."

"Yes, sir."

"And separate them," he added. "I don’t want cross-contamination of behavioral patterns. I want clean observations."

"Yes, sir."

His gaze hardened slightly, "I need to see them all."

The assistant nodded quickly. "Understood."

A beat of silence followed before the assistant hesitated, "Sir... there is concern among the staff."

"About?" Victor asked

"They’re... unstable. The infection isn’t behaving uniformly."

Markus’s father walked back toward his desk, calm, measured.

"It was never supposed to," he said.

He tapped the surface lightly, bringing up multiple projections. Biological scans, neural activity and mutation progression.

Each subject was different. That was the point.

"Mark 8 is designed to push beyond compatibility limits," he continued. "Variation is expected. Failure is also expected as most people do have different genetic structures."

"And success?" the assistant asked carefully.

For a moment, he didn’t answer.

Then, "Rare," he said, " the chance for it being successful is less than 5%." He turned slightly, eyes narrowing just a fraction, "Thats why they are valuable."

Victor raised his gesturing that the assistant leaves.

On his desk there was a picture of him and DeRouse when they were much younger. He picked it up and exhaled, "Don’t worry old friend your son is in good hands...I accepted him in the family, I will uphold my promise I will take care of him but I’ll do it my way." He lay the picture back.

’What I was shocked to hear was that Markus seemed to be opposed to the idea...hmmmm’ he wondered.

The containment wing felt nothing like the rest of the Foundation.

Where the upper levels were clean and controlled, this place felt... heavy, the air was colder, the walls thicker and everything reinforced.

Felix Ainst stood inside one of the observation sections, his arms at his sides, posture relaxed but deceptive. His eyes moved constantly, taking everything in.

The doors, the cameras and the guards. The distance between him and the nearest exit.

They thought he wasn’t paying attention....they were wrong.

"...You understand the situation, correct?" The voice came from behind the glass.

A female scientist who was frighteningly composed.

Felix didn’t turn, "I understand that you locked me in a box," he said flatly.

"It’s not a box," she replied. "It’s a containment unit."

Felix let out a quiet breath, "Same thing...no difference."

Across the room, others were being brought in.

One by one...each and everyone was escorted, each of them watched and being judged.

Felix’s gaze shifted. He counted them instinctively, ’One, two, three, four, five, six...or is that the last one, the seventh one.’

His eyes paused.

A girl stood slightly apart from the others. Not physically separated, but somehow... distinct.

Her posture was steady. Her gaze moved slowly, deliberately, analyzing everything the way he was but what stood out where her eyes.

One was a sharp, piercing amber and the other a deep, unnatural blue.

Different...Completely different. Felix tilted his head slightly, "...Interesting."

"Names," the scientist said from behind the glass. "We’ll begin with identification."

One of the men stepped forward reluctantly, "...Darius Cole."

Another followed, "Lena Voss."

Another went, "Ethan Rike." The names continued, "Juno Halver...Kai Idris."

Each voice carried something different, fear...anger and confusion.

Then another stepped forward, "Reina Malatov."

The room stilled slightly.

Felix’s gaze snapped to her. She didn’t raise her voice, didn’t hesitate, didn’t show fear.

Just, "Reina Malatov." left her.

The scientist nodded slowly, typing something into her console.

"And you," she said, looking toward Felix. Felix didn’t move for a moment.

Then, "Felix Ainst."

A pause.

The scientist’s expression shifted, just slightly.

Recognition...her eyes lingered on him for long."Of course," she murmured.

Felix noticed it, he always noticed.

"...What?" he said.

"Nothing," she replied quickly. "Just confirming records."

Felix’s eyes narrowed slightly, ’Yeah....Sure...I just wonder if Ash is alive.’ he pondered, ’ I left him and ran...leaving him.’

Above them, behind reinforced glass, Markus’s father observed. He was silent and still while watching.

"Subject Reina," he said quietly. "And Felix Ainst."

The assistant beside him nodded. "Yes, sir."

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.

"Interesting pairing...are you familiar with them?" Victor asked. He didn’t take his eyes off the room below.

The assistant started taking, "Reina was one of the best in her department," he said. "Exceptional analytical capability, she is quite adaptable to certain situations and she is so precise."

"And Felix Ainst?" Victor questioned

A pause...Then the assistant continued, " I don’t know much of him."

"An anomaly." Victor said

The assistant frowned slightly. "In what way?"

Markus’s father leaned forward just a fraction, "In every way that matters....that man has a great intelect but he doesn’t use it as he should."

Back in containment, the atmosphere shifted.

The doors locked with a deeper, heavier sound than before.

It was final.

The scientist stepped closer to the glass, "You will remain here until further notice," she said clearly.

Murmurs broke out immediately, "What do you mean ’remain’?"

"You can’t keep us here—" one said.

"This isn’t legal—" another added, "yes but what can you do when they paid the government."

Felix stayed silent, listening and watching.

The scientist didn’t react to the noise, "You are no longer cleared for external movement," she continued. "Your condition places you under Foundation jurisdiction."

"And if we refuse?" Darius snapped.

"You don’t have that option."

Silence fell it was heavy and uncomfortable.

"You are now our responsibility," she said. "Your safety, your containment, and your development."

Felix’s jaw tightened slightly, ’Responsibility huh. That word always sounded clean but the main theme was always control.

It was like ownership dressed up as concern.’ he realised.

Inside his head, something sharper formed, ’Hell no.’ His gaze drifted toward the doors again, ’I’m not staying here.’

Across the room, Reina shifted slightly. Just enough to catch his attention.

Their eyes met briefly. Amber and blue against his always green eyes. There was no fear there, no panic just calculation....The same as him.

"...You’re thinking about leaving," she said quietly.

Felix blinked once. Then smirked faintly, "...You’re not?"

Reina didn’t smile, "Not without understanding what this is first."

Felix exhaled softly, "Understanding gets you killed," he said.

"Acting without it gets you killed faster," she replied.

’Fair.’ He didn’t say it out loud.

Felix smiled, " I like you." He said in a friendly manner.

"Well I guess your okay too." She replied.

Above, Markus’s father watched the interaction closely.

"They’re already assessing each other," the assistant noted.

"Yes," he said calmly.

"Should we separate them further?" The assistant asked.

"No." Victor said.

The assistant hesitated. "Sir?"

He folded his arms, "Let them interact," he said. "Pressure reveals structure, or at least that’s how it is with diamond."

Back below, tension continued to build. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

"What exactly do you want from us?" Lena asked, her voice steadier now.

The scientist answered immediately, "To observe, to understand and to refine."

Felix scoffed quietly, "Translation," he muttered. "We’re experiments."

No one argued because it was obvious.

Reina’s gaze shifted back to the glass, "...And if we don’t cooperate?"

The scientist met her eyes, "You will."

Reina went still as Felix’s eyes narrowed again, ’Yeah. Definitely not staying here.’

Time passed, not long but enough. Enough for patterns to form.

Enough for guards to relax slightly. Enough for Felix to notice the smallest delay in the door lock cycle.

He shifted his weight slightly.

Across the room, Reina noticed, "You’re serious," she said quietly.

Felix didn’t look at her, "Always."

"You won’t make it out alone." She added.

He smirked faintly, "Who said anything about alone?"

A pause.

Then, "...You’re insane." Reina said.

"Probably." Felix replied.

Reina continued, "I like that."

Above, Markus’s father turned away from the glass.

"Prepare phase two," he said.

The assistant stiffened slightly, "Already, sir?"

"They won’t stay compliant for long," he replied. "Particularly him....Felix Ainst"

"Yes sir and what about Reina?"

A brief pause. Then, "She’s the one to watch."

Back in the containment room, something shifted. It was subtle but real.

Felix felt it, Reina felt it. Even the others, in their own way, felt it.

The air grew tighter as the silence heavier.

Like the room itself was waiting.

Felix exhaled slowly, ’Yeah... this isn’t going to last.’

He glanced once more at the door. Then at the cameras.

Then at Reina, "...When it happens," he said quietly, "don’t hesitate."

Reina held his gaze, "I won’t."

Somewhere above them, decisions were already being made.

Lines already being drawn and whether they knew it or not.

Every single one of them had just become part of something much bigger.

Felix’s expression hardened slightly, ’Yeah. Definitely leaving and it won’t be so bad to leave with her..’