XXI Eye For An Eye.

And everything went according to what Rick predicted. He couldn't remember the last time that he watched the news with a grin on his face.

"Oh my lord," his mother exclaimed covering her gaped mouth. "Who would have done such a thing?"

"The Gotham tower that lies in the middle of Lauxdale city was put on flames sometime last night," said the announcer. "The authorities can not yet figure if this was a terrorist attack or merely bad luck."

"Bad luck?" Rick murmured under his breath, setting the spoon down. "Can't they make up a better excuse?" he wondered as he stared at the screen, taking in the charcoaled building….taking in his handy work.

"And you can say that it isn't?" Joanna scoffed. "Do you know any better than they do, brother? I know that you hate them so much but still…" she paused.

"A lot of people died," she finally added.

Part of Elfric was thankful that they didn't show on screen the sight inside. Even in the dimness of last night, he figured the sight was…unpleasant. He couldn't even begin to imagine how it would look like in daylight.

"Not more than those who die every day serving the likes of them," he growled.

For a moment there he lost sense of where he was and by the time that he snapped back, it was too late. His mother and sister were ignorantly staring at him as they halted the food from reaching their mouth.

"Death is still death, Elfric," his mother uttered. It's been a long time since she called him by his name, an attempt for her words to land deep inside him. Usually, it would have. But now…he didn't know anymore.

"Even the evil has someone to mourn on them," she sadly said, her eyes landing on the screen. The sight of the victim's family as they cried and mourned for those who were dead in the tower was unsettling.

All that Rick could see were the mourners every day that the media never showed. Losing their loved ones one at a time.

"Eye for an eye, mother," he clenched on the tablecloth. "Eye for an eye."

~~~~

"JUST MAKE IT STOP!"

Shaw Gotham stood over Jake, finding pleasure in his cries. Though he didn't let it show on his face. Nothing is ever shown on his face. But that shimmer in his eyes as he watched Jake struggling on his restrains was pleasing him on another level.

Jake felt the tears brimming in the corner of his eyes as they fell downwards to his ears. He didn't want to cry but his eyes couldn't stop the tears from falling, he struggled on his cuffed hands and feet but it only made it worse as he felt the spark traveling through his body.

He lied there watching the blinding spotlights on the ceiling blurring his vision. He felt sick the moment he felt another touch from one of the doctors, the feeling of his gloved hands as it roamed his arm was enough to make him through up – not that he had anything in his belly to do that.

He tried to close his eyes and forget everything, this wasn't the first time that he has been through this. He went under the knife countless times before he was finally complete. Yet, he could never get used to the feeling of needles piercing his arms and injecting him with god-knows-what this time.

His eyes jolt opened, his muscles painfully contracted as he felt the liquid enter his veins. He groaned in pain his back arching in an attempt to get away, for someone to let him go but all he got where the cold stared from the researches that stood around him like a cage.

"Is the compound working?" Shaw questioned a doctor standing next to him with Jake's screams in the background. "And can't you find something to do with his screams?" he frowned.

"I'm afraid there is nothing I can do," said the doctor. "It is painful. His body's cells are rejecting any new modification. So, we are doing our best to break it apart with minimum damage."

"W-Why…?" Jake was able to murmur as he somehow caught up with the conversation that those two had. He thought that this torture was finally over, that he was a successful subject to their madness. Didn't that mean this is all over?!

He was a fool to think that it would be over…Greed runs in these people's veins. All they want is more, once they get what they want, they will only want more. He felt furious. This state that he was in. The way they talked about him as if he was just an object to be disposed of when they are done with him.

"Sir, he is fighting back," said one of the assistance after hearing the metal cuffs rattle harshly on the table.

The man next to Shaw barely spared Jake a glance. "Inject him with sedatives again," said he. "Can't have him going rampage."

And that was what they did, another needle pierced Jake's skin. Instantly he felt himself relax under its effect, though the pain remained with him strongly he had no will to struggle as if his body was giving in to the pain.

But deep within him, somewhere he still has control over himself…he never gave up fighting. Why else would he be here? he fought hard. He took so much. Withstood so much. And finally made it with Ash as the only survivors – or at least that was what they thought.

Jake took a look around him with weary eyes, one more look before he loses his strength. All he saw was the terrifying faces of the doctors that made sure his every day was a living hell. To them…they were the only subjects who made it through the first phase of transforming.

Shaw Gotham stood over the table his jet-black eyes showed no mercy as he saw Jake give in. "Finally, some silence," said he. "Move him back to the capsule." He gestured for the other researchers around him.

They bowed and did as they were told. Shaw watched as they moved Jake to the glass capsule filled a green liquid to its prim.

"We will preserve his body for now and see how he will react later on," said the doctor. "Though I got to say…why my Lord? You weren't interested in further research."

"It lacks,"

"Excuse me?"

"We lack the true power,"

Before Shaw could say anything the double door to the laboratory was burst open as one of his men dashed towards him.

"My Lord!"

"What is it?" Shaw glared hating the distraction.

"Y-You have to see this, My lord!"