His fingers trace along the black tattoo-like marking on the right side of the boy's face. He traces it down to his neck, stopping where the thin blanket covered the rest of his lithe body, and back up again to the bruising and cuts that were a mix of red, blue and purple. It was almost as if X was in a fixated trance, fulfilling the need to permanently embed the boy's sleeping features into his memory.

His fingers linger on a tiny scar that just clipped the left eyebrow. It was older than many of the other scars that painted his body and almost faded completely. As X's fingers shift some of his hair, dampened by sweat out of his eyes, the boy moves slightly in his sleep. He looked as though this was the first time in a long time since he had any proper sleep.

X could feel the presence of everyone within this clinic without much effort and knew that he was being watched, not that he particularly minded or cared. He slightly shifts his gaze in the general direction of the opened door that let in the only source of light to this dark room. The youngest of the group, Mist, was staring in from the side of the ajar door, appearing as though she hoped that she was hiding, though even without his enhanced senses, her shadow draped in and fully gave her away.

Mist then jumps at a voice behind her, "How's he doing?" Hanna smiles.

X looks up, unsurprised to see her there. His interest was lacking in her presence and he went back to look at the boy, not caring to answer or acknowledge her any further. He had no reason to respond.

Hanna did not seem to mind as she steps closes to him, Mist shadowing behind her. "His vitals are strong, despite what he's been though." She tapped a holographic screen that suddenly appeared beside her, dousing the room in a soft blue glow. Her fingers tapping away.

See. No reason to answer such a question that she herself knew the answer to or could acquire such knowledge without his verbal input. X could feel and hear the heartbeats of those around him. Hanna, steady and sure, her excitement was sated. For now. Mist, quicker because she was caught and a natural nervousness that she has.

"This boy has no registration, so he is definitely from the outside, not of the city." Ah he could feel the excitement bubbling up in Hanna once again. Precarious curiosity this woman has.

Registration. Such an irritating concept. Those who were inside the Fences were all digitally registered and genetically marked like pets. All their data, right down to their sleeping patterns were monitored constantly. X naturally wasn't. Who would acknowledge that a monster existed inside the walls? Especially one they created? No one. No one wants to admit their dirty little secrets. Certainly not one this dirty.

"Oh I do hope he wakes up. Imagine the information I could record. Living outside to the constant exposure of Lunar Radiation...fascinating!"

X could see Mist frown just a little, "But what if he wakes up all...you know..."her voice a whisper.

"Crazy?" Hanna asks lightly. "It would be unfortunate but no sample is unwanted to me. Any and all information is invaluable. No matter what form it takes."

"You should be putting him down, not extending his miserable existence." Fenir's voice bounces around the dark room, his shadow taking up most of the limited light. Rain, not far behind him.

Hanna snorts, "If I wanted your opinion, I'd ask." She then flicks the holographic screen and it disappear into thin air. She then brings up another two and taps away again, her eyes shifting between them rapidly, not missing a beat.

"This is not about your wishes, Doc. This is about you risking our lives."

"Oh piss on that solider-boy."

"You said that he was bitten."

"Yes, the shards are consistent with that of an Alpha." She motions with a finger at the boy's shoulder with the puncture wounds lining it.

"So there is no way he isn't infected."

"...That is still hard to determine."

"What do you mean by that?"

Hanna sighs, "There haven't been any progressive changes since he's been here."

"And what do you call that?" He points towards the marking lining the side of his face that traveled down the side of his neck and below the blanket. But Hanna knew what he was really referring to.

"Unknown."

Fenir growls at her.

"Easy, tiger. I still haven't been able to figure it out yet and I'm not about to make assumptions. Who knows what happens to those on the Outside.

"You confirmed he was bitten by a Hexer."

"Yes. I did. What of it?"

"Then he will be wolfing-out, foaming at the mouth and killing all of us in sight."

"We have X for that," she looks up at X with a big wolfish grin. "Don't we, X?"

X just stares at her.

Hanna was used to his clear lack of responses. Her humor was lost a little as she continues, "But it's this that has me concerned." She flicks a holographic screen around to face Fenir. The graphs and data lost on him. But the bullet wound magnified was clear on the screen.

"What about it?"

"...It's consistent with the ReX markers...however-"

"What? If anything he should be more than well on his way to being a Black Beast or Hexer or whatever, what else is there to know? We should just put him down now. It'll save us a hassle and put him out of his misery. He'll thank you for it."

"Would you shut up for five seconds? This is why I hate you military-types. Always going by your 'gut instincts' before actually understanding anything and then go 'whoops' when it blows up in your face.-"

"That 'gut instinct' has saved your ass more than once. Don't come looking for me again when you're stuck." Fenir glances at the kid, "I feel sorry for him. I do. But he will be in pain. Not to mention he's far from human anymore. There is a high chance that when he wakes, it's not going to be some lost little puppy. It'll be a monster that will kill every single one of us. I'd rather kill it before it kills us." He begins moving for a weapon in his jacket.

Hanna's slams down her fist beside the unconscious teenager, causing the monitors to flicker red in alarm and the lights to switch on in the room. She was not going to have this discussion again, "I'm still in-charge ex-solider boy. I say 'jump', you are to respond 'how high?' Got it? What I say goes. My word is law. If you don't like that then you are welcome to exit the room. I don't need your input at this point in time. Go shoot something if you're bored."

Fenir stares her down but she no sign of backing off meekly. Eventually he blinks, turning away and removed himself from the room growling, "Then at least have him restrained."

"Good boy," Hanna muttered under her breath, going back to the monitors. The room revealed to be simple and blandish white with a white table-like contraption in the centre that the human subject was rested upon. This was what was referred to as a Station. Simply lying on it can determine ones physical status and could administer basic aid when required. This included clotting blood and sealing wounds without the need for bandages.

Rain looks back at Hanna after Fenir was long gone, "As you were saying?"

"Oh hmm?"

"The bullet wound? He was in the middle of a war, you'd expect a few holes. He's got burns, grazes and whatever else. One wound shouldn't matter."

Hanna shoves a piece of loose blonde hair back behind her ear, unable to look him in the eye directly, "ReX."

Rain remains silent.

"It...was what they were concocting when this mess started."

"You mean..."

Everyone glances at X for a moment.

"Similar situation but completely different strain and structure. ReX causes the body to rapidly take to the changes in structure that form the crystalline fragmentation of the DNA. That splintering overturns into a cancerous state."

"And eventually makes a Queen." Mist's voice was quiet.

"You mean...those things aren't..." Rain blinks, unable to believe them.

"There was more than one research group playing around, you know. Or rather, still at play, I should say," Hanna states matter-of-fact.

"So...he's turning into a Queen?" Rain frowns.

"That's just it. The wound is identical to the pattern displayed when the ReX bullets are used but...there is no bullet to speak of."

"How...?"

"Could his body have absorbed the ReX strain then?" Mist tries to wrap her head around it.

"No...the pure strain of ReX isn't in his system. Same with the fragments embedded in his shoulder from the Alpha. His body hasn't absorbed or adapted to it at all, like it's rejecting it to the point of ignoring it completely," Hanna explains.

"That's-"

"Unheard of. I know," Hanna goes back to looking at the screen.

"Then where's the bullet?" Rain asks.

"No way to know," Hanna shakes her head.

"...And the markings?"

"I'm still waiting on the results. At most all I can do is keep him alive. It's already taken a while to read the ReX markers. I have to be absolutely sure."