“Containment breach!” Chirped Cipher as they darted out of their lab.
Said containment breach was a small, bizarre creature completely obscured by long strands of thick, hair-long fronds. Moving at rapid speeds it made a straight beeline for the only troll in the room, Cheran, and launched itself at him. Cheran yelped in surprise, having only had time to do so much as look up at Cipher before being possibly mauled.
Cheran’s fingers twitched, and razor-sharp threads like spider’s silk formed at various angles around him, slicing the odd creature to bits. It had been too close to his face, he didn’t know what it was or what was going on, he panicked-
Cipher had also been in the process of reaching for the creature. A singular thread sliced clear through their forearm with perfect ease.
Both trolls froze. Cipher twitched backwards first, a soft exhale escaping them as they cradled the severed stump of their arm towards their chest.
“Jesus-” Wheezed Cheran, releasing his psionics and reaching out towards Cipher, who flinched further away. “I’m--”
The apology died on Cheran’s lips when he saw something...Bubbling, blossoming at the stump of Cipher’s arm. This pale white fungus erupted outwards, forming a new limb, ghastly white with nearly translucent skin revealing Cipher’s watery cyan-colored blood.
Cipher twitched their newly formed fingers, and then their gaze flickered up to Cheran. “....I wasn’t expecting that ei--”
“What the fuck?” Cheran wheezed.
“Sh, sh, don’t...Don’t tell Ullane. Uh, here, c’mon.” Cipher tugged off their lab coat and gathered up their removed limb and the parts of the dismembered creature in the coat, and then grabbed Cheran’s arm to drag him into their lab.
After the door closed, Cheran nearly collapsed, leaning against the door while Cipher haphazardly dumped their coat on an operation table. They were jittery; Cheran got the impression that they were just barely trying to keep it together, but so was he--
“Don’t tell Ullane?” Cheran suddenly realized that was what Cipher had asked of him.
“I said I wasn’t expecting this! I don’t want her asking questions and I don’t even know the answer! She will ask questions!” Cipher hissed, pointing at their freshly formed hand. They waved both hands anxiously and then turned to pace a circle around their lab.
Cheran dragged his hands down his face. He could understand, having not wanted Ullane to find out he was a zombie.
“Wh...So you don’t have any idea why that happened??”
“Well, nothing concrete. Just, please, don’t mention this at all. As far as anyone else is concerned I’m normal! I’ll pay you for your trouble, okay??”
“I- Fine, I get it, you don’t have to pay me, I’ll...I’ll just forget I saw anything.” Cheran waved his hands, brushing off Cipher’s offer.
“You’re sure? Five grand?”
“Don’t...Don’t tempt me. I’m just going to go.”
Cheran hastily slipped out of Cipher’s lab, running his hands over his face and dislodging his glasses in the process.
