freewillacquired

[freewillacquired]

{out of mutations} Alright, that's all I can do tonight. My eyes are really irritated, so I have to call it. Next Weds is Xmas, and although I don't really celebrate it, my family does, so I won't be here then. I'll be back here on New Year's Day (1/1). For now, I sleep. Goodnight! =)

[freewillacquired]

She was right, of course. No one around here was going to give them a straight answer on anything that was done to them, much less how to use any new abilities they might have acquired as a result. Matt hated that. Not only had they been experimented on against their will, but they weren't even given any guidance on how to deal with themselves afterward. How did they expect them to know how to function inside their new normals if they weren't trained or taught or-

Maybe they didn't want them to learn. Was it possible Lani and he were the rejects, the ones not expected to survive or amount to anything? Well, fuck them all very much, Matt thought bitterly. "We'll make it out of here. I promise. And then... you can take your time and learn how it works and how to control it," he said, with regard to her seeing and communication with ghosts. He was trying his best to encourage her and give her some amount of hope to hold onto.

Matt smiled pensively as Lani said Lisa was quiet and then told him to keep right on talking. "I can do that. That's why she so quiet, you know. Growing up, I was always the loud one. I was the one acting out for attention, acting like a goofball, and getting into trouble. Lisa was getting straight As and never got grounded for anything in her life. I snuck out my bedroom window at night, snuck out of class, and snuck into movie theaters and arcades. Lisa? She audited extra classes in place of study hall and stayed after school to do all these extracurricular activities."

He smiled as he remembered all of this, albeit sadly. Lisa was the good one of the two of them. She would have gone places, for sure. "It should've been me instead of her..." Matt said suddenly without thinking. "I was the screwup. It should've been me."

Matt shrugged. "I'm... I'm not sure. I really don't know what these people are capable of. But I do know they can do a lot. The things I've seen... a couple months ago, I never would've believed any of it. So... maybe it is possible, and maybe it isn't. I couldn't say. But I wouldn't rule it out, I'm afraid." His tone was so apologetic, for he could see that Lani was so overwhelmed by everything. "I wish I could help you more... I'm sorry."

He wanted to ask Lani to tell Lisa he was sorry for him, since he didn't know of his sister could even hear him or not. Matt wasn't about to actually do that, though. Lani was having a helluva time right now, and he didn't want to lay more on her, especially since it seemed like, if she had been altered to be able to communicate with ghosts, that was a possibility that scared the crap out of her.

Instead, Matt let his helpful side take over, focusing on her and not on himself. "Is there anything you want to talk about? Or can I help you by distracting you or something? I know you're upset, but... I'm not sure what you need right now to help you through it." That brought a smirk to his face, though. "Unless you just want me to shut up," he said, his smile growing. "I can do that too."

[freewillacquired]

It was a lot easier to drink with the straw than it was by his usual method of just tilting his head back and pouring water into his massive gullet. This way, there was less spillage, less drooling, and less gagging if he didn't time his breathing exactly right. With the straw, he could get it between his tongue and the roof of his mouth, using his throat to create the suction. He still had to be careful not to choke, but it was a million times easier this way.

Nemesis laughed a bit, which was a far more monstrously alarming thing than it was meant to be, but given his mouth, face, and size, he looked more evil than amused. She had a point, though. He did still have the mannerisms of a regular person, rather than those of the sort of monster most people would probably perceive him outwardly to be. He supposed that, in some ways, that would be rather endearing... a large, twisted barrel of horrific mutations like him... giving a thumbs-up.

With regard to his tentacles, he was about to say something about the idea of them... hugging him... when they did just that. As if getting the idea from her and suddenly feeling the urge, they wrapped all around him every which way, staying like that for a bit before loosening again. "Real-ly?" Nemesis said to them. He then looked to his new friend. "Don't... en-cour-age then," he said. The last thing he needed was for his tentacles to pick up any wild ideas from others. They did enough weird things on a daily basis all by their own selves.

His tentacles had indeed been mushed when he fell over, and they were none too pleased about it either. They flailed a little in agitation until Nemesis forced them to calm down. "Yeah.... I night hath done that. They're not... o-kay with it... ei-ther." When she asked what they were used for, he shrugged. "They're just... nu-ta-tions. I guess... the thi-rus... wants to de... ther-sa-tile... so it can sur-thithe. Ten-ta-cles... are good... at a lot oth things. They can... de-tect things... like oth-er in-thec-ted crea-tures... or wa-ter. And now... they githe hugs too... I guess."

On the subject of meat, there really wasn't any he wanted, at least not cerebrally. Physically, instinctively, he wanted any and all meat. Mentally, he wanted a nice salad or a damn cookie. "I don't want... to hurt any-one... or any-thing... so I'the deen eat-ing... cat and dog thood in cans. It's easy to thind... and doesn't hurt... any-one. Tastes like shit... though," he admitted. "I suttose... a good steak... or sone chi-cken... would de detter?"

Inspect -( if you want to give things a try from scratch. Nemesis always looked like he could use some company )

{ Hello! I'm so sorry, I was supposed to get back to you and I completely forgot. I don't mind starting something, but I know nothing about your muse. Your rules and bio pages aren't visible to me because your blog only comes up as an inset on my dash, not as a full page. Maybe you have it set to private or something? But that's why this is going to be a little sparse, because I couldn't find any info about your muse. Nemmy could absolutely use some company, though. ^_^ }

Nemesis was used to fending off undead, and even trying to help survivors of this apocalypse. He was just as used to getting yelled at, having rocks thrown at him, or getting shot at by those very same survivors. What he wasn't used to... was anyone actually sticking around to talk to him, much less someone caring about his welfare. So he'd flinched a little to realize that someone was now... checking him for wounds? Weren't they afraid of him? Didn't they think he was ugly and monstrous like everyone else did?

He stared for a moment, just watching them fuss over him, bewildered by their concern. "It's o-kay..." he said around his large teeth and without the aid of lips. "I can't... get in-thec-ted... any-way." At least not any more so than he already was. Good thing he wasn't contagious. "I'n not hurt.... dut thank you... thor car-ing."

[freewillacquired]

Happy Eighth Of December

We can't forget about this tsum ! Nemesis tsum is the scariest tsum for sure ! Can't believe this scary guy managed to get a tsum ! Really cool though :DD I wonder if his eeps are really low. Now Tsum Mr.X got a friend !

[freewillacquired]

Being in this state, between life and death, his soul connected to the spirit of the Crow, left Matt feeling like a raw, exposed nerve. His senses were all heightened, and everything and everyone he touched gave off so many sensations and memories that it overwhelmed him. Even now, he was still learning to get used to it and control it, using it for his own benefit instead of letting it control him.

"A couple days, yeah..." Matt replied, his gaze falling a little. "The first day was the hardest. I could barely function. My mind was all screwed up and I was so overwhelmed, being bombarded with so many memories and visions at once."

The moment Wanda laid her hand on his arm, Matt breathed in sharply. Flashes of images tore through his mind. Memories of being with Wanda in the labs. Of Pietro. Of all that they suffered. But not everything was his own memories. Some of it was hers. So many had to do with Pietro, and Matt saw... though he hadn't wanted to... both his and Pietro's final moments, through Wanda's eyes.

When the visions stopped, Matt panted. The Crow walked along the window casement, its claws click-clacking as it went. "I'm so sorry, Wanda..." Matt said, a tear falling down his cheek. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you and Pietro, that I wasn't a better friend. I tried. I really did."

It broke his heart to hear Wanda say she didn't want him to leave. They way she begged him to stay left him feeling like such a jerk for dragging her into all this. "I... I can't stay, Wanda. The Crow won't let me..."

Aware that it was being spoken of, the bird cawed in an agitated fashion, flaring its wings as it looked in Wanda's direction.

Another tear fell. "I'm sorry... I wish I could. But I have to keep going... until everyone who was involved is punished. That's why I was brought back. It's not just a free ride, I have to do what it wants. It's... what I want too." Was it? Or was he perceiving the wants of his spirit guide as his own? It made Matt wonder if there was any way to untether himself from the Crow, but... what would happen to him then?

“How did you get in here?” (Wanda to the crow at her window)

The crow had landed on the narrow ledge outside the window in Wanda's room, peering in at her. A few caws escaped it as it intelligently eyed her, but the windows were sealed, and so nothing could be heard within. That is, until the crow suddenly moved from the outside of the glass to the inside...

Lingering near the window, the crow pecked at the glass, the crystalline tink tink! of the sound causing Wanda to turn her head. Another loud caw was loosed in her direction as Wanda spoke to the bird. It was friendly enough to her, though it offered her no answer to her question. Unbeknownst to Wanda, someone else had appeared in her room behind her, as her attention was on the crow.

"Hello, Wanda," Matt said, his tone carrying both warmth and sadness. There was a haunting look in his eyes, and red scars on his face, as if he'd been scratched by claws. "I'm glad you made it out safely."

After his harrowing ordeal in the joint Umbrella and Hydra laboratory, and being turned into the Nemesis creature, Matt had given his life to help Wanda and Pietro escape. It had taken a lot to kill him, and his suffering had been great, but at least something good had comes out of it. Now all he needed was for both Umbrella and Hydra to pay for what had been done to him and to the Maximoff twins.

[freewillacquired]

"No, Leigh. Not at all," Matt said gently, shaking his head. "You didn't do anything wrong. Neither did I. That's why I'm here. I was a victim, and I deserve justice for what was done to me. And if the Crow led me here to you and it's not telling me you were a part of all that, then you're probably a victim too. We can stand up for ourselves. We can make some of this right again."

Matt hated the way Leigh cowered and panicked over him saying a few words to David over the phone. Anyone who would be set off by a single phone call, even one that was a little antagonizing, must have a serious anger management issue. "He can't be a very good boyfriend if you're that scared of him just because of a phone call." His expression turned sympathetic. "Does he hurt you? Control you? You know you don't deserve that, right? He's an asshole, Leigh. That's what I'm being told."

The crow next to him, cawed loudly and flapped its wings a few time in vehement support of what he was saying.

"That's what I'm being shown, too. I heard him in the laboratory. He was there as I was being experimented on. And his voice triggered something in my mind. A vision. I saw him. I know I've got the right guy and I can't let it go. I can't let him go."

As she protested and tried to tell him to leave, even as she was panicking with her head between her knees, Matt went to sit beside her, his hand rubbing her back. "And leave you here to deal with him when he gets here? Hell no! If anything, Leigh... now's your chance. Why don't you get out of here, as fast and as far as you can, and I'll wait here for him. Trust me... after I get through with him, he won't be able to follow you anywhere."

“Can I help y- Matt?” (Leigh for the Crow verse; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

After breaking into an Umbrella facility to get some answers regarding their shady research projects, Matt had become one, subjected to horrific, torturous experimentation. He'd lost his life, unfairly and without finding the answers he sought. There were a few faces and names that he remembered being around him in those final, painful days... but Leigh hadn't been one of them.

"Leigh? From my old apartment building, Leigh?" Matt asked, his face contorting as he looked over at the crow perched nearby. "Why her? She doesn't have anything to do with what happened to me... does she?"

The crow cawed loudly, almost harshly, as if urging Matt not to question its guidance, before flying off. Matt followed, from where they'd been peering into the bar around to the back where they could easily break in. Once inside, Matt saw that the place was empty. It was pretty late at night, after all. He slowly wandered around, looking at this and that, still not sure why the crow had led him here.

The bird cawed loudly again, landing on the bar. Matt went to it and took a seat, as would any other customer. The crow then flew over to the door and pecked a little bell above it as it went by, ringing it loudly. Matt smirked as the bird returned to the bar, landing right in front of him. "Can I even drink anymore?" The bird cawed and eyed him, and somehow Matt understood. He chuckled. "Good to know."

But then Leigh came out to see who had entered the bar, and-... Gosh, she looked beautiful. Matt had a little crush on her, back in the day, but nothing had ever come of it. I wish I'd made a move while I still had the chance, he thought sadly.

"Hi, Leigh," he said with a weak smile. When he was alive, this probably would've been the most awkward situation for him, but in his current state, he felt no fear. He wasn't sure whether that was something the crow was doing or whether death just drained all the fear out of a person. "Sorry to just drop by unannounced like this, but... I need some information, if you've got a minute to talk."

[freewillacquired]

{out of mutations} Alright, I have to call it a night and get some sleep. I won't be around next week (12/11), unfortunately, because I'll be on hiatus to wrap up my classes for the semester. So I'll be back the following week, on 12/18. See you then! =)

[freewillacquired]

Matt nodded with comical exaggeration. "They are, yes, they are good plans. But... parties are definitely better. Come on, you have to admit that," he said with a friendly chuckle. Matt wasn't exactly a party animal either, but he was an extrovert, and that meant he felt more comfortable around people than sitting at home by himself all the time. "We've definitely gotta take advantage of this opportunity."

"Right? Can you imagine...? Chocolate chips the size of fists? I'd be in heaven." That would definitely be his last meal if ever he was convicted of anything worthy of death row... a huge hunk of chocolate to gnaw on.

As she elaborated on her costume not being too showy, Matt smiled warmly. "Nah, I know you're not like that. Plenty of woman are, though. I can't tell you how many sexy cats I've seen around Halloween time in recent years. Personally, I think the tasteful costumes are better. After all, Belle didn't win the Beast by showing everything off to him, now did she?" He hoped his little joke would make her laugh, not only to make her feel more comfortable that he really liked her costume choice, but to make her smile. Leigh had a gorgeous smile.

“Hey, so I heard that a few of the neighbours were having a Halloween party and I was wondering if you wanted to come along?” (Leigh for Matt pre Crow? @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

"Oh, cool, are they?" Matt said, his excitement already brimming. "I was about to write this Halloween off as a total bust since my plans got canceled, so I'm totally free. I'd love to go! Got a costume ready and everything. I'm gonna be a big chocolate chip cookie. They're my favorite. I know, I know, it's really corny, but... Halloween's all about the silly fun, right? What are you gonna be?"

[freewillacquired]

Matt shrugged. "I'm... I'm not sure. I really don't know what these people are capable of. But I do know they can do a lot. The things I've seen... a couple months ago, I never would've believed any of it. So... maybe it is possible, and maybe it isn't. I couldn't say. But I wouldn't rule it out, I'm afraid." His tone was so apologetic, for he could see that Lani was so overwhelmed by everything. "I wish I could help you more... I'm sorry."

He wanted to ask Lani to tell Lisa he was sorry for him, since he didn't know of his sister could even hear him or not. Matt wasn't about to actually do that, though. Lani was having a helluva time right now, and he didn't want to lay more on her, especially since it seemed like, if she had been altered to be able to communicate with ghosts, that was a possibility that scared the crap out of her.

Instead, Matt let his helpful side take over, focusing on her and not on himself. "Is there anything you want to talk about? Or can I help you by distracting you or something? I know you're upset, but... I'm not sure what you need right now to help you through it." That brought a smirk to his face, though. "Unless you just want me to shut up," he said, his smile growing. "I can do that too."

"Okay, then. Lani," Matt corrected himself with a smile. His own voice was raspy too. it wasn't like they got fed or given water with any kind of regularity in this place. He was trying his best to keep his spirits up, though, and part of that was helping the people around him who were having a worse time than he was.

When Lani said Lisa wasn't dead, though, Matt's smile faded and his gaze fell. "No, she's... she is dead. I know that for a fact. I saw her body." Before and after it stopped moving permanently, he thought grimly, but he didn't say that aloud. This poor woman was traumatized enough without hearing that sort of story from him.

"You've talked to her?" Matt asked, his face contorting with the confusion that came long with hearing that statement. "How is that possible? Are you like... one of those psychic type people, or... Wait, what do they call them...?" He thought for a second. "Oh, a medium. Are you... Do you think you might be a medium? Maybe you're talking to Lisa's ghost."

Most people wouldn't have jumped to that kind of conclusion that fast, but Matt was a fairly religious person and he absolutely believed in souls, spirits, and ghosts. If this woman was really talking to Lisa, then in Matt's mind, there was no other explanation for it...

[freewillacquired]

At least he hadn't cause a cave-in yet, or given the floor below a new sky light. Nemesis almost didn't think the bench was going to take his weight there for a second. His tentacles even started nervously gripping onto things, as if anticipating that he might... bottom out, as it were. But nope. For now, it seemed, he was all good.

"You think... I'n cute?" Nemesis asked. Well, that was a first. He'd been called cute before, but... as a human being. Since his grotesque transformation, it hadn't happened once, and he really didn't blame anyone for that. Until now, that is. it was kinda nice, even if he didn't agree. Horrifying, maybe, but not cute. Still, it made him feel a little better about himself.

Who knew that such a simply amenity like running tap water would someday become such a glorious sight? Nemesis' tentacles began to flail around wildly as he watched his new friend fill up a... drinking receptacle... for him. "Thank you," he said. Although he couldn't exactly remember the last time he'd had water, he knew it had been a long time. His dry mouth and the enthusiasm of his tentacles told him that.

With regard to potential food, he knew it'd been a long time since he'd ate, too. That... disturbed him, since he knew well what happened if he got too hungry. Given the destruction he was capable of with his huge body and near-invincibility, the last thing he wanted was to lose control of his mind and endanger his new friend. That meant he had to eat meat.

"I used to de... a the-ge-tar-i-an... dethore... I was nutated," he tried to explain as well as his ridiculous teeth would let him. "Un-thor-tu-nate-ly... the only thing... that will nour-ish ne now... is neat." Neat? Really? How the hell was he supposed to explain anything if he couldn't properly speak?!

Inspect -( if you want to give things a try from scratch. Nemesis always looked like he could use some company )

{ Hello! I'm so sorry, I was supposed to get back to you and I completely forgot. I don't mind starting something, but I know nothing about your muse. Your rules and bio pages aren't visible to me because your blog only comes up as an inset on my dash, not as a full page. Maybe you have it set to private or something? But that's why this is going to be a little sparse, because I couldn't find any info about your muse. Nemmy could absolutely use some company, though. ^_^ }

Nemesis was used to fending off undead, and even trying to help survivors of this apocalypse. He was just as used to getting yelled at, having rocks thrown at him, or getting shot at by those very same survivors. What he wasn't used to... was anyone actually sticking around to talk to him, much less someone caring about his welfare. So he'd flinched a little to realize that someone was now... checking him for wounds? Weren't they afraid of him? Didn't they think he was ugly and monstrous like everyone else did?

He stared for a moment, just watching them fuss over him, bewildered by their concern. "It's o-kay..." he said around his large teeth and without the aid of lips. "I can't... get in-thec-ted... any-way." At least not any more so than he already was. Good thing he wasn't contagious. "I'n not hurt.... dut thank you... thor car-ing."

[freewillacquired]

"Nah, you don't. You didn't know. It's not like i'm going to hold it against you, Leigh. I know how it must've looked, though, and I'm sorry for that. I never meant to hurt you. It definitely wasn't my choice to leave like that, or... or to die," Matt explained. A part of him wished he'd left well enough alone, but he knew that was impossible. The activist in him would never have been able to leave Umbrella alone, not with all the rumors going around about what they'd been doing. But if he'd had any idea just how dangerous they were ahead of time, he would've approached the situation with a lot more caution.

"You don't? Huh." Matt didn't understand, then, why the Crow had sent him here, of all places. There must be a connection between Umbrella, what he had to do, and Leigh, but for the moment, it eluded him. It wasn't until the phone rang that he got his first glimpse of exactly what it might be trying to tell him. The memories that came flooding in at the sound of David's voice were enough to prove he'd been involved with Matt's experimentation and death.

After he'd hung up, his brow knitted tightly to see the fear on Leigh's face and to hear it in her voice. "Leigh, what's wrong?" he asked with concern. "Your... your boyfriend?" he then asked with no small amount of surprise. What the hell was Leigh doing dating a piece of shit like David? Well, it seemed he wouldn't be going anywhere after all. If David was someone he needed to... take care of... and he was a threat to Leigh, then Matt was going to stay right here... and wait for David to show up.

Matt smiled confidently. "I wouldn't worry about that. I won't let him hurt you, Leigh. He's not going to hurt anyone anymore. Not after I get through with him," he said, and with that, he grinned widely. "I can't die. Not until I complete what I've been brought back to do. And what I have to do... is make sure the people who had a hand in killing me never do it to anyone else. Your boyfriend... was at the laboratories where I was imprisoned, experimented on, and murdered. I recognized his voice on the phone. The Crow... showed me the connection," he tapped his temple, "in my mind, as I heard him. I'm going to wait right here for David. He and I have a lot to discuss."

“Can I help y- Matt?” (Leigh for the Crow verse; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

After breaking into an Umbrella facility to get some answers regarding their shady research projects, Matt had become one, subjected to horrific, torturous experimentation. He'd lost his life, unfairly and without finding the answers he sought. There were a few faces and names that he remembered being around him in those final, painful days... but Leigh hadn't been one of them.

"Leigh? From my old apartment building, Leigh?" Matt asked, his face contorting as he looked over at the crow perched nearby. "Why her? She doesn't have anything to do with what happened to me... does she?"

The crow cawed loudly, almost harshly, as if urging Matt not to question its guidance, before flying off. Matt followed, from where they'd been peering into the bar around to the back where they could easily break in. Once inside, Matt saw that the place was empty. It was pretty late at night, after all. He slowly wandered around, looking at this and that, still not sure why the crow had led him here.

The bird cawed loudly again, landing on the bar. Matt went to it and took a seat, as would any other customer. The crow then flew over to the door and pecked a little bell above it as it went by, ringing it loudly. Matt smirked as the bird returned to the bar, landing right in front of him. "Can I even drink anymore?" The bird cawed and eyed him, and somehow Matt understood. He chuckled. "Good to know."

But then Leigh came out to see who had entered the bar, and-... Gosh, she looked beautiful. Matt had a little crush on her, back in the day, but nothing had ever come of it. I wish I'd made a move while I still had the chance, he thought sadly.

"Hi, Leigh," he said with a weak smile. When he was alive, this probably would've been the most awkward situation for him, but in his current state, he felt no fear. He wasn't sure whether that was something the crow was doing or whether death just drained all the fear out of a person. "Sorry to just drop by unannounced like this, but... I need some information, if you've got a minute to talk."

[freewillacquired]

Matt smiled as Wanda poked him, letting her do it without moving or recoiling. It felt like an electrical charge, touching the living. Like an infusion of warmth and life for a second, and then it was gone. "I'm real, Wanda. I'm just not... fully alive anymore." In truth. he was still trying to wrap his head around it himself. The Crow helped him with some aspects of what was happening to him, like the why, but not the how. He knew he'd been given a chance to return for a time and get revenge for himself and others. But as to how exactly this strange spirit had done this for him, or why it had chosen him, of all people, Matt still didn't know.

"Yeah, something like that," he said. "I woke up feeling like my whole body was on fire, or like it was being pulled apart slowly. Just... nothing but pain. And then slowly, everything came into focus, and I remembered what had happened to me. For a while after that, I couldn't get the flashbacks to stop. It was just one after another, violently assaulting my mind. When they finally stopped, I was exhausted, but... more clear-minded."

His gaze fell as she started to ask him if he would stay after his task of revenge was complete. Matt knew she wasn't going to like the answer, but he wanted to be honest with her. "The bad new is that, once I do what I've been brought back to do, I'll die again. Permanently. But the good news is... this time, I'll rest in peace." Hr remembered how his soul had felt the first time he'd died. Angry, scared, and lost. Wanting so desperately to make things right. Maybe that's what caught the attention of this crow spirit guide, the intensity of his emotions at the time of death.

As his anger flared for a minute upon hearing that Pietro was another casualty of Umbrella and Hydra's cruelty, Matt really didn't care what he did to himself. The Crow made him invincible and immortal, for as long as it wanted to lend him its power. He knew he wouldn't get hurt, not really. It hurt a little, but it was muted considerably, and the injuries righted themselves almost immediately, as Wanda saw.

It calmed him, when she took his hand. As if someone had thrown a bucket of water on a fire. Still, if she didn't want to go with him, he understood, and he wasn't about to force her. Everyone dealt with trauma differently, and the last thing Matt wanted was to cause Wanda any more of it. But when she asked him to wait and not leave just yet, he stopped and turned around, a pensive smile coming to his lips. "I can't stay long. That's not what I'm here for," Matt said sadly, glancing at the Crow. "But I can stay for a little while. For you, I'll push back against the rule a bit."

“How did you get in here?” (Wanda to the crow at her window)

The crow had landed on the narrow ledge outside the window in Wanda's room, peering in at her. A few caws escaped it as it intelligently eyed her, but the windows were sealed, and so nothing could be heard within. That is, until the crow suddenly moved from the outside of the glass to the inside...

Lingering near the window, the crow pecked at the glass, the crystalline tink tink! of the sound causing Wanda to turn her head. Another loud caw was loosed in her direction as Wanda spoke to the bird. It was friendly enough to her, though it offered her no answer to her question. Unbeknownst to Wanda, someone else had appeared in her room behind her, as her attention was on the crow.

"Hello, Wanda," Matt said, his tone carrying both warmth and sadness. There was a haunting look in his eyes, and red scars on his face, as if he'd been scratched by claws. "I'm glad you made it out safely."

After his harrowing ordeal in the joint Umbrella and Hydra laboratory, and being turned into the Nemesis creature, Matt had given his life to help Wanda and Pietro escape. It had taken a lot to kill him, and his suffering had been great, but at least something good had comes out of it. Now all he needed was for both Umbrella and Hydra to pay for what had been done to him and to the Maximoff twins.

[freewillacquired]

"I can hear you thinking from over here."

– Alice Abernathy @crashandswirl

{ @crashandswirl | I didn't know whether you wanted me to do this with Matt or Nemesis, so I just randomly picked Nemmy. If you wanted Matt, let me know and I can always redo this! }

Nemesis' single blue eye blinked. Was she serious? With all that Umbrella had done to them, it honestly wouldn't surprise him if she really could hear his thoughts. Or did she mean... that he was staring at her too intently, his curiosity and other emotions written clearly on his mangled face? Either way, he had been staring, and that was pretty damn rude. "Sor-ry," he said, averting his gaze.

He hadn't meant to stare, it was just that he was so glad to see her again, to have a friend with him, and utterly bewildered as to why she let him tag along with her. Since all that nastiness in Raccoon went down, he was happy to be around someone who understood what he'd gone through and who wasn't afraid of him. And yet, he wasn't exactly fun to look at, and he slowed Alice down a lot... didn't he?

He'd been thinking about all that and more as he stared, and those thoughts continued even after he'd averted his gaze. "You know... Ith you eth-er didn't want ne... to stay with you... you can just say so. I would-n't de othended." Sad, maybe, to be alone again, but not offended at all.

[freewillacquired]

{out of smokes} Alright, I'm so tired, I need to call it for tonight. I won't be here next Weds (11/27) because I'm taking a few days next week to do some things with family for Thanksgiving and my birthday. I'll be back on 12/4. See you then! =)

[freewillacquired]

"Okay, then. Lani," Matt corrected himself with a smile. His own voice was raspy too. it wasn't like they got fed or given water with any kind of regularity in this place. He was trying his best to keep his spirits up, though, and part of that was helping the people around him who were having a worse time than he was.

When Lani said Lisa wasn't dead, though, Matt's smile faded and his gaze fell. "No, she's... she is dead. I know that for a fact. I saw her body." Before and after it stopped moving permanently, he thought grimly, but he didn't say that aloud. This poor woman was traumatized enough without hearing that sort of story from him.

"You've talked to her?" Matt asked, his face contorting with the confusion that came long with hearing that statement. "How is that possible? Are you like... one of those psychic type people, or... Wait, what do they call them...?" He thought for a second. "Oh, a medium. Are you... Do you think you might be a medium? Maybe you're talking to Lisa's ghost."

Most people wouldn't have jumped to that kind of conclusion that fast, but Matt was a fairly religious person and he absolutely believed in souls, spirits, and ghosts. If this woman was really talking to Lisa, then in Matt's mind, there was no other explanation for it...

This woman sounded like she was pretty out of it. Or traumatized. Or both. That really wouldn't be surprising, given the nature of this place and what Umbrella was doing to the people they imprisoned here. Matt felt like he would be losing his mind too, but for two things that kept him going: spite... and holding up those around him. It was in his nature to help people around him, it always had been. No man left behind. Or woman. Especially in a place like this.

He smiled pensively as she told him her name. "Hi Ailani. I'm Matt," he said kindly. "A year? Geezus." Then again, he had no way of knowing how long he'd been there. The tranquilizers and various other drugs combined with anesthesia and surgery recovery times had him completely disoriented. "I think I've... only been here a couple months, but I'm not sure," he shared.

But then she said something that had his gaze shooting up in her direction again from where he sat. "Did you just say... Lisa?" he asked. No, it couldn't be... could it? How the hell would this woman know about Lisa? He'd never even met her before they were put in cells right next to each other. So how on earth...?

"Lisa was my sister's name. She was... Umbrella killed her to stop an outbreak in their Hive facility. They killed a lotta people that day to stop that outbreak... and they didn't even actually stop it," Matt said bitterly. "But it's... it's my fault she's dead, really. If I'd never tried to expose Umbrella... if I'd never told her I needed more information from the inside... she never would've been there." And he'd have to carry and live with that guilt for the rest of his life. "It should've been me instead of her," he said, beating himself up over it terribly.

[freewillacquired]

Nemesis was thankful to Gherkin and 176 for helping him obtain information, what little they were all privy to, of course. It always made him feel a little less lost, less like a caged animal, to be included and informed instead of just locked up or ordered around. And it was especially nice to pass around information under Umbrella's nose. Small acts of rebellion meant a lot to Nemesis.

When Gherkin finally got out of quarantine, Nemesis was laughing to hear that they'd bitten the staff member who had been trying to evaluate them. He was so happy to see Gherkin again, for he considered them a friend, and of course he was simply glad to see that they were safe.

"Hey, Gher-kin!" Nemesis exclaimed in a happy and friendly manner, waving back to them. His tentacles were apparently also happy to see his friend. They undulated excitedly behind him.

@freewillacquired

It had been months since any contact with the Splatverse.

Gherkin, without any warning, appeared again. They chattered in Inklish at Tyrant 176, and soon, the Tyrant was taking Gherkin to Quarantine for the usual checkup.

They passed KRAKEN and Nemesis, and Kraken smirked, "Wish I could watch haha."

Gherkin nodded, a devilish grin under the child-size facemask 176 put on them.

KRAKEN looked up at Nemesis, "So Matt... I assume Gherkin will have news. You heard three more ailing Tyrants got sent, right? Hope they too did well."

[freewillacquired]

Matt had only been trying to be honest with her but given her reaction, he wished he'd maybe not been so open about how much less useful he was in human form. Would she take everything back now? Revoke their deal? He sincerely hoped not, although he would've understood if she had.

He glanced at what she was thumbing through, wondering what she had in those files but not wanting to push her for information. She didn't seem like the type that liked to be questioned or rushed. When she mentioned Jill Valentine, however, Matt winced a little. "Uh... yeah, history's an interesting way of putting it," he said with an apologetic sort of guilt.

"I don't really know her as a person, but we... we encountered each other in Raccoon City the night of the outbreak. I was deployed by Umbrella and given orders to attack certain targets without any kind of mental ability to dissent at the time. One of my targets was the S.T.A.R.S., the Special Tactics and Rescue Squad, and she was a member, so I... I tried to kill her. Several times. It's not something I feel great about, okay? I came to my senses later, when the control between Umbrella and me was broken, but by that time she... understandably wasn't about to trust me at all. We went our separate ways after that. I never saw her again." He shrugged. "That's all I know."

He thought about the question for a bit before answering. "Honestly, probably not. She didn't seem like the trusting type to me, and you're... pretty vague and mysterious, if you don't mind me saying it. But like I said, I don't know her well, I only... tried to kill her. That sounds terrible... Maybe if you had something she wanted? Something you could offer her, like you did for me? I don't know what that might be, though."

She was incredibly abrasive, a little disrespectful, and she sounded like she hated her own very existence, but if this woman wanted to help him in exchange for him joining her in screwing over Umbrella, something he wanted to do anyway, then so be it. He wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if she did sound like she was one snarky comment away from changing her mind about the whole thing.

The transformation had been frightening, painful, and downright gross. When it was over, Matt was covered in a disgusting slime, and his whole body ached like he'd been beaten up. But it was his body again. His human body. No more tentacles, no more oversized muscles, no more balding head stapled shut, no more huge teeth and stretched out lips. He felt his head and then waved his hand in front of his face. The visual overlay was gone, and suddenly he had depth perception again. And color, not just red and blue highlighted forms with information ticking past them. "Holy shit..." he said, oblivious to the woman for a moment as he took all of this in.

Having spoken, he now realized he had lips again. Pawing at his own mouth, Matt started laughing like a giddy schoolkid. "Yes!" he exclaimed, so excited to be able to speak normally again. But then her comments registered in his mind and he looked at her incredulously. "Flair? Are you kidding me?" He looked down at himself, covered in goop and the remnants of his former self. "This is enough, thank you very much. I don't need more flair or anything right now. This... all of this... has been enough," he said, waving around at the leather outfit, now fallen off him, and the melted remnants of the Nemesis.

At the mention of clothes, he nodded, suddenly realizing he had nothing on underneath all this... slime. "Yeah, well... anything's better than... this." On shaky legs, he pushed himself to stand as everything slopped off of him, plopping onto the ground. "Yuck..." he complained before covering his nether regions with his hands. "Pants would be appreciated. There better be pants," he said, maintaining his humor at least, in the face of both shock and embarrassment.

Making his way downstairs, Matt was absolutely humiliated to be walking around, literally butt naked. He doubted this woman cared at all, but... he cared. Dignity wasn't anything he'd had in spades in recent years, but he loathed the idea of losing the last shred of it he had left. Rummaging through things, he was able to wipe himself down in lieu of being able to properly shower, and then he dressed himself as best he could in clothes that didn't perfectly fit him but were close enough.

"Okay... now what?" he asked, since this whole second chance at being human had come at a cost, and that cost was that he now owed her his help. "Although... you do realize I'm a lot less invincible and useful like this than I was as Nemesis, right? I can use guns and that's about it." He was actually trained to, as a FBI Quantico Academy dropout.