Timothy
He hadn't expected the gene-splicer's quick display of surrender upon seeing Yuki and there was every possibility he was lying, but part of Murano trusted that he was sincere in his plea to pause the fight. Had he not felt the same thing when he laid eyes upon Juhi, who was his and Nasaki's enemy at the time? He motioned for Yasu to cease the hostilities for a moment and called out to Yuki, 

*"Hold."*

He had gone here expecting to fight every inch of the way, but if it was possible to extract the child safely he couldn't neglect the opportunity. He despised these so called *'scientists'* That utilized children for their goals, but he was well-aware that they might be in possession of research materials that would aid Blue Garden in their mission. He turned his gaze from the clearly dissatisfied Yuki towards the man known as 'Saiko.' 

"What exactly, pray tell, *Are* You researching here? It'll be for us to decide if it's worth handing over precious research materials."

His mind drifted once again towards the wobbling chakra signature in the tank embedded in the wall, then to the large carnivorous plant and cocoon situated in the corner. "Genetic Manipulation, is it? Are you and your, **'Duplicate-sama'**, really seekers of Truth...*Or simply profiteers playing at Doctor?*"

He was trying to get a feel for their opponent, using his obvious interest in Yuki to potentially gleam some info from him. He was fairly convinced they were the latter, especially since the child he'd met was trying to steal private files that'd most likely sell on auction elsewhere. Still, he wanted to hear it from the man's own lips.
Chris
Saiko seemed to visibly relax a little as Tekio acquiesced to the pause, even if it was only for the moment. He let out a little laugh, the sound tinged with relief- and perhaps a little bit of madness. Then again, it took a little madness to do the kind of work that genesplicers did.

"All kinds of things," He told Murano. In an instant, the two rogues could see it: the passion. Murano might recognise it well. It was the same feeling he'd surely had dozens of times before- the excitement of a scientist with an audience to show his work. Excitement which was quickly dampened before Saiko could even finish drawing in his first breath to explain, as the rest of Murano's words fell on his ears.

In just one more instant, the lit-up look over his face faded, dampening into something resembling utter, cold displeasure bordering on anger. "If you are implying that our work is but a farce, you are *Incorrect*," Saiko said simply. Then he took in a breath, as if to recompose himself. Saiko made his way to the main desk of the lab, where he rifled through selections of files that all looked more or less the same (though, he seemed to know his way around them just fine).

"Duplicate-sama is the head of this lab," He explained. "I'm just her assistant, but I have aided her with all of her projects."

Saiko produced six files, and stood upright. The more he spoke, the more that spark from earlier seemed to reignite- in the light of his eyes, and in the rising mania with which he spoke:

"Our lab is primarily concerned with pushing the limits of what it means to be *Human*. Or non-human. There-" Here he gestured at the gently-writhing plant in the corner of the room, "-is a plant we spliced with the DNA of different Frontier predators, including lions and bears and even Lake Soma sharks. We've found that plant DNA is a little easier to rewrite than that of animals, so we do a lot of our initial tests on plant matter before moving on to other types of cells."



Saiko regarded the remaining files, which - once again, thanks to their superior eyes - the rogues could briefly see labelled *Horror Evolution, Haiku, Koike, Lavender Serum, Ruiko.*

Suddenly he seemed sheepish. "Er- maybe we should wait for Duplicate-sama. I'm . . . Not sure if she wants me talking about her different projects." Saiko glanced at the hallway through which the woman earlier had disappeared.
Timothy
Murano recognized the other man's passion in an instant, he could see it in the way he looked at the creations around him. He'd looked much the same way when he'd presented his work to Hozen and the countless after him. Talent was something that begged to be used, like an itch, and it felt rewarding to show one's accomplishments. "I apologize if I had offended you. I just have come to realize our *Kind* Is separated into two distinct 'fields'. Those that research for the sake of discovery and those that pursue it towards other means, chiefly financial. I'm sure you understand." He responded calmly at Saiko's retort. 

He analyzed each anomaly that Saiko pointed out in turn, and although he didn't quite want to admit it, their research *Was* Of some interest to him. He had yet to experiment with plant materials, having only heard of such research from second-hand accounts from their partners at Blue Garden. The humanoid suspended in water was also of interest, but he hadn't failed to notice the notes jotted down on his file. He didn't fully believe that this 'Duplicate-sama' had the best intentions when it came to her research subjects. Still viewing the tank, he'd comment, "I assume you both are having difficulties with the combination of Kika's genes and the source material. Shark, presumably? I had encountered such difficulties previously, before I perfected the process." 

He said 'perfected', but his Chimeras' chakra systems were still inoperable by all accounts. He had yet to solve that dreaded equation, that lingered at the corners of his mind most nights. The other files were of even more interest to Murano, namely the ones labeled 'Horror Evolution' and 'Lavender Serum'. "Your work is very impressive, I can see that both you and the good doctor are dedicated to our craft. Saiko-san, please call in Duplicate-sama. There was a specific reason we came here and I believe that we can reach an agreement that'll satisfy both parties."

'I assume you have no issue with it?' he asked Yasu. He was idly aware that the prospect of research had quickly absorbed him and looked to Yasu as a sort of 'anchor' to keep him in place. If he had something he wanted to interject with or a worry to express to Murano, he didn't want it to go unsaid. They were stepping into uncharted territory.
Sydney
The man shrugging off his balls of wind left Niko quite agitated, such an emotion mattered not when things quickly simmered down to a conversation between the two. The Sarutobi did not expect their enemy to admire the work of Tekio either, but promptly listened to Murano's cease-fire.

—

Well, to not be acknowledged was commonplace. He wasn't a man of science, but violence. No matter how hard he wanted to deny it, the truth always showed itself. In light of that, the moment that Saiko's passion turned into borderline disgust, Niko's hand was gripping the handle of Hoshikiru on his side. It soon faded of course, in direct response to Saiko's recomposed manner. It was the big leagues talking in tongues right now, unlike Nasaki he had little to no medical knowledge. If the Outsider was Murano's right hand man, then Niko would be his left. There to attack in his place whenever the need arises. 

The assistant carried on with his talk, revealing five documents with brow-lifting names. The ones that caught his attention the most was Haiku, and Ruiko. What kind of secrets could all of these documents reveal? This knowledge was enticing to him. Murano addressed him soon after, so Niko gathered his attention. "I am aligned with what you want, we can proceed however you chose." He flashed a hearty thumbs up, before returning a minuscule amount of attention on the documents and the rest on the hallway this 'duplicate-sama' had traveled down.
Chris
Murano's query was met with a "Yes, it was difficult to get the host body to accept the foreign elements . . . The experiment didn't exactly go as Duplicate-sama had hoped. We would greatly appreciate if you could tell us about how you perfected your process." Again, he gave Yuki a wild, appreciative look. Saiko forced his gaze back to Murano as the man continued speaking.

"Oh- er, yes, of course," He said, hesitant. "Yes, I will . . . Be back in a moment." With that, Saiko promptly placed the files back into the cabinet (as if trying to make it look like they had never been taken out in the first place) and disappeared through the hallway. For a brief moment, Murano and Niko were left alone with the writhing plant, the not-quite-a-girl in the tank, and the uncomfortably pulsating black cocoon in the corner.

From the hallway, they heard a door open- and a familiar shrieking scream. Well, familiar to Murano. It was unmistakably the piercing shout of the Curse Mark child he had encountered before.

Then the door shut, and the sound was gone. There was a quiet exchange of voices in the hallway that admittedly the rogues could not make out, but a few moments later, Saiko reappeared with the woman they had observed before. Average height, short brown hair pulled back by a headband. In contrast to Saiko's tangible excitement, she held herself cool and reserved. She looked over Murano, then Niko, and finally Yuki.

"Well . . . It's not often we meet potential allies," She said. "My name is Duplicate. Why are you here?" Despite her amicable tone, she appeared to be subtly wound-up; like a spring ready to pop. Murano, with his sensory, also noticed again that her chakra system appeared . . . Damaged.