<span style="font-style: italic">"You really don't want to piss us off."</span><br/><br/>Ava eyed the man cautiously, as though the gravity of his warning had already sunk in. But in truth, she was more puzzled than ever. She watched as he was pulled down the hall, silent with her lips pursed together in frustration. It was pertinent that she execute her job well... her<span style="font-style: italic">employer</span>was not fond of negative reports. It would take a smidgen of explanations to smooth things over after this debacle.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>Ava stepped into the surveillance room. She was hugging a clipboard to her chest - the papers pinned to it scrawled with pathetically inconclusive reports; all that she was able to gather from what little information survived the incident.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Miss Ava, sit down."</span><br/><br/>the door latched behind her, and she obediently moved forward and sank into the empty chair.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"I believe a false friendship is in order..."</span><br/><br/>Ava's brows pulled together, puzzled.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"...so that he'll tell us what we want to know. He called you a few pet names."</span><br/><br/>Her eye's dropped to the floor, the familiar hot sensation of embarrassment came to her cheeks, and she found herself grateful of the low light in the room to hide her blushing.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Whether he was serious or being an ass, you are our best option right now. You are to find out what you can through conversations with this man. Are we clear?"</span><br/><br/>Ava's eyes flickered back up to the silhouette of her employer against the blue glow of the screens. She looked past him at the projection, focusing on the image of the stranger alone in his cell. She stared for a moment, analytical and observing as she intended to be until a little ping of genuine curiosity spilled into the carefully critical demeanor she had built. She wondered about the subject. About 'who' he was instead of 'what' he was.<br/><br/>Her employer shifted, turning to look at her over his shoulder. "Ava?"<br/><br/>She locked eyes with him, suddenly brought crashing back into the moment.<br/><br/>"Are we clear, Dr. Teagan?" he repeated with more authority than Ava had previously thought him capable of.<br/><br/>She cleared her throat and delivered a small nod. "Yes, sir."<br/><br/>Ava recognized the dismissal and stood, pulling her pitiful reports closer to herself. He hadn't asked for them, and she'd prefer not to present them at the moment. She moved for the door, clasped the handle and pulled it open, only to stop mid stride as her employer addressed her again.<br/><br/>"Do not disappoint me." he warned.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>She stood before the scanner, more in control and confident now that she had stepped out of the imposing shadow of the man who pulled the strings. The tech whirred to life before her, humming around her to search for anything that was not allowed beyond the containment doors. Apparently no precaution was spared when they took this most strange individual into containment. The machine buzzed and the security guard waved her though.<br/><br/>Three more levels of security later, Ava was finally stood before the final door that separated her from Patient 36. It was a cold line of a dozen cells- all unoccupied save for one.<br/><br/>"Why don't we start over?" she said, breaking the silence that separated them. "Maybe this time we begin like civilized people. Names and all that nonsense? I'll even go first." she let a smirk curl the edge of her lips, subtle but not unnoticeable. Despite her efforts, she was going to be immensely surprised if he took that bait. She went on anyway, "I'm Dr. Ava Teagan, you might remember me from before?" she teased, "sometimes I'm called 'sweet cheeks' or 'princess'... I don't care for such nicknames, but that doesn't stop<span style="font-style: italic">some</span>people."