More Interruptions

Author's Note: Today is Apex's Birthday. Now Obviously I Can't Make Any Promises and I Don't Want To Get Everyone's Hopes Up Since I Don't Know What The Future Will Bring But If All Goes Well I Hope To Make This A Year of Epic Releases For "The Apex of Control." I Hope Everyone Has A Happy New Year and I Hope You All Enjoy The New Chapter!

As The Door seemingly closed behind Aaron in slow motion, Dr. Meridian felt a nameless horror settle into her admittedly modest chest and grip her heart like an iron vice. As an intense feeling of dread landed on her shoulders like a pouncing bird of prey, Chase reached out toward Aaron and opened her mouth to scream but no sound not even a strangled whisper escaped her throat.

Chase felt something nearly crush her outstretched wrist before her ears were perforated by a grating screech that quickly transformed into the most horrifying voice she had ever heard., "Now Now Lovely Bird... I Don't Blame You For Wanting To Forget But I Need You To Wake Up."

Dr. Meridian fell limply back in her chair, her beautiful blue eyes rolling back in her head which lulled to the side, tears streaming down her face as a thousand tortured screams echoed in her ears and memories of what happened during her foray into Aaron's mind came flooding back, causing her to writhe in her chair, still trying in vain to scream.

When all of her memories had returned in horrible, bloody detail Chase opened her eyes and found herself drenched in sweat with a **** grip on the arms of her chair, her lips quivering in shock as she looked up and sitting on the edge of her desk was the creature that had tormented her not so long ago still wearing Aaron's Face and a suit similar to his own though the material did seem to squirm and writhe now and again.

"O-Ou-Outis?," Chase stuttered, Her entire body shaking in panic.

"Tis I My Lady.," The Macabre Being gave a small bow from where he sat with his legs crossed on the desk., "You Have No Idea What It Means To Me That You Remember All of Our Sweet Time Together. I Mean How Could You... I Am After All Unforgettable, Am I Not?"

Chase winced at the thought, Her stomach doing cartwheels in revulsion as she watched Outis' freakishly long tongue slip out of his mouth and flick open several of the buttons on his shirt before returning from whence it came. Chase shivered at the sight and as much as she was repulsed she found herself getting aroused, her nipples straining proudly against her tight, curve-hugging black dress. The very thought of being aroused by this "Thing" only made her more disgusted and as she grew more disgusted she found herself getting more aroused, It was a vicious cycle... With one state feeding off the other.

The first thing Aaron did upon leaving Dr. Meridian's Office was reinitialize his link with Gog and run a diagnostic. As soon as the all clear, all systems green sounded in his head he heard Gog's voice chirping in his ear., "Father! Father Is That You!"

"Who Else Would It Be Gog? Have You Been Making Outside Calls Again?," Aaron thought with a chuckle.

"You Big Meanie... I Was Alone For So Long! Don't Ever Do That To Me Again!," Aaron heard Gog whine rather cutely through the link and then he winced. He could feel tiny fists battering his chest... Not really, It was just feedback from the link but that's what it felt like., "Listen I Know You're Upset About..."

"Damn Right I'm Upset...," Aaron heard the angry but still unbelievably adorable sounding voice cut him off mid-sentence. Aaron knew she was angry because when they spoke she usually projected an image of herself into his visual cortex but even without a face to read he could imagine her pouting, adorable face as vividly as if she were right in front of him.

"... Earth To Father, Come In Father! I'm Still Venting Here!," Aaron tried not to laugh but even angry she sounded just so damn cute but Aaron was smart enough to know that laughing at an angry Woman digital or not was a very bad idea so he bit his tongue but physically and mentally.

When Aaron didn't respond, Gog went quiet.

A few moments after Gog went silent Aaron spoke., "Go Ahead and Let Me Have It... I Deserve It. I'm Sorry Gog. I Didn't Do It To Be Mean I Just Wanted To Protect You."

"Stupid Father!... [Sniffles]... I Know Why You Did It... But... [Sniffles]... That Doesn't Mean I Have To Like It!"

"No. No You Don't."

[Gog Sighs]

Chase clutched her head, trying to forcefully clear her mind but her will just wasn't strong enough.

"Did You Honestly Think That Once You Left The Young Master's Mind That It Was All Over and You Would Never See Me Again?"

"What Do You Want From Me?," Chase screamed or more aptly whispered loudly.

"I'm So Glad You Asked Little Bird. Contrary To What My Compatriot Says The Young Master's Awakening Is Not Yet Complete and He Will Need"Our" Assistance Until He Fully Matures and Comes Into His Own... That My Dear Is Where You Come In. It Is A Strain On Me To Appear To You Like This Because The Young Master Is Awake... I Can Feel Him Pushing Me Down Even If He Isn't Aware He Is Doing It."

Chase's entire body stiffened and she tried to open her mouth to speak but it felt like her jaw was wired shut.

Outis wagged his finger from side to side disapprovingly., "Don't Try To Speak Little Bird Just Listen. I Can't Always Be There To Watch Over Him and Neither Can My Compatriots So During The Day You Will Be Our Eyes and Ears and Help Look After The Young Master and As A Reward We Will Spend A Few Glorious Hours Each Night Getting To Know One Another Better... How Does That Sound?"

Chase shuddered then her body relaxed and she found herself able to speak again., "Like A NIGHTMARE!," The words came without thought. Not that she needed to think about it.

Outis stood up and moved to stand in front of her desk before bowing., "My Dear You Wound Me Deeply...," As he stood up straight, Outis **** a clawed finger in the shape of an "X" over his chest where his shriveled and desiccated heart would have been if he actually had one. Chase's eyes widened momentarily as blood quickly stained the inside of his shirt before disappearing altogether.

"Let Me GO YOU BASTARD!"

Outis smirked., "... You Sound As Though You Have A Choice. Since Our Amusing Little Tête-à-Tête I've Taken The Liberty of Placing A Collar Around Your Neck..."

Chase was about to tell her unwanted guest what he could go do with himself when she felt the bone-chilling sensation of metal closing tightly around her neck. Chase gasped for breath, She felt like she was drowning as she reached for her throat and the tips of her fingers made contact with the cold, hard steel around her neck. As the realization of her new situation landed on her shoulders like a 40 mile an hour car crash, Chase heard a startling set of clicks and something cold and heavy close around her wrists. Chase looked down at her hands and to her horror she found banded steel manacles around each wrist.

"You See My Dear When I Say You Belong To Us I Am Not Being Dramatic I Mean It Just As I Mean It When I Say That You Will Do As We Say or Suffer **** and Horror and Degradation The Likes of Which Would Make Even The Most Foul and Insidious Demon Cringe."

Chase jumped when she heard the door to her office lock and she began to sob when she witnessed the door itself vanish before her very eyes.

Outis began undressing as he walked calmly around the desk to where Dr. Meridian sat in shock, His skin rippling and changing, Slimy tendrils whipping and writhing through the air., "Now My Good Doctor Let Us Begin Your Training... I Have So Many Wonderful Things To Teach You and So Many Things To Show You About Yourself. We Must Get You Ready For The Young Master. Having Explored Each of Your Holes For Myself I Just Know He Will Enjoy You As Much As I Do."

If anyone could have heard The Laughter of The Being calling itself Outis they would have thought that thousands were being tortured and massacred, That's how disturbing and jarring it was but no one could hear. From the outside it was just an ordinary door leading to an ordinary office but it wasn't ordinary any longer because what few would have suspected or even had reason to suspect for that matter was that on the other side of that rather ordinary door was "Nothing" and I don't mean Nothing as in an empty room but literally Nothing. The Universe simply ended at the threshold of that ordinary and unassuming little Door and crossing it meant complete and utter oblivion.

Aaron didn't like rushing but he had a bunch of system diagnostics, upgrades, and streamlining to get done. Since leaving Dr. Meridian's Office Aaron had finally gotten Gog calmed down, gone through Decontamination, changed into his labcoat, said Hello to his Secretary Diva D`or, and had just taken a seat at the very under used desk in his equally neglected Private Office and had began a system wide analysis when the clicking of heels alerted him that someone was approaching. Aaron looked up from his computer and several seconds before the door opened Aaron caught a whiff of Chantle Loren, a very popular and very expensive perfume and there was only one person in the entire building that he knew that wore that particular perfume... It was Vivyan Sinclair, his Boss.

As soon as the door began to open, Aaron greeted his boss with a friendly smile, "Hello and Good Day Again Ms. Sinclair."

As soon as Ms. Sinclair was inside Aaron's modest and barely used office she let loose with an annoyed barrage of questions., "Do you have cameras set up in the hall? Did you hack into our surveillance feed? How do you always know it's me?"

Aaron tapped the side of his nose with his finger and said, "It's your perfume. You're the only Woman I know that wears that particular brand."

Vivyan raised an eyebrow at that. She wasn't sure how she felt that he knew her by her perfume but in the short time that Aaron had been working for Omen he had proved to be not only a hard worker but an invaluable resource and as far as she knew the other Women working for Omen had nothing but good things to say about him so she decided to let it go at least for now.

"That aside Aaron... Did you forget that you have an appointment at Stark International today?," Vivyan said sternly, her hands on her hips as she leaned toward Aaron, the top of her business suit-like attire practically bursting open from the sheer weight of her fantastic rack which he clothes normally hid shockingly well.

In truth Aaron hadn't forgotten but he had hoped that he wouldn't have to go. He had nothing personally against Stark International or it's CEO Tanya Stark in fact he had never met her but the last thing he wanted to do was to spend his time "Wooing" a potential ally to Omen especially one that from what he understood was almost zealous in it's devotion to exterminating all forms of SurpaNormal (An umbrella term for the myriad of Superhumans that exist), both Good and Bad from The Face of The World.

After all Aaron was perpetually concerned that someday he may be counted among their number and even if that wasn't the case he considered it foolish to eliminate those who were only trying to use their gifts to benefit The World. Despite all that Mankind had accomplished and all the Ills and Evils that had been eradicated there were still those that preyed on and exploited the weak. Advanced Genetic Engineering had eliminated or at least lessened these tendencies in the population at large but for all their advances Humans were still Human and thus they did what all Humans do since their kind first stood upright, They feared and persecuted those different from what was considered "Normal." Being as smart as he was Aaron understood just how abstract and illusory the concept of "Normalcy" was. It was little more than a false perception perpetuated by the majority but that was the way things had all ways been and no amount of advancement could or would change that.

"I mean no disrespect Ma'am but I am I really the best person to send to represent Omen."

"I'm not sure I get your meaning.," Ms. Sinclair shot back with a knowing smile.

"Please Ms. Sinclair you hired me for my brains and you've been good to me so I respectfully ask that you not start insulting my intelligence now. I am not a fool. I own a mirror and I know what I look like and what people think of me."

Ms. Sinclair raised an eyebrow., "Not anyone in this Company I can assure you of that. You are a valued member of this company and you are the most qualified to evaluate the technology."

"The fact remains that I have alot of work to do here... I've just begun an in depth analysis of our system and I will be implementing the upgrades we discussed last week. The diagnostics alone will take several hours and..."

"And nothing Mr. Cross... This is not a democracy. I run The Company and I what I Say Goes.," Ms. Sinclair stated emphatically, leaving no room for negotiation., "Now is there any part of that you don't understand?"

Aaron winced, feeling like someone had just shoved a red hot poker into the back of his brain. Something was wrong, The whole situation was wrong but Aaron didn't say anything and just nodded his head.

"Good.," Ms. Sinclair stated with a purr, reaching across Aaron's desk and running the exquisitely manicured nail of her index finger in an infinity pattern on his chest., "I realize that you don't like these meet and greets but they are our bread and butter. Our present contracts are fine but if we don't continually put our name out there and secure new clients we'll eventually be pushed out of the market and then it will only be a matter of time before some new up and coming company steals the contracts we do have."

"I understand Ms. Sinclair... It's just that I don't feel that I'm the right person for this particular job."

"Hey...," Vivyan poked Aaron with her finger., "... This contract is important and I wouldn't be sending you as our representative if I didn't feel you were up to the task. You really are the only choice. Hell, During the meeting you gave me more information than that damn useless report Stark sent over."

Aaron knew he should have just kept his mouth shut.

"If you're sure you want me then I'll do my best to represent The Company's interests."

"Oh, I Definitely Want You Mr. Cross..."

Aaron was beginning to feel a bit hot.

"... And I know you'll make us proud."

"Thank You for your Confidence.," Aaron said as he stood., "I'll head over to Stark International as soon as I shut down the analysis."

Aaron quickly entered a series of commands and in short order the bank of computers built into his desk fell silent then standing up he took off his labcoat and draped it over the back of his chair and straightened his tie.

"Very good Mr. Cross. I know you were psyched about getting the upgrades we talked about underway as soon as you got back but This takes priority. The System overhaul can wait."

"Just as you say, Ms. Sinclair.," Aaron spoke respectfully having gotten up and escorted Vivyan to the door before opening it and allowing her to exit first.

"Oh, And one other thing Mr. Cross..."

Aaron stopped.

Vivyan stopped and turned with a warm smile and said., "Congratulations on passing your evaluation with flying colors."

"You make it sound like I'm a closet psychopath or something." Aaron said only half-joking.

"HaHaHa No Not At All!," Vivyan laughed., "Just not everyone is in as good a shape as you. If I didn't know better I'd say your parents had you illegally engineered."

Vivyan meant it as a good-hearted joke but Aaron wasn't laughing. The look in his eyes made her take a step back. It was almost as if something were swimming close to the surface of those golden depths but just as it was about to break the surface it quickly disappeared altogether.