Chained in the Lab

Misunderstanding

Zauriel

The next day, an unfamiliar security guard shook Zauriel awake. Zar scrambled back from the stranger looming over him and ended up with his back pressed against the wall.

"Feeding time," the man said in a voice that could rival broken gravel.

"O-oh. Okay." Zar took a deep breath and peeled himself off of the wall. He smiled up at the man and tried to be charming around the lump of panic in his throat. "Nice to meet you."

The man grunted and grabbed Zar by the arm. "I'm not food. Your meal's in lab 3."

That was a disturbing way to put things. And why was there a guard to take him down the hallway?

Maybe this was Dr. Hauge's idea of addressing Zar's safety concerns? He'd be happier with the guards he trusted. Or at least one he'd seen before!

The guard half led, half dragged Zauriel down the hall into lab 3, which was usually used for EKGs and stress tests. Why was he meeting his feeding buddy here? It wasn't exactly the most comfortable spot for a liaison.

"Hurry up," the guard grumbled, opening the door and shoving Zar towards it. "Thought you were hungry?"

He was. He was also confused at the change in procedure and becoming more and more nervous every time the new human manhandled him. He wasn't one of the men who'd attacked him. Zar would never forget their faces, their voices, or their scents. But the way he shoved Zar and refused to even glance at his eyes reminded him strongly of those other humans. Did this one want the same thing?

Were there many humans who preferred to take what should only be offered freely?

Zar stumbled into the lab. The guard slammed the door behind him, leaving him in darkness until he managed to fumble his way to the light switch.

The moment he turned, a wall of fear hit him hard enough to stagger him back. He looked around, confused. Why was someone afraid? Was there something dangerous in here? Was this some kind of trap?

There was only one person in the lab. A woman he had never met, young and petite with a short bob of soft brown hair and wide, terrified hazel eyes. She pressed herself deeper into a corner between an EKG machine and the far wall. Her eyes were locked on Zauriel and she held a short metal pole close to her chest. A quick glance to the right showed an equipment stand leaning drunkenly on three short metal legs. Ah. She'd armed herself as best she could.

Against what, though?

There seemed to be nothing else in the room. Only the woman, Zar, and the usual monitoring equipment.

"Ah, hello?" Zar spoke to the woman, still looking around to see what had frightened her so terribly. She was shaking. Vibrating, really. Shivering, or trembling, humans called it. Zar usually saw humans do that with pleasure. Once or twice from cold; the labs were climate controlled but some areas had to be kept cooler than was comfortable for the sake of various experiments and equipment. He'd never seen one shake from fear before. He didn't like it.

"St-stay away!" She brandished her metal bar like a tiny, completely ineffectual sword.

"Okay," Zar agreed.

He realized, then, that he was what scared her so badly.

Okay. Time to be harmless.

Zar slid down the wall to sit down, putting his eye line lower than hers, and wrapped his arms over his knees. He wished he'd taken the time to adopt a human guise, but he thought he was going to meet someone who knew what he was and had planned to adjust his appearance to their desires so he'd stuck with his natural form for the initial meeting.

"D-don't touch me!" the woman ordered, hands and voice shaking equally.

"I will not," Zar promised.

The woman stared at him. Zar took a moment to study her, trying to understand this bizarre situation. She wasn't dressed like a security guard, his usual feeding buddies. Nor did she seem to be a lab assistant. She wasn't dressed like any Ash Labs personnel. She wore scrub pants, popular with most of the scientists and assistants, but no lab coat and a thin-strapped white top that would do absolutely nothing to protect her skin from any kind of lab accident. The biggest indicator that she should not be in a lab was her feet. No one in Ash Labs wore open-toed shoes! That was ingrained into them from the first day of their education. This woman wore thin, useless strap sandals.

Perhaps she was lost? That would explain the fear. Being in a strange place, probably expecting to be in trouble, and then faced with, well, a demon? Not that Zar was literally a demon but with the horns and the wings and all, what else was she supposed to think?

"Are you lost?" he asked her.

"Lost?" she squeaked. "I'm... I'm confused is what I am! Aren't you an incubus?"

"Well, yes." He tilted his head and looked up at her. "I am called Zauriel, or Zar for casual conversation. Who are you?"

"I... I'm Heather... but... but they said you'd... that you needed..."

"Who?" Zar asked.

It was beginning to seem that someone was playing a cruel prank on this woman. And using Zar as their tool. He would find out who'd done this.

"The... the scientists? Somebody came to the prison, said some of us minor offenders could earn a couple of months off our sentence if we agreed to help out at their lab. I thought they meant cleaning beakers and s**t, not... not being fed to a demon!"

Zar tilted his head. "You are a prisoner? A criminal?"

"Well, I mean... yeah. Got picked up for possession. And, uh. You know. Soliciting. But that doesn't mean I'll just lay on my back for whoever! It was... you don't know what I'm talking about."

Zar shrugged. "I'm not all that familiar with human criminals. I didn't think humans could possess other people. Or was it an object? The one you were selling, ah, soliciting?"

"Huh?" Heather lowered her weapon, staring at him like he'd grown, well, horns. "No, possession of drugs. That's illegal, you know? And, um. The other thing means I was selling, um. Sex."

"Ohh. I think I know what's going on," Zar relaxed. Not a prank, a mistake. "Back when I was first summoned, my contractor thought it was best to hire professional escorts for my needs. That didn't really work out, but it must not have been in my project notes. There's a new person in charge of my project, and he must not have asked about that. I'm really terribly sorry we wasted your time like this. I'll just-"

Zar's explanation was interrupted by the door next to him slamming open. Dr. Hauge and two guards, including the one who'd walked him to the lab and... and one of the men who'd attacked him before. What? Why was one of them here?

Zar stood and put himself between the men and the terrified woman. He had claws, she didn't. He had to protect her until help could arrive. But was help coming at all? He had no manacle to snap, no security camera mounted for his safety, nothing. His heart pounded in his chest as he faced the men.

"I thought you were hungry," Dr. Hauge sneered. "Near starving?"

"It has been four days. How would you like to go four days without eating?" Zar asked. He pointed. "And what is that man doing here?"

Dr. Hauge shrugged. "I provided you with a meal. You turn your nose up at it."

"She's not willing. I require willing partners to feed." Zar glared. "I know that is in Dr. Taylor's notes. Have you read any of his work?"

"I've read enough to know he's wasted half of his time with you in his custody. I'm not here to spoil some prima donna demon. I'm here to advance the course of science. Now either accept the meal you've been provided," Dr. Hauge pointed to Heather, who squeaked in fear, "Or Taggart here will be providing your next few meals whether you like it or not."

Zar's eyes widened as his attacker grinned, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

"I... I... no." Zar shook his head. "You can't do this. The terms of my contract..."

"Only matter to your contractor, who is not here. I'm in charge. You? You're a lab rat. Property."

"I am not! I'm a sapient..."

"Not according to your paperwork," Dr. Hauge waved a sheaf of papers. "I did check that very thoroughly. You're listed as legally contracted, but the sapience paperwork never went through. Probably wasn't even filed. So you're just so much lab equipment. Now feed or go with Taggart. Your call." He paused. "These two fine gentlemen will be waiting outside so don't think of doing anything cute."

Zar stared at the man's retreating back.

This could not be happening.