So we're making babies together? (Alpha)

It had been only a few weeks since Lucius and his ally Alpha had liberated a large amount of meta humans from the Mistress. It wasn't known exactly why she gave up the fight, she could have very well killed them in that arena yet she just left. Odd, but they got what they came for. If he met the Mistress again, he would have to be ready. She was one of the few on this planet he stood absolutely no chance against in combat. Other then the looming thought of her return, everything seemed to be going well. Yes Isabel had some hurt feelings, but she would eventually get over it. The new residents of The Sanctuary were now complete members of his cause, there loyalty was just as strong as his most trusted lieutenants. That was good, very good. He was nearly ready to make a big move toward his goals, and they would all be there to see it.

Alpha had said a curious thing that had been floating in Lucius' mind ever since they parted. The ability to change humans into metas would make things much easier. He had been trying to achieve that for months and for the most part it worked, but not to the extent he wanted it. It took weeks just to give them a minor power and most died. For some unknown reason it was so easy when he gave himself powers, perhaps he was born with a form of the meta gene after all.

Lucius looked over a balcony at the large group of metas below. This was not only a place for them to stay, but a place for them to learn, not only about their powers but also the cause and science. It was a school so to speak, one that would teach his race how to be in the new age. Suddenly, the voice of Hector rang through Lucius' ear piece. The AI had a very charming voice, one that was just enjoyable to listen to, if a bit cliche.

"Sir, you have a call from Gamma." The AI said in a tone that said so much about the relationship those two had. What could he want? Did he want to bitch Lucius out about the other night or just call him an animal again?

"Put him through." Lucius said casually in return. In a moment the young mans voice came through, having the same sarcastic ring to it as always, he sounded a little put out.

"Hey Lucius...... Alpha wants to see you. Don't worry, we aren't going to fight some freaky lady again. This has more to do with you." Oliver said before quickly cutting the line. What could that mean? You couldn't know with Alpha, that kid was full of surprises. Looking down to Daniel from the balcony Lucius nodded at him, which told the teleporter to come up. In an instant he appeared, teleporting from the courtyard area to Lucius.

"Where to?" Daniel asked, a joyful smirk on his face. He had enjoyed socializing with all the other members of his kind, and was in a good mood because of it.

"Alphas facility." Lucius said in response. In the next moment Daniel touched his mentor on the shoulder and they appeared in Alphas lab, right next to him.

"You asked for me, Travis?"

The last time Alpha had seen a certain ally had been when they took on The Mistresses underground not too long ago, though she had retreated before anything could be done about her. Likely, Lucius had settled in with his new recruits while Alpha went about his usual business, though he did find himself being badgered by Omega more often than usual to sleep. While it didn’t seem like something he needed at the time, Alpha could admit that his faculties were beginning to grow more hazy from the lack of sleep and a certain infirmity was only beginning to agitate him even more. So after around seven hours of the stuff, Alpha found himself looking in a mirror that showed the reflection himself but with small dark circles forming around his eyes.

A sign that he was lacking sleep, but one that he would allow few people to see, not even those of his family. ”if you keep running yourself ragged like this, you’ll only end up killing yourself quicker.” Omega would state rather simply, sitting at the foot of his bed with arms crossed over his chest. Various pages were taped to the wall, depicting various images and they even covered up the pure white wall; yet their meaning was unknown.

”I’m a little harder to kill than that.” Alpha said with a soft chuckle, digging through the small white chest and removing a small white shirt, slipping into it, following that with a pair of white colored jeans. ”Besides, I have a few important things I need to do today. No time for sleep.” That much Omega could agree with, even though he did not quite enjoy who this business was being done with.

”So when do you want to contact him?” Alpha seemed to pause upon hearing that, considering what to do for a moment.

”Have Gamma contact him.” With that, Omega would send the message across the hive mind while Alpha finished prepping himself. If anything, he would be expected to be working in his lab. Digging through one drawer, Alpha removed what looked like a high-tech hypodermic needle, attached to a small vial filled with a fluorescent blue liquid. Finding a vein, he injected it and let the fluid flow through his blood only for a second. With that done, Alpha stepped out of his room and within a matter of moments he was in his lab.

A thought was all it took as the lights flickered to life, creating an almost blinding display upon the white surfaces, but that was something he could adapt to easy enough. It took only a few moments until Lucius appeared with Daniel beside him. If he could remember, the meta-human was Lucius’ second in command, or that was what he could surmise from their interactions. They had referred to him as Travis, though for a useful ally like Lucius such a discretion like that would be ignored for now. It appeared that Gamma worked quickly, meaning his position as Gamma was not one that was displaced upon him.

”I did.” Alpha said with a nod, as a few numbers would flash across some of the screens ringing the room. ”I have a little something that I would like you to help me with.” Alpha started off, letting his dull grey eyes move over the two that had ported into his lab. ”However I’m going to be frank with you. It will require I take a sample of your DNA.”

Well, that was a bit of a surprise. But, in all honesty Lucius expected the question to be asked eventually, after all he understood as a scientist why Alpha would want his DNA. However, there were many different things Alpha could be wanting to use it for, and Lucius wanted to know exactly what before he gave a sample. With a simple look and gesture of his hand Lucius sent the teleporter off, this was really none of his business. Daniel then disappeared as sudden as he showed up, leaving the two to discuss this matter.

"I'm open to that more then most would be, but i must know, what do you want it for?"  Lucius asked as he moved a bit more toward his ally. Considering the fact Alpha made babies in test tubes and specialized in genetic engineering, Lucius could predict where this was going. However, he couldn't be completely certain until he got an answer. Lucius wasn't wearing his gear today, in fact he was in his old lab coat, something he hadn't put on in over a year. He had been working on some minor projects before coming here, he wasn't going to change just to pop over to Alphas place.

Alpha had expected surprise from Lucius but he did not hear any audible surprise from the male, so he would have to look to Daniel to see anything like that. However, even he did not seem to show too much of it, as if this were expected at this point. However, with a single gesture Lucius would dismiss the teleporter so they could talk more privately, something that Alpha appreciated greatly. Lucius hadn’t come in his usual attire, wearing a lab coat rather than the black armor, also suggesting something within itself but not something that he would care to read into.

”Multiple reasons, as I’m sure you’re aware the power your meta-gene manifested is rather unique.”  Alpha began and if anything Lucius could agree that the energy he manipulated was not by any means common. True, there were instances of energy that acted like acid but the composition of this one was different, that much he could tell. ”It’s a power I would want to understand, if for nothing more than….curiosity. That and I’ve been reaching a dead end in my research, I can only do so much with the genetics I’ve been using.”

Sadly, he needed more meta-genes as his family’s pool of power was beginning to wane, they needed variety and Lucius had exactly what he needed. This had been something he was talking over with Omega for a good week, arguing had taken place but in the end an agreement was reached. ”With your permission of course, I was hoping to use your DNA in the production of the latest generation. With genetics like yours, I’m sure interesting results would come up.” Alpha would gauge Lucius’ answer, turning on his heel and reclining against the counter.

”So, does that sound like something you would be willing to do?”

A compelling reason, but one that Lucius didn't take lightly. If he were to do this, they would basically be his kids. His family had old money, and old values. If a person shared your blood, they were family. He wasn't about to just give his genetics up and leave his offspring there. However, this was an opportunity. He had always wanted a child, but that time in his life had past. He wasn't interested in romance anymore, he couldn't be. This was a viable option. As for the understanding of his power, that he could have told the male. Lucius himself had done piles of research on his abilities, but he supposed Alpha would want to study it first hand.

"That's quite the question.....one most would need a lot of time to think about, but i have the luxury of hypercognition." Lucius said coming to his decision rather quickly. He wanted to make a few things clear though, conditions so to speak. Alpha had been a good friend and ally, so he was fine with helping him, but when it came to this he expected to have a bit more say.

"I'll do it. It may do well in bringing our groups closer, and potentially make us more powerful. But know that's not the reason I'm doing this. That is more personal." Lucius said deciding not to tell the male his entire life history. To get why Lucius would want it you would need to know his past, and that was to hard for even Lucius to talk about. He hoped Alpha knew he wouldn't be indifferent to them, he would want to emotionally connect to the children. He hadn't been able to do so with anyone since his life fell apart, not even Daniel, and that was for the simple reason that he wasn't family, not truly.

"I want a hand in it, i may not be as proficient as you in the realm of genetic engineering but I'm no pushover. I want to.....implement a few things and watch over the process." Lucius stated firmly, but not at all rudely. It was his DNA, and these beings would also be his, he wanted to take as much charge as he could in their creation.

Values were never a thing that really factored into Alpha’s thinking, simply numbers, variations and for the most part cold logic. Emotions he had learned needed to be removed from the equation, and despite how difficult that was, typically that was what he did. If anything, he hoped Lucius worked on similar principles, if only because in the end emotions would cloud their judgement, preventing them from doing what was needed. Still, he agreed to offering his DNA, much like Alpha had expected but yet they had managed to surprise him within the next breath. They would do it, but some stipulations would be placed upon the project.

Something about this project was personal to the man, but Alpha could not tell what portion of it was. Had they always wanted children, did Lucius simply want to keep track of his genetics? The questions would come but he had a feeling an answer would not come as easily as the questions. Still, his face did not betray a hint of surprise, as it stayed as passive as ever. He would not pass off an opportunity as annoying as the ramifications might end up being. Loose ends always could be tied up.

Alpha could have asked why this was personal, but then again it was likely a personal that he wouldn’t talk about.  Likely, asking more than anything would lead to problems, and he so enjoyed his lab to stay in pristine condition. ”That’s doable, but you may need to tell me what you want to implement. I wouldn’t want anything proposed to clash with the procedure.” Alpha stated simply. As always wordlessly considering the other persons every motion, something he had learned and a skill that had served him almost as well as his own mental powers.

A few things would of course have to be implemented before he could even begin the syntheses process, such as gathering the DNA. ”As for watching over the process, that’s something that you could do. It’s a somewhat tedious process, so I hope you don’t get bored.” The latter a casual statement more than anything else, as he stood upright rather than leaning. He could respect if Lucius wanted to keep an eye on how his DNA was used, though whether he minded the DNA that was to be mixed with his own, well that was unimportant.

”Would you like to know a little more about the process?”

He wanted to be told? Well, that was expected, but Lucius didn't think he would outright say it. The fact of the matter was, if it was his intention to implement something with Alpha's permission, he would have just asked him to do it. For now Lucius would play along and tell the male what he wanted to hear, but when the time came, he would still make his alterations.

What those were, well even Lucius didn't fully know, he needed more knowledge on the process and methods Travis used, only then could he know exactly which strings to pull and when. Lucius didn't like manipulating his allies, but for him it was easy, how could he not? What Lucius had in mind he expected wouldn't fly with Alpha, and even if it did revealing it would require him to say things about his past, which wasn't an option.

"Its just something to do with improving on their abilities, it must be done in the early stages of their meta genes development. I missed out on my chance, but i can make them incredibly powerful." Lucius said. His statement was mostly a lie, but there did exist a way to improve upon their powers. What he would truly be doing he kept to himself, but Alpha wasn't stupid, Lucius would need to be discrete.

"I doubt i will get bored, I'm used to waiting. And yes, i would love to learn more about your process." Lucius said with a smirk waiting for Travis to lead the way.

Alterations, something that Alpha normally would have said no outright to but considering the small amount of trust he had within Lucius, he would consider what he had to offer for a moment. ”Improving their abilities? Well, that sounds like something that would be welcome.” Still, the same suspicion riled within him, snapping as images within his mind of potential betrayal, the product coming out malformed due to something being done wrong.  Alpha had seen the notes and he knew very well what could happen if even one thing was out of place, the potential deformation and painful death. It seemed Lucius was not too aware of the fact that by the end of it, the meta-gene would be a nonfactor but he could always find out later.

”Regardless, whatever alterations you make I would appreciate being passed through me. One wrong move, and the products may find themselves suffering a painful death.” It wasn't a threat, just  a warning that he was hoping Lucius would take to heart. To have any of his sibling suffer such an unfortunate death, well that would have just been lamentable, especially due to someone as intelligent as Lucius’ errors.

Omega was by now likely laughing at his inability to truly trust, because he could feel the vague amusement within The Hive Mind, mingling with a small amount of pity. One could say that he was the heart of their little operation, and even compared to Eta many considered him the good one, minus the fact that he would never style himself heroic like the younger one. With Lucius deciding upon learning more about the procedure, Alpha would motion with his hands for the male to follow him. While his lab would have been a good place to start, they would need to go where the DNA would be initially mixed. This involved walking down a long corridor, one of the many that stretched out along the facility and past a door with yellow tape stretched along the exterior.

If one had time to look, they would even see a small field that wavered over it that was meant to more than anything to keep someone from attempting to enter. A simple curiosity, but they did not have enough time to stop and look as Alpha would Lucius to an elevator that would let them descend a little lower into the earth, as well as the compound. Two floors down they would step out and walk for a few more minutes before entering a small lab with three test tubes already prepared, filled to the brim with an unknown mixture of chemicals illuminated a neon green.

”These will be the tubes that the children produced from your DNA will gestate in. Normally, that would take anywhere from six to five months of time, but a little research of mine has allowed me to reduce that time to two weeks at the most.” Partially that was an exhibition and another part of that was him bragging in a sense. If anything, Alpha was proud of how far he had taken this project since he had taken it over, improving the health of his siblings as well as just overall the quality of their powers. The respect he had earned from his fellow people was one he had earned through his years of life, something that was not so easy to take away.

”However, first I need a bit of your DNA.” He would say simple, reaching one hand out as a small syringe would meet it. It had been made specifically to pierce Lucius’ thick flesh so he could better gather some of his genetic material. ”If you don’t mind anyway.”

Lucius knew the risk involved in tampering with the project, there were a number of outcomes that ranged from death to mutilated products, which would likely be killed as well. However, he had to do this. The entire point of him agreeing to Alpha's offer was so he could have a living memory of someone he once knew, someone he once loved dearly. He wasn't prepared to explain that to the mostly emotionless boy, he likely wouldn't understand and even if he did that would show a completely different side of Lucius to Alpha, he wasn't ready to do that. The only question now was how he would do it. As odd as it was, he wore a neckless with a small bit of his fiances blood inside at all times. This wasn't due to some weird infatuation or even just normal love, he held this bit of DNA just in case he ever got the chance to bring her back, as a clone or otherwise. A long shot as it seemed, here he was with an opportunity to create a genetic child of himself and his wife, and also a bit of Alpha but that was irrelevant.

So they would then leave the lab and move through the facility, going to Alphas place always required so much walking. Hallways, elevators, corridors, heck, likely even secret zooms made up the entire....building? It was nearly the opposite of Lucius' Sanctuary, Alphas was white and was a complicated maze, Lucius' was black and very simply laid out. As much of a planner Lucius was he enjoyed simplicity, likely because it contrasted his actual way of doing things. Eventually they would arrive in a room much like the one he was in when he and Travis cemented their alliance, it looked very different compared to everything else, which was stark white.

"Impressive....." Lucius muttered at the mention of the projects increased production rate. It was already a marvel to be able to create such beings, now it could be done in a very short amount of time. The thing about it was though, instead of creating an army that could wipe out anything in its path, Alpha decided he would just try to breed the humans out. He hoped the male had become a bit more militant since they partnered up, if he remained this passive he would be of little use to the cause.

"As i said before, I'll do it." Lucius said allowing the Alpha to take his sample. The needle surprising went right past his highly durable skin, it seemed Alpha had prepared for this long before calling him.

"Alright, do we start immediately?" Lucius asked just to keep everything going, dead air was not a good thing. He thought for a moment on how he could distract the ever watchful Alpha long enough to do what he needed to, and realized he couldn't and even if he could the risk of failure was too great. It was doubtful Alpha would accept the addition of a normal humans DNA, one whom he didn't even know anything about, but perhaps talking about it was best.

"I'll have to admit, i haven't been entirely honest with you. The alteration i spoke of has nothing to do with the subjects powers, its far more personal. Now i realize this isn't the way you do things, but as a friend, i ask you to include the DNA of someone else. It doesn't have to be all of them, just one. I apologize for my deception.....but i figured you wouldn't understand. You have a great mind, but i can see you have never felt love as deep as i have. Its a powerful emotion, one i cannot shake no matter how hard i try, and one that can make you do anything..... I accepted your offer only because i miss this person, and wish to have a small piece of her being alive again. So, i ask you on a personal level, will you do this for me?" Lucius said after turning his back on Alpha and staring at the tubes as he spoke. The care for this person could be heard in his voice, the usually solid man wavered for a moment, only the most keen eyes could see it.

Lucius had been through debilitating lose, even speaking of it showed a side of him that he considered to be dead. He hoped he wouldn't have to discuss this with Travis of all people, likely what Lucius said would reveal much to the male. At his core, this cause of his was about her, no matter how twisted it was, he was doing it for her.

Lucius would extend his hand and allow Alpha to take a sample of their DNA, the needle puncturing flesh as the blood would begin to fill the small syringe, a dark red color that held so much information. Once he was sure he had enough, Alpha would withdraw the vial and twirl around the liquid within it, almost fascinated by it. Impressive the methods he employed was but Alpha had not expected for it to be stated out loud. The possibilities of what he could with this new DNA were numerous, enough so that he was more than willing to take the risks that were involved. Manipulating DNA, now that was something that Alpha was more passionate about than anything else. One could say that it was key within his purpose, the purpose that Alpha had made for himself.

With that done he could get to the next part, which was putting the material into place. For a moment the air would remain still, before Lucius would actually begin to explain what his plan was, which was far sneakier than he had anticipated. Still, if anything it was respectable in a sense, had he not brought up the portion about his emotions. Honestly, he couldn’t help but chuckle upon hearing that, though it was brief enough not to break the conversation. ”Lucius, you’ll find there are some things about me that….well you’d find surprising.” He had known love and many could argue that most of what he did was out of love, but then again how could anyone expect such a seemingly emotionless person to show that.

To Alpha, emotions had become weakness and that weakness was the thing that he wanted to get rid of. Still, even that much did not show on his expression, which remained passive as ever. ”I will do this for you.” He said after a few seconds of pause, typing in a few keys on a console as the light within one of the pods would change from neon green to a light blue. Alpha could tell that this meant a lot to Lucius, and whether or not they owed him more, he would help. ”I’m glad you decided to tell me this, otherwise would have led to….issues.” he would leave that portion unsaid as small portions of the console he was typing in would rise up much like a receptacle.  Three small ones meant to take in the genetic material, though he had a feeling that would not take place until Lucius offered him the DNA he wanted included within the whole mixture.

A few more keystrokes and he would turn to look at Lucius. ”First, we need to collect the DNA as I had already said, but if you want this added genetic material included, well I need it now.” He would let Lucius come to him, making sure the preparatory steps were ready before anything happened. An agent would be injected into the tanks, causing a strange color to permeate through the liquid as Alpha continued to type. Should Lucius hand him the genetic material, he would make sure to apply it before placing equal amounts of blood in each of the applicators before they sunk back into the console. This was when the long part happened, these blood funneling through small tubes and being interested into the test tubes themselves.

It would take a small while for anything to happen, so that left them to talk. The extra DNA was already mixed with the chemicals, though likely with this diversity the children would only have his eye color at most. For a moment Alpha wondered if there was anyone within his life he could say he felt for much like Lucius did this unknown person, and someone did pop to mind. ”That’s it for the moment actually, we just wait and watch. Well, that’s what I usually do anyway when I have time, I doubt you would be so…patient. How about we move to a more lively scene, we can talk more about what happened there.”

It was surprising the male accepted....well, perhaps it wasn't. Lucius wouldn't have verbalized his plan to alter the project if he hadn't at least slightly expected Travis to do it. The mention of possible issues was also heard, it was obvious to anyone what he meant. As much as that statement bugged Lucius, if Alpha had done something similar those same issues would have come up. The last thing Lucius wanted was a relationship where they had to always be looking over their shoulders, paranoia was bad for business. He was glad the male didn't lash out at him or do something hostile, but whether or not Lucius telling Travis broke or reinforced trust wasn't clear. Alpha would then ask for the genetic material he wished to add, which was rather conveniently held in a golden locket around Lucius' neck.

It wasn't a mundane locket however, this one had been engineered to preserve organic samples. The blood was as fresh as the day it was taken. It only took a moment for Lucius to drain the surprisingly large amount of blood into a vile which he then handed off to Alpha. The male probably wondered about the locket, but if he did it wasn't apparent from his expressions. The tubes seemed to activate, changing color and making a few sounds as it pumped the samples through hoses. It seemed they now had to wait, which was known. Alpha suggested they go talk somewhere else, somewhere likely more comfortable. Lucius was thankful for this, Alpha had it right that he would be to impatient to watch the tubes like a cat did a washing machine.

"I would like that, lead the way." Lucius said. He still hadn't been to half the rooms in this place, and had no idea where to go.

As he had expected, Lucius didn’t have the same patience he did. He couldn’t wait and watch like Alpha did, which also explained why he operated the way he did despite the obvious dangers of such militant actions. A few things he had learned from this incident was that there had been someone Lucius cared about a great deal, though who they were he wasn’t so sure of, but the methods he had gone through in the attempts to preserve them made it more than obvious. Regardless, that wasn’t really important to him beyond the fact that Lucius said something about him not knowing love as deep as he had felt. The statement had bothered him but that was something he just let fall to the back of his mind, or rather he forced it to the back of his mind.

In the end his wants and desires were inconsequential in the big picture, he had others to think about. The future didn’t respect one man, but in the end he would fulfill that purpose of his, no matter what needed to be done. Still, Lucius did agree to take this somewhere else, so there was no need to stay in the room any longer. With beckoning motion of his hand, Alpha would lead the way out of the room and to….well somewhere else. As always they would have to move through one of the many interconnecting hallways. To anyone who didn’t know anything about the facility, it was likely they would get lost in there, but Alpha knew every twist and turn these halls made, he knew everything about them.

Already his mind was calculating over what powers these children would manifest, likely more of Lucius’ than anything else, though something told him that at least one of them would develop an interesting set of powers. Where he took them was a rather spacious room with a large gathering of tables, it almost looked like a room where a large number of people could gather and possibly even eat. Alpha picked one of the tables and sat down, letting Lucius sit down while he crossed his legs and rested his elbows in the table. ”If you’re feeling hungry Lucius, just tell me. I’m sure I could get something to…fix that.” If anything, Alpha wouldn’t want to be called a terrible host.

If they looked to the corner of the room, there were a few others, but they were so far away Alpha and Lucius would need to shout for them to hear.

So the tension of his almost betrayal faded, or at least it seemed. Lucius was now thinking about how the children would turn out, what their powers would be, what traits they would have..... Most would likely find it disturbing they were about to make kids one part Lucius and one part Alpha, like some kind of supervillain paradox, but Lucius was oddly ok with it. It wasn't like the origin of their lives mattered much, after all Lucius regarded his own AI as one of his closest friends.

The one and only thing that did matter in the end was that they were superior, not perfect, but better.  That was the point of the cause, and even Lucius' emotions wouldn't get in the way of it. If anyone was a good candidate for this specific brand of gene donation, it was Lucius. He had power, intellect, and a will of steel. These were the qualities he hoped for in his offspring, but to know for sure how they would be he had to wait. Lucius was lead through the hallways once again, this place so so tedious. Eventually they got to what looked like some sort of mess hall, and that was confirmed by Alpha asking if Lucius wanted anything.

"I'm fine thank you, i don't need to eat much anymore." Lucius stated simply without further elaboration. It was due to his healing factor, he couldn't get drunk either, but that was a discussion for another time. Dead air filled the room for a moment, Lucius not really knowing what to say. They could wait around all day, or they could do something at least a little enjoyable.

"I've been thinking.... Its difficult for me to find a worthy opponent to go against in chess, do you play?" Lucius asked to keep things from getting awkward, though he truly did want to test the males tactical abilities.

Many would have found it strange the genetics going into the children they were creating, but in the end that was how he planned it. Always his genetics would play a part in it, because he was the beginning and in some small way Alpha would have it no other way. The ability to shape the product even if in some small way always held a certain appeal to him. In the end he had a feeling what went into the children did not matter, so long as they came out as expected. Of course they would, if anything Alpha would not disappoint in the very thing that he was a master in.

If he looked for superiority, then he would likely find it within his research, especially with his own genetics being used. If the offspring would have a higher intellect because of the genetics donated, well he would have to find out once they begun to display their capabilities. Lucius stated he didn’t need to eat much anymore, suggesting that somehow he had achieved perhaps a mean of self-sustenance. It sounded like something that Alpha would have wanted to incorporate into the physiology of his people as well, though how he would need to figure out.

Regardless, he would respond to the statement with a nod of the head, thrumming his fingers against the table rhythmically. ”I play some, though there aren’t too many around here that enjoy playing.” Which was true enough, not many of his siblings enjoyed the art of chess. Omega was one of them that did but he rarely had the time to actually play a game with him, as the children more often than not took up his time. ”I have a chess set lying around actually.” All he would need to do was have someone fetch it, and the perfect person would have been…well Zeta.

”If you don’t mind waiting a few minutes I could have it brought to us.” It only took a few moments as Zeta would appear through the door with chess set in hand, setting it down.

”There you go, one chess thing with the horses and stuff.” With that done Zeta would leave them to it, Alpha telekinetically setting all the pieces in place.

”So, you’ll make the first move?”

Lucius found it surprising few played chess in Alphas group, he had thought their minds gravitated to such things as strategy but it seemed that was not the case. But then again, chess was not a measure of intelligence as Hollywood had made it out to be. You could be the smartest being on the planet and suck at the game, it was just that intellectuals usually played because of the image culture had portrayed. Travis went along with Lucius' subtle suggestion and called for one of his siblings to bring down a set they could play with, and that they did. As noted by the male, Lucius had the first move because he was given the white pieces.

As soon as Zeta left, Lucius started, moving a pawn in set up for his favorite opening. Alpha moved next and they went back and forth from there. They seemed evenly matched as they both quickly made a rock solid defense neither could breach without making a sacrifice. The game went on for at least a half hour with no captures until Lucius decided to open things up. He sacrificed a bishop to weaken Alphas pawn structure, but unknowing weakened his own as well. Travis exploited this, turning the end-game into the complete opposite of the mid-game. They traded piece after piece, either never gaining even a slight advantage over the other until they both had nothing but a lone king. Lucius just smirked at the result, leaning back from his excited posture over the board.

"That was....entertaining." Lucius said after being silent for most of the match. He was impressed, no one had ever made him play that hard.

"Your tactics are sound, very....streamlined." Lucius said still looking down at the board, perhaps calculating how it could have been done differently. A thought that Lucius had strangely put on hold during there fight with the Mistress then appeared in his mind once again. During that fight Oliver and himself were quite all right, mostly due to their durability. Both felt the need to protect Alpha because, for one, he was the trump card, he was the one to finally end it by taking control of the mercenaries mind. The second reason though was more tactical, he was the physical weak link, with all that power being flung around it was only a matter of time before his peak human skin caught some. Since then Lucius felt the need to see what the male had combat wise, he hadn't seen him fight in quite awhile and when he did most of the heavy lifting was done by his second in command. For the sake of future missions, he needed to know Travis could hold his own with one as powerful as himself.

"I know you're not one that likes getting his hands dirty, and I'd have to admit you have good reason not to, you've definitely taught me to be a bit less careless with my violence. However.......there are times when a mastermind must defend himself, sometimes even against someone more powerful then themselves........ What I'm trying to say is, when such a time comes, i need to know you can defend yourself. As powerful as you are, you don't have as much combat experience as me. A crafty opponent such as that woman you encountered in Springfield could cause you some trouble even without powers, if they know what their doing." Lucius said, remembering looking over the data his scanners had picked up that day to fill in the gaps of his mysterious memory lose.

Unfortunately he didn't find anything, the feed ended just as his memory faded most. But what he did find was a rather comical fight between what seem to be a normal woman, and Alpha. The other members of the Ultra Gang had also told him about their second encounter at city hall. Lucius didn't think low of Alpha for this, the male could have killed him once, but he did need to recognize where he faltered and improve himself. If he took this whole thing as an insult well, that wasn't the Alpha Lucius knew. It was merely constructive criticism.

"So what do you say? Do you have some kind of training area in this place?" Lucius said after a short pause.