Getting Toxic

Now that the area was all good and ready for usage, Homura prepared for a little test run. This test run was nothing more than a demonstration of skill so to say and it would help with a few things.

So while still outside the lab, she placed her arms downward and opened her hands and from her hands came a black mist like substance that would quickly cover her entire body, as well as the entrance to her lab. This black mist was none other than her poison pouring from her hands, but she wasn't just doing this just because.

"Yehahahahaha."

She laughed as the poison mist spread like wildfire! This was being done so that she could mix her own poisons with the already existing ones in the area, that way the area would be death-inducing for anyone without proper equipment.

"There we go. Now I must get assistants or an assistant so to say."

Having a big lab was nice and all, but running a lab this big wasn't so nice; in fact, it was quite the problem for Homura. So she needed someone else to work with her or people to work with her.

"I must find people and fast."

The numerous mutant creatures that roamed around the laboratory were shifting around the outer reaches of the field and mingling with each other in some fashion. Each of their mutations had a different cause and effect than each other and when one of them reacted one way to one thing, another reacted differently. The spontaneity of their mutation and the constant incursion of the spontaneous mutation because of the terrain created different outcomes for each of the Dusk Creatures that were within the area that was sealed off by the great serpent. They all roamed around as they would, each having whatever reaction should occur from whichever variable of their mutation that should spontaneously trigger. All of this happened beyond the laboratory, but was able to be clearly seen from within it right outside.

"Where am I to find someone to help me? I could get some of the wildlife to help, that is if they're smart enough to do so or I could make someone assistants."

There were few ideas that came to mind about how to go about the plan to gain some help, but none of them seemed good when said aloud. However, there was one idea that did sound good when said aloud and that was one to make a assistant which wasn't all that hard, so doing it would be no problem in any way. So with that being the case, Homura stopped pumping gas out and took off her mask, but only enough to show her lips. Once her mask was up enough, she gathered up a big amount of saliva in her mouth and spit it out off the mountain and it fell down below.

The saliva that was spat out was actually highly toxic and once it hit the ground below it would sit there. The smell of it was sweet like candy, even though it was highly toxic.

"Now let's see which of the creatures will notice it."

I. Each of the mutated Dusk Creatures that littered the area were impaired in some manner due to both the mutation and the toxicity of the environment.

II. Some of the Dusk Creatures adapted to the toxicity and the environment and immediately or gradually became immune to it and its effects.

III. Some of the Dusk Creatures died from the toxicity and the environment, leaving only their remains behind and whatever Drops they had on them.

IV. Some of the Dusk Creatures are Biomechanica and are not only immune to the environment and the toxicity because they are machines, but also collect and store samples of data in various ways on their own as a primary function.

V. A few of the Dusk Creatures were attracted to the saliva of Homura for various reasons.

The Dusk Creatures that gathered around the saliva of Homura each interacted with it in a different manner. The ones that saw where the saliva came from continued to look at the laboratory whilst the ones that didn't see either analyzed the saliva or fled immediately. Each of the Dusk Creatures that analyzed the saliva traced it back to the laboratory and immediately began to search for a way to find the source each for different reasoning and in different manners.

All of the Dusk Creatures split up.

"It seems that some of them have taken the bait and that means that some of them are smarter than I assumed they were. Now the real test is to see which one of them can make it up here in one piece or even half a piece will do truth be told; I mean they also need to find a way pass the mega death serpent of doom first."

Homura was really intrigued with the creatures that actually tried to find a way up to the lab, but she didn't hold up too much hope since the mega-serpent of doom and all. However, she was still excited to see which one would make it here first.

"Come on you creatures, I need an assistant, so only the one that makes it will be able to work with me and the ones that don't will be killed by the serpent. I mean they'll die from that thing regardless of what they do."

The great serpent that rested over the mountain's lesser peaks remained still as it gazed at everything around its body. The head of the beast poked out of one of the large crags, but the rest of its body twisted and wound around both the pillars of the mountain and the trees of the forest nearby. The fullness of its length around the area was unable to be fully told, but its head remained where all of the activity went on.


The great serpent did not strike immediately as something moved, since what was moving seemed to be intimidated by something else -- the energy that attracted the creature in the first place. This serpent was not just a normal wild serpent, for it had depth in its eyes that showed cognitive thought. It was an experienced entity that rested in place whilst the little creatures went on. Whatever drew near and away from the sight of the others would be consumed by what lay in the unknown.

The dead creatures that were spread out over the poisonous environment continued to mutate as they decayed, because the mutation process was something much more intricate than just the matters of life or death. The very movement of molecular or genetic structure at all continually sparked variable variants of mutation due to activity alone. Therefore, the decomposition and further breakdown process of the dead creatures inspired further mutation something like evolution, despite the subject technically being dead.

Some of the mutated Dusk Creatures were now 'Undead', and each of the remains that still functioned in some manner continued to act based on impartial functions. Creatures with torn limbs or ligaments would not regenerate, but continue to utilize the functions of its body that remained intact and only those functions without any extra purpose. Others that could regenerate only regenerated the body part made specifically for a single function instead of for a larger whole, thus incurring extra fingers, toes, limbs and other 'deformities', so to speak. Now, multiple-limbed Dusk Creatures all the stranger than what already existed were walking around the poisonous lake, attracted to the water.

The Dusk Creatures that were native to the land took note of these changes in the others and also bore witness to it happening, which brought greater and different impressions that would isolate each of them as something independent of the next creature. No two creatures were the same, even if they were derived from the same creature before. All of them branched out into different directions in therms of evolution via mutation and were something completely new and unnatural to the land. Those that were sent from the city analyzed this data and researched the mutated Dusk Creatures, noting them down as they were discovered and all of their properties as they were uncovered.

"Well it looks like they're moving along just fine I suppose, but that just brings into question what is the mega-serpent of doom doing? I guess I could go and find out since the creatures haven't made it up here yet."

Homura didn't think that everything in the area was actually smart enough to think on a higher level like she could, so seeing that the creatures weren't being popped off by the mega-serpent of doom were quite intriguing. So she removed her entire outfit and from it came a black cloud of poisonous smoke that would fly off and downward towards the head of the mega-serpent of doom!

"Time to find out just how smart this serpent of doom really is and if it would make a better assistant than the creatures on their way."

This was the whole reason why she left her post in the first place, she had to know if what she was looking for was right in front of her and the only way to find that out was to actually go and see for herself.

The greater serpent that rested upon the rocks of the Midnight Mountain did not recoil at the commotion that came from the sudden engagement from each of the beings nearby. Instead, it began to move and slithered swiftly deeper into the forest, where its head was nearest. The rest of its scaled body shifted behind it, trailing behind as the head and upper torso slipped away. Though its body lingered due to its length, the head was already deep into the forest by the time any type of interaction could be made with it, though its tail followed long after. Only the Dusk Creatures remained behind.

Whether or not the owner of the residence remained in the station, the Dusk Creatures found a way inside in their variable means and infiltrated the premises. With the laboratory vacant, the Dusk Creatures began to mingle with what was inside all to their own capacity.

The ones that remained outside lingered in the poisonous lake and drew energy from it like water. They drank from it as their form of refreshment and gathered to it naturally because it gave them strength, regardless of what other strange creatures might have shown up around them. Though both unstable and unnatural, there was a level of neutrality among them that came from each of them all unanimously sharing the same source too great to be controlled or consumed by one of them and just large enough to give each of them space to watch each other. The field had come to a standstill, and there was peace between the Dusk Creatures that roamed the isolated land of poison on the Midnight Mountains.

The undead Dusk Creatures that continued to mutate into deformities shifted around doing nothing except one thing and disturbing nothing except what may come into contact with it moving completely incoherently and impulsively. They got lost in the trees and through the mountains, but ultimately wandered off or stayed in place.

Soon, the whole area was teeming with mutant wildlife and had an ecosystem that established itself naturally of its own order with information being drawn from it and the entire area being monitored,

"My lab senses are going off, someone is in my lab and no should be in my lab when I'm not there; so help me if something gets broken!"

Homura didn't need any super ability to know that something was in her lab, she just kinda knew that based on gut feeling alone, but wasn't too sure about it and yet felt like she was super sure someone was in her lab. While there was nothing in there that she would miss, there was some stuff in there like basic things she didn't need to be broken or messed up and those would include lab equipment that was pretty pricey and hard to come by.

So with that being the case, she couldn't really keep her mind set on the mega-serpent of doom all that much, but she forced herself to keep her mind focused on it. However, once she got down there she didn't see a head or anything of the kind, all she saw was the body of it since it was way too long to actually hide fully.

"Mega-serpent of dooooooom, where are you!? Come out so we can talk, I need to know if you're smart enough to actually be my lab assistant. If you come out I'll feed you something good!

Since she did have something good for the creature if it came out, so with that being said she floated along its body that was still seeable.

Because the head of the great serpent was so far away now, the voice of Homura in her gaseous state could not be heard clearly if at all. Only the body of the serpent remained treading on as a trail to where the head would be driven. Now lost in the 'Forest' nearby, the head was no longer able to be interacted with unless a transition was made.


The 'Body' of the serpent, however, was still present for quite some time, for the creature was great and long and trailed on for quite some time. Wherever the head was going, it had a destination that it not only knew about, but also was certainly a great distance away. Only the body would tell where and how long that journey would be.


Homura had many options present before her now as the serpent's trail went on. Whilst it was still present, she could follow it, yet there were also other means of dealing with this situation that were totally up to her. A few of the most major were her natural options based on what was happening most obviously at the current time.

Upon her saying and no response, Homura thought to herself and about how she could get to the head quicker than she was now, but that's when she thought back to the creatures that were in her lab moving about and stuff. She had some options that she wasn't too happy with since she really wanted to see if the serpent was intelligent and yet she needed er lab to be safe and intact till she messed it up herself.

"Man this sucks. While I want to see this serpent, I don't want my lab to be a mess and since my whole purpose for doing this was to see which of those creatures could make it up there first. I guess I can find out about the serpent later, so back to the lab!"

As she made up her mind she would return to her lab within seconds since she was a gas, she could move much faster than if she was physical. Once she was back in front of her lab, she returned to her outfit and ran inside.

"Hey creatures, so help me god if you've messed up something you're going in the time out room!"

The first impulse of the Dusk Creatures was to either run and hide or to lash out and attack in order to defend themselves. So they rushed off into whatever room, corner, crevice and cupboard they could in order to shield themselves from being seen in some fashion. Some were plotting to attack, but others were just timid as creatures. There were even those that were only observers to everything that went on, but were still hiding along with the ones planning to attack and simply innocently terrified.

Now while all this happened in the various rooms of the laboratory, some of the creatures in random places suddenly spontaneously mutated again into a different form, which had variable effects that couldn't be readily determined without something having to monitor it in a controlled environment. With no scientific oversight, what would be experiments all on their own had gone wild with sporadic and rather rapid changes. Every variable applied, but very few were known until they were gotten to. Though the owner of the laboratory wasn't a physical presence, the atmosphere and the manner of her presence still had an active influence on the environment.

Homura had many more options available to her now, and there were a great deal of possibilities and outcomes that came along with them. In fact, so much was going on in so many places that it wasn't clear where something would happen and where something would be safe to deal with.

Out of everything that was going on inside of the lab, the commotion also stirred the Dusk Creatures that remained outside the laboratory walls, many of them having their attention drawn to it. Like the Dusk Creatures that had gotten inside, some were timid and others were aggressive, whilst still others were only observant of everything around them. They remained focused on what they were doing in the wilderness, yet were also alert and attentive of what went on around them in their habitat.

"Somehow I knew I should have locked the door behind me, but nope I had to just dart off and now look what's happened. Anyway, listen to me, you creatures! I have some goodies for you if you all come out and stop going on and about in my lab ok? These are some yummy gummies that taste really good.

Now I don't want to be mean or anything so let's make this as simple as possible yeah?"

Homura didn't want to use force since that wouldn't get her anywhere and she knew that these creatures were smarter than they let on because they made it up here after all. So her candy was the best idea she could come up with because her other idea wasn't nice at all; in fact, it was quite horrific and very bad.

Now without wasting any time, she pulled down her mask a bit to only show her mouth and from she spat out a lot of salivae and she collected this saliva in her hand. Now with a few quick motions she turned made it soft/hard and eatable.

"Look here, I have 4 pieces of candy for you and I can make more if you want."

Outside, the 'Serpent's body trailed along, still going on through the mountains and the trees. The extensive length led it to transition for quite a long time and even to have a long piece of its tail left behind to follow before the snake's body rested. Though its head was still a long ways away, its tail was still right in front of the transitional point between the mountains and the forest near the horizon of the clearing.


Inside of the laboratory, however, things were not so simple and dry. In fact, things had begun to get quite hectic within due to the unstable genetic mutations of the Dusk Creatures.

VI. The natural side-effect of the ecosystem being disturbed in a single area caused the Veritas to begin to react naturally to the new elements it was exposed to.

VII. The land had been overseen universally for a while from overhead and from within by the natural mechanics of the Dusk, and so the Veritas maintained natural order in the background despite what resembled chaos and hazard.

I. The facility that was filled with Dusk Creatures was immediately commandeered by a powerful presence that bore great oversight, yet also left little impact over what was occurring.

II. The facility, which was a 'House' to all of the events that went on, suddenly filled with a strange presence that dominated the area, but remained indistinct.

III. Whilst the presence was resting over the 'House', all of the 'Biomechanica' type 'Dusk Creatures' would suddenly become commanded by Mechanica once they observed enough and extracted enough data from the mutants. The live feed across their network allowed for monitoring all of the events in all the rooms as well as outside with a connection like a hive mind -- all able to see as a unit from several different perspectives spread out along the area.

IV. All of the 'Mechanica' were controlled by the Veritas to secure the 'House.'

Homura was hoping that her plan would work till she noticed that they weren't doing anything which brought a question to mind and that was why? She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was glad that thing came to a stop for a little bit. This would give her a little time to think about what the hell happened and why it happened.

"Well this is odd if I've ever seen it, I mean this is really weird and I want to know why. However, I really don't want to go that far into it since I know something like this has a lot rocking behind it for a lack of better words.

She didn't question what happened too much since she was just glad that it did for the most part and with that being the case she sighed a bit, but no before she felt something weird in the air. It was something very different than what she felt beforehand and it was something that wasn't here before hand.

"You should ask before you enter into someone's home like this you know."

Whilst the communication went on between Homura and the strange presence that had both befallen her and taken command of some of the creatures in the house, the Mechanica that were indeed collectively conscious would monitor and deal with the mutants based on data and extracted information which was analyzed and calculated how to use to the scientific advantage of the Biomechanica littered about the Dusk Creatures.

Each of them got the rooms under control automatically, but did nothing in terms of actually removing or dealing with the other Dusk Creatures. They were more or less observers gathering information, though they also served as machines that created a 'controlled environment' automatically just by being a group with the same protocol. No matter what went on around them, they would respond the same way and in a relatively unified manner independent of anyone and anything else's natural order. The machines had their own natural order, which was more or less strictly protocol and coded algorithmic functions. Essentially, half of the work was done for Homura just because the machines were present, but they did not do anything except get the lab in order in each room. They did not attack the creatures nor did they get them out, but merely secured each room and space so that they did not leave or get too rowdy. It was up to Homura to deal with them after that however she chose.

In the room that Homura was in as a floating gas vapor, the Biomechanica that were commandeered focused on her as a strange aerial cloud of energy that was different from natural air. Scanning it all at once, each of the machines broke down and decoded that this particular spot of air was actually sentient and alive, based on the conscious sentience of the particles both remaining attracted to each other and also sharing a hive-mind consciousness that kept them together, similarly to how the machines functioned as physical vessels in imitation to the particles in the air. The Mechanica had the information about many of the new mutants as well as what was useful for dealing with them, however each machine had different information, and some information was broken up among them all in different rooms. Homura could collect data that the machines had already gotten, but she couldn't get everything from one Mechanica and had to get more information on more creatures by accessing more Mechanica throughout the various rooms of the lab.

Until then, they continued to absorb, gather data and maintain a controlled environment as much as possible within the lab.

"Well I have things to do man and trying to kick you creatures out isn't one of them, in fact, it's actually wasting my time truth be told and I can't have that. I mean how am I suppose to get any work done if I'm not doing any work. Ugh, well I'm going to go ahead and get to work and y'all can move about, I mean none of you broke anything so I can assume you're not dumb at all.

However, I'll still give out some candies and stuff, so you guys can eat and be happy and all of that good jazz."

Homura placed the pieces of candy on the ground and simply poofed into a cloud of gas and floated off into a vent that was nearby. She wasn't worried about the creatures since they weren't really doing much other than being super big and doing what creatures do.

So now that she had left that spot, she floated into a different part of the lab that was located somewhere different from the main part of the lab in the mountain. This part of the lab was closed off naturally since no one knew about it except her for now since she just found it. This part of the lab was exactly what she needed; a place that was void for the most part and a place she could work on more secret work by herself.

"This is what I was looking for. Now I can start my work on S.A.D in privet. I can't help but feel like those creatures are going to do something really funny and it's gonna cause some type of problem haha."

The idea of it made her laugh but what was a lab without something running around and causing problems right? So with that being the case, she walked up to a massive sized door with three zeros and a slash going through them on it. This was the door that would house S.A.D! Her project that would give her what she needed.



So now it was work time and with it being work time she didn't open the doors, she just passed through them through the cracks and from there she would get to work on her project.

With all of the Dusk Creatures, both mutant and Mechanica, in a relatively orderly fashion within the rooms, all that remained now was to maintain each room's order in a controlled environment and without allowing what was inside of each room to get out.

Naturally, the owner of the facility had already stepped out and into private chambers, however the experimental Dusk Creatures -- which were more or less now just test subjects in the laboratory -- continued to mutate and evolve. The new elements and properties to which they were exposed had drastic effects on them, including the actual environment shift, itself. They were not accustomed to the environment, but the sporadic mutations allowed for rapid adaptability to the new environs.

In each room there were different equipment, chemicals and materials, as well as a different space in general for each environment. Some rooms may have been hot or cold; other rooms may have had one sort of chemical and lack another. Whatever the variables were, each of them applied to the sensitive mutation that was incurred in each Dusk Creature. Even the candies that were left behind, which naturally were picked up by the more curious creatures, had an effect on the mutation. With all of the creatures still adapting, they became more adjusted to whichever exposure they had, yet also further branched off into a different creature due to all of the genetic alterations that came naturally.

Eventually, they all became assimilated to their independent environments behind their closed doors in different rooms. The rooms, themselves, became like natural habitats for the newly evolved creatures who adjusted to live in that environment. Now, their home was each of the rooms in the laboratory, and each one served as a different habitat for each batch of creatures.

The variables of every room created causalities that inspired independent results in each, of which there were different effects entirely.


V. In one room, the mutating Dusk Creatures were exposed to binding agents and took on a property that bonded them together and to whatever else they were exposed to as though they are the same entity. - Symbiosis

VI. In another room, the mutating Dusk Creatures were exposed to toxins that were natural to the natural inhabitants of the laboratory and its elements. These Dusk Creatures adapted to the hazardous chemicals either through degeneration and decay or absorption and immunity. Some would have adverse effects by counteracting the chemicals and others would become like the chemicals and synchronize with them so that they were virtually the same and thereby ineffective as a hazard and toxin to whatever was like itself and the chemicals that were bonded to it.

VII. In the other room, the mutating Dusk Creatures remained constant. There was no change, but constant stability.

VIII. In the next room, the mutating Dusk Creatures were reacting unstably to the environment and each other. All of the variables within caused natural reactions that were chaotic and insecure, which threatened the safety and stability of how long the area would remain supportive of the unstable reactions.

IX. In the room after, there was exposure to the elements of nature that, combined with the elements inside, caused the Dusk Creatures to mutate in a different way because of the exposure to both elements at the same time.

X. In the last room, the Dusk Creatures all grew more intelligence and tame. Growing a sense of awareness, they each learned naturally about what was occurring and what was within their grasp. They began to study the chemicals and test things on their own both on themselves and other things based on the height of their curiosity and measurement of their intellect. Experimentation with their own mutation began to occur in this room.

The Mechanica continued their live 'Feed' of everything that occurred in the 'Facility' at the time. In each room, something different happened that was completely recorded and extracted in the fullness of its data and streamed through a network that spread throughout all the Dusk through the connection. All of the Mechanica shared the same network, which spanned over the fullness of the Dusk as their hive mind and collective consciousness, which allowed for a single network all at once, even with different units doing completely independent and sentient operations, as they did in the laboratory with the live 'Feed.'

Standard protocol was taken.

The Dusk Creatures that were exposed to the binding agents eventually stuck to everything and everyone in the room, collectively attaching to each other at the adhesion to become a giant mass of the accumulation of each. Whatever 'Type' of creature they had become, -- likely an 'Abomination' type of 'Homonculus,' as were similar to the likeness of this 'Creature' -- they were now one giant being that was a 'Boss' class creature. It was great and powerful and symbiotically absorbed everything in the room as itself. Whatever was there, it was that, too. There were no hazards, because at base value, the creature was becoming exactly what the materials in the room were, and there was nothing that could be harmful to itself by being itself. That property was applicable to the symbiotic creature, and eventually there was nothing in the room that wasn't part of the 'Creature.' - Boss (Symbiote)

The mutating Dusk Creatures were exposed to toxins that were natural to the natural inhabitants of the laboratory and its elements adapted to the hazardous chemicals either through degeneration and decay or absorption and immunity. Some would have adverse effects by counteracting the chemicals and others would become like the chemicals and synchronize with them so that they were virtually the same and thereby ineffective as a hazard and toxin to whatever was like itself and the chemicals that were bonded to it. Once this occurred, the Dusk Creatures became part of the environment and its natural habitat, establishing this environment as their own. They bonded to it and would live in this environment as normal creatures would. They stopped evolving at a high speed and suddenly settled to a point of stability, and each creature remained what it was. Life went on.

Another room had Dusk Creatures that were already constant and did not change, however, the environment was left untouched and unchanged for so long, they became lifeless and atrophied. Nothing ate. Nothing changed. All remained constant from life until death -- completely terminal. One would open the door and find a room of dead animals that stopped evolving at whatever point in time evolution stopped functioning for them and they became still life, like a stillborn child.

In the room after, there was exposure to the elements of nature that, combined with the elements inside, caused the Dusk Creatures to mutate in a different way because of the exposure to both elements at the same time. These Dusk Creatures adapted their senses to a heightened degree that allowed them awareness of things beyond themselves and their enclosed environment. These Dusk Creatures, who were wise, could tell from the accumulative heightened sensory perception that there were changes going on outside of their own location that also affected their location. With depth perception, they could tell the shift in weight when the entire room over suddenly lost its life. In a type of paranoia, these Dusk Creatures became more fearful and cautious of everyone and everything. Their eyes grew wide and their ears became more perceptive. They were jumpy and swift, becoming as flexible as possible in order to escape if necessary. For the moment, they would perceive each other and learn from each other until they felt the need to flee.

In the next room, the Dusk Creatures all grew more intelligence and tame. Growing a sense of awareness, they each learned naturally about what was occurring and what was within their grasp. They began to study the chemicals and test things on their own both on themselves and other things based on the height of their curiosity and measurement of their intellect. Experimentation with their own mutation began to occur in this room. Instead of becoming compulsive and easily startled due to a sense of fear, like the other Dusk Creatures that had developed in the room over, these Dusk Creatures settled down and became more comfortable with the area. They considered the laboratory their home and became accustomed to its resources, as well as each of the habitation components. Soon enough, they figured out that they could escape and how to use all the elements within to assist, but instead decided to remain focused on what they were doing.

In the last room, the mutating Dusk Creatures were reacting unstably to the environment and each other. All of the variables within caused natural reactions that were chaotic and insecure, which threatened the safety and stability of how long the area would remain supportive of the unstable reactions.

Eventually, many of the Dusk Creatures grew either intelligent or powerful enough where their non-changing environments could no longer support them and their rapid constant growth because there was no constant rapid growth always occurring around them in order to sustain them. Therefore, these Dusk Creatures broke out of the lab and went back out into the Wilderness of the Spectral Dusk, integrating back into the ecosystem naturally as their bodies would allow or disallow. As any living creature would, they searched only for places hospitable and supportive to their newly taken on life that is something completely different from whatever it once was before. The current environment no longer supported them as they were -- they had evolved, as the creatures on the Veritas did in their time. Yet, this exponential evolution was something that extended far beyond what the current state of the environment could handle. They branched out all over the continent, searching for a place they could live. They would either adapt to the environment and make a habitat or die off and never be seen nor heard from as a creature or species again due to being the only of its kind in every instance. There would be none other like them, yet somehow they were completely disposable, as some creatures in natural life cycles were in order to sustain the progression of the generation. Their only goal now was to survive in the Dusk.