(TW: Gore)

“Hand me that beaker Atlas.” Snapped the scientist holding out his disfigured, barely recognizable hand. Atlas grabs the beaker full of a bubbling burgundy liquid that he just finished creating. He clenches the neck of the beaker as he looked at the scientist, then back at the beaker. His throat began to close and his mouth began to dry up. He didn’t know if it was from the wrenching stench of the lab or his nervousness.

“Are you sure this is a good idea boss? We don’t know what’s going to happen.” Atlas said, his voice trembling. He instantly regretted even opening his mouth as soon as the words left his lips.

“I said hand me the god damn beaker Atlas!” yelled the scientist. Atlas flinched as he could feel the force of the yell vibrate through his body and slowly holds out the beaker, head down. The scientist holds up the beaker, inspecting the vile liquid inside. “This is perfect” he said with a maniacal chuckle.

“Boss,” Atlas began, throat so tight he could barely breathe, “If we go through with this, wouldn’t it cause-“

“Why do you question me!” the scientist screamed. The sound echoed throughout the lab and an unsettling silence followed as the echo died off. Eyes full of rage he shot a menacing look at Atlas. “Do not question me.” The words pierced through Atlas’s soul. The scientist snapped his gaze towards Silas, his second assistant, who was trembling working on the second liquid needed for the concoction.

“Almost done over there Silas?” he snapped. Silas flinched and almost dropped the beaker off the table.

“Just finished boss.” Silas replied with a noticeable lack of confidence.

“Hand it over”

Silas hands over the beaker, his body tensed, hoping for his life he made it right. Silas did not support this whole experiment and had a million questions himself, but he was smart enough to keep his mouth closed. He knew if Atlas had opened his mouth again it would not end well.

“Excellent work Silas” said the scientist inspecting the green sizzling liquid in the beaker. Silas let out a sigh of relief and became slightly less tensed. The scientist poured a bit of each liquid into a large container and began stirring it. “Finally, with this solution we can turn anything into a monstrosity. We can contaminate the water pipes of the city with this and turn the whole city into monstrosities!” the scientist let out crazed laughter that filled the room as the two assistants watched, mouths shut, sacred for their lives. The laughter subsided. “I hate people.” The scientist said under his breath with a look of disgust on his face. Atlas opens his mouth out of concern. His voice breaking and his throat feeling like it has collapsed at this point.

“Boss, are you sure-“

The scientist slams his hand on the counter, rattling everything on the table and making both assistants jump. “I said do not question me!” He screamed as he grabs a shard of broken glass on the table and slices Atlas’s neck in one quick swipe. Blood spilled out of Atlas’s neck as he gargled and clutched his neck. Silas was staring wide eyed as Atlas dropped to the floor and let out a final grunt. A pool of blood began to trickle across the floor. The scientist clenches the bloody shard of glass in his hand as he turns his gaze toward Silas. “Did you have an questions Silas?” yelled the scientist, clenching the glass even harder causing blood to drip onto the floor from between his fingers.

“No boss.” Stammered Silas, frozen in shock still staring at the motionless body of his fellow assistant in the pool of blood.

“Good, let’s continue” said the scientist turning back to his mixture of liquid. He then picked up the container of liquid stepped over Atlas’s dead body as he approached a cage that held a squealing rat banging against the bars. The squeals grew louder and exceptionally ear splitting as the scientist and Silas got closer. “Shut up you filthy creature or I’ll chop your head off!” Roared the scientist as he stood over the cage. The rat got a little quieter as if it could understand. “Now just to test it on the rat first” The scientist poured a splash of the mixture into the cage and watched closely as the rat sniffed it and eventually drank it. Silas took a step back. The rat started twitching and making odd noises. A smile creeped onto the scientists face as he watched intensely. “Yes, yes”. Silas took another step back. Then without warning, the rat rapidly expanded and burst out of the cage in a squealing frenzy. Within seconds it latched onto the scientists face and began eating away his entire head. The headless body of the scientist drops to the floor joining the fallen assistant in the pool of blood. The rat turns towards Silas with its fiery eyes and bolts toward him, flesh and blood dripping from its mouth. Silas barely makes it out of the lab room and shuts the door on the vicious creature. It banged and clawed at the door, but Silas was long gone. He had escaped. Yet he was traumatized. Forever broken, but alive.