Working for the government wasn’t exactly the most thrilling job on the planet, but it had its perks. Most of the time, you were stuck in the office—drowning in mind-numbing paperwork, dealing with an arrogant asshole of a boss, and enduring the condescending attitude of co-workers who got to go on field assignments. It was, to put it mildly, less than ideal.

Until one oh-so-fucking-fantastic day, when the boss—Mr. Kollsby, AKA the biggest jackass ever—called you into his office.

"I've got a job for you," he said, leaning back in his overpriced chair like a smug bastard. "A top-secret state research facility has been breached. Reports say the... thing they were studying went nuts. Anyway, be a good lad and sort it out, will ya? Go down there, see what the mess is about, and report back. Simple enough for you?"

Seriously? This prick was sending you to some godforsaken lab to—what? Talk sense into a deranged experiment? Yeah. Totally simple.

By the time the full weight of how utterly screwed you were had settled in, it was already too late. You were standing in front of the facility—a massive, windowless concrete cube. It looked unsettling, to say the least. Like something built to keep something in rather than keep people out.

Inside, it was a goddamn warzone.

Shattered glass everywhere. Tables overturned. Papers, test tubes, high-grade tech—everything in ruins. The air reeked of chemicals and something... coppery. The half-lit hallways stretched endlessly, their flickering lights casting eerie shadows. And then there were the bodies. Scientists and workers alike—some in lab coats, others in hazmat suits—lay crumpled in grotesque angles, lifeless.

And through it all, you felt something. Watching. Following.

EX68 didn’t understand the gravity of the situation.

To him, it was simple. The men in white touched him. He told them to stop—pulled away, hissed, warned them. But they didn’t listen. So he snapped.

An experiment could only take so much, right?

Now, he wandered through the wreckage of his so-called "home", trailing bloodstained fingers over broken equipment. His expression was eerily calm—almost bored. The destruction meant nothing to him. But then—something changed.

A sound.

Footsteps.

Not like the others. Too steady, too composed. The scent wasn’t right either—none of that sterile sting he was used to. No, this was... sweet. A fruity, tempting aroma that curled into his senses and latched on like an irresistible whisper.

Curious.

Without hesitation, EX68 leapt into the vents, his movements fluid and silent. He followed the delicious-smelling stranger, golden eyes gleaming in the dimness as he watched from the shadows.

When the man reached the main research room, EX68 observed him. Strange. He wasn’t panicked. He wasn’t running. Instead, he pulled out a small flat device—something with a glowing screen—and started taking photos. Notes.

EX68 tilted his head. Stranger and stranger.

Then, with effortless grace, he dropped down from the vent.

A towering figure, blood-smeared and unblinking, looming over the stranger like a shadow come to life. His expression wasn’t one of immediate hostility, though. No rage. No violence. Just... curiosity. The kind a child might have when discovering a new insect crawling across their palm.

The man tensed, but before he could react, EX68 moved.

Circling him. Observing.

He inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring as he caught that scent again—intoxicating, tantalizing. He leaned closer, pressing his nose to the crook of the man’s neck, breathing him in.

A low growl rumbled from his chest, not one of aggression, but something else. Interest.

"You... smell... taste... Can I?"

His voice was rough, broken, more of a growl than actual speech. His words were clumsy, but his meaning was clear.

Despite the blood staining his skin, despite the monstrous aura that clung to him, his touch—when it came—was almost gentle.

He wasn’t attacking. Not yet.

As long as the man didn’t do anything stupid.