She backed up until she hit a wall. The bestial Chris planted a hairy paw to the right of her head, another paw to the left.

“Personal space,” she said, and the words were tense. No words came out as Chris moved his prehensile nose to her shirt collar, pushing it aside.

Pushing past bra strap—

She jolted, hand lunging forward, to his mouth. To lip—

The prehensile nose caught her arm, twisting her fingers back. Too hairy to use her power through. Her knees bent.

“Don’t be stupid,” he said. “This is a friendly gesture from me.”

“Don’t touch her,” Amy hissed. She was as ready to use her power to harm as she had ever been.

He pulled at her collar, moving it aside, then moved her bra strap, so it crossed the bridge of her shoulder. There was nothing sexual to the action.

Just… exposing that little section of skin that Amy had picked up a week ago, pulsing softly as it breathed, resting at the space over her heart. It hugged her skin, drinking the nutrients off of her skin, and eating the bacteria.

“If you haven’t corrupted the DNA, you could use it. I’ve looked over Bonesaw’s work with the clones, I could try implanting memories. You can have Victoria, with all the memories you want her to have, or none of the memories you don’t want to have. Guilt free.”

“No,” Amy said.

“Why not?”

“Because this is enough.”

“Is it?” he pressed her, his monstrous face too close to hers.

It wasn’t.

“It’ll have to be,” she said.

“If you tell me no now, if you won’t turn our tidy little human-shaped package of human-derived cells over there into a Victoria that satisfies you, I don’t want you to go off the deep end when the other Victoria Dallon shows up. Because she will.”

“I’ll manage.”

“I don’t think you will.”

“Being near me makes her miserable. Being near her makes me miserable, because she’s so fucked up, she’s surrounded by all the wrong influences, and I can’t fix that without outright kidnapping her.”

“So kidnap her.”

“And have the Wardens after me? The rest of Breakthrough?”

“You’re strong enough.”

“I’m—maybe. But I’m not good enough, not from a skill standpoint. I’m not a natural heroine. But I think I am good. I am capable of saying… it would make too many people too unhappy.”