"We've completed the boy," Suchong says, stepping into Fontaine's office without ceremony. "Would you like to see him?"

Fontaine looks up and nods, stacking some nondescript paperwork and standing. "Where is Brigid?" he asks.

"With the child. He is at a stage where he is actually pleasant to look on. That is to say, he's lost the look of a fetus almost entirely. Accelerated growth to two years, and already, the gross musculature of a fit nineteen-year-old. Suchong is very pleased with the results, naturally, but Suchong thought you might want a look before we proceeded with the mental conditioning."

Fontaine scowls, "How considerate of you, doctor."

"Besides, if we're to make him a sleeper, you should choose the trigger phrase soon."

"Yes, I know."

To be honest, and Fontaine always was with himself- even if that wasn't the case with…well, everyone else- he was beginning to have doubts. Screwing over people on his level was one thing, but screwing with a child was entirely something else. The kid could very well grow up to hate Ryan either way, especially considering his recent downward spiral, but Fontaine didn't have that kind of time. It was now or never, make a power move before the constant splicing made everyone insane or watch the city crumble around him, make it out alive with a few precious items and move on with his life topside. It was strange, given his sense of self-preservation, but Fontaine couldn't really justify either option anymore.

They reached Suchong's private home lab and the door swished open. Tenenbaum stood there with a clipboard, asking the boy a series of questions that he answered with brutal and concise efficiency. He was tall for two, looked more like a six-year-old, and yet he was extremely sinewy. A perfect specimen of humanity with the hand of science inserted. Fontaine found him repulsive, and worse, pitied him.

Tenenbaum looks up from her chart and gives Fontaine a lopsided grin- equally repulsive to him- her ridiculous crush bearing its head once again. "Frank," she says "This is the boy."

"Obviously," Fontaine replies, crouching down to look the kid in the eyes. He's inherited his father's eye color, Fontaine notes sourly.

"Hello, papa Fontaine," the boy says, looking at the man from under brown bangs.

Fontaine resists the urge to snap at the kid too, and says, somewhat amicably, "What's your name, kid?"

"We were waiting on you to-" Fontaine raises a hand to stop Tenenbaum, shaking his head slightly.

"Well, sir," The kid says "I'm sorry, but I don't know."

"What would you like it to be, then?"

"Papa Suchong lets me read books to learn new words. And in one book, there's a girl named Jill and a boy named Jack. I quite like the name Jack."

"Well then, Jack it is," Fontaine says, smiling a little at the kid despite himself.

Suchong clears his throat and motions for Fontaine to follow him out into the hall. Fontaine ruffles the kid's hair before following the Asian out. Immediately after the doors close, Suchong hisses, "The child is a top priority to our mission. With all due respect, Mr. Fontaine, you cannot jeopardize this chance at true freedom by familiarizing yourself with the boy. If you become…attached, you may not be able to order him to do it."

"I'm not sure I want to anymore," Fontaine says, glaring when the man's eyes come up to meet his.

"Wh-what?" Suchong sputters "But, sir!"

"Cut the 'sir' shit, Suchong. I don't want to use the kid."

Suchong glares right back, a bony finger coming up to jab Fontaine repeatedly in the ribs, "Now listen here, you fucking manipulative bastard. The hours Suchong has put into this will not go wasted. Either you give me permission to send him topside or I'll do it myself, but one way or another, that grotesque piece of shit will serve a purpose."

"Dr. Suchong!" says a voice to their left. They turn, seeing Dr. Tenenbaum standing before them, her clipboard raised like a weapon "You idiot! Du Hurensohn… The boy heard you! Any mental conditioning we could try would more than likely be ineffective now! You've conducted as many studies as I have. You know that. It isn't like you to let your emotions get the best of you. And now you've ruined everything!"

"Well…Fontaine is equally culpable. He was going soft. What was I to do?"

"Fontaine is the boss! If he doesn't want to do it anymore, we don't do it anymore."

Suchong sighs, exasperated "Fine, but what do we do with the little shit now?"

There is a moment of silence between the three in the hallway, until Fontaine says, quite seriously, "I will take him."

*Du Hurensohn-Son of a bitch.