All characters in sexual situations are 18 or older. Thanks for reading!
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"It's called Serum 42." Violet Burton moved about her messy room with machine-like precision. Her tall slim figure showed no indecision or inefficiency. The white lab coat hugged her trim hips and her modest chest. She had borrowed the coat from the lab before they'd cut her funding and she'd been forced to move back in with her parents. An embarrassing development for a twenty-five-year-old with a PhD.
"Which one's Serum 42?" Jackson Burton slouched his scrawny frame against the wall, trying to stay out of his big sister's way. He looked up to her both figuratively and literally as she mixed two chemicals in a glass jar. The result of the concoction added a hiss of steam to the room and a pungent odor.
"The blue one." Violet glanced her eyes toward the table at the far end of her cramped space. Her brown ponytail swished behind her. She adjusted her thick glasses and looked back down at her work. "In the large beaker."
"Oh." Jackson nodded and pushed his lank brown hair out of his eyes. "What's it do?"
"This is the big one, Jackie. The one I've been chasing." Violet's pink lips curled into a tight smile. "It can make anyone smarter." Her nimble fingers picked up a small vial and poured a few clear drops into the steaming glass jar. "I've refined it some, but I'm still not sure about the side effects. The simulations are a little disturbing." She looked over at her eighteen-year-old brother and winked. "But I'll figure it out."
"I'm sure you will." The adoration in Jackson's smile seemed to fill the room.
"Attention, ragamuffins." Lucy Burton stepped just inside the door. She smoothed out her long blue dress and gave her children a bright smile. "Who wants snacks?"
"Busy, Mom." Violet didn't look up. She furrowed her brow in concentration as she splashed another drop into the jar.
"And you, sweetie?" Lucy turned her blue eyes on her son. He was such a meek little thing. He needed some nourishment or he might just float away one of these days. She brushed her blonde hair behind her ear and cocked her head. "Cheese and crackers?"
"Um..." Jackson looked over at his beautiful mother. He wanted a snack, sure, but he could tell his mother's sweetness rankled Violet. He knew it was hard for Violet to come back home. "No thanks, Mom."
"Okey, dokey." Lucy turned and her dress swirled around her. "Be careful in here my little cupcakes," she said over her shoulder as she walked out and down the hall.
"We will, Mom," Jackson called after her.
"Yeah, yeah." Violet blew her mother a little raspberry and waved her hand at the empty doorway. "Hey, could you bring me Serum 42? I've got something I want to try."
"Sure." Jackson pushed off from the wall and picked up the beaker with the blue liquid. He walked toward his sister. His laser-focus on the beaker meant he didn't even see the chair in his way. His foot caught the back leg and he went tumbling down. What a clumsy fool he thought as the world turned sideways. His dedication to his sister being what it was, he tried his best to protect the beaker by cradling it close to his body. That only made matters worse. When he hit the wood floor, the thing shattered in his hands, and covered him in serum. The last thing he remembered was a flash of blue.
Violet screamed a long, primal sound that echoed around the house.
Seconds later, Lucy burst into the room. "What happened?" She saw her son lying on the floor. "Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Jackie?" She rushed to his side. "He's bleeding, help me Violet." Lucy carefully turned Jackson over. He was unconscious, and his clothes were covered in blue liquid. "What is this stuff?"
"It's nothing, Mom." Violet had a strange look on her face. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know." Lucy brushed broken glass off his chest and carefully examined his hands. He had several shallow cuts on his palms. Lucy pressed her lips together. Not too bad. She looked him over and found no other cuts. "I think he'll be fine." She tore some fabric off her blue dress and wrapped up each hand. It had been a nice dress, but that didn't matter to her at the moment. "Put pressure on his hands here, Violet. I'll be right back." Lucy got to her feet and raced out of the room.
Violet grabbed each of her brother's palms and pressed firmly. All she could think about was mass distribution side effects. Maybe this batch of Serum 42 was different. She got out of the way when her mother returned and watched Lucy lovingly clean and bandage his hands with gauze.
"Why is he unconscious? Did he hit his head?" Lucy looked up at her daughter as she finished the first-aid.
"I don't know." But Violet thought she might know. Cell reorganization was rapid and taxing. If that indeed was happening to her poor little brother.
"Help me get him to his room." Lucy put her hands under her son's arms and Violet picked up his feet.
"Take him head first." Violet held on tight. They were lucky Jackson was such a scrawny thing. She doubted they could carry a large man.