The one that was conducting the experiment just looked at her, and grinned in return. It was wide, it was toothy, it was... unhinged. He looked at how she was set up, and laughed a little, the laughter threatening to overtake him and turn into a fit, but he managed to calm himself down and clear his throat a little, a serious expression on his face now. He ran a hand through his messy strawberry blonde hair. His own glasses were cracked at the edges, but not in nearly as bad a condition as hers were. The frames were a bit warped as well, but he showed no signs of injury on his body or face. His own body was... large, but vaguely skinny. He had the look of a mana that had worked out his entire life, and had then just abandoned it... not that that could rightly be seen with the large stained lab coat he always wore.

"Patience." he told her. "I need to make sure everything is set up correctly." he said.

"I don't want to lose you." he went on... before his serious face turned into a grin once more. "After all, you're my assistant and favourite guinea pig!" he declared with another loud laugh.

"Ready-set-GO!" he then yelled quickly, flipping the switch with enthusiasm.

As he did so, the inputs that were connected to her sent an obscenely large amount of electricity through it, and the man looked at the displays, monitoring the results with eagerness.

"Yes... yes..." he said, before he stopped his smiling and narrowed his eyes.

"Wait..." he mumbled. "Wait, what is...?" he started to ask, before looking over to the woman.

"These readings..." he muttered, wondering what the result of this would be. The readings weren't what he expected, but he wasn't going to stop it. Yet.

The one that was sitting across from her noticed this, and acquired a concerned look in his eyes.

"Hey..." he said quietly. "You okay?" he asked, as a green snake emerged from his short brown hair and looked at her as well.

"...headache..." the woman replied in a quiet, strained tone. "Bad one, suddenly." he said further.

"...should I get the extra strength?" the man asked.

"Yes. Please." she told him, an almost pleading tone to her voice.

He nodded and quickly got up, making his way to a cabinet and opening it.

"Extra... extra..." he mumbled. "Ah, here it is." he said, grabbing a bottle of the gel caps, as well as some water from the nearby water cooler.

"KIAH!" Ilias yelled, as he saw her hit the floor.

He threw the water and pills off to the side, and raced towards her, flopping down to his knees when he was close enough.

"Kiah! Hang on!" he pleaded, as he looked around, but nobody was around.

"Damn it." he cursed.

"Kiah, I'll get the medics here." he told her, wondering what the hell was happening to his love.

He then started to dig out his phone, to send an emergency signal to the medical wing.

Ilias was silent for a moment, accepting the water. He took a drink of it, re-capping it, and then looking at the medic.

"...we're all right." he replied, as several snakes poked their heads out, looking at Angela as well.

"Worried about Kiah, though." he told her.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Kiah was just fine, and then she's complaining about a sudden massive headache, and then she collapses." he went on. "I don't understand it. We weren't even working with any chemicals or compounds or anything." he continued.

"How is she doing?" he then asked her.

"Thank you." Ilias responded, before taking another drink.

"I just don't know what could have happened." he said after finishing the mouthful.

"As I said, we weren't even doing anything stressful. Or dangerous. Or anything." he told her.

"We haven't for a couple of days, really. Most of what we've done is routine or standard procedures." he continued.

"So I don't know if this can really be pinned on anything." he lamented with a sigh.

Ilias thought for a moment.

"Well, unless there's an emergency in R&D, the rest of the staff there can handle what we've been doing." he reasoned.

"So I'm going to stay here." he told her.

"Stay here and probably pass out from lack of sleep because I know I'm going to be too concerned to properly sleep." he said bluntly and candidly... before sighing heavily and shaking his head.

"So yeah. Here."

Ilias paused for a moment, thinking about what she said.

"Ah..." he stammered.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"Yes. Yes, I would like something for nerves and worries." he told her. "To be frank, I feel like a bundle of stress." he admitted.

"...as for someone to keep me company... well, there's Rylie, if she's not busy." he then said.

"And... well, Payton or Hazel are my friends, too."

"..." Ilias was silent, before bringing the bottle to his lips, and taking a sip of it. As soon as he did so, she saw him start to calm down almost immediately.

"...wow." he said.

"This is... already, I can feel it working." he told her.

"Yeah, this is good stuff." he chuckled, setting it down beside him.

"Thank you." he then said, looking at her and smiling, as the snakes all disappeared back into his hair... save for one. And Angela was well aware which one it was. Was the same one it always was.

Ilias looked at the bottle again, and raised an eyebrow.

"I see." he said.

"Good to know, I suppose." he told her.

He then paused for a moment, as something came to his mind.

"What about Agent Sharp?" he asked.

"Should I tell him, or will you?" he asked further. "...or have you already notified him?"

Ilias was silent again for a moment, before nodding slowly.

"All right." he replied.

"I can do that." he told her.

He then reached up and gently stroked the top of the snake's head, causing it to rest on his own head, but still outside of his hair.

"...she's worried about Kiah, too." he said.

"She's always been the most emotional of them." he added with a little chuckle.