Anna wasn’t in a good mood when she woke up. She had a headache, and when she tried to open her eyes she was blinded by the light, and her mattress felt really hard for some reason. As the fuzziness of sleep cleared from her mind, she re-examined that particular train of thought. Headache was pretty normal, but she usually had the lights off when she stumbled into her mattress, her mattress was pretty decent and not this metallically hard, and also she wasn’t actually horizontal right then and closer to vertical. 

    Katya was even more irritated than Anna was. Or maybe a stronger word. Angry, incensed, wrathful. That sounded more in line with how mad she was right then, because unlike Anna she was a wealthy heiress who generally knew what it meant when one woke up in strange places. “I demand to speak with my captors! You fools will rue the day you messed with Katya Aizawa, you hear me!? You will rue the day!” she shouted to the empty room, but especially the mirror that was probably a two-way mirror. 

    Anna groaned and tried to turn over from her, but unfortunately her wrists and legs were bound in place just like Katya’s. “Mmwhat?” she groaned, blinking her eyes open and starting to examine the room - it looked kind of like a hospital room crossed with a laboratory, with the same sterile colors and the tables (although these were modified to raise at a diagonal and keep the ‘patient’ locked into place), along with walls lined with bottles and beakers of unidentifiable liquids. 

    “Oh, wonderful, the gorilla is awake.” Katya said loudly with a roll of her eyes. “Welcome back to reality, do you have any useful contributions or are you going to be useless until we get you a coffee?”

    Anna groaned again, but it was exasperation at her roommate rather than tiredness. “What’s going on? Where are we?” Anna managed.

    “Kidnapping, I would presume. A regular risk for those such as myself, although I can’t imagine why they would take you except to make a new zoo exhibit. I do hope that the first answer should inform you as to the second.”

    “...The zoo?” Anna asked. 

    “No. We are not in a zoo.” Katya said flatly. “I don’t know where we are, and it is frankly infuriating.”

    “...If you don’t know where we are, it could be a zoo.” Anna said after a bit. 

    Before Katya could go off on her, a voice crackled to life from the other end of the room. “Excellent, you’re both awake - I was just getting myself a coffee, as you seemed to be taking a while.”

    “Can I have some?”

    “Maybe later, Miss Takeo.” the voice said. “Now then, I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here…” 

    “I’m sure that the ransome will be delivered, probably in the form of the very expensive hit squad breaking down your door.” Katya shouted at the mirror.  

    The voice paused. “Ransom? My dear, whatever possessed you to think I asked for a ransom?” He laughed, “I don’t want a ransom! Money is a motivation only for those who don’t comprehend the allure of science! My payment, Miss Aizawa, is in knowledge and increased understanding.” 

    A door on the side of the room slid open, and a man entered. He had a… reasonably attractive appearance, Katya noted grudgingly, with a pretty-boy face that went at odds with his demeanor over the comms. Good height, seemed to work out… but that was all besides the point. “Now, if I might properly introduce myself… I think of myself as a Scientist first and foremost, but if you must know my name, please call me Doctor Hanzo Adler.” 

    “Nice to meet you, can you let us go?” Anna said, pulling against her bindings to demonstrate - she was pretty strong, and the Scientist had been prepared; hers were metal bindings rather than Katya’s simpler plastic straps. 

    “Of course I can.” Doctor Adler said cheerfully. 

    “Oh, great!”

    “After we’re finished here, that is.” 

    “Oh.”

    Katya sighed loudly. “Listen here, you psychopath…” 

    “I’m hurt, Miss Aizawa. I’m not a psychopath.” Doctor Adler said, sounding honestly pained for it. 

    “You kidnapped two college girls for deranged experiments, what else am I supposed to call you!?” 

    “One, my experiments do have some scientific rigor to them, you just aren’t the control group - therefore, not deranged. Secondly, I’m a sociopath, a very different condition related to a lack of empathy. I would quite appreciate you to take a more reasonable tone, if that’s alright.” Hanzo said, stiffly adjusting his collar. 

    “Can you even hear yourself? You’re a madman!”

    “Completely. Your point? Or are we done with productive discussion?” 

    “Katya, I think you might not want to anger a kidnapper… especially when, uh,” Anna looked at Katya’s table and the machine bolted to it and presumably to hers as well, “Well, there’s problems if you make him mad…” 

    “My family will find you - we will track you down and burn all your assets, and yourself, to the ground. We will find your labs and make sure that the experiments are ruined, track your servers and hard drives, and run over them with a steam roller. You’ll wish the police were the ones to find you-” 

    As Katya ranted, Doctor Adler checked his watch, before nodding to himself and hitting a switch. “That’s enough of that.” 

    Katya cut off mid sentence and slumped in her bindings, going completely limp as the machine roared to life. Tubes that were stuck to her body began to suck a strange, golden liquid from her every pore.

    “Katya!” Anna cried out, struggling against her bindings as she saw the color drain from her roommate’s skin, rapidly followed by her hair, and clothes (and eyes, not that she could see it).

    “I had planned to take it slower, and have you both describe your experiences as you were drained. Alas, Miss Aizawa was unlikely to cooperate, and I imagine you’re much the same.” The Scientist explained, “Don’t worry, she is quite alive. Although I’m not certain she qualifies as Katya any longer, lacking much of her core personality traits. I’d explain further, but you know how it goes with blind-subject experiments, it might change the results if you know.” The man talked casually as he checked the machine next to Anna once more.

    Anna struggled desperately in her binds - she had to get out, she had to stop this guy and save her friend, she had to do something, anything! She couldn’t just let him get away-

    The switch was flipped, and Anna instantly slumped as the same thing that happened to Katya happened to her. A pale blue liquid was drawn from her body, draining out her color with it. 

    The Scientist stepped back to observe as the remaining color drained from both girls, rapidly leaving them as blank, paper-white canvases to which he could add whatever personality he wanted. He sighed with the pleasure of science well done, and called for an assistant. The experiment’s first phase was a success; he’d expanded from his earlier machines, going from swapping only parts of personalities to complete swaps. These two girls, with completely different personalities, were to be the first practical test. 

    The assistant arrived, bowing to her master wordlessly. “Swap the two distilled identities, if you would.” Doctor Hanzo said, indicating the beakers of colored liquid next to each girl. The minion nodded, and went to do the task while the Doctor made sure the reality changer aspect was working properly. It was, in fact - once they left the lab, there would be a subtle change in the world to fit their new identities. Anna would replace Katya as an heiress, while Katya would become a muscle-headed sports star. While it didn’t at first seem to have as much impact as some previous changes, like his exchange of a hero and a villain earlier that year - Scarlet Soldier had recently broken out of the alien super-being prison again, and her now-heroic arch-nemesis was out to stop her, or so he’d heard - it would give him some significant influence in the area. He was making a swap already, so why not add in a little bit of personal loyalty and have some access to better funding and equipment? Anna would be happy to support him, once he was done. Katya wasn’t going to be particularly necessary anymore - her change was pure curiosity-

    There was a clang behind him, and he turned to see a rather… irritating, sight. While Katya’s identity had been slotted into Anna’s machine well enough, the assistant had tripped on the way to bring Anna’s personality to Katya’s machine. She had managed to stop the distilled identity from spilling all over the floor, where it would be irrecoverable, but only by instead pouring it into a bubbly pink liquid. The two swirled together, until the liquids merged into a cooler pink color.

    Doctor Hanzo sighed. The mute minion bowed frantically in apology. “It’s fine, it’s fine.” he said, examining the new one. “It looks like you mixed it with your old personality. ‘Muscle bimbo’, hm? Interesting. I’ll have to see if I can’t work up a machine to separate merged personalities, later… in any case, that won’t do for the one formerly known as Katya anymore… what should I do with her…”

    It wasn’t the originally planned experiment, but he had an idea. “...Actually, don’t bother putting anything into her tube. Let’s see what happens when she wakes up with nothing, shall we?”

    He pressed another pair of buttons, one on Anna’s machine and one on Katya’s, and went back to the observation room to get something. Color flooded back into Anna rapidly, although different colors than she’d started with; she was still notably paler than she had been, as her new self wasn’t exactly spending all day doing sports. For that reason as well, her muscles rapidly faded away, leaving delicate skin that had never seen a day’s hard work behind in their place. Her hair, short and brown before, grew out rapidly and curled itself into elegant ringlets, and went from the blank white she’d been left with to a platinum blonde. She let out a soft moan as her new personality and memory asserted themselves. She remained Anna Takeo, but that was about all that was left of her original self. The minion unbuckled the girls from their restraints and led them in their dream like states to another room.

    Anna awoke to the smell of tea. She loved tea, so it was a good start. “Good afternoon,” Doctor Hanzo said cheerfully.

    “Mm. It’s decent.” Anna said, without even looking at him. She frowned with effort of memory, as her personality began to settle in, “Unfortunately for you, I am used to ‘excellent’.”

    “I’m sure. Now then, can you tell me if you’re feeling alright?” The Scientist prompted.

    “Hm? Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?”

    “Well, I’m a doctor, and I found you and your friend collapsed on the side of the road…” 

    Anna blinked. What? Why had she… oh, of course… she was a college student, so she must have… overdone it on the wine. “Friend?” 

    “Right over there, Miss Takeo.” The Scientist said, gesturing to the side.

    The girl who had once been Katya was standing, staring blankly off into space. As nothing had been filled in for her personality, she was still pale white from top to bottom. She was a blank slate. And Doctor Hanzo Adler was very curious how Anna’s new reality would work her in - Katya no longer existed, and the girl wasn’t anything like the original Anna to give an easy place to fill her in. Anna’s eyes unfocused for a few seconds. 

    “She’s not my friend,” she said after a while as her eyes snapped back to focus, as if she’d never paused. “That is my servant, and she is being very lazy. Maid! Come!” 

    The pale girl didn’t react, and this seemed to annoy Anna more than anything. She stomped her way over and forcibly turned the girl to look at her. “What are you doing standing there, Maid? We have company, and quite attractive company at that, and you would embarrass me by not listening to commands? Do you want to be fired, worm?”

    Doctor Adler smiled slightly behind steepled fingers. The new personality had settled into the void left by her old one completely. But now, what would happen with ex-Katya?

    The pale girl stared for a few seconds, before something in her eyes changed. She didn’t regain any colors, but she did drop to her knees. “I’m so very sorry, my Mistress!” the girl - nameless but for her role - cried, “I don’t know what got over me. I will do whatever you ask in penance.” 

    “Apologize for your disrespect to this man, immediately!” 

    Adler nodded to himself - so that was it. The blank slate took whatever role was applied to it and filled in their entire identity around it. Katya - or rather, Maid, -  could no more imagine not being a servant than she could imagine nonexistence, and those two might have well have been the same thing to her. He did wonder where her new personality came from - was it perhaps from Katya’s own thoughts on what constituted the quintessential maid? Or was she filling in from what it seemed Anna thought of her? This phenomena would certainly need further study. 

    In either case, the pale Maid had turned to him. “I am very sorry for my disrespect, sir, and assure you that it does not reflect anything of the sort from Mistress. You may order me to do anything you wish in penance…” 

    “Oh, that will not be necessary, I assure you!” the Scientist said cheerfully, “I understand you didn’t mean any offense. Are you feeling better?” 

    “I feel fine, really! I don’t know why I collasped but I feel better-.” Maid said, and then paused, turning to Anna. “I feel better, right?”

    Anna smirked. “Yes, you may feel better.” she said in her most magnanimous tone. 

    “I’m sorry to bring up something as base as repayment, but…”

    Anna turned back to the doctor, appraising him with her eyes. Then she smiled, quite enjoying what saw. “Ah, of course… I do believe the Takeo family will be quite appreciative of your care and discretion regarding this incident…” she said.

    “Of course. But I don’t really need money. A lab, materials, and privacy on the other hand, would be much appreciated…”

    Anna nodded. “I’m sure we can work that out. I do hope our relationship will be… mutually beneficial, let’s say.” 

    Anna didn’t, of course, know what his lab was all about - but that little seed of loyalty he’d added to her personality meant that she was firmly his, and that would be very useful indeed. He waved off the new heiress and her devoted bumbling maid, smiling to himself and thinking of some new experiments to try down the line...