The Shame of Villains

Chapter Six

          I expected to wake up without a mouth, or I expected to not wake up at all. Neither of those came true. I woke up in the same room I fell asleep in. It felt like I had been running for days. My muscles were sore and achy. I hadn't felt this rough since I started training with Jackson. I stood up and tried to see through the mirror. It didn't work. Then a voice started talking from an unknown source.

"Alissa stay calm. Someone is going to collect you now."

This just freaked me out more. How did they know my name? Everything about this place screamed at me to get out. Get away. Just like the voice said one of the men from earlier came in.

"Follow me please." He said

I had an idea just then. So I followed him. He led me back down the hall and as he had his back turned to a different door I ran in the opposite direction. My freedom was short lived however. I was caught at the end of the hall by another line of men. Two of them grabbed me by the arms and dragged me back to the first man. They shoved me into the room and locked the door. Unlike the room they had retrieved me from earlier this room was furnished. There was nobody else in it. There was a bed pushed into a corner, and there was a toilet and a window. With nothing else to do I say on the bed and suddenly tired fell asleep.

I woke up quaking. The shivers racked my body. I couldn't hold still. In between bouts I looked at the window. It was still dark out. Not even a hint of sunrise. The quakes became worse. The same unidentifiable voice came from somewhere again.

"It's ok Alissa. We are coming."

Three of them walked in. One gave me a shot and the relief was almost instant. While one was working on me the other two were talking.

"She is the first subject to get past level one."

"Yes but do we even try level two or do we leave it at this?"

"Continue to level two, we can't risk waiting for another subject to get this far."

The one working on me finished up. Then all three walked back out the door. I laid back down and went back to sleep.

The next morning they brought me back into the laboratory. Back into the same room I was in before. The injected me with a purple serum as well as a brownish one this time. But this time I didn't fall asleep. Although more gas did fill the room. I sat there for what felt like hours. Then finally they came in. But they didn't lead me back to the room. They led me to what appeared to be a large area covered in mats.

"Ok Alissa. We are going to spar."

"I—I don't know how to spar." I replied.

"Well then I'll teach you."

To be completely honest I did know how to spar. But for the next few hours I pretended I didn't. We went through the basic steps. And then got more advanced. By the end my movements were quicker then they had ever been. I wasn't one to doubt my skills, but there is no way I could be this good with little more then a few hours of practice. I decided to press my luck.

"What is project Alkain?" I questioned.

"I'm not supposed to tell you." He replied.

"But will you?"

"I suppose it's only fair. Project Alkain is designed to make hybrids. Faster, stronger, smarter, and stealthier then other people. They're for King Archinlao's personal army. But none of the subjects have made it through phase one. Except for you. And not only did you make it through phase one but two and three as well. You only have 2 more phases left."

"Who's King Archinlao?" I asked.

"He's King of Alderode."

"Why does he need a special army?"

"He has great plans. Plans that will change the world. Alissa you will have a great spot in his army because you are the first successful subject. You'll get to meet him soon."