𝐗-𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 // 𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐄

ⓧ 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 // 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝

"Torn away from my home
Left me crawling
Everything is falling
Now I'm the hunted
I'm the hunted"

The Hunted ~ Saint Asonia

The scientists stared in awe, marveling at the creature who was currently secured in its cage —a shatterproof, glass tank; only used after serious experimentations. 

Glaring at the scientists, the creature observed each of the three assigned to her.

They had grown weary since the first time she met them, which had been many years ago. All three once mirrored her appearance —looking young, healthy. Now, time had finally caught up to them, making the scientists look sickly and frail; something the creature could not relate to.

Closing her eyes, the creature took a deep breath. It had been almost a decade since she roamed free. And before then, two decades. Granted, the creature was strictly following orders each time she was was released, serving her captor on missions that always required bloodshed. But now, more than anything, all the creature wanted was freedom.

Taken away from her home, her whole pack viciously murdered, the creature was forced to serve alongside a team —a special group of individuals, each cursed with dangerous abilities— who later disbanded. Now, every one of the members are dead —leaving her to be the last one standing.

Ever since her first shift, the day she turned sixteen, the creature craved to rebel against nature. To rebel against her given identity. And every day, the creature cursed herself for being who and what she was —what she can turn into— proving to be how everyone truly saw her; just a vicious, wicked animal.

As time passed, and technology advanced, things only became worse for the creature. Experimentations were brutal. Missions deadlier. But then, the scientists... no, the head scientist —the she-devil in human form— had the idea to create an unwilling pawn to use against the creature.

A Mega Mutant.

A creation so powerful, so invincible, and yet, still so small and innocent. Looking into its big, grey eyes, it was difficult to ignore that the pawn was still a part of the creature; her DNA running through its veins.

And now, The creature couldn't escape. Something it had been planning since 1986.

Because, if it did...

"We'd just kill him, and then use the other one," Stryker threatened —from the time when the creature had retaliated against him; resulting in a hard slap to the child's face, making him fall.

That day, the creature wanted to kill Stryker —rip out his throat; just like she had done to his father. But they had detained the creature, and she could do nothing but watch Stryker torture the child.

Interrupting the scientists' hushed chatter, two of the most feared figures at the facility, entered the small, dark room.

"Is she ready?" Stryker asked, reviewing the notes one of the scientists had given to him.

The most humane scientist, Dr. Benjamin —who had secretly fed the creature more, nursed her back to health after various experimentations went wrong, and most importantly... kept the child safe during her missions— stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Yes, Colonel. Her rejuvenation session is complete." Dr. Benjamin entered the code that lifted the glass, releasing the creature.

Stryker cocked his gun, stepping forward. "Timber... how do you feel?"

The creature grit her teeth. Since the beginning, she had given herself the name Timber. It was a name that represented who she was. What she was. And it had been far too long since she had been addressed by her real name.

Stepping out of the tank —the cold, concrete flooring making her feet tingle— the creature cracked her neck. She couldn't lie, she felt good. Refreshed, even. Exactly like how she felt after they once put her under —heavily sedated and unconscious— letting years go by without using her. It was an experiment they had done during the nineties —and by the early 2000's, the creature woke up feeling energized.

"I could run for miles," the creature replied.

With a sharp nod, the woman beside Stryker took a few notes. "Good," she said flatly. "That is exactly what you're going to do. I have the coordinates for your next mission." Flipping her wispy, blonde hair to the side, the woman gave the creature a file.

Looking it over, the creature nodded. They wanted another mutant to work on... a female Hybrid. A feral.

Interesting, the creature thought. They want me to capture my own kind now?

Shaking her head, the creature wanted to tell them no. To go to hell. But... she couldn't. Not now. Not yet.

"Find the young woman, bring her back here, and..." Stryker paused, "—your son won't have to go through this month's testing."

Exiting the room, leaving only Dr. Benjamin and the creature, the doctor put the tracking band around her wrist, and added a few drops of poison to the scab on the back of the creature's neck. It was a poison that made mutants go berserk, losing themselves and becoming something entirely different —their mind only focused on one thing; the next kill.

This method was something the scientists used often on the creature —among many other mutants that Stryker captured— during all of her missions; transforming into a bloodthirsty monster, killing the targets and anyone that got in her way. She hated that poison. Hated what it made her become. And now, they had plans to use it on her son.

"I'll watch over the young one," Dr. Benjamin whispered, unlocking the door. "They won't harm him. I'll make sure of it."

The creature got on all fours, and before she shifted, she growled lowly; her eyes now golden. "If they lay one finger on my son, I'm going to do what I should've done a long time ago..." the creature paused, her bones beginning to break, fur replacing skin. "I'm gonna kill every last one of you."

Guiding the creature to the outskirts of the facility, Dr. Benjamin watched as the she took off in a sprint.

"Godspeed, Samantha," Dr. Benjamin whispered, knowing full well the creature could hear him.

Looking back, the creature howled —deep and melodic— before disappearing into the dark forest.

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