For the Love of Super Soldiers

Pick a Room, Kid

Check on him?, my brain asked smartly.

Yes, I thought. To make sure he's still alive, and not being eaten alive.

Right...

I rolled my eyes. Even my own brain was a skeptic. And I was talking to myself. Not even myself, my brain.

Obviously, the internal speaking wasn't ending anytime soon.

That's right. We're just beginning, Scarlett!

I had no idea that a voice inside of my head could sound so...happy. Maybe I had a split personality thing developing? I walked into one of the open doors and saw computer screens.

A surveillance room? I left the room and peered around the frame of the second door and saw file cabinets and closets; all of them pulled open.

Someone ran through here quick. What were they looking for?

Walking out and down the hallway, I heard grunting noises. My feet automatically picked up in speed as I rushed to the end of the hall to see Big-Guy twist the neck of a Slicer. The room was silent except for the sound of his harsh breathing.

"Are you doing alright?" I asked with a small grin.

He looked beat, but he turned to look at me and gave a thumbs up.

"You don't look like it," I mumbled.

His eyes turned to slits and he looked down at the Slicer.

I followed his eyes and then looked back up at him. "I see you took care of the Slicer."

He chuckled. "Yeah, it tried to give me a hard time, but you know, I-wait. Slicer?"

I nodded my head. "While I'll ignore your partial victory speech, I'll explain the name. Later. Right now, you should probably choose a room upstairs. I already cleared them out." Turning on my heels, I walked out of the hallway and back towards the stairs. "The third suite is mine, and I wouldn't recommend the fifth one because I took out a Hunter in that one. Everything else is free for your choosing." With that, I walked back up to my suite and closed the door.

I dropped onto the bed and relaxed all the muscles in my body. How long has it been since I'd slept in a bed? I rolled around like a dog for a while and then went into the bathroom. I frowned as I pulled the handle on the sink and water shot out of the sink head.

Fully working water, electricity, and cameras...what else is there?

I brushed the paranoia off of my shoulders and decided to relax. Suddenly, I smelled this weird, musky scent. I lifted my arms and sniffed. I watched my expression in the mirror turn from one of calm to disgust.

Great, I was exhausted and smelled like undead insides.

Shaking my head, I walked over to the shower and turned the water up as hot as it would go. Who knows the next time I might shower? I felt like crying at the thought. I began my search for soap and found some under the sink. Standing in the spray of water, I thought again about all of the weird things in the motel.

Electricity, video cameras, clean water, and furniture. Which also looks brand new, or, at the very least, kept up with. So the question is: who does all of it belong to?

As I finished washing, I decided I would talk to Big-Guy about it. I exhaled a long breath as I walked out of the suite feeling fresh.

Showers are gifts to the world, and being funky is never okay, Scarlett.

Ignoring 'inner me,' I turned to my left side to knock on suite number two. I waited about 30 seconds before opening the door and finding the suite empty. Moving to the other side of my door, I knocked on suite number four. There was still no sound, so I opened the door and walked in. I listened at the door of the bathroom to hear the sound of running water.