The Mutatio Disease

Sector Six

- - - - Sector Six - - - -
- - - - Part One - - - -
Just Dandy

Fingers gently prodded my face. They were small. My face tensed as I felt them trace the curve of my eyebrows, the bridge of nose, and under my eyes. Something then draped over the top half of my face. My eyelashes fluttered as I woke up more.

Where the hell was I? The cot under me was stiff and uncomfortable. I could feel someone looming over me, using gentle fingers to prod my face yet again. The last thing I remembered were the raiders. The whistle that drew in a bunch of them. They had injected me with something and overpowered Felix and Logan, keeping them away from me. Now I had no idea where I was.

Without another thought, my hand snatched the wrist of the person holding me in a tight grip. They squeaked in alarm as I shoved harshly, springing up from the cot and trying to bolt. I didn't get very far. My knees buckled and I hit the ground with a grunt.

Apparently, the drugs were still in my system.

"Sorry if I spooked you," a soft voice said gently. "But I'm not going to hurt you. I'm one of the few people here that won't."

I wedged my eyes open. Crouching beside me was a girl. Her hair was blonde and falling across her shoulders. Haunted grey eyes blinked at me, and she looked incredibly unhealthy, but she was smiling kindly. I felt like I should recognize her from somewhere. "W-Where am I?" My throat was dry and sore. I winced. The girl noticed and picked up a water bottle. She handed it over, and then seemed to notice my hesitation.

"It's not drugged," she told me. "It's my own bottle. They don't drug me. As to where you are, you're in the Underground."

I had no other choice but to trust her. I needed that water. After taking a few gulps, I set the bottle down. Struggling to my feet, I leaned on the wall and looked around, unwilling to hold still. The room was small, damp, dark, and dingy. There was a cot, a table, and a small box set nearby. I could also see a sectioned off area, likely a bathroom. There was a thick, metal door and not a single window.

"The Underground?"

The girl nodded, gently taking my arm and putting it over her shoulders. I was much taller than her, but the support was needed as she helped me stagger back to the cot. I sat down, agitated that I was already tired. Damn drugs.

She sat beside me and wrapped her arms over her legs. She was so thin that I was mildly worried she was about to faint. "The Underground is a community set up and maintained by the raiders. It has things from black market trading, human trafficking circles, drug rings, and illegal fights. The fights are used as a kind of entertainment."

"Entertainment?" I automatically searched for anything metal in her room to use, but nothing other than sewing needles and the door came to mind. The needles were useless, and I'd rather have the door in place as a protection. I was basically human in that room.

The girl nodded, her eyes sad. "The modern version of dog fights. Two are put in an arena to fight it out. Everyone places bets on a winner. The money keeps the Underground working smoothly. The stakes of these fights are much higher, though."

My mouth went dry as I connected what she was saying. "Mortems. They force Mortems to fight, don't they?"

The girl shot me a curious glance before nodding slowly. "Yes. Hazed and rational alike." I put my head in my hands, mind racing. I was stuck in a Mortem fighting ring. Just great.

How the hell was I supposed to get out of here? They obviously had the supplies to subdue me, with that drug on hand. If they had been doing this for a while, then they knew what they were doing. Felix probably had no idea where I was, leaving me to be on my own.