Even though it was wheezy from lack of oxygen, I recognised the cruel voice as Cassandra Floid's.
Not that I really needed a clue in the first place. Even if she hadn't spoken at all, it wouldn't have taken a genius to figure out the true identity of the machine-human hybrid.
How many other evil mad scientists could there be down here after all?
Which meant that I had gone from being surrounded by my allies, to alone with my enemy in a single twist of fate.
But that wasn't the worst part.
No.
The worst part about being at the feet and mercy of the person who wanted me dead most in the world.
Was that she was talking to the bird.
Jack.
I swallowed a whimper.
I wanted to tell myself that she was referring to me as the Jack of the Hill, but those cold blue eyes were focused solely on the black crow holding me down.
It shouldn't have frightened me as much as it did... Sure she was a genius, but it was far more likely that she was just screwing with me.
Even with Nanotechnology, changing someone into an altered version of a human and changing something into an animal were two different things.
Right?
Still, that doubt didn't stop me from looking over my shoulder at the bird, as if to ask is she serious?
The cold look I got in return left me none the wiser.
"So..."Guess I have no choice but to provoke an answer. "Does Jack know you named your henchbird after him?"
The foot that was still holding me down squeezed, the claws immediately on the brink of puncturing skin.
I gasped in pain before I could stop myself, shocked with the immediate reaction.
The crow pressed down harder, lowering itself so that its eye was right next to my head.
It peered into my horrified gaze, intelligent and unamused.
.... Something tells me that Jack is very much aware of the situation.
"What did you do to him?" I gasped out, ignoring the way the bird continued to crush the breath out of me.
"MY PET PROJECT," Cassandra spoke, her eyes lowering to me in that condescending hate-filled gaze. "NOW THAT HIS MISSION IS COMPLETE, JACK HAPPENS TO HAVE A LOT OF SPARE TIME TO HELP ME WITH MY RESEARCH."
Right. Somehow I doubt he volunteered for this.
"How could you... "
"THE BODY WAS SIMPLE. THE MERGING OF TWO BRAINS, ESPECIALLY THAT OF AN ANIMAL AND A HUMAN, INTO A SINGLE FUNCTIONING CREATURE, IS STILL IN THE EXPERIMENTORY STAGES. "
As quickly as it had come, the weight on my back disappeared, wings beat raffling my hair as the bird took off.
I looked up in time to see Jack land on the arm of Cassandra's chair, giving a dull caw as he settled himself.
"I'M CURIOUS, TO SEE HOW THE EXPERIENCE WILL AFFECT HIS BRAIN STRUCTURE. NOT TO MENTION HIS PSYCHE."
Oh God, what had I gotten myself into?
"You mean... it will drive him insane?" I forced myself to sit up against the fear that was telling me to stay down.
"IT IS NOT AN ISSUE. JACK HAS ALWAYS BEEN INSANE." She dismissed. "I HAVE ARCHIVED SCANS OF HIS BRAIN AND BODY. IF A REQUIRE A NEW JACK, I WILL RECREATE HIM FROM THOSE." She tilted her head, frail bones creaking. "I'VE DONE IT BEFORE."
"....clones? " I squeaked, all semblance of bravery gone.
"NO. HE IS MY MONSTER. " A hand, long and thin like the legs of a spider reached out to pat the bird. "SOWN TOGETHER WITH MANY DIFFERENT PIECES. WITH MEMORIES STOLEN FROM OTHERS. PAIN THAT IS NOT HIS OWN."
I looked at the Bird
"You mean... You made Jack?"
"CORRECT."
"All that stuff about his mother... Wanting to be a magician... "
"ALL MY DESIGN. A CRUEL BEING WHO UNDERSTANDS NOTHING OF HUMANITY, YET ENVIES ALL FOR HAVING IT. THE PERFECT JACK FOR MY HILL."
I shivered in revulsion.
"Jack was never his name..." as the words came out, I swear, I saw the crow flinch. "It was his position."
The smallest, and only sign of pain I had ever seen from the creature known as Jack.
Despite everything, it made me feel sorry for him...
"NO WONDER MY JACK WANTED TO PLAY WITH YOU GIRL. THE POOR THING ALWAYS DID LASH OUT AT THE OBSERVANT ONES. THE ONES WHO SENSED WHAT HE REALLY WAS."
She brushed the bird away, forcing it to take flight.
"INHUMAN."
She smiled, her eyes glimmering with insanity.
Jack landed a few feet away from me, ignoring my nervous looks to watch the madwoman.
He hated us both. But I was not a threat.
"AND NOW, THROUGH THOSE EYES OF YOURS, THEY CAN SEE IT. " Her smile stretched." THOSE FOOLS AT THE "SHRINK PROGRAM" CAN SEE EVERYTHING. THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD SPY ON ME, BUT THE TABLES HAVE TURNED."
She leaned forward, speaking with quiet excitement.
"I AM GOING TO MAKE THEM WATCH."