Kayla woke up suddenly and instantly tried to sit up from where she was laying in the cold hard floor. Sadly, she had failed to realize that she was stuck in a low level cage and banged her head against the ceiling of it loudly. Something outside of the cage moved faintly. Almost instantly she stopped moving and let her instincts take over. Instincts had saved her many times in those arena fights, they surely must be of some kind of help here.
The room she was now trapped in was lit up so brightly, that it almost hurt her eyes. Though her head was beginning to throb that seemed to be the only pain, which could of be a bad or good thing. Good because there was no such thing as a gentle rape and she wasn't sure where her clothes were at the moment... But it could of been a bad thing because the Other's might just had been waiting to hurt her until she was fully awake and they could enjoy her screams.
And she was definitely awake.
Dimly she tried to remember what had happened and remembered 512 sliding under the gate. Everything had happened so fast after that. She vaguely remembered being hit from behind... Everything after that hit was blank.
She continued to look around and realized her cage was in a far corner of the room. In the center of the room was a larger table with three people sitting around it. The seemingly smallest was facing away from her. The person across the table of the small one was the woman who always took role call in the morning.
Quickly Kayla read her face, taking every aspect of her. It was a skill she had developed in order to read her opponent in fights to figure out how to attack them, useful with reading people and even judging their thoughts.
There was a heavy fear in the woman's eyes, and she kept glancing up from the floor then back down. A few times she seemed to glance over at the last figure who Kayla recognized with dread.
The Elder himself sat at the head of the table. His eyes were closed and Kayla took this moment to look him over. Even as he was sitting it was horribly shocking how tall and intimidating he looked. His long braided, pure white hair reached halfway down his back. He wasn't a fat softie either... his coiled muscles always could be seen in what ever form of traditional clothing he had decided to wear that day. Today, he had decided to wear a dark blue outfit with a black sash. Kayla would have gone so far as to call him attractive...
If she hadn't had such a deep hatred for him.
Next she looked around the room, trying to figure out the layout, just in case she happened to get out of the cage. The walls were pure white as was the table. Every aspect of the room seemed pure white, unlike the pitch black color of the living cells. The white color seemed to soak up and reflect the light, causing Kayla to narrow her eyes. The room smelled like chemicals that made her stomach churn. Movement from the corner caught her attention.
A shady figure stood motionless in the corner, a hood and cloak wrapped around most of the body. Kayla caught a glance of something shiny under the dark gray cloak. The cloak had suspious dark spots splattered on it and Kayla wondered what it was. Though she was sure the glimmer of shine would not last. Nothing in the Experiment Hall was shiny. She continued to stare around when suddenly something clicked for her.
The room was dead silent. That's an unnatural thing. There were always screams and cries or some form of noise. Instantly her eyes went to the elder. His eyes were now open and fixated on the woman. The woman hung her head in fear. The Elder's voice rang out loud and clear, seeming to echo in the tiny room.
"Sakura-san... it was your sector where the escapes came from, was it not?" The woman, Sakura, hung her head.
"T-they were... sir." He looked at her for a moment before something flew in a blurred view across a the table with a sicken thud, Sakura was slung from her chair onto the ground. She looked up horrified as The Elder stood up walking over to her, a knife sticking out of her right shoulder. He crouched down in front of her and pulled her head up by her hair. In one swift movement The Elder brought his nails just under Sakura's eye and slowly broke open her cheek. As her blood dripped down falling in droplets to the floor, he brought his face mere inches away from her own. His voice grew soft... so soft that even with her straining hearing Kayla had trouble hearing the words.
"I am an understanding man," Inwardly Kayla scoffed at this but dared not to make a sound. "But this is unacceptable Sakura." She seemed to try and shrink away from his cold gaze and powerful grip, which seemed to encourage him just to pull her closer. "There seems to be a punishment in order..." The poor woman seemed to pale and Kayla winced despite not meaning to.
"H-honorable Elder... Have mercy on m-me..." He bent down even closer and whispered something Kayla couldn't pick up on. It must of been utterly horrifying because Sakura began to struggle harder. Guessing with her instincts again Kayla suspected something horrid was about to happen. Though it went against every bone and cell in her body she turned in the cage facing her bare back toward the Elder.
Kayla grit her teeth against the tortured screams of Sakura until she couldn't take it anymore. She buried her head in her hands, cupping her hands tightly over her ears trying to block out the sounds.
Abruptly it stopped... and Kayla knew Sakura was gone. Slowly she looked back toward the others and froze. The Elder had Sakura's blood splattered across his clothes and was staring right at Kayla. Sakura's body laid limply on the floor, her eyes still wide, her mouth hung open with her last scream a faint trail of blood dripping from her nose. Kayla's blood turned cold as she locked eyes with the Elder, hardly able to remember to breath. He motioned toward the small figure at the table. It slowly stood with head bowed waiting for the Elder to speak.
"My sweet," He started off his voice oddly calm for a killer. "Join me here." It didn't seem like a request and the figure slowly stalks over beside him. Kayla sucks in a breath as the figure turned and faced the cage. For the first time Kayla realized who the figure was and she scrambled back into the back corner of the cage.
"What in the... " She mutters softly as the figure looks at her, with dull dead like eyes.
"Yes, Elder-sama?" The familiar voice sent waves of nausea threw Kayla as she stared into the face of someone she thought she knew so well.
"You did well for a Mistake so why don't you have some fun?" She glanced over at him slowly, making sure not to make eye contact.
"Yes, Elder-sama."
"Set it on the table" He ordered. Of course the 'it', was Kayla herself. Slowly the figure walks over unlocking the cage grabbing Kayla by the wrist she began to drag her out. Kayla looked up at her unbelieving.
"Help me... 514." Her own voice wavered as Kayla looked up at 514 in shock and fear. 514 looked down at her and a soft flicker of emotion came into her light brown eyes, but it disappeared just as fast. Kayla dully wondered if she had just imagined it, if this was some fever dream.
Roughly, 514 shoves Kayla up onto the table and cuffs that had been hidden under the top of the table rise up clasping Kayla into place. The cold table bit harshly into her skin, reassuring Kayla this was no dream. Realizing that 514 wouldn't be helping her Kayla began to struggle against the cuffs, coming out of her dazed faze.
Fear clouded her mind and she struggled harder suddenly aware of how the lightly shone right on the table. Her hair falls in front of her eyes as she leans up as much as she can. Her eyes stayed glued to 514.
"How long have you been working with him!?" She snarled at 514. Every sense she had in her body was screaming for her to shut up. But she couldn't, the words just kept coming. "How could you do this to us! We trusted you!!" All of her emotions came spilling out.
After all, it hurts worse to have a tiny speck of hope ripped away, than live without any at all.
And 514 had stolen her hope.
"You Disgrace! You heartless son of a gun! " She shouts every insult she can think of at her. "YOU TRAITOR" She snaps and 514 visibility tenses. A bead of sweat drips from 514's chin. Kayla takes a breath to scream at her more.
Her head suddenly gets snapped back and bangs against the cold table loudly, painfully. She instantly goes limp and silent, pain searing threw her head and clouding her vision. The Elders's hand covers her right eye completely and his fingers scrape at her left one. 514 seemed surprised at this action and took a step back.
Kayla's open eye kept flickering around avoiding the Elder's gaze, he slowly turned her head until she had no choice but to look at him. Because she knew when you close you eyes against an opponent you die.
The Elder was her opponent.
"Your short temper isn't flattering, you know." He speaks clearly, scary calm. It sent shivers down Kayla's spine. "Now little Mistake you tried something very bad... and now I get to punish you." He spoke excitedly as if being able to punish people was fun. Then Kayla realized that it probably was fun for him and his sick ways. It made Kayla squirm under his bare touch. "But..." He seems to deflate slightly. "It is not my turn sadly..." he looks toward 514 who was standing silently looking at the floor. "514. " He snaps and she instantly looks up rushing over.
"Yes? Elder-sama." 514 asked obediently. He gently brushed the hair out of her eyes and his fingers traced the line of her cheekbones. The very thought of his bloodstained hands touching her made shivers climb up and down Kayla's spine... Which she had to suppress, as his other hand still covered her right eye.
"My dear... " He spoke to 514 still but silently Kayla bit back a sharp remark. She vagely wondered what exactly 514 had done to win his favor. "You are a loyal servant... aren't you?" His voice is an odd, bone chilling mixture of calm and sharpness. 514 straightened up instantly trying to look good.
"Yes, Elder-sama."
He patted her head. "I believe you, honestly I do... " He put his hand on her back and, none too gently, pushed her closer to the table. "But the others you see... They might not understand. Why don't you do me a favor and win some of their trust? " He slowly glanced down at Kayla "I want her right eye. Give it to me." Kayla's heart fell to her stomach and she suddenly felt sick. 514 didn't look like she felt too good either.
"H-her eye, master?" She holds her hands behind her back to stop the shaking. His fingers trail over the lid of 514's own eye.
"Yes, my lovely. Her eye...." His voice trails off to a more dangerous tone. "Unless your not loyal at all?" She instantly stiffens at the threating tone in his voice.
"If it's what the Master wishes, her eye shall be yours." She says trying to sound calm. He smiles coldly and pats 514's head before backing away from the table.
"Good... good. " He pulls a small dull looking knife out from the inside of his jacket and hands it to 514. "I'll be back in an hour. Be finished by then.
As he walked toward the door Kayla's eyes followed him. Without unlocking the door he walked out... and the thing in the corner stirred. It moved in jerks, and the sound of metal scraping on metal screeched as it followed the Elder out of the room. The soft click of a lock confirmed that the Elder really didn't trust 514 at all and she deflated at the sound. Kayla strained to lean up to look at her.
" H-hey we're alone now! Untie me and we can figure out a way to find 513 and blow this place!" She said sounding more desperate than what she wanted to.
514 shook as she clutched the hilt of the knife. She slowly walked over closer, and Kayla tensed. "Wait! your not really going to stab me are you?!" Fighting the urge of panic that was raising up inside, Kayla wondered if she looked as pale as 514 did.
"Come on girl! We've lived together forever, we're friends remember?!"
514 seemed to dull at the word and brought the knife up over Kayla's right eye.
"As a Mistake I have no friends."