"What do you mean Experiment Zero? Why are you referring to him as an Experiment and what's his real name?" I ask while fighting to stay by my dad as the crowd surges towards the glass wall that separates us from him.
He doesn't take his eyes off the man, who is now looking quite frantic as he opens his mouth to yell, but I can't hear a thing because the glass is most likely sound proof.
"He doesn't have a name, so we call him Subject Zero, or Zero for short."
He doesn't have a name? And what's with that proud look in my father's eyes?
This has to be some type of joke, unless it's kidnapping. I doubt my dad would really kidnap someone though.......at least I used to doubt, not so sure now. So who is this supposedly nameless man?
I groan, the curiosity starting to get to me.
At that moment my eyes connect with the strange man who they call Zero, his own silver eyes staring holes into me as if taunting.
Find out for yourself, they seem to say, who I really am.
You're on, is my response.
That's how I find myself one hour later, at our beach house which is located conveniently a third of a mile away from the lab.
The sun is starting to set.
It's go time.
I walk out into the living room, spotting my dad on the couch watching the news with his lab coat finally off and placed next to him.
I can't stop the smile from creeping onto my face, thinking about how it's so hot in here since I might have "accidentally" turned up the heater half an hour ago. Oh well.
I move to sit by my dad, pretending shift the coat over a spot so I can sit beside him. Now I'm directly in-between my dad and the coat, where the key card to access the bottom floor is.
"Do you think you'll get a promotion for the discovery of Zero?" I ask, trying to distract my dad as my hand slowly starts to slip into the first pocket of the lab coat.
"Even if I do, I'm not taking it. I'm the head scientist here. The only promotion that's higher than me would be one that's on the Main land, and I'm staying right here until the very end of this project."
I remember the many small fights I've gotten into with my dad over the years all, especially after mom's death. I had wanted nothing more than to leave the island and the experiment that had taken my mother, and my father's determination wouldn't allow that, which resulted in a whole lot of arguments.
"How important is this project to Braun lab?"
There's nothing in the first pocket, I move onto the second.
"Very important. We might be millionaires one day, Ashley. Then you won't have to leave for college to get a job. You can stay and work for me in the labs, it's very exciting business once you get into it." I internally rolls my eyes.
"I'll think about it." I promise him, moving onto the third pocket when there's nothing but a pen in the second.
"I think I''ll head off to bed now. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow. Goodnight Ashley." He says standing up.
I frantically move my hand to the fourth pocket and feel something plastic. I snatch it just as dad takes his coat before patting my shoulder and heading to bed.
"Night, Dad." I call after him.
I wait a few minutes, trying to watch the news, but inside I'm bubbling with excitement and nervousness.
Sneaking into the lab shouldn't be too hard. I've actually done it before when I was little and forgot my favorite book inside. It's full of scientists who stay up at night working there, which shouldn't be a problem since they're too focused on their work to pay attention to anyone else. Now if the guards were to recognize me......that would be trouble.
To avoid that, I need a disguise.
I walk over to a hall closet and bring out one of dad's old lab coats. It has a green stain on it, and I try not to think about what that stain is as I slip it on.
I creak open Dad's bedroom door, making sure he's sleeping and grabbing the glasses off one of his dressers and putting them on, before putting my hair in a low ponytail and quietly leaving the house. I start speed-walking towards the lab, the tropical jungle to my left and the ocean to my right.
About fifteen minutes later I duck behind a tree, scanning the entrance to Braun Labs. No ones there, so I creep out and make my way to the glass front doors.
I look in through the glass, seeing Peter is not in his usual spot, and then walk in, making my way to the elevator. I push the down button, waiting silently, while pleading for it to hurry up and arrive quicker.
Two guards walk towards me, but I keep facing the elevator and soon they pass by, chatting about what they should do with the pay checks they'll be receiving at the end of the week. i let out a sigh of relief, thinking I'm in the clear.
"Ashley?" I whirl around to see Peter there, an eyebrow raised and his arms crossed.
How did he recognize me?!?
"Oh, hey Peter! Sorry about that, I didn't see you here. Um, I'm just doing some last minute things for my dad. He left some papers here and wanted me to retrieve them."
He looks me up and down and I keep my chin raised, praying he doesn't see through my facade. He smirks, raising both eyebrows now. "In an old lab coat?"
"Cosplaying?" I state in more of a questioning tone, wincing at how awkward that sounds. Peter probably thinks I'm some weirdo now who gets a kick out of dressing up in old, stained lab coats and pretending to be a scientist.
He smiles, his perfect white teeth flashing. Hmm, maybe he doesn't think I'm a weirdo after all.
"All right, Ashley. I'll pretend none of this happened," I let out a sigh of relief, "But you still owe me coffee."
"Oh," I say, remembering how I completely forgot about the coffee in the lounge. "Deal."
Right then the elevator doors open and I slip inside, waving, but he looks anywhere but at me, already playing the part of forgetting I was ever there. I smile as the doors close.
I press the bottom floor, inserting the card into the slot. A light flashes green, and I'm moving down as old eighties music plays. The door opens, letting me onto the vast floor, which only seems larger now that it's not filled to the brim with people.
Tables line the walls, equipment set up on them. I spot a few doors leading elsewhere, but my eyes are on the huge curtain covering the glass wall.
I try a door close to the glass wall, and it leads to the storage closet. I try another one and it leads down a hallway and to a very heavy looking metal door. It has a key card slot and I hesitantly put the key card in. It flashes green and I hear a click.
Success!
Very slowly, I haul open the door, slipping inside.
It's pitch black, but the moment I step into the room, bright lights flash on, the motion-censored lights nearly scaring the life out of me.
I shield my eyes, letting them adjust as I hear a click. I whirl around to see the door has shut. I turn back around and see the man from before crouched in a corner, grey eyes set on me.
Slowly walking forward, hands up, I try to seem non-threatening even though I'm the one shaking. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to come in here with no means of protection.
He lets out a little snort, like he knows what I'm doing and thinks I'm being ridiculous., which kind of puts me more at ease. I put my hands down after his snort, flushing deeply.
I notice he still doesn't have a shirt on, just baggy grey pants, and immediately avert my eyes from his chest.
"I'm here to get you out." I whisper-yell. The man just cocks his head to the side, a confused look on his face. I sigh. What if he doesn't speak English?
I motion for him to stand up, and then motion to the door. I sigh again when he doesn't budge.
"Look you have to work with me on this before we're both caught." I plead, even though he can't understand me. "I understand that this experiment is important to them, but I can't stand aside and watch them use a human for an experiment. I don't know where you came from, or even who you are, but supply ships are coming tomorrow morning. I'm sure I can get you on one before they even discover you're gone." I rant, before looking back at the man, Zero.
He blinks twice. I huff, wondering why I even ranted since he clearly doesn't understand, putting my hands on my hips and trying to think about what to do.
In the time it takes me to blink once he's suddenly stood up lightning fast.
Gasping, I take a step backwards and trip on my feet. I fall on my butt, thankful I had changed out of my dress and was now wearing jeans and a t-shirt along with the lab coat.
The man whimpers, making me look at him. Did he just whimper? Whimper as in how a dog whimpers?
I stand up, brushing myself off and going to the door, looking for the key card slot. I find it and insert the key, waiting for the green light. There's the familiar click and the door opens. I wait as it slowly creaks open.
Right when I'm about to step through to lead the guy out, I feel strong arms wrap around my clothed waist. I gasp when I'm pulled backwards into a muscular chest, feeling the growls on my back that are emitting from his chest.
"What are you doing?" I exclaim, wriggling to try and get out. He growls again, his arms locking tighter around my torso to the point of where it's hard to breathe.
"Let go!" I yell, starting to get scared. Does he know he's hurting me?
I'm about to try shoving him away with my hands, when I hear shouting.
I whip my head to the side to see my dad and a woman standing behind the glass wall where the curtain has now been pulled aside, my dad in his night clothes and the woman in a lab coat, both with identical horrified expressions on their face.
Shoot, I've been caught.
I flush deeply, struggling harder, ready to just use my hands to shove him off, but my dad yells again. I don't move as I watch him running through the door that will lead into this room.
He arrives at the huge, metal door, sliding through it as it's about to close.
"Ashley! What are you doing?! Whatever you do, don't touch him!"
I look at him confused, feeling the constant vibrations against my back from the man's growls. What person can growl like that?
"Why? What's wrong with touching him?" I ask, my eyes widening as I wonder if he has some type of contagious deadly disease.
"We have a theory that his touch is deadly."
"What gave you that theory?" I ask, my voice rising higher as I notice the compromising position I'm in. I feel extremely doubtful that there is a person who can kill people just by touching their skin, but just in case I haven't touched him with my skin yet, but he's shirtless and It's very hard to keep all of my skin away from him.
"Well, the first guard who tried to sedate him died the minute their skin made contact with his."
A small scream escapes before I even realize it, wiggling even fiercer against the man, who snarls, backing away from my dad and taking me with him.
He's killed a person? This has to be some mistake, because if it isn't, that means I'm in a situation of life or death, and this person really can kill people just by touching them.
"Ashley! Stay calm! You're stressing him!"
"I'm stressing him?!" I shout. "I'm just a touch away from dying!"
I can't stop the tears that prick my eyes from the panic that's starting to bubble up from me. When the man sees this, he whimpers, again, and hugs me even closer to the point where I'm gasping for breath.
"Just stay calm. I have guards on the way. I don't think he wants to hurt you, but don't give him a reason to comfort you more."
"Why would he want to comfort me?" I ask, trying to keep my mind focused on the questions, not his bone crushing grip on me.
"Well I have a few theories-"
"Dad!" I groan, almost to the point of hysterical when thinking about how I'm literally in a life or death situation and all my dad can think about are his theories.
The man, seeming to sense my agitation is partially coming from my dad, snarls at him, re-directing me to where I'm somewhat behind him.
"I think the most likely reason is that you were the first female he saw. It's probably his primal urges telling him to protect you."
My eyes widen, and I might not know a lot about the man, but I know primal urges have a lot more to them than just protecting. It only makes me back away from the man, making him glare fiercely at me before snatching my covered arm with his uncovered hand. I'm so grateful in that moment, that I had decided to wear a disguise and chose the long-sleeved lab coat.
I look out the glass wall and see guards flooding into the room from the elevator. Relief fills me, and I watch as guards pile in behind my dad. I can feel the man's hackles rising at the new threats, and he tugs me closer to him.
"Ashley, try to calm him down."
"How do you suggest I do that?" I ask, frantic now to escape. Why did I have to meddle with this? I should know by now my stupid curiosity only gets me in trouble.
"Speak soothingly, look him in the eye with a calm face, do something. Just get Zero calm enough so the guards can sedate him."
Taking a deep breath, I reluctantly turn to Zero, pulling my sleeve over my hand as a glove.
Using my covered hand, I direct his jaw to where he's looking into my eyes. His soften slightly, and he nudges his face into my hand. I would swoon if I wasn't so terrified because in that moment he looks almost like a puppy with huge, grey eyes.
"Hey, Zero. It's alright. Everything's fine." I speak soothingly with a soft voice, trying to keep a clam expression on my face. He relaxes somewhat, and I see the guards creeping up out of the corner of my eyes.
Zero starts to turn back to face them, but I grasp his shoulders with both hands now covered with my sleeve. I start trying to massage him as best I can with my weird shaped fists that are keeping the sleeve around my hand.
Even I'm not prepared for it when they shoot him.
I start to shout, but stop when I see it's just a dart, probably with a sedative inside. Subject Zero pulls the dart out, his snarl back on his face. I watch as he takes a threatening step towards the guards, and another, but then he sways and collapses.
That must have been a pretty strong sedative to work so quickly on a man as large as he is.
I can't help myself and run to him, kneeling down to make sure he's only unconscious and not dying. He is a person afterall, even if he's deadly.
Zero looks up at me, whimpering as his eyes start to droop, but I catch the look in his eyes before they close. Betrayal. He thinks I've betrayed him, and in a way I have.
I can't stop the guilt from washing over me. He was just trying to protect me,and it's not like he meant any harm, but in the moment I was so panicked at the thought of how close I was to death, I didn't stop to think the situation through.
When they usher me from the room, I let them, glancing one more time back at Zero.
Dear readers, I hope you enjoyed! This chapter has been edited (which means in Dangeroustoken terms that I've read over it once). You have finally met Zero up close and personal, lol. What do you think? Vote, comment, and try not to think of pandas (I bet your thinking about them right now) XD. Lots of love,
Dangeroustoken