{Jason's POV}
I walked down the corridor with the guards standing next to me. I lowered my head and kept my hands folded in front of me. "They said it would be today," I whispered. They didn't speak. "What's gonna happen to me?" My voice was barely audible. No response. I was told everything would happen today. Everything. I didn't know what this meant for me, but I was terrified.
The wall was short but it seemed like hours before we got to a lab room where I was told to sit on the table and stay still. I was too afraid to move - other than the constant shaking - and felt everything was moving too fast around me.
Doctors came rushing in with serums and flasks. Liquids sloshed around in phials and tablets lay next to them, along with a glass of water. One told me to take the glass of water and the pills. Shakily I reached out to take them. There were two reddish pills that looked the same and a larger white pill. "What are these for?" I asked.
"Two are pain relievers. The other is a nausea resisting medication." He said as I swallowed both the pills. I drank the rest of the water, the craving washing over me. I gave him the glass and he scurried away, other doctors rushing in after and checking me. Finally, after what seemed like hours, a doctor came in and said, "let's get started."
I didn't want to get started. I was told to take my shirt off. I shivered as the cold air hit me making goosebumps travel down my arms. "Let's begin phase one."A Doctor said as he strolled into the room. I gulped.
Taking a syringe full of black liquid, he came over to me. I whined as he moved my hair and injected to needle into my neck. I gasped as the liquid was injected into me; a pain starting to grow at the base of my neck. It grew and grew and grew, running down my spine until I was crying and screaming. It felt like my spine was breaking, and the sound of crushing and cracking fill the room.
It ripped through my skin, the pain unbearable. I looked down, seeing three large black rib bones snaking their way across my torso, hugging my body tightly and cutting through skin. I thought I might die. The pain didn't stop but the growing of the bones did. All down my spine and across my torso we're on fire. I screamed so much I tore apart my throat. My head pounded. Those stupid pills did me no damn good.
I panted, the pain slowly ceasing. The doctors stared and one moved a full body mirror in front of me so I was able to see myself. It was if a black charcoal rib cage had grown around me. The bones snaked down my spine as if creating a new one. The bones looked as if they were made of ash and charcoal. It curved off at the end making a small tail bone too. "Wh-What..?" I breathed out, tears running down my face. "H-How..?" I couldn't find my words; pain still flowing through my body.
"Let's begin phase two, and bring me serum 267 and 527." The doctor said, and checked things off on the clipboard. Other doctors and nurses hurried off. One came back with the two serum and two needles and another came back with two weird looking metal items. They were open and facing up with a small bar in one side in each of them. It looked as if you could close them and they would latch into a cylinder like object.
I didn't notice until after the doctor collected some of the first serum - it was an inky black with swirls of gray - into the first needle, when another doctor came in along with a nurse who were carrying gas masks. I gave a confused look. A nurse came over and collected the second serum - it was a more silvery white - into the second needle. The doctor and nurse set down the needles, and put the gas masks on. Everyone else did too except for me. They handled the needles again and came over to me, and held both my arms. They injected both serums at the same time into the crook of my arm and stood back after taking it out and setting it down on the table next to them.
They all stared at me. What the hell was happening? The nurse came over and took my hand. She slipped the metal item onto it, my hand resting face up and my fingers curling around the bar. She shut it and it locked in place immediately after she shut it closed. She did the same to my other hand and they were so tightly sealed that I thought they wouldn't come off. I didn't see a key hole either.
"Take him to testing room B294." The doctor muffled behind the gas mask. What on earth were they wearing them for? Was it because they injected me with those serums? What did they do?
They helped me off the table and I winced as I stood up straight. This was going to take some getting used to. I followed them down each corridor and flight of stairs until we arrived at the testing room. I was left alone, not being able to do anything with my hands. Doors were sealed behind me and the intercom crackled after a clucked was heard, - it was Mr. Adams - "Good evening, 004. We've enhanced your appearance and provided a method of attack for you. I want to see exactly what happens. Then after visual, I want to see consequences." The voice spoke and then crackled off.
I glanced over at the window where scientists and doctors look at me like children in a zoo. A click was heard and my cuffs were loose, and the fell off my hands with two loud clunks! I just kept staring at them. "Wh-What is it that you expect me to do?" I asked out loud.
I grew upset, "What? What do you want..?" I didn't realize that from my hands and feet grew a dark and mysterious dark gray fog. It came from the tips of my fingers and and cracked and snaked it's way across the floor. I gasped, and then saw where it was coming from. "Make it stop!" I cried. I clenched my fists but it only made it worse. The ground started to blacken beneath my feet and it looked almost as if the metal was burned.
"Calm, 004. Channel it and control it. Only you can stop it and only you can make it happen." The intercom crackled. I took a breath and stared at my hands, opening and closing them again and again. I closed my eyes and imagines the smog clearing; it ceasing to escape my finger tips. Stop.
I opened my eyes. The smoke had begun to clear and it had stopped seeping from the tips of my fingers. I looked up at them and stared. "What the hell was that?" I asked. I got no answer back.
"Excellent; let us see part two!" The voice crackled again. A door was opened on the other side of the room. On the other side was the color green. I stepped towards it. I walked towards the room and peered inside. Plants of many varieties and colors and patterns galore were in my face. They draped from the ceiling and hung low from the top. They traveled across the floor and blossoms were covering every inch of the leafy green room. It was beautiful.
I was scared to step inside but I found myself walking towards the center of the room and slowly spinning in a circle to fully grasp my surroundings. It was magical; it was almost as if I was actually outside.
Then it hit me; I was a bomb. I was about to go off any minute. This dark creature - me - entered a beautiful pure place like this. No, I needed to leave. I couldn't be here. As quickly as it had gone, it came back. I lost control of the new power I possessed. Around my feet the vines and flowers started to wither before me. They turned gray to black and the flowers shivered up and died. They turned to ash. It grew and grew around me, everything slowly dying around me. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. Everything around me shriveled up and died, turning to ash and dust.
A single tear rolled down my cheek as I watched the last rose bud struggle, shrivel, die and turn to dust. Turned to nothing. Everything withered away before me.
There was no room for beauty in my life anymore.
{Mitch's POV}
I was finally brought out into the light. In reality, I didn't know if this was good or bad. I had been taken into a room with counters that had many glass phials and clipboards and needles resting on them. A small table in the center that looked like it belonged in a doctors room sat waiting for me. I sat upon it and waited.
I glanced down at my wrist and saw the numbers "005" inked into my skin. I'm just a number..
Mr. Mangle came in and smiled at me. It wasn't a warm happy smile, but rather a cruel smile as if he knew something I didn't. "Good evening, 005!" He chirped and came over to me. I shifted uncomfortably away from him but he simply took another step towards me. "I'll admit I've been very rude." He said putting hand over his chest. "I'm so so sorry!" Exaggerating every syllable. "I'll make it up to you for abandoning you."
A doctor came over and started to clean my arm and tied a medical rubber band around my arm. He took a needle and drew some of my blood. I looked away, the liquid making me queasy. Before I knew it they had finished. I looked back up as they took my blood away (I'm guessing to be tested) and I took a breath.
Dr. Mangle whispered some things to a doctor and checked some things off a clipboard a nurse was carrying. In the midst of it I heard him tell a doctor to prep an OR. "OR?" I asked, not quite sure what that was.
"Operating Room, dear." I nurse said and hurried out to catch up with someone else. Operating?!
"Wait, surgery?!" I asked, terrified. I've never had to have surgery before.
"Yes! And it's important!" Dr. Mangle said thrilled.
I gulped, "No, please. Whatever it is I don't want it. Please don't." I pleaded, scared. I didn't need surgery, nothing is wrong with me.
Doctors hurried out and I guessed it was to prep the OR. I jumped off the table and ran to the door and tried to run out, turning the handle, and running out of the room. I didn't get two steps out the door when the guard outside grabbed my arm. I struggled against him. "No, please! I don't want it! I don't need it! Get away from me!" I screamed, trying to get his huge hand off of me.
All I heard was Mr. Mangle's laugh. It sent an eerie chill down my spine. He looked at me and simply said out loud, "Get him ready for surgery." With that the doctors came out of the room with a gurney and the guard put me on it, forcing me to lay down. I kicked and screamed and tried to fight back, but he was stronger than I was. Doctors cuffed my hands and feet down to the gurney. I couldn't go anywhere. I cried as I continued to struggle.
"Good luck, 005!" Dr. Mangle called out after me.
I stared at the lights above me pass as I was taken down the halls. I am no longer myself. I am just a number.
{Shelby's POV}
I had made way to the city ahead of me. I twisted and turned my way into the depths of it. Every building looked the same. Tall, gray, and thousands of windows. Needless to say, I was completely lost.
From afar the city looked plentiful and full of life. Up close, the city was dead. Everything lacked color. Gray clouds seemed to hang in the cold air and smoke seemed to seep through the streets. Everything was dark and I tried to keep to the shadows, but it wasn't hard at all. Everything looked as if it was crumbling to ash and dust and would fall apart before you. It all looked dead.
Everyone and everything looked shady; it was as if you couldn't trust them. Trash littered the ground and papers flew the air. As I walked down a street, a flyer flew past and it caught itself on my foot. I stopped and picked it up to look at it. It had a picture of a boy's face on it and some information on it. It read:
"ATTENTION!
Have you seen me?
I've been missing since November 14th.
If you find me, please contact,
(206) 520 - 6248"
I've seen him before...
I flipped the paper over and the words "DEAD BITCH" were written in read marker. Some games of tic tac toe were played and some faces and other curse words were scribbles down too. I tore the paper and crumbled it up, throwing it in the nearest trash can.
I continues walking, the wind making me shiver as it hit my hands. I pulled my small sweater closer to me. I don't handle the cold well. As I walked I noticed the roads and city started to open up. There was a small park across the road and a tall building with colorful windows and a large wooden cross on the front. I didn't know what that building was for but I didn't have time to go in and see.
I crossed the road seeing that a group of guys were walking down and I didn't want to get in their way. Mainly because then I would have to apologize and I felt as though they could beat me up.
I walked down the street and looked to the side of me after passing the building with the cross. I caught sight of many tombstones littering the yard. I stopped, curious. I looked at the ones closest to me and some names to myself. Everything seemed so quiet except for my breathing.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kelps, Abby Walkor, Joseph Mattea, Rose Pierce, Sarah Adams.." I read outline to myself quietly. On the grave of Sarah Adams there were wilting flowers and another one of those flyers with the boys face on it. His mother..
I started walking away when I found myself crying. I wiped the tears and headed on. I didn't have time to cry.
As I walked down the street, some leaves blew past me. It was odd; the world was bright and beautiful outside of here in that forest, but when you walked in here the world was gray and slow. I stepped past an ally way and someone grabbed my hand and pulled me into it. I gasped softly, very startled and had to restrain myself from throwing whoever it was against the wall.
"Well, well, well, who do we have a here?" A deep voice spoke. I heard laughter too. I looked up from moving the hair out of my face and saw three tall guys towering over me. They had a good build and looked strong. "Hey there pretty lady," they came up behind me and blocked my exit back out into the street. Were they following me?!
"Can I help you?" I asked, sounding more confident than I actually was. They reminded me of those guards back at the facility. Calm down, Shelby. They aren't here to take you away.. they have nothing against you.
"Well, you could say that." The guy in front of me said and put his hand on my arm. Don't use your powers. Don't use your powers.. it took everything inside me not too. I couldn't; I couldn't risk anything. I jerked away from him and stepped back, bumping into the two guys behind me. I whipped around and took the step back to my original position.
I glared at them and stood my ground. Whatever they wanted to do to me, it wasn't happening today or ever. I knew how to fight, maybe not this many people at once without the use of my powers, but I could it. One reached towards me but I moved out of the way, but the guy behind me grabbed both of my arms. I struggled against him, "Let me go!" I squealed. They simply laughed as they moved toward me.
Just then this scrawny boy who looked about my age entered the ally and shouted, "Hey! Get off of her and leave her alone!" Everyone stopped to look and see who was speaking to them. They looked behind and saw the guy. I could barely make him out in the dark ally but I could just see a boy with a red hoodie and tufts of purple hair poking out too. I took this moment of distraction to fight back. I kicked my leg back as hard as I could and kicked the guy holding me in the nuts. He yelped and let me go. I ran forward away from him and ducked underneath the other guys, running in between them. I ran towards the kid who quickly took my hand and yelled, "Run!"
The three taller guys yelled out and started running after us down the street. I struggled to keep up with the speed of the boy in the red hoodie, but I didn't dare stop. I looked back and the guys were still following. "Come here! Get out of the way!" The guys yelled, pushing people out of the way. The crowd thickened and without warning the boy jerked me into another ally way. We ran towards a ladder and he let me up first, him following closely after. "Up! Up! Quick! Before they see!" he hissed nervously. I went up and crawled out into the small balcony and he did the same. We watched as the three guys entered the ally and looked around.
The boy held a finger to his lips, telling me to keep quiet. Like I would shout at them that we were up here, but I kept my mouth shut. They cursed and shouted out angrily. They ran out trying to keep looking for us.
I let out a deep breath, not realizing I was holding my breath. The boy sighed and leaned against the wall. "Thank you," I told him.
"It's.. no problem.." he gave a half smile and glanced at me, his smile fading immediately. He turned and knocked in a certain pattern on the window next to us. Twice, pause, three times, pause, then once, pause, and one more time. After a moment the curtain was slid back and another man about our age maybe a few years older appeared. He had an eye patch over his left eye and his hair was dyed a purple color with bright green tips at the end of his hair. He unlocked the window and slid it open.
The kid slipped in and I slipped in after. "Purple!" The man with the eye patch smiled.
"Hey, I'm back." Purple smiled back.
The eye patch guy looked at me and then back at the kid, "Purple, who's this?" He looked nervous.
Purple looked at me, "Well, something happened earlier.. I was simply helping out. I actually do not know her name." And at this moment he stood still and blinked. He stared at the floor and blinked a lot.
"Hi," I spoke, "I'm, um.. are.. you okay?"
After a moment his hair turned green and when he opened his eyes his eyes were now a rich green. It had been a dark purple earlier.
"Woah.." I took a step back. "What.. just happened.."
"Hello there.." he sounded a bit different. "I'm sorry, but I don't exactly trust you." He said blankly.
"Green.." his friend whispered urgently. He sighed, "I'm John, but call me Barney." The one with the eyepatch spoke. "Sorry, we aren't really used to other people."
"I'm not either; at last not new faces." I replied. "Okay.. um.. not to be rude but what just happened?" I looked at the kid again.
Green stayed quiet, his hands in his hoodie, staring at me. He looked as if he didn't care for me, and he was trying to figure me out. "I won't be introducing you yet.." He glanced at Barney.
Barney remained awkwardly silent for another few seconds, "Let's start by you introducing yourself.."
I took a second, "My name is Shelby.. and I'm not where I'm supposed to be.." I sighed quietly. I finally took a chance to look around. One small mattress on the floor, one small couch, a small kitchen set and a door that most likely led to a bathroom. It was a very small living space.
Green took a breath and took off his hoodie and placed it on the couch. He ran a hand through his hair. "Listen.. we have a disorder called Dissociative Identity Disorder. It occurs when a child before the age of 7-9 has experienced trauma or repeated trauma. I am Green; the host's primary protector. Earlier.. you saw Purple. He helps with protecting the host by handling physical activity. He protects the host from physical fights."
I took a moment to process this. "Wait.. host..? disorder?"
"Red.. or Micheal.. is our host. It just means he is out the longest." Green said. "He is who we protect."
"I-I.." I blinked rapidly.
"I just need to see what kind of person you are before I let you meet him." Green crossed his arms.
I found myself nodding, "You know, Green.. I think we can relate to each other more than you know.." I saw his face change to curiosity and surprise and even a bit of calm.
"I doubt it.." he looked away and grabbed the red hoodie off the couch again.
"You'd be surprised." I said as I watched him tie the hoodie around his waist.
"Now the changing of my hair and eye color.. it's more like we have a power, but we can't do anything with it." Green explained. Barney nodded.
"I've known the Color System almost all my life. I knew something had been off for a while but Red did not get the official word he had DID until about three years ago?" Barney said.
"The Color System?" I asked.
"It's what we call ourselves." Green said. "Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Magenta, Pink, Black, White."
I took a breath. "Something wrong?" Barney asked. I looked at them not exactly knowing what to do. Maybe they knew a way out of the city.
"I'm fine I just.." I might as well ask. "It's a lot to take in. Listen.. I'm sorry kinda intruded. I thank you for the help.. Purple... Green..? Sorry.. but.." I took an annoyed breath at myself. "I need a way out of the city."
They both looked at me and then looked at each other and then back at me. "We.." Barney started but trailed off.
"We know a way." Green ended.
{Mr. Adams' POV}
It is final. 002 has trained and his abilities are beyond what I expected them to be. It is phenomenal the amount of work done to perfect him.
He will change the world. What he can do will change the world.
I paced around my office thinking this over. "Yes, yes.." I kept muttering to myself, my plan replaying in my head. I occasionally go over to my desk, rest my hands, drink from my wine glass, write something down, and then go back to pacing and thinking.
Thinking it over, the plan was getting more and more difficult. There was a right time frame. All the test subjects must be finished at the same time; all of them together in one place. Fighting in unison..
Nothing can go wrong. It can't. It's too close; if something were to happen, the train would derail and crash. The plan would be thrown out the window. We'd be set back another 20 years of work. We would be thrown out. We'd die.
The war continues though. It's almost time we participate.
{Ms. Arizona's POV}
I can't do this anymore. Doing this job. I've been cracking for a while now. This place has been slowly chipping me away. The two boys, Ian and Quentin, can't stay here any longer.
To be honest, I don't know what else is beyond the walls of my facility or Mr. Adams'. I haven't been to the other facilities and past the wall I haven't a clue what lays beyond there. I can't help them. I can't help them other than escape. They have to brave the question of the future and what lays beyond just the two of them. If I could help more then I would.
I've failed here. I've failed my job. To be honest, I've failed as a person. A decent person. If there is only decent thing I do in my life, it's to set these boys free. To let them go.
I let them stay together but I had to lock them in so the guards wouldn't be too suspicious. A part of me thought that they already knew, that they already went to Mr. Adams.
My heals clicked against the floor as I paced around my office. I sipped my black coffee. I paced over to my desk and set the mug down. I got a pen and started writing things down in a notebook. A plan. I'd have to go by this as to not get caught. At least, be the least suspicious. I can't just command my guards to leave..
But I had an idea. Maybe pretend to take them over to another facility - Mr. Solace's since it's the farthest away - and instead of driving there I drive them deeper into the woods. The woods are thick, and the leaves are still there; green red and brown. Many bushes and plants too. Yes, this will work.
I'll slip a key into their pockets; this will be for the cuffs so they can undo them while in the back. I won't have a guard back there and I'll make sure it's locked tight. They'll be convince if I put magic restraints on them and if I lock the back. That way the guards won't hop in the back too.
I finished writing down some more notes. I couldn't do this wrong. I needed them out of here. For my sanity and theirs. I needed them gone.
I had a plan, and it would have to work.
{Max's POV}
"YOU WHAT?!" Lady Irene roared, and her wings extended in rage.
"Please I'm sorry!! It wasn't my fault! I didn't know she would hop into the back again and it would drive away and it would go into the city and-" I frantically pleaded with her. She was a scary woman when upset. Her eyes flamed white and her teeth were bared. She seemed to tower over me (for once).
"MAX! IT WAS YOUR JOB TO KEEP HER SAFE! NOW GRANTED, IT WAS HER JOB TOO, BUT YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD'VE GONE RO HELP HER!"
"Hey!" I shouted back getting upset. "She did this herself! Of course I wanted to help her! I was running after the damn truck! But I don't have the power to magically poof her out of it! Please understand!" My hair started to lick with flames a bit but I took a deep breath to calm down.
"So, she's in the city. Ha!"
"Please, Jess.." I said her real name.
She stopped and stared at the floor, her eyes turned back to normal and her wings folded behind her.
"I'm sorry, but you know that I couldn't have done anything more. But I will. Because I'm going back out there."
"No; you can't."
"But you just said-"
"I said you should have helped her. It's too late now. You can't go back out there Max. I forbid it. It's too dangerous a world now. Please. It's hard losing people. But I know Shelby is a strong girl; we haven't lost her yet. She can do it Max."
"Jess, please."
"Stop calling me that; I've lost too many people under that name."
We were both silent.
"Please. I have to go back out and get her."
"It's too dangerous! I've already said."
"JESS!"
"I SAID NO!" she said turning around and facing me. She gave me a glare and her wings were a bit spread. I stood still and silent. After a few seconds I spoke.
"Fine. Have it your way. I know she's strong. I know she can do it. But if she comes back and finds out I didn't go out there to come back for her. If she doesn't make it back in the first place. That is on you." I hissed. I turned and opened the door to her office. As I was about to close it I turned back.
"And no one can change the past or cover it up.. Jess." And with that I turned and shut the door, walking away.
[Word Count: 4970 Words]