After cosplaying as Roxy on one anime event, I decided to to write one chapter in Roxy’s POV. Her costume ( I was sewing it on hand for whole freaking night! ) really make me feel as being part of this story. Here’s link of a photo if you’re interested: http://light-13-hawkie.deviantart.com/gallery/41522641#/d5o7ypv
I would have posted this days before Christmas if I hadn’t spent it literally in the middle of nowhere (which means it was a miracle that even my laptop worked phew).
And to tell you funny thing, upper sentences were written more than four months ago. I’m so sorry for almost forgetting about this story. I got final book from my favorite two book series in my hands ( Power of Five: Oblivion and Alex Rider: Rise of Scorpia by Anthony Horotwitz plus three books of Maximum Ride by James Patterson ) and I couldn’t stop reading it. Now I’ve finally finished reading it ( it was just like reading Harry Potter, only much more cinematically epic ) so I finally opened this file and said: you need to finish this chapter hawkie!
Chapter Twenty Two: Rescuing Innocent Life
Shivering. Breathlessly taking cold air in my lungs. That’s only thing that I can do to calm myself down. I always do that, but in that moment I just couldn’t. I was powerless, without Spark and locked in a place far from home. Dimi was taken from cell and didn’t return for more than two days. What did they do to him? From the size of their grins I could only guess what kinds of experiments were made on him. Did he struggle and was punished? Was he lastingly transported into other cell or even abby? Questions couldn’t stop appearing in my head.
I could only wrapped my arms around little girl next to me. Her big brown eyes stared at me as child looks on his parents. All this time she was with me, looking for sanctuary in my lap. Alicia, smart little kid who was only eight. First day after they took Dimi and Whirl, her sparkle in eyes darkened. After that she told everything that happened before she met me and Dimi.
At first her voice was quiet as she was afraid for every word that left her lips. I kept trying to encourage her, telling my story as well. To think of it, I never actually told anyone about my childhood. About those rare happy days that happened in my short previous life. It seemed almost as my story opened her to talk like opened book.
Alicia told me about her family, loving parents and her older sister. She even mentioned her dog and countless cats that always greet her when she came from school. I couldn’t imagine having so many pets at home when I didn’t have even a gold fish. Girl told every single detail about everything.
Now, two days later she again was scared. I didn’t know why. She only kept mumbling about white coats that brought something into cell at the end of corridor. It might have been anything, perhaps even new captured kid.
To calm her down, I only looked into her face saying:
“Why don’t we go see what it is? It won’t be so scary if we’re together.”
As those words left my mouth she only gripped my hand and slowly nodded.
“Are you ready?” I asked her calmly.
“Yeah… With you, it’s not so scary.” girl waited for leaving the cell.
Together we left white room where we were imprisoned. I walked slowly, trying to hear any unusual sounds while Alicia held my hand and was hiding behind me. Cold soon got my bare feet, but that didn’t bother me. My focus was on partly opened door on the end of the corridor. There wasn’t a single sound at first, but then after couple of minutes I could hear tiny whispers. Not human ones, those were much too fast and different. My hand carefully pushed cold door that let literally in the hell of a nature. Why hell you ask? True that wasn’t the hell but a dungeon of innocence. What was inside sent shivers into my already too pale face. I had hard time staying strong for Alicia who was scared ten times more than me. Who wouldn’t be in a caged horror?
Everywhere I looked were cages marked by sizes as they were clothes on sale. Behind steel bars terrified eyes were whimpering for freedom. I haven’t seen so many genetically changed animals at one place. From what I knew about Men in Gray was also their nasty habit to store their living subjects as they were lab equipment. Mutant animals were in much worse condition than I and Alicia were, but there was still thing that connected us. Being just innocent living being got us right to live freely until some psychopaths decided to play god. Having high knowledge gave them excuse of what they were doing behind their masks of science. To hell with science!
One of the cats with deformed ear, empty eyes and way too many legs got closer to the bars. Kitty tried its best to make a meowing sound but only unknown mix of groaning and rasping came out. I carefully set one finger to what stayed of cat’s face. Cat blinked when it set her tiny tongue to lick my cold fingers. I felt warm feeling in my hand whereupon Alicia came and carefully patted cat through its ears. Even in cruel environment poor kitty stayed as gentle as house pet. This gave me wonder if Men in Grey went so far to start kidnapping animals raised as pets. Little brunette finished patting cat and also started looking around. In cages there were all sorts of animals, from dogs and other house pets like cats and bunnies to more exotic like many colorful birds, lizards and reptiles. If they weren’t mutated I would believe they were just waiting to get into next pet store. Too bad it wasn’ttrue. No. Instead of giving love to their owners they were used only as receivers of pain.
Suddenly I felt tiny grip on my hand. Alicia showed at especially secured cage in the corner. When I had said especially secured Ireally meant it. Besides glass wall and many unknown lights there was also a camera that kept changing positions. Wondering about animal being so special to be locked like that made me move closer. Hanging on my hand Alicia followed. Lowering my view at cage I looked at the animal that was sleeping curled up. Comparing it to all other animals this one looked the most normal in that room. Instead of deformed parts or too many limbs it had healthy four legs and fluffy tail. Big ears kinda messed up my thinking if it was cat, fox or even squirrel. When I made some more steps closer, animal woke up stretching its legs and opening its two eyes. We both gasped when we saw what was behind eyelids. Two eyes, one blue and other green blinking as realistically as human ones. When fox-like-animal looked at us it immediately reared on its back legs and started hitting the glass with front ones. It almost seemed as animal was begging to let it out while giving us much too human looks. That was when I noticed shiny words beneath the cage: D4 Case. Not another experiment for Dreamer Project! Being locked up here I learnt that every subjected with word and number is used for Ial research.
For a second I really didn’t know what to do. Even if I had some sort of plan I couldn’t do it. The very next second five scientistsgot into room raising metal stick at me. Alicia yelped when lab coats raised their voice.
“A3 and C13 Case! Return to your cells immediately or we’ll use force!” one of the older ones shouted.
I made first step towards the door to satisfy them. Suddenly two able-bodied men grabbed me and stuck my steel rings on wrists. I didn’t get their point. I went out as they said but jerks used force either way. Their muscular arms grabbed my shoulders and led me back to the cell.
I was so afraid what will they do to Alicia if they were so rough on me. Luckily only one of the female scientists held her hand while following. Little girl confusedly watched all fuzz they had with me.
Back in the cell I was thrown back on my metal bed while rings on my feet got together. It really looked like I wasn’t exactly welcome into their little storage with living subjects. While struggling with locked up state they put me in one lab coat decided to give me an extra lecture. Pushing button on his handheld computer I got dose of their famous electromagnetic shocks. I felt as my body was going to be crumpled up as paper but pressed my mouth together. No way am I going to give them pleasure of hearing my screams! After minute of torture was over steel rings on wrists unstuck. I couldn’t feel any relief because the next moment I got eye to eye with man who’s just tortured me.
His breath disgustingly smelled of cigarettes.
“Cell in the end of the hallway is forbidden to enter.” man started while taking handheld computer into his pocked.
“Like I haven’t figured that myself.” I said quietly.
“Playing high aren’t you? Well, let me just remind you that I can easily push the button again.”
“Come on do it coward! Torture me and swank with your almighty power until you kill me. Oh yeah you can’t kill me, I forgot.” my whispers became lauder.
I was rewarded by a slap when my sentences were for unknown reason heard. High pitched yelp that was heard all over the room wasn’t mine. My trying to mess up with white coats’ heads scared Alicia. For that moment my whole attention was turned to her.
“Just hold still until they go away. I won’t let them hurt you.” I whispered again this time carefully so only she could hear me.
Brunette nodded as she was also put on bed much gentler that I was. Female scientist started taking measurements from her like pulse and blood pressure. I on the other hand got a bit different, much inhuman ones. Like stabbing me into shoulder to get Inner Spirit Life Energy results as it was called. In my shoulder were some important nerves and veins that also carried extra ISLE veins only Ials had. If I remember reading those books that Vega, one of the most intelligent Ials, wrote ISLE is created during the hour when you’re dead. Most of the usual human cells are destroyed and replaced by Ial ones. Also bone, blood and muscle structure changes. I still wonder how on earth Men in Gray knew so many details about us.
After pulling tube from my shoulder I got stabbed into upper hip and then knee. Those were all three points of gathered ISLE in Ial body. Thinking for what the hell are going to do with my reddish-yellow liquid made my stomach turn. I got some more painful so called checkups whereupon lab coats left my ankles stuck and went back to their labs.
I firstly took deep breath of suffocating air of the room to chill my body. I don’t remember the time my body got invaded in such a way. As I was just a stuffed animal fated to be torn apart and sewed back. My thoughts calmed down when I felt familiar touch on my forehead. Little brunette was there sobbing quietly while looking at three bloody holes on my body.
“Why did they hurt you so much?” she asked while sobbing.
“Because they’re bad people and they think they can do whatever they want with me.” I closed my eyes while explaining.
I felt her two arms wrapping around my chest. She was so young and in fact more loving.
“Can I stay with you like that? I don’t want you to get hurt more.” tiny voice asked close to my ears.
With my ankles locked I couldn’t move much, but still liked the fact of not being alone. Having warm little body next to me almost felt like being with my Spark again. Oh my Spark where are you?
“Of course you can sweetie.” I smiled at her big brown eyes “You can be here as much as you want. Just please don’t risk yourself to be hurt instead of me. I can’t bear to see you hurt either.”
“But it’s not right!” she protested.
“I know it’s not right, but you must know that right now we’re powerless. But don’t you worry. I swear that I’ll get us out of here.”
“Really? Do you really promise?”
“I promise you Alicia, you deserve as much as me and Dimi to be free and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Alicia tightened her hug for reply. I already had a plan to get out. I was just waiting for perfect timing. I knew that my brother, sister and some other Ials are on the way to save me, but what if they’ll come too late? That I couldn’t risk.
Kid next to me fell asleep and soon I did too.
Hours later I was suddenly woke up by coughing sound.For a second I thought where I caught a cold when I noticed Alica coughing, not me. Kid had hard time breathing duo to the coughs that were heard almost as explosives in canyon. I quickly grabbed her shoulders and started gently banged her between her shoulder blades. It didn’t help much, only caused her pain in back.
While thinking from what she was coughing pictures of the day rushed into my head. She didn’t ate or drink anything that could cause her such serious couching attack. I really didn’t want to, but I needed to ask half-suffocating brunette what was the cause.
“Did lab coats do anything to you during checkup?” I asked while rubbing her part between shoulder blades. Three painful coughs for reply. Suddenly she turned pale and coughs turned into rasping. She was suffocating! Hell, I will kill every single lab coat for doing this to her!
“… the..y… inje..cted…” was all what her painful voice could said.
Injected? What the hell did they put into her innocent body? I started thinking about chemical reactions that I had back in school. What can cause such painful breathing reaction? I stopped thinking when her rasping became lauder. Then I remembered! Classmate in my old school had similar reaction duo to his allergy.
“Alicia listen! Do you have any allergies?” I almost shouted.
“…be…bees…” she rasped as she continued coughing.
So she was allergic to beestings! I now had pretty much of an idea what was happening. Lab coats have just decided to play god again by killing another innocent kid. But why? Why they were doing this? Only to have another experiment tested.
I pushed away those thoughts to help Alicia. During one of the strongest coughing attack she rolled from the bed to the floor. I rushed after her even though my feet were bounded. Crawling I managed to get to her now pushing my hands on her rib cage. She had trouble breathing and that’s what I needed to help her with. Usually allergic reactions were prevented by special pills. What could’ve done without them? There was no way I’d let her die. I forced myself to start pushing on her rib cage, making her lungs work. It seemed more like as it didn’t help at all but after some pushes I got a bit color on her face. Still her breathing was becoming worse. Coughs prevented her lungs to work correctly and all I could do was making sure her heart still worked. Following with basic CPR I needed to give her some air into mouth despite her painful coughs.
I kept doing CPR for almost an hour and she kept fighting to live. Coughs stopped when breathing still didn’t return. Two hours later I could felt my strength fading, but I kept pushing on Alicia’s heart and giving her air in weak lungs. Getting closer to the third hour we both still fought for Alicia’s life. I felt pain in my tired body all over when still doing CPR. If brunette won’t give up I won’t too. She was only eight having many years in front of her. That’s why I didn’t stop. I want her to live, to choose her own path not getting controlled by some psychopaths.
Suddenly everything around me stopped. When I made another push I didn’t felt her heartbeat anymore. Slight breaths I have had heard before were gone.
“No! Alicia breathe! You have to!” I shouted doing CPR even faster. Her eyes were becoming empty as warmth was leaving her innocent body. I’m not sure what I was thinking or doing that fatal hour. I was just making sure to keep kid alive. I didn’t care if there was no pulse. My hands kept pushing on the rib cage with Alicia not responding. Only one sentence was burning in my head.
“When human dies he has only an hour to make choice. He has to be strong in heart and really sure to become an Ial. Sadly many of them can’t become Ials either on their own choice or weakness in their heart.”
I lost count of how many time have passed. All I knew was that I was running low on it. Without any medication there was no way to save her. But this still didn’t stop me. I ignored protest of my tired body to at least try to do something.
Focusing on my bright two ponytails I felt tiny shards clashing together. Sparkles stated making those bits of electricity I still had in me. Like tiny stream, electricity travelled through shoulders and arms to hands. Brunette’s body twitched when my electricity ran into her weak heart. There was no respond but I still gathered electricity into hands and then on weak rib cage. It was just like doctors done it with those machines in hospitals. Doing that for so long I suddenly realized hour has already passed with girl still not responding.
That’s when I realized there was nothing more that I could do for her. Weak body couldn’t take it anymore. Placing my hands to her shoulders I couldn’t stop tears gathering in me. Why did this happen? We were both fighting for so long and all this effort didn’t pay off. It just gave us fake believing of having an actual chance.
I pressed my hands on her shoulders tighter feeling cold spreading all over. What will they do with her? I doubted they will be so kind to send her dead body back to her family. No, they will just use her for another sick experiment.
“Alicia, I’m so sorry… I couldn’t fulfill the promise and now… you’re… you’re…” last word couldn’t leave my mouth just sobbing. Little girl I wanted to protect so much was dead right in front me. I didn’t know what to do and I felt like being little girl myself.
It was then when it happened. Shiny sparkles filled my hair with unknown glow which sent me hot shivers all over my body. It gathered in my hands glowing as gentle as firefly. I’m not sure what Ial within me tried to tell me but I just pushed them at Alicia.
Expecting again no respond it now felt different. My hands kept glowing as I started sending electricity into her. I could feel both of our bodies being connected as wire is to machine and socket. Her heartbeat became mine and I made sure to bring it back.
“Come one, you can do it! I’m here, don’t be afraid!” I shouted as I literally sent my own energy into her. My tired body was about to collapsed, but before it would I swear to myself to save the kid. I felt my strength being pulled away from me as minutes passed. Just a bit more time, I needed to stay focused to save her. It was just like the never ending fight where you need to defeat the greatest enemy. Only this time goal was different.
Pushing, sending more energy, controlling the heartbeat. I kept doing those three things with my body hurting as hell.
In the end I couldn’t do it anymore. I felt as I was missing most of my limbs or like I was an electric toy which got ran off power. I just fell unconscious on the floor.
But before the dark I could see slight movement in brunette’s chest.
“How much time does she need to wake up?” unknown voice echoed through the white walls.
“Be patient sir, she has lost a lot of energy.” younger voice responded.
“Don’t you think I know that? What we need right now are some answers.” same unknown voice shouted.
I carefully opened my eyes to see what the fuzz was about. My eyelids were so heavy with me having no idea why. I regretted when I did. In front of me was no one else than Eztli the creepiest and most disgusting Man in Gray ever. His fat stomach was stuck under tight lab coat while his hairy moustache didn’t suit him at all.
“Well good morning A3.” Eztli said sickly sweet while lightning himself a cigarette. Funny combination disgusting cancer stick and sweetness in voice that is. “We’d like to ask you some stuff.”
I found myself with stuck steel rings again. Ankles didn’t seem to get unstuck at all while wrists were stuck on my back. If you were looking an old action movie with secret agents you would came right on the part where agent is captured and bad guys were about to interrogate him. Even the room was almost the same with them sitting in the end of the long glass table me being tied on extremely uncomfortable chair. I’m not sure if Men in Gray ever heard the word comfortable in their short stupid lives.
“Sure just prepare the paper and I will surely tell you everything.” I said in the same sick sweet version as Eztli.
“Do you think that’s funny?” Eztli became angry.
“I don’t know. You are the one who started.” I responded.
Fat scientist was about to give me a punch when luckily that younger one stopped him.
“If you hit her, she will just pass out.” guy blocked Eztli’s huge arms.
“Fine then make her talk!” Eztli got in corner to have another cigarette.
Younger man got to man while typing something on another handheld computer. Pressing a button tv screen appeared on one of the white walls. Next second there was cell in which Alicia was. I couldn’t believe it! I actually really saved her even after an hour of her being dead. Thank goodness she was alive. I could never forgive myself if she died.
But there was something different in her eyes now. Looking deeply on the tv screen I could so unique mark in her eyes. No other than the wolf mark the one that Rookies have.
I didn’t just save Alicia. For unknown reason I turned her into an Ial!
“A3, I’m sure you’re familiar with C13 case. We’d like to know how you turn it into a Dreamer.” Man started.
“I’m asking the same thing to myself.” I said care-freely. Man was about to push the buttons when my big mouth couldn’t gave a break. “If you’re planning to torture me again go on. I’m sure you have the whole day to wait till I wake up again.” I said when man became annoyed. “And about the Dreamer thingy – I don’t have the slightest idea how and don’t really remember.”
Man got back to Eztli again only to be yelled at and sent flying from the room. Next moment Eztli was back in front of me and from the abomination of his breath I would say he had smoked at least half of the cigarette case. I really don’t know what he was going to achieve if he was staring at me all the time.
“Looks like you won’t tell on the easy way. That won’t be a problem if you prefer the hard way.” Eztli started circling around me as cat around mouse would “We had prepared an experiment for you and I expect you’ll do it.”
“Oh, that’s new.” I mumbled only to get a bruise into my eye.
“Would you like your friend to do it? I’m sure he’s still going strong.” Eztli smiled evilly while switching video at tv. On the next video was no other than Dimi and in what condition. His back and both arms were in braces meaning to be broken. Currently he was sleeping while one of the bandages was changed by some other scientist.
“What did you do to him?” I suddenly raised my voice only to be shut by fat scientist.
“Nothing actually, he’s done that to himself. If he would listen and do tests as he was told dr. Sat wouldn’t be forced to break both of his arms.” he returned with his sick sweetness again. “Now... will you be the good subject and do the experiment?”
“I will… just tell me what to do.” I said as quietly as I could. I didn’t want to lose my will, but I also didn’t want Dimi to be hurt more than he already was.
Eztli unlocked the steel rings on my ankles so I could walk from white room. While walking through the corridor he was holding my shoulder just in case I got a foolish idea of running away like Dimi. Finally we arrived into dark room with glass cage. Darkness covered everything in front of me. Eztli suddenly pushed me inside of the glass cage, grinning evilly. Before he closed the entrance he threw me something.
“You will need this.” he said while leaving. I couldn’t believe it! It was my Arrowblade, shining as new and prepared for anything. Since the first day of my captivity I haven’t seen it. Now it was back with me. Thinking of what reason I got it back, unknown growl was heard from the darkness. It showed itself when lights were suddenly turned on. In the corner was the most unimaginable thing from the nightmares.
Its shards on back, legs and tail were threating as solder with twenty swords. Fur was dirty black and body was as they mixed bear and wolf. Looking at me with the most inhumane and empty eyes it opened its monstrous snout to showed disgustingly sharp fangs.
“So A3 case, meet one of my newest creations. Genetically changed coyotes with extra genes of grizzly bear, lynx and many more. Perfect combination of nature.”
Was he out of his freaking mind? I’ll genetically change your DNA to be the same as pig. I bet you would really happy!
Carefully I summoned bolt arrow and hold it still. I needed to lure the beast toward me, so I could do my tactic. Making annoying movements for the creature I waited until it nibbled into at the bait. Growling all the time I predicted that light got it angry. Moment later it rush right into me. I dodged quickly getting my calf scratched. Blood got out quickly streaming down to my foot. I ignored the pain when I used the chance of being right in front of beast. With quick move I sent my blot arrow right in front of its eyes. Beast started growling even more when trying to get it out of its head. Raspingly it ran to other corner of the glass cage.
I turned to the grinning scientist who was watching me all the time.
“What is the point of locking me with that disgusting freak?” I shouted through glass.
“Just a tiny experiment of how it would look in combat with a Dreamer. To tell you the truth you aren’t the first Dreamer who got an honor of battling them.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.
“Nothing, just something really boring. Firstly when we created Darksharders we made them as coyote cubs with genetically different bodies. Of course they were already powerful, but we gave them growing genes just in case. You have no idea how smart they are as cubs. They were able to locate the portals your dear friends use to go into your tiny little home.”
That couldn’t be true. Those beasts in Realm of Spirits? How far do they intend to go?
“People being impossible to use portals, we got them to sneak into your world where they fully grow in shadows of you realm. I’m must say they’re pretty good in combat.”
I was about to say something back when beast came back. Impossible! I perfectly shot my arrow through its brains if they were really there. Creature knocked me down with me being unprepared. Its giant paws roughly pressed on my shoulders to the point of cracking and bleeding. Then its snout hungrily reached for my head. I got away just in time using my Arrowblade to roll away while shooting more arrows to its stomach. Creature called Darksharder didn’t mind them only kept running towards me. I dodged again this time pointing at chest. Arrows found a bit of a way through thick fur just enough to distract it. I used the moment to send number of arrows directly into its head, this time pointing eyes and nose. I knew wolves depend on sight and smell a lot so that was the last part of defeating it. As extra thing I collected bits of my electricity sending it into paws. My theory about nervy paws was correct. Beast wasn’t able to stand anymore and it just collapsed.
Looking back at open mouthed scientist I smiled at my win which lasted only for a minute. Next minute I felt sudden pain in my chest. Then it was just like someone ripped it apart. But how? Darksharder was defeated and laid on the floor unconsciously. Feeling pain soon turned into real one when I saw my white shirt turning red. Blood was coming also from my mouth, choking me in process. What was happening? There was no explanation for me getting hurt like that. Unless someone else got hurt and I felt it.
“Os… what happened to you? Don’t tell me it was Darksharder!” I quietly whispered into my head while calling my twin brother. He has to be attacked by exact same beast as the one I just had defeated. I was so afraid to think those creatures already got into Realm of Spirits. And fact of feeling Os’ pain only meant one thing. He got hurt to the point of dying. Those were the only times I felt his pain and until now I only felt it for three times.
I felt something crack inside me, probably ribs when more blood got from my mouth.
Soon my head felt dizzy, my legs buckled and again I was on floor.
“Bro... just be alright… I’ll wait for all of you to come…” I uttered before falling into state of unconsciousness this time for much longer time.
PS: Hope you'll like it fellas and for the next chapter I'm already telling you that it won't be posted before June duo to my very busy finishing of the third grade of High School. I was to post that months ago but beside school I also got into bizzare accident where I torn my knee muscles apart and becuase of it I had to quit dancing for the third time and also my tennis training in which I got so good that I won the third place on Junior contest last year. I'm currently still recoverying from it and some muscles got healed up. But during June I'll have to go on the surgery in which they will literally sew together my damaged muscles. After it I'll be in almost complete state as I was just after the accident - meaning walking with only crutches and being in pain again for a month...
I'm also writing short story about my experiance with such an accident. It should be posted soon, don't know when excatly.