Supernatural

10

JANUARY — "THE LAB" — 3:49 PM

This time, T2832 knew who she'd be fighting. She was told he was 2387, and had been a solider for a few years. He was a pretty light colour, almost an one like her. Apparently, his supernatural side was incredible strength. And, like the last fight, everyone would be watching.

She knew it'd be hard. It wouldn't be as fast as the one with T2798 for certain, and she wouldn't come out as unscathed as before. But after coming this far, after working so hard, she wouldn't let some fancy graduate be the one to kill her.

She wondered, as she waited at her bed for the showers to start, about her English classes, which sounded pretty random. She remembered them talking about protagonists and antagonists. In the beginning, she was sure she was the 'hero' of the story. She wanted to get out, and she wanted to use her powers for good or not at all. Yet, here she was, transitioning to the villain of the story, praying and hoping she'd win so she could go kill more people just for pure enjoyment.

Well, too bad. This was who she was, and they always taught kids to be themselves, right?

Finally, men came in and they walked single file to the showers. She saw Casper and Joey, and when Casper looked her way, Joey made him look ahead. They were really pissed at what she said. Well, screw them. If they couldn't take the hard truth, they'd never survive in the lab.

She took off her clothing and set it aside, waiting for the water to spray down. She saw the standard issue shampoo, a colourless, thick liquid without scent. She didn't know if it was two-in-one shampoo and conditioner or something, but she seriously doubted.

Finally, the water came down. She immediately got to work, wetting her hair and squeezing the products into it, scrubbing away as she counted. After a minute, the person with the Death Stall was decided. You could even hear the boy's screams from the showers on the opposite side.

Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty, she counted in her head, and her hands froze as she took out the suds. No sound of the metal cage forming over its new victim in the girls' area. In confusion, she quickly went back to where she was counting. Sixty-eight, sixty-nine, seventy, seventy-one.

Then, she heard the familiar high-pitched scream, and another deeper one. Her eyes widened. No, impossible.

She grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her body. She darted out of her stall, barely paying attention as she flung one of their guards to the side. She did the same with the two guards at the door, and the ones at the boys' area.

She looked at the numbers on the stall doors of the ones with a roof over as the deadly gas filled it. T2831 and T2812.

Casper's and Joey's numbers.

No, there was no way. Both were pretty powerful. There was absolutely no reason to get rid of them. She was fairly sure Casper was a high sixteen, and Joey was a fifteen.

It took her a bit to realize that tears were spilling from her eyes and that it wasn't the water from the shower. She tried with all her might to rip off the top, their screams breaking her all over again. She yelled their names, as if it'd do anything, as she banged on the metal. She whimpered as their screams got quieter, until she heard the slump of their dead bodies.

"No," T2832 whispered, shaking her head, backing away from the stall, still clutching her towel as if it were the only thing holding her life together.

It is impossible. There was no possibility that the kind boy who acted like he was ten, with his curious big eyes and innocence was now dead. The boy who lit fireballs that burned to light up the dark room, and was constantly childish and optimistic. There was no way that the guy who grew up much too fast, and was practically the older brother to someone while battling much harder things was now dead. The guy who was too much of a realist, but was also refreshingly pessimistic. The two supernaturals who were her only friends, and the fireball in her very dark room.

Then, she felt something hit her head hard and fell unconcious.

JANUARY — "THE LAB" — 6:23 PM

She thought she could just pretend like she didn't care about anyone.

Most of her didn't. Most of T2832 was this emotionless murderer, who enjoyed seeing pain on people's faces, and seeing the life leave their eyes. She was once a small, scared girl but now, she was so much worse.

But then there was that piece of her, the size of a grain of rice that still had those memories with Joey and Casper. How she cared about them, no matter how much the rest of her tried to get it away but pushing them away, by being rude and downright awful to them, knowing fully well it'd effect Casper a lot. But when she heard their screams, a crack appeared in that grain. And as she faced the reality, it broke completely. It shattered.

She knew she didn't have her family or Andrea or Carter. All three were probably terrified of her. But she knew no matter what, Joey and Casper would stay by her side. Even though she told them she wished them suffering, and crushed them mentally, they'd come back if she gave them the opportunity. But she didn't think they'd die.

She had nobody.

She literally had nobody.

Nobody to live for. Nobody to encourage her or be her friend. All she had was Leonard and all the people at the lab who broke her down until that grain of rice, and rebuilt her into a machine. They were her new family, her future. And what a screwed up family it was.

They were all she had. And if it meant that she'd have to kill T2387 to keep them, she'd do it without hesitation.

She had woken up in the medical centre, with a horrible headache that began to settle down. Apparently, a guard knocked her out when she got too out of control. Normally, she'd get a punishment but she already had the fight, and they wouldn't purposely make one person not as ready as the other.

Finally, her escorts came in. She looked at them blankly, and saw the cuffs they held. Looked like she had broken some of their trust.

T2832 stood, and held out her hands expectantly. They placed the thick metal around her wrists, and directed her out and towards the training centre.