This is a rewrite of my Cursed Angel story from many years ago. Which, first of all wow, that thing is old. This should hopefully follow a similar plot path, with better pacing and characterisation hopefully.
This is the prologue though a few major players are introduced.
[Edit 24/05/2014]
Silent.
From the day she was born.
A Failure.
Deemed so by her creators.
Cursed.
Her very existence.
Her hands were shaking. Nothing more than usual, but focusing on that small fact kept her mind off the plan. And the reper... repercussions that any failure would entail. She continued to march, curling her hands into fists at her sides so the shaking was less obvious. It had to be done today. Had to. No matter what Archer had said.
"Why bother?" His eyes narrowed, "You're going to get caught. Just like last time. You'd be better off just taking the fucking punishment."
But he hadn't known. Still didn't know. The last extermination had been almost a month ago. There was no way he'd make the link from her increased testing to extermination. The only one who knew was Scales, and only because he'd remembered her experiment number.
And he was going to risk a hell of a lot to give her an escape chance. There was a loose corner of the fence by the edge of the field and she only had one chance to make it. From across the field he caught her eye, lips curling into a lazy grin. She shook her head the tiniest bit at him, enough to make sure he could see but minimal enough to look like an unconscious twitch should any of the guards be paying close attention.
Blue eyes slid from Scales to the brown haired boy beside him and something twisted in her gut. She looked away then, a foul taste in her mouth. Havoc was never going to understand. But he would be looked out for. As much as anyone could manage. She sucked in a shallow breath, focusing on the noise of the other experiments walking.
It was always a challenge to hear her own movements underneath the noise. She was hoping this would help her. The turn was approaching and she stumbled, enough to attract glances but not punishment. Across the field a yell suddenly rang out, a slew of curse words following. Around her the other experiments looked over in confusion, and she spared a short glance.
Scales was laying into one of the other experiments, a fox hybrid they all knew was a spy, and around him fights began breaking out. The wolf guards were already swarming and she took off, focused only on the edge of the fence. Adrenaline pumped in her veins, and she was mere feet from the exit when the yell went up.
"Escapee!" Her breath almost caught in her throat and she slammed into the fence, the metal bending back underneath her weight. Ignoring the way the edges caught on her skin, her clothes, tugged some hair loose, Hexx sprinted for the tree line. Behind her she could hear the growls of the wolf guards closing in, the yells of the experiments, but she couldn't spare time to think about that.
She broke into the tree line and the world darkened. Yells and growls followed her. Her breath came in sharp pants, and she raised a hand to her chest. Damn it. If she didn't find a clearing soon there would be no way she could outrun them. And then she would die early.
A brighter area caught her eye up ahead and Hexx sucked in a sharp breath. This had to be a clearing. She poured on more speed, sweat already beading on her forehead. Oh the scientists really hadn't thought out her design.
And then a burning pain exploded in her side. Hexx let out a yell, turning as she stumbled and lashing out with a kick. She caught the hybrid in the chest and the loud crunch of bone had him falling to the floor. At least she assumed it was a he. And that there were bones to break.
She could see the other hybrids nearing and let out a curse, sprinting towards the clearing, pressing a hand to the pain in her side. Her wings began to unfurl from her back, the weight increasing steadily. She'd have only one chance, Take off had to start as she hit the clearing or there would be no chance of her escaping. Then she'd be caught. Caught and killed and hated all the more.
And then she was through the tree line, breaking into the clearing, wings snapping and jumping and-
Up.
She was flying. She was flying and the wound in her side ached and her shoulder blades ached, but she was flying. There were yells of rage from below her but she couldn't risk looking down, looking back. She had to focus. Focus on putting as much distance between her and the institute she had just escaped from.
She had done it. She had escaped. She was free for the first time in what remained of her memories and it was so bittersweet. Her freedom may have come at the price of the life of one of the few she held dear. Hopefully the facility wouldn't make the link between her… friendship with Scales and her use of his fight as a cover for escape.
It was barely an hour later she began to flag. Her head was feeling woozy; from blood loss and the simple fact that the last time she had flown this long was many years ago. As she had grown older and gained more mass flying for such lengths became more and more painful. She had been flying low for a time, avoiding anything that resembled the beginnings of a town and had stumbled across a forest. She was barely above the tree line now, and a sudden spasm in the muscles of her back had her dropping. A branch smacked her across the chest and she fell towards the forest floor, hitting several more on the way down. Pain sparked all across her side and she let out a curse, her voice barely audible even in the silence of the forest.
Gritting her teeth Hexx pushed herself into a seated position. Everything hurt so much. Tears filled her eyes and she let out a humourless laugh, only laughing harder at the pain which tore through her muscles in reaction. What was she doing? She had escaped sure, but what now?
Her eyes slid shut, an overwhelming tiredness taking over her bones. A few minutes of rest wouldn't hurt anyone…
