Date Written: September 23, 2011

Word Count: 691

Summary: A newcomer to the Institution shocks the other residents with a startling secret. How do they react? Can they work together to escape the Insitution? Who is this elusive 'President' anyways? And what the heck is up with this animal DNA stuff? AU, multiple pairings but not sole focus of story, nearly all countries included. Rated T to be safe and for language.

Warnings: Some strong language, somewhat graphic torture later on in story, France (because France is his own warning XD), Canadian swears, country names rarely used (but often not).

Disclaimer: Hetalia does not belong to me.

Pairings: Germany x N Italy, Greece x Japan, America x England, Russia x China, S Italy x Spain, Canada x Prussia, Hungary x Austria, possible other pairings may crop up throughout the story (but highly unlikely).

A short explanation of the Institution: The Institution is a place where people are taken and experimented on with animal DNA, resulting in both physical and mental animalistic tendances/apperances. It is originally an RP on Chicken Smoothie, but this story veers off from the main plotline of the RP and adds things that were not originally included, such as powers. In the Institution, the people expermented/tested on are kept in cages and are called Patients. Those that are in charge of the Patients are called Soldiers. Wilds are explained in the story.

Just another short little note before the story actually starts, I will not be revealing which character is which country. However, I do hope that I've made that obvious and you can always ask (be warned though, I may not give a straight answer ;D ).

A piercing scream shattered the near-silent air, causing the figures sitting in the cold cages to jump and turn towards the door at the end of the hallway. All quiet chatter stopped as the scream sounded again, this time causing a pale man with black leathery wings to let out a pained screech and cover his equally-leathery large black ears with his hands, flattening the ears against his snowy hair. The other residents of the surrounding cages looked over curiously, some just sighing and going back to their whispered conversations.

"You alright, Echo?" The person in the cage next to the now-kneeling figure asked worriedly, reaching through the metal bars to place a slender hand on the other's shoulder. The winged male flinched backwards in response, cowering against the stone back wall of his cell with his hands still firmly clasped over his flattened ears. A low hiss slid past his lips and he slowly straightened up, taking his hands away from his ears to run them through his silvery hair and turning towards the person beside him.

"Yeah Somnus, I'm good, as long as he doesn't start screaming again. Damn I hate that." Echo grumbled in annoyance, shaking off the hand on his shoulder and narrowing bright red eyes. "Can't they find a way to make the transformation process less painful?" He remarked angrily, sighing and gently rubbing the base of one large ear. "Or at least make them shut up?" Echo continued, with a twitch of the other ear, and spreading out large black bat wings.

"Be more considerate, will you? Or have you forgotten so quickly the pain that you also had to go through?" The other figure, Somnus, retracted his hand from Echo's shoulder and narrowed green eyes in a stern glare. "It is always painful, no matter what DNA they use." Somnus added quietly, eyes flickering over Echo's bat wings and ears, than drifting his forest gaze over the surrounding cells.

"But Echo is the only one who can hear the entire thing, ve~" A smaller figure with brown and grey wolf ears and tail sitting in the cell across the hallway from Echo called out; earning another flinch and barely audible whine from Echo, and a glare from Somnus. "Be that as it may, he does not need to be so insensitive to the newcomers, Lumos." Somnus retorted, causing Lumos to shrink back and scoot closer to the other side of the cage where a nearly identical male was glowering.

"Just leave it,idiot. We all know that when the DNA first takes affect it hurts like a bitch. And we all know that Echo's power makes the screaming and shit more painful. So why don't all of you just shut up about it already, okay?" The other male snapped, chocolate brown eyes narrowing in irritation and black wolf ears flattening. The other occupants of the rest of the cages just rolled their eyes, giving the impression that this happened often enough to be counted as routine.

"Nyx, don't be such a grumpy-pants." Lumos whined, reaching a hand over to attempt to grab the hand of the other. Nyx just growled and slid away from the scrambling hand. "We go through the same damn thing so often. I don't understand why you idiots are still affected by this shit." Lips pulled back from sharp teeth in a warning, eyes flashing with dangerous annoyance.

"Nyx, Lumos, why don't we just change the subject?" Somnus offered, rounded yellow cat ears flickering back and worth. A curt nod from Nyx and a happy smile from Lumos prompted his next words. "I wonder which cell block they'll end up in?" He mused.

A taller male stood up in the cell beside Somnus', speaking eagerly. "Ours is one of the only cell blocks with empty cells left." He pointed out, purple eyes flickering over to the empty cell beside Echo. "We can assume that they will be put in here, da?" He continued with an innocently childish smile.