Something that's been going through my mind for a while...
This was after I read Uglies/Pretties/ Specials, and I also reread The Host. Of course, I was thinking about how Jamie should have a match, and somehow I ended up with this idea...
You can shoot me if it sucks. R&R!
Chapter One
"Do you understand what your mission is?" asked Dr. Reeves.
"Yes ma'am." I grinned, showing the points of my teeth. "Piece of cake."
"Bliss, I don't want you to take any risks." She glared, her eyes looking almost as sharp as mine. "Unnecessary or not."
"Don't worry, Reeves," I said gaily. I clicked the forward button on the screen and the robot-like voice pounded through the speakers. The huge projected image on the whitewashed wall showed a picture of a desert, breathtaking with the backdrop of a pretty sunset. I knew the desert wasn't nearly as magical as it seemed—mostly, it was just the really, really hot sun on your back and the not-so-cold water in your pack.
"…The desert also hides many dangers, such as the rattlesnake, the coyotes, and even deadly vultures."
I rolled my eyes when the screen narrowed down to a hissing red snake. "Reeves, you know as well as I do that those…little toys…are no match for these." I grinned smugly and held up my hand, the three-inch long nails glinting. When I activated one of the little chips in my palm, the nails would inject poison into anything they touched. The poison was rattlesnake venom—during the operation, the doctors and surgeons had actually inserted those poison-making glands in the tip of each finger.
"Ah." Dr. Reeves brushed a lock of her pale yellow hair behind her ears. "I do like the color."
I wiggled them. "Yeah. Makeover night in the dorm." I giggled. "The shade is cha-cha-cherry."
"Interesting."
"So, boss." I tucked my nails into my palm and looked up at the screen again, which was now at a close up of a wide-eyed owl. "What do I do now?"
"Just remember the plan, Bliss." Dr. Reeves smiled at me comfortingly. She had a very pretty soul, but the smile made me feel an impulsive anger. I didn't need comfort. I was a Special.
"Get found in the desert by some human. Get locked up. Befriend them. Then betray them," I repeated in a monotone. "Hey, what will I betray them with? You got a tracker for me, or something?"
Dr. Reeves smiled wider, looking almost wolfish.
"I've got loads of things for you." She took a clear plastic box from under the table and uncovered the top.
"Exploding dental floss." Dr. Reeves tossed a small rectangle at me. I plucked it from the air easily and placed it on the placemat in front of me. "A knock-out ring." She tossed another thing at me. When I caught it, I studied it. It looked priceless, set with diamonds in a square around a knuckle-sized sapphire. "You press the sapphire and a little prick comes out. You stab someone with it and they get knocked out."
I tested it, pressing the stone. A metal thorn protruded from the front. Without a second thought, I stabbed it into my wrist. First came the shock of the nerves, the shock that made me expect more pain than there was. There wasn't even any pain. It was a faint little poke. A second later, I felt fuzzy. But not that fuzzy. I could pinpoint exactly where the toxin was spreading. I could feel when it reached my brain, probing it, but not finding a weakness. I was a Special—I couldn't get knocked out. My body was made to resist toxins, medications, and torture.
I smiled. The toxin almost tickled. "This is nice. Almost like champagne."
"Bliss! You know you aren't supposed to drink."
"Why, Reeves? Alcohol doesn't even affect me." I tested out my fangs, sliding them in and out of my gums.
"It softens your muscles."
I snorted. "What muscles? They're practically steel."
"Bliss…" Dr. Reeves looked exasperated, which was almost rare for Souls. "Here, I've got more. Lipstick that you can shoot bullets out of…a hoverboard, the special kind…"
"I'll just take the hoverboard, the floss, and the ring."
"Don't forget the earrings. I know you like pearls." Dr. Reeves slid them into my ear. "And these are the trackers. So be sure not to lose one."
Dr. Reeves handed me the hoverboard and the crash bracelets, so I stuffed the dental floss into the duffel bag that held my clothes. I slid the crash bracelets on, then tightened them so they fit more snugly. And I put the ring on my right index finger.
"Bliss." Dr. Reeves put a hand on my shoulder and stared into my eyes. "You have to be careful. You're dealing with humans."
"Don't worry, Boss." I grinned and put a hand to my forehead in a salute. "I'm a Special, remember?"