Disclaimer: I own nothing
It's hard to think of anything that I haven't heard before.
I hear these voices in my head.
They could be mine but I'm not sure.
I hear them telling me who they think I should be.
Why won't they leave me alone?
I deny it, I try to fight it.
But I'm losing control!
Dead By Sunrise - "Crawl Back In"
Cold…so…so very cold…
"Well his vitals are all good, and his energy levels are off the charts!"
"But that doesn't explain his black flesh, now does it, doctor?
"Well…perhaps it's his body's reaction to all the drugs we've been pumping into his tank."
…Voices…? But…what? Who is out there…?
"Fiddlesticks! Just look at him!"
"Please Mr. Masters, calm down. It's not as bad as it-"
"Not as bad? He looks like a living shadow for goodness sake!"
…But…where? Where are they coming from…?
"Sir, please-"
"I asked for a perfect son! Not some creepy rejected shadow!"
I must…find out…
"Uh…sir?"
"Mr. Mast-"
"No! No interruptions! I'm ranting here!"
I have to escape…leave the darkness…
"Sir!"
"Doctor! Shut your man up!"
"Fine. What is it?"
"He's waking up."
…Freedom…
The glass covering the cylinder tank started to buckle. Cracks appeared at the bottom of the tank and spread like wildfire. The science lab was completely dead quiet as it went on. Even the man standing near the front in the crisp business who was once ranting on was silenced by the orchestra of small snaps and cracks of the subject's birthing chamber.
Then suddenly, the glass gave way and the whole area was flooded by strange blue liquid which spread in every direction. The man in the suit's ankles were drenched by the liquid, but he paid no attention. Instead, he focused on the dark figure who fell out after the fluids. Almost immediately after hitting the ground, every shadow in the lab, whether it be from machine or human, jetted across the floor and was absorbed by the fallen figure.
One could hear a pin fall in the silence that followed, everyone nearby were focusing on the mysterious dark shape which had appeared. But the hush quietness was only broken by the easy footsteps that came from one of the men in a lab coat who slowly moved across the room to the area where the glass tank had once been.
His hands shook as he slowly bent down and put his hand to the shadowy form that was sprawled out across the ground.
"He has a pulse." The man spoke, breaking many of the shocked scientists out of their vegetable state. "He's unconscious." The same man spoke again and many in the room released breaths they didn't realize they were holding.
"Mr. Masters, what are your orders?" Another of the men in white coats asked the man in the suit, who seemed deep in thought.
Finally, "Get him to the medical center and bring me all files on Project Nightshade." His strong, authoritative voice sent the science lab back into a rush and he glanced down at the ground where his shadow had once been just a minute ago.
"Doctor Manning?" He called out to the scientist in charge.
"Sir?"
"If the boy awakens again, notify me." And with that, he exited the laboratory, leaving for his room to retire for the night.
Fire, so much fire. Burning. Consuming. Blazing. Furious. Unmerciful flames of hate and rage. It was everywhere.
"Chris! Chris, where are you?!" He was screaming, the smoke entered his lungs and burned his throat but he wouldn't quit. He continued his screams, even as veins buldged in his throat, he kept screaming his name.
"Chris! Dammit Chris! Answer me!" The heat was so intense. He could literally feel his skin blistering through his clothing. The fire was spreading, over the walls and to the ceiling. He was running out of time, he had to hurry. The orphanage would be collapsing soon.
"David!" A voice called out and his head spun around. He saw him, at the end of the hallway, and couldn't help but smile in bliss.
"Chris!" He exclaimed, running towards him; there was still time, they could still make it out. They would be alright...
The floor suddenly creaked and caved in and the person he had been searching for so desperately fell along with it, screaming.
"DAVID!!!" He cried as he sank through the flaming floor boards...
I gasped when I awoke and painfully bright lights was the first thing I saw of the world. I grunted in response, my head started throbbing horribly and only worsened as I kick started my mind and attempted to remember, remember…
Remember what? What was that dream that I just had? What significance does it hold to me? And…just who am I…?
Nothing.
That was the answer to my own questioning: nothing. I can't remember. I Can't even recall my own name…!
My mental questioning ended as a strange hissing sound filled the room. I only now realized were I was, sitting atop a small bed with multiple wires and machinery surrounding me. The wires were dug into my skin and it stung a bit, I ignored the pain as the hissing stopped a door I hadn't seen earlier snap open, revealing a man with slicked back graying hair and a suit. I suddenly felt uneasy about him, he gave off some sort of powerful aura that I couldn't exactly define…
"Greeting my boy." He said to me, chin up and hands crossed behind his back. His eyes went over and inspected my form and he released a small frown, but it was gone in an instant.
"Uh, hello." I said meekly but then man stopped mid step and his eyes slightly widened. Frowning once again, he became silent for awhile, looking very unsatisfied, I took this moment to speak up.
"Can you please tell me, where am I?"
He paused yet again, taking in the question very deeply, needing to carefully process what his response would be. Then, finally, "A place where you will be tested." His voice was chilling, emotionless and it caused a cold sweat to travel down my spine. His eyes gazed over me one last time before he scowled slightly and quickly exited the room.
I was left alone after that, so I took the time to go over what that man's answer had meant. What did he want from me? Why was I here? Who the hell am I!?!
I sighed, slouched my shoulders and buried my head into my hands, then, it hit me. Something was wrong here, something was off…
I pulled my palms away from my face and stared, long and hard at them. Unlike the man in the suit, who's skin was tanned and detailed with complexion and color. My skin, no, my flesh, was black, pitch black, a shroud of darkness, the absence of light.
I started to panic and threw the bed sheets off to check my body underneath. It was as I had feared, all black, like the night itself.
Something was very wrong here. I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to look like this, like…like a shadow.
It was all too much to take in. The pain, that nightmare, the questions, those hateful looks the man send my way, my inability to remember anything and now my flesh made of darkness… It was just too much, too much!
I silently started to sob and shake, I haven't even been conscious for very long and I was already overwhelmed. The tears were flowing down my shadowed cheeks in a steady stream, I lost control of my breathing and started hyperventilating violently. I curled up into a ball and stayed like that for hours. Eventually falling asleep to the only thing accompanying for now, the steady "beep, beep, beep" of the nearby medical machinery…
Immediately after exiting the medical room, Vlad stormed off, swearing a large collection of colorful words. So far, success of "Project Nightshade" was looking very, very unlikely. All the previous subjects had failed to survive past the birthing chambers, and the characteristics of the current surviving subject were…different.
Vlad scoffed at that, saying he was "different" was a major understatement. This new creation of his, the boy, was just…wrong. Completely wrong. Nowhere near the dream of a perfect son that he had and still longed for. His new "son" was basically a freak; on the boy's face, save for a pair of red silts that Vlad guessed doubled for eyes, he had no facial features at all, his face was covered by a mask of shadows. Hell, he was practically made of darkness. The scans that Vlad's science team took confirmed them of this. The boy had an unusual ability to absorb the darkness and shadows around him, making them his own and forming them to his every will.
"Not to mention the eerie, demotic sounding voice" Vlad mused to himself about how the boy's voice sent shivers down his spine. "Project Nightshade, how fitting of a name to a shadow."
Vlad's face curled into a scowl as he thought of his hypothesis of the project. His original attempts at a perfect son, a clone of Daniel Fenton had been a colossal failure. In the end, hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment was lost, and young Daniel had gained a powerful ally in the aftermath.
"Danielle!" Vlad snarled her name in the back of his mind, "She has proven to be a thorn in my side for far too long. Her time will come soon enough…"
And so his plans at a perfect son was crushed right before his eyes. But then, Vlad had an ingenious idea, or so he had thought at the time. Instead of trying to clone Daniel and once again fail at that. He would make a son completely from scratch, with absolutely no connections to Daniel or his cousin at all. No, why use the weak? Vlad's new son would be great and powerful. He'll be able to wipe the floor with both Phantoms without breaking a sweat. And he'll be obedient, well disciplined and respectful to his creator. Yes, the ultimate being, his perfect offspring…
Just the thought of his ever yearning dream forced Vlad to grit his teeth in response. The current subject was no where near his dream. Sure the child had impressive energy levels and powers. But he was just so…strange to him, too much of a freak to be a trophy son. And the comatose body they used for his form showed so much promise, so disappointing.
"Oh well," Vlad spoke aloud to himself, finally looking to the bright side of things, "If the boy doesn't show any potential or compensation for his short coming, them I can just have him terminated and start over." His voice had no remorse in it whatsoever. After all, these prototypes had no memory, no remembrance of any life they might or might not have once had. They essentially were "dead". No one would miss them, so, what's there to be remorseful for?
And with that reassurance, Vlad strolled off, back to his living room, his thoughts currently occupied by the satisfying and enjoyable dreams of revenge on Jack and Daniel Fenton for ruining his life…
This fic is based off the Evanescence song "Bring Me To Life." Basically, if you listen to the song, you'll get the main theme of the story.
Anyways, please review, I need feedback
-Tomato