Okay, so this is basically the preview chapter. It's shorter than I want the others to be, but if this is an okay length then tell me in the comments. Anywho, read it if you like, and tell me watcha think!
"Come on, come on, come on!" Did anyone ever tell you that computers are incomprehensibly, insufferably slow? It wasn't my fault that this firewall was taking more than ten seconds to crack, the stupid software was at dinosaur levels of technology. It was a Chromebook, for Dumbledore's sakes! The very thought disgusts me. But a mutant's got to do what a mutant's got to do. "Damn hunk of junk!
032145170032645066546196t5965185829649659746992classzed4487234569219569195654969104567845633565529854921559361923%543983495969826r9969996549653applytyredmen44896922354425855394ee00778032137356137245683428935682918652690969qy34624o1569769182356329562559`9256934871925669219464594875923456hypergump6741123465123964327650976230 Enter Sanctum
ACCESS GRANTED
ENTERING SHIELD SECURE NETWORK
"Ma'am, you have five minutes remaining before the alpha-server rejects your falsified entry and notifies personnel. Deployed operatives will arrive five minutes after. I suggest you proceed at a much less sedate pace." I glared briefly at my MAISSIE device, wondering(not for the first time, and, doubtless, not for the last time) why I hadn't just thrown it away yet. Mutant Artificial Intelligence Support System and Interspecies Engine. My first ever invention. Essentially, she annoys me by remembering things she thinks I'll forget(pfft, I never forget anything! Stupid machine.) and beeps every time another mutant is near. She's also conveniently encased in a very heavy metal box about the size of my head. And I have to carry her everywhere. Stupid machine.
Okay, so maybe she's the only friend I have. Maybe she's occasionally good for gathering information. Maybe I would probably be screwed if I didn't have her right now. Maybe. But don't you dare tell her I said so, I'll never hear the end of it.
Oh, yeah, you might want to kinda know me before I have you sorta accidentally(sorry, not sorry) become a witness to a cyber-crime. You may or may not have to appear in court and testify, and may or may not be counted as an accomplice(again, not very sorry); depending on if they find you. Or me. Or the website. Okay, fine. They're probably on the way now. Just get the hell outta dodge when you hear sirens. Anywho...
I'm Hayden, by the way. Hayden Pen. Current wanted fugitive, criminal, hacker, and ex-Penitentiary experiment. I also dabble(cough I'm obsessed cough) in gaming. I'm also a mutant with dangerous powers. What great new friends you have, diary reader! Excellent choice of allies! Now on with the story!
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PROCEEDING TO FORTIFIED KNOWLEDGE BANKS
9473144256633985736I952386547824868758800887523231649603527373789012573180303076742
MUTANT RECORDS FILE OBTAINED
EXPERIMENT 426 CODE NAME – THE WEAPON – FILE ACCESSED
ARE YOU SURE YOU WISH TO DELETE?
My fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment, my whole life literally before my eyes. Everything that had ever happened to me, everything about me, my identity, hell, even my DNA. And I was about to erase it for the sake of the planet. Not for me. Not for the mutants. For you average everyday people who innocently live sheltered lives.
"Two more minutes, ma'am." Sigh. What I do for humans.
FILE TERMINATION COMPLETE IN
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FILE DELETED FROM DATABASE
"SHIELD Operatives are being deployed as we speak. I suggest erasing all history from you device and disposing of it." I glared at her, already doing just that.
"No shit, Sherlock. I'm not that dumb. Wait no, I counter that claim. I created you, there had to be some stupid in me to do that." I was in full-blown sarcastic bitch mode, my nerves surfacing. I could disappear from all known record and stay on the run for ten years, sure, but fight a fully trained special agent? Screw that. I'd rather live and retain all my limbs, thank you.
ALL HISTORY TERMINATED
DEVICE SELF-DESTRUCT IN
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I threw on my hoodie, grabbed MAISSIE, shouldered my backpack, and ran like hell out the door. I barely made it ten feet from the(thankfully abandoned) warehouse before a huge blast force knocked me flat on the ground. Ouch. Okay, so maybe the self-destruct would attract too much attention and end up getting me caught, making this all in vain. Maybe it was a stupid-ass idea. I never said I was a smart mutant. But, I had to admit, it was pretty badass.
"Ma'am, SHIELD operatives will reach your location in less than one minute. I suggest you use your skills." I glared at her through the dirt in my eyes, scrambling to my feet.
"I'm in the middle of New York, dumbo, the warehouse district no less! There are plenty of dark alleys and small places to hide in. There's no need nor cause to use my curse." And I vowed to never use them again. I would never, ever, willingly even risk having a repeat of Gregorville. My Weapon days were over. I dashed down a back alley, hopping a rusty old fence, and crawled through a small vent on the side of an old Canned Sardines building. Great, just my luck. Stuck with nothing but MAISSIE and the smell of salty fish. Being me really is a thankless job.
"They have now arrived. I detect three new heat signatures, none of mutant origin. They have yet to turn your way." I sighed in relief, thankful that the old hunk of junk had at least managed to be quiet in her report, curling into a ball at the far corner of the vent system. Even if one of them could fit in with me(which wasn't likely, considering most SHIELD agents were just overgrown jocks), they wouldn't catch me. The only down side: I was backed into a corner. A tight, dimly lit corner. Great.
My stomach grumbled loudly.
"Ma'am, I sense that your blood sugar levels are considerably lower than they should be according to your weight and age. I suggest ingesting a meal of high sugar or calorie content."
"Sure, MAISSIE, I'll stop by a McDonalds as soon as, you know, my freedom isn't in jeopardy. And when I have the money. And when I'm not on the run from the law." Sarcasm basically dripped from my words, but, of course, the cool female voice next to me failed to notice.
"Thank you for listening, ma'am."
"No problem." There was suddenly shouting nearby, slowly drawing closer. Judging by the noise level, it was one man and one woman. I asked my AI just to make sure.
"MAISSIE, report." I whispered my words carefully, hugging her box close to my chest. I had no weapons on me, no means of defending myself should the occasion arise. I know, I'm a shitty fugitive. But, if it makes it any better, I am a pacifist. People don't provoke those who can't fight...right?
"The operatives seemed to have caught your trail. You left footprints leading back from the warehouse, and faint traces of your perfume are in the air." She showed faint blue pictures and diagrams of this as she explained, revealing my crappy ninja skills. Oops. "I recommend you are more careful next time."
"Well excuse me for not wanting to smell like a dirty sheep! Besides, you try covering foot prints when running on gravel in converse!" I whisper screamed, quickly realizing the ridiculousness of the situation. MAISSIE was artificial intelligence, housed in an old VCR with a screen wired in. She'd never had to run before. Obviously she didn't know the struggles. "Anyway, how long till they find me?"
"Five minutes maximum, another five maximum before they breech the ventilation shaft."
"Any exits?" A holographic map of the duct system appeared, with a little red dot showing my location.
"At your current position, the only possible way out is north, west, then south and east." A trail appeared, and I fearfully looked up. It was a high climb. Luckily, though, the metal was cheaply welded together, so bits of it stuck out in small niches. Hand-holds for the desperate.
"Lordie, that's rather daunting, isn't it? Is it too late to say I'm scared of heights?" I let out a few weak chuckles. Silence. "She tells the AI."
I shoved MAISSIE's box snuggly into my sweatshirt, tucking it into my jeans and hitching my backpack higher onto my shoulders. I sniffed snottily and channeled my inner arrogance. Psssh, silly little ventilation shaft. Who do you think you are? No Match For Me, that's who. I got this.
"I really wish I'd kept in shape after running away." I was dripping malodorous sweat that stung my eyes and nose with every panting breath, muscles burning. I have earned a new respect for those dudes in American Ninja Warrior. This crap is harder than I thought.
"An Operative has entered the shaft, Ma'am. A woman who is not in my mutant databases or citizen records by any form of facial recognition. She does not emit the Signal either." I pushed myself into climbing faster. Just seven more notches, just seven. I got this!
"Assessment?" I barely got the word out, I was breathing so hard. I had to tell MAISSIE to remind me to start jogging.
"Age: late twenties. Major Skills: hand-to-hand combat, agility, endurance, and high intelligence. Weapons: two handguns, three throwing knives, poisoned hairpins, gloves enhanced with electrical charge, and a small hand grenade. Likelihood of Defeat Should You Not Use Your Gift: 100%. Likelihood of Defeat Should You Use Your Gift: 0%." I disregarded the last part.
"Holy guacamole. What about the dude?" I finally managed to heave myself out of the shaft and into a duct, panting and pressing my cheek to the cool metal.
"He possesses the same skill level, although his strength is in long-distance targeting, not short-distance battle. He could fit into the shaft as well." I groaned.
"So basically I need to run like hell?"
"Affirmative."
"Sigh." I lifted myself to my knees and started speed-crawling. Have you ever tried to speed-crawl through a cramped vent that reeks of sardines while trying to outrun a badass she-agent with super-skills? It sucks. I have the right to complain.
My stomach growled again, and this time I felt bile rise in my throat. Ew.
"Ma'am, I suggest resting and ingesting a high calorie-"
"I really don't have the time right now, you stupid machine! If you don't shut up I'll never de-bug you again, do you hear me?!" The agent probably heard me screaming, but I could hardly care. I was hungry, tired, sweaty, and afraid. And I really needed to pee. MAISSIE went quiet. "That's what I thought."
"In the name of SHIELD, I order you to cease movement and allow yourself to be placed in our custody. You have violated the law-"
"Look lady, I honestly don't care what you have to say. There's no way in hell I'm going downtown without a fight." I crawled at top-speed, her voice uncomfortably close. Just one more turn, then down a vent shaft to the exit. I might have to kick open a disgusting air-filter, but it was better than getting captured by SHIELD. They sucked almost as much as The Penitentiary.
"There is no escape, my team has the whole building surrounded." So not just a badass she-agent, but a bull-shitter too! Ha, I might actually like her. Well, if she wasn't chasing me, that is.
"I hacked into one of your dear company's most secure files, you seriously think I'm stupid enough to fall for that age-old trick?"
"So you admit it," Okay, maybe I am a little stupid. What can I say? She's good. The drop appeared, and I looked warily down. It wasn't too terribly far.
"I hate to cut this lovely conversation short, but I have a prior engagement that I must attend to. Hasta Lavista, baby!" I jumped down the hole, kicking out the rusty old grate as soon as I landed, triumph fueling my actions. I swiftly jumped out of the duct and got the hell out of dodge. I actually out-ran SHIELD! Cool!
"Ma'am, if I may?" I was beyond caring about MAISSIE's incompetence, fueled only by adrenaline as I ran.
"Fire away, my Computerized Companion!" I was nearing the end of the warehouse district, approaching New York proper. I could tell by the increased smell of BO and hot dogs, as well as the sound of traffic that had grown from a low hum to a roar. Even in the middle of the nigh, Manhattan was wide awake.
"I inquire as to what your plan for the future is now that your files have been terminated. I wish to begin analyzing the best possible area of rest." I slowed a bit, momentarily caught off-gaurd. To be honest, I hadn't really thought this far.
For the longest time my only focus has been eliminating all traces of my existence and creating a new identity. Just getting by was really my only worry. Well, other than being constantly alert for Penitentiary guards and spies, that is. Now I had a new name, fabricated family and past, and no one who could possibly find me. I wasn't Experiment 426 anymore. I was Hayden Pen, and I was free.
"You know what? We're in New York. Let's see the lights."
So, this is stuff you should know about the OC so far:
Her name is Hayden Pen
She's 15 as of this chapter
She's a mutant(obviously)
She's also quite tech-savvy; unbeatable in video-games, a very gifted hacker, and created a Mutant Artificial Intelligence Support System and Interspecies Engine with basically nothing but a trashed VCR, a screen, and some extra wires. MAISSIE's basically her JARVIS, neither her nor Tony would have lasted long without them.
Hope you liked, and please review, follow, fav, whatever you want :P