Crocodile Shoes
Prologue.
Lek.
The cries of a baby filled the lab. It was really no place for a child. Not an ordinary one anyway. But this child was special. She had been given the DNA of a crocodile before she was born, and the scientists in charge of the experiment had predicted the results of the process with 98 accuracy. Curiously enough, 98 was also the percentage of the childs DNA that was crocodilian.
Unfortunately, the reamining 2 of the calculation had come into play, and the traits the scientists wanted - enhanced strength, sharper teeth, an extra eyelid, tough skin - weren't all there.
"Ugh. This monstrosity is not what the Director wanted." One of the men in the lab grimaced at the sight of the child, whose body was mostly covered in dark green scales. Her hands and feet had short, sharp claws at the ends of each digit, and the space between had thin membranous webbing instead of pink skin.
Her eyes, when they opened, were yellow with a black slit pupil.
"Well, she has got the extra eyelid. That's something." Another scientist peered closely at the childs face, examining the extra eyelid that still covered the eyeball, giving it a glassy look. The first scientist snorted.
"Yeah, because an extra eyelid makes the rest of the kids freaky assets unnoticeable." He ran a hand through his hair. "This one's for the scrap heap." The second scientist sighed and then nodded.
"I guess you're right." He grabbed a form from a desk and began filling it in. Then he frowned.
"Hey, which type of crocodile was she combined with again?" The other scientist, who was regarding the baby in the crib with disgust evident on his face turned and shrugged.
"I have no idea. Batchelder was in charge of the species. Just put crocodile and pass the form on to him." The other man nodded and quickly filled out the remainder of the form.
"Ah, well. It's not like she's the first. Erasers, desert of quick and painless?"
"Desert. She's a croc, so it won't take her long to die out there."
"If you're sure."
"Of course I'm sure! Now go give Batchelder that form and chuck the girl in the desert."
"Yes sir."
Tani.
"Did it work?" The female scientist peered at the girl in the crib. "I was curious as to how this one would turn out. They haven't tried a snake hybrid before." Her partner looked at the baby as well.
"It worked...but apparently not to the Directors standards. I've just recieved orders to scrap her."
"Why? What's wrong with her?"
"Look at her, Sue!"
Sue looked, examining the sleeping child. She was covered in light grey scales - the species she had been crossed with was the black mamba - and when she opened her mouth to breath, Sue could see that it was an inky black, and that there were two small thin teeth just behind the canines.
"What are those?" she asked, gesturing to the teeth.
"We think they're hollow teeth through which she can squirt venom. We presume that she's immune to the venom, because it's been dripping out every now and again, and her nervous system's still A-Okay."
"It's a shame to scrap her." Sue sighed, picking up the child, and rocking her.
"Careful. She may be immune to black mamba venom, but you're not."
"Oh, relax, Ray. Look, she's waking up!" The girl opened her eyes - light grey with black pupils.
"Don't get all maternal on me, Sue. She goes. Now. The order says to just dump her in the desert. So let's go. I heard Felix has to dump his as well. The crocodile hybrid didn't go as planned." Sue sighed and left the room, carrying the baby.
Lek and Tani.
"Yours fail as well, Sue?" Felix asked when he saw her carrying a scaly grey baby.
"Yup. The higher ups want her gone and it appears that the desert is where they want them gone." She sighed. "It's a shame, isn't it?"
Felix looked around nervously.
"Hey, Sue. Want to give them a chance? If we drop them by lake Mead then they'll find water, and maybe they wan't die as quickly."
Sue snorted, "Even if they do find water, how are they going to get food? And how are they gonna stop the animals from getting them?"
"They're part animal, for chrissakes! They'll survive! Anyway, you were the one sighing and saying how much of a shame it was we had to terminate them!"
"Oh fine. Let's go."
The two borrowed a helicopter on the premise that 'the further we drop them, the less chance they'll get back'
Hours later they were at the lake, and leaving the now sleeping infants by its shore.
"Goodbye little ones. And the best of luck to you both." The crocodile girl yawned in her sleep, showing her sharp little teeth.
"C'mon, lets go. We've been gone far too long already."
The two scientists climbed back into the helicopter and started the flight back to the school. Leaving the two sleeping girls alone by a lake with nothing but some freaky gentetic changes and luck to help them.
Any good? Next chapter'll be up as soon as possible. If you like it, say so. If you hate it, say so. If you have any improvements I could make, also tell me.
Sigh, I like making up characters with severe problems. I mean, there's physco Luci in 'Empress of Hell vs The Bird Kids', Akane in 'Deadly Angel' and all the others in my non-fanfic stories.
Blessed Be
LD.