Brooklyn sat naked and huddled in the corner on her bed. Her knees would be drawn up against her chest if she could pull them up that far. But she couldn't. The large bulge in her midsection wouldn't allow for it to happen.

She settled for leaning against the wall with a sigh. She was so tired, hungry, thirsty, cold and just fed up with everything. And for the countless time she wondered how she came to be in this predicament. Brooklyn absently pushed a strand of her mousy brown hair out of her face, that was in serious need of a trim. Along with a good brushing. Right now it was so tangled she wasn't even sure she'd ever get them all out. Personal hygiene didn't seem to be a priority when it concerned her. And it wasn't because she was lax about it, it was because she wasn't allowed to keep up with it just as she wasn't allowed any clothes to wear. The only thing that concerned those here was what she was carrying inside her petite, five foot and two inch frame. And her small build made this lump seem so much larger, and awkward. Even trying to use the stainless steel, also filthy, toilet in the other corner of the room was a chore.

Her eyes wandered again over the walls of what had been her home for the last five months or so, as far as she could keep track anyway. She snorted. Home. This was no home. This was a prison. There were no windows, the bare, filthy walls were made of thick grey stone and the only source of light given to her was the bare bulb that flickered above her, casting off a sickly yellow light.

The door caught her attention next. She had stared at that metal barrier so much she knew every scratch, dent and pitted rust spot on it intimately. And she also knew there was no way to open it. There was no handle on this side and it fit snugly in the frame to where even if she had something to try and jimmy it open, there wouldn't even be enough room in the crack to slide a paperclip in it. Such a simple door really, but it blocked her from the outside world. She sighed again as she turned her head away.

Finally, her eyes lifted up. Set in the middle of the ceiling was a simple vent that pushed in air for her to breath. It had also once been a method of communication for her, a link to others who also struggled to deal with this situation. Brooklyn hadn't been the only one brought here, others had huddled in other rooms and shared their fears with her as she shared hers with them. Now it was quiet. Jackie, a teenager who had once had great dreams of her own she wanted to follow now that she had been free to do so, hadn't been heard from in days. Natasha, a young mother of two little boys she was excited to raise in this new world, had violently protested being dragged out of her cell, and she never came back. And they were only two of about ten, all now quiet. Brooklyn was alone.

She took a small amount of comfort however. Even as much as the process had pained her, left her crying on this very bed after every treatment that was forced on her, the feeling of wonder still overwhelmed her when it became clear what had actually been done to her. A small smile was allowed onto her dirty, pale face as her hand rested against her bare extended stomach. And it grew a bit when there was a violent jab against her hand. What had been once little flutters of barely felt movements had now grown. Someone was restless today...

Brooklyn supposed she should hate this tiny thing inside of her, but she didn't. It wasn't the child's fault this had happened. Her dainty hand with broken, ragged fingernails gently glided over her skin, trying to sooth the baby housed within. As usual, it seemed to work as the jabs and kicks stopped. But not before it got a good hit in on her bladder that made her wince a little.

The exhausted woman laid her head against the wall and closed her eyes. What was she going to do? It was now very clear to her that the only reason she was alive was because she carried this child, a child that they wanted badly enough to force the procedures onto her. But she also knew that she would be damned if she let them have it without a fight. They may have caused this pregnancy, but this was her child, not theirs.

Her brown eyes snapped open. The solid surface she rested her head on shook a little and she straightened back up, turned slightly, and looked at that wall in confusion. She didn't understand what she had felt, nor did she understand why the light bulb above her was swaying ever so slightly as it flickered even more than usual. Then, with a slight pop, it went out and she found herself sitting in total darkness.

Fear filled her. Deep down she had told herself that she could handle this, as long as the light stayed on. That single little bulb had become so much more to her. It had become a beacon of hope for her, as long as it stayed lit it held the despair away. And now it was out. Icy tendrils of terror began to crawl up her spine. She didn't want to sit in the dark, she didn't want to be vulnerable to what she couldn't see. She didn't want to be locked in this room that now resembled a dark, dusty tomb! She wanted out! "No, no, no, no, no..." She scrambled off of the bed. "Not the light, please not the light. Come back on, you have to come back on. Come back on!" She yelled at it, and it ignored her and stayed dark.

Panic gripped her now. She rushed towards the nearest wall and felt her way along it until she got to the door before she began to bang on it frantically. Her heart was racing and she broke out into a cold, fear driven sweat. "Hello! Is somebody there! Please! Turn the light back on! Turn it on!" Her cries went unheard. "Please!" She collapsed against the door, crying as she slid to the floor. Hard sobs shook her body as she lost what little control she had managed to hold onto. Another shudder, this one slightly stronger, hit the room. But she didn't care. All she cared about was that the light had went out. Brooklyn still leaned on the door, her weakened fist still hitting it, trying to get someone to come and turn it back on for her.

It took her numbed mind a moment to figure out what she was hearing every time her fist made contact. But it eventually seeped in. The door...it rattled every time she hit it... She quickly wiped her eyes and forced herself to calm down then placed a tentative hand on the cool metal and pushed it. The normally tight fitting metal blockade to her freedom, moved. Hope surged in her again as she got back to her feet. Could it be? This time when she hit it, she didn't block it with her body but stood slightly to the side. And her ears couldn't believe it when they heard the door hit the frame, and creaked as it swung open slightly. Her probing fingers confirmed the fact. The door was open...

She didn't know how long she stood there in stunned disbelief before she forced herself to move. This was the only chance she was going to get and she wasn't going to waste it. Brooklyn swiftly moved back to the bed, grabbed the old, worn thin blanket she had been given and wrapped it around her. Both to give her some warmth and modesty. If she made it out to the street, she really didn't want to be naked. Then she came back to the door, took a deep shuddering breath before she slipped her fingers into the small opening and opened it even wider. And just like that, she was out.

Quickly she understood why the door had been able to open. The mechanism she already knew was one of those that electrically locked the door, but the power seemed to be out. It was night and the corridor beyond was only slightly lighter than her cell had been, and only because there were a few windows to let the lights come in from the lit up city beyond.

A third tremor rocked the building, the strongest yet so far as she carefully made he way farther out. Each step taking her a greater distance from where she had been imprisoned. Again she didn't ponder on it, but wondered instead on why the place seemed deserted. Every time she had been let out the place was always full of people. Mainly well armed men who were to escort her to what they call 'the procedure room'. Now...nothing...

Brooklyn gripped her blanket tighter around her, her arms trembling from the strain of weariness and fear and forced herself to go on. She would have ran if she had the energy and wasn't inhibited with the burden around her midsection. All she could manage as a speed waddle, and that wasn't getting her anywhere in a hurry. Her desperation grew as the faint sounds of activity were starting to be heard. Feet running, a few small explosions, shouting, and what sounded like fighting all filled her ears. But, miraculously, she remained undetected as she found the stairwell and began to make her way to the lower level of the building.

The lower she got, the more the noises rang louder. It sounded like she was heading directly into the hornet's nest of chaos. Her pending freedom drove her to keep going regardless. The door leading out into the ground floor was in her now darkness accustomed sights when another wrinkle was thrown at her. There was a sudden release of pressure in her body before her legs were suddenly drenched and the unmistakable sound of fluid hitting the stairs. The blood drained from her dirty face as realization kicked in. "No little one, not here, not now..."

The contraction that hit next told her yes, definately now.

A whimper escaped her lips as she struggled through the pain. She had to keep going, she couldn't birth a child into this place. This horrid evil place. She stumbled out of the stairwell, her hand pressed tightly against her midsection. The haze of pain forced on by another contraction almost caused her to miss the door. The door that led outside. Eagerly she guided her steps that way, pausing only to let another shudder pass through the building before she moved on. The door handle gave way easily under her touch and she pushed through.

That first breath of freedom smelled so sweet to her, even if it was tainted with the acrid fragrance of smoke. She had done it, somehow she had managed to get away. Groaning through the pain of yet another contraction she made her way down the alley she was in, towards the street. If she could just get to the street she could get help. There had to be someone out there who could help...

Her body couldn't go any farther however. The combination of her next contraction and the overwhelming exhaustion hit her hard enough to where her knees gave out and she slid to the trash littered ground. And this time she had no strength left to get back up, or even to hold herself up. Somehow she went from kneeling to laying on her side. Silent tears flowed out of her eyes, not even having the strength left in her anymore to cry properly as she began to understand she was no condition to keep going, or to give birth to this child.

Brooklyn then forced her eyes to focus through the tears as a black clad foot stepped down lightly in front of her. "Ma'am? Are you alright?" A woman's concerned voice asked a moment before a young woman kneeled next to her. The red hair on her head tickled Brooklyn's skin as she leaned forward to get a better look at the downed woman, then the air was filled with her cursing. The redhead looked over her shoulder. "James!"

"What!" A male called back. "I'm kinda busy!"

"Have someone else deal with it! Lotus has enough competent ninja in this group! I need you!"

The sound of footsteps jogging across the pavement came next before the owner of the voice showed himself. "Oh...shit... She needs help."

"You think!"

Brooklyn was gently lifted and carried to a waiting van before she was carefully, but thoroughly strapped down by the woman. "No..." She weakly protested. She didn't want to be bound, be imprisoned again...

"Relax, this is just to keep you still during the ride." She was reassured as the vehicle was set into motion. "My brother's driving kinda sucks."

"Where are...are..."

"Where are we taking you?" Brooklyn nodded in affirmation. "Someplace safe hon. There aren't any clinics on this side of town yet, but I know someone who would be better equipped to help you anyway. And he's closer. Just hang in there, ok?"

Brooklyn sighed and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure who these individuals were, but she could already tell they weren't linked to those who had held her captive. They were too kind to be like those monsters.