CHAPTER 4: Help

"The girl from my dreams"

In front of Jinja and Beyal stood a girl with orange skin and furry ears. She had cat-like moustaches and long nails. Her black eyes met theirs and she slowly approached them.

"New doctors? Or should I say-another pain in the ass?" she asked

"Yes" Beyal replied with a steady voice

She glanced at their IDs and frowned.

"Wait a second…" she started, her eyes squinting "You are not mrs. Johnson and you are not mr. Smith"

Jinja placed her finger on her lips.

"Shhh…We're here to help you; we-"

"You'll save us?" The girl's eyes glowed with both excitement and desperation. She dug her nails in Jinja's arm "Please… Please! You have to save us… Please."

"Miss," Beyal said sternly and removed her hand "calm down"

"Sorry, I'm Charis Green."

"Hi. I'm Jinja McCan'tmovemyarmbecauseofyou and this is Beyal McYouhavetocalmyourtits."

Charis snickered "I know, sorry for ripping your epithelial tissue. And I know I need to calm my tits"

Jinja rubbed her arm and said lowly: "Is there anywhere safe where we can talk to you?"

The girl nodded "The dormitories. Follow me"

"Did she just say epithelial tissue?" Jinja whispered to her friend as they were walking behind Charis

"I believe so, yes" the boy answered

She smiled "I like her"

They walked through many white hallways until they reached a big room with little light penetrating it.

Jinja felt sweat running of her forehead as she saw her nightmare turning into reality. All around the room stood boys and girls from 6 to 17 years old. Some wore scared faces, others were angry and a little girl started crying.

"Hush Jes", the fox-girl told the kid and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "These aren't real doctors; they are here to save us!"

"Really?!" Jes said with excitement.

"Woah, woah, woah.", an attractive boy with dark skin and short hair said, "save us? How can we trust them?"

"Jeez, Castor stop being so alert about everything! Bri, Kyle, Lea, Neo come 'ere!"

Four figures got up from their beds and came close.

"Jinja, Beyal, this is ..

Brianna"

Black hair with green streaks, golden eyes, really skinny body. She had a crooked nose and black tattoos were covering her entire neck and left arm.

"…Kyle"

Golden hair, big curious green eyes. Feathers grew on his face like a beard and his arms looked detached from his body, like he was about to fly.

"…Lea"

Strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes and sick-green lips. Bold facial bone structure and elegant apperarance.

"…Neo"

Dark brown hair and grey eyes. Green veins appeared on his temples and cheekbones. He smiled, and small fangs appeared from his gums.

"And you already 'met' Castor"

Jinja took a closer look of him and noticed a green scar on his eyebrow. She remembered Casper's unnatural green hair.

"Trey had an ambition. He wanted to create a new form of Monsuno, with human IQ. Therefore they were giving me shots, full of the green essence and some other medicine so that my body could take it. The experiment was successful"

That's what he told her when he explained about his Monsuno looks.

"They poison you right?"

"They vaccinate us with this awful green stuff. It makes you sick and exhausted after you are injected." Lea explained

"And then the weird characteristics show up. Cat moustaches, panda ears, bat's wings e.t.c" Kyle added

"We're slowly turning into monsters…" Neo said

"I once managed to escape and went to see my family" Bri started and looked down "They didn't even recognize me.."

Jinja tried to imagine her without all the tattoos and the weird-looking streaks on her hair. She had a quite-innocent looking face and with such a pale skin she reminded her of Snow White. Did she get her skin inked here? And how much has she been affected ever since she was kidnapped?

"This place changes you" Castor said like he was reading her mind "When we came here we were just kids. Now we are survivors."

"So are you in for a break out?" Charis asked excited

The teens looked at the two Core-tech members through squinted eyes.

"We have a plan" Jinja said "There are 3 others outside to help us"

Not enough, she thought

"I knew Casper" she blurred out "We met when he escaped. I saw him running around and laughing and having fun and then… I still love him but I just wish things didn't turn to be like this. I'd rather have him here, next to me, not in my pocket"

And with that she took out Casper's core and turned it through her fingers.

A moment of silence occurred and then Neo spoke up.

"Yes"

"Yes what?"

"We're ready to fight"