Darkness. That's what everything was in those few seemingly eternal minutes before her eyes suddenly snapped open. In the distance was a low monotonous thumping. It bled into her skin before it abruptly stopped and faded out again. Her eyes scanned the blackened alley, quickly darting around. Everything appeared normal enough. Her vision was blurry at first, her surroundings composed of little more than vague, hazy shapes in her oddly horizontal perspective. She pressed her eyes tight in an effort to focus them. Her whole body still ached after hours of running and being relentlessly hounded by those things.

Normal. That's what they had called themselves. That's what they had called her. From the earliest moment that she could remember, she had known that she was different. But this had been the first time that she didn't feel that differentiation. The first time she had known others like her. They had treated her so well. Fed her. Clothed her. Even offered her a place to stay. But she couldn't take it. She couldn't allow herself to be taken in by their honey-laced words. While they called themselves Normal. She could never. While they saw a life for EVO's. She could never be a part of it. There was no place for her. Humans had taught her that.

And they had been right to do so. For as nice as the EVO's had been. They weren't going to allow her to leave. When she had refused their offer, they pounced on her. Forced her to run.

She slowly opened her eyes again. This time finding the barely identifiable silhouette of her left hand, lying flat on its palm across her face, its form barely registering in the darkness. As her strength and senses began to slowly return, she twitched she fingers slightly as she tried to grab at her backpack.

Why did everyone drug her?

She eventually worked herself to one knee, swallowing hard before reaching out slowly with a trembling hand to feel her way along the brick wall she had been resting against. She inched forward slightly from where she knelt, moving her other hand over the wet ground and quietly dragging her leg forward. Tentatively crawling across the ground on her hands and knees, trying to stifle her own groaning as much as possible.

She didn't see the car.

As the car spun out wildly, she initially had no idea what was happening, only feeling a swell of numbness.

The car slowed to a stop, and she realized that she had just been hit. Dazed, she looked over and saw that she was laying in the street. What's worse, her leg didn't look right. She couldn't wait to feel that.

Dazed as well but not harmed, the driver ran over and tried to rouse the stunned girl.

"Call an ambulance!" He shouted as he lifted her in his arms.

The girl's eyes were closed. There was blood running down her head and arms.

"Is she okay?" Someone reached over and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know!" The driver swore loudly as he put her back down. He glanced at his car and back at her.

The woman, his passenger, led him a few steps back as she called for help.

The yelling finally roused the girl, who opened her eyes to the blurry scene around her. At first, she didn't realize where she was, or what happened

She blinked, trying to clear her vision. She heard a strange noise and looked to her right, where the car was starting to catch fire.

She held up both hands to her head, trying to focus the double vision.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

She had turned her head to face him, when a sharp pain shot through her neck and down her spine. She winced, feeling more pain.

"Don't move," The man explained. "We're calling an ambulance for you."

"No." She whispered.

"Did she say something?" The man's companion asked.

"No ambulance." She repeated moving to a sitting position.

The man walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hold on sweetie. Be careful. Don't hurt yourself."

She grabbed the man's arm, closing her eyes tightly as if she were feeling faint again.

"I got you." He reassured her, failing to notice her closing wounds.

With a smile she focused on the nanites within the man, willing them into her body. Within moments the man collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Dusting herself off, 142 glanced over at the screaming woman. Watching her trip over herself in her haste to get away.

She continued to back away slowly from the door until she felt her back press against a wall. Despondent thoughts racing in her head as she watched the EVO close the distance. Clenching her eyes tightly shut, she lowered her head as she struggled not to let the flood of emotions overcome her. Her mind wrestled with an incomprehensible multitude of thoughts and feelings ranging from anger, to sorrow, to outright disgust, to crippling fear. She mustn't let this monster get the best of her.

She felt something touch her face.

Then nothing.