Spectrum 2

Being a hockey player, Riley was accustomed to the cold. Being tolerant of low temperatures was practically a requirement if you wanted to play the sport.

But she now knew what real cold was.

Her teeth were chattering together so rapidly she thought they'd break. Most of her body, save her face, was submerged in ice water. It was only one of the many tests she was being subjected to, all in an attempt to ascertain what abilities she'd gained from the PX-43 mutagen injected into her.

Riley had no way of knowing how long she'd been in this place. It was some kind of facility, all white walls, corridors, and rooms filled with scientific equipment and horrific devices used to experiment on her. She'd tried to find a way out whenever she was being escorted to her next series of tests, but she'd yet to discover what could have been an exit. The man, who she came to simply refer to as Doctor, was always subjecting her to some horrible tests to draw out her supposed abilities.

Riley hated this place. She missed her mom and dad. She missed her home in San Francisco. She missed her new friends. She missed hockey.

She missed her life.

Suddenly there was a hiss as the tank she was in opened. Riley shut her eyes and hissed against the bright fluroescent lights in the ceiling before immediately sitting up. The Doctor came up to her, two armed guards in black at his sides and other scientists and lab coats surrounding him. She was helped out of the tank and placed on the ground. Riley stood there, arms wrapped around herself, soaking wet, shaking uncontrollably, and cold.

She looked up at the the men before her. The facility was entirely composed of men. To the guards, the other scientists, and the Doctor himself.

The scientists stared at her blankly, none of them even offering her a blanket or any means of drying herself off. They were all like that. Entirely apathetic to her suffering. Simply looking at her like a lab rat and not an adolescent girl who was scared out of her mind and just wanted her parents.

The Doctor sighed in disappointment. "No visible resistance to extreme temperatures," he said blankly as he spoke into his tape recorder. With that he took his eyes off of her and looked to the armed men. "Take C-16 to her room," he ordered. They nodded before motioning for her to step forward. She did as told, walking in between them as they took her back to her room.

"Riley," she muttered under her breath as she left the examination room.

Soon she found herself back at her room. Another guard was waiting there, styrofoam tray in hand and her lunch for day sitting on it. Riley stepped inside her small white room that was practically a jail cell. It had a toilet on one side, a sink, and a cot on the other. Riley sat down on her cot, pulling her thin sheet up and over her shoulder to try and get warm.

The guard with the tray inched closer to her before setting the food down on the cot at her side. Riley glanced over before frowning. The food on the tray was the same as always. Some kind of...loaf of sorts. It had meats, vegetable, and a various assortment of 'necessary vitamins and supplements' in it. It tasted awful. Like cardboard.

"Eat C-16," the guard said. Riley huffed and looked away, feeling defiant.

"Riley," she muttered quietly to herself.

C-16 is what they all called her. It was a way to dehumanize her. A way to detach themselves from the guilt of kidnapping and experimenting on a child. To only see her as a test subject and not a person. But Riley refused to let that name become hers. She always reminded herself what her real name was. She would not become who they wanted her to be.

"Eat," the man said more sternly. Riley frowned and looked up at him. The man wore some kind of visored helmet, so she didn't know what any of them looked like.

"I don't want to," she said in rejection. "It tastes disgusting."

"Doctor's orders. Now eat it," he commanded.

Riley scowled up at him. But in defeat he reached out and took the tray, placing it in her lap before picking up the plastic fork and mechanically cutting apart the loaf and shoveling it into her mouth. As she'd hoped, it was enough to get the guard to leave. The metal door slid closed behind her and locked her in. Leaving her alone. Riley stopped eating, staring down at the loaf before tossing it across the room.

She pulled her feet up onto her cot before hugging her knees to her chest. She tried to breath through it. But her chest began to restrict itself as hot tears began to come forth. She let out a shuttering breath as for the possibly hundredth time, she began to cry.

She cried as she thought of home. And her parents. Of school and all the things she took for granted that she'd do anything for. She remembered thinking once how moving to San Francisco was the worst thing that could have happened to her. But she'd endure all that again, all that sadness and confusion and turmoil if she could be with the ones she loved again.

As Riley sobbed she was being watched. The Doctor stared at her through a live camera feed. Mind pondering the current situation.

He'd injected her with the PX-43 mutagenic serum. And shortly after there had been a visible reaction to it. But now...nothing.

He'd begun his tests with a physical examination. Testing her strength and endurance with basic exercise equipment. But he found that she'd receive no increase in either, with her limits being what was expected of an average teenage girl. Then he performed several scans of her body and brain, with the only abnormality being a stimulated limbic system.

Then he started performing other tests, subjecting her to stress and stimuli in hopes of triggering a response. But electroshock resulted in nothing. Oxygen deprivation nearly killed her. She wasn't exhibiting an increase in regenerative properties after subjecting her skin to minor burns and lacerations. Nor did she seem to develop any increases in perception or awareness.

He sighed, rubbing his chin before pulling out his tape recorder. "Subject C-16 has shown no changed after injection of the PX-43 mutagen. Despite the initial reaction observed after injection there has yet to be any observable changes or unexplainable manifested abilities. Perhaps what happened was an accident," he said.

"Still, subject remains alive, whereas all others died shortly after being injected with the PX-43. Maybe the right stimuli just hasn't been found. Perhaps it's a mental block. There's no way of knowing. For all I know...she could just be a failure," he said in frustration.

"If no results are yielded soon I may have to simply give up on C-16. In order to keep my experiments secret I can't have any loose ends," he said, pausing to glance up at Riley on video.

"She'll have to be terminated."

The next day Riley was shoved harshly into her room after yet another series of tests. This time however the Doctor had exploded on her in anger. The test had been to determine if she'd developed any mental powers. He wanted to see if she could move a block with her mind, determine was on the face of a card without seeing it, or correctly guess what card would be drawn from a deck next.

As the tests went on and Riley failed them he grew increasingly frustrated before he'd lost it, shouting at her and berating her for her failure as if she were at fault. That was when Riley had had enough. She shouted back at him, calling him crazy and a lunatic. How she didn't want to be there and she just wanted to go home.

Then he'd hit her.

He'd struck her across the face hard enough to send her sprawling to the floor. It immediately silenced her as she looked at him in stunned silence. He ordered the guard to take her back to her room, and they complied. One clutching her arm so hard it hurt before roughly shoving her in.

Riley climbed onto her cot and hugged her knees to her chest and began to cry yet again. She didn't know how much more she could take. This place was an unending nightmare. She just wanted it all to be over. At this point...she'd rather just die. Anything to be free and rid of this place.

The depths of Riley's sadness had reached a new low. She felt a myriad of emotion course through her at once. Sadness at not being able to see her family. Fear that this might never end. Disgust at the people who could do this to someone without remorse. Anger at the way she was powerless to do anything to stop them.

But despite her situation, despite the horrible injustices that might never end, as she thought of her parents. The people who loved her, who were probably searching for her, who missed her...

She managed to feel a glimmer of hope that she'd see them again. And with that small sliver of hope she managed to dredge of something she hadn't for what felt like an eternity, even if it was for only a moment.

Joy.

Her tears stopped flowing as she felt she'd run herself dry. But one tear managed to escape, slowly rolling down her cheek before she wiped it away. And in that tear was a flickering and shining blue light. Riley didn't see it as she she flicked her hand and the tear away. It flew across the room unseen before landing on the floor.

And when it made contact it disappeared in a tiny, indiscernible blue spark of electricity.

Suddenly Riley's hair began to change color, turning from dirty blond to a metallic, shimmering dark blue. The lights over head began to flicker but Riley was too lost in thought to care or notice.

Then suddenly a blue arc of electricity shot out of her. It zapped the wall across from her. Then another zapped the wall to he left. Then the toilet was struck. Then the floor. Arcs of electricity leapt from her wildly, zapping everything around the room before finally hitting her door.

It suddenly opened with hiss, startling Riley as she looked up. As she did the electricity arcing off of her stopped and her hair resumed it's normal appearance. Her eyes were briefly a darker shade of blue before they too went back to normal. Riley looked to the door to see it wide open. She sat there and waited, expecting a guard to walk into escort her for more testing.

But after several seconds one did not come in. Riley got up slowly before making her way over. She peeked her head out, only to find no one there. Her eyes widened and her heart began to leap. She didn't know what had happened. But the door was open and she was unguarded. Now might be her only chance.

She was sure as hell going to take it. Riley swallowed, gathering her courage before turning left, choosing this way since the other way was where the testing rooms were.

She silently prayed no one would find her.

And then an alarm began to blare. Riley leapt and shouted in alarm as the hallways began flashing red.

"All guard to detainment area, Subject C-16 has escaped!" said the voice of the doctor over the intercom.

Panic began to set in as Riley ran for it. She had no idea where she was going, but she was going to be damn sure to make it hard for anyone pursuing her. She took a few winding turns before coming to a split in the paths. She made to go left, only for to find armed guard blocking that path.

They shouted at her before taking aim with their weapon. Riley skidded to a stop before flinching in fear. Her hair changed once again, becoming a lavender as they fire upon her. Their weapons fired tranquilizer darts, only meant to knock her out and not to kill. They flew true to their mark, but before they could land she disappeared in a purple flash of light.

They stood there stunned before hearing footsteps behind them. They looked over their shoulder only to see Riley running away. They stood there stumped before pursuing. Riley turned a corner, nearly barreling into another guard. As he threw his arms forward to grab her she disappeared in another purple flash, blinding the man as she ran away from his turned back.

Riley took a left and stopped. At the end of the hall was an elevator. She ran to it it frantically. But found no way to open it. She began to pound on the door, only to freeze as she heard a voice behind her.

"C-16!"

Riley whipped around and pressed herself against the elevator as the Doctor approached, bringing with him armed guard and their guns. He stopped a few feet away. Staring at her in shock and awe, taking in her lavender hair and purple eyes.

"Extraordinary," he said in amazement. He took out his tape recorder. "Subject C-16 is displaying changes in physical appearance, coupled with instantaneous spatial displacement. More test must be run immediately to figure out the full extent of her awakened abilities," he said quickly before pocketing it.

"Come with me now C-16," he said as he waved his hand to beckon her over. Riley shook her head. He narrowed his eyes. "Come here," he demanded of her. She shook her head again. He scowled at her. "Open fire," he commanded as he pointed at her.

As the guard stepped forward and took aim Riley closed her eyes and threw her hands up. The guards and Doctor were suddenly blinded by a purple flash of light before Riley was gone. The Doctor blinked in bafflement, staring at the empty space Riley had just been in wonder.

But he collected himself before ordering his men to find her.

In a flash of purple light, Riley reappeared. She remained on the spot before opening her eyes and glancing around. Immediately she was greeted by a cool salty breeze and a night sky illuminated by a full moon. She realized in an instant that she was on the deck of some kind of large boat.

"There she is!" she heard someone shout. She looked behind her to see men appearing from a lower level. She took off running as more and more men came out on deck to capture her.

But it certainly was no easy task. Riley kept disappearing in purple flashes of light before reappearing somewhere safe. It made it almost impossible to grab or box her in as she'd be gone in an instant. Riley was too afraid and desperate to escape to think about what was happening to her. Only did it briefly occur to her that she was doing impossible things. But she pushed it aside for later. Right now she needed to get away.

Far away.

As she ran she was suddenly hit in the shoulder. She screamed, briefly disappearing before reappearing, back against the edge of the ship's railing and a dart imbedded in her shoulder. She ripped it free as fast as she could, before tossing it over her shoulder. She glancing behind her, only to gasp at the hundred foot drop and waves below. She was on a boat with no land masses in sight.

"There you are C-16," she heard the Doctor's voice say, causing her to look forward to find herself cornered, surrounded by guards and the Doctor.

Riley felt herself getting weaker as the dart began to take affect. The lavender in her hair vanished as did the purple in her eyes. The Doctor watched in with a broad smile. He'd succeeded. Now all he needed to do was subject her to new test to properly determine the trigger to her powers.

"I won't go back," Riley said weakly.

"C-16-"

"Riley!" she shouted. "My name is Riley! I'm not your experiment! I want to go home! I want to be with my mom and dad! I don't want to be here! Just let me go!" she shrieked at all of them.

The Doctor simply stood there, staring at her apathetically. "Do you think they'd still want you?" he suddenly asked.

"Of course they would. They're my parents," Riley shouted at him.

"But are you really their daughter?" he asked her. "Their daughter couldn't do what you can," he pointed out.

"I don't care. You made me-"

"Yes. I made you C-16," the Doctor said as he pointed at himself. "Therefore I get to determine your destiny," he said maniacally. "Your parent would only look at you in horror at what you've become. But not me," he insisted.

Riley stared at him as she tried to imagine her parent's faces. They'd be happy, wouldn't they? They'd want her back, even if she was different and could do all these things she could do now...wouldn't they?

"Your place is here C-16. With me," the Doctor said. Riley was too weak to argue at this point. She felt her consciousness begin to fade as the guards began to close in on her. She blinked her heavy eyelids, realizing that she was about to be taken back and tested once again, subjected to the terrible experiments, maybe for the rest of her life.

As the guards closed in on her something ignited within. It was powerful, defiant, and angry.

"NO!" Riley screamed as she looked up. Her eyes and hair became a blazing red before her locks ignited, blowing the guard back in a fiery explosion. Everyone scrambled back as Riley glared at them, fury blazing in her eyes as they too burned with flames.

"You're aren't taking me! I'm not going back!" she shouted at them. The flames in her hair spread, encircling her entire body and shooting into the sky, lighting up the area like a torch in the night.

"I won't go back! Not now! Not EVER!" she screamed.

The flames responded to her cry, getting bigger, hotter, and brighter as they spread outwards in all direction. Burning a hole right into the ship and to the lower decks before catching the engines in the inferno. The ship began to go up in flames as explosion ripped it apart from the inside. The people screamed and shouted in panic as the ship began taking on water and sinking. Steam began filling the night as the fires around Riley continued to blaze. Finally the ship was split in half before the waters of the ocean finally put her out.

Riley emerged, weak, and spluttering up water as she held onto a life ring. She didn't know what to do. And she was so tired. Her eyes began to close without her permission as blackness finally claimed her.

Riley awoke as her face hit wet sand. She fisted her hands into, letting if sift through her fingers before pushing herself up. It was still night time. Or perhaps she'd been adrift for a long time. She had no way of knowing. She got to her feet before looking up, eyes widening as she took in the lights of a city in before her.

She had no idea where she was. But she was off that boat and with no guard, scientist, or Doctor in sight. She hugged herself, rubbing her arms and shivering, thankful that her skin tight white bodysuit was heat conserving as she began walking up the beach and to the city. She eventually found herself on a sidewalk running parallel to the beach. No one was around, she glanced left and right, rubbing her arms before settling on going left.

Her stomach growled insistently and she shivered. Her optimism began to fade, being replaced by sadness as her situation still seemed less than favorable. As she was walking her hair and eyes changed color, becoming a dark blue. The streetlight over her head began to flicker as she walked beneath them. Bolt of blue electricity began leaping out from and struck a light, causing ti to overload and shatter above her.

Riley yelped in surprise, her hair and eyes changing from blue to lavender and purple before she disappeared in a flash of purple light. She reappeared a moment later, apparently having moved a few hundred feet down the sidewalk in an instant as she recognized the dark street lamp in the distance. She glanced around again, finding some cars parked along this section of the sidewalk before her eyes stopped on a police car.

She froze, eyes widening as she could make out someone sitting within it. She took a step toward it, finally feeling like he'd make it home and back to her life. She could tell the police what happened. And then surely they'd take her back to her parents. She'd just tell them that she'd been kidnapped. And that a man had experimented on her and given her...superpowers.

Which she then used to blow up a ship and possibly even...killed people.

Riley blinked as she remembered the last thing that had happened on the remembered her anger. The fire and flames. The screams as they swallowed up people and set them ablaze. She looked down at herself, the Doctor's words replaying in her mind.

Would her parents want her? Now that could do all these things? Would they be horrified? She briefly imagined her parents. She imagined them smiling at her, before the smiles faded, becoming screams of terror as fire consumed their faces. Riley stood there, staring down at her hands in realization.

She was dangerous. To them. To everyone.

She backed away from the cars before running in the opposite direction. She had to stay away from people. From her parents. From everyone.

She couldn't go home.

She didn't have one anymore.

The police officer in the car sat blissfully unaware as the youth in need ran away from him. He would have gladly helped her if she'd asked.

Just like any other Corona City Police Officer would have.

new chap in the Riley origin story