From Tadpole to Toad
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "Without patients and doctors, a medical centre runs like clockwork"
**
Chapter 3 - Inside the Womb
**
And so, I spent my first sleepless night in what would be my prison for a year. I curled up on my bed, shaking, tears streaming down my face. I couldn't understand why I was here..what I had done to be abandoned. I shut my eyes, begging for sleep to take me away to a better place.
That's when the screaming started.
These were not ordinary run-of-the-mill screams, these were screams of torture. It was as if they were being burned alive. I burried my head under my pillow, begging it to stop....but it didn't. Not that night, not ANY night. Little did I know then, that my own screams would soon join theirs. The next morning, I heard the many locks of my door open, Nigel striding in. I lifted my head from the pillow, getting into a crouch.
"Good morning, freak", he sneered, "sleep well?"
I remained slient, staring at him, before making a dash past him. Beofre I knew what happened, I felt electricity surge thorugh my body. I dropped ot the ground with a yelp of pain, looking up to see Nigel holster a stun gun.
"Ah ah ah!", he said, wagging a finger at me, "bad mutie, no treat".
With that, he dragged me up by my collar, ushering me out of my room. He walked me along a corridor, me trying to tug away all the time until we reached a very clinical room which reminded me was too much like a lab of an evil scientist I'd seen in my comic books. That doctor was there again, putting on a pair of surgical gloves.
"Hello again, Mr Toynbee".
"It's Tolensky", I said quietly
If my father could abandon me, I could abandon him...everything to do with him.
"Oh.....okay then", said the doctor, before jesturing to a chair, "do sit down"
"I'd rather stand"
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice", he said, clicking his fingers.
I squeaked as Nigel picked me up by the scruff, pushing me into the chair, metal straps moving to tie me down.
"Lemmie go!!!", I screamed, struggled, trying to get lose.
"Calm down", said the doctor, "and this will be as painless as possible"
My eyes widened as I saw him coming at me with a needle. I opened my mouth to screm, only to have Nigel shove his hand over it. The second the needle penetrated, everything went hazy. I knew I was still awake...but I couldn't move...couldn't speak. I watched in horror as the doctor came towards me with a scapel. I tried to close my eyes, but couldn't...I just prayed it would be quick. It wasn't.
**
For a whole week, my life was like that. My legs ached SO much....as did my mouth. A week after all of this, when Nigel came into my room, I backed up against the wall..knowing I had no choice but to go. This time, however, he led me a different way. We went deeper into the Womb, where I was eventually pushed into a big, black room. My memories are still poor about it, Sid. The best way I can describe it is like that Danger Room in Xavier's place...though alot less high-tech. I tensed up, glancing around, my muscles still aching.
"Another one, huh?"
I glanced up, looking for the owner of the voice....I couldn't see anyone.
"Who...who's there?", I asked, as bravely as I could.
On the wall beside me, a girl of my age suddenly appeared from where she had been blended in. She had a green hue to her skin, she dropped to stand beside me. I recongised her from the day I had arrived....the one who had been screaming.
"The names Vivian", she said, "who're you?"
I thought for a moment.
"Todd".
I didn't want to be Mortimer anymore, Mortimer was the name my father gave me. Todd was the one my mother wnated to give me. I would side with my mother any day.
"Well, I warn ya, Todd", said Vivian, "this place is nasty. I've been here for a year already. The tests get worse an' worse".
She paused as mechanical wirring started up.
"Can't talk, gotta run"
With that, her hands suddenly changed into tenicles, and she dashed into the centre of the room. A huge metal hand sweapt out at her, she ducked it, then shot something acidic at it, making it collapse.
Yes, Sid, it's THAT Vivian, the one that became the Black Womb's lap dog. The one that has become our enemy. I didn't know that then, she was just someone like me, a fellow sufferer, a possible friend in this hellhole.
"Hey, Todd, watch your back!"
I blinked at her warning, spinning around to see a huge metal arm heading to me. Out of instinct, I jumped....and landed on the ceiling. I took in a breath of shock...I had jumped onto the celing...and I was sticking there...something was wrong here. I dropped to the ground, landing in a perfect crouch. My muscles screamed in pain, but I had no time to favour them, the arm made another swipe. I jumped again, spinning in the air with an agility I had no clue I possesed. I landed on the wall, turning my head as Vivian gave a scream. She was surrounded by a ring of fire, while an arm moved in to her. I opened my mouth to shout of a warning...but something else came out...my tounge. But this wasn't the tounge I was used to. No longer was it small and pink, no, now it was green, and long. Very long. It shot across the room, wrapping around Vivian's waist. It was as easy to manovre as a hand, and I brought her over the flames and out of the way, relasing her as my tounge shot back into my mouth.
"Cooool, you're a human toad!", said Vivian with a smirk, "thanks, Toad- boy".
"I...err...", I stammered, still confused.
The machines suddenly stopped whirring and the room fell dead again. Nigel walked in with the doctor.
"Well", said the doctor, "amphibian qualities, impressive"
"I bet those legs of his could bench-press quite a bit", said Nigel.
The doctor nodded.
"Yes, we must give him a more intense training session"
Vivian had skittered off to the corner as they approached, whimpering. I narrowed my eyes, deciding to use these new abilities to my advantage. I shot out my tounge, grabbing Nigel by the throat, tossing him into a wall. He hit it with a thunk, before he had a chance to get up, I leapt up, jumping over the doctors head and making for the exit. I didn't get far. There was a thuut sound, and I felt a sharp pain in my side, causing me to fall to the ground. I turned to see a tranq dart in my side. Nigel growled, getting to his feet, pulling out his stun-gun and makign his way towards me.
"No, Nigel", said the doctor, holding him back, "just take him back to his cell...Vivian, you're due for another lab session"
Vivian wimpered as the doctor grabbed her arm, dragging her off. I blinked up hazily at Nigel as he stooped down to pick me up, dragging me to my cell and tossing me in. He glared at me, favouring his arm.
"You'll pay for that one", the threatened, "believe me, Toad, I'll break you".
I closed my eyes as the drug took effect, drifting into unconciousness. I didn't know how true his words were.
***
There's another chapter done and dusted. Do review. Until next time..
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "Without patients and doctors, a medical centre runs like clockwork"
**
Chapter 3 - Inside the Womb
**
And so, I spent my first sleepless night in what would be my prison for a year. I curled up on my bed, shaking, tears streaming down my face. I couldn't understand why I was here..what I had done to be abandoned. I shut my eyes, begging for sleep to take me away to a better place.
That's when the screaming started.
These were not ordinary run-of-the-mill screams, these were screams of torture. It was as if they were being burned alive. I burried my head under my pillow, begging it to stop....but it didn't. Not that night, not ANY night. Little did I know then, that my own screams would soon join theirs. The next morning, I heard the many locks of my door open, Nigel striding in. I lifted my head from the pillow, getting into a crouch.
"Good morning, freak", he sneered, "sleep well?"
I remained slient, staring at him, before making a dash past him. Beofre I knew what happened, I felt electricity surge thorugh my body. I dropped ot the ground with a yelp of pain, looking up to see Nigel holster a stun gun.
"Ah ah ah!", he said, wagging a finger at me, "bad mutie, no treat".
With that, he dragged me up by my collar, ushering me out of my room. He walked me along a corridor, me trying to tug away all the time until we reached a very clinical room which reminded me was too much like a lab of an evil scientist I'd seen in my comic books. That doctor was there again, putting on a pair of surgical gloves.
"Hello again, Mr Toynbee".
"It's Tolensky", I said quietly
If my father could abandon me, I could abandon him...everything to do with him.
"Oh.....okay then", said the doctor, before jesturing to a chair, "do sit down"
"I'd rather stand"
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice", he said, clicking his fingers.
I squeaked as Nigel picked me up by the scruff, pushing me into the chair, metal straps moving to tie me down.
"Lemmie go!!!", I screamed, struggled, trying to get lose.
"Calm down", said the doctor, "and this will be as painless as possible"
My eyes widened as I saw him coming at me with a needle. I opened my mouth to screm, only to have Nigel shove his hand over it. The second the needle penetrated, everything went hazy. I knew I was still awake...but I couldn't move...couldn't speak. I watched in horror as the doctor came towards me with a scapel. I tried to close my eyes, but couldn't...I just prayed it would be quick. It wasn't.
**
For a whole week, my life was like that. My legs ached SO much....as did my mouth. A week after all of this, when Nigel came into my room, I backed up against the wall..knowing I had no choice but to go. This time, however, he led me a different way. We went deeper into the Womb, where I was eventually pushed into a big, black room. My memories are still poor about it, Sid. The best way I can describe it is like that Danger Room in Xavier's place...though alot less high-tech. I tensed up, glancing around, my muscles still aching.
"Another one, huh?"
I glanced up, looking for the owner of the voice....I couldn't see anyone.
"Who...who's there?", I asked, as bravely as I could.
On the wall beside me, a girl of my age suddenly appeared from where she had been blended in. She had a green hue to her skin, she dropped to stand beside me. I recongised her from the day I had arrived....the one who had been screaming.
"The names Vivian", she said, "who're you?"
I thought for a moment.
"Todd".
I didn't want to be Mortimer anymore, Mortimer was the name my father gave me. Todd was the one my mother wnated to give me. I would side with my mother any day.
"Well, I warn ya, Todd", said Vivian, "this place is nasty. I've been here for a year already. The tests get worse an' worse".
She paused as mechanical wirring started up.
"Can't talk, gotta run"
With that, her hands suddenly changed into tenicles, and she dashed into the centre of the room. A huge metal hand sweapt out at her, she ducked it, then shot something acidic at it, making it collapse.
Yes, Sid, it's THAT Vivian, the one that became the Black Womb's lap dog. The one that has become our enemy. I didn't know that then, she was just someone like me, a fellow sufferer, a possible friend in this hellhole.
"Hey, Todd, watch your back!"
I blinked at her warning, spinning around to see a huge metal arm heading to me. Out of instinct, I jumped....and landed on the ceiling. I took in a breath of shock...I had jumped onto the celing...and I was sticking there...something was wrong here. I dropped to the ground, landing in a perfect crouch. My muscles screamed in pain, but I had no time to favour them, the arm made another swipe. I jumped again, spinning in the air with an agility I had no clue I possesed. I landed on the wall, turning my head as Vivian gave a scream. She was surrounded by a ring of fire, while an arm moved in to her. I opened my mouth to shout of a warning...but something else came out...my tounge. But this wasn't the tounge I was used to. No longer was it small and pink, no, now it was green, and long. Very long. It shot across the room, wrapping around Vivian's waist. It was as easy to manovre as a hand, and I brought her over the flames and out of the way, relasing her as my tounge shot back into my mouth.
"Cooool, you're a human toad!", said Vivian with a smirk, "thanks, Toad- boy".
"I...err...", I stammered, still confused.
The machines suddenly stopped whirring and the room fell dead again. Nigel walked in with the doctor.
"Well", said the doctor, "amphibian qualities, impressive"
"I bet those legs of his could bench-press quite a bit", said Nigel.
The doctor nodded.
"Yes, we must give him a more intense training session"
Vivian had skittered off to the corner as they approached, whimpering. I narrowed my eyes, deciding to use these new abilities to my advantage. I shot out my tounge, grabbing Nigel by the throat, tossing him into a wall. He hit it with a thunk, before he had a chance to get up, I leapt up, jumping over the doctors head and making for the exit. I didn't get far. There was a thuut sound, and I felt a sharp pain in my side, causing me to fall to the ground. I turned to see a tranq dart in my side. Nigel growled, getting to his feet, pulling out his stun-gun and makign his way towards me.
"No, Nigel", said the doctor, holding him back, "just take him back to his cell...Vivian, you're due for another lab session"
Vivian wimpered as the doctor grabbed her arm, dragging her off. I blinked up hazily at Nigel as he stooped down to pick me up, dragging me to my cell and tossing me in. He glared at me, favouring his arm.
"You'll pay for that one", the threatened, "believe me, Toad, I'll break you".
I closed my eyes as the drug took effect, drifting into unconciousness. I didn't know how true his words were.
***
There's another chapter done and dusted. Do review. Until next time..