Mike: If you're reading and you like it, clap your hands. clap, clap If your reading and you like it clap your hands clap, clap If your reading and reviewing, then our faces will be smiling, if your reading and reviewing clap your...(stops as Eve and Sarah stare at him.)
Eve: oh no don't stop just because we walked in...by all means, continue.
Mike:... um...that's okay.
Eve: really?
Mike: Yeah.
Eve: Good, this is a serious chapter.
Sarah: It's sad.
Mike: Well then I just lightened it up. On with the fic!!
The guest room could fit two people comfortably. James made one of the offices into a guest room for one (which Peter claimed because he jokingly told Sirius that he didn't want to be in the same room when Cota got his revenge on him. Then Remus and Lilly went back to convincing Sirius that Cota wouldn't hurt him.) Cota entered the house and heard the dilemma of there needing one more room.
"Well, some one can take my room. Derek, Oweiry, and I are going to use the tree house. It's big enough," he offered.
Derek and Oweiry both nodded. Oweiry looked up at the tree house. He knew Cota liked building things and this proved it. It was huge! It looked like a village! The 'tree house' had three different houses to it...and one had a catapult being made on it and looked like a command center, the other one looked like a study room and the third was open space.
"Then that settles it, Remus and I will take the guest room, Peter will have the study, Professor Dumbledore will have Cota's room and the kids will sleep in the tree house," Sirius smiled.
"That's right. This KID has an attack base now! AND built your room!!!... pleasant dreams," Cota growled with and evil grin on his face.
Derek also grinned evilly and gave a slight laugh as he rubbed his hands together and Oweiry simply glared at Sirius with a slight smirk on his face, they all looked equally evil. Sirius's smile quickly vanished and even Remus looked slightly uncomfortable.
James had already gone inside and down into the basement study. Lilly showed Peter to his room then showed Sirius and Remus to the guest room (they were amazed at how well it was hidden) and Cota went to make sure his room alright for Dumbledore and to grab anything he thought they might need for their plan.
He didn't have much; he had clothes, uniforms, his broom, a poster of his favorite Quidditch team, a chair, a desk, his guitar, and a bed in his room. There was also the chest full of books right next to the bed and a box of little bombs, firecrackers, trick gum, a pocket book of different things you can find almost everywhere that can make explosions, stink bombs and much more.
He grabbed that box and shrunk it. Then he changed the cover on his bed and brought in a new comforter and pillow. After that he went back down the hall towards the guest room. Sirius saw him coming. Cota had a malicious smile on his face.
"Good night," Cota said hauntingly and laughed evilly as he walked down the stairs. He looked like a maniac and was laughing like he was going to kill someone.
"Cota," Lilly called with Albus Dumbledore right behind her, as Cota walked down the stairs.
"Yes," Cota answered in a normal voice, dropping the look on his face, the evil glint in his eyes, the cynical voice, and the evil laughing at a moment's notice.
Dumbledore smiled slightly at this, he was amused by how quickly Cota could go from trying to freak someone out, to normal and almost bored in a microsecond.
"Are Remus and Sirius settled in?" Lilly asked.
"I believe so," Cota answered with an innocent and slightly bored look on his face.
"He's planning something and I know it!" They heard Sirius hiss.
"Cota?" Lilly asked in an annoyed voice.
"Yes?" Cota answered, a slight smirk starting on his face.
"Does whatever you're planning involve waking the house hold in the middle of the night?" She asked, Dumbledore couldn't help but smile.
"First off, why would I be planning something?...Second of all... No," Cota answered and walked past them, nodding politely as he opened the front door and left.
Lilly left to go check on Peter and Albus walked down the stairs to the basement, he saw James leaning over a stack of papers. He crumpled up a paper he had been writing on.
"No, it's all wrong every thing is wrong!" James growled and tossed the paper away. He heard someone catch the paper and turned around to see Albus. He jumped out of his chair in a 'oh shit!' moment. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there I was..." He started
"Working?" Dumbledore guessed.
"Err...yeah," James answered.
"Well, have you solved your problem?" Dumbledore asked.
"Can't solve this problem. If I succeed I have to kill something that has just been created and if I fail...the thing could grow up and destroy us all," James answered.
Albus knew the right questions to ask to get an answer from James; he had used it a lot when James was at Hogwarts. Always act like you already know. "James, your work is affecting you. You may not see it, but Lilly and Sirius have noticed it. I'm sure Cota has to, but he's too polite to say anything. James, what is bothering you so much?"
"I have to kill something. Not a monster that has killed or hurt someone, not a species that loves to kill, but something I know nothing about and that hasn't done anything wrong. I have to attack a base where this creature is being made and I have to kill it."
"Well, is it possible that it could be saved?"
"Clef doesn't think so." James then explained everything that he had heard. Everything the man from the woods had told Cota. About how when he neared the woods he felt ill, but he forced himself to fall from his horse because he heard Remus and Peter and Sirius's voice calling him toward the forest.
But Sirius had been behind him so he knew it was a lie. He admitted that if Cota hadn't charged forward and the creature lost interest in him, he would have gotten up and ran into the forest, and the creature Cota had seen had been created by the same lab as the one he was supposed to attack. He explained that he had a strong feeling that killing the creature was wrong.
"Well, why can't you bring the creature to Clef? Can't he tell you if it can be saved or not?" Albus asked.
"The man from the woods explained that the creature was very important to the lab and they would always be after it. Clef is a great man, but he can't take the risk unless he is sure that the creature can be saved and all the information we have received says the creature has no soul.-
- The Ministry of Magic has ordered me to kill it on sight; if I don't then I'll be held responsible for anything that goes wrong. Clef won't allow me to do that unless the creature convinces him it was worth all the trouble," James explained. He looked down, remorse filled his eyes, he was becoming as bad as Voldemort. He was going to kill a baby.
Albus knew that James was feeling horrible. "And the creature can't prove it if it has to be killed on sight...isn't there any rule that gives the creature a chance to prove itself?"
"Yes, if it saves the person trying to kill it...if it saves me. Fat chance."
"James, This job is hurting you; you need to get out of it. If you and Lilly ever have that son you want, I don't think you'd ever want him to be under all the stress that you go through. As for the creature... Do the mission, if you don't kill it they'll torture it until it becomes that ultimate killing machine they want so badly. The only way to train something to kill and cause pain is if it knows nothing but killing and pain," Dumbledore consoled.
"I am becoming Voldemort," James sighed under his breath.
Dumbledore and James end there discussion and go to bed. Sirius and Remus set traps near the door to their room; Peter falls asleep quickly, enjoying not having to worry about Cota getting revenge. Lilly and James climb into bed and talk about their future son. (This is a small ritual for them. Whenever something is really bothering them, they comfort themselves by planning how wonderful they will make sure their son's life is.)
They plan how they will raise him and how they will move into a better populated area because James is going to retire so they can have a lot of money and live closer to other children so their son will have friends. Dumbledore relaxes in Cota's room, and Derek, Oweiry and Cota get to sleep quickly so they can work on their revenge early in the morning.
Meanwhile in a lab far, far away: four people are hard at work as they finish their year long project. The leader of this group, Hatchel, stares at the creature in disappointment. He was an ex-military general, discharged not with honor, but with disgust. He was forty-three years old, and had a very tan, muscular body, littered with battle scars. His gnarled nose had been broken more than once, and had adapted to a pudgy nub of a nose that was slightly tilted to the left.
He had sharp, narrow eyes that were set back and stared outward with the appearance of someone who still thought he was on the battlefield, squinting into the sun. He walked with a bow-legged strut caused by being run over by a tank. Most assumed he'd pushed a member of his squadron out of the way, but the truth was that he'd been trying to hold the man down and stuff a grenade down his throat as penalty for running for cover when bombs were being launched at them.
The lesson was: don't be afraid or I'll give you something to be afraid of. He had been sent to a mental institute and bailed out after three years by the owner of the base he now worked at. He was promised to be a general of his own army of perfect soldiers. The perfect soldiers were human volunteers with nowhere else to go.
They were the few that slipped through the cracks of society and were forgotten. They were the homeless, the hapless, and the hopeless. Some were mental patients. They signed up for the experiments after giving up on everything else. If they couldn't be used then they'd be killed and taken apart for organs, tissue, anything needed in the creation of the 'zombies.'
The zombies were the ultimate soldiers. They did not fear death for they never really knew life. They were tall, strong, and skilled. One of their arms was usually replaced by a flame thrower, a grenade launcher, or a machete. They breathed through gas masks as there bodies were not meant for the world they were built in. The tanks rested on their backs and they had developed a hunch because of it.
They wore camouflage suits over mangled bodies made from the flesh and muscle of past volunteers who had been genetically enhanced. Hatchel usually stayed away from the creature experiments, they didn't interest him. But, this one was different.
"It's too small," he complains, staring at the computer monitor that showed the creature's muscle structure.
"But sir, you told us we couldn't wait for it to get bigger and that we had to start training it now," One of the scientist, Alexia, responds. She was a brilliant scientist and had been tricked into signing up at the base. Takai had seen her potential early and made sure no one else would hire her. She'd given up and then he'd come along and began to twist her mind.
Thoughts of 'this is just sped up evolution' tampered her mind and eventually the Muggle gave in and began accepting what they did as the right thing. They were simply controlling evolution. The creatures would become that way sooner or later as they evolved to reclaim the world they'd lost to the humans.
Hatchel waves his hand as if to tell her to shut up. He couldn't be bothered by the truth, he was looking for someone to blame. The third scientist doesn't seem to want to be doing this. He is reluctant in his movements and has a look of great sorrow. He'd signed up of his own free will, only because that allowed him to leave and go home after a project was finished. It paid him better too.
"What's wrong with you?" Hatchel snaps at the scientist, growing impatient with the bleeding heart case he'd been wanting to kill since day one.
"I'm helping to build a creature that never has a chance of growing up," The scientist answers curtly.
"You've been talking to that fool, Irving, haven't you, Remond?" Hatchel groans wiping his hand down his face.
"I can't help it! I look at this creature and feel sorry for it," Remond replies.
"Aw, how sad. You're one of those people who takes in stray animals off the street, aren't you? You're the kind of person who thinks all those ugly mutts are cute just because they have sad eyed, right?" Hatchel mocks.
"Yes, I am-"Remond replies boldly.
"Well, get over it!" Hatchel growls, his snarl of a voice echoing through the room. "This isn't a stray mutt that needs a good home. It's our creation. It's our rabid beast. You know, the kind they put-down at the pound."
Remond nods stiffly and takes a deep breath. He cannot win and he knows it. Perhaps if he tried just a bit harder, he could save the creature. However, human nature takes over. Just be glad it isn't you. Give up; you'll only pay the consequences, not win the fight. Minutes tick by as they do the finishing touches. Each member being slightly surprised by how little there is left to do. The room is in complete silence as Remond looks up from his station.
"Finished," he breathes.
The door slides open and three more men enter the room. The second crew; the ones who will take over the experiment.
"We'll take it from here," the first one says in a cruel voice.
The original three people nod reluctantly and leave, their part in this is over. The three new scientists are quickly obsessed with this project and evil has already clouded their minds. They no longer see a poor creature destined to live a life of pain and terrible sadness; they only see a machine that they created.
That is why they were not allowed near it for the first year, that way they aren't attached, they never saw it grow. No 'poor puppy' affect. They rub their hands together in excitement as another man enters the room; he is the leader of this operation and is the one that has the power to control the creatures' minds. The three scientists solute and bow low to him.
"The creature is ready sir," One of the scientists announces.
The newcomer walks forward and looks at the creature. "Good," He sneers; his low, doom filled voice echoes in the room as his eyes glow with destruction. He is a tall man with brown hair that was always slicked back. His facial features are sharp, but not ugly. They give him a charismatic charm that helped him trick so many people into giving him money to start the base.
The machine used to create and hold the creature unlocks, its gears moaning loudly as they unlock for the first time in a year, it completes unlocking and moves the glass case containing the creature forward. The creature is floating in a special, green tinted liquid, its eyes are still closed and it is still hooked up to the machine.
The newcomer, Takai, turns to the scientist to discuss beginning to teach the creature. The scientists explain that they can teach it simple words before it even wakes up. It will know who its master is and motor skills. It's as if it has amnesia it won't 'know' anything, but at the same time it will know a lot of things.
"Then begin," Takai orders.
The three scientists nod and begin. They plan on selling the creature to Voldemort; he has already agreed to buy it.
Later that night, towards early morning.
The creature floats inside the glass case as it awakens. Opening its eyes to the world for the first time reveals a cloudy world and a sneering face. The glass case was mostly covered from view by the mechanical locks, a bright light, and folded up tools on the inside, waiting to be used, but the face was visible even through the light. It breathes through a mask as its eyes look around.
()/Where am I?... I'm at Takai's lab ... how do I know this? Who is Takai? ...He is my master.()
With a sneer, Takai pressed a red button on the control panel. The last of the locks give a high-pitched whistle and begin draining the liquid from the tank. The creature tries to shut its eyes, but they are held open and sprayed with a chemical that is designed to wash all the liquid from the tank out; then sprayed by another chemical, though this one simply washed the eyes in something like medicated Visine.
The mask that the creature had known since it was old enough to breathe snaps off and is pulled away. With its head forced up and its limbs forced apart the creature is cleaned and dried. Needles unfold and break free from the sanitary containers they were kept in and shoot into the creature. They inject different vitamins, immunizations, medications, and take blood tests.
When they withdraw, bandages spring forward, wrapping around the creature and then being covered by a protective black and deep red suite. The sanitary world the creature had been living in did not require any protection, but the world it would soon step into was to be its biggest danger yet. All the devices refold and the creature closes it's eyes, trying to was away the pain. The glass case opens and the men turn to look at the creature. Its eyes open, they glow red.
"I am ready to serve you, Master Takai," the creature says.
()/ This is my master? Why did I speak to him?... I am to do what he orders, he can control me... how do I know all this??? Where am I? What am I? ()
"As it grows the device on its arm will too and it will become the weapon you wanted sir. It just needs to get bigger."
"Good, now, I'm going to go check the front gate. Those Riders will attack soon and I want to be ready."
"Sir...aren't you going to name it?"
"Ah, yes. I almost forgot," Takai nods.
"How about Death," One of the scientists offers.
'Death? What is death?'
"No, you said it was a girl right?" Takai asked.
"Yes," The scientist answered.
"If you bothered to care enough to look at it you might have better luck in picking out a name," a man said as he walked in the room.
"Ah, Irving, I was wondering when you'd show up," Takai smiled, ignoring any insult that was in the comment. "Well, if it's a girl lets call it, Kira. It means killer in Japanese," he stated. Takai looked over at the creature then back at Irving with a 'well I'm looking at it' expression. "Your name is Kira," He explained to the creature, not expecting it to understand.
The creature looked up at Takai, he could see its eyes and its innocents. The creature's eyes sparkled; he knew how much pain this small creature would endure. He knew that its life would be nothing except fear, pain, and following orders and he found himself feeling sorry for it.
Takai stood up abruptly and left. What had happened...he almost felt as if this creation had a soul. There were humans on this base that had been genetically altered, that was why they had souls. 'No' he thought 'no, it doesn't have a soul...it CAN'T have a soul' he comforted himself and walked past two guards and into the main control room.
He knew an attack was coming, they were coming to destroy his creation, but all the other one's had failed, this one was different. This creature was better then all the others.
The scientists engraved the name onto a collar and snapped it around the creature's neck. They congratulated each other on its success and spoke into the video camera, documenting the event. Irving ignored all this; he stared down at the creature. Already wearing a uniform, she looked like one of the copies. The creature was taken to a room and let rest, it was alone and this room would belong to it.
()/ Key-rah? What is a name? What is a killer?............I'm a killer...and Kira is my name. ()
Eve: Are these chapters too long?
Mike: Ask the reviewers.
Eve: I was, but they don't answer me.
Mike: Sarah is asleep, let's end that chapter.
Eve: ARE THE CHAPTERS TOO LONG!
Sarah: Wha?
Mike: groan Reviewers review.
