" Dead? When was
this?" Bree said,her eyes widening.
" A couple of weeks
ago...Erasers."
" Erasers? But thats impossible...the-"
" I don't know how they found us."
" This is
distubing news...why did you tell me?" She asked her voice
tremebling.
" I was going to tell you later but since you
asked."
" What did I tell you about telling people the
truth."
" Give it to them gently?" I asked.
"
Yes...But it seems my teaching has been in vain. It doesn't matter
anymore," Bree said gripping the back of the chair that sat
infront of her desk. She continued to give me her wide eyed
stare...she was upset. The funny thing about Bree is that she can't
cry...literally...no tear ducts.
" Look I have plan to fix-"
" PC!" Roc's voice echoed in the distance.
"
YEAH!" I shouted in respone.
" Do you guys have any
clean clothes?"
" Crud!" Bree spat. " Hold on
a sec...We will dicuss this Later PC" Bree said disappearing
from the room. I waited for her momentarily, She had taken it well I
know I did. There had been some much death in our lives we were never
saddened much by it...but that doesn't mean we didn't care. Bree
returned with Roc behind her.
" He's using my clothes!"
I pointed.
" Well what did you expect PC...he's not going to
fit in mine."
" Those are my favorites though."
"
what do you mean they're exactly the same!" I looked
myself...she was right. " Whatever I am going to go shower now,"
I said leaving the two of them in the study. I walked down a hallway
to where my old room was. The night I left I only took what was
necssary and left the rest for Bree...I hadn't told her why I left
...I'm sure if I told her she would understand. A hot shower was very
rewarding...I had been thinking about it ever since I decided to head
towards Bree's. I closed my eyes and let the water wash over my fur.
I love showers it helps you clear your head. Suddenly a sharp pain
exploded in my chest , it felt like I was being stabbed. The pain
spread up my throat into my mouth and I began to cough up blood. I
felt the pain travel on through viens. It became so intense that I
fell to my knees and then lied down curling up into a tight ball.
Tendrils of blood slithered out of the corners of my mouth. Then
there was a sound...a sound that I LOATHED!... Crack! Ssssnap! Pop!
Pop! Crack! Crack! I squirmed in agony but suprisingly didn't scream
with anguish. I felt my fur becoming loose and falling out in huge
chunks...What was happening I couldn't be for sure...But it hurt
alot...Crack...Ssssnap...Pop...CRACK!...
And our scars remind us that the past is real...Did they just figure that out?
It had been a while since I had seen PC. It was good to see him again ever since the night he got up and left. He didn't tell me where he was going or why. He usually would leave me a note or something but this time ...He left without a trace.Something spooked him that night and I have yet to know why. My name is Breeaka.
" Is a PB
and J okay, Roc?" I asked scrounghing through the kitchen
searching for bread. Roc looked like a nice kid and he was undeniably
cute.
"Sure thats fine," he replied. He is so CUTE you
just want to put him in your backpack and walk off with him. I pulled
a rock hard loaf of bread from the freezer and pulled for precut
slices from the petrified loaf. I wrapped the pieces in a paper towel
and tossed them into the microwave to soften them. While I waited for
them to become soft I decided to break the siilence that lingered in
the room . I could tell Roc was afraid of me...maybe me showing up at
the door with a meat cleaver wasn't the best way to greet a guest.
"So Roc where are you from...originally?" I asked as
the microwave beeped.
"I don't know I had been at the School
ever since I was a baby."
" mmm... I see," I said
spreading the peanut butter and jelly on the bread. I sandwiched the
pieces together and threw them onto a plate.
"What was your
supposed purpose?" I asked sitting down at the table.
"
Apparently I was a wing donor."
" You want something to
drink?" I asked.
"No thanks."
"So you
were a wing donor eh? What for?"
"They were going to
take my wings and attach them to an Eraser." I went stiff
momentarily. I hated Erasers and I don't think there is single person
from the School that actually likes them...except one.
"Really,
so they are trying to make flying erasers. That can't be good for you
bird kids," I said taking a bite from my sandwich.
"
What do you mean ' you bird kids' arn't you a bird kid too? " He
asked. I chuckled softly," Depends how old are you, Roc?"
" 13"
" Well , with that being said. I thing I
am too old to be considered a kid. But I am not that old. As for the
bird part...I do have avian DNA...but not enough to have wings
unfortunately. However I am a very fast runner and I have very sharp
nails...or you could say talons." I said spreading my fingers
out on the table .
"They look normal to me," Roc said
staring at them.
"Ah. But they cut like razors trust me. PC
asks me to cut vegetables up for him while he cooks. He's better at
it than I am."
" PC cooks?"
" Yeah. He
can when he wants too one of the skills he retained during his time
at the School." I wish I could have bit my tounge off then. PC
doesn't like to talk about his past at all. Matter of fact I think it
scares the heck out of him. I hoped that Roc would not inquire
further. I'd rather not leave it to chance. "I wonder what is
taking PC so long?" I muttered. " Wait here I'll be back."
I meandered down the hallwaytowards the bathroom. I knocked on the
door. " Hey PC! what are you doing in there...you're going to
use up all the hot water than I am going to have to take a cold
shower." There was no response from behind the door. All that
could be heard wasthe sound rushing of water. I knocked again. Still
no reply. My heart started to pick up its pace, but I remained calm.
I knew something wasn't right. PC never ignores me...if he is why
now? Suddenly I felt something cold and wet against my toes. BLOOD. I
reached for the door handheld and twisted it was locked. Bad memories
flooded into my mind's eyes. NO, this is different there aren't any
Erasers, here. Using one of my nails I unlocked the door. Steam from
the shower fluttered into my face. Something large and strange lay
curled up on my bathroom floor...it was PC...and he was...he
was...HUMAN!...
I couldn't breath and I didn't know why. I
had seen PC like this before...as a human. He was curled up into a
tight ball, like he used to do when he was in a lot of
pain.Everything about him was human except for a stripe of purple fur
that went down his back and his tail still remianed. His eyes were
closed do I couldn't tell if they were still cat like and red...yes,
PC had red eyes, which makes him extremely creepy when he's
angry...in my opnion. The scars he had sustained were still there. PC
did well in hiding them by wearing big cloths and his fur helped
somewhat. I knew where most of them came from...it was the
Whitecoats... I knelt down and shook him.
" PC?" I said
gently. He didn't move. I checked for a pulse there was one it was
very faint but still there. My thoughts turned to Roc. Should I get
him? Either way he would definetely notice the blood stains that were
on my knees. There was no getting around it and on top of that I
would need someone to clean up this mess of watered down blood. I
sighed and got to my feet. I found a towel and tossed over PC and
then headed for the kitchen...
I loved my sub concious...because I knew nothing could hurt me here. Every since I lost conciousness in bathroom...man that's embarrassing... my mind was left to wander. I kept thinking of Bree just in case if I died... an image of her would be the last thing I would see... I was suddenly filled with anger...it's they're fault...it's their fault I am like this...a memory popped up. I was pinned on the floor of my house. I was struggling . My father held my arms. my mother and a stranger held my legs and then another stranger appeared over me with a syringe in his hand...
I pushed the memory
from my mind. I had kept that one bound and chained...unfortunately I
couldn't destoy it. It was part of my life. Not my favorite part but
a part none the less. Another memory popped into my head one that I
also kept in check...
I was struggling as I was being dragged
down a hallway. I heard Bree screaming at them to let me go. I
continued to pull away. As Bree's cries could be heard no more after
we rounded several corners. We came to a pair of black metal doors. I
heard growls coming from inside. I had never really been scared of
anything they had done to me not as much as my fear of what lurked
behind the black doors. The white coats forced me inside and dragged
me to center of the room. A small lamp hung from the cieling. There
were four kennels pushed to the far side of the room. they were going
to give them a running start...which sucks if you're me...One of the
Whitecoats forced me to my knees while the other pus a shackle around
my left ankle. Soon a another whitecoat appeared and walked towards a
button near the kennels and waited for some kind of signal. Thw other
two white coats pulled out their clipboards and pens. ' Begin' one of
them said and the button was pushed. Before this could go anyfarther
I buried the memory again. Perhaps I should wakeup now,or I am going
to be a very disturbed person. To wake up quickly I tried forcing my
eyes open. AH! LIGHT! I tried again this time slowly. As I focused on
opening my eyes. My body began to wake up too. Aches and pains were
being roused...but I didn't care. The only way to escape a bad dream
is to WAKE UP! Despite all the pain I was in I shot up right just as
I opened my eyes. I saw Roc and Bree jump...beat you they weren't
expecting that. Bree stared at me wide eyed.
"What?" I
yawned.
" You scared me! That's what! Who in this world pops
out of bed like a zombie."
I snorted and smiled "I
do...So how long was I sleeping?"
" A few hours."
" Good at least it wasn't days...I feel weird it's like
something is missing." " Well that is because there is
something missing," Bree said.
I looked down at my hands..no
fur...arms...no fur...face...no fur. I pulled all the covers on my
bed around me... I had reached a mind boggling conclusion..."
I'M FREAKIN HAIRLESS!"
" PC I think there is more to it
than that," Bree said handing a to me mirror. I hesitated.
"
Are you sure you think I should see my self. I probably look like Mr.
Bigglesworth from Austin Powers."
Bree shoved it into my
hands " Get on with it." I rolled my eyes and looked at my
face in the mirror.
" Bree...There is something wrong with
your mirror. You have a picture of some pasted on it . How is anybody
supposed to see themselves." She shut me up with a slap in the
back of the head.
"That guy in the mirror IS you, you twit."
" Oh so it is," I said suppressing my shock. I thought
I would never look as remotely human as I did now. But here I was
looking just like the average joe.
" I'm human...again,"
a smile slowly creeping across my face. I looked over at Bree and she
was smiling. Suddenly all the aches and pains caught up with me.
"
Oh my...Pain. Lots of Pain." I said laying back down on the
bed."
" I was wondering when it was going to catch up
with you," Bree said.
" I think I am going to rest a
little bit more okay, Bree."
" Yeah you do that,"
Bree said.
" Me and Roc are going to go and get some rest
too. You going to be okay?"
" I'll be fine," I
said. Roc and Bree left the room and I eased myself on my side and
closed me eyes again.Being careful not to bring up those two memories
again. As I drifted into slumberland I began to wonder was this
change for the better or for the worse...
ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
As we slept and dreamt good dreams something was happening in
a remote area sevral thousand miles away. In this area was a building
which every mutant knew it was called Lab 7, one of many branches
that were under the control of the School. Lab 7 was where Bree and I
were from. They specialized in Eraser enhacements and beastial
recombiants like myself. Inside Lab 7 inside a room. Fox stood rigid
infront of one of the Lab's superiors known to many as Dr. Rancor. He
sat behind his desk with hand folded in his lap and placid demeanor
on his face. If there was one thing that Fox feared it was
Rancor...or so I've heard.
" What is it you have to tell me
Fox?" he asked." Did you capture Green Wing?" Fox had
the feeling that Rancor already knew that the mission was a failure,
but he felt compelled to reply in hopes that the information he had
to present was enough to save his own hide. " No Sir, Green Wing
was not apprehended."
" Do you mean that you couldn't
catch him or that you ...ate him."
" N-no Sir, I would
never disobey an order."
" Right. Failure is a nasty
things. Failure is why many expermients here don't last the night.
Failure is why we have the goverment breathing down our neck, and
need I point out that failure costs me money and hours of paperwork.
I have dispatched your squad their remains are being stored and will
be put into jars for safe keeping," Dr. Rancor said his voice
calm as if this was just an ordianry conversation between two people.
Fox's heart was beating fast and hard. He was the only Eraser that
had failed missions consecutively and only got out of it with a royal
slap on the muzzle. Many of the Erasers were not as strong or as
smart as Fox so they didn't bother to question his leadership of the
favors that he was given. " Now, Fox what makes you think that I
shouldn't cut you up and store your organs in jars so that I can put
it in another Eraser's body?" Even though he was scared out of
his wits. Fox knew that he held an ace which would save him.
"
Chesire is still alive." Fox said with a grin. Dr. Rancor raised
an eyebrow...he was intrested.
"Chesire? You mean that
four-way hybrid that we disposed of years ago?"
"
Yes.He's still alive and I bet you that bird girl is alive too."
" This is very intresting..." Rancor said rocking back
and forth in his chair...
Dr. Rancor stopped
rocking and typed a few commands into the computer on his desk.
"
I was going to kill him sir. He got a way with Green Wing."
"
Count yourself lucky that you didn't. Chesire is piece of work...Do
you know what bits of DNA we put in him?"
" Should I
know?"
" Perhaps in order to apprehend him and his
friend. Chesire is really a piece of work...Fox. He contains four
different genetic codes grafted into his human DNA. Some from a cat
known as a Maine Coon, as for avian.. he was spliced with a
pigeon...Perhaps the reasoning behind his wings only growing big
enough to glide...and the last strand of DNA is hard to figure. I
think someone just picked it at random.But it affected his bone
density and his muscles as well. He can with stand enormous amounts
of force with out being maimed or killed. As for the girl... She is
human mixed with two kinds of birds a Secratary Bird and a road
runner. She is extremely quick on her feet but even she will become
tired evnetually... Fox I will spare you once more. You are my
strongest Eraser and I think the only one compatent enough to take
down Chesire and the others. Take whom you wish. Bring them to
me...alive."
Like I've told you all before I am most definetely a morning person. But this particular morning I didn't want to get up. I felt like I had been beaten with a stick...very BIG one. I yawned and streched painfully and looked around my room. It was empty and barren just like my brain at certain times when I am in a panic. I listened momentraily to the sounds of Bree's house...if you you can call it that at least. Despite my new body, my hearing was just as acute as when I was fuzzy. I knew Bree and Roc I could tell that Bree and Roc were still asleep. I slid out my bed and wondered over to where I threw my clothes everyday. I picked them up and sniffed them...they were clean. That was very nice of Bree to wash them. The down side to having a human form is now my clothes don't fit very good. Matter of fact they never did. My grey long sleeve shirt slid from side to side on my shoulders and for the first time since forever I acutally had to tighten the drawstrings on my sweatpants. After dressing the best I could I headed toward the kitchen my tail swishing behind me. I was kind of glad I didn't loose my tail when I turned human. I kinda liked it. Once in the kitchen I set to work and made myself some breakfast which consisted of a 'fancy feast' burrito and a cup of black coffee loaded with sugar. Its the best thing you've ever had trust me. My taste for cat food had not diminished either for that I was greatful. As I sat in a chair placidly chewing I could hear Bree and Roc waking up. 'Where will I go from here?' I thought to myself. The thought of leaving seemed hard to stomach since I had just gotten here... But I had a feelin' a feelin' deep inside that said to me 'get ready to run...soon'. I was becoming depressed just thinking about the prospect...then another pain distracted me. The crackling noises were back again. I gritted my teeth as I watched one of my hands revert back to a paw like hand. After it had morphed I stared at it pensively...
" You're up early,
I see," Bree said pleasantly as she walked in. She eyed my
morphed hand but said nothing and proceeded to pour some Captain
Crunch mixed with bird seed and tiny pieces of bacon into a bowl. "
How are you feeling ?" she asked.
" I've been better.
But I guess I'll make due...this is bad...I won't be able to leave
here if parts of me keep morphing back and forth," I said
sipping my coffee.
Bree shrugged " There must be a way to
control it. After all it is your body."
" No its not,
my idiot parents saw to that," I said gnashing my teeth.
"
Stop that, PC ... at least you knew your parents. Alot of people from
the School arn't given that luxury."
" Would they want
it, if they knew that their parents would betray them later?" I
had a point and Bree knew it. My parents loved me for a time that I
knew, but for some reason they...AH! forget it. I changed the subject
as I heard Roc approach.
" How do you suggest I control it?"
" I don't know...Do it like they do on television,
concentrate really hard on it and see what happens."
"That's
the stupidist idea you've had and you've only been up roughly five
minutes."
"Quit being a twit , PC and just try it."
I sighed and stared at my hand" There I tried it."
"
PC!"
" Alright alright...I'll try for real this time."
I stared at my human hand for reference and then stared back at my
paw and did this for a time until I had the image in my mind. I
closed my eyes and concentrated like they do on TV. Then I got a
tingling senstation in my paw and I felt the dull pain of bones being
shifted around and when all was said and done and I opened my eyes it
was human once more and the only words that came out of my mouth then
were...Sweet.
Roc:
Running...I
always have dreams about running. I guess I am very good at it. I can
never keep track of my feet when I am being chased by Erasers. It
only seemed like yesterday when I was being hunted by those Erasers
that PC chased me from. My life was never normal...which is obvious.
I had escaped from Lab7 before on nurmerous occasions you'd think
that they would have better security after 10 experiments got loose.
They were refered too among the rest of us as the 10 Ghosts, because
when they escaped they were gone and when I say gone I mean GONE. It
was like they had never existed...pretty freaky isn't it. Anyways Mr.
Rancor was a very angry person when he found out that they were gone
apparently they were very successful experiments. I wish I had that
much stealth everytime I get out I only have at least a week of
freedom and then the Erasers will find me and beat the life out of
me. That time in the forest would have been my sixth failed attempt
if it weren't for PC. That time I was determined more than ever not
to get caught. Scary things were happening in Lab 7. Screaming and
howls of pain went on twenty four seven. The scientists wouldn't even
look at us anymore. I was afraid that they were shutting down Lab 7.
A friend of mine. Her name was Cell she was a cross between human and
an otter. An odd combo but she was beautiful in her own right. She
had been my friend as far back as I can remember and then one day
they took her and I never saw her again... I hoped against all hope
that she would still be alive...But now I doubt it more than ever. I
am grateful that PC rescued me but him and Bree still strike me as
strangers and extremely shady. Call it paranoia or whatever else you
like...that's just how I feel. Now that I have been rescued where
will I go from here? If PC and Bree are bad news where will I run
too? Could I fight them if I was cornered. PC worries me. He is not
as open about where he comes from but I bet in a fight I could
probably beat him...I think. Bree on the other hand...if she is not
near anything sharp I don't think she will be much of a
problem...after all she is a -. wait I better not say it. I'll jinx
myself. I'll stop worrying now...everything seems stable for now but
one things for sure if push comes to shove I will do anything to keep
myself from being taken back...
I yawned and looked around the
strange bedroom in the strange underground house. I could smell
coffee coming from the distant kitchen. " She's up already?"
I thought to myself. I slid out of bed onto the floor. I looked
around and found my clothes thrown in a pile on the floor. They
looked and clean.Bree. Despite her rage and shadiness...I dare say
that she is ver nice and VERY pretty. I mean very pretty just as
pretty as Cell was. I snapped out of my day dream of Bree and decided
to venture into the kitchen. As I got closer to the kitchen I could
hear Bree's voice and ...PC?...
It was PC only he was in his human form. I was shocked when I saw him for the first time without the fur and the catlike face. It was incredible how that strange looking creature that I met in the forest changed into what looked human. He still had those blood red eyes which still helped him retain his creepy quality. MAN! He recovered fast it was only yesterday that we had to haul his body out of the bathroom...well Bree did that. I was left behind to clean up the blood...
" You're up already?" Roc asked a little stratled
by my prescene.
" Yeah. All I needed was some coffee and a
burrito ...and now I am right as rain." I said cheerfully even
though my body still ached. I snuck a peek at Bree's face I could
tell that she wanted to discuss my purpose here. I stood up from my
chair and grabbed my coffee mug and my plate and headed for the sink.
You can help yourself to anything you want in the kitchen, Roc just
don't eat the burritos or touch the coffee beans. Me and Bree are
going for a walk." Roc nodded I knre he was doubting we were
going for just a walk but I didn't want to scare him with my reasons
for my flight south. Bree followed me out of the room as if we had
discussed it only moments beofre.
" See you later Roc,"
she said tenderly. " Make yourself at home and what ever you do
don't press the red button."
" okay?" Bree smiled
at Roc and left the room.
" Why did you do that?" Bree
whispered to me in the hallway when we were out of earshot.
"
Just in case you haven't noticed, Bree. Roc is by far the jumpiest
mutant I have ever encountered and we don't know what he is capable
of so I'd rather not stir him up. Besides I need to get out. The only
way to deal with muscle ache is to work it out so that is what I'm
doing."
" Yeah that is true PC the only problem is your
whole body aches." "Same principle." I said opening
the door to the outside. Bree shrugged and followed me out into the
sewer. We walked for a while in silence listining to the sound of
rushing water and the distant hum of the street above us.
"
So what exactly happened?" Bree asked.
" Like I told it
was a week or so ago. Everything was fine that day except for the
fog. Seven was shot first and then the others progressively
afterwards. It was a slaughter. Even with our powers nothing could
protect us from bullets. I had held off the Erasers for a while so.
Damien and Juile were still safe then. But that was until they blew a
hole in the wall. Damien grabbed me and told me to escape and to take
Julie with me. Of course I refused but you know Damien, he always had
to be the hero right."
" Yeah" Bree said grimly. A
knot was forming in my throat this next part was another memory I
didn't like to remember.
"So I took her and-we got just as
far as the next port town. We slept under a pier it wasn't long
before Erasers were all over the beach. Julie told me fly and warn
you. But you know I couldn't do that. But Juile forced me back. You
know how she does that little bubble thing and no one can get near
her?"
" Yeah?"
" Well she did that and I
knew I could convince her otherwise. So I took off and now I am
here."
" I see. Bree said blankly. " Now the
question is why?"
" I don't know for sure but I have a
theory."
" Well share it."
" The
whitecoats are fed up. They are killing all of us mutants. Every
experment they have created has turned on them. I guess they think if
the kill us all off and salvage our parts they can start from
scratch. I don't know if its happening everywhere. But here its
happening and it won't be long until they have purged the north and
are working on the south." Bree's eyes were wide again I knew
she was upset but I could also feel her anger. She looked at me with
eye full of blood lust and asked " What's our plan?"...
