The sound of gunfire woke her up. The alarms sounded frequently, so she tended sleep through them. Or rather continue drifting in the world behind her closed eyes; only ever half awake. She hurt less that way. She rarely slept, and rarely woke. She just drifted.
But these alarms sounded different. More urgent. Then came the gunfire and the shouting and the explosions.
She drifted higher and higher, closer to the surface and with a soft gasp her eyes opened and she surfaced from the deep waters that filled her mind.
She could hear men shouting, orders being called out. The deep rumble of engines and the blast of explosions. Somehow the sounds of fighting was comforting. It meant that they were close to her.
Whoever this they were slipped her mind. She forgets a lot. But she knows someone will come for her. And as her mind sluggishly wakes up, more and more cohesive thoughts fill her. She knew that she was beginning to remember too much, and soon they would put her in the cold place under the bright lights and take them all away again. Or try too take them away. They never quite succeed.
Something inside her makes her stronger. Helps her remember. Keeps her from letting the guards too close. Keeps her from letting the girl near her mind. Kept her singing and humming for her freedom long after they'd gagged her. Sometimes she wonders if they made her like they made the twins. Other times she knows that she was born this way, and that was why they clip her wings so she can't fly. Why they steal all sorts of bits and pieces from her for their tests and experiments.
It was for tests to make more of the twins. The twins don't know about her though. Only the witch has ever seen her and only the once. She doubts the witch suspected a thing; or if she did decided that she didn't care.
A sudden explosion surprises her from her thoughts. She knows that they are coming.
The door slides open. The secret one. The one they use to take her away. She tenses. She will not let them take her away when freedom was so close.
A familiar shape is silhouetted against the light. A face that she only ever dreamed about, the name just out of reach, descends the steps. He's scanning the room, but has yet to spot her in the dark corner, strapped down to the table. The experiment room was too full of other interesting things to look at. Like the big whale turtle thing on the ceiling. Or the machines she fueled with the things they stole from her. She tried flapping her wings, struggling against the metal bands around her limbs. Anything to gain his attention.
"Sy." The word comes out like a breathy sigh. A name. Maybe hers? She doesn't remember, but it sounds right. She isn't sure though. Relief had filled his features as he approached her.
Suddenly her eyes widen. The witch was behind him. She screamed through the metal gag she wore, trying to warn him of the danger. She thrashed and cried, but he didn't notice.
"I've got eyes on her." He murmured quietly, and she could taste the sweet relief filling his voice as he raced towards her lonely platform. She tried to warn him again, but all that came out was a garbled cry. Suddenly a flash of red light exited the witch's palm, and the man's eyes flashed the same color. She sobbed brokenly, as the witch glanced up towards her. Anger flashed through the woman's expression when she looked at her. But a moment later he gasped, his eyes clearing of her magic. The witch retreated quickly, the anger on her face gone as quickly as it came. The man's face hardened with determination as he raced up the steps.
She heard the burst of wind that heralded the other twin's arrival. She screamed again, her wings beating wildly against the restraints. She strained at the cuffs, desperately.
"We're just going to let him take it?" The brother asked coldly. The woman held him back.
"Her. He can take her." She whispered. In the next blink, the twins were gone. A red blur of metal affixed itself to the man's hand. She finally looked back up at the man, soft brown eyes wrinkled with concern even as he clearly struggled to keep the fury out of his voice. She cried brokenly at him through the gag. She was so happy to see him, even if she couldn't remember why.
"Shh, shh. It's ok, I've got you. I'm gonna get you out of there." He soothed. A white hot beam of energy emerged from the gauntlet. Blind panic suddenly consumed her. She needed to be free, she didn't want to hurt anymore. She didn't want to lose her mind again, lose her memories. She needed those to stay free. She needed to remember. The man turned it off quickly, sending her back into the safety of the darkness.
"Sy, Sy. I going to get you out of these restraints ok? I just need to cut them off." He pleaded, desperately trying to calm her down. She knew that he was trying to help her. He was safe. But she would not let that white light near her. They would not take away her mind. A second set of footsteps pounded into the room. The man that came skidding to a halt at her platform was even more familiar. Warm safe feelings welled up inside her chest as tears gathered in her eyes. Even though it was tinged with bitterness, she felt better just because this man was here. He would protect her from the bright lights and the torment of the cold room. Blonde hair and wide angry blue eyes stared down at her.
"God, what did they do to you?" He whispered brokenly, his voice rough with grief and regret. The new man knelt down next to her, holding her hand gently, the other hand tracing over the heavy restraints. She let him. He glanced up, worry creasing his brow. Then he nodded shortly, his expression resigned. He looked back down at her, squeezing her hand again gently in reassurance. She relaxed, trusting him to take care of her.
Then she felt the needle. Betrayal rushed through her as she looked up at the first man. Remorse filled his expression, the empty syringe in his hand. She screamed muffled obscenities at him, fighting with everything she had. Both men held her down firmly. The familiar faces were a trick, and they were going to take her away now.
"I'm sorry Sy, but I promise this is for your own good." The first man said, one hand stroking her hair soothingly. She ignored him. She screamed and heaved and thrashed and fought as whatever it was rushed through her. She could feel herself slowing down. Falling asleep. But she wouldn't go without a fight, no.
She was a fighter. She remembered that. She had always fought back.
They wouldn't win.
She would keep her mind, her memories.
Those are hers and they can't-