p style="line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;""How does one survive this place?" I ask myself as our experiment floor is lined up for counting. I can't remember anything about the outside world. I don't even know how many days have passed since I first was style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Well, lucky for you, there's always 'Taylor's declassified Weapon X survival guide," Taylor whispers beside me. I look at her and show a shy smile. We got new clothes today. Brown thin pants that are ripped at the knee or lower, it depends on your height and a brown shirt with a letter on it. I have a V on mine. Meanwhile, Taylor has the word 'nulla.' In total, there are five people on this floor. We received shoes, however, they gave me size 9. I am a size 5. Due to this, I go barefoot through anything Stryker, Thorton or anyone puts us style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Nulla!" Stryker shouts at the style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Present," Taylor replies immediately. br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "I!" Stryker shouts style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Present," comes from another voice to my style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / The list goes on until it pauses for a quick minute as a new man comes into our floor. Stryker and the man say something to each other, before they point at me. I feel my face run pale and I look at the ground until he style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "V!" Stryker style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "P-present," I stutter in response. I see Stryker smirk and write something down. He releases us back to our cells. Once he locks us in and leaves the room, the tension in the room style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "I thought that em style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important;"thing/em left!" a boy with 'III' on his shirt says. He has big brown eyes and dark brown hair. He is sitting in the corner the closest to a black haired girl, who is holding his style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Alex, that bag o' bolts would be thick as a plank if it left," the girl with 'IV' on her shirt says, obvious Irish accent in her voice, "Taylor, what ya think?"br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Excuse me for this," I step into the conversation, "but who are we talking about?"br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Taylor laughs, "not who Keegan. We're talkin' 'bout that thing that came into roll call today."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I must have a confused look on my face, for Alex speaks up, "you don't want to meet that thing. Bad things happen if you do, especially if you make him mad."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Four men come unlock my cell today. Ever since my first day with the Pirate, I have had to be moved around by five people, and it usually takes a few nasty injuries for them just to move me. As usual, I am placed in cuffs up to my elbows. Only today, my knees, calves, and ankles are tied together tightly to prevent me from kicking out. br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Give 'em a head start this time Keegan!" Taylor yells after us, gripping the bars of her cell and laughing like a maniac. "Let them get to the stairs today before you knock 'em out!"br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I laugh. I can tell that these guys are very intimidated around me. However, anxiety boils inside of me as they take me away. I try to calm myself down with deep breaths, but it fails and sends me into deeper panic. What are they going to do to me today?br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / The men drag me up six flights of stairs, all while I am simply being dead weight today and squirm around as much as I can. Once we reach a padded platform, the men lift me up and try to restrain my arms and legs. I look around at my surroundings. There are other people in similar positions as I am, while some are in glass cages. Surrounding almost all of them, are dark green curtains, making the room resemble a medical style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "That'll do men. You are free to go." A slightly robotic voice calls out from behind a curtain. The men quickly scatter to reveal a man- no, a robot of some sort. While the body is covered in blue robotic armour and is clearly electric, the head is clearly human. What used to be a left hand now resembles a gun of some sort. br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / My breath quickens and I try to free myself as that thing inches closer to me. It sits down and looks at me. It speaks in its robotic voice, "Raven Howlett, such an honour it is to meet you."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I remember what Alex told me, "p-pardon me, b-but can I ask who you a-a-are?"br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / The robotic man smirks maliciously, "very well. I am Ajax. I will be working with you."/p
p style="line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;" /p
p style="line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;" "What are my rights in here? Or can I ask that?" I ask, carefully thinking of what I say to this robot... style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Ajax raises his eyebrow, "you have experience." He then laughs, "Right to food, water, clothing, medical attention, shelter, remaining silent, and knowing what is happening," He loosens my restraints a little bit, "anything else is a privilege. Did no one tell you about why you're here?"br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I shake my head, "I would like to use my right to know what the hell is happening, what are you going to do to me?" As I ask this, I feel a pinch in my right arm, as Ajax begins to take blood from my inner arm. I watch the vile fill up with the red substance as he remains style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / He stands up after a few minutes and grabs a clipboard, and quickly skims over a few pages. "You see Raven, you are very special. Now when we say that, no we don't mean special as in 'superhuman abilities.' While yes, you have unnatural abilities, like your claws, your cells can reproduce and heal faster than any disease or injury can harm you. Your biology and genetic makeup is very unique. You can heal, as well as seemingly live forever." He places the clipboard down and shows me a vile, "this contains your DNA. I am going to study it to see if your powers make you the mutant we have been looking for."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I look at him. I don't trust him, but maybe I can get some answers since it's a right, "looking for what?"br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Ajax smiles, "Experiment Xylophelium. Binding a chemical mixture of adamantium and vibranium to the entire human skeleton. Your gifts may be able to bring scientific research to a whole new level of understanding of the human body. Weapon V, I must study your DNA through your blood."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / My pulse rises again, making me able to hear my heartbeat in my ears. I'm going to die, "Why do you need me then? I mean, you have other people on the same floor as me. Why not..." I trail off as I realise what the symbol on your shirts mean. Zero, three, four, and five. One and two are style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / They have tried, and style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Ajax smiles at my realization, "prisoner zero, three, and four are not...qualified. We thought maybe the others were, we assumed wrong."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I look at him confused, and then I see what looks like a nametag on his left side. "Ajax? That's not what your nametag says."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "What are you-"br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "It says Francis. F-R-A-N-C-I-S. Francis." I say as I squint to read the letters aloud in the dim style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Francis' stare turns from neutral to pure anger in a matter of seconds. I immediately regret what I said as he tightens my restraints and lowers the table. He places a cloth in my mouth as I start yelling curses and screaming for him to back away from style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "I'm not going to kill you." Francis says as he injects my left arm with a clear fluid. He then grabs what looks like a large knife and a welding mask. "I'm just going to hurt you. Really, really, em style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important;"really/em bad."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Immediately, I feel a terrible pain rise into my left arm. I try to scream, but the cloth resists, and soon begins to choke me as I struggle. My heartbeat is rising quickly and I am entering a panic as Francis continues on my arm. All I can see is tons of red and sparks before the pain overwhelms me. My vision fades, everything stops. Am I dying? Maybe I will see Steve and Bucky again if I style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I return to the darkness where I hope to stay, but know that I never style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /-TIME SKIP-br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Pain is the first thing that registers. My left arm is throbbing with pain that pound inside of me like the drums of a marching band. I notice that I am back in my cell, and try to brace myself to sit up, except I can't seem to move my left style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Keegan?!" I hear Taylor screech from across the alleyway. I turn my head to face her. Tears are forming in both of our eyes. "Thank the Jedi Knights you're alright! I couldn't connect to you through the Force and I got so worried. Listen, don't try your arm yet."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Taylor, what did he do to me?" I ask through sobs, my arm still style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "I dunno what you did Keegan, but Ajax was furious at you. Look at your arm, how didn't you die?!" By now, the other two adolescents are at the edges of their cages, staring at me in total style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I look at my arm for the first time, and nearly throw up at the sight. Welded to my arm and covered in blood is a steel bar./p
p style="line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;" /p
p style="line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, '.SFNSText-Regular', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;" "What are my rights in here? Or can I ask that?" I ask, carefully thinking of what I say to this robot... style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Ajax raises his eyebrow, "you have experience." He then laughs, "Right to food, water, clothing, medical attention, shelter, remaining silent, and knowing what is happening," He loosens my restraints a little bit, "anything else is a privilege. Did no one tell you about why you're here?"br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I shake my head, "I would like to use my right to know what the hell is happening, what are you going to do to me?" As I ask this, I feel a pinch in my right arm, as Ajax begins to take blood from my inner arm. I watch the vile fill up with the red substance as he remains style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / He stands up after a few minutes and grabs a clipboard, and quickly skims over a few pages. "You see Raven, you are very special. Now when we say that, no we don't mean special as in 'superhuman abilities.' While yes, you have unnatural abilities, like your claws, your cells can reproduce and heal faster than any disease or injury can harm you. Your biology and genetic makeup is very unique. You can heal, as well as seemingly live forever." He places the clipboard down and shows me a vile, "this contains your DNA. I am going to study it to see if your powers make you the mutant we have been looking for."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I look at him. I don't trust him, but maybe I can get some answers since it's a right, "looking for what?"br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Ajax smiles, "Experiment Xylophelium. Binding a chemical mixture of adamantium and vibranium to the entire human skeleton. Your gifts may be able to bring scientific research to a whole new level of understanding of the human body. Weapon V, I must study your DNA through your blood."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / My pulse rises again, making me able to hear my heartbeat in my ears. I'm going to die, "Why do you need me then? I mean, you have other people on the same floor as me. Why not..." I trail off as I realise what the symbol on your shirts mean. Zero, three, four, and five. One and two are style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / They have tried, and style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Ajax smiles at my realization, "prisoner zero, three, and four are not...qualified. We thought maybe the others were, we assumed wrong."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I look at him confused, and then I see what looks like a nametag on his left side. "Ajax? That's not what your nametag says."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "What are you-"br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "It says Francis. F-R-A-N-C-I-S. Francis." I say as I squint to read the letters aloud in the dim style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Francis' stare turns from neutral to pure anger in a matter of seconds. I immediately regret what I said as he tightens my restraints and lowers the table. He places a cloth in my mouth as I start yelling curses and screaming for him to back away from style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "I'm not going to kill you." Francis says as he injects my left arm with a clear fluid. He then grabs what looks like a large knife and a welding mask. "I'm just going to hurt you. Really, really, em style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important;"really/em bad."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Immediately, I feel a terrible pain rise into my left arm. I try to scream, but the cloth resists, and soon begins to choke me as I struggle. My heartbeat is rising quickly and I am entering a panic as Francis continues on my arm. All I can see is tons of red and sparks before the pain overwhelms me. My vision fades, everything stops. Am I dying? Maybe I will see Steve and Bucky again if I style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I return to the darkness where I hope to stay, but know that I never style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /-TIME SKIP-br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / Pain is the first thing that registers. My left arm is throbbing with pain that pound inside of me like the drums of a marching band. I notice that I am back in my cell, and try to brace myself to sit up, except I can't seem to move my left style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Keegan?!" I hear Taylor screech from across the alleyway. I turn my head to face her. Tears are forming in both of our eyes. "Thank the Jedi Knights you're alright! I couldn't connect to you through the Force and I got so worried. Listen, don't try your arm yet."br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "Taylor, what did he do to me?" I ask through sobs, my arm still style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / "I dunno what you did Keegan, but Ajax was furious at you. Look at your arm, how didn't you die?!" By now, the other two adolescents are at the edges of their cages, staring at me in total style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" /br style="line-height: 1.8em; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; clear: none !important; content: margin-top: 0.8em; display: block;" / I look at my arm for the first time, and nearly throw up at the sight. Welded to my arm and covered in blood is a steel bar./p