The One Who Survived
Chapter 4
Cirro couldn't think anymore. She had been running through the factory for such a long time she forgot even where to go. In truth, all she was doing was letting her formless instincts guide her. Dark cascades of the rock painted halls engulfed Cirro for so long she was completely lost. Lost. That word had haunted Cirro for such a long time. She had been battling both her hearts. The dark side was, of coarse, pressuring Cirro to listen and learn from Mandarin. It had said to her before, "Trust only those that teach you his dark ways." And in a early time of life for Cirro, she was as lost as a very young child and could only find comfort in her dark heart's words.
But as the days past, Cirro's mind grew more open. And that was the breaking point for her other heart. The heart that a boy once, and still, possessed. Why did this have to happen to me? Cirro thought as she soared through the halls, passing and pushing down any clone she may of encountered.
"excellent job, Cirro. See what that bad temper of yours does?" A toneless voice screamed inside of her.
"But it wasn't my fault," Cirro screamed back in her mind. "Chira was just asking for a fight!" After a long very pregnant moment of silence, the toneless voice comebacked saying,
"Oh, poor thoughtless Cirro. Do you not realize Master Mandarin will find out sooner or later? What will you do then? You know he won't tolerate begging…especially for forgiveness. And besides, if he doesn't find you first, he'll find Chira covered in injuries. And her being in your cell won't help." Cirro knew the voice was right, but what was she to do? She defiantly couldn't go back to her cell. And Chira, as soon as she could find Mandarin, would rat out on her.
Cirro made a left down a mineral tunnel, running into two regular Chiro clones. They were both talking happily, enjoying each others company. But when they both caught the sight of the disoriented girl, the two sucked themselves up against the wall, faces of terror written publicly. But just as before, Cirro didn't mind. It was in her nature to be careless when she wanted to be, and plus her situation helped out a great deal. After about 10 more minutes of running, Cirro collapsed to the floor, to weak to run. Besides, what good was running? Master Mandarin would find her sooner or later even if she ran farther. He would always find her.
"What have I done?" Cirro miserably whispered to herself. She rolled tiredly onto her torso and pushed her face into the cold ground. Cirro felt like crawling under a rock and dying would be the best thing compared to Mandarin's punishment as soon as he found her. And without another action of thought, Cirro started to bawl. She couldn't help it. She knew that her master would torture her for the physical contact of another clone. What would it be this time? Cirro was too smart to think Mandarin would put her to sleep. No, that was mere child's play compared to what she would surly receive. Maybe she'd be forced to swallow molten rock or have to be beaten by a mace or an axe.
"How could I be so foolish?" Cirro bawled out. She was screaming again. And as hard as she would try to muffle the cries, it still came out heavily and loud. The world was now a haze as all Cirro could hear was shouting coming from behind in the hall, getting louder as the owners of the cries came closer.
"H-here t-t-they c-come," She stifled. That just made her cry harder. She struggled to bring air back into her lungs and hiccupped at every attempt.
"Yes, child. Here they come," A familiar voice sturdily said. At recognizing the voice, Cirro froze. She lay there like a slug as Mandarin went on saying, "Now, my dear, you will pay for the crimes you have committed." Mandarin's harsh tone sent the words rolling of his tongue, making Cirro mentally shake in her core. He violently wrapped his gigantic purple hands around Cirro's tiny wrists and pulled her up, getting nothing but a moan of pain from the girl.
"I am terribly sorry it had to be this way. But you chose your own actions, my dear," Mandarin hissed. Cirro did nothing as her master pulled the girl onto his humped back, and carried her off.
Cirro didn't know how long Mandarin was carrying her back, to his lab possibly, but that gave her time to think farther on her punishment. It was very quiet during the walk, Cirro becoming more and more restless which each of Mandarin's heavy footsteps.
"What will it be this time?" Her scared mind quietly said. Cirro couldn't think anymore. The stress for what Mandarin had planned for her was taking its toll on Cirro. She wriggled here and there, to shake her sleeping legs awake, and received a slight bump from Mandarin. But soon, the mutant simian had successfully carried his prized clone to his lab. And so began Cirro's torture.
Mandarin harshly dumped the child down on a silver examination table, the touch activated bonds quickly wrapping themselves around Cirro's wrists and ankles. She struggled at her bonds.
"What are you going to do to me, Master Mandarin?" she said in a small frightened tone. Mandarin was gathering supplies from an operating table nearby. Cirro struggled more. "Please master! I must know!" She cried out. Mandarin simply turned on the girl, holding a large jar of blood, just in case. It only made Cirro more anxious.
"This shall be your punishment," Mandarin slugged out. Then, the her master moved back to the operating table, and brought a gleaming saw into Cirro's view.
"No, please!" Cirro cried. This was not the punishment she had hoped, or even knew, about. This would be far worse. And just because her temper had gotten the best of her. So now, Cirro laid there, bloody and injured, and already writhing for escape. Mandarin only gave out a murderous laugh and moved closer, a twisted smile of pure deadly pleasure etched across his face. He softly put the sharp blade across Cirro's torso, and pushed down. For the rest of the endless night, the cloning factory was filled with Cirro's blood curdling screams.
Author's Notes: This was a masterpiece! Dark in some points, but WAY more serious than the episode. R&R!