Sorry I haven't updated in. . . over a year. I have decided not to abandon this story because I actually known where I want it to go so I've decided to make time for writing. I plan to try to update at least once a week from now on.
Fierce POV
Everything changes in an instant. One moment everything is perfect and you are flying among the clouds, rejoicing and the next you are hit by rain like shards of glass, shattering the illusion. Then you realize those clouds were storm clouds, ticking bombs waiting to shatter the illusion of security.
The morning began nicely, golden sunrise, singing birds. I woke to the smell of bacon and eggs. Blinking sleep from my eyes I meandered down to the kitchen where a small crowd had already gathered in anticipation of the food.
"Good morning!" Angel smiled perkily.
"Morning." Chibi walked over and I picked her. "Good morning, you're up early today."
"Fri-fri I'm cold." Shivering, she burrowed her face into my shoulder. Her body seemed to radiate heat. A twinge of worry hit me but quickly vanished. It was nothing. Sure we mutants hardly ever get sick, but nothing says we can't.
What about expiration?
No. Not possible. Absolutely no freaking way. I swept her hair off the back of her neck which was already drenched in sweat. A silent breath of relief escaped my lips. Just normal disease. There are some advantages to living with a semi-doctor, even in a three bedroom house stuffed with 15 people and three dogs.
"Dr. Martinez? Could you look at Chibi? She has a fever." At this Jeb snapped his head up. I didn't like Jeb. In my personal opinion, once a whitecoat, always a whitecoat. But unfortunately he had saved my life, was related to both Max and Misty, and trusted by Dr. Martinez so we were stuck with him. Dr. Martinez rested her hand on Chibi's burning forehead.
"She defiantly has a fever, go ahead and set her down on the couch while I go get my stuff." When she was out of the room Jeb spoke up.
"How long has she been like this? What color are her eyes?" Suppressing irritation I glared at him. He had an annoying habit of poking into other peoples' business.
"Obviously she's only been sick since this morning or else someone would have noticed sooner. And-" I stopped speaking as Jeb pushed me out of the way and began examining Chibi, muttering under his breath.
"Dilated pupils, red eyes, but where are the burns?" I narrowed my eyes. What right did he have to observe her like a science experiment? "Ah, here." My eyes moved on their own accord, drawn to the spot he was pointing to. Marring the pale skin on her right ankle was a small red patch of burned and blistered skin, yet the most alarming was that the burn seemed to come from under the skin, as if a fire was branding her from inside.
No. Grey pooled at the edges of my vision. The burn seemed to be expanding as we watched.
Almost two years ago, I crouch cramped in dog crate, arms straining through the bars, yet still unable to reach. I count the seconds between each breath. The seconds drag longer now, punctured by the ticking of the sterile white clock. Each second clicks by cold and unfeeling in this dark place where children die. One two three. . . forty forty-one. A single shallow breath. Only a few minutes now.
It had started yesterday with sweat and an odd burn. A burn that seemed to radiate from the inside. Tawny's hand reaching into the cage confirmed a fever. The passing day and consequential night brought more larger burns and a temperature hot enough to hurt. The tips of Tawny's fingers glowed a faint red when pulled back into the cage. At first there had been crying, sharp wails of a child that pierced like glass. Life flowing out like blood.
But today the room is silent. I watch, alone as each tiny movement of the infant's chest grows smaller than the last. The others are gone, taken for testing. And here we are, alone, a helpless girl and a dying infant without even a hand of comfort. He would die alone, like so many in this awful place.
The door swung open revealing a whitecoat. He regarded me coolly and stooped to observe the baby opposite me. With a single click the lock was unlatched and the door flung open. Careful hands grasped a downy wing extending it and observing as it collapsed upon itself when released.
"Please." A whisper of sorrow, begging the ice to have pity. The whitecoats know what is happening. I could tell from the gleeful looks on their faces when they saw the burns. The exclamations of 'it's working!' and then the disappointment when everything had slid downhill. Earlier this morning they had discussed stopping whatever was happening. The Professor said no, better to watch and study the demise. A cruel verdict placing knowledge above life. To him we are expendable, worth no more than ants crushed under foot.
A glint of what I hoped was compassion crosses the whitecoat's face, a glimmer of melting ice. Yet as quick as it appeared it was gone; humanity vanishes in the presence of science. I throw all of my weight against my bars with the reward of a throbbing shoulder. Not an inch of movement toward the spot where the whitecoat stands. Again. No change. Another rattle, this one catches his attention and he whirls knocking my cage with his clipboard. I feel the cage smash into the floor. My body aches from the collision, but I have reached my goal.
A single hand reaches through the bars, coming to rest on a tiny infant wrist. The scientist tries roughly to push the hand away. He is greeted with claws that slash his face. Bleeding and cursing he stumbles away, most likely to find something to punish the offending hand.
Less than a minute later the infant's heart stops beating. Only a single crystal tear falls, growing up in the Academy dulls emotions. But what will I do when the other one grows up. Do I tell her that her brother died because people refused to show compassion for us? That they kill because to them we are worthless?
Rough hands pull the child away, all care gone now that he is dead. This time I don't fight. I bang around inside my cage as I endure the kicking. In this moment I know for a fact we have to get out of here, yet I had no inkling that it would take nearly two years and two more losses for escape to come true.
"Fix her! Your the whitecoat! Don't let her die!" Not pleading, demanding, I'd learned that pleas get you nowhere with whitecoats.
"What's going on?" Max demanded. I ignored her and watched Jeb who shook his head with fake sorrow.
"I wish I could help, truly I do, but the antidote for the chemical KDFIX3F was only produced one time. That single vial, along with its ingredients, is the sole property of the Professor since he didn't want anyone to attempt to save the other experiment."
"I thought you said you didn't know anything about the Academy!" Max again. Jeb's reply was lost in the clatter of falling glass. My wings pulled desperately as I struggled to get away as fast as possible. Hugging Chibi to my chest I turned toward the Academy. By the time everyone had processed where I was going I would be long gone.
In a blur Max barreled into me.
Damn I forgot she had super speed.
"What are you doing? If you go back there you'll just get both of you killed!" She flew around in front of me to block.
"Move."
"Be rational! You won't help anyone this way." I could understand her point, and I got it. From her side what I was doing was reckless and harmful. She needed all the help she could find to save the world and one of her allies was about to sacrifice herself for a lost cause. If I was in her place I would react the same way. But I'm not.
"What would you do if it was Angel?" This caused her to pause and I knew she understood. To her Chibi was a tragic child, one of the many poor mutants that needed saving, but to me Chibi was almost a daughter. My voice was calm, yet serious as I spoke, "I don't want to hurt you but I will if I have to." She nodded and moved to the side. "Please don't follow me. Nobody else needs to risk their life, and tell Falcon I specifically I don't want anyone to come." The distance between us grew wider as I continued forward and she turned back toward the others.
"I promise I'll save you."
Once again, I am so very sorry for the long wait. Please continue to read!~Bambi