Sorry it's been a while, had a cold and couldn't face the computer screen for a while. Anyway, I'm back now and so is Robyn!
Light. I wanted light. I wanted the warm sun and endless day until this void I was trapped in was lifted away from me, a prison in my own mind. I wanted light and heat to radiate around me until all memories of what had happened were burned away never again to be seen.
Everything was a blur. I heard voices from time to time. People carrying me places, my back resting on a stiff, straight board. For a moment I had feared that I was returning to that place where they would torture my body until I was once again broken. However, I then awoke to a soft bed, my head resting on a beautiful white pillow and warm sheets tangled around my body.
With a gentle sigh I opened my eyes and lifted my head, looking around me. I was in a medical room but I wasn't connected to any equipment, it just stood in their place silently to leave me sleep in peace. I was glad about that. If I had woken up and found myself hooked up to monitors with tubes sticking out of me, I would have freaked out.
At least I was certain of one thing. My name was Robyn. I had remembered that for definite in the void where all other memories were lost. It seemed I would have to walk through that labyrinth to try and find them all again.
Slowly I swung my legs out from the tangled sheets, rocking gently before rising to my feet, testing the waters. I seemed fine so I took a step, paused, took another then stopped. I could walk again! Smiling proudly at myself I turned around, looking at the room to search for clothes as I was only in a doctor's gown.
"Good morning ma'am. It's good to see you up on your feet." Startled I turned around, trying to find the source of the voice but the room was empty. "My name is General Hawk, I'm on voice speaker, in case you're wondering. There are some clothes for you in the closet at the end there. Feel free to dress then when you are ready, I'll send Scarlet to come and get you."
"How are you seeing me?" I asked cautiously, focusing on the loudspeaker where the voice was coming from. "How do I know you won't look?" Hawk chuckled.
"You'll be completely alone, you have my word. Press the button by your bed once you are ready." After a soft click I was left in a room of silence. Not entirely believing this strange voice I pulled a screen around my bed then changed under the sheets, wanting to keep my body to myself.
What shocked me, however, was that it wasn't my body. The moment I was dressed I flung the closet to look in the mirror and lifted my shirt. A rock solid stomach of muscle met my gaze, one I'm certain I didn't have before. I felt strange, this wasn't my body. I was sure of it. It felt wrong, too strong, too different. Dropping the white tank top I tightened the belt holding up my combats then pressed the button at the side of my bed before neatening it out. Straightening the sheets and fluffing up the pillows before turning to face the door. When I saw a little mop of ginger hair, I knew it was her.
"Hello." She smiled brightly at me. "Sleep well? You gave us quite a scare."
"I'll bet. I'm sorry. I panicked and couldn't think of any other way to get that thing out of me." I answered, hanging my head a little.
"It's okay. It's out and they can't hurt you anymore. Come on, General Hawk wants to talk to you." Sucking in a deep breath I nodded then followed after Scarlet who opened the door then began to lead the way. The corridors were long and rather complicated but thankfully there were a few signs around to help guide the way, though I was sure Scarlet didn't even glance at any one of them.
When we reached Hawk's office Scarlet knocked then opened the door after the voice gave permission for entry. "Sir, she's here." Scarlet nodded to me so I stepped in. I took in Hawk's features, instantly knowing he had once been in the military. The way he carried himself reminded me of someone else. A face I couldn't quite remember.
"Sir." I nodded to him then looked to Scarlet. "Do I salute?" She chuckled.
"No it's okay. Just relax." She advised before shutting the door firmly behind me, cutting me off from the only familiar face I knew. Hawk looked over to me from his desk then gestured to the seat opposite him.
"Come and sit down." I did as he suggested, carefully looking around the room before fixing my eyes on his. "So, Robyn. I'm told you were at the location we sent a special team to recover important information. Care to enlighten me about what happened there?"
"I wish I could sir. Truth is, I can't remember a lot. For a while I even forgot my own name." I admitted with a little shrug. "All I can remember is that I went through a lot of pain and they put a chip inside of me." I lifted my arm to show him the scar. When I looked to my own arm I gasped then looked at it a little closer, running my finger over the perfectly clear skin. "What…I don't understand."
"You healed at an extraordinary rate. Scarlet informed me that your wound healed within a minute of you inflicting it. Now I've had some of my top analysts identify that chip you so graciously gave us." I detected the sarcasm and laughing glint in his eyes and smile. "It's a form of modifying chip. My team believe that it can improve the body's electrical pulses, strengthening messages sent all over the body." I frowned. That didn't sound entirely right.
"With all due respect sir, I think they're wrong." Hawk leaned forwards, arching an eyebrow to tell me he was listening. "I woke up feeling normal but when I saw my body, it had changed. I don't feel comfortable. It feels different, alien. I think the chip modifies the body itself…I remember!" I looked up with a little smile. "Genes! It targets genes. The doctor said he'd make me a better human. I remember a little more..." I gripped my hair, trying to focus on the images that were still very fuzzy and out of sync. "He…forced us to participate in trials. There were hundreds of us. I remember people. Someone…someone was with me." I could remember that much.
"Is there anything else you can remember?" I shook my head.
"Not yet sir." Hawk nodded his head thoughtfully before pressing a button at his desk.
"Team Alpha to the bridge." To me he said. "Come with me." I rose and let him lead the way, all the way seeing tiny images flickering before my eyes, out of order and hardly understandable. Hawk walked onto the bridge and everyone instantly stood to attention until he lifted a hand and stated. "At ease." Team Alpha were already there. It was the team who rescued me.
"General." A thick bodied man I barely recognised from the plane nodded to Hawk.
"Team, you remember Robyn, don't you?" When everyone turned to look at me I instantly shrank back and looked away, swallowing nervously.
"We remember." The same guy spoke again. "What's this about?"
"It's about the chip that had been retrieved from her arm. Robyn believes it has altered her genetic structure." Instantly everyone was standing up with open mouths.
"That's impossible! Genetic moderation is generations ahead of our time."
"You haven't met a genius like Rex. Everyone thought nanotechnology was impossible. Want me to remind you how that went?" Another military based man spoke, his tags just in view of my vision. Duke. His name was Duke. How was it I was able to tell a military person just by the way the stood or walked? Did I know someone like them?
"So you're saying is this girl here, is now some super human?" Another dark skinned man frowned, then peered around at me. "Now this I got to see." He suddenly grinned then walked up to me, reaching out with a hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Rip." I backed away from him slightly, blinking at him as his hand hung out in the air.
"Easy Rip. She's shy around strangers." Hawk said, coming to my rescue.
"Nah, we're okay aren't we?" Rip grinned then placed an arm around me. Instantly I freaked out, my eyes widening. I ducked under his arm, grabbed his wrist then lifted him up to throw him away from me all in a move that was over in the blink of the eye as my vision blackened, only the sensation of moving available to me.
I retreated back as Rip landed on the floor at the other side of the room, me staring in horror at what I had done. "I…I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it!" I squeaked, gripping my wrists tightly. "I'm so sorry…"
"Don't be. It's the most amusing thing that's happened around here for a long time." The white wearing ninja answered, leaning back with a casual smirk as Scarlet helped Rip stand up.
"Man. That's some pitch you got there. You ever play baseball?" Totally freaked out by myself I trembled, unsure of what to do.
"It's alright. Just calm down." Hawk suggested. "You're among friends here. Rip's just a little more friendly than others." Hawk shot him a look which read it all. Rip held up his hands and gave an innocent grin. "Now we're going to need everything you know about what happened, from start to finish. We'll keep you here under surveillance before we take you home. After that, you're going to have to pretend none of this ever happened."
"I don't have a home." I said without even realising it. Hawk frowned at me.
"What do you mean you don't have a home?" I shrugged, unsure of what I meant.
"She doesn't have a home because she's homeless." The geek explained, looking on his tablet and continually tapping at things. "Miss Robyn Grayson has been homeless for the last eight years." Everyone stared at me. Even I frowned.
"I have?"
"Yes. Your mother died in a fire at the hostel you were staying at. You were homeless before then too." He looked up with sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry."
"But…but…where's my dad then? Why wasn't he there?" He looked down, read a little further then looked up to me again.
"Car crash." The double weight of knowing I was alone in the world hit me again. To know that your parents were dead once was painful, to hear it again after forgetting was unbearable. I turned into the centre table and slid down, unable to keep myself supported. Scarlet came to my side and rested a warm hand on my shoulder as I tried to figure out what it was I was feeling.
I didn't want to cry, I felt like I had cried too much over the years. I felt drained of tears. That's the only way I could describe it, a cold emptiness where there was nothing left of you within. "You're going to be okay." Scarlet said to me gently. "Everything will be fine." I slowly turned to look at her, my eyes dead and empty.
"I can't even remember their names or their faces." I murmured to her. With a pitying sigh Scarlet placed her arms around me and I leaned into her, blinking dumbly in shock as the others talked quietly among themselves. What was I supposed to do now? I had nothing to return to, nothing to go back to. I was stuck in a rift which was crushing me.
"You know, we could always test out your new abilities. You could try making it onto the team." Scarlet suggested suddenly, making Hawk look down at us. "Right General?"
"I don't know. We don't know the condition of this alteration Robyn has gone through. She could hurt herself mentally. Then there's the possibility of an override. What if Cobra somehow manages to get control of her again?"
"They won't." I said boldly, looking up at him. "I won't let them."
"As much as I believe you, I can't take your determination as enough to guarantee the safety of my people." He continued to look down at me, tilting his head slightly. "However, I am confident that my team will have the combined strength to contain you should you go off the hook." He smiled warmly down at me. "Alright. Scarlet? I'll let you take care of her." I stood up, a small smile on my lips as I faced the General.
"Thank you sir. I won't let you down." I promised then gave him a salute. I blinked after a moment, puzzled at how I knew how to salute. I looked at my hand in confusion then back to Hawk who saluted back then called out to everyone else.
"As you were." When he left, Scarlet took me by the hand to turn me back to face her.
"So. Try outs for the team. You ready?" I nodded my head but then felt a stabbing pain in my stomach.
"Sure. Just one request." I bit my lip. "Can we get something to eat first?"