CHAPTER 16: MIND CONTROL

While Neva was sleeping Morgan went throughout the halls. Many people gasped in amazement as she passed but she paid no attention. She was going back to the lab. She wished to talk to her creators.

When she got there the four were there, the assistant was obviously gone. They looked bored, worse even then when they had waited for them to awaken. Typing on their keyboards, clicking on their mice, they just didn't seem terribly motivated. Morgan overheard what one of them was saying. She smiled.

"God, it's so boring here. Now that those two are gone everything's so boring. We can't look over our shoulders and see them gently sleeping. I mean, what's all this junk they've put here? This is just to keep us occupied…" said Mark.

"Yeah, the betting was way fun. You guys never did pay me." Retaliated Bob.

"Would you guys shut up? I mean seriously, we can always clone some other pokémon. Maybe we'll do a Tyrannitar next time. I miss them too, but for God's sake it's only been about a week since we last saw them. Perhaps they'll come visit." Told Mary.

Morgan just stood there, in the doorway, smiling slightly at this. Soon John saw her and returned to his work with a smile on his face. He would tell them about her presence, soon she knew, if they didn't see her. But what was this of being cloned? Were they not created? But cloned? Were they one and the same?

"Ahem…you may not have noticed guys, but we have a visitor." He said.

They others turned to the doorway, and though they were silent their eyes shone with joy. As Morgan walked to them at their stations she looked at them with a question in her eyes. When she stood in front of her tube in which she had been grown in she asked a question in which they were more than reluctant to answer.

(We were cloned? That means we were created from the DNA of another. I know you interlaced a great amount of data in us about the world and of science which I have yet to sort out, but you didn't say anything about us being cloned.)

"…You were cloned…we were ordered not to say anything about it…" said Bob uneasily.

(Why?)

"You aren't supposed to know. It's as simple as that. Say nothing you four. She and Neva are not to know."

It was the Boss's assistant. He had come in the lab to check on how things were going but indeed, Morgan was there, wheedling answers out of them. He had to stop it. But Morgan had other plans.

(You will NOT keep the truth from ME! I WILL know it. Someday…but perhaps this is not the day. I'll come some other time. In the meantime, I'm willing to except that this never happened. Agreed?)

"Agreed." He replied. But this sudden show of force disturbed him. He would make sure though that the Boss would not know. His head would be on a platter if this were discovered. They weren't to know the freedom or the outside world.

And so the clone left. The scientists uneasily returned to their original tasks.

Until the next visit…they were sure to be bored. The assistant left and a conversation began.

"Well that was completely unexpected. A nice break from this virtual paperwork though." Said Bob trying to lighten things up.

"How can you even say that? We were nearly busted by them both!" cried Mary.

"I hope Neva's got a better personality. Maybe she'll want to learn dirty humor." Said Mark playfully.

"Don't you dare! Besides you don't seem one to know any," told Mary.

"Doubt she'd like that anyway." Responded John.

So they conversed a light conversation concerning the two when the Boss walked in. The grim look on his face made them hush. Almost casually he told of the battles, which they were astounded to hear, and ended his accounts with a controlled anger in his voice. Then, he told them of his plans for Neva, and announced to their horror that they would be the ones to do it. It was wrong, sick, and something that had never been done before. They knew that it was just the thing he'd do.

Tomorrow it would be done.

Neva woke to the sound of someone entering the room. Was Morgan finally back? But...that did not sound like Morgan. She opened her eyed and saw with horror someone leaning over her. Suddenly she felt the figure press something to her mouth. Someone was trying to suffocate her! She struggled to break free but as she did she breathed in the fumes that were coming out of the mask, and she realized with horror that whoever this was they were not trying to suffocate her but make her breath those fumes. But soon darkness took her and she was carried out the door of her home…

When Morgan woke up early in the day Neva was not there. She was not sure what had awakened her but she knew something was going on. It the air she smelled a whiff of a strange gas there. And as see looked at Neva's bed she noticed that the blankets were all thrown this way and that as if in a struggle. This worried Morgan.

What had happened? Quickly she exited her home and looked for signs of where Neva had gone off. But then she had a better idea. Why not try to sense Neva? She rarely used those powers of her outside battle but was this not worth it?

She struggled to locate her sister. Surprisingly she was in the genetics laboratory.

Had she gone to visit the creators? Morgan sensed that was not the case. What else could she possible be there for though? She floated quickly a few inches off the ground to the wide window that looked down into the laboratory. Soon Morgan saw Neva. But it was not what she had expected.

Neva was lying on her belly, strapped down by various cords and belts to a steel table. Her head was raised a bit, and Morgan could see that she was unconscious. That gas she had smelled must have been knockout gas. She also noticed the group of people around Neva, masks on their faces and great white gloves on their hands. If she had been introduced to television she might have known that this was the clothes that surgeons wore, but being neglected any contact with the outside world, she didn't do anything but watched. She saw, with a bit of fear, that the humans had some really strange looking instruments, sort of liked the forks and knifes that the two had somewhat used for eating.

Then, too her complete horror, the human began to cut open the skin on the back of Neva's head! Soon, Morgan could see the Neva's somewhat bloody skull. She felt sick. Morgan didn't wish to watch what was next but she could not avert her eyes. Using another strange device the humans drilled a hole in Neva's skull. Shining a light into it, the doctors, and Morgan also, could see the large brain in which Neva had. Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of them hand something to the human that was closest to Neva. A small metal chip, Morgan realized, was being placed in Neva's brain! What in the world would it do? After that little procedure, the humans put in place a little bone- like structure, which was to replace the bone lost in getting to Neva's brain. Making sure it would securely in place, the humans then folded up Neva's skin, and rubbed upon the gash, a substance that healed the flesh. But forever would Neva bear that scar, a long line of shiny white skin. The proceeded done, the humans cleaned Neva up, which at this point Neva had realized that they weren't trying to really hurt Neva, and took off their masks and gloves.

Anger and rage took Morgan then. Those humans were their creators! How DARE they! Morgan had thought them friends…how wrong she had been. This place was filled with shadows of deception. How was she to live in such a place?

As she watched them wheel Neva away, the answer came to her mind. To live in shadows, she must become a shadow. Darkness swept over her, and she realized that after this, she could never be the same again.

But what about Neva? What had happened to her? Soon, she would find out…

Neva woke up in her bed to find Morgan not there. Where had she gone? Was she in another battle?

She was tired. Very tired. What had she possible done last night to cause this?

But as she tried to remember, a head-splitting headache toke her. She gasped in pain and brought her hands to her head. Clutching it the pain began to subside, and she became aware of the door opening. Taking her hands down she looked up to see Morgan looking at her strangely. She noticed quickly that there seemed to be something different about her…

(The Boss wants you. I think he wishes you to fight. You should go now.) (Huh?) Said the confused Neva.

(The Boss wants you to fight again. Go!)

Neva got up stiffly from her bed, her legs nearly failing under her, then floated out the door and into the training area. Morgan quickly followed her. Soon, the Boss came into sight with little emotion on his face. But to Morgan he looked a bit excited.

"Scarlet Neva, your opponent. Mr. Ikiuro release your tempered Ice pokémon and let her handle it. Its behavior over the past few days is unacceptable."

"But sir…my pokémon's…she's going through heat!"

"Be quiet. Release her!"

"…Fine."

The boy was very young for a thug. Neva had never challenged an Ice type before. In fact, this would be her second battle, but like before she wouldn't kill it. There was no way she would…

"Glaclie, go! Use you're Ice attacks only. Use Power Snow!"

So Neva's second battle started. It was much like before, but now the gym was beginning to be covered in a few feet of snow. Neva had never seen snow before, so white and pure, but soon a twist was going to be added that would terrorize Neva in her dreams for longer then she could count.

"Scarlet Neva! Quit staling; KILL IT!" yelled the Boss.

Neva's world was changed then. She found herself not in control of her own body; it was as though someone else was moving her. She punched, she used psychic powers, she kicked, and she fought with everything she had. Soon, the ground was covered in the blood of the Glaclie, and it lay dead at her feet. Neva had truly lived up to her name in this bloody battle…

Then, suddenly, she was in control again. With horror she flew into her room and to the shower, turning it up on a scalding hot. But Neva didn't care; all she wanted to do was wash the blood of her hands and body. Even though the blood had been cleaned from her, Neva would always have it on her, like the scar she had not noticed on the back of her head. Suddenly, the water shut off. When the steam cleared Neva saw Morgan there, looking at her with a look in her eyes that Neva did not recognize.

(You'll burn yourself by putting it on that hot.) (I don't care but…thank you…)

(You're welcome. Some humans are cleaning the gym right now. Afterwards do you want to spare?) Asked Morgan.

(Sure. Why not?)

(Neva…know that it wasn't you who killed it. Know that okay?)

(Thank you for the words of comfort.)

(You're my sister.)

Neva smiled. Yes, they were sisters. For now, that was all that mattered…