Siren's Institution for Halves

[Kei]

Silence.

It was almost deafening, invading ears and spreading into the deep recesses of their minds. So silent, the smallest noise could be heard. And just like that, it was broken. Soft sounds of scuffling feet, and rasp breathing filled the stagnant air. A small drop of liquid fell on the ground, audible despite the other noises that had begun to take up what was once silence.

And then... a voice. Gruff, familiar...and filled with hatred.

無益な子供

" Worthless child.."

I....I tried my best....

私達と住むことを値しない。私 達の名前に恥を持って来た。

"You've shamed us. A child as pathetic
as you does not deserve
to live in this house."

But....I....

"Hey."

Who...Who is that?

"Get up. Isn't it time you stop lying around?"

........

There was a brief pause of silence, and then a soft steady beeping noise, mimicing the beats of his heart. The sounds progressively became louder, now mingled with the sound of people murmuring. The boy slowly opened his eyes, finding himself in an unfamiliar room. He looked to the side, noticing a tall male with blue hair standing there..looking down at him.

"Ah... Good to see you survived, Railet Kasanori." he said, his voice quiet and almost shy. "Welcome... to Siren. I hope you find your stay here....pleasant." he finished. With that, he left. Leaving this boy back to his own thoughts.

With a groan he sat up, pulling the IV cords from his wrist, the machine making an extending beep as no pulse was found. It took a minute to recognize the changes he had experienced. There were ears on his head instead of on the side, he now sported a tail..And the markings. What was the meaning of these markings and why did they cover his body?

"Si...ren...." he muttered, listening to the nurses outside fussing and chatting about patients, work, and all sorts of things. From where he stood, he could see these nurses. Young girls, all dressed in the same uniform.. But they also had these changes, these markings.

"This... This is my new home...."

[Zairu]

"Alright! Classes are out for a week!" Nineteen-year-old Zairu Khos yelled in triumph as she leapt down the remaining steps that lead to the building she had just exited from. Arms pumped over her head in triumph, she landed lightly on her feet before spinning around to look at the figure she had left behind.

With her slimmer build, black hair that curled into large curls, violet eyes and...there was no other way to put it...lack of height, Chiwi Zetsfir was Zairu's best friend. Zairu, on the other hand, had dark brown wavy hair and blue grey eyes, while her height at 5'9 slighty dwarfed her friend. Though her build wasn't slim, it wasn't bulky either, but toned from the amount of exercise she and Chiwi did while out camping and hiking.

At the moment, she was dressed in some worn jeans and a baggy shirt that barely spoke of what her actual figure was. Sandals strapped to her ankles poked out from beneath the denim and a backpack strap was slung onto one shoulder, giving a glimpse of how she actually was. Zairu was never one for tight clothing and preferred to not be noticed, body-wise, which since the time she hit puberty had caused her to cover up.

Right now, though, she wouldn't have cared if she were parading half-naked through the campus of which they attended! A week break had come up and they both actually got the week off from work! It was fantastic!

"I can't wait to get going on our trip!" She grabbed Chiwi's hands and spun around a couple times before spinning off by herself, "We've been planning it for months and finally we can go! I didn't think Dr. Jun would actually agree to me being away for a week!"

As they walked the campus grounds, talking about what they planned to do while hiking a new trail they had discovered on their last excursion, Zairu checked her watch and grinned at her friend, "Well...if we want to get started today, we better go get our stuff. I'll call you before I leave so we can meet half-way, alright?"

Waving to her friend, she set off at a light jog towards her house, her long hair swishing and falling in front while her backpack jangled from its zippers. Upon reaching her house, she didn't even bother to try to see if the door was unlocked because she knew no one was home. Being the only child of two parents who worked for who knew how long, it was very rare that they were home when she was at this time of day. Opening the door, she still called out as she stepped in,

"I'm home!"

Walking into the kitchen, she saw a note on the table and picked it up, giving a little all-knowing smirk as she read what her mother had wrote.

Zairu,

Your father and I both have business trips this week and possibly next, so we don't know when we'll be back. There should be enough food in the fridge until we return, if not there's some emergency money in the cupboard.

Do well in your classes!

Mom and Dad

"M'kay." Zairu said idly as she scribbled on the back of the note she would be gone for the week with Chiwi to go hiking and camping, just in case they decided to return home before she did, before running up to her room. There, she changed into some hiking boots, knee-high socks, shorts, a sleeveless shirt, and braided her hair before trying a bandanna over it. Putting on sunscreen, she grabbed the backpack she had bought especially for her excursions. With a quick check to make sure she had everything--changes of clothes, sleeping bag, tent, toiletries, rope, knife, etc.--she cantered down the stairs and was out the door, locking it behind her.

Walking down the road, she soon caught up with Chiwi and gave the other girl a mischevious smirk, "What? No Rukino trying to make your reconsider being alone for a week with me?"

Rukino, Chiwi's sister, was notorious for being suspicious of anyone who got within twenty feet of her sister. Especially of the male kind. Zairu, with her past history and rumors, had been the less than perfect friend for someone as "innocent and pure" as Chiwi. It seemed inevitable that the two would never see eye-to-eye, especially with Zairu adding fuel to the fire by acting as people thought her to be, but they soon came to an understanding. Rukino now trusted Zairu around Chiwi without 24/7 supervision, but that didn't stop Zairu from sometimes joking about the obvious 'sister complex' surrounding Rukino.

"This is going to be so great!" Zairu sighed as they exited the town and were trekking towards the mountain range, "A week out there using our wits and survival instincts, but having a hell of a good time doing it!"

Perhaps if Zairu truly knew how truly her words rang about using their survival instincts, perhaps she would not have been so eager to be alone in the wilderness where anything could happen. Including that which could change her and Chiwi's life permanently.

[Chiwi]

"Heck yes, I'm psyched!" Chiwi shouted back, leaping down the stairs after her friend.

As she paused next to her friend, she looked up at her for a brief moment before running her fingers through her messy hair. Last night and that morning, Chiwi had spent devoted to preparing for the trip, and had almost been late to her exams.

Chiwi's clothes for today were Rukino's old clothes; her sister had grown out of them as a freshman in high school, but Chiwi had not grown since her last year in middle school. The shirt she wore was a faded orange T-Shirt, with nigh on illegiable writing on the front. The jeans she wore, despite the fact it was now Spring Break and getting quite warm, were dark, with faded marks and some stains; they were fraying at the bottoms, near the heels, from where they drug against the ground from Chiwi's lack of height.

Spinning around with Zairu, Chiwi jumped around a few times as her friend released her, laughing. "I know what you mean!" replied Chiwi. "I didn't think Dr. Xakarai would ever give me the whole week off. He looked like he might die when I asked him."

They started walking home and talking about the excursion of theirs. It was Chiwi's suspicion that the trail eventually lead to the rocky, cliiff-lined coast, which Chiwi had not found a good trail to yet.

So when Zairu and her parted ways to prepare, Chiwi bolted home. Not only was she trying to hurry, so that she could meet her friend, but to avoid meeting her older sister, Rukino, before she left.

While Chiwi knew her sister generally meant well, Rukino often created a big fuss out of nothing and if she knew that Chiwi was going off for a week with Zairu, she would have pretty much tried to lock Chiwi in a closet for the week instead. While Rukino-Zairu relations had much improved since the pair had first met, but they still left a lot to be desired.

Opening the door as quietly as she could, Chiwi slid inside her house, where her mother was standing. Her mother just smiled and said, "You're still alright; your sister hasn't made it home yet."

Grinning, Chiwi shouted "Thanks, Mom!" and bolted up the stairs. Most of her things were already gathered, such as a change of clothes that was sealed safely in a bag, two knives, a medium coil of rope, repelling gear for both her and Zairu, and some all terrain matches, among other things; all she had to worry about was packing up some food and remembering to bring the tent. Hiking boots dangling from one of the straps of her hiking bag, Chiwi dumped her other stuff on the bed, grabbed the pre-scribbled note for Rukino (which she slid under her sister's door) as well as her supplies, and disappeared down the stairs in a flurry. Coming to rest in the kitchen, Chiwi shouted, "Hey, is there anything in particular you don't want me to take?!"

Appearing in the opposite doorway, her mother replied, "Nope." The unexpected caused her daughter to start for a moment, but soon Chiwi was packing supplies like there was a flood coming.

When her mother caught sight of the shirt she was wearing, she shook her head and said, "I really wish you wouldn't wear that silly anarchy shirt of your sister's. She stopped wearing it for a reason you know."

Glancing down at the lettering, which said "I have nothing so I'm free," Chiwi just shrugged and replied, "You know I don't pay attention to what I'm wearing; besides, I'm only going hiking, its not like any one important is going to see it."

From the other room, Chiwi heard a frustrated shout and a hand slam into some piece of furniture, most likely a desk. "What's up with Dad this time?"

Sighing, her mother shook her head, frowning, "That Noikero company. He swears up and down that they're up to no good, but he just hasn't found proof yet and can't get people to listen to him."

Chiwi nodded in understanding. She shared the same general sentiments of the company, although sometimes she though her father was a bit overzealous in the matter.

After she had finished packing up, Chiwi tied up her hair in a pony tail and pulled a black bandana over top of it. Shaking her head vigorously for a moment, she said farewell to her mother, and quickly doned all her equipment.

Although Chiwi knew she would be a bit ahead of Zairu, she started out anyways, slowing down once she had passed the Rukino zone. Naturally, the first the Zairu mentioned when they met up was her somewhat overprotective sister.

"Well, uhhh, the funny thing is.... I didn't exactly mention it to her..." Chiwi half-mumbled, finding sudden interest in the ground before them.

As soon as they were out of the town, though, Chiwi's demeanour changed almost instantly. She grinned at Zairu's comment, and thought to herself, Nothing like a fight for survival to make you feel alive.

After a moment, Chiwi paused to replace the shoes she had been wearing with her hiking boots, stuffing the old ones in her bag. Taking a drink of water, the two were again on their way.

Without much event, other than some conversation between Chiwi and her friend, the two went along the winding trail; eventually they found the new one, but the sun was beginning to dip low into the sky, so they traveled another two miles before setting up camp in a small patch of grass that was just off the road.

After setting down her bag and quickly pitching her tent, Chiwi began to search for tinder and small sticks to start a fire with.

[Zairu]

"Well, I hope you left a note explaining where you are." Zairu laughed when Chiwi divulged that she hadn't told her sister, "Otherwise I'm going to come home to the house in shambles, disgruntled parents, and possibly the police. And that's only if Ruki doesn't decided to come charging up the mountain to take you back...though I think your parents will be more than a match for her."

Chuckling, she let her gait fall into a slightly fast-paced stride that would cut long distances, but keep her from getting tired for a long time. She waited while Chiwi changed her boots, Zairu already having done so at her house, before they continued their trek to the mountains. Zairu took it a deep breath, letting her chest swell to its maximum before breathing out, delighting in the fresh taste the air was leaving in the back of her mouth.

The trail they took was long and winding, with little covering to begin with, so by the time they had entered a shaded area both were slightly glistening with sweat. Taking a swig of water, Zairu helped Chiwi in finding the trail they had decided to take, finding it slightly obscured by a few low-sweeping pine branches. It was apparent that the trail wasn't used as much, but still it showed signs that it hadn't been that way for too long a time. The pine branches must have made it so those who weren't watching, would pass right by it. Perfect for Zairu and Chiwi, who liked to explore old trail paths that many didn't tred anymore.

Looking up into the sky that a clearing conveniently gave, Zairu noted that their time in finding the trail had cost them time and they would have to camp in a few hours. For a couple hours, they walked the trail, pointing out when they saw the mountain wildlife, while also looking for signs of bear or puma.

Zairu slowed her walk when she noted something out of the corner of her eye. It had been a sudden glint that seemed out of the ordinary. Turning her head towards it, seeing if she could get a better look at it, she found it gone. She tilted her head quizzically, eyebrows furrowing together as she thought about what it could have been that had caught her attention. Looking back at Chiwi, she dismissed it as a chance sunray hitting with their watches.

With the sun sinking lower into the mountains, and the nightlife beginning to stir, they stopped off in a clearing by the side of the road made especially for camping. Zairu went to work on helping Chiwi find wood for the campfire, and starting it, before looking to put her tent up. Unrolling her sleeping bag and taking out a sweater to put on, she sat by the campfire as she grabbed some food from her backback. Her stomach had begun to rumble an hour before, and was now gurgling in happiness on finding sustenance entering.

When the first pangs of hunger subsided, Zairu noted something that she hadn't thought about before. The woods...they were really quiet. Too quiet for what should have been more chirping and hooting than there was. Still, looking at Chiwi, she shrugged it off and continued to laugh and talk with her friend. It had been a long time since it was just the two of them and Zairu treasured the moments. Not that she didn't like being around other people, but Chiwi was her first real friend. That bond was different, nearly family, but not quite. Zairu liked that. She could be herself without thinking that she might be being judged.

"So how's your father doing with that Noikero Company?" Zairu asked, finishing up her dinner, "He still trying to figure out what they're doing? My parents are interested, but their companies are too closely tied for them to do anything that wouldn't jeopardize their jobs."

[Kei]

"Wakey, wakey! It's time to get up for class!!" an energetic voice shouted out, standing at the foot of a rather tall bed. The voice belonged to a small girl, barely 7, with short blue hair and the cuteness of a thousand bears, cats and puppies...until she smiles. She smiled down at the male in bed, watching as he turned to face her with no expression. However, that was a big mistake. He groaned, slowly opening his eyes, to be greeted by the sight of razor sharp teeth, arranged in a semi-cute grin. He jumped up, backing away from the sight before realizing it was just the girl.

"Mei-ri! How many times do I have to tell you NOT to wake me up like that!?" He protested, shaking a bit of hair from his face. He sighed slightly as she laughed and pointed to the clock.

"You'll be laaaattteee~" she said in a sing-sung voice. Smiling, she stood by the clock, rocking back and forth on her heels as the young boy rushed around his room to get his uniform and other items. He stopped for a moment, looking back at her then at the clock, his anger beginning to rise.

"Mei-ri.....I don't have class until 5:30. YOU WOKE ME UP 5 HOURS BEFORE CLASS!!!" he shouted, just as she ran out of the room with a laugh. Aggrivated, he threw the uniform onto the ground near his feet, running a hand through his spiked hair.

"....That dream again... It's already been 3 years.......Ugh, I'm going back to sleep." he finished, laying back down on the bed. He laid there staring at the ceiling for a while before finally going to sleep.

-----------------Elsewhere-------------------

" So...Who are the next 'victims' ? All of our previous subjects have been taken." a voice said, with a tone of questioning.

"Oh, I've got my next subjects decided already." another voice replied as the owner brought two photos on screen. "These two should do nicely..." He finished, leaving with the other person, the photo still up on display. A photo of two girls, one with black curly hair and a smaller, slimmer build then the photo adjacent to it. A taller girl with brown wavy hair.

Our new subjects.....This will be fun...

[Chiwi]

Chiwi's search for fire tinder was not long, and soon they had a small fire to keep them warm for the night. Then, she set up her tent and sleeping bag opposite of Zairu, with the length of it against the fire to help her stay warm. Digging through her pack, she found a light jacket that she shrugged on. Even during the spring the nights are cold, largely because of the breeze coming in from the ocean. And it was also strangely quite for the spring time. Although not many animals often approached their campsites (other than a few squirrels, of course), the birds' songs were very few and, it felt to Chiwi at times, nonexistent.

Shaking herself slightly, Chiwi swept her worries aside. Even if things were a little quieter than normal, what could that possibly mean? Following her friend's lead, Chiwi rummaged around in her backpack to pull out a peanut butter sandwich and some beef jerky, which she ate as she talked to Zairu.

"Yeah, he keeps sending them all sorts of letters, asking them what their real purpose is. He still doesn't believe that we should have got that vaccine they came out with, but what choice did we have? Its not like they would have let us back into school if we refused to get it. Though I don't really agree with all their practices, my dad rather blames them for a lot of the problems right now. His most famous speech is the one about how if they really wanted to help, they would help reduce crime rates. More and more disappearances with nothing in common, murder rates rising. But that could be for any number or reasons really."

Sighing, she leaned back and streached before continuing, "My only problem with them so far is that they are too much of a monopoly. As you said, it seems everyone's jobs these days are somehow tied to the Noikero company." Then she yawned and shook her head, inquiring, "So what do you think about them?"

[Zairu]

"Meh...I think we'd be better off without them." Zairu said, staring at the fire with her chin resting on her knees, "A lot of people lost their livelihood when they came in. As you said, they have a monopoly; that's not good for the mom 'n pop businesses. Just last week a couple more stores had to declare bankruptcy and they were bought out by Noikero. I'm telling you, Chi, I think your dad may be a bit too zealous, but there's no denying the fact that the Noikero Company is up to something.

"And speaking of that vaccine, did you realize that a lot of people seemed to have a reaction to it? I didn't, and I know you didn't, but quite a few people looked really sick for a few days. It boils my blood to think we may have been guinea pigs for one of their newfound "cures"."

She sighed, standing up to stretch and look at the starry sky that came in through the treetops. Her mood was more worried now than care-free. Perhaps they should just stop talking about that Noikero Company. Everything always seemed to feel uneasy or worse when they were mentioned.

Picking up a couple large pieces of wood, Zairu froze when she heard a twig snap and saw the bushes rustle. A few moments later, a squirrel came darting out, not even caring as it ran through the campsite and clearly terrified by something big it had met. Something wasn't right, as Zairu stared into the brush, accustoming her fire-blinded eyes. That squirrel had been too small to snap a twig thicker than a sheet of paper...and the swaying branches had been too high up...

[Kei]

"Now look what ya did. Ya scared the living daylights outta that squirrel." A young man scolded, clearly talking to someone else.

"How was I supposed ta know his tail was there when I stepped on it? He shoulda moved." this time a female responded. Both of them trudged through the woods, stumbling on Chiwi and Zairu's camping site. Suddenly the female's face had an expression of pure joy.

"Finally! Someone who can tell us how to get the hell out of these damn woods!" She proclaimed, grabbing the young man's sleeve and dragging him with her into the clearing. Now that they were in the light, the woman looked to be about 25, medium sized in height, with a skinny figure. Her hair was long and tied back in a ponytail. The man with her was probably about 20 or 21, and had reddish orange hair, spiked back.

The woman smiled, clapping her hands together once before she spoke,
"Miss, could you please tell me how to get to the main road? This loser over here got us lost." she finished, pointing over her shoulder at the male with her. His response was a scoff and muttering something under his breath. She pretended not to hear it, instead opting to listen to Zairu's directions. As the woman talked to Zairu, the man's eyes drifted around the camp site, from the fire to the tents, to Chiwi, and back to his companion. It was fairly obvious he was bored.

"Ah! Thank you so much!" the woman said, grabbing her companion's hand again before waving back to them, "Have a fun time camping!" she yelled back before disappearing into the woods.

A while passed after the two strangers had left for the main road. It was still as quiet as before, and seemed like nothing had changed. It took a while, but Chiwi and Zairu relaxed after those two had left.

Now is the time. Bring back those two subjects!

In opposite directions of the camp, were both strangers, hunched over, with eyes glowing red. Each had a mad smile on it's face as they stealthy made their way towards the camp. Just when all had gotten calm, the female jumped out, grabbing Chiwi from behind and placing a cloth with chloroform over her mouth. As Chiwi struggled with the female, the male sulked up and quickly approached Zairu as she attempted to help her friend. He smiled down at Zairu, placing another cloth over her mouth as well.

"I've always wanted to ask a girl... If they'll tell me what this cloth smells like" He spoke, the voice distant and almost machine like in tone. He waited until one could reply that it smelled of chloroform, before smiling evily

"Well...Whaddaya know. Someone actually answered for me." he replied with a chuckle just as the two girls lost consciousness.

Subjects recovered..... Preparing for Transport....

[Chiwi]

As the squirrel jumped out, Chiwi started and turned to look, eyes narrowing. The branches were swaying quite high, and the squirrel had a startled look, so Chiwi quickly made the most logical deduction. "People," she muttered.

Although she was not anti-social, Chiwi did not like being interrupted when she wanted to be alone. Though they claimed, they were lost, Chiwi could not help but raise an eyebrow. They were not very far into the woods, but this was not a place that people went strolling either. What had bugged her more than that was the fact that they had not carried any sort of supplies with them. The bored man also raised suspicion; the hairs on the back of her neck were beginning to stand on end.

However, as soon as Zairu gave the woman directions, they were gone. Breathing out a breath she had not known she was holding, Chiwi whispered, "I don't know about you, but I did not like that one bit. Something just wasn't right about those too."

After a few minutes and some mild discussion with Zairu, Chiwi felt her hairs settling back down. Walking around, Chiwi began to straighten up camp, packing up the things that they did not need anymore so they could get some rest.

Suddenly, there were two forms, crashing through the woods, heading straight to their camp. Chiwi screamed and suddenly there one of them, the woman from earlier, had grabbed her so Chiwi lashed out, attempting to strike her. The woman was strong, much more so than Chiwi would have imagined most people being. Suddenly, there was a wet, disgusting cloth in her mouth and Chiwi soon felt the world fade to black.

[Zairu]

Zairu had been startled when she heard a man and a female's voice soon after the frightened squirrel. What made her more suspicious was that she and Chiwi hadn't heard them coming up through the woods until just now. If they had been lost, shouldn't they have been talking, hoping someone would hear them, as they tried to make their way out? They seemed friendly enough, as the woman asked her for directions, but the alarm bells in her head were still going off. Forcing them out of her mind, lest they make her completely paranoid, she gave the woman some directions, even emphasizing them by pointing the road ahead.

As the two left, Zairu heard Chiwi exhale her relief, and she realized that she hadn't been the only one put on guard by the two strangers. Nodding slowly to Chiwi comment, she whispered back, "Yeah...but the good thing is, they're gone now. Let's just keep an ear out for them in case they decide to come back."

Chiwi had definitely been nervous about those two, with the way she began to tidy up their campsite. Zairu just sat by the campfire, unconsciously grabbing a thick piece of wood and began to turn one end of it into the fire, as she looked around the perimeter of their campsite. She began talking with Chiwi as the two began to calm down, finally putting the wood fully into the fire.

Just as she was finally settling down, she heard a crashing noise. Red eyes, horrible red eyes, came first before she heard a shriek and saw the woman from before barreling down on Chiwi. Zairu, after a moment's shock, leapt to her feet as her friend's face was smothered by a cloth.

"Get off--!!" She felt a quick jerk and was face-to-face with the man from before, only his eyes were what terrified her into hesitating. Gleaming red, souless, empty. Her hesitation was her mistake as he slammed her into the ground. As she cried out from the pain, she felt a wet cloth cover her face, momentarily smothering her. Clawing at his wrist, she again froze when his demented face loomed inches from hers. What kind of human had such a face!?

A reprieve from the cloth rushed fresh air into her lungs, though not keeping the fog from continuing to slowly work through her mind. His question was simple, something she had learned within her first week in the E.R. For a moment, she saw Dr. Jun's figure instead of the man's. However, Dr. Jun's face still held the same gleaming red eyes and psychotic grin.

"Ch...Chloroform?" She answered weakly, before she felt her face being smothered again. She gave a desperate muffled scream, falling faster and deeper into the black void. The last thing she saw was her friend lying motionless and her attacker's razor-sharp grin looking down at her, forming words she could no longer hear.

[Kei]

"Ha. That was easier than I said it would be." The male said, picking up his fallen prey. The female followed suit, picking Chiwi up and gently placing her on her shoulder.

"How many has it been this week? Six? Or was it eight? In any case, these two are perfect." she replied, waiting for the signal to transport to kick in. Once it did, they were gone, nothing left but the small fire that was already dieing down, leaving a small camping area desolate and dark.

----------------------------------

"MIMICS 002 and 003 reporting. We have retrieved the two girls as ordered. Neither are injured." the female said, as she walked out of the transporter with Chiwi in hand, as her male companion followed suit.

"Well done. Take them to the sanitation room and prepare them for testing."

"Yes, sir!" both responded, promptly following the orders given to them.

-------------------

Railet looked at the clock. It was only 8:45. Time had passed by slowly through his class and he was starting to get really aggitated with this thingy of a teacher. This was the third time this week that he had given this lesson and anyone with half a brain could get the hold of it the first time. And yet, here they were, learning this same lesson again for the third time. As the teacher rambled on, Railet's attention again returned to the clock. He had been given an assignment to fufill at 1. But time was going so slow!

THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY! HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO REPEAT THIS STUPID LESSON FOR ALL THE DUMB IDIOTS IN THIS CLASS?!! AT LEAST LET THE SMART PEOPLE WHO GET IT TO SKIP OUT ON THIS POINTLESS BANTER! he ranted inwardly, seething quietly outwardly.

Sighing, he finally just gave up and slept on his desk for the rest of class....

This mission......What is it this time?

[Chiwi]

The next thing that she knew, Chiwi felt the stinging sensation of incredibly hot water showering on her back. Burning on the inside, her lungs struggled to get a breath of decent air, almost suffocating in the overheated, over-moist air that filled them. Pushing her sopping wet black curls out of her face, Chiwi rolled over and laid on her back, taking in deep breathes of the steam that surrounded her.

Then, Chiwi felt her stomach turn angrily, a side-effect of the chloroform that had been used on Zairu and herself. Rolling over, she struggled to pull her arms underneath herself and push herself up. Her arms hesitantly complied, fumbling around, not quite going where she directed. She felt her soaking wet hair clung to her forehead, neck, shoulders and back. Lurching forward, finally on her hands and knees, Chiwi retched on the ground in front of her. To her, it felt as if she was emptying her stomach of everything she had ever eaten.

Once she had finished, she looked around, trying to discern her surroundings and recall what had happened to her. Slowly, Chiwi’s groggy mind worked through what had happened to her and her friend. Last thing I remember… Zairu and I were camping. Then those strangers came along and attacked us, so it seems like they brought us here. If only I knew where ‘here’ was…” The room Chiwi found herself in was large, made almost entirely of white tile, with other shower heads that were apparently also raining the intense hot water, as the whole area was filled with steam. There were also various other forms beneath these showers, presumably people just like herself.

The clothes that she had been wearing when she had been with Zairu last were gone, replaced by a hospital gown that was deteriorating in the copious amounts of water. Thinking about her friend sparked her memory, and she looked around the room desperately, trying to see if she could find her. “Zai… Zai!...” Chiwi whispered faintly, but her voice did not carry over the noise of the rushing water.

Crawling towards the wall, away from the strangers with her, Chiwi collapsed. Her groggy senses, mind and reactions indicated that she was still either feeling the effects of the chloroform, or they had drugged her with something else, which seemed less likely. After what seemed like hours, though it had been in fact no more than 15 minutes, the hot water switched off and a cooler sanitizing solution sprayed from the ceiling on the group gathered below.

Though the sanitizer was not exceptionally cold, it felt freezing to Chiwi's super-heated skin. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she started shaking uncontrollably. Pulling her arms close to her chest, she pressed her back against the wall as she rubbed her hands along her arms vigorously. Biting her lip vigorously, Chiwi tried to stop her teeth from chattering, but could not.

Pulling her legs to her chest and hugging them, Chiwi let out a helpless sob. Let me go! I just want to go home! I didn’t do anything wrong! Just let me go! Though her lips moved with the effort of the words, no sound escaped her lips.

"Phase one complete. Phase two may now commence."

However, Chiwi did not have the strength left in her to even ponder about what step two was; she slipped into blackness soon after the sanitizer showers shut off. I just… want to go… home…

***

"So you think we should actually go with this one instead?"

"Yeah, after all, it is worth the risk. The boss wants weapons, right? Besides, we've refined our technique enough; the animal instinct will be able to hold its own."

"Yeah... its not that I doubt the DNA switch, just the personalities are not as close of a match."

"We're not paid to worry about personalities or mental health. Dr. Noikero just told us to worry about the fusion process, so that's what we'll do."

"If you say so."

The two voices Chiwi emanated from a source to her right. One of the voices seemed vaguely familiar to her, although her clouded mind could not recall from where. She tried to move her arms, but quickly found she could not move at all; she had been tied down to a steel table so that she could not even turn her head from side to side.

A band of steel lay across her forehead, digging into her eyebrows painfully, but the one across her neck was tight and made her feel on the claustrophobic side. The steel straps that bound her arms and legs also dug in slightly, causing the areas to sting and itch.

Panicking, Chiwi began to struggle against the straps; she found she could only wriggle around pathetically, causing the metal to rattle slightly, the noise carrying slightly in the room. Struggling against the steel bonds also made them cut further into her skin, threatening to draw blood, so Chiwi did not continue this for very long.

Hearing Chiwi’s struggle against her captivity, the two doctors walked over, and one casually remarked, "Well, well, our specimen is finally awake."

"What is... all this about? ...What's going on? ...Let me go!..." Chiwi mumbled, her anger and fear leaking into her voice. Squirming under the bonds again, her futile attempts made her even more frustrated and scared, she gave up after a moment with an angry sigh.

Laughing manically, the pair worked on something out of sight, and then one of them spoke again, "You will see soon enough."

Edited: Mainly for grammar and cohesiveness.

[Zairu]

Zairu felt numb, her eyes lacking any focus as she was placed in the chamber with other people. She had no idea where they had placed Chiwi, though a thought wandered through her mind on why they were being separated in such a tiny room. Hot water brought her a little bit back, but she was soon fighting down the panic that the steam was causing her. She couldn't breathe again. And those eyes! Those eyes were haunting her with those razor sharp teeth on a distorted human face!

Closing her eyes, she took in deep breaths, only feeling like she was sucking in water. Her skin was burning from the intense heat of the water and turning red. Was she going to be boiled alive in here!? Opening her eyes, she noted figures silhouetted in the fog. Who were they? Had they been captured like she and Chiwi?

Chiwi! Of course! Her eyes regained some of their focus, now becoming alert to her situation. She was no longer clothed in her normal attire, but in a hospital gown. Pushing her sopping wet bangs from her face, she noted she could've been wearing nothing and no one would be the wiser. The gown had obviously not been taken into account for such hot water and stuck to her skin.

"Chi..." She muttered, getting on her hands and knees to try and find her friend. The hot metal stung her hands, making her bite her lip to keep from crying out. Even now, their captors could be watching them...she would not give them the satisfaction again of her screaming! She passed by a few people, some shrieking from panic and pain, some rocking back and forth muttering, while others where pathetically quiet. None of them where her friend, so she kept crawling.

Where was she!? It was so small a room, yet Zairu couldn't locate her! Freezing water soon replaced its scalding brethren, causing her so bunch up as spasms rocked her body. She clapped her hands to her face as she struggled to keep her stomach from expelling the food she had eaten before their capture. Her body was shivering violently from the sudden change in temperature and Zairu couldn't hold it in anymore. Lurching forward, she retched until she felt her stomach should be the next thing to come up.

Finally bringing her stomach to as calm as she could get, she clutched her abdomen painfully. Looking hazily around, she spotted her friend a few feet off, looking on as Chiwi suddenly slumped to the floor when a mechanical voice announced that Phase One was complete.

Phase One...? Her heart gave a painful jolt. What were they going to do with them? Edging her way over to where her friend was, a door opened up to show people dressed in bulky suits coming in. Zairu felt like she was in a movie, hearing their breaths coming from oxygen tanks strapped to their backs and the plastic visors clouding from heat mixing with cold. Some who hadn’t passed out were screaming louder at the sight of these figures, edging to the other end as the newcomers spread out and began to grab any one clad in a hospital gown.

Zairu had begun to crawl again towards Chiwi, doubling her efforts when one of the figure grabbed the unconscious girl and was starting to haul her away. Lunging forward, she tried getting a firm hold on the suit, but it easily slipped out from the water collecting on the suit and Zairu’s own inability to produce friction with her now completely slick hands. She felt an arm encircled her waist and she soon found herself hoisted up. Kicking her legs frantically, she started to scream, ramming her head backwards in an attempt to dislodge the offending arm.

“No! Chiwi!” She yelled, lunging forward when her head-butt failed to connect. She was being separated from the only familiar thing in this little slice of hell and it terrified her! Her struggles proved futile and she went slack, tasting salt and realizing she was crying. Her skin had been heated and cooled so quickly that she could hardly feel anything.

* * *

The next thing she realized seemed to happen quickly. She felt cold, hard metal and straps binding her to the table. Even though she knew she was held down fast, she still strained against the bindings. Exhausted, she finally gave up as she tried to look at her surroundings. It was hard to do: bright lights overhead made it nearly intolerable for her eyes to even squint. What she did see, she didn’t like one bit. Too many machines, whirling, beeping, and whining, were connected by wires to unknown destinations or where hooked up to unknown liquids. Amid the noise, she heard people talking, as if they were going on about a normal operation. It made her feel sick.

“So this one will be mixed with two?”

“Yeah, that’s what Dr. Noikero wants.”

“Isn’t one dangerous enough? We’ve lost enough with one and now we’re trying…”

“Look. In this profession, you just do what the boss wants. He wants to try two with this one, so he’ll get this one with two types.”

“But the DNA from the two aren’t even in the same species!”

“Look, just shut up or else you’ll probably find yourself without a job…or worse. He doesn’t like it when we question his orders….ah, it’s awake.”

The two voices moved over to where Zairu lay, her eyes now narrow in anger rather than sensitivity to the bright light, “What two types? What are you doing to me!?”

One sighed, picking up from a small tray an object. Zairu knew those trays all too well; they held surgical tools. Her blood ran cold; suddenly, she did not want to know what they were going to do to her.

“Oh…this shall prove to be quite interesting at any rate.” The one commented quietly to the other, spinning the scalpel delicately between his fingers.

[Kei]

"Well it seems we've gathered quite a healthy bunch this time. So many of these children, I don't know what to do with myself. Ah! I just might faint out of joy~" a female spoke, looking down into the white room as several of the subjects began regaining consciousness. She smiled evily, the smile looking very out of place with the motherly gaze she had plastered on her face. She was a very petite woman, with long green hair that almost looked black. As she moved closer to the window on the third floor to look at the subjects in the steam, her hair swayed foreword just a little, obscuring her vision. She sighed in annoyance, pushing the strands back before sitting back down in her chair. With her were two others, both male.

"My my my, look at them scurry. They remind me of hamsters, don't you think? Scurrying, panicking, running around like mice on a chase....It's pitiful really." the first male spoke, his arms crossed as he stood near the window, also observing their newly obtained specimens. He pointed at a few and seemed delighted at watching them scurry around the room, before turning his attention to Zairu.

"I wonder what that one's doing. Crawling around like that. Makes her look like a bug...Ha ha! Look at that one sitting in the corner. He's acting like he's seen a ghost! What fools!" he finished, finally tired of picking on these defenseless people and returning to his desk. He sat down, taping a device on his ear and waving lightly in front of his face to make the visor appear. Pulling out a small device, he began working with the visor, analyzing all of the profiles and identities of each of the subjects.

The last male.....was asleep on his desk, obviously too tired to care about what was going on..

"Switch to cold water to complete the sanitation process." the first male spoke. The female nodded, doing the same motion as he did earlier and began inputting commands. Within a few minutes, cold water began gushing through the shower heads, for about 3 minutes.

"Oh my. So many of these subjects just can't control their stomachs. Tsk Tsk." she mentioned, watching the subjects again. After the 3 minutes was up, she announced that Phase 1 was complete, and issued an order to pick up the subjects and transport them to the next room.

"Split the group into three smaller groups. You know my policy, you take the males." the female said to the first male who nodded, bringing a holographic window up with pictures of all the subjects.

"There's an odd number of subjects, we're not going to have even numbers." he replied, sorting the subjects by gender, males on one side, females on the other.

"How many are there?" the second male spoke up, though he still looked asleep. The other two stared at him for a second before the first male spoke again.

"There's a total of 17 subjects. Meaning that two of us with have an extra subject. " he paused, turning towards the female, "Sorry, but you're going to have to take a male. I can't deal with six subjects." he finished, moving the subjects randomly into the 3 groups, making sure the female got what she wanted of mostly females.

"Wait, how many female are there to begin with?" she protested, earning a sigh from him.

"We have about 8 females, and 9 males. But you know that Ken here needs to take female subjects as well. Orders from Dr. Noikero. So I'm afraid you'll be taking four females and two males. Just deal with it." he replied, finishing the moving of the subjects into their assigned groups. He then sent the list to the other two and to the movers. He paused for a bit in thought, making sure that was all he had to do before getting up and tapping his visor again to make it disappear.

"I'm going on ahead. I'll leave the rest to you." he told the female before getting up and walking to the other male, "You're lucky Dr. Noikero doesn't do personal visits to this area. You would be in sooo much trouble if he caught you asleep on the job."

"Feh. Who cares? I'm not in here because I want to be here. I wanted to be a dentist, but noooo. I just HAD to study DNA. I just HAD to join this God-forsaken company. I can't wait to be fired." the male ranted, not noticing that the other had left but neither did he care. He looked up, noticing he was the only one in the room.

"Dammit! Why don't you people ever tell me you're leaving!? I HATE this company!" he shouted out in frustration, getting up and quickly gathering his things before leaving the room in a hurry.

Why do I have to do this? These people are just like us! They're human, so why do we have to try to change these people?! ....I hope the day comes when this company gets what's coming to it...And soon before more people are lost.

--------------------
Ken paused at the door, staring down at the handle. He kept telling himself "I don't want to do this" and yet, he soon found himself already in the room. He sighed, dejected at his own cowardice. He sat down in a chair in front of a bunch of machines, swirling around to look at the 6 subjects he had strapped down on metal beds. A few were still unconscious, but two of them had already awoken and were now panicking. It was quite sad, watching them struggle against metal bindings that wouldn't budge no matter how much strength you had. Sighing again, he turned around, trying his best to ignore the screams and shouts of the panicked people.

Just when he thought he could take it no longer, his partner walked in. A tall, thin lady with glasses and ruby colored hair that fell down to her ears in waves. They had been colleges since college and now worked for the same company. And even though he had known her for a while, it still seemed like she a was a complete stranger to him. True, she had never been the talkative type, but you'd think that after being in the same classes and now in the same company that he'd know more about her, but that was not the case.

"Ah! Dr. Jun, it's a pleasure to work with you again!" he spoke, standing up and bowing. She walked past him, as if she hadn't hear a word he'd said.

She stopped, looking at the six subjects and stopping in front of a particular table.

"My my. This one is certainly a very handsome boy. How old is he?" she asked her partner. He fumbled around on his visor before replying "He's 17."

"Ah. Too young for my tastes." she brushed off, pausing in front of Zairu's table.

"This one..." she started, trailing off. Zairu...How'd she get into this group? No matter, a job is a job.

"Hmm? What's wrong with her?" Ken asked, quite surprised that his partner would even notice a female subject.

"What a shame that we're going to have to use this one. She is rather darling to look at.......Oh well! Let's begin shall we?" she paused, twirling around to face her partner when she said the last part. He nodded, turning back around to the machines before inputing data. His partner leaned over his shoulder pointing to certain pictures and giving general pointers for the preliminary process.

"Wait. For this one, use this and this one over here." she pointed at the floating screen, showing what she wanted.


“So this one will be mixed with two?” Ken asked, a hint of fear hidden deep within his voice.

“Yeah, that’s what Dr. Noikero wants.” she replied in a monotone voice, making it worse.

“Isn’t one dangerous enough? We’ve lost enough with one and now we’re trying…” he tried to reason with her. Two animal strands? That's suicide! The girl would die immediately.

“Look. In this profession, you just do what the boss wants. He wants to try two with this one, so he’ll get this one with two types.” she replied, either unfamiliar with the risk, or more concerned about her job than the girl's life.

“But the DNA from the two aren’t even in the same species!”he protested.

“Look, just shut up or else you’ll probably find yourself without a job…or worse. He doesn’t like it when we question his orders….ah, it’s awake.” she finished the conversation abruptly, walking over to Zairu's side with a shaking Ken following her at a distance. She turned to Ken for a minute, waving at him to go get the other person who helps her on these operations who had been silently standing in the corner of the room. Both him and the female talked quietly amongst themselves before the male took a tool from the tray that Ken held out. He felt horrible, knowing that deep inside, he was taking part in these people's change, even death. He couldn't bear to do the operations, so he stood by as an computer operator.

The male doctor smirked widely as he twirled the scapel between his fingers with a delicate grace that was almost frightening.


“Oh…this shall prove to be quite interesting at any rate.” He spoke, drawing the scapel near Zairu's wrist and cutting enough to cause blood to slip out. He pulled out a small green tube and placed it against the blood. The small tube quicly turned blood and began dissolving onto her wrist. He looked up at her, the smirk still on his face as he waited for the medicine to take effect. He couldn't have his subjects hollering in pain while he worked. It was just far too annoying. Whether they were awake or not didn't matter, but numbing the pain some mattered enough to him.

"Isn't that...half strength?" the female asked, hooking up a bunch of cords to what looked like a small tv. The male nodded, turning to look at her.

" I do so hate having them scream at the top of their lungs out of pain. One of these days I'm going to need hearing aids!" he joked, helping her out with some of the cords on the side of the metal bed.

"Well, everything's connected, so let's begin." she replied, completely ignoring his joke.

"Aww, you lack a sense of humor. And that's why I'll never go out with you" he said, winking at her as he wheeled over to a drawer and pulled out two vials containing a glowing blue liquid. "So, this one has two hmm? This shall be fun. Much fun......" he trailed off, looking over in Zairu's direction.
---------------------------------

Elsewhere, another group was preparing for the same process, just without the special case of a two DNA strand experiment. As two of them began scurrying around the room to get supplies and get everything hooked, the first male doctor stood silently by the door watching. Finally he just had to say something even if they weren't listening.

"I'm surrounded by hamsters. Everywhere I go, scurrying about." at that, both doctors paused, looking at him for a second.

"Mr. Xakarai sir! I thought you were still on vacation!" they both stopped and showed their respect, though only one spoke.

" I was. Until they called me back in. I don't get paid enough working here, I swear....Is everything set up?" he replied before asking. They both nodded as he went to the desk and sat down, enabling his visor and all the visuals he would need.

"Hmm" he muttered, deep in thought.

So...Chiwi's in this bunch huh.....Such a pity, having to do this to my best student....But this is my job and I can't show pity just because a subject happens to be my student.

"Is something wrong Mr. Xakarai, sir?" one of the assistants asked. He looked up at them and simply shook his head.

"Show me the list of possible combinations would you?" Dr. Xakarai asked, politely, his voice always seeming to never convey emotion.

"Right away sir!" the assistant shouted, running off to get the list. Within seconds he returned, holding the list out to Dr. Xakarai, who took it gently. The assistant watched as Xakarai began rearranging the subjects by age and gender but keeping their combinations in tact. He paused on one subject and promptly changed the combination for that one. He gently returned the list, watching the assistant's face turn into a bewildered look.

"So you think we should actually go with this one instead?" he asked, wondering if he should've even bother to question him since the doctor was not one to listen to others.

"Yeah, after all, its worth the risk. The boss wants weapons, right? Besides, we've refined our technique enough, the animal instinct will be able to hold its own." Xakarai explained, pointing out exactly what was necessary and his reason for changing the combination.

"Yeah... its not that I doubt the DNA switch, just the personalities are not as close of a match." the assistant proclaimed, obviously worried about the subject's health.

"We're not paid to worry about personalities or mental health. Dr. Noikero just told us to worry about the fusion process, so that's what we'll do." Xakarai finished, turning back to face his computer screen. He quietly noted to ask one of the higher ups why such an antique model was still in use here, but probably thought it was to keep data secure and nothing else.

"If you say so." the assistant started out hesitantly, noticing Chiwi had begun to stir, " Ah! She's awake."

Both turned to look at her, as she mumbled, almost inaudible "What is... all this about? ...What's going... on?" It was quite obvious that she was angry and frightened, since it leaked so easily through her voice. Both laughed, it had always been a funny reaction to them to listen to the subjects as they protested and questioned. However, Dr. Xakarai was not laughing, he was too focused on his work to notice.

"You'll see. Soon enough" one said as the other began hooking up cables and cords as the other doctor had done in the other room.

"Get me a sample of everyone's blood if you will. Once you have that complete, I'll need to put everyone on Dark Serum in order to begin." Xakari said from his spot by the antique computer. The assistants nodded, each taking a scapel to each subject's wrist, drawing blood. They both took really small tubes of an orange color and placed them against the blood. They waited until the orange tubes changed into red, signifying that they had captured that subjects blood type and DNA information. They then followed with the green tube that dissolved into the blood and numbed the pain.

"Shall we inject the Dark serum now, sir? Or do we wait?"

"Wait. The pain killers aren't active yet. Once they are, then you may inject them. Give them about 5 minutes."

"Yes sir"

------------------------------------

"Okay. I'm here. What's this about?" Railet paused in the doorway, holding out a small orange-yellow card. He was greeted by another boy his age. He was tall, with short blonde hair that curled up in the cutest way possible.

"Oh my, how am I supposed to understand you when you don't speak Universal? You don't even speak English!" he protested, earning a swift kick to the shin. He howled in pain, bringing the injured bone up to rub it in hopes of numbing the pain. "That hurt! You know I was just kidding with you!" he protested again, this time replied with a strong glare from the teen. He quickly rose his arms in defeat before going back to rubbing his shin.

Railet silently walked past him and up to the man with blue hair. No matter how many times he's seen him, Railet always thought the blue hair was odd. It wasn't natural. At all and yet....his hair GREW in that color. Sighing, he waited until he was ready to talk.....but that moment never came.

"Kei! What is up with this mission?!" he protested in hopes of getting his attention but to no avail. "Rescue? Why am I being put on this?! "

Kei finally looked up at Railet, his eyes glimmering with a silent yet soft rage.

"You're being put on this detail because I said so. No more complaints." Kei replied, pushing away from the wall and walking into the middle of the room. "Alright, listen up. I have been informed that 17 people have been brought in for experimentation as of three hours ago. Your mission is to infiltraite Noikero premises and rescue as many of these people as you can. If they are still in human form, send them to these coordinates: 52R, 7TK. I will treat their DNA so they will no longer be a target. For anyone that is already changed, you will bring them here. " he paused, looking over at a table to the right in the corner of the room. " On that table are your portable transporters. Should you find any information of interest, immediately send a copy here. Any questions?" he looked around the room, ignoring Railet since he knew all he would get is complaints. "You are dismissed. I expect good work out of all of you. Get going." he finished, leaving the room.

Railet sighed, picking up one of the transporters before looking over at his partner....who was still rubbing his shin, though less vigorously than before.

"Why do I always get stuck with you, Aurele?" he questioned, as his partner smiled. He had already gotten his transporter, so they were ready to go.

"Because I'm the only one that knows how to operate the Inhibitor program."

Railet groaned. That was the only reason he was stuck with this French pretty boy. Why couldn't someone else learn how to work that damn program!? In fact, why couldn't Kei just be the one to be his partner, after all he's the one who made the stupid thing! But it wouldn't matter, Kei was always too busy for many of the missions. However, he was coming on this one.

"Shall we go?" his partner's voice broke him out of his little reverie.

"Yeah. I'm just itching for the chance to kick someone's ass." he hastily replied.

"Tsk Tsk, we are going to SAVE people, not beat them up. Besides, most of the scientists there are pushovers anyway." he replied with a mocking tone in his voice.

"You better watch that tongue of yours or I'll put it out." Railet snapped back, before they both stepped on the transporter.

"Please Input Coordinates. Or select a location from a previous visit. Which would you like to do?" the computer asked.

"Previous visit. Location: Noikero lab outskirts." Aurele said with a gentle smile. And in just a few moments, they were gone.

[Zairu]

Zairu winced as the blade sliced none too gently across her skin, feeling the warm flow of blood and hearing its destination to the floor in the still room. Her gaze was fixed on the woman whom she had come to trust; who had been her mentor and had allowed her this week off with Chiwi. Had she known this was going to happen!? Shock slowly turned to anger, and the anger dulled the knife’s sting as Zairu glared at Dr. Jun. The words that came from the doctor’s voice planted a seed inside Zairu that was quickly taking root and sprouting rapidly around her heart, poisoning it and her mind with hatred and one purpose.

When I get out of this…I’m going to kill that Noikero! Then I’ll start on his lackeys…

It roared in her ears, making impossible to hear clearly what the people surrounding her said. All she heard, all she thought were two words: Kill Noikero.

She didn’t fight as the tubes came near her, seeing as how her earlier efforts had just led to her further bruising her wrists and ankles. As the medicine took effect, numbing her body, she started to fidget. Taking her blood…numbing her…the tube disappearing…Just what were they going to do with her!? For that matter, where was Chiwi? She hadn’t seen her friend since they had been separated in the sanitation chamber and she was getting frantic.

“Isn’t that…half strength?” Zairu heard Dr. Jun say, though she couldn’t understand why the doctor would care when she was helping this insane man! As the cords were hooked into her, she could feel pressure, perhaps a prick where the medicine wasn’t fully working, but otherwise nothing. Zairu had never been one for medicine, so had a low tolerance for it to begin with. Still, knowing she was being operated on, while conscious, was terrifying! She was seeing flashing silver instruments, blood thereafter dripping from the blades, before cords where hooked up. She soon heard her heartbeat, which was beating faster than normal on the monitor and her blood pressure was up.

Zairu’s heartbeat seemed to skip a moment as the man brought out two vials containing glowing blue liquid. They knew she was frightened, all the signs pointed to it, but they didn’t seem to care. Dr. Jun wouldn’t look at her; seemingly busy monitoring her vitals, as the other doctor began to smile wickedly at her, saying how much fun this would be since there were two. Two of what!?

She heard the clink as the vials were emptied, seeing a tube become bright blue as the unknown liquid surged through and entered into her bloodstream. For a few minutes, nothing happened, causing her to look at the doctors as if this had been some kind of joke. Was this all an elaborate hoax?

It felt as if she suddenly had been caught in an explosion. Her vision went blurry, shapes were nonexistent, and all she saw was a whirl of colors. Everything was spinning. She could hear the monitor begin to wail at such a change in her vitals; her heart rate was too fast and blood pressure had spiked. Zairu’s pupils had become pinpricks and her body was becoming increasingly hot.

Breathing was becoming hard to do, as if someone was pressing on her chest and squeezing her lungs flat. The numbing agent she had been given was having no effect anymore. Straining against her bonds, her body felt as if she was on fire, and the pain was becoming increasingly hard to ignore.

It finally became too much and she shrieked in agony. Her body was twisting, grinding, and seemed to be trying to turn inside out. Loud bangs could be heard as Zairu’s body arched forward and slammed back against the metal table, wrists ripping at the bonds that held her down.

“I don’t think our subject is taking well to the two DNAs.” The one doctor said silkily, watching impassively. Dr. Jun only stood there stone-faced, nodding at his comment, and watching her student changing into something hardly recognizable.

Zairu’s brown hair was becoming white, her ears becoming those of an animal’s, black-striped, and a little further up her head. A tail was sprouting, covered with blood, but distinguishable of being pure white. Nails were becoming claws that, Dr. Jun thought haphazardly, would be retractable. As Zairu shrieked, fangs were becoming quite evident where her canines had been, and black markings were appearing on her entire body in a dizzying pattern. Her once blue-grey eyes were turning into a shocking gold.

“I really wish it’d stop yelling…I might need those hearing aids sooner than I thought!” He yelled over her shrieks, stuffing his fingers inside his ears to deafen the noise. Her shrieks only intensified before shocking everyone when they turned into an ear-piercing yowl. Like an animal.

“It’s working! The hybrid experiment is a success!” Dr. Jun said breathlessly, stunned by the sudden turn. The heartbeat was still too erratic before suddenly flat-lining, “We’re loosing her!”

“No! The subject just dislodged it!” The other yelled, moving forward to put it back on amid the thrashing Zairu was putting on. Suddenly a metallic ping stopped him short. Zairu, continually lunging against her bindings, had ripped one of the bolts holding the strap off. Another ping soon came after and both her hands were free.

“Call security!” Dr. Jun barked at an assistant, who scurried off. Rage, unlike anything she had seen before, was on Zairu’s face. It was mixed with pain and delusion, as Zairu kept howling, slashing at the binding that held her feet in one motion. The DNA she had been mixed with was certainly driving her mad at the moment. There was no intelligence marked in those eyes, only a primal urge that spoke of death for any who came in her line of focus. The two new animal DNAs inside her were each screaming to let themselves take over.

Zairu collapsed to the ground, scratching at the floor and causing horrible squeals to erupt from its abuse. She got up, walking drunkenly as she blindly smashed at the equipment. Her eyes were blood red, narrowed dangerously, and her pupils were the slits one might find on a cat. Liquids, glass, and equipment soon were thrown across the floor as the doctors backed away from the onslaught. A door opened, after what seemed like an eternity, and two armed guards came in. One went in, attempting to restrain her, but in one fell swoop, a sharp crack was heard as she swung her hand across his face. Not knowing her own strength, she had connected with his jaw and had made his face spin too far to the right, thereby snapping his neck and killing him.

Her noise quivered as the scent of blood and fear entered into her consciousness. Looking at her hand, she licked at a droplet of blood that had started to snake down her arm, courtesy of the now dead man. She jumped back as his partner pulled out a gun and fired at her, snarling as she scooted away.

“You idiot! If you kill her, you’ll find yourself on that table; whether or not you’re compatible!”

“Her reaction is one of the problems we thought we’d encounter. Two DNAs at once are taking a toll on her psyche.”

As the two doctors spoke, the guard sweating at the thought of becoming an insane…thing, like Zairu, she was actually regaining some control. Everything was coming back into focus, and although the pain was nearly intolerable, it was ebbing. Her heartbeat was slowing down, though it still beat frantically when she saw herself covered in blood.

Her vision seemed keener, though she thought she was having a nightmare when she saw the black markings on her body, snow-white hair dangling in front of her, and claws being where her nails had once been. And that smell…what was that smell!?

Horrified, she saw the limp figure a few feet in front of her, and the doctors standing far back while a guard had his gun drawn.

“What…did…you….do to me!?”