Everyday the training would get more intense. 636 lost track of how many times Adam broke something while sparring or Harver pushed her to the point of exhaustion. It was getting harder to keep up, to keep standing while constantly being knocked down.
“Again.” Adam commanded. Over the past week he had gotten used to being around 636. He was no longer afraid of the small girl.
636 pushed herself off of the ground and rose into her fighting position. She was tired of losing to him. This time she would win. She had to.
Once Adam saw that 636 was ready, he leaped forward and raised his leg to kick her head. 636 swiftly ducked and moved out of the way. She had learned to be pretty quick on her feet and to watch her opponent to determine their next move.
Adam was easy for her to read most of the time. However, he would sometimes go into a state where he didn’t even know what his next move would be, making it harder for 636 to read him. He would throw attack after attack until he landed a hit. There was no holding back.
636 was quick. For each blow that Adam threw her way she matched. She would no longer worry about getting hit. Even if Adam broke a rib, 636 would keep fighting as if nothing was wrong. She let her pain and hatred for these people boil until she reached her melting point. Determined never to falter or yield even if it meant she’d get hurt. When Adam hit her, she’d hit him right back. Each time, even harder than the last.
Adam swung his leg up close to her head and 636 swiftly blocked it with her forearm, simultaneously twisting his leg into a hold. She pulled him closer and punched his square in the jaw when he was off balance.
Adam fell to the floor, 636 still gripping his leg. A bruise was already starting to form on his jaw. When 636 saw him try to make a move to kick her away with his free leg, she twisted out of the way. He got off the ground quickly but 636 swep his legs out from under him and he fell right back onto the floor.
Adam held his bruised leg close to his chest and groaned in pain. Cursing under his breath.
636 watched his face contort in pain and his jaw twitched like he wanted to yell at her. Dr. Willow and Harver watched from nearby, documenting the fight as usual. With a sidelong glance, 636 carefully watched her two overseers. Curious about what they thought of her, she observed the odd face each one was making.
Dr.Willow had a grave look, he almost seemed scared. Like every time 636 made improvements he feared she was becoming more and more out of control.
Harver looked less disappointed than usual but the disapproval was now directed towards Adam, who was still on the floor. 636 cleared her throat and gave Adam a pointed look. When he met her stare she motioned towards Harver. Adam quickly got off the ground and awkwardly coughed.
He patted 636 on the back, and mumbled praise before telling her they were done for the day. 636 watched as the man tried to conceal the slight limp in his walk, he looked like a kid trying to play soldier. Awkward and unaware of what to do with their body.
Harver slowly approached, eyes focused on 636. The older man was overflowing with confidence and an inflated ego from bossing around everyone in the laboratories. Men like him were the worst kind. As soon as they got even a little power or authority, they thought they were entitled to more.
“You’re improving.” He said. “Slowly. But you are improving. I think it’s about time we got you up on the track though.” Harver smiled in a way that sent an unwanted shiver down 636’s spine. “You need to let off some steam.”
“Am I not training anymore today?” 636 asked quietly. She didn’t want to get him to lose his temper and constantly had to tread carefully around him.
There was a slight twitch from his left brow.
“No, I think you’ve had enough.” Harver said. “Now, go cool off on the track 636.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Dr.Willow was still on the far side of the room in a daze. The doctor only stared as 636 headed towards the track on the upper level. Her steps echoed through the room and then her ears. Every time her foot made contact with the metal stairs the feeling in the pit of her stomach got deeper. Harver was never this nice.
636 stood at the start of the track and a nearby guard attached a few devices, the usual ones she wore during tests.
“To monitor your vitals.” She said and went back to her post.
636 watched the lights above the entrance to the tunnel portion of the track. As soon as the light turned green, she ran through. The tunnel had no visible changes since the last time she had gone through but 636 couldn’t shake the feeling something was different. The lights had the same buzz of electricity and the walls still had the same boring design. But something was off. 636 picked up speed and ran around the corner.
Right when she turned, a metal arm shot out from the wall. 636 quickly ducked and slid along the floor, scraping her hands. Turning to get a better look at what attacked her, she saw that the mysterious metal device was gone. 636 heard a faint buzz and pain shot throughout her back. A large piece of shrapnel was lodged into her shoulder. She hissed but refused to scream and let her pain show.
Another buzz came and carpartments in the walls opened. Various looking machines emerged but they all had the same purpose. To attack. The machines sprung into action. Some shot at her and others swung when she tried to get by.
636 attempted to dodge every single attack but with the chuck of metal and immense pain, it was hard to concentrate. It was difficult to focus on her ability and she didn’t have enough time to make it procice.
When the next metal arm came at her, she picked a fixed point on the track floor. A second later the familiar blue and gold light shone from her arm and the point on the ground.
The metal arm was pulled back mid attack and got stuck to that fixed point. 636 intensified her power and the arm crumbled, compacting in on itself. The other devices, objects being shot at her and pieces of the wall, all got pulled in and they too crumbled and compacted.
636 moved as the device behind her flew to the now big pile in the middle of the track. She stopped her ability and turned her attention to the chunk of metal still impaling her shoulder. 636 pulled and ignored the pain that followed.
The shrapnel was coated in her blood, the red and string of gold decorating the metal. She dropped it on the ground and continued walking through the tunnel. She could feel the wound on her shoulder was already starting to heal, so she picked up pace again. This time waiting for more machines to attack her.
She reached the end of the first tunnel, finally making it to an open portion of the track and turned to see Harver with a look of disappointment on his face. Dr.Willow, however, looked paler than usual.
636 ran faster, every swing of her arm sending a wave of pain through her shoulder. Harver had told her she could rest, an obvious lie but she chose to believe it anyway. She thought that she had stopped being that naive little girl but that wasn’t even close to the truth.
636 still hoped for a day when she would leave. Still hoped that these people cared, even a little. She still hoped that she would wake up from this nightmare and find Seth beside her.
“Morning Sunshine.” His voice echoed through her mind. The same voice that used to give her comfort, which now only brought agony. It felt as though he was right beside her and she forced the feeling away.
636 began to feel the same anger she felt all those years ago and the building started to shake. The memories she hadn’t wanted to remember came back to her.
A cell. A boy. A dead body.
636 ran through the tunnel, heartbeat ecstatic, and this time not hesitating to use her gravity manipulation. When she saw the same metal arms come off of the walls, she chose two points on opposite sides of the tunnel. The blue and gold mist gathered in the points she chose.
The tunnel walls caved in, ripping apart. Some materials going to one side and some going to the other.
The remains of the tunnel were everywhere, making the track unusable. Once the dust settled, 636 could see the destruction her power created. Through heavy breaths she tried to calm down. Part of the track had collapsed and people were already running towards her.
Liars. They were nothing but liars. They said nothing but lies. And she had fallen for them.
Guards appeared behind 636 and Dr.Willow’s voice could be heard screaming at everyone to stop.
Preoccupied with trying to calm herself, she didn’t stop the guards from pushing her to the ground and shoving a needle into her neck. Her body started shaking and everything went black.