Barely Human

Chapter 34

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Chapter 34

Though I wasn't expecting anything otherwise, I still can't help but fight against the brainwashed group of mutant teenagers that come to take me to a cell. Six kids come into the room where I was left after my interrogation with Hope. Five of them have black eyes and the other one is Emma.

"Why hello, dear sister," she says, a twisted grin stretching across her face. I instantly feel my body lock into place as Emma settles her power over me and once again I'm frozen, unable to do anything but sit and watch. "I see you met Charlie. Personally I don't think you deserved to have your wing snapped back into place but that's just me. You're lucky it's Hope that is in charge."

"And you're lucky that Dad decided to make you one of his freaks. Because if he hadn't, and you didn't have me frozen in place right now you would be no more than a cowering pile of bones and skin." I know I could never hurt my sister, and it pains me just to threaten her, but she didn't know that. In my mind she is still the little girl who screamed in delight at the wind whipping through her hair as we flew over the lake by our house. She's still the little girl who cried as she was taken away from her family at the age of six and I know what whatever has taken over her mind is not my sister.

Emma chuckled. "Then I guess it's a good thing he did." She flicks her finger and I lift off of my chair and into the air. I am completely at her mercy. Emma turns toward the door and I float up behind her. The rest of the group follows us out of the room, closing the door behind them.

This lab is exactly like the rest. White halls, white lights, side rooms holding prisoners and lab experiments. The only thing even remotely different is the amount of soldiers they have here. Actual legitimate soldiers with the whole army uniform and everything. It's a bit insane.

On every corner of every hall we pass there are at least two men or women carrying guns. On every corner of every hall we pass there are three security cameras all pointed in different directions. On every corner of every hall we pass there is a gate and a keypad that controls it. I will say it again, this place is insane.

"Welcome home, sister," Emma says stopping in front of an iron door with a keypad, a handprint scanner, and an eye scanner. They've really outdone themselves this time.

"I have to say, I'm flattered." I smirk and attempt to shrug my shoulders. "No one has gone to this much trouble for me before."

"Hope thinks that it is necessary. Apparently you're more of a success than I am which is saying something. I honestly don't see what's so special about you after all, I was able to take you out in less than sixty seconds," Emma says. With a nod of her head one of the kids who have been trailing us moves forward and presses his hand against the scanner. At the same time a blue light appears directly in front of his eye. When the light turns green, the boy removes his hand from the scanner and punches in a series of numbers on a covered keypad. Another light turns green and a slight beep sounds. The door slides upwards revealing a plain, white room.

I am floated forwards and, once I cross over the threshold, the door slams shut and Emma's grip releases on me. I fall to the ground landing hard on my newly healed shoulder.

I hear a soft laugh from outside the cell and rise to my feet with a grunt to peek out the narrow slit in the door. "I hope you enjoy your time here, Casey. I know that I will take every chance to get some sister bonding time," Emma says. And with that, she's gone.

Turning back to the desolate room I realize that this is truly a prison cell. There is a small bunk on the back wall suspended by chains that are bolted into the wall. There is a small toilet in the corner and a sink right next to it. A stack of clothes- white t-shirts and black sweatpants- sit atop a small dresser that is at the foot of my new "bed."

"Wonderful," I mumble to myself. I have no idea how I am supposed to leave this place what with all the extra security they have. At the last few labs they completely overlooked the fact that a window allows for a good escape routs for someone with wings. Here there are no windows and we are way underground- not my favorite place to be. I can only hope that Sam got away and can find some way to take out my dad without me.

I walk over to the bed and sit down leaning against the hard walls of the prison cell. There is literally no way out. I close my eyes and before I know it, I've dosed off.

The sound of movement outside of my door causes me to wake with a start. I sit up immediately and rise to my feet. The door shudders and slides slowly upwards revealing a small army on the other side. At the front of the pack is Hope.

She flashes me a smile. "Hello, Casey. How are you today?"

"I'm just peachy." I scowl and cross my arms across my chest. Hope I can deal with. I don't care about hurting her so it's much easier to fight back. I take a few steps forward and Hope steps back, a few of her soldier moving to stand in front of her. They point their guns at me.

"We don't want any trouble," Hope says. "I just want to talk."

"The way you 'talked' to me yesterday? I don't think so."

Hope is silent for a moment and I know that I've stumped her. Obviously she wasn't expecting me to actually fight back, though not physically. Then, "They've been taken care of. Charlie insisted that she heal them though I do not know why. You can see them if you would like."

"Where are they?"

Hope gestures to a few of her guards and they move to surround me. She however takes a few steps backwards and once she is back outside of my room she turns around and starts walking.

No words are exchanged on our journey through the compound. We travel down two flights of stairs- they never seem to have elevators in these places- and soon enough arrive at another room not unlike my own cell.

The soldiers stop causing me to slow as well. Hope steps forward, inputs a series of numbers in a keypad and places her hand against a scanner. The door then slides to the side revealing two very tired looking teenagers.

Lillie lifts her head and looks my way. "Casey," she exclaims jumping immediately to her feet and charging towards me. Jacob glances up and our eyes meet. He silently asks the question, where's Sam?

I shake my head and he sighs in relief. Lillie breaks through the row of guards surrounding me and engulf me in a hug. I return the gesture and we stay like that for a few moments.

Finally she pulls away and takes a step back. "What happened to you?" she asks playfully shoving my shoulder. "I was worried sick."

I laugh and shove her back. "Me? What about you? You're the one who was magically taken away into the ground."

"True." Lillie grins. "Well basically I was there one second and not the next. It was quite unsettling," Lillie adds sarcastically with a glance at Hope and the gun-carrying hooligans. Hope just smiles and leans against the wall behind her.

Jacob walks up finally and wraps an arm around Lillie's waist. With a pointed look at me he asks, "How did you manage to get yourself caught?"

"I did exactly what you said and asked the old man upstairs to show me the weird door in his basement. He did so with little resistance and when I got down here I was ambushed."

"What about-" Lillie starts, but she is interrupted by a poke in the side by Jacob. She looks up at him questioningly and he just shakes his head at her.

"If you all are quite done, I have some unfinished business to attend to with Miss Hanson," Hope says taking a few steps off the wall.

Lillie turns away from Jacob and stares Hope down. "Who the heck are you?"