Twelve

Chapter 12: Celestial

Ethel hurried down the hallway. The Facility was quiet. Maybe a little too quiet. The only sound was the clacking of her heels on the floor. She turned a corner and ran into someone. She shook her head and looked up to see Two. Two raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. Behind her were the others.

"What are you all doing here? You should be resting," Ethel glared.

"We have some questions we need to ask," Two said.

"Now is not a good time. Come back later," Ethel tried to move past. Five and Four stood in her way. "Let me pass."

"After you answer some questions," Four glared.

"I don't have time for this," Ethel sighed in frustration. She spun on her heel in a huff and began to hurry down the hallway in the opposite direction. She paused when she saw Three and the others that were with him.

"Good evening. Ethel, is it?" Billy asked. Ethel glared. She reached into her pocket. "I would keep that gun in your pocket. I'd hate for your star experiments to see your bad side."

Ethel refused to listen. She pulled out the gun and aimed it. Seven held up her hand. Ethel's hand began to shrivel in necrotic energy. She screamed and dropped the gun. Two created a blast of air to send the gun toward the other group.

Ethel grabbed her withered hand and glared at Seven. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"You are the only one left. It would be wise to save those venomous words," Billy glared.

"So it's true then. We are all experiments?" One asked.

"Of course it's true," Ethel scoffed as she turned to face One. "Professor was weak. He was clouded by the limitations of just bringing his wife back. He had no real ambition."

"You wanted us to be a super army to destroy the world," Twelve snapped.

"This world would do so much better if I ruled it," Ethel smirked.

"No. It wouldn't be," One glared. He sent a fireball forward.

Everyone watched as Ethel began to burn alive, but no one stopped him from doing it. They watched as the last thing holding them back from being free.

One looked up to Three and the others. "I think I owe you an apology."

"Hey, it's alright. You were being mind controlled. I get it," Three shrugs.

"Not just you. All of you," One looked around at the rest of the Twelve.

Two put a hand on One's shoulder. "There is time to make amends. Let's just focus on the future and what needs to be done." 

XII   XII   XII 

"We are losing him," a nurse said frantically.

"Stay calm and just keep him stable until the doctor arrives," another nurse said.

The door opened and the doctor ran in. He held his hand out over the dying patient. A soft green glow came from the doctor's hand and over the patient. Within minutes, the patient was completely healed.

"He's stable. We are clear," a nurse said.

"Doctor, you truly are a miracle worker," the other nurse said.

"It's not big deal. I'm just happy to help," Doctor Knight smiled.

Doctor Liam Knight, formally known as Number Eight, watched as the nurses took the patient out of the room. He put his hands in the pockets of his lab coat and followed after them. It had been one year after the Twelve left the Facility. The building and all records of the experiment had been destroyed. It was something of the past. Just a nightmare.