The Caged

Chapter 1: Containment apocalypse

*art and writing done by me

!! WARNING THIS STORY CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT !!

"This is a fucking task and a half with the equipment you've asked me to bring, hopefully this will be quick and easy" an older masculine voice echoes down brightly lit, sterile hallway. "You didn't take this job to have it easy" another voice snaps, its feminine and strict sounding. Footsteps grow steadily louder as the two approach a huge metal door, many heavy locks covering its walls. The woman stands tall, proud, and confident even for her short stature, a long black dress and blazer giving her a commanding appeal.

Her sharp green eyes scanning over the panels, typing the pass codes with evident familiarity. The man behind her shuffles uncomfortably, readjusting his long silver hair idly. His eyes glance around to a large label on the door, it reads [containment holocaustum]. The bolts click, the sound of metal scraping on metal screeches as the door hisses and groans, partially sliding open.

Two huge men dressed in heavy, black armor step out to greet the high-ranking pair, their movements are stiff in the woman's presence. "Good evening, General Comix." One of the guards says, fearful respect in his tone. She replies with a nod and enters the dimly lit room behind the heavy door, clearing her throat impatiently when the scientist takes his time to enter.

Deep inside the room sits a metal cube nine feet tall and six wide, the sound of heavy chains chains moving slightly as something inside shifts, it knows she's there. "I can taste you yet, valerie ~"a distorted voice whispers and echoes. From a single hole in the metal cube a thick chain pulls more, and they begin to strain against the strong bindings which sit outside the cell. "W-What have you brought me to see? M-Miss Comix?" he asks as he follows her on shaky legs.

She seems to ignore the scientist's question as she takes her position behind a line of tape roughly five meters away from the cell, which begins clicking as the reinforced door opens slowly. Muffled laughing seems to harmonize with the door, getting louder as the second's pass. Chains groaning as something powerful nearly pulls them loose. She pulls her blonde hair back into a low ponytail with a sigh "Dr. Foren, this is mother nature's biggest mistake... and yet somehow her greatest work"

"Oh, you say such lovely things of me, darling~" The voice calls out again, now seeming to take form as a low growling masculine voice. A heavy black mist rolls out from under the metal door as it continues to click open. Now halfway open, small glowing markings seep through the darkness. The amber markings resemble a hybrid of ancient runes and rough claw markings which snake around the hidden form. The chains pull again then grow loose as the entity creeps towards the door, large onyx claws slide under the door followed by a large hand.

It digs its claws into the door and bends it inward, pulling the thick metal into the cell with ungodly sounds of creaking and snapping. The old scientist jumps back staring into the shadows, now dimly lit with runes. The markings outlining the creature as something large and humanoid. It doesn't move but the scientist can feel the heavy gaze set on him. Comix doesn't move or even blink an eye at the creature's actions, which calms the man's heart ever so slightly.

"Guards..." Comix says slightly turning her head toward the men who instantly get tense. "Lights." The men turn to a small panel with several buttons and switches. Small tapping can be heard then loud, distant whirring and clicking before black lights aimed at the cell flicker before steadily glowing, revealing a faint masculine shape around eight feet tall yet it sat on the floor of the cell.

Finally with the last set of bright white lights flicker on inside the cell, leading to a sharp hiss from the creature in the cell. His body matched his Onyx hand, yet this only covered the left side of this entity, his right-side pale like Ivory and the separation of color on his body split perfectly in half down the middle. The skin seemed to twist like an old tree's bark which suffered many scars and warping. Runes could no longer be seen but now just the plain skin which let off a thin black mist.

His hair covered his face and most of his scarred upper body, leaving visible only large pointed, thick needle like legs, restrained with thick metal at the knee. The chains wrapped around each visible limb, more running behind him and three leading to his neck. His hair split opposite to his skin, milky white on the left and coal black on the right. "Have you just missed me so... General Comix" He growls with anger and sarcasm in his voice. The general makes no move, clearly not intimidated by the creature's appearance. "What is that... t-thing? I've come to expect freaks and experiments in these halls but... this?" Dr. Foren mumbles out as he creeps over to Comix's side as if she would protect him.

The creature chuckles, a deep rumble from its throat as it slowly raised its head. The sound of thick chains moving with him as an amber eye peaked through obsidian hair. The scientist gulped and stepped back. "Your heart beats such crimson butterflies for me... Foren... terrebis homo... ut terrebis~" As the creature speaks mixing Latin with his broken english, his hair falls from its face two more sets of eyes can be seen above a cracked smile filled with sharp, broken yellowed teeth. "Valerie... meus custos, unus ex meis captis" A dark grey tongue flicked inside his mouth as he spoke.

He pulled his arms forward, boney and long as they stretched to pull his large body forward. His gaze locked on Comix, soft whispers emanated around him as he finally reached the end of his chains which pulled tightly against his neck and arms. Now leaning fully forward the creature breathed deep and slow breaths as it glanced towards Dr. Foren again. "Yet another...? How many will die before you see I will not be tamed!? Especially not by the hand of humans!" he growls. "Enough." Comix says sternly as her eyes snap from the creature to the shivering scientist .

The small man clenches his hands into tight fists around his coat, trying to steel his nerves as he turns to the General "You've brought me here to examine this... thing? What do you suppose I do with it?? Surely I-" The woman's eyes harden as she swiftly snatches the scientist's hair and forcing him to his knees "I don't care. I want results, if you fail me death by this creature will be heavenly compared to the hell which awaits you at my hand. You will do as your told like the good dog you are." Without another word she drops him and looks towards the creature again. "Behave... or I'll be paying that albino a visit again" The entity growls but made no move towards the woman as she walks away.

Her heels click on the floor and faded slowly down the hallway. Dr. Foren glanced back towards the guards who were approaching with a strange long weapon in hand as he felt a hot breath on his neck and turned to face the cell once more. Somehow, he had edged towards it and now sat just a foot away from the creature's face. Huge, jagged teeth up close the size of thick daggers. As his gaze climbs to the creatures eyes, it seemed to become even more distorted, its face resembling the skull of some kind of canine and his eyes sunken in. "Be careful...~" It chimed as its huge jaw stretched beyond normal limits, snapping open as it lunged.

Shocked screaming erupted and echoed in the large room as blood trickled down from the man's right arm, a large chunk missing from most of his hand and forearm. The savage bite had removed over half his hand, leaving only his thumb and shattered, exposed bone. Hot, thick clumps of black mixed in with the pulsing crimson gushing from his arm. A pristine white sleeve now shredded as the mixed liquids soaked everything in a sickly deep red. The edges of his vision began to grow dark as he heard two sets of heavy footsteps retreating from him. A deep rumbling laugh and blaring alarms was the last he heard as his body fell to the floor.