Project: Hero

Chapter three

My eyes go wide as the German bloke is handed the scalpel, the blade throwing light on to the walls around us.

The other scientists crowd round the table, like a pack of dogs around a fresh kill. Well, this is one kill that fights back. I try to use my power, concentrating hard on the feelings I had the last time.

It works and I feel myself changing, it's not as painful as the last time. It's like I've been running and fighting for a long while the day before. The leather around my wrists and ankles starts to creak but it holds me in place.

It halts my transformation and I'm stuck as some kind of dog-girl. I can feel the fur on my arms and run my tongue over my changed teeth.

"Ah! She is a shape-shifter! Perfect!" the German scientist says, sounding genuinely pleased about that fact.

There's no chance for me to prepare myself for the torment. Sergio was right when he said it was torture to an inhuman degree. They burn, stab and cut me, anything to get me to bleed. They time me to see how long I heal - another recent power of mine. If I don't heal quickly enough for them they zap me with that electric spear thing. I loose track of time as there's no clock. It has to be an hour or more.

The tears fall freely as I hurt, everything throbs and I howl for help. Not that anyone would. The German scientist comes close, leaning over the side of the table, to take a sample of my tears. He already has my blood and hair. He carved a chunk out of my arm to get my fur and skin.

"Goot. Zat is enough for the day. Take her back to her cell." He sounds so far away.

The guards chain my hands together and drag me back, I want to fight back but I can barely move. It hurts too much. We reach my cell and throw me in, the scabs on my wounds breaking open. At least they unchained me.

I give up fighting and let the tears come. The sounds that come out of my mouth are whines and pathetic whimpers. I make no move as I bleed out all over the floor.

"Hey, psst. Hey," Sergio hisses from his cell.

I look up into his darkened cell and whisper, "what?"

"Don't take it personally. They're more animal than us." His hand comes into the light and, despite the blood around his wrist and the broken and cracked nails, it's welcoming. "They're just afraid."

I drag myself over and grab his hand. "Why did you stick up for me before?"

"You needed help. I just can't sit and think I can't do anything," he pauses and sighs softly before continuing. His voice is now determined and harsh but there's an air of kindness and passion that can be never be silenced. "That's what they want. But it's not what they're gonna get."

My eyebrows furrow as I ask in a small voice, "Why do they want us dead? I don't understand, I don't think I've ever done anything that bad."

I've stolen from suppliers and street-stalls, but I've never taken more than I needed. Even then - excluding the apples - I've only taken the poor quality stuff, stuff that people wouldn't miss and the stuff that's past its best but still edible.

"Like I said, they fear us. We have something they don't." He squeezes my hand gently. "And they want to be equals."

"That makes sense," I say softly. The I ask something that has been bothering me since I woke up. "This is a long shot but do you know my name?"

"I don't," he says sadly but then brightens up. "But I know how we can find out."

"How?" I ask quickly, but then as the scabs on my back stretch I add, "It won't hurt will it?"