NaLu: Just Experiments

CHAPTER 2: Really Messed Up

(Natsu's POV)

     It's been two days since Wendy was brought here, and I'm scared for her. Yesterday, we were let out of our cages and we all got to meet her. We told her how we could talk to each other in our heads and our different modifications, but we decided to tell her only a little each time we meet. It's strange that the scientists haven't experimented on her yet. They'll probably do it today.
     Lucy, Erza, Gray, and I all have cages within five to ten feet of each other. The only reason we talk in each other's heads is for privacy. So I can see Lucy's face as she talks to Wendy. I can tell she's worried. Her big chocolate brown eyes have a small bit of sadness behind them, and her golden bangs are covering her face more. It really is sad that we have to be here. I can almost imagine a life outside of these walls together. I mean......all of us together....not just us....that would be...yeah...I mean-
     Her scream makes all my thoughts go to Wendy. "Come on little girl, don't scream. We're just going to take you to a little room down the hall-" "No, please, I want to stay with Lucy!" I hear Wendy scream. The room down the hall is the injection room. That's where they decide what type you'll be. Some people die in that room."Lucy? Oh please, that's experiment 1, she's just a Scrap. You don't want to stay with her."  His words make my fists tighten. How can he call Lucy "just a Scrap". She's a living being with a soul and mind and heart.
     I'm about to speak up when he walks in...
Zayn Highmore. "Just a Scrap?" he asks. The guard stops reaching for Wendy and looks at him, shivering." I thought you knew how special she is. She is the first experiment, the most genetically advanced and complicated, and most importantly........she's my favorite toy," he says smirking at her. "By now, she's probably not even a Scrap anymore."
     Wendy is holding onto Lucy with an impossibly tight grip now, but Lucy seems too busy glaring at Zayn to notice. "Now, my little pet, if you could let go of the little girly, we could move this along." I see an opportunity and I grab it saying, "She'll let go as soon as you tell us what you're going to make her." Zayn turns to me and seems irritated but slightly amused. "Very well, we have plans to make her a Dragon," he says.
     Well, that's good I guess, but it's also bad. The Dragon genes can be a little weird when they're injected. I remember they wanted Gray to be one like me, but he responded differently to it. In the end, popsicle over there became the first Elemental. Sometimes the Dragon genes respond badly to different people and a few experiments were rejected by the genes and died. That's why I'm the only Dragon...so far.
     "We think she can take it," Zayn says,"but if not, there's always the next one." His lips curl into an evil smile. How can he have such little respect for life? This comment seems to frighten Wendy even more as she starts to cry into Lucy. Lucy whispers something into Wendy's ear and she nods. Lucy keeps whispering something that seems to stregthen Wendy and then....the most unexpected thing happened.
     Wendy slowly walks out of the cage, never taking her eyes off the ground, and says, "I'll go." I can feel my jaw drop open, staring at her. The guard grabs her by the wrist and takes her to the injection lab, slamming the door.
     "See, that wasn't so hard now was it? Now my little pet, if you could do the same thing and come with me," he says while looking to Lucy. This seems to surprise her as much as it surprises me because she gives me a scared look. "Where are you taking her?!?" I ask. "Shush, little boy, I've answered enough of your questions for today," he says angrily.
     That comment pushes me over the edge, and I'm about to do something I think would be totally awesome, when I hear Gray say something in my head, 'Don't do something totally stupid Natsu.' 'It'll be cool,' I say back, ' and he can't treat Lucy that way and get away with it!' 'Just calm down lover boy,' he says. I can feel my face turn red.
     I don't have time to argue with Gray. I watch as Zayn grabs Lucy's wrist and throws her out of the cage. Her back hits the wall and she slides down to the floor groaning. "Lucy!!! Hey, you can't do that!!" I yell. "I just did," he says, pulling her up from the floor by her arm. "Where are you taking her!?!" I yell, begging for an answer. "She's a very special specimen. We must evaluate, train, and modify her to help further her genetic growth," he says turning the corner with Lucy in tow.
     "Oh don't worry. You're next.." his fading voice tells me. The last time he evaluated Lucy, she came back more than 5 hours later with two new modifications and bruises all over her from training. She was completely unconscious for a day. They evaluate us every once in a while to make sure there are no mutations in our genes, to give us new modifications, and to then teach us how to use them. Lucy says the process is different for Scraps, but she doesn't like to talk about it. I don't like it. It worries me.
     I hear Wendy screaming and I know they've started the second part of the injection. I was able to talk to her earlier and warn her about the next part. I shiver just thinking about it. First they sedate you and place you in this tube where little tubes drop from the top and wrap themselves around you, getting into your bloodstream. Then they start sending little pieces of genetic code in through the tubes. This part takes about an hour or so, depending on how much they have to put in you.
     When they're done, they take you out of the tube and lay you on a table where they make sure everything is in place. After that they wait to see if your body accepts the new genes or if it rejects them. Sometimes this part can be painful as your body molds your genes and the selected genes together, causing the screaming.
     I really hope Wendy is okay. Well, I know she's definitely not happy right now, but I hope she responds well to the genes. Then again, the scientists are probably thinking the same thing. I'm just really worried.
     Great. Now I have two girls to worry about and then myself. Man this place really knows how to keep you stressed. The worst part is, only the experiments have any respect for life, friendships, love, freedom, or ourselves. Man, this place is really messed up.