The Mutant

Twenty Six: Scared

"You know that they'll figure it out." Claire said jogging to catch up with me.

"Who will?"

"The others, they'll know what you're real plan is."

"What are you" I started but she cut me off.

"Don't even try, I'm your best friend. I saw the plans Jordan put up on the wall yesterday, and they weren't the originals." She said looking at me. "You took the plans, and now you're leaving earlier than Friday."

"Claire it's Monday, I can't sit around here 'preparing' for four days. It's not good enough. I need to be out there now, giving Scott what he deserves."

"You can't just leave unprepared Ari." She began, then pulled me into the lab. "We're here to help. We're going to give you everything you need, and then some."

"Welcome to your training." Derek said as we walked in.

"Wow"

The lab was all functioning, the tube door was open, and the needles extended just a bit. I looked around, all machines were on high demand functioning normally, but pushing their limits at the same time. Derek was rapidly typing, and then Claire joined him. I walked behind her, and watched as she typed different formulas into the screen, then printed them out. She handed me them, and I reluctantly took them. She knows how much I hate equations and math. As she walked to the tube, I looked at Derek's screen and it was downloading the files of the opposite base and agency into some type of informational specimen that they could inject into me. The tube lit up, and I looked into it. A white/ivory liquid filled the needles within it, and I looked at Claire. She smiled and waved me forward.

"It's everything you'll need to know, it'll be injected straight into your system. You'll be completely prepared for anything and everything." Claire explained looking into my hallow eyes.

"You're the greatest." I whispered hugging her tightly.

"Yeah, but I'm also very nimble, and weak. While I enjoy this hug and all... you're crushing my lungs."

"Sorry, sorry." I said letting her go.

She walked back and sat in her seat, typing as I got into the tube. I laid back, the memories of being a mortal flashing back. The pain filled and the powerless person I was. The weak human I was. The emotionally attached to someone who couldn't be with me. I wasn't that person anymore, and I wasn't going to ever be that person again. I looked at Claire and she smiled, the tubes door closing. The glass was foggy, and it was cold in this thing. Especially when the clothing I wear every day for my uniform is low in the font, and tight as another skin. I had no headset, I heard no warning, I had no way of knowing what was going on outside.

Then the needles lowered and penetrated my skin. I immediately felt the formula, and my mind was racing. I felt I was downloading the information back from the computer. The information flew past my eyes, then my mind hurt. A LOT. I cried out as someone pounded on the tube. It was done, and as the tube opened, and the needles retracted, I couldn't stop myself from falling forward into this persons arms. My eyes were blurry, but the strong arms felt so familiar, but I couldn't tell who is was. Whoever it was, lifted my eyelids, and was speaking in soft tones. I couldn't comprehend what was being said. Then I recognized Claire's voice. She was yelling at whoever it was to put me down, or to lift me up? It could've been either.

I shook my head, and my hearing came back, and it was perfect. My eyesight came back slowly, and I looked up upon Draven's face. He smiled at the sight of me recognizing who it was, and I smiled as well. Claire was standing behind him, Derek behind her. She was looking worried – no surprise there really – down on me. Derek was holding her shoulders, like she was about to have another outburst, like the last time we were in the lab. Draven helped me stand, and he was still holding me closely. I felt like my knee's weren't working, and he was here to help.