EXPERIMENT 6

CHAPTER 8: CHOICE

   I snuck out of the window and made sure that Hunter was asleep. I opened the window and felt a short breeze brushed against my skin under the dim moonlight. The crickets sings, and the leaves rustling softly. Even though our dorm's curfew was at 10. I look around cautiously if anyone was still awake and if it safe to go out. When it's clear i jumped down and stick the landing and started walking. The auditorium is the third building to the left.

It's awfully quiet as I walk. I looked up slightly and the stars are quite few tonight. This school is pretty big. Maybe not as big as the camp. A slight breeze came again as I approach the building's door. I grabbed the handle and slid it open. There's no light inside. Only the moonlight shining through the glass roof is our source.

"Could you come in time just for once?" Five nagged when I came in.

  "Could you shut up for once, Five? You've been nagging ever since you came here." Four was leaning to a wall , annoyed. Apparently everyone in here is annoyed with Five. "Obnoxious bitch." He murmured.

  Five looks at Four with rage. She swiftly pulls out a pocket knife and throws it towards Four's face. Four tilted his head slightly to the right to dodge it. The knife  was hanging on the wall then Five pulls out more knives, throwing it, and dashes towards Four. Four keeps dodging Five's knives. "What did you just call me? You little piece of-"

  "That is enough!" And both of them stopped. We turn our heads to the stage where Watson was standing. With his younger brother, Fred, and a teenage boy whose wearing the same uniform as us. He stands very stiff. Like he was a well disciplined guard dog who inly obeys his master. His jet black hair, amber eyes, mysterious aura, and a small scar on his right eye made us wonder why is he here? Who is this guy? We never seen this guy before. Yet, why do I have a strange feeling about him?

  Fred cleared his throat. "Well then, now since all of you are here. There are some things that we need to clarify."

"You all seen and met one of the targets right?"

I let out a sigh. Yes, since one of them is my roommate. I thought. Some of them shrugged and nodded as a sign of maybe a yes. I glanced at Watson whispering to that boy. And he nodded.

  "Surely that all of you know the rules, we want to add up something." Fred changes signs with the boy to step forward. "Let me introduce to you our new competitor, Zero." Watson said while patting on Zero's back.

  Zero? New competitor? My mind's full of idiotic thoughts about Watson and them.

  "New competitor?! Who is that? Me, or neither of us never seen him before!" Four growls and walks closer to the stage. "And! We're too many. Six of us and only four targets."

  Watson grinned. And I know that he's scheming something. "Zero's been in the reasearch lab #7 this whole time. He never stepped outside of that lab, not even once."

   "What a boring life you had there." Eight joked. Then Zero looked at him coldly. He didn't bother it.

   Research lab #7 ? That's where I lost control of myself when they injected me with that syrum. I started thinking deeper. Different thoughts came running through my mind. Especially, why this guy, Zero, has been in there the whole time?

Watson looks at each of us trying to catch our reactions. Then he grinned. "...I am adding another target as well. In fact, if someone kills this person, the game will be over and have a winner already. The jackpot, I say. Now isn't that fun?" All of us were surprised by this. Even Fred was a bit shocked by his decision. He stepped closer and whispered something to Watson. I couldn't quite get what he's saying but Watson replied "let's just see." Fred stepped back and stood still again.

  "Now you're talkin'! So.... Who is this guy?" Four asked. With just that, Watson a mischievous grin.

"Figure it out yourselves. If you guessed wrong. You will be out."

Fred steps down from the stage and comes closer to us to give some black cards. "Use these cards to send the notice to your target. Then you will begin your assassination." He smiled and walked up to the stage and stood beside Zero. We all looked at the cards. Front and back are completely black.

"This is such a drag." Four complains.

"And now. That's all-"

I didn't let him finish talking when The sound of my card ripping to pieces made all of them surprised. The looks on their faces are, of course, surprised, confused, disturbed, and amused. I calmly scatter the pieces and let them fall to the floor. There's an awkward silence in the building. Five, Eight and Fred's jaws dropped, Four and Zero didn't care, and Watson and Nine were smiling.

"Hmmm.... Care to explain yourself, Six?" Watson said gladly.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Five said holding her temper. "Do you know what you've done?!" Her open right hand points to the scattered card strips on the floor.

Watson brushed his chin with his left hand and clearly waiting for me to response. All eyes are locked on me.

"I'm not doing this, Watson. I am not killing anybody."

"What?!" Five reacted and walks closer to me. Eight suddenly grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Are you saying, you withdrew?" His voice sounded like he is mocking me.

"I didn't say that." I cleared my throat and Breathe deeply. "I am not letting anyone kill them."

Watson stared at me. His glare is dead serious and cold.

"C'mon Six? You already have an easy target in your room right now." Nine said while playing with her stitches on her arm.

"WATSON?!" Five reacted by this. He raised his left hand to sign Five to calm down.

"Are you trying to say that instead of killing them, you want to protect them?" Watson chuckled and steps down from the stage and joined the rest of us.

"Can she even do that?! You assigned us to kill them!" She points her finger at me.

Can you even keep your mouth shut? She's been mouthy since I got here.

"I know! Let's have this." Watson signals Fred to come down and took the tablet. "...5 assassins, 5 targets and then 1 protector." He said with a small grin across his face. "The rules stays the same. But, if she let all of them get killed. Great consequences awaits her."

My eyes widened. His mischevous smile bothers me. Fred has a worried look on his face while looking at his brother.

"I accept!" Four proudly call. I turn to face him. "She's clearly at a disadvantage. Five of us and only one of her. Besides, how can she protect them all."

Eight cleared his throat. "Haven't you forgotten genius? We can't kill them all at once. We need to pass them these to begin killing them." Eight said shaking his cards on Four's face. "Plus, it's Six we're talking about. She's scary." Eight added. I rolled my eyes away from them.

"I already have a plan." Four smirked then looked at me.

"I hope you agree with this Six." Watson said with both hands behind his back.

"You said you need some amusement." I said sarcastically. Then he chuckled again.

"Are you fine with this? Zero?" Watson said facing Zero.

"It doesn't matter. As long as I can kill my target." Zero replied. His voice was straight as a line. Deep and sharp.

"As expected." Watson lets his hand freely to let Fred take over.

"Well then, the game has started and Good Luck to you all. You may go back." Fred's voice was a bit shaky. He scurried to Watson and talked to him. We turned our backs and head to the door. I took another glanced at them. Watson was talking to Fred. While looking at them I notice Zero was staring at me deadly.