Sirens (Theo Raeken) [1]

Annihilation

"Let him go," Theo demands.

"You have the entitlement and narcissism typical of your generation. In that you are a profound success."

The sound of Mason screaming makes me flinch and I turn back to see Liam looking distraught as he crouches down beside Mason. "God," Liam says. "Scott! Scott, I can't get it out. I don't know what to do." Scott takes one last wary look at the Dread Doctors before rushing to Liam's side.

"But your failure taught us one thing," the Dread Doctor continues. "The banality of evil. That you were and always would be an ordinary evil."

"You think I'm ordinary?" Theo growls.

"We believed that to resurrect the perfect killer we had to start with the perfect evil," it says. I shiver involuntarily. They're mad, I think to myself. Absolutely mad. The Surgeon continues. "From you we  learned that true evil only comes by corrupting something truly good."

"Not something," Scott mutters. "Someone."

The Surgeon holds up his hand, the pads of its fingers glowing blue. Theo slaps its hand away and slams his fist into its mask. A sharp clinking sound echoes through the room. As the other Dread Doctors approach, I take it as my cue to join the fight.

I charge at the one closest to me, bringing my talons down across the leather of its uniform, but something stops me from cutting deep enough. The Dread Doctor grabs my wrist before I have a chance to pull it away and holds it in an iron grip. I grunt as I feel pain shoot up my arm, gritting my teeth painfully tight.

I bring my knee up and extend my leg, the blow sending the Dread Doctor reeling back and letting go of me. Its footsteps are heavy as it approaches me again. I have no idea what's going on around me as I focus all of my attention onto the masked figure, planning my next method of attack.

I let a low growl come from my throat before I charge at it again. As I go towards the Dread Doctor, its hand comes up, its palm facing me. Before I know it, there's a glowing blue field put up in front of me and I'm thrown back, landing on the ground.

I'm just about to get to my feet again when I hear the screaming.

Liam and Scott are no longer by Mason's side, but his hand is latched onto the needle and pulling it out. I find it hard to tear my eyes away as he screams and groans his way through pulling it out. Smoky tendrils of black work its way around his body like a cyclone.

I feel my blood run cold as I hear the Surgeon speak again. "Transformation. Transformation without frequency."

And, before I know it, the Beast stands in Mason's place.

"Mason!" Liam screams.

The Beast growls, and when he speaks, his voice is distorted and throaty. "That is not my name."

The Beast whirls around as the Surgeon approaches him. The Beast flings him around and tosses him onto the floor. The mask that used to adorn the scientist's face like a tattoo is discarded by the Beast, the mask falling inches from my feet with a clatter.

The Beast continues its path of destruction, attacking each of the Dread Doctors. It moves so fast that I barely see it go towards Theo until its claws slash across his middle.

I feel the yell rising in my throat. "Theo!"

He's slumped over on the ground, barely moving. Meanwhile, The Beast stalks up and out of the room, its footsteps shaking the lights overhead.

When I'm sure the Beast is gone, I rush over to Theo, whose shirt is slick with blood. I hear gunshots somewhere outside. I crouch down beside him, examining the deep laceration. "Theo," I say, my voice as steady as I can make it. "You're not healing. Why aren't you healing?"