Seeing Red

Chapter 1- It

The man walked along the cobblestone road, nervously looking to the side. At the sound of suspected movement, he sped up his pace to a steady jog, clutching the package in his hands. Panting, he leaned against a building, waiting until he caught his breath to move on.

The stone wall was cool to the touch, almost relief for his sore joints and burns. He couldn’t believe that the scientists had created… that; that he had helped create. It wasn’t right, it was inhumane. He sighed. The poor thing couldn’t even think for itself; it had to be ruled, it needed a master.

He shook his head, already regretting the choices he had made, and continued on his journey. He needed to meet up with his old partner- Joe. He would have the answers he needed, and Joe couldn’t live without the serum- he would find a way to get it, even if he didn’t bring it to him.

The man straightened his back and began the long walk to Joe’s, alert for any signs of danger. He couldn’t let anybody get their hands on this package, especially not that thing. He was already injured, and it was on his tail. They could smell blood for miles, and once they got your scent, they never lost it. He began to quicken his pace again, fear ruling his actions.

He sighed. If only he had abolished the cloning process. If only he had made sure that nobody would create those things. If he had, then he wouldn't be in this mess right now. Now that the scientists had discovered his place on the issue, he would never be safe. He would be forced into exile, to live among the lesser people. There was only one of them now, but in a few years-

He couldn't think about it. He had to get to Joe's so that they could rewrite it. If they were able to take its love of killing out of its system, then maybe it would stop. Maybe it would become human.

He turned the corner, panting and stumbling. The burns were worse than he thought, and his cut was no better. He stood along the stretch of pavement that he and his friend had called home once and began the long walk to the door. He was almost he had reached for the ornate knocker when he heard it.

Hissing.

It was here.

He raised the knocker on the door and let it fall. Once, then twice before the large oak door slowly opened.

“Bill, what are you-“

“It’s here.”

The man stopped and adjusted his glasses looking around his friend and out into the street. “Bill, I don’t understand. What exactly is it? And why are you so beat up?”

The man looked over his shoulder and into the street. “It! The thing! It has my scent and it’s here!” Bill took a deep breath, tears stinging his eyes. “Oh, God Joe. What have we done?”

“It’s alright. Why don’t you come inside and-“

There was that hissing sound again; it was closer. Bill took a deep breath and began his speech again.

“Joe, listen. We have to-“

They heard the noise again, and all was silent. The two men stopped and looked out into the street, faces paling. It was here.

“Joe?”

Joe stood still, his mouth moving like a fish and took a ragged breath. “Is that it?”

“Yes-“

“It- no, she’s beautiful.”

Bill shot his friend a confused look before turning his attention back to the creature before him. It had already started to come closer, eyes narrowed and claws out. It was still hissing.

Joe began to take a step forward, obviously entranced by the creature’s beauty. Bill held his hand out, preventing his friend from death.

“Joe? Take the package and run into the house. Don’t come out, there’s a chance I won’t survive.”

“But Bill-“

“GO!”

Joe grabbed the package and slowly backed into his house, closing the door behind him. He watched from his window as his friend faced the creature alone. He looked down at the package and frowned. He wasn’t sure he knew what it was, but it must be important if Bill had sought him out.

Even though it was their house, Bill was rarely home. He was engrossed in his job, a workaholic. Joe never understood the-

She had flung herself at him.

Joe watched Bill dive to the ground and take out a gun. He cocked it and aimed it at the girl, ready to kill. Joe closed his eyes when he heard the shot, and a scream echoed through the night.

She really didn’t sound human; after all, she was just a copy.

He sighed. This woman was beautiful- stunning, really. Perfect in every way. If it wasn’t for the claws and sharp teeth, he would have never known that she was a Veela. Science amused him, but he never knew how they made such a beautiful, innocent woman into a-a

Beast.

Bill was still alive, and battling the Veela. Joe could see her markings now that she was in the light from his house, and marvelled at their beauty. Such strange markings. He had never seen anything like them before, they were completely foreign to him.

Long black curved lines trailing from the top of her cheekbones to the corner of her mouth. There was also the ornate red circle in the middle of her forehead, surrounded by thin swirling lines of the same colour.

They made her even more attractive.

He narrowed his eyes as he noticed the barcode on her upper arm and her serial code. Number one. The very first of her kind, and there would be more to come. He was sure of it.

He watched as Bill made a particularly cunning move; moving to the right, then dashing to the left. It was obvious that the Veela didn’t have enough time to adjust to the world yet; she wasn’t moving as fast as she should. Joe leaned forward as Bill brought his knee up to connect with her abdomen and-

She flipped back, slashing him across the arm with her claws and crouched down. Her lips pulled back in a snarl and she eyed him apprehensively. Bill cursed and looked at the slashes in his arm, trying to figure out how deep they were.

And that was when Joe saw it.

The Veela was making her move to attack when Bill wasn’t paying attention.

What a clever beast.

Joe ran out, and tackled her to the ground, just as she was beginning to pounce and held her arms above her head. He saw Bill look at him, astonished and then begin to run to where Joe was.

“Hold it!”

“That’s what I’m doing!”

The Veela seemed to grow angrier when she heard the term used for her, and began trying to fight her way out of Joe’s grasp. Joe struggled to hold her down, not noticing the position of her leg.

Joe rolled off of her, pain blossoming in his groin before he was slammed against the wall. He fell to the ground, barely keeping conscious and groaning.

It was all up to Bill now.

Bill looked at where his friend was lying on the ground, fighting to stay awake and narrowed his eyes at the creature. She had crouched back into her original position, ready for the attack. Her eyes were narrowed, showing their reptilian pupil, and yellow colour. Her lips were pulled back to reveal her pointed teeth, and she was hissing at him. Trying to warn him away so that she could go for the kill when her back was turned. Typical for a monster.

Bill smiled and brought his gun out again, cocking it and pointing it towards the Veela.

“Come at me, bitch.”