Freakshow: Lurking In The Darkness (On-Hold)

NINE: The Name Game

Zero is probably one of the few mutants living in Dark Gates. He has the ability to shape shift into any animal he likes. For example, he shifted into a panther to scare the shit out of me. If he wanted me to look silly, he'll probably turn into a hamster and watch me make faces on him, including ones with my tongue out. He's two years older than me. He's eighteen years old, and also an escapee from Griggs' prison.

According to him, his father was a zoologist working in one of the secret labs in the country. They were trying to create a serum which can give humans the ability of a cockroach to survive. Sounds disgusting but if their experiment was successful, humans would be invulnerable and slightly immortal.

One day, his father went to work along with Zero. He was thirteen years old back then. His father wanted to show him how amazing science is. Unfortunately, something away from amazing happened. Zero fell inside a huge container where the specimen for the radioactive experiment was. The container was locked and he cannot get out. The container was then brought to the chamber where extreme radiation will be focused on so that mutation of the specimen will occur.

As the extreme nuclear radiation flashed onto the container with Zero inside, the specimen wasn't able to absorb the radiation because Zero was too big enough to block the radiation from getting into the capsules. He was the one whose genes mutated.

The container has DNA samples from hundreds of animals, including the extinct ones. When Zero fainted because of the extreme radiation, he fell down on the sample bottles and cracked all of them, spilling DNA of animals into his body. The heat from the radiation made Zero's pores opened up, giving a way for the DNA to travel into him. The DNA then blended with his system, giving him the ability to transform into every living animal in the world.

When the scientists opened the container, all the samples were gone. All they saw was a sleeping panther. It was Zero in his first transformation.

"Man, the scientists continued doing horrible experiments on me. My father didn't recognize me for I was in panther form. I saw how evil he and his colleagues were. They had the crazy look in their eyes," he then lost balance, and I caught him before I fell down on the floor.

"You alright, dude?" I asked.

"Yes.. Totally. I'm sorry, Frank, but remembering that moment was just to horrific for my body to absorb, but I guess, that horrifying memory will always be a part of me as long as I live," Zero lost the smile in his lips. His expression turned to nothing, like a statue in a department store.

"Thank you for telling me everything about you, Z. I appreciate it," I gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"No worries, dude. You're family now. Anyway, you have a girlfriend or a boyfriend or both? I don't know," he asked as he tried to hide a laugh.

"Hah!" I whispered a small laugh trying to lessen the awkwardness of the question. "Nah. All I have is myself and no one more. It would be great if I have a girlfriend, but no girl would take someone like me. I was a thug, a criminal, and a fucking freak. There isn't a lady who would accept me," I told him.

"Don't say that, man. Someone would have you, I'm sure. Look at me. I look like a freaking punk but still, I have been dating this girl, and she seems to really like me. She knows what I can do, yet she still remains by my side no matter what," that statement gave me hope.

All my life, I didn't think about entering a romantic relationship with anyone. I never thought that someone would actually like me for being who I am, a freak. But with Zero's statement, I know that there is someone out there waiting for me to love her. Being a thief and all, I hope that she would accept my flaws and be my best friend and girlfriend at the same time. I don't know when that time will come. I just hope that IT will really come, or else, I'll be waiting for nothing.