(Hey, it's Charlie. It's going to get rough from here on out, so prepare yourselves.)
Two hulking figures stand shoulder to shoulder, one brandishing a metal pipe. They begin to walk forward, taking slow, purposeful steps towards me. I begin to panic and backpedal frantically, trying to escape them, but no matter how fast I run or where I go, they're constantly there, following me relentlessly. Eventually they corner me, grinning wickedly, the one with the pipe smacking it menacingly against their hands.
"End of the line, son of Cancer," they growl, lifting the pipe and swinging it downwards at my head. I scream as it makes contact with my skull, and a series of flashing lights explode before my eyes.
I jolt awake, back in the chair in the trial rooms. The scientist conducting the experiment removes the helmet and unlocks my restraints. I slowly ease myself out of the chair and sink to the floor, trying to dispel the experiment from my mind. Seeker claps his hands as the last of us wakes up, and a column of guards marches into the chamber. We all groan and get to our feet, assembling ourselves in a line, as one by one, the guards handcuff us and lead us back to the cells, prodding us in the back if we begin to falter.
This is what the last few hours have consisted of. They'll subject us to rounds of exhausting physical and psychological 'experiments', then throw us back in the cells for short periods of time. There's no clocks visible, so time seems to blend together, and there's barely any time to catch some rest. Like clockwork, the guards march us back to the cells and throw us inside, before taking their positions outside.
"This sucks," Zephyr mutters, pacing back and forth anxiously. Nia sighs and flops down on the floor, her chest rising and falling slowly.
"Can you stop pacing, please? It's really not helping at the moment."
"Well, what else am I supposed to do?"
"Think of a way out, knucklehead!"
"Hey! Don't argue!" Sergio yells, earning a reprimanding shout from one of the guards. I press my hands over my ears, trying to tune out the yells, but am startled by the slamming of a door. Seeker strides along the row, carrying the slumped form of a boy with him. A trail of blood marks their passage, glistening on the floor behind them. He opens the cell next to me and tosses the boy inside, eyes cold and unforgiving.
"Think about what you've done, traitor," he snarls, before storming off back down the row and slamming the door shut. The boy groans, slowly easing himself into a sitting position, and I stifle a gasp. He clutches at his right shoulder, where his arm has clearly been ripped off. Blood leaks out of the wound and coats the metal limb that takes the place of his left arm, this obviously not being the first time this has happened to him. He looks up and makes eye contact with him, his eyes a striking purple colour.
"Don't look at me," he mutters. I shuffle over to the cell wall separating us.
"Who did this to you?" I ask.
"My brothers," the boy replies, wincing. "They seem to take pleasure in hurting me, the twats. Who are you, anyway? I haven't seen you in the lab before."
"My name's Charlie. I'm one of the New Zodiac," I explain. "We were captured last night, and Seeker's been performing experiments on us since we arrived."
The boy's eyes light up with recognition, and he slowly inches closer to the wall.
"I've heard about you lot. Seeker and my other brother have been obsessed with trying to catch you since our dad died."
"That monster's your brother?" I exclaim, slightly horrified.
"Yeah, and my younger brother Outer is even worse. He's eleven and practically a psychopath who derives pleasure from hurting others."
"That's horrible," I gasp. The boy nods, flicking the blood of his arm.
"It's been like this for five years. I'm the only one who thinks my dad was crazy, so Outer and Seeker think I'm a traitor. I was a failure in dad's eyes and I'm a failure in theirs." The boy lets his arm drop, staring out at the hallway.
"Haven't you ever tried to escape?" I ask.
"Yeah, but they always find me before I even leave the lab. It's useless." He sighs and looks at me. "But you guys have powers stronger than mine. Maybe... no. Outer and Seeker are way too powerful."
"We have to try, though!" I protest. "The other half of us who didn't get captured are probably on their way here to rescue us as we speak. If we can somehow get out of these cells, then we have a chance at escaping."
The boy thinks about this for a second, then smiles slightly.
"It's at least worth a shot. If you guys get out, I could get my hands on another arm to replace the one he ripped off. I'll help you, but I can't guarantee it'll work."
I smile back, a small flicker of hope beginning to grow inside me.
"We should get to work then, before Seeker comes back. Welcome to the team, Mister... you never told me your name, did you?"
"Answer. Answer Bengan," he replies. "As much as I detest the name, it's a part of me now."
"Well then, Answer, you might just be the key to getting us out of here."
YOU ARE READING
The New Zodiac: Arisen Anew
FantasyWe are not what we seem. We look like regular teenagers. We act like regular teenagers But we're not, We are the New Zodiac. And this is the story of how it all began. Cover by @shadowsleek
