My Pet Human {UNDER SERIOUS EDITING}

Human Havoc

'When people run in circles it's a very, very mad world.' ~Gary Jules

****

~Axel~

"Go ahead!" I yell up at the master, whose cattle prod buzzes with unfathomable amounts of energy. He's got it cranked up to 20,000 volts because anything under 15,000 no longer affects me. My body has obviously worked out a way to repel the electricity before it causes any damage to my nervous system. "Kill me!" I continue, eyes ablaze.

I stand alone, my pet clothes in tatters, on a metal bench in the usual obedience training facility. My skin is ripped raw from constant electrocution and worse, whipping. The Master paces back and forth, probably trying to intimidate me. I show no signs of fear, though, so after a moment, the Laquanian stops and faces me. "You are to recite the Human Code of Conduct four times without stopping. Begin." He says calmly.

"No." The answer slips from my mouth, turning my grey eyes as cold and hard as slabs of stone. My features remain relaxed and calm, even when the giant before me moves forward so his head is inches from my own.

"One last chance, human." He snaps, blobs of yellowed spit hitting me in the face. I don't break my gaze on his eyes though. I imagine hundreds of white maggots crawling out of his empty sockets. The thought is so funny that I curl my lips into a smug smile.

I feel the electricity hit me before the Laquanian has even flexed the cattle prod. My body jolts for a second or two, barely registering the shock before it goes numb completely. I don't even fall to the ground. Everyone else does. "Ouch." I say tightly, wishing I could take a photo of the look on the Master's usually placid and stern face. If steam could come out of someone's ears, he'd be the perfect candidate. "You should give up." I sigh, inspecting my dirt encrusted fingernails. "Just kill me; it's animal cruelty to keep me alive."

The Master flinches, probably because I'm speaking so calmly to him. We both know that he can end me in less than five seconds flat. He could zap me with a killing baton, simply throw me against the wall like a tennis ball or crush me underfoot. I'll never understand why he doesn't just get it over with. Instead, he points gruffly to the glass cage directly behind me. "In." He snaps.

"You know that won't work, half breed." I coo, yawning. When I make no move to the cage, the Master grunts.

"I don't have time for this, stupid human." In one fluid movement, his hand has slammed like a train into my stomach, forcing me backwards into the box. I hit the back wall, feeling my ankle crack on impact.

"Call me Axel." I yell up at him as he swiftly grabs my box and leaves the room. Then I let out a crazy laugh. An insane, giddy laugh that shouldn't come out of a sixteen year old's mouth. "You're funny." I giggle, eyes lolling around.

Three years in the S.C.U does that to you.

****

The moment Adam, Waverly and I arrive back at the resistance base, I know something's up. Humans mill around like they're on drugs. Some are hyperventilating, others panicking. I keep hearing the same words repeat themselves as the three of us shuffle through the crowd. Doomsday. They're talking about doomsday. Waverly winces every time she takes a step forward from the multiple wounds covering her body, so I end up scooping her fragile form up into my arms and carrying her to one of the healing tents set up around the place. Once she's being tended to, I focus my attention back on Genesis.

"I need to talk to the Director about what the hell's going on here." I yell to him over the sea of blue and black clad bodies. Adam nods briskly, his eyes darting around the place in confusion. When I pass the food station, I spy Three O'Seven munching hungrily on a beige coloured pellet.

"Axel!" he calls out, waving his arms around to get my attention. I jog over with Adam close behind to come to a halt at his table. "For the love of Godpheus, I thought you'd died or something!" My friend exclaims, looking genuinely concerned.

"What's going on here?" I yell over the noise. People everywhere are running past, screaming in sheer panic and gathering up their things. "Did the Laquanians find us?"

Three O'Seven stiffens slightly, but shakes his head. His usually tanned skin is white as a sheet. "Up in Giantville, they're talking about the end of the world." He whispers.

"What?" I ask, blood draining from my head.

"It's everywhere; on the news, in their giant laqua-forsaking magazines, everywhere!" He glances left and right before grabbing a bunch of my shirt and tugging me forward so his mouth is right up against my ear. "This morning, half the Laquanian population disappeared off the face of the earth."

"You're kidding!?" I hiss, fear setting in.

"Nope." Three O'Seven says, popping the 'p'. "They're calling it doomsday."

"Why are you so casual about this, Three O'Seven?!" I demand, folding my arms. "We're going to die!"

"That's the problem." Three O'Seven indicates to the humans running around the town, screaming and crying. "We're the only species that isn't going to disappear."

"How did you find out about this, anyway?" I ask skeptically.

Three O'Seven sighs inwardly. "It was in the newspaper." He explains. "Apparently it all started with this radiation leak, and now all these dinosaur species are disappearing. And now, half the Laquanians've gone."

I'm still confused as ever. "If the Laquanians are dying, then why does everyone look so freaked? It's good that they die, isn't it?" I ask.

Three O'Seven shakes his head. "You're right." He tells me. "They aren't upset because the Laquanians are disappearing. They're upset because the Laquanians have started advertising that all owners and pet shops kill their pets."

"You don't mean-" I begin, my voice wavering off.

"That's exactly what I mean, Axel." Three O'Seven's dull green eyes flicker. "They're killing all the humans."

I'm almost certain that the moment he says those five words, my blood begins to run cold. One name suddenly fills my head. A name I haven't even thought about for the past two years. And he's out there somewhere. He could still be in the S.C.U, where I abandoned him. Either way, he's going to be killed, if what my friend is saying is true.

Colton.