Killer Instinct: A Zodiac Story

Chapter 2: Irrational Fear

"Simulation over."

Cancer opened his eyes and was met with the familiar, steel wall of the simulation room.

"Good job, everyone. You did well... just as you were trained to do."

Cancer turned towards the source of the voice. There was a man dressed in a white lab coat; his dark hair was gelled back and a pair of glasses was perched on his nose.

"You may return to your rooms to rest." The man - who the twelve had come to know as Dr. M - spoke once again. His voice was quiet, firm and docile; but held a sense of authority.

"Cancer." Cancer jumped as the man's cold gaze turned to him. "I would like to speak to you in private. Please stay behind."

Pisces gave him a worried, yet reassuring look that read 'good luck', but said nothing as the other eleven departed.

The metal door slid shut as Pisces finally exited. A chilling silence filled the air and Cancer was finally left alone with Dr. M.

"Cancer." Dr. M repeated, as if testing how the name rolled off his tongue. "Your... performance in the simulation has been... lacking lately."

"I'm sorry, sir." Cancer tried to steady his voice, but it came out as a nervous, high pitched squeak. "I... won't do it again."

Dr. M ignored Cancer's reply and turned to his computer, frowning. He clicked a few times and opened what appeared to be a video file. "It's not that you... lack the ability to do so."

The figure on the screen burst into life as the play button was pressed. The figure had pale-orange hair, and he had two daggers in his hands...

Cancer tried to stifle the gasp that made its way out of his throat, but failed to do so. The memory of that day shot through his head before he could push it back.

---

"Freeze or I snap the girl's neck in half."

Another simulation. Cancer knew it was a simulation, but the horror, the pain; it felt too real.

The knife at Scorpio's neck looked too real.

Scorpio held completely still as the tip of the knife traced a thin line of red across her throat. The usually composed female looked... afraid, for once. But she said nothing.

"Drop your weapons."

Cancer's finger twitched on his daggers.

"Now."

He let the daggers fall.

"Put your -"

Cancer felt... something come over him. A dark shadow of something cold, something that... wasn't like him. Yet he welcomed it as he looked back to the smirking figure holding Scorpio hostage.

He felt strands of his pale orange hair fall over his eyes, but he made no effort to brush them away.

Unbeknownst to Cancer himself, a dark shadow had fallen over his eyes, and... his eyes were glowing a vibrant green.

"DROP YOUR -"

Cancer ignored the voice and lifted a hand. He closed it into a fist and mimed yanking upwards.

The man by Scorpio began to... gargle. His eyes bulged as he grabbed at his neck, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Blood trickled from the man's nose and mouth as he fell to his knees, gargling violently. The knife clattered from his hands.