Amanda stood panting at the door to the warehouse. Only a few to go, she thought. As she crept into the lab inside the warehouse, she tried to recall what her life had been like before the lab. What had she done for fun? Who did she talk to? She stole around the lab, unsure of who to free next. Suddenly, a deep pain-filled voice reverberated through the empty space between her and the cages:
"Run!"
Amanda had only heard that voice once before. Images of fire and death flashed before her eyes as she ran faster than she had ever run before. Only a few yards to go, she thought. And then it hit her. He didn't hit her. She didn't hit her. It hit her. A hulking, pale, black-eyed creature towered over her, smiling.
"Hello Amanda." She looked at the creature with tear-filled eyes.
"Matthew stop. Please, you know me." The creature grinned even wider.
"If I remember correctly, you gave the name to the other one."
"I gave it to the scared boy who didn't know what to do. I think you qualify for the name," she replied. The creature snarled at her.
"I have more purpose than I ever have! You know they will pay! You know they have to pay!" Her eyes filled with tears.
"Matthew what happened to you?"
"They happened to me! They locked me up and lied to me! I am not the monster here!"
"Oh yeah?" she challenged. "How many of your friends did you kill today?"
"I have no friends!" it screamed in anguish. "You were the only one I thought that I had!" It's voice quieted, becoming small and helpless, just like the boy she used to know. "But I guess I was wrong."
Amanda looked around at the carnage. At the blood. At the bodies that had been strewn across the floor. She came to a decision.
"Yeah, I guess you were. Get away from me Number 26-4." With this she spat at his feet and looked away from it in disgust. The beast flinched at the harsh words. Amanda's steely look almost broke at sight of the thing's betrayed one. Then their faces flashed across her memory. Valeri, Roberto, Caroline. She looked around at the bodies and realized that her friends were among them. And she felt no remorse for what she was about to do.
"You were like my brother, Matthew. I'm sorry." The beast's eyes widened in surprise as she hit the button that she had been inching toward when she was talking. The button that would end it all. The self destruct. So this is why they installed it, she thought. Her last thought was that she hoped her friends had gotten far enough away before the warhead placed under the lab exploded, and everything went numb.
