Unstoppable

The Fourty-Fifth

"Holy fuck!"
My head, instead of snapping up, simply rolled to one side. My eyes glued themselves shut, but after a few seconds of pure determination, I managed to pull those bastards open, revealing a harsh and bright light that seemed to fill every void of darkness in here. My limbs felt like lead: heavy and unresponsive. My mouth: dry, sandpaper tongue to boot.

And, just as a final 'fuck you' from the world, it sent The Boss down to check on me.

"What the actual... oh, shit... Adam." The Boss seemed to carefully manoeuvre his way across the field of blood and spare body parts, and rest himself next to me, checking me over. I felt him move my arm and check for a pulse.
"Still alive... Thank Christ." I heard his entire body sigh with relief at this marvellous achievement.
Why the fuck does he care about me so much?
"Unfortunately, yeah I am." I mumbled out, making him jump.
"CHRIST boy!" I heard him laugh before picking me up, my arm slung halfheartedly over his shoulder. "You really should take better care of yourself. One of these days..." He carried on towards a corner of a room that contained some sort of exit. I had no idea. I could have to climb a ladder for all I know.
"How do you know me?" I asked him, my memory as fresh as a recently killed corpse has finally rattled its way back into action, instantly shining the light on my scientist's-play-thing escapade.
"Well, I'm the leader here, above the headteacher. I'm supposed to know everyone here. What else?" He appeared to play the fool, so I cut directly to the chase:
"You remember the science room?"

I watched his face drop. Then his hands. Then I hit the floor, chest first, causing a few strands of life to begin, buzzing their way through my veins. The pain I felt wasn't unwelcome, it was more a confirmation that I indeed could keep going.
"How the FUCK do you know about that?" His tone began to edge onto anger as his fists shook. His arms seemed to form into the same fighting position I'd adopted, forcing me to try and get up. It took a few attempts, which he watched with anger and discontent. It was as if he was watching me like a son: waiting for the moment in which he could congratulate me for my progress. I finally made enough blood and enough sweat course my system to push me through and up, causing me to fight the fatigue and stand up fully, shaking the final fleeting feeling of death from my veins.
"A little birdie told me." I said sleepily, forming the same position.
"You know we don't have to fight: don't you? It's as easy as that. You calm down, and I'll follow." The Boss said, keeping his eyes on my hands. "I know what happened here: you changed, didn't you?"
How in the... You know what? I don't think it matters anymore. Nothing does.
"So what if I did?" I replied, keeping my eyes glued to him, making sure he didn't use a gun or a knife or something as deadly.
I go out, I could be going out forever.
"THIS is what we've all been waiting for!" The Boss exclaimed, a smile on his face. "We were waiting for these changes!"
"Wait... so you did this to me?" My brain tried to put a spin onto it: I'd gotten injections, yes, but they were for the powers of practical invulnerability....

Weren't they?

"Wait... So, what were the injections for?" I seemed more curious than afraid, and I'm hoping The Boss would follow by example. Thankfully, his hands lowered, and he started talking.
"No. Those were genuine injections. We had to make sure you were immune to most things. For example, cancer. Well... you aren't invincible, your body just simply repairs the cells faster than they can do damage. It's the same with having your arm cut off: the limb structure is replicated and placed in a memory part of your brain, so if this is destroyed, it can simply grow itself back. If it didn't... well, you'd probably look like the monster you truly are." He shrugged as he said this, heating my blood up slightly.
"You think I want to kill people? You think this is something I want to do? I can see every person that I've murdered. Every single moment lingers. It burns. Do you know how that fucking feels? To have nothing but lights in people's eyes dissipate? To see them die over and over and over and over again?!" I shouted back.
How fucking dare you think I enjoy this.
"Yes." The simple reply hit me. "I do. I know it all too well. You aren't the only one struggling here. We had to jump through so many hoops just to get you here. It cost us a lot of money and time, but we got what we wanted." He began to step a slight bit closer, so that only a meter was between us. The room seemed to circle in on him, and I caught every single little move as he did it. I watched the arm speed towards the inside of his suit, I watched his hand close around something, and, just as he was about to pull it out, I pushed myself forward, sliding under his initial aiming point, and managed to kick his legs out whilst changing positions. No pain screams or grunts emerged from him, but I knew it slowed him down. This allowed time to swiftly change my position to 'run really fucking fast', and bolt it.
And that I did with gusto.
The door was clearly visible, and I literally threw myself through it, crushing the thing in layers and rubble of splinters and dust that clouded my eyes and lungs. I breathed and coughed heavily and kept blinking to force the unwelcome visitors out of my retinas as I carried on.

The light, completely natural, was a welcoming sight. I managed to also get through the second door by using the same tactic: my elbow, and a lot of withstanding pain. I hadn't stopped running, but I did now, allowing myself a few crucial breaths and a sight of relief when I couldn't hear The Boss chasing after me. I felt so grateful that I  reached into my pocket for my phone to call Callum.
You Twat. You didn't bring your phone.
"How long have I been gone for?" I said to myself. I mean, it couldn't be the same day, as I'd been out twice now. It'd be physically impossible for that to happen.
Who cares. Head home.
And head home I did.