Experiment Zero

chapter 7 - zero

Corrin was strong and fast, everything I could have ever imagined. Playing with him all day like a kid was not just for fun but to test his skills without him realizing it. I learned how to do such from the men who did it to me and I hated using their ways but it had to be done for the time being. It was time to move on, I have already stayed in one place for too long and I knew they would be coming.

"Good job Corrin, I’m glad to see you’re not just a lazy wolf."

"Ha! Are you kidding? I got a lot more where that came from!"

I couldn’t help but start laughing again. It was nice having someone by my side again. Although he was still young and still lacking training he had to be ready now, the choice was already made.

"Alright Corrin, go clean up and get ready for dinner. You worked hard today, you need a big meal."

"Yes ma'am"

I watched as Corrin ran to the house. So young and innocent, I never meant to put him back into my fight. As I stood there I didn’t have to turn around to feel her eyes on me. I knew Sara didn’t want this but he isn’t normal, he needs to know and learn what he truly is and that he isn’t alone in this messed up world. I shifted back into my human body but stayed looking at the house.

"Sara please."

"Im so happy your back Zero and that you’re safe but why would you take him now. He is still so young and has so much more he needs to learn."

"I know Sara and I didn’t want to do this to him but they were figuring it out. It’s my own fault, I shouldn’t have kept coming back but I did."

"It’s not your fault, they would have figured it out sooner or later. I know it was hard for you to leave the only thing you have in life behind."

"We will leave tomorrow morning and head out, I have already stayed here for too long."

"Zero please! Please give me one more day, I beg of you."

That’s when I couldn’t stay with my back turned any longer. I could hear it in her voice that she was trying to keep the pain hidden. I was so happy to have picked her to entrust Corrin to. I turned around to face her, she was looking at the woods line with such a sad and hopeful grin. I knew what I should have said and what I should have done but I couldn’t. I owed Sara my life for taking care of Corrin, the least I could do was give her one more day.

"Sara, I owe you so much. If you want me to hold off one more day I guess we could-"

I heard them before seeing them, they caught on much faster than I thought they would. This wasn’t good, Corrin isn’t ready to see this yet. If I could hear the helicopters then number Two was almost here.

"Sara run! Now!"

"I can fight to! What about Corrin?"

I knew no matter what I said she already made up her mind and it wouldn’t be changed and I didn’t have the time to argue with her.

"Leave number Two and the other shifters to me, there cant be that many right? You worry about protecting Corrin. Forget about running, I can hear them all around us. Run to him now and have him stay shifted and if he needs to then to run and don’t stop and don’t turn around, I will find him. I will always find him. Now go!"

Sara nodded and ran off towards the house as Corrin was running out side. When I shifted I could see him. Such a good boy, doesn’t ask questions and agrees. I saw fear in his eyes but always determination. I would never let them get their hands on him. I would die before I let them turn him into what I became.
Number Two was always after me and had my back. We were perfectly opposite. Never would I have imagined that the member of my team I held closest would be hunting me down to kill me and take something I hold closest to my heart.
Number Two was never good and sneaking around. He was always sent in a mission if I happened to mess up. He was full of raw power. He was a tank with teeth and claws. I could smell him as soon as he got within a mile of the valley. I knew he wouldn’t want to fight at first. You can’t blame him for the fact that after thirteen years of hunting, he finally found his pray that may or may not have been dead.

"You always did have trouble being sneaky."

It’s been a long time since I have seen his face and the years had shown. He had shifted back to his human form. He looked like he grew a couple of inches putting him at five feet six inches. He was still pale with his dark, black, long hair. His hair ended right above his coal black eyes. The years of more training and fighting showed. Even through the white t-shirt and dark jeans you could see his strong well-built structure. His muscles where big enough to scare someone away but small enough to still look good. Looking at his tall, lean figure walk out from the woods my eyes darted to his neck. I guess I did more damage to the program of shifters than I thought. He was wearing a collar around his neck and thanks to his V-neck shirt I could see the burn marks around it. They were using shock collars on my family, and it was my fault.

"I knew you heard the helicopters so what was the point."

There was a long pause and in the quite night I could hear the helicopters coming our way and the smell of other shifters, nun that I recognized, on the wind.

"You have caused a lot of trouble Zero, and we were put through hell because of you. So now you die and as for number six, we will make sure he has the full treatment of what we have gone through for the past thirteen years."

"His name is Corrin and you will not lay one finger on him!"

"Are you saying you would die for him? Someone you barely know. You do realize the odds your up against, don’t you?"

I stayed silent, I never meant for this to happen. I never wanted to go against my team. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just knew that with Corrin’s power, the things they would do to him would make him worse off than I. Looking up at the stars I couldn’t help but smile and have a single tear fall from my eye as I quietly spoke to number Two.

"He is different, Two. He is different because he is free and made his own decisions through life. He is different because he does not fight to obtain a goal or because he was told to or even because he wishes to get stronger. He will fight for love and to protect, and that is what will make him stronger than any of us, not because he was bred perfectly to be the perfect soldier. That is why I will die for him."

I looked back down at number Two and for an Instant I thought I saw shock and sadness go through his eyes, but if it was then it didn’t last long. The Helicopters finally got reached the house and began to drop in behind number Two and on the other sides of the valley. Two went back to his emotionless eyes just as we were taught. As he began to shift he yelled out at me.

"I will be the one who will murder your brother!"

Then there was only the sound of men running, the smell of shifters shifting, the feeling of the wolf inside me trying to claw its way out, and the vision of a white tiger coming for my dead body.