Shadow's Dance (V3)

Chapter 2: For Freedom

Jane's hand was on the door knob, she trusted her mind. Pushing hard on true door it slowly shifted outward to reveal a stunning scene. Rich green trees stood firmly above the pure snow as the moon reflected it low light onto the frozen ice. A cold breeze caught her bare skin, shivering slightly Jane felt a shove from behind. Falling straight into the crunchy substance she rolled to expose her face. She was stunned by everything, her entire world suddenly expanded. A laugh came quietly from her as she sat up to see the masker person pointing was already up.

A series of clicks broke through the moment.

Jane got up quickly and started running zigzagged through the snow just before a trail of darts marked her path from behind. Her slides in the snow were slowing her tuns, barely missing a few of the rounds as she ran towards the door. The masked person bursted through as Jane ran seemingly straight for them, suddenly disappearing. Hissing came from both sides as she stumbled back into view shortly after. She cradled one side and started going away from the underground facility at a much slower pace than before. Something stuck out of her side just before Jane pulled it out. A hand grabbed her shoulder.

Jane's eyes lit up an iced blue color as she swung her leg. Knocking the masked person off balance, she threw three strong punches to the chest. Another person began up the stairwell, Jane could hear the patter of thick soles echoing. She looked at the groaning person with her empty silver eyes as well as the door that popped open.

Another masked person came out of the depths of the facility with a loaded bag attached to their back. The person rushed over to the one laying down in the snow. They removed the wooden mask to reveal a woman around 20 with stunning bright pink hair. It wasn't anyone she recognized ore even seen on any report, they weren't Phantom.

Slowly backing away, panic started setting in. What would happen if a government agency got to her? How did these people know where to look? Were they looking for her? Almost stumbling backwards she ran quick as she could manage, Jane found a tree to rest in that had strong branches high above the ground. Her mind was already foggy and she could feel herself dragging more than she wanted as she climbed.

She felt the black veil of sleep overtake her body as Jane sat on the branch. Barely able to think, Jane saw sleep finally take over. The cold breeze whispered while she slept high above the world on her branch. She'd need all the rest she could get, Jane didn't even know where she was. Most likely, the two individuals she encountered were trying to search for her along with Phantom. She couldn't continue running without rest, food, and a safe place. This was just a pit stop on the way.

Her arms started to ache from the lacerations that were there before kept stinging. Deep in slumber she felt a huge relief off her chest being lifted, her arms didn't hurt anymore, yet she couldn't force her eyes open to see anything.

She felt trapped in her body in blackness, suddenly her eyelids responded as Jane gasped for air.

Bright lighting stabbed around her eyes, she was up right frantically looking around as sound came to her. Sharp, monotone beeps tapped like a metronome came from a small monitor that had jumping lines with each sound. Looking at it intensely, it was unfamiliar, Jane had never seen it before. She had seen monitors before but they were much more complex looking than a few lines and numbers. All of the pictures and records were gone, there wasn't anyone typing vigorously, and something else was especially strange, no restraints. Nothing tethered her to a oddly bent bed with rails. She almost missed the collar that rubbed against her neck, even the silence was different here.

A small clear bag hung from a thin pole that connected itself to her arm under clean bandages that didn't dangle off her skin. The air smelled of different chemicals, especially rubbing alcohol. The bed was soft and had thin blankets on top. A pillow slumped down to touch her back startled her. Jane noticed that her clothes were different as well, softer than her others, they too smelled of chemicals.

Her head snapped towards her left to see someone gaze at her through a mirror. She curled up on the oddly shaped bed with her knees touching her chest. The stranger came in looking at her in bewilderment. It was a male who came close to her enough to see his facial features as he crouched beside of her.

"Hey there, do you know where you are?" He said in a caring tone that was almost a whisper.

She mumbled. "382."

"Is that where you were in a facility called 383? Do you know why you are here?" His brows furrowed into worry.

She sunk lower into her shoulders, Jane didn't know what he wanted from her. Why was he asking these questions? Shouldn't all of this be in her file? Who was this guy? What did he do? What is he going to do? Her heart rate steadily increased.

He got up with more concern in his voice."Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Jane saw him reach closer to her, frightened she not only scooter away but instinctively used her powers. The lights began to flicker caused the man to look up before everything in the large room went black. He turned towards the frightened child who emitted a eerie blue glow.

"Are you doing this?" He backed away still looking at the ceiling.

She peaked from the tops of her knees. Without warning Jane pushed off the bed just as the power began to come back on. Slamming into the man she had also tangled herself in wires that strung off her body. Yanking at them she tried to untangle herself as infected two others came into the room yet they didn't have the white suits on.

"Just help her back up and turn off the monitors." Said the man they originally rushed to which Jane had pushed down.

She flinched as the reached for her and struggled as they forced her into the bed. At least some things hadn't changed. Perhaps this was just a different facility and different rules. So far she knew she shouldn't use her powers and to stay on the bed, this wasn't a testing chamber. There were also "hazards" that she could use as weapons that weren't secured down and neither had she until recently.

Jane's arms were strapped down to the bed as well as her legs. She felt emotionally exhausted for a moment, everything was too dissimilar, nothing made sense.

"Why don't you start by telling us your name." The man said while writing something down on a board.

She repeated her number again."382."

"Did you have a name at one point?" Jane was silent, unwilling to share.

He huffed."Great, a Jane Doe."

"Moore." She corrected almost instantly.

"Jane Moore? That's your name?" She stared at the man with a certain level of intensity. "I'm Scott. Do you know why you're here Jane?"

She'd shift to look around the room even more to not give away everything at once. It was like playing chess, only it wasn't just black and white, there was colors, shades, even more variables, more types of moves, and the board was unsteady. Jane had to decide when to fake, when to lie, and when to tell the story. Everything needed to be planned, she knew next to nothing about these people. In order to say more she needed to learn more about them.

"You're here because we intercepted a message from another facility that led to the one that those people were holding you. They labeled you as a weapon." He stopped writing and looked at the back of her her.

She didn't look at him. "Too bad I still hold the trigger." She mumbled away from him. "I'm not you's either." Jane hissed under her breath.

"I'm not wanting to use you Jane." Scott shifted closer on a rolling chair.

"Yea?" She scoffed. "Then why am I here?" Jane turned to look at him as anger flooded her mind.

"We weren't planning on finding a person, circumstances have changed, and you're still a minor."

She yanked quickly to get close to him. "Then why don't you kill me like you originally planned? She strained again. "What's the difference?"

"You have a brain which means you can think, you have feelings, desires, needs, all things that all humans have. I'm taking custody."

Jane relaxed against the bands around her ligaments, she looked confused. "Why would you do that?"

"Because the government asked me to." He was blunt in how he presented it, Scott showed it wasn't just some order though. Based upon his reaction and conversation he either lied or held back on something. A spinner of yarns is what he is, trying to deceive the deceiver will only lead to blindness.