Dasher

Chapter 1

Emily

    When I was first taken, I had hope. There were heros all around, you've got news coverage over Batman and Wonder Woman, always helping anyone and everyone in trouble. I never felt like I should be scared, always thought if anything happened to me, they'd save me. No one can truly save you, and I know that now.

    I was walking home after a long band practice when it happened. My friend, Jace, was walking with me when the first car passed us. We didn't think anything of it, and I stopped at the bus stop. Jace and I rode different buses, so after he left I sat down on the bench. I sent a text to my mom, telling her I was at the bus stop. That's when the car from earlier drove past me, and slowed down a little.

    That put me on edge, and I looked around, seeing a van now come up the street. I knew I should've run then, but I felt frozen. When the van pulled up, and two men got out, I tried to run, throwing my phone and bag at them. I got to the end of the street, where the car had been waiting, and a guy quickly grabbed me. I struggled for a moment, feeling something gently poke my neck. Everything else is black.

    I woke up on a cot, my arms and legs restrained. There was an oxygen mask over my face, and I could feel and see tubes all around me. An older guy was sitting a few feet away, looking at a tablet. He must've noticed I was awake, because he stood up, and pressed a button over my head, and I felt gas come through the mask.

    The next time I woke up, I was on the floor of a cell, my chest exploding in pain. I cried out, screaming for help. No one came. I remember looking at the grey shirt I was in, seeing blood seeping through. Someone was at my cell door at this point, and I faintly heard him call for help. After that, I remember everything.

The old man came into the cell, and a few guards restrained me. They pulled my shirt up, allowing him to see the deep cut. What looked like nurses came in, and the guards pushed me down onto a cot that had been rolled in, tying me to it. The nurses didn't speak, just started to stitch up my chest while I cried and screamed, but stopped fighting my restraints.

    "Keep her still for 36 hours, let her body try to heal over the stitches so she's less likely to rip them again." The older man said, and one of the nurses looked at him.

    "How do you plan on feeding her?" "Slowly. Her body won't handle another surgery, so we'll have to hand feed her until she heals."

I was gently moved from a cot to what felt like a normal hospital bed, in an upright position so I could eat and drink. I was still restrained, but at least I was getting fed. The older man stayed next to my bed most nights, and I think it had been a day until he spoke to me.

    "How do you feel, Emily?" I just stared at him, not fully sure what to say. I was in pain, in more ways than one. "Scared." I finally answered, and he just chuckled. "Good. You'll stay that way."

    The wound healed in a few weeks. I tried to ask how it had gotten there, and was answered with a "Ask the Doctor." I didn't see him for a long time.

    After a while, all I had left was my dreams. In my dreams, I'm running. I don't know where, but i'm free. There's nothing stopping me, and nothing holding me back. I'm free. I'm outside, feeling free air run over my body. I wish it was like that in reality.

"Flux! Twilight! Training room in five!" A man's voice brought me out of my dreams, rolling over on my bunk to look at the girl next to me, who was already dressed.

"Get the hell up, Emily. You know what Doc will do if you don't listen." She rolled her eyes, lacing up her shoes.

"Yeah, yeah... I'm up." I sat up, rubbing my eyes before pulling the jacket on my bedpost towards me, knowing I only had a few minutes left. Drew, my bunk buddie, was waiting impatiently.

Drew had been here the longest, other than Ace. We don't know his real name, here, you're only know as your project name. I'm Flux, and I can manipulate objects around me to create a high pitched frequencies, and send strong energetic blasts. Drew has this thing called Odynokinesis, but she doesn't like to talk about it.

"Emily! Get your fucking shoes on!" Drew says, throwing my boots at me. I caught one, but the other hits the wall, making a loud 'bang' echo around us. I quickly pull both the boots on and lace them up, getting out of my bunk. I zipped my jacket up and stand beside Drew, waiting for the glass door that held us in here to open for training.

Two doors opened after a minute. Ours, and the one across from ours. Girls were on the right side, and boys on the left. Today, Drew and I were training against a kid named Luke, probably the one who's been here the shortest, and Jackson, who I'd like to kill.

Jackson Kures showed up not long after I did, but he chose to be here. The Doc favors the son of a bitch, who has powerful mental abilities, to make up for the lack of brains he has.

"Morning girls, ready to get your asses kicked?" He yells, looking at Luke. Luke didn't talk much, and didn't like Jackson all that well. Drew just glanced over the gloves she was wearing, smirking at Jackson. "It's three on one, Jackie." She taunts as Luke walks over to us, which earned him a glare from Jackson 

"Do we have a strategy...?" Luke mumbles, looking up at me. I nodded. "Yeah, just stay behind us. You get to do the last hit, okay?" He nodded and stepped behind us, while Drew and I stood protectively in front of him.

Luke's powers weren't much. His abilities were more just heightened senses. He was faster and stronger than a normal human, but not Flash fast. He was also very, very smart.

"Em, get your head out of the clouds!" Jackson yells, and without hesitation, I swing my hand towards him, sending a blast at him. I see Drew hold back a laugh as he's knocked onto the ground. I watch as Jackson stands back up, one hand on his ear and furious. Drew gets into a defensive stance, holding her palms out by her sides. Jackson slowly starts to crumple in pain, but we both knew Drew couldn't keep her hold for long. I send another pulse at him, not wanting him to get enough strength to use his powers. Luke just stands behind us, watching. I send him a quick smile, looking around at the guards walking around the room.

Before I could look back, I felt my feet get pulled from under me. I slammed down into the mat, looking up to see Jackson's face in mine. Quickly, my knee slams into his crotch, shoving him off of me at the same time, pushing away. I get up, feeling my eyes start to glow. A low pitched ringing starts, and everyone stares at me.

"Flux! Okay, everyone off the mats, now!!" A guard yells, and I spin around, barely stopping myself from shooting at him. They raised their guns at me, and I saw Drew out of the corner of my eye get into a defensive position. My eyes faded back to normal, and I snapped out of it.

"Take your gear off and get back to your cells, now." One of the guards yelled, and we all slowly move back. I didn't look at anyone as I tossed my gauntlets away, storming back to the cell. Drew followed after, but just went to her bunk, taking her shoes off.

Welcome to the routine of our lives, at least for now. We'll get out of here, one day.