The Mutant

Twelve: Tests

"She isn't prepared for this. She doesn't have the right training yet," Claire said looking at me, then back to Father.

"She has to be, the threat is nearing us. They are on our backs as we speak," Father hissed thinking of what was to come.

"But Sir-"

"NO HENDRICKS," Father said.

He walked away and brushed past me. Stopping to take me with him, Draven looked at me. His eyes were filled with, well, pain and sorrow. Regret mostly, but a lot of pain. Father dragged me out, and turned me towards him.

"You have to do the tests at the end of this week. Just relax today with your friends and Draven. Tomorrow the real job begins." And he left down the hall, disappearing behind closing doors.

I walked back in and Draven immediately turned toward me. He looked at me again with hollow eyes. Derek wasn't happy that I was still here and not in that tube. Claire was looking down at her screen, watching the rat in the tube. As I watched I was horrified.

The rat--who was originally black--now had white hair, and its skin white as snow. Its tail had become something of a spike ball type weapon. Its eyes were now red, and almost shooting out of its skull. It looked unhappy and kept jumping up and down all over the place. It wasn't safe for a rat, so how would it be safe for me? A human being? I turned away from the video screen, but the sounds were all too real. It was screaming, screeching for it to stop.

"Claire!" I yelled.

"It's almost over, I swear," She said as the tube door slightly opened.

"Is it dead?" Derek asked.

"No," Claire said, putting on gloves and retrieving the rat. "It's just in a coma, like the rest have been. None of them have ever woken up," she said, dropping the rat down a shoot labeled 'Incapable'.

"So are you saying I could go into a coma...?" I said nervously.

"This isn't right. It isn't ready." Draven said.

"We have till the end of the week," I said, looking into the tube. "If you don't have it done then, well, I'll become incapable too."

"No pressure," Derek whispered looking over at Claire.

"That really isn't helping babe." Claire said glaring at him.

"X," Scott said walking into the room. "You're training lesson is today, we must go."

"Draven, Derek, Claire, would you like to attend?" I asked.

"Yeah, let's go guys." Claire followed Derek as Draven led them out.

I walked with Scott, and he handed me my sword. I nodded at him slightly. We walked to the elevator, and Claire stood next to me. As the doors closed, we were silent. When they opened, the boys all walked out and Claire held me back.

"Ari, you could die from that goddamn tube. If I had known you were subject X, I would've kept you away." She said looking into my eyes with sorrow.

"You can't protect me forever Claire." I said walking into training.

Scott, wasn't going easy. I had blocked his first blow as soon as I walked into the door, and then Claire walked in, distracting me. I was sliced on the other cheek. I yelled in frustration, looking over at Scott. Pleasure was on his face, and his sword dripped blood. I smiled, and then went forward with my attack. Slowly, but surely he came at me, making me practice my moves. I blocked it all, from left to right, to even some back shots. And then, Draven started to argue with Derek and all hell broke loose.

"She isn't something we should hold onto, she might die at the end of this week."

"Shut it Derek." Draven said.

"Draven I'm your brother, listen to me."

"No, because you're wrong."

"She's already dead, there's no point in believing she'll survive." Derek said turning back to the fight at hand.

Then Draven just lost it. He threw Derek out of their little seating thing, and down the stairs. Derek stood and then looked even more pissed off than Draven did. This happened all too often with them, they're brothers, I mean what did I expect? But what I didn't expect was that Scot would take this opportunity of distraction and use it against me. I was knocked over when something struck my shoulder. I was hit by a small knife, and its force was uncanny. I cried out in pain, causing the fight between the boys to halt.

Claire has never seen me in training, didn't know what abuse it caused me. She never knew I was here. As she watched me stand with a knife in my shoulder she freaked and began to yell. Derek caught her by the waist and covered her mouth. He tried to explain that this was normal for trainees but she wasn't having it. As that commotion was Scott laughed as I pulled the knife out, screaming again. God damn, this was terrible. I didn't know if this training was for Scott's pleasure or for actual training. But as I faced him, he stopped smiling and quickly threw another knife, which I dodged easily. Taking my smaller knife I chucked it as him, and luckily it hit his chest. Nowhere near was his heart, but it was close enough for him to fall down in a panic. As he fell, I ran, pulling the knife out from his chest and throwing it across the floor, and took my sword and put it up against his neck. He smiled as I looked at him. Anger and vengeance filled my mind.

"Good work, X. We will continue this tomorrow."

"Good because I'm dying to sleep for some time."

The doors flung open, and Father walked in. Jordan followed, looking preppy and cocky as ever.

"X, you must rest now. You're training for the Project begins tomorrow."