kinetic

silent screams

The first thing Zoya noticed was the liquid dripping onto her cheek. The second was the smell. She had never smelled anything like it. It smelled like piss and copper. The third thing was the cold, heavy weight around her ankles and wrists.

She opened her eyes to see a dimly lit lightbulb just passed the rusted bars. Her head swam as she looked around her, still dizzy. She looked up to see a cracked ceiling. She flinched as another drop fell onto her cheek. Zoya shifted her attention to the shackles.

She was sat against a damp wall, her wrist bound beside her head. She couldn't even slouch without putting a strain on her shoulders. The shackles on her ankles were attached to a chain that trailed to the wall, one on each side of her hips. If she's wasn't bound by her arms, she would be free to pace the small cell she was in.

Zoya's mind was sluggish as she gathered this information. She should be panicking. She should she be screaming. She should be-

It was quiet.

She had been hearing the voices of others for months. Their fears. Their excitements. Their frustrations. Her thoughts were never alone.

Now, in this cell, she could only hear her own thoughts.

She screamed.

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Most of the children had returned to their rooms or one of the many lounge rooms. Classes had been cancelled in order to inform the parents and guardians of the children's safety. Charles sat at his desk, phone to his ear as he repeated calmly once again, "the students are perfectly safe, ma'am. Why yes, if you wish to speak to your son you are more than welcome to- Yes ma'am, of course. I'll have him contact you very soon. No, no I will not forget."

He hung the phone up and put his head in his hands. Charles sighed deeply.

"Come in, Erik."

He raised his head to meet his husband. Erik held a plate hold a sandwich and two pills. In his other hand he held a bottle of water. Erik leaned against the desk beside him.

"You've been at this for hours, Charles. Eat."

Charles sighed as the plate was set in front of him and the phone pulled away. Erik eyed him until he picked up the sandwich and bit a piece off between his teeth.

"Erik, I-"

"Charles, there is nothing you can do!" Erik interrupted.

"Five mutants are missing, Erik! Three of them were children! One of them was barely nine years old!"

Charles pushes the plate away from him in disgust. He rolled away from desk in anger and towards the doors of his study. Erik followed a few places behind.

"You have children here, Charles!"

"And I will always protect them!" Charles yelled. "Erik, understand this. This attack was not random. Nor is it a coincidence that it happened so close to my school."

Charles turned to face his husband. "Do not doubt my priorities, darling. But I will not rest until those mutants are found. Homeland Security has already contacted me."

Erik sighed.

"You mean Raven."

Charles chuckled, "is there a difference?"

||||||||||

Zoya stared at the wall in silence. Her throat ached from screaming. Her ribs hurt from the steel toed boots. Her back hurt from the baton. Her head hurt from the drugs. She was chained again, only in a different cage this time. One long chain linked to the wall was what held her captive. There were cuffs on either side of her head, but they were not in use. There were other cages surrounding her, though as far as she could tell, they were empty.

Her trance was broken as a door opened down the hall, yet she made no move to see who entered. She could almost hear the muggled thoughts. It was as if someone was yelling through a muffled rag. She groaned at the onslaught of thoughts as guards surround her cage. One of them opens her cage as two others bind her wrists at her back and unlock her chain.  One clamps a heavy metal collar around her neck. It weighs on her shoulders and bruises her bones.

She's pulled to her feet and dragged out of the cage. The men surround her in a tight circle and push forward. Zoya's legs can hardly support her. She leans heavily on the guard clutching her arm. They exit the door and enter into a hallway. The walls are stone and cracked and are stained with browns and reds and greens and- It's hard to see in the dim lighting. Zoya glances to see all the guards are wearing goggles. They lead her down the halls of this facility. Finally, the push her into an empty room. She falls to the ground as the guards step away. The doors closed behind them.

She slowly pulls herself to her knees. The room is big. The lighting is much clearer in here, bright. The size of it reminds her of the old gym at her school. To her left, lights flicker on. She watched as men and woman stare down at her. High above is... an observation deck. Like a surgical room.

"What's going on?" She croaks, forcing herself to her feet. She stumbles but rights herself. Blood rushes to her face as fear overcomes. "What are you doing! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?"

She pants in hysteria as they all stare blankly at her. Few even converse behind the glass wall. On the other side of the room, the door slides open. A young man tumbles through the door. He wears no shirt, just loose pants and a collar around his neck similar to hers. Zoya chokes in relief.

"Is... Is that the best you got?" The man cackles, pushing himself upright as the door closes.

He looks to the open window. He flips them off. The man turns to Zoya and... he's not a man at all. Well, he is, but not much older than Zoya herself. He noticeably looks Zoya up and down, noting her stained joggers and threadbare shirt. The way her hair has been hazardously cut and shaved, just barely reaching past the tips of her ears like a well loved doll.

In return, Zoya stared openly at the him. His pale skin cross crossed with scars and welts. The metal wrapped tightly around his wrists. The striking silver hair.

He was a mutant. Like her.  Zoya cries in relief and fear.

"Can... Can you tell me what's happening? I- I don't know! They won't say any-" her voices cuts off in a sob. "What do they want from me?"

His face morphs into something she can't read. He lets his hair flop in front of his eyes. He looks anywhere, anywhere but the sobbing girl in front of him.

Before he can answer, the metal collars hiss and release. The deafening sound of the metal falling around their ankles causes them to freeze. A voice clearing around them pulls Zoya from her fearful thoughts.

"You may now begin."

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