Agent Reptilian: Exploiting Gold|editing

Chapter seven: "So...um, when are you available to break into Adams' office?"

"Is this even working?" I broke the silence. I heard Nix shuffling in the corner and I pulled myself up and sat on my bottom. "Nix? Are you alive?" More shuffling, large plants moved around and then I heard her voice echo across the room.

"Yeah yeah," she groaned like an old person with back problems, "I think it is." She held up a large chunk of her skin to demonstrate the effectiveness of the humidity chamber we had been placed in and then tossed it in the large, black, trash can in the middle of the room.

It was the same chamber from earlier where part of our tests for being a reptilian were being held but it had a different look today. There were massive plants everywhere and the temperature was sauna hot. We were both wearing maroon gym tanks and biker shorts with Secretum Academy embroided in gold on the neckline of the tank and edge of the shorts. Steam continuously poured out of the vents on the floor and the ceiling, leading our bodies to produce sweat to cool us down. The gas had started to accumulate, creating a thick cloud around us.

Yesterday while I was in the shower, rubbing off all the stickiness from my hair and body, I didn't realize as I was scrubbing away the dirt that I had ripped off a chunk of my skin.

Perhaps not 'ripped' but it shed itself.

Apparently, reptiles tend to shed their skin due to stretching of skin overtime, getting rid of parasites and to continue growing their bodies. Something called Ecdysis.

"I didn't even know reptiles shed their skin. I mean, we're still part human so why do we have to suffer through this? It's not like humans shed skin." I muttered and picked on my skin. All the tests and experiments they had conducted on us were to understand the way our bodies worked but they had somehow forgotten to mention to us about the whole shedding thing.

"On the contrary, humans do shed but not as quickly and as much as reptiles do. Reptiles actually shed all of their skin at once and it's much more uncomfortable than human shedding." Nix suddenly began speaking as if she was a biology teacher. "In fact, some reptiles even eat their own shedded skin due to all the nutrients it contains, and to hide their shed skin from predators." I groaned and covered my hands with my ears.

"Nix, please, I just had breakfast."

"Okay, okay, my bad. I just hope this works. I'm not sure I like the idea of leaving a trail of skin behind after class." I grimaced. Could you imagine that? I'm sure Austin would probably be wondering once again where we are and once again, I would have to lie to him.

"Hold on. Marisa's team has never even dealt with creatures like us. How does she know what to do?" I hissed. I wasn't sure they could hear me but I didn't want to risk it. They had created a humid environment in this chamber and hoped that it would help our skin shed quicker from the humidity but I wasn't sure if it was working.

Nix looked at me as if the answer to my question was obvious. "She doesn't. Why do you think they've been experimenting on us? They're trying to understand our bodies, minds-how we work and hopefully help us."

"Well great. Who knows how long it'll take them? Plus we're going to Miami. It's not like they'll be able to help us with anything when they're not even going to be with us."

"Everything okay?" My heart skipped a beat I heard Marisa's loud voice over us. Both Nix and I held up our thumbs up.

"I'll give you guys five more minutes, then I'll be opening up." Again we held our thumbs up and then the speaker above us radiated silence.

I pulled off another piece of skin and angrily chucked it in the bin.

"Hey, the price of being unique. Am I right?" Nix nudged me trying to lighten my mood up. I scowled at her.