Supernatural

06

NOVEMBER — "THE LAB" — 5:50 PM

Time went by slowly.

Everyday Morg-

Everyday T2832 was given the same series of questions, and every time she got one right, she was given another question. It was a sort of memory game, but one that was extremely twisted. When she wasn't given pain after saying an answer, it was like a load had come off her shoulders. Relief.

However, when she got one wrong... That's when it got bad. In the beginning, it was short bursts of electric shocks. But she quickly got used to it, and it didn't seem so bad after a while. Then it got to a day without food, no sleeping, and sometimes both at the same time.

Her confident composure didn't last long. T2832 couldn't hold it up, and turned into a crying idiot whenever she heard the voice over the speaker. But even that began to crumble.

She was fairly sure it had been one hundred thirty-eight days. When she somehow managed to wake up from her nightmares, someone would come in and she'd be freed from her restraints to eat. It was a small meal of a mystery substance, its texture like oatmeal, but she didn't care. As long as it was edible, she'd eat it. For the rest of the day, it was the questions and training. Then, she'd have an identical meal which she guessed was supper, and that would be the end.

The meal was like the ones she had had in the cafeteria. It was most likely the same thing, but the dose seemed lesser than what she was used to. That, or she actually was becoming immune.

T2832 never slept well. Even worse than she had when she was in the group rooms. Her nights were filled with nightmares, and she would constantly wake up every hour or less.

The speaker cracked. Here we go again. "What is your name."

"I don't have one."

"What do you answer to."

"T2832."

"What are you."

"A solider."

"And this place?"

"Is meant to train me. It's my home."

The answers were immediate and without hesitation. They were robotic, plugged into her brain after so long of repeating it over and over. She knew what happened if she didn't believe what they wanted her to believe. And she found herself slowly breaking away from her old, human self.

Escaping didn't seem as appetizing as it used to. This place, as torturous as it was, could help her control her abilities and use them. She still hated every single person there, but the hatred began to slip away. Happiness began to slip away. Sadness, fear, anger, and all emotions you could think of were disappearing.

T2832 was pleased by her progress though. She had very good control over her abilities, and they also began to teach her how to fight. Hand-to-hand combat; using daggers, bats, whips, batons, throwing stars, and all sorts of weapons like that; how to identify every type of gun, and how to use it. And after just half a month, she was occasionally getting bullseyes with both her knives and bullets.

Hand-to-hand combat wasn't the most fun thing to learn. They would beat her until she fought back, the sparing more like an excuse to beat her ass. The only way she could stop it was to fire back. And if she used her powers? The punishments were worse than when she got an answer wrong.

Days were long and exhausting. Her muscles had grown though, and she knew if she didn't heal so rapidly, she would have had hundreds of scars on her body, and much more to go.

Joey. Casper. Morgan hadn't seen them in ages. But the thought of seeing them didn't ignite excitement in T2832. She had changed over the months they'd been separated, and she didn't think there was any coming back. She didn't want to come back. If she showed any sign of change, it'd be back in the electric chair for more questions, more shocks, and more punishments. Even just thinking about defying these people sent a shock through her body as a reminder she shouldn't.

Soon later, it was time for supper. Her door opened, and she exited. T2832 filed into the hallway with all the others, walking forward and following them to the cafeteria. She hadn't gone to the cafeteria to get food in so long. She waited patiently in line, and got her share of the goop they claimed to be edible, and sat next to Casper.

Unlike before, she knew better than believing there was a way out. There was no escape. They could tell if you were only pretending to cooperate. And if you got out as solider? They'd still track you down if you got out. This was her life now. It was either she died young in the Death Stall, or she died older in action. And frankly, since her power level was so low, it was almost impossible that they'd just kill her.

And, let's face it, at least half of the people in that room would be dead soon.

She had no idea what their level was, or who they were. What she did know, was that they probably only took out one kid once year to be solider, and they killed two kids once a week. And in this room, there were a least half a thousand to a thousand supernaturals, as well as the other group rooms.

Escape was not an option. It was suicide. Sure, they overpowered humans with their abilities. But these humans had technology, weapons, gases, knock out substances and doors bolted shut that even strong supernaturals couldn't break through. They'd be running for mere seconds before they'd catch them and throw them in the Death Stalls.

And, hypothetically, if they did escape, where would they go? This was the literal government after them, who controlled almost everything and could track them down like that. Secondly, their parents wouldn't offer them safety. They knew what they were, and had most likely already disowned them. And finally, they had no idea where they were. They could be across the globe from their homes for all they knew.

"Morgan?" A quiet voice asked. It was Casper, staring at his food as if he didn't want to make eye contact. There was hope in his eyes, but it was hesitant. The last thing he had seen of her was a heroic girl, whose only goal was to get out. But it had been more than four months. She could have changed immensely.

And she did.

"No," T2832 snapped, making sure it was loud enough for everyone to hear while scarfing down her last meal of the day.