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The Beast Unleashed

I groaned and opened my eyes, pain coursing through my entire body. The rank smell of urine assaulted me. Had I soiled myself? I blinked, looking around the room. The sterile, white and solid titanium walls of my cell greeted me, and I growled. I got up and winced at a new sensation of pain radiating from my shoulder. Snippets of my memory flooded back into my mind, but the details were still hazy. One thing was for sure, though: I had indeed wet myself.

"You shouldn't have done that, Nate," a voice said.

I looked around and stared at the pathetically small metal contraption which had to pass for a bed in this hellhole. A small and plush-looking kid's toy in the shape of a cat stared back at me.

"I know," I said out loud, rising to my full height with another groan.

"Then why did you do it?" the toy asked, its button eyes unblinking.

"I don't know, alright, Sadie? Maybe I was sick and tired of the guy hitting me with an electrified baton. You should try it sometime. It doesn't feel nice," I said, adding a snarl for good measure. I stepped out of my dirty clothes, casting them aside into a corner.

"She's only trying to help, bud," a second voice said, and I turned around while rolling my eyes.

In the corner of my cell, Duncan the desk stood stoically, judging me with his sharp corners and hard lines.

"Then why do I feel I'm being chastised and scolded like a pup? Do you two have any idea what it's like? The torture? The constant abuse?" I said to him, taking a step forward.

"We do," Sadie said, "more than you realise, Nate."

I sighed. They were right; I knew they were. But I wasn't in the mood. "Look... I'm not proud of it. I just snapped. I'll... try to refrain from tearing the arms off guards in the future, okay?"

Duncan gave a chuckle. "You make it sound so easy."

"You're better than this, anyway, Nate. Whatever they think you are, don't give them a reason to believe it. Promise me that?"

I sighed and nodded as I sat down on the bed. "I promise," I muttered.

"I didn't quite catch that, bud," Duncan said, adding fuel to the fire.

"I said, I promise," I said through clenched fangs.

"There we go. That wasn't so hard, was it?" Sadie said, and I picked her up gently. She looked so tiny in my massive palm. I was so lucky to have friends like her and Duncan. Without them, I'd have gone insane living in this place long ago.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm about ready for some sleep," Duncan said, stifling a yawn.

"Duncan, you're a desk. You can't even move. Why would you need to sleep?" I said, lying down in bed and getting settled. Despite the fur covering my now naked body, the cell was still too chilly for my liking.

"I'll have you know that keeping perfectly still all day long is hard and exhausting work!"

I smirked. "Sure thing." I curled up tightly in my bed, the springs creaking under my sheer size and weight. "Goodnight, you two," I said, hoping sleep would claim me soon.

***

"Subject 7, get up, we are coming in," the robotic intercom voice echoed throughout my cell.

I growled, lifting the measly cloth which was supposed to function as a blanket. The pathetic piece of fabric was barely enough to cover my whole body, let alone give me a semblance of comfort. I swung my legs around and sat on the bed, the springs creaking again as I shifted my weight. Sadie lay next to my pillow, a smile across her face, just like every morning. As I rose to my full height with a stretch, my bones made a satisfying popping sound. I did a quick check to make sure yesterday's new experiments hadn't left any nasty side-effects, as they were wont to do. At first glance, I still had all my digits, and I didn't notice any fresh scars. Not bad as far as mornings went in this place.

The door to my cell slid open with a hiss, and a bunch of guys, each trying to look more tough than the next, piled in, their weapons drawn, trained on me. Tiny red dots danced across my brown and spotted furry body.

I grinned and held up my hands. "Relax, guys. I'm feeling friendly today. I won't be tearing off arms or such. How's your buddy doing, by the way?"

"Shut up, hyena scum," a burly crocodile with a mean gleam in his eye said. I never bothered to learn their names. No one lasted long here, either by my doing or that of my fellow inmates. Longface, though, had been around for a long time.

"Touchy," I said, taking my time to advance on him. It was a bold move, and I didn't relish the idea of being shot again, but I couldn't help myself. In this dump, you had to take any entertainment you could get your claws on. I squared up to Longface and gave a low huff. My body dwarfed his, but my muscles and the sheer power they contained gave him pause. I smirked and tilted my head to the side. "Got any more colourful names for me?"

"Careful, Nate..." I could hear Sadie warning me from the bed.

Longface opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and just shoved a fresh pair of trousers into me. "Stop wasting time and get dressed, subject 7."

"Thought so," I said with a toothy grin, taking the clothes and putting them on. Some guards growled and hissed at me, but one look of my piercing amber eyes shut them up.

Cowards.

"Hold out your hands. Now," Longface said.

I sighed and did as I was told.

Ah yes... the cuffs.

"You kind of brought this on yourself, bud," Duncan said behind me.

"Yeah, I know," I said, sighing as the familiar device clicked shut with a beeping sound.

"Are you talking to yourself again?" Longface said, looking around the room. "Damned weirdo."

I suppressed the urge to rip his face off, remembering Sadie's words.

Like always.

Instead, I flashed a big grin, revealing my massive fangs. "You know, I really don't understand this formality." I gestured towards the steel contraption adorning my neck. "It's not like I can hurt any of you with this thing around my throat." I tilted my head and pouted my lips, trying to look as sad as possible.

"You know damn well you can, monster. You showed us as much yesterday," Longface said, voice dripping with venom.

"Ah, yes... I already forgot," I said with a chuckle, earning me the butt of a gun into my side. I grunted from the impact and went down on one knee, but kept on smiling.

"This is a real damn joke to you, isn't it?" Longface said, baring his fangs.

One of the other guards, a powerfully-built tiger with green eyes and a short snout, appeared behind the crocodile. "Uh, sir. We're not allowed to harm the subjects."

Longface whirled on his companion in an instant. "And he's allowed to maim us? Bullshit."

I rose back to my full height and kept walking, ignoring the careful prods in my back coming from the other guards in the entourage.

"Just pointing it out, sir," the tiger guard said, lowering his head as we started walking.

I yawned. What an absolute train wreck of an organisation Gahin was. It just goes to show: there's no money in kidnapping innocent kids and raising them as experiments in your shady hidden prison-lab. At least, that's what I told myself.

Gahin was many things, but, regrettably, poorly funded wasn't one of them. All around me was high-tech surveillance, top of the line scientific labs with world-class equipment and highly trained mercenaries.

Although that last one was debatable.

When you spend over thirty years being treated like a disposable experiment in a secret facility with no natural light, it changes you in a few ways. First, you learn to appreciate the simple concept of freedom and want to do anything to get it. Second, like I said before, you take entertainment anywhere you can get it. Third, you realise you'll win no awards for social skills, given the only people you interact with are sadistic, ego-tripping maniacs like Longface. Have I ever wondered why my parents found it perfectly acceptable to give me up as a child in return for money? Of course I have, but after a while, you decide it's best to stop and let the pain subside.

The door at the end of the sleek and narrow hallway slid open as a guard stepped through from the other side.

I perked up my ears and grinned. "Morning, Steve."

Steve, who was a short and stocky grey wolf, looked unimpressed. "You know that's not my name."

"It is. I gave it to you," I said.

Steve rolled his eyes and gestured for us to keep moving. "Take him to the infirmary. Doctor Slate wants to see him."

I frowned. What did the good doctor want with me? Did something go wrong during the experiment yesterday? Did they need my blood for something? "You heard him, Seven," Longface said, nodding his head towards the corridor to the left. "Move."

***

The door to the office slid open, and the overpowering scent of disinfectant rushed up to meet my nose. The room was relatively neat, with a large desk in its centre and a few cabinets on either side of it. Even though it didn't have any windows, it still looked somewhat cosy. Books of all sizes lay scattered on the shelves, some of them strewn across the floor. Harry, a lone plant which was desperately holding on for dear life given the total lack of sunlight, stood on a low cabinet in the back. A set of chairs stood in front of a spacious desk, with a large armchair stuffed away in the left corner of the room, next to the doorway. A blanket lay draped over it.

I frowned at it. Had the doctor been working overtime?

"Get in there, freak," Longface said as he butted me with his weapon, causing me to shuffle into the doctor's office. I had to tuck in my head to enter the doorway.

"Captain Ralu, I need to inspect subject seven for side-effects of yesterday's experiments. You are not making my job any easier by hurting him," Doctor Slate said, rising from her chair, her green eyes blazing. She was a slender cheetah with long, flowing brown hair. Her expression was stern, yet she always looked at me with something I didn't recognise. Was it sympathy? Pity?

Longface, however, stepped up beside me, his eyes looking furious. "Hurt him?! He severely injured Huran yesterday, ma'am! He--"

"And what did Huran do to deserve such a vicious attack, I wonder?" the doctor countered as she folded her arms.

"He was... he was doing his duty!" Longface said, conveniently glossing over the fact that Huran had beaten me with his electrified baton because I had 'looked at him funny'.

Doctor Slate peered at the crocodile through her glasses. "Tell me, captain. If one were to provoke a well-known, highly dangerous and unpredictable enemy, what would that make one?"

Longface blinked, dipping his head somewhat. "I... don't know, ma'am."

"An idiot, captain. That person would be an idiot, just like Huran was yesterday. I saw the footage."

The captain was at a loss for words. If crocodiles could blush, I bet his scales would have gone scarlet.

The doctor gave the smallest of smirks. "I thought so. Now, leave. I need to examine him." She turned away from him, gesturing towards the door.

Longface and his mates gave her a look as if she'd just insulted their manhood. "Doctor, are you insane? We can't just--"

"What's he going to do, Captain? You have him cuffed and collared. We increased his dosage to the maximum to keep him docile and placated. You need him muzzled, too? Honestly, enough of this nonsense. Do what you're paid to do and stand guard outside," Doctor Slate said.

Go, Doc.

I didn't know a lot about her, only that she'd started working at the facility a few months ago and was one of the few people in this place who wasn't a complete and utter douchebag.

At least, not to me.

Longface, who evidently decided that it was in his best interest to not push the matter further, reluctantly nodded and stepped outside with his posse, the door sliding shut behind him.

Doctor Slate watched them leave, her expression softening once the door closed shut. "Please, Nate, sit," she said, gesturing at an empty chair in front of her desk as she took her seat behind it.

I blinked. Had she just used my real name? The sudden shift in behaviour caught me off guard, and I sat down without a word, looking at her with a frown.

She gave me a smile. "I'm sorry for how they're treating you. It's monstrous."

I shrugged and finally found my words again. "You get used to it. Besides, I wouldn't be half as literate if I didn't have those goons to spar with."

She chuckled, and I found myself smiling. What was happening?

Shekay! I shook my head. Never allow them to see you happy.

They'll use it against you.

They always do.

"Are you alright, Nate?" Doctor Slate asked.

"Why are you using my real name?" I said, putting my cuffed hands on my lap.

"I thought it was time we got to know each other better."

I scoffed. "Sorry, doc. I don't do dates."

She curved her smile downwards. "You don't have to laugh away everything, Nate. Believe it or not, I'm here to help you."

"Sure. Checking me for scars, maladies, making sure I don't go insane. You've done a wonderful job so far. Thanks for that," I said, unable to keep the bitter sarcasm at bay. Who did she think she was, springing nonsense like this on me?

She peered past my shoulder at the door, making sure Longface and the goon squad were out of earshot. She then produced a small device from her coat pocket, switching it on before slipping it back inside again. It looked like a steel cylinder with blinking lights. "Do you know what that is?"

"Nope," I said, reclining in the seat with a smirk. "Why should it interest me?"

"It's a silencer. We are being watched, Nate. 24/7. In this office alone are three cameras and at least as many audio devices, monitoring our every move. This device ensures no one will hear this conversation."

"No kidding. Monitoring devices? In this place?" I said, looking around the room with a bored expression.

The corners of her mouth dropped even further. "Nate, focus. I'm being serious. What I'm about to tell you is dangerous. Very dangerous."

I blinked. Was she actually telling the truth? I shook my head, a frustrated growl escaping my throat. "Is this another one of their experiments, doc? Trying to see if I'll play along? Give me a treat if I get it right and cut me if I get it wrong?"

The fur on her face took on a paler shade. "No, stop saying things like that. That's not what I'm saying!"

I frowned and shifted in my seat. Either the doctor was a talented actress, or she was genuinely upset. "Fine, doc, I'll play along. So, tell me. What's so dangerous that you need a fancy silencing device for?"

She paused for a moment, looking deep into my eyes. All I saw was determination. "I'm getting you out of here."

Time froze.

Spending thirty years in that place changed you. Sure, you long for freedom. Would do anything to get it. But after a while, that urge became a hope. And when enough time passed, that hope became a fleeting thought. The words hit me like a bolt of lightning and the fur on my neck rose.

"I'm warning you now, doc..." I said, something coming over me as I rose from my seat, attempting to contain myself as best I could, "if you are fucking with me... I will not just end you; I will leave a scene so profoundly disturbing they cannot find another living soul to fill the position."

To her credit, Slate remained calm, barely moving an inch as I loomed over her. She kept her gaze steady, never looking away. "I understand your reluctance to believe my words, Nate. For what it's worth, I'm so deeply sorry for what they have done to you."

Something deflated inside of me, and I sat back down. I didn't know what to say. Thoughts crashed through my head like a tidal wave, some of them hopeful, most of them dark and violent.

"I took this job because I work for an organisation with a vested interest in seeing Gahin stopped."

"So, what, you're a spy?" I said with a scoff.

"I prefer to be called an infiltrator, but sure, let's go with that."

Raising an eyebrow, I folded my arms.

Fine, whatever your real name is, let's dance.

"Who do you work for?" I asked.

"That's classified."

"Come off it. What's your goal?"

"Classified."

I growled. "What's your interest in me?"

"Now that I can answer," she said with a coy smile.

I paused, swallowing my next question.

"Out of all the inmates, you seem to have the highest chance of making it out of here alive."

My eyes narrowed. I had never met the other inmates. Hell, I didn't even know how many of us were left. All I knew was my number.

Seven.

"Why's that?" I said, still playing along for now.

"I tried to speak to the others, but... they were too violent and unhinged or I couldn't be sure they wouldn't betray me to Gahin. During our brief check-ups, I felt you were still open to rational concourse."

"Big words, doc. You can just say I'm still somewhat sane. I won't take offense. How many of us are there?"

She looked down at her desk. "Counting you? Four."

I took a moment to process that information. Four. I'd seen the sheer size of the cell blocks when they'd brought me in. Multiple blocks with hundreds of cells. To think all of those kids had --

The enormity of the evil of this place suddenly hit me with renewed intensity.

"Four," I said, like a whisper.

She nodded. "Nate, you know the darkness of this place much better than I ever will. You know we need to stop them. I need you to help me, Nate, because I can't do this alone. I've been preparing for months, and it's now or never."

"You're insane," I said, snorting and shaking my head. The prospect of freedom, as tantalising as it was, did not convince me. I couldn't allow myself to hope.

Not again.

"Nate, I know you don't want to believe it. I understand, I--"

Something came over me again.

I understand.

I hated those words.

My fists slammed onto the desk, a dent forming on the surface. "Do you? You have no idea. To the Dark Wastes with your understanding!"

Seconds later, the door slid open and Longface and company piled back into the room, weapons at the ready.

I cursed inwardly. I shouldn't have shouted.

"Step back, seven! Now!" the crocodile shouted.

Doc Slate raised her hands and motioned for calm as she got up from her chair. If my outburst had rattled her, she did not show it. All I saw in her eyes was steely determination.

"It's alright, it's my fault. I should have chosen my words more carefully. Lower your weapons. He's going to be a good boy now," she said as she approached me, never breaking her gaze, "aren't you, seven?" I felt her press something into my hand, and I clenched my fist tight.

She gave me a small nod, then gestured to Longface. "Take him back to his quarters. I've got all I need from him."

***

As soon as Longface shut the door behind him, I unfurled the piece of paper in my palm, staring at it. It held but a few hastily written words.

Tonight

After dinner

Find B6

_ _

_ _

"B6?" I muttered with a frown. "What the hell is B6?" I let out an annoyed growl.

"Nate, maybe she really wants to help you," Sadie said, her tiny voice sounding hopeful. It pained me to hear her like that. Hope was poison. A lie.

"No. She's lying. She's playing with me, devising some sick experiment to see if I'll bite. I won't," I said.

"Bud, look around you," Duncan said, and I did.

I sat down on my bed and stared around my cell. Besides a desk and a place to sleep, all they had left me with was a miserably small toilet. I lay down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling crack which had been forming for months.

One day, that crack is going to get too big, and the whole thing's going to come down.

"Is this where you want to be for the rest of your life?" Duncan said.

I sighed. "Of course not, it's just--"

"Then what," Duncan said, interrupting me, "is the harm in trying?"

I sat up and looked at him. "What if they're tricking me? Punish me?"

"Nate, sweetie, what can they possibly do to you they haven't already done at this point?" Sadie said, and I stared at her, a lump forming in my throat. "Isn't it worth the risk to try? To dare hope?"

"Why would she help me? Why would anyone?" I said, fighting back tears.

No. Not again.

"Because there is still kindness in the world, Nate. Even in this place. Even now," Sadie said.

The door to my cell slid open, and the fur on my neck rose at the sight of the person stepping through the door. I bared my fangs and growled. A guttural noise so deep that it caused my body to vibrate. I wanted to flee.

A tall and slender gecko dressed in a finely tailored black suit strode towards me, giving me a stare so cold it could've caused a blizzard. His red eyes were calculating, patient, and void of any emotion.

The director.

"Careful now, seven. I want you conscious for tomorrow," he said as he approached me, watching me as if I were little more than a bug beneath his heel.

"You get away from me," I snarled, backing up into a corner. Fear flowed through me, numbing my senses. Vivid images of pain and torture flooded my brain, causing my legs to buckle.

The director chuckled, a cold and hollow sound. "It's fascinating, isn't it? To have so much power and strength and yet, here you are, a whimpering pile of fear. I was always a big advocate of conditioning. One cannot argue with its results, isn't that right, seven?"

I said nothing. Every cell in my body was screaming for me to get away from him.

"I heard about your minor accident yesterday. Unfortunate. I expected better behaviour from you. Perhaps I should show you what happens when you misbehave, hmm?"

No. No, no, no.

My eyes went wide, and I cowered, huddling into a corner like the piece of pathetic waste that I was.

Loathing and anger washed over me, but I couldn't bring myself to look up at him. To hurt him. I cursed my weakness.

"Make no mistake, seven," the director went on as he lifted my chin with a finger. "No one here will mourn you if you die. Not me, not the staff."

A shiver went down my spine as he touched me, his touch so cold it felt like death.

He paused for effect, a grin on his face so horrible it made me whimper. "And certainly not your parents."

Tears welled up in my eyes.

He dropped my chin and turned away. "Final warning. Behave like that again, and there will be consequences."

The door shut behind him, and I sat huddled in the corner, my arms wrapped around myself. I looked back up at the crack in the ceiling.

Screw it. Tonight, the whole fucking thing was coming down.

_ _

_ _

***

Dinner came and went, and I shoved the empty plate back through the hole in the wall. The lid closed with a clang and I strolled back to sit on the bed. I was used to the slop they passed as food in this horrible place, but tonight, the food had tasted differently. Better. Approaching acceptable. I wondered why that was. Was it my hope? My anticipation of potentially getting out of here? I shook my head and cast the thoughts aside. No use in overthinking things.

Minutes passed, then an hour. Doubt gnawed at me. Had I been right all along? Was it another one of their experiments? Was all of this the director's latest attempt to punish me? I told myself to wait a little while longer. I lay down on the bed and sighed, listening for anything out of the ordinary.

"It will happen", Sadie said, her voice soft.

I snorted. "How do you know?"

"I have faith. So should you."

"She's right, bud," Duncan said, chiming in.

"How can you two be so hopeful?" I said, running my hands across my face and muzzle. "Have you not been living here as long as I have? This place gets a kick out of destroying hope."

"Nate, listen to me," Sadie said, the earlier softness in her voice replaced by a stern tone. "If you allow yourself to give up hope, they win. You understand me? If you give up, they have broken you."

Her words stung, but I knew they were true. "I just--"

Suddenly, the distant sound of an explosion echoed outside of my cell. Dust trickled down from the ceiling where the crack had spread. I felt a low vibration and sat up, the sound of shouting coming from the corridor just outside. Panicked orders. Boots hitting the floor. What the hell was going on?

Another explosion rattled the cell, much closer this time. I grunted and sprang to my feet.

"Hey! What gives?!" I shouted while banging on the door, but no one replied. Chaos was erupting all around me, and for a split second, hope surged in my chest. Was it really happening? Was I escaping tonight?

I looked back at Duncan and Sadie. "Something's happening out there."

"Sounds like it," Duncan said, sounding bemused.

The lights in my room went out, and the door slid open. For a moment, nothing happened, but then a figure stepped inside, clutching a weapon. I snarled at the newcomer, readying my claws. The familiar scent of disinfectant hit my nostrils, and I paused.

"Doc?" I said.

The cheetah groaned, clutching her side. "Nate, change of plan. We need to get out of here now."

Another smell came to me then, one which gave me cause for concern.

Blood. It clung to Slate like a water-soaked shirt. I caught her as she stumbled forward, her body feeling light and frail in my arms. A sense of protectiveness came over me, and I remembered Sadie's words.

There is still kindness in the world, Nate. Even in this place. Even now.

I lowered the doctor down, careful not to hurt her. "Easy there. You're in bad shape. What happened?"

She inhaled sharply, wincing at the pain as she moved to stand up again. "My plan backfired. They found me out. I had to improvise."

"Improvising meaning...?" I said, helping her back up.

"Releasing the others."

I paused for a moment, the sound of far off screams drifting into my cell, interspersed with the blaring of a siren. "What?"

"I didn't have a choice. I needed a diversion," she said, not meeting my eyes. "Come, we don't have much time."

She exited my cell, disappearing into the hallway.

I moved to follow her, glancing back at my bed, where Sadie sat, looking right at me.

"Go, Nate. It's time to let us go," she said, and I could have sworn I saw her smile, even in the dark.

"But, I don't want to," I said.

"We're always with you, bud," Duncan said. "After all, we are you."

"Nate, you coming or what?" Doc Slate said, peering into the cell.

"Go," Sadie said. "Protect her. Don't let them win. Be better."

Warm tears stained my fur as I tore my gaze away and left my cell, my friends, and my entire life behind.

***

A swirling light bathed the corridor in an ominous red, casting moving shadows. The door at the end of the corridor was open, light flickering beyond it. A couple of guards equipped with flashlights raced past the opening, shouting some incomprehensible words to each other. I ducked behind a pillar, Doc doing the same in front of me. We waited a few moments to make sure no one was around.

A bone-shattering roar erupted ahead of us, and something massive darted past the open door, heading straight for the guards. I stood frozen to the spot, my heart racing.

What the hell was that?

It wasn't long before the sound of gunfire filled the air, followed by a chorus of screams and growls. The distant light of shots being fired illuminated the opening at the end of the corridor until it died down abruptly.

I looked at Slate. She was breathing fast and shallow.

"Doc? What was that?" I said, lowering my voice so only she could hear me.

"That... was subject one," she said, a hint of trembling in her voice. She further down the corridor, her weapon aimed and ready to fire at whatever came through that door. I followed, careful not to make too much noise. We halted on either side of the opening.

Doc Slate fished something out of her pocket. "Nate. Do you trust me?" she said in a tone so soft I could barely hear her.

"Yes," I said, the word escaping my lips before I knew it. A sense of relief washed over me. "Yes, I trust you."

"Can I trust you?" she said.

Again, the words formed without a second thought. "Yes, you can."

There was a click, and the metal collar fastened around my neck popped open. I gasped, running my hands across the smooth surface before taking it off.

Doc Slate put the little device away. "Good. I'm going to need you in top form. Don't make me regret this, alright?"

I held the collar in my hands. The symbol of my captivity. I hated it. Yet, now that I held it, I had no idea what to do next.

"Nate, come on. Let's go before subject one comes back," Slate said, venturing through the door.

I put the collar down onto the floor and stared at it with a mixture of hatred and defiance. "I am done being shackled," I said, and I turned to follow Slate deeper into the facility.

We rounded the corner and halted, noticing flashlights up ahead.

They weren't moving.

We approached, one step at a time, trying to remain stealthy. Bracing myself for the worst, I readied myself for a squadron of guards, ready to gun us down. When I stepped around the corner, I couldn't believe what I saw.

Corpses littered the corridor, with thick streaks of blood coating the once pristine walls. Limbs lay scattered about like leftover confetti at a party, and various disembowelled guards were strewn throughout the hallway, their faces frozen in terror. Some of them, I noticed, were still alive. I crouched down, observing a trail of bloodied footprints leading further down the hallway.

They were massive.

A nearby guard reached his hand up towards me, guttural noises coming from his bloodied muzzle. The lynx looked at me, his eyes stained with tears. I looked back to Slate, and she nodded. In one swift motion, I grabbed the lynx's entire head with my hand and twisted.

The hand went limp.

A blood-curdling howl rang throughout the facility. I was up in an instant, alert and ready for a fight. "You think it's close?" I said to Slate.

"He. And no, I don't think so. But subject one isn't the only one I released," she said, letting the statement hang for a moment. She picked up a flashlight and gestured for me to do the same. "Take a gun, too. And keep up. We need to get to B6."

I looked at the weapons scattered about the floor and shrugged. "I don't need a gun. Besides," I said, picking up my own flashlight from the grip of a nearby corpse. "What did you mean by B6?"

She looked at me as if I had asked her the most obvious question in existence. With a flick of her wrist, she turned the beam of her flashlight towards a nearby plaque, and I facepalmed.

B1 - B5 >

B6 - B10 <

---

"Well, I'm an idiot," I said, shrugging.

"So, if I hadn't come to get you out myself..." she said, a smile spreading on her muzzle.

"Now, hang on, I'm sure I would've figured it out eventually," I said, interjecting.

"Eventually."

"Yeah."

She rolled her eyes and kept going. "Come on, we're almost there."

"So, why B6? What's waiting for us there?" I said as we went, keeping a sharp eye on our surroundings.

"B6 is the weakest structural point in the facility," she said as we went. "We've planted explosives there, blowing a hole big enough to cause chaos and allow us to escape."

The intercom sprung to life and almost gave me a heart attack. "Attention, staff. This is not a drill. Please evacuate to the nearest exit. The experiments have escaped. I repeat: this is not a drill. Find shelter. Do not engage. I repeat: do not engage," the robotic voice said.

The reality of the situation was still sinking in. Not only had Slate infiltrated Gahin, she had single-handedly disrupted their efforts, unleashed a collection of highly dangerous experiments, and was now brandishing a weapon to help me bust out of the prison I had spent my entire life in. I felt a sense of admiration unlike anything I had ever felt for a person.

"Spread out and find them. I'll hunt for seven. That crafty bastard won't get past me," the voice of Longface sounded from up ahead.

Slate and I ducked and hid around the corner just as the light of his torch shone down on the spot we'd just been standing in. Anger surged within me. My abilities manifested, my entire body melding into the shadows, my eyes shifting into a fiery red.

Slate watched on, her eyes wide.

I slipped into the shadows and vanished as Longface approached our position. I couldn't let him find us, couldn't let him hurt Slate. Without a sound, I rose from the darkness behind him.

"Still here, are you? I'm surprised you haven't run away like the coward you are," I said, my voice sounding lower, strained by a monstrous tone which wasn't entirely my own.

Longface whirled on the spot, but my hand was already around his throat, lifting him up in the air. He kicked and squirmed within my grasp, dropping his weapon and clutching my hand in a desperate attempt at escape.

"All those years... all that torture and spite..." I said, a menacing growl escaping my throat as my eyes became like fire. Fear erupted from Longface's entire being. He was rank with it.

"P-please..." he stammered weakly. "Don't... kill... me..."

Hatred wrapped around me like a comforting embrace, and I grinned at the feeble creature before me. "This place killed me long ago, Longface. It's only fair I return the favour."

"Nate, stop," Slate said, grabbing my arm.

I fought back the urge to smash her into the wall and felt the darkness subsiding somewhat from my mind.

She stroked the fur along my biceps. "You're better than this. Don't let them turn you into something you're not."

I looked from her to Longface, glaring at the struggling bag of pathetic garbage in my grasp. With a huff, I slammed his head against the wall, knocking him out cold. "You're too soft, doc. But perhaps that's what I like about you."

She smiled and hurried down the corridor. I cast one last look at my tormentor and followed her.

***

We kept going, passing massacre after massacre. I got the impression that, however many guards were left, they were fighting a losing battle. We passed corpses with blades of metal sticking out of them, while others appeared to be scorched by something so hot it had seared the flesh right off their bones.

"Keep clear of them," Slate warned me as I inspected one of the charred remains. "They're radioactive."

I looked up at her. "How do you know?"

"Subject 1990," she said, and nothing more.

Another explosion rocked the ground, and I nearly lost my balance.

"Was that your friends' doing?" I said, helping her up when I noticed her struggling. The wound on her side was getting worse.

She bit her lip and steadied herself against the wall. "It could be. Like I said, we've had to improvise. All I know is that there should be a route for us to escape in B6."

We kept going, running down a few more hallways and taking a few turns. My mind was already at a loss. The place had always felt like a maze, but it was downright maddening now.

Slate held up a hand, and I halted behind her. We were just next to a massive door. Judging by the damage, something had ripped it right out of its hinges.

Subject one.

I chanced a peek into the room beyond.

It looked like some kind of storage warehouse, with enormous walls, a high ceiling, and enough space for at least a thousand people. The place looked trashed, with debris scattered everywhere, giant wooden boxes haphazardly dotted about the room, and corpses strewn all over the place in various degrees of gruesome cause of death. What really caught my eye, though, was the giant gaping hole in the concrete wall.

What I saw was a miracle. I saw trees, the sky, the moon.

Freedom.

Before we could venture forth, a voice called to me. "I know you're there, seven. Come out, now. Show yourself," the icy voice of the director said.

Panic gripped my chest again, but I tried to resist it. I stepped into the doorway and turned to face him. He stood quite a distance away from me, surrounded by whatever was left of the guards.

"You, too, Doctor Slate," he said.

Slate cursed and joined me, her hands raised in the air.

"That's it. Closer now," the director said.

I stepped forward, keeping my eyes down.

The director shook his head. "I had expected more from you, doctor."

"That makes one of us," she said, her mouth a thin line.

"Sir," one guard said, pointing at me. "He's not wearing his collar."

Something beautiful happened, and I savoured the moment for as long as I could.

The director looked afraid.

"Shekay. Open fire, you imbeciles," he said, drawing his own weapon.

Doc Slate raised her own weapon, struggling to keep it levelled.

"Get behind me," I said as I dashed in front of her, my eyes going red.

"Nate, no, don't," she said, realising what I was about to do.

"They won't take you, doc," I said, shadows enveloping my body. I pushed the rage and hatred aside. They were a crutch.

I was in control.

Now and forever.

They won't win. I won't let them.

The shadows erupted.

Like a tidal wave, I plunged onto the floor and spread across the room. The guards screamed and fired at the creeping shadows beneath them, but their bullets ricocheted across the room, some of them hitting their comrades. Claws shot up from the ground, slashing at them, piercing their skin, yanking them into the abyss. They tried to run and dodge, but it was fruitless. I cast my shadow over the giant boxes and pulled, sending them flying across the room. A couple of guards got caught and smashed into the wall with a sickening crunch.

"Stop," the director said, his voice cutting through the air like a knife. I regained my normal shape once more, turning to face him.

He was holding doc Slate at gunpoint. A renewed surge of hatred and rage took hold of me. Whoever Slate was, she had helped me escape and had been kind to me. She did not deserve this madness.

"Nate, run, save yourself," she said, struggling in the gecko's grasp.

"Quiet, you meddlesome bitch," the director said, hitting her across the face with his pistol. "The others may have escaped, but I'm not losing this one, too."

She hit the floor with a grunt, and I whimpered as he levelled his gun at her, readying it with a click.

"Did you really think you could convince him to move against me?" the director said, looking down at Slate. "He's been conditioned to fear me, like an ordinary animal would fear a predator."

Doc Slate looked from him to me and back again. Even from where I stood, I could tell she was considering doing something.

Something stupid.

"For all supposed your cruel genius, you never accounted for one trait, Gahin," she said, grimacing from the pain.

The director scoffed. "And what might that be?"

She smiled at me. "Attachment." She rose, pouncing at the gecko, screaming at him.

The director's eyes went wide, and he fired. The bang was deafening, echoing across the vast room.

Her body hit the ground with a thud.

"No!" I shouted, but it was too late.

"What a waste," the director said, his nose wrinkled as if smelling something unpleasant. He turned to me, extending a hand. "Come along, seven. You may yet prove useful to me."

I felt the urge to cower and whimper, and I huddle slightly.

No.

A feeling of grief and love bursts forth from deep within me, washing away the fear and panic.

"No," I said out loud.

The director halted and aimed his gun at me. "You dare to defy me?"

I allowed all of it to spill forth. The anger, the hate, the love, the grief, the fear. They all melded together and form into one being, one soul.

Me.

I approached the director, my steps deliberate and slow.

He levelled his gun and shot me without hesitation. The bullets sank into my chest, head, and heart. I grinned and picked them out as if they were no more than bits of fur during the shedding season. Noticing his futile attempts, he dropped his weapon and tried to get away from me, but I broke his leg by snapping it with a shadowy tendril.

I didn't stop moving.

"Get away from me!" he said, echoing the words I spoke to him so many times.

The irony wasn't lost on me.

I squatted down before him and smile, flashing my enormous fangs as I grabbed hold of his collar and bring him closer to me. I look one last time into his terrified eyes and force myself to remember all the things he's done to me. Slate's corpse had a pool of blood forming around it. I made a promise to her, then.

To not let them win.

To not give in to the darkness.

To be better.

But before I could do that, I confronted the darkness one last time.

I turned my attention back to the struggling gecko in my grasp.

"I... made you... you will always be a killer," the director said, voice hoarse and guttural.

"You didn't make me. You took me. But you're right, I'll always be a killer. But I won't be your killer."

I opened wide, my fangs gleaming in the pale moonlight, and cut off his screams.

***

I looked everywhere for Slate's companions, but they had disappeared. With little options left, I searched the guards for some fitting clothes, then made my way through the surroundings woods, hoping to come across some sign of life. After an hour of walking, I noticed some lights in the distance and made my way up a small hill and onto a road.

A pickup truck appeared around the corner. I raised my hand as the headlight hit my eyes, blinking as I walked further onto the road and waved my arms in the air. The pickup truck stopped, much to my relief.

An elderly female wolf with beige fur stuck her head out of the window and gave me a puzzling look. Her greying hair billowed softly in the cool evening breeze. The brown eyes behind her spectacles looked warm and inviting. "Everything alright, dear? Can we help?"

I put on my friendliest face, giving her a sincere smile. "Sorry to jump you like this, but I think I'm terribly lost... could you give me a lift to the nearest town?"

She popped her head back into the car and discussed my request with her husband, who didn't seem none too pleased at the prospect of allowing me to tag along. I had an inkling he only stopped the car because his wife insisted. A kind soul.

Like Doctor Slate.

The elderly wolf stuck her head back out the window. "Sure thing, dear. We're heading that way ourselves, so you're free to tag along. Hop on in the back and we'll take you."

"Thanks, really," I said as I rounded the back of the truck and hopped on. It creaked and bounced as my weight settled on top of it.

The pickup sped up, and I gazed across the dark, moonlit forest. Back in the distance, the smoke from the complex still rose into the air. I could just about make out the raging fires. A part of me wondered what had happened to the other experiments. Mostly, though, I wondered what would happen to me now. For the first time in thirty years, I finally had my freedom, yet I didn't have a single clue on where to go or what to do.

"So, where you from, dear?" the kind she-wolf said, watching me from the little window in the front.

I winked at her. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, ma'am."