Shao Lin

"THAT'S ENOUGH! ANY MORE AND IT WOULD BE A WAR CRIME! TREAT HIM IMMEDIATELY OR THIS WILL BE CALLED OFF!"

The machine went silent. Abrupt against the man staring back at the woman, infuriated at the sight he witnessed. His suit plastered with badges that illuminated in the dim lightings. High ranking in his name. He looked away, unable to ignore the stench of agony exuding from the poor children. Intimidating his posture and status. He continues to wander towards the woman, keeping his scary stance like the others despite his weird English accent as if he didn't belong from the country they stood on. Shao Lin gazes back into his eyes, watching his hidden anger build up with everlasting authority. The overseer from the shadows.

"But!"

She turns to him, begging for it to continue like a mad scientist. Still eager for more blood. She implored the man, still unfazed by the deathly stares intruding upon his face. But he didn't budge. Simply raising a gun directly at her head. Her hands rattled, uneasy at the game of chicken. Letting go of her hasty antics.

Shao Lin's heart sank, hiding amongst the crowd of boys and girls whom looked away, discouraged. Even with the man cutting in to save them, their powers meant nothing to the men and women that surrounded the place. They stared at the boy who bled dry in shallow breath. His head slumped, hiding his skin which became light blue amongst his bruising red wounds which oozed with red and dark mucus. His veins was bright, carving through his neck like a river. Overflowing with substances she couldn't understand. In his head, a dark soggy mass protrude from his skin and hair, enveloping the room in a gross smell of disdain. Settled to be condemned. The men released him from his helmet, holding him straight from his fall. Putting him back on his feet and lifting him by the head. Their new punching bag.

"This is what happens if you disobey! Anyone else wants to challenge us?"

She hears the woman shout once again from her long sigh, attempting to regain control despite the man standing in the room. Her words echoing through her ears like gongs. Irking her hearing that made her nauseous in pain. The constant reminders that shrieked through the complex and her roommates that get killed one by one every day soured her thoughts. Dragging on her feet to carry on. To end this nightmare once again.

"One day..."

"Good. Because you must not misuse it. You all are here for a purpose of enlightenment and self-improvement. There are evil things out there! Your powers are needed! Only the strongest shall survive!"

The lady turns around to face the group of children. Staring into their cold emotions. Each tearing apart in the little time which remained at the hall. Smiling smugly, happy at the frustrated batch as she continued,

"Now tonight is a special night. You shall now be heading outside for the first time. No more being in the dusty place. Well at least for one week."

The children murmured, curious yet nervous. They only heard about it through eavesdropping during conversation. Said to be a tale of high spirits and curses amongst monsters and ungodly scenery. A storybook of twists and tales. She basked around, hiding amongst the group whom now stood, fearing what was truly out there. There was only so much they knew and so little which remained. She looked up at the artificial lighting, violently swayed by it's presence. She could only hope for something better than this. To go far out from this turmoil.

"At least something fresh..."

She looks back down, looking back at the woman who began to knock on the stained walls, capturing everyone's attention. Looking away from the boy, now dragged along by the men like a dog. Putting them off uneasily as the lady distracted them again.

"Now get in lines, follow the men and women down the stairs. Keep up!"

She is slowly thrusted along, slowly moving out one by one. Nervously trudging along and ignoring the remains that were being cleaned. The machine trudged back to it's place, returning to the confined arms of the shadows. Although as she wandered along, she could only hear two men who fumbled about behind the curtains. Silently conversing with their low pitched, seemingly frustrated by what just happened.

"Q, you think that is going to work?"

"Yes M. The Association and Oflip would need the best of the best. Loyal and unyielding. I'll admit this is a bit cruel. But it is for the best to destroy and influence."

She looked back at the crowd, unable to understand what the both meant. Although it did seemed important. She closed her fists, hiding her emotions from prying eyes as she laid them to her heart. Furrowing her eyebrows and closing her eyes. Listening to the heavy breathing and the stamping of feet. Silently at thought as she opens them up again. Afresh and bitter.

They wandered down the stairs and lurched into a train station. It's lights bright, eclipsing the large silhouette they had no knowledge off. Shaped like a beak at the front, it overshadowed the rather mundane cars at the back which trudged along in dark green and gold. It's lights, symmetrical like a grumpy robot amongst the two circles of light which laid side by side. Hiding the huge dark windscreen. Unseen and untouched. The children around her looked on uneasy, carefully wandering into the cabin. Utilitarian and bare. Plastic seats were bolted onto the floor, covering the cabin like a swarm. She sat down by the cabin's wall, looking away from the crowd which lurched on. Laying and taking seats. Murmuring in the dim lighting amongst the slamming of the doors.

"Everyone's here. Alright. Until we are there, no interaction is allowed."

The creaking train began to budge along, nearly lifting her off her seat. Deafening their ear drums to the clanking of the tracks and the screeching of the PA system. Filling her ears with dread. She laid back, closing her eyes, looking away from the children that sat around her. Listless in the shadows. The air curdled, brushing onto the train with violence. She listened silently, hearing the vibration upon each metal track. Cold and silent. A sour place of dust and electric power. Uninteresting compared to the matters at hand. She sighed, leaning by the walls into slumber. The train now at speed, fighting the upstream of air as the air bellowed into silence.

She looked by the gaps through the doors, the small glimmer of orange light intrude into the cabin. Slowly dissipating against the violent artificial lights as the train began to slow. Screeching to a halt and violent trudging. Coming to a standstill from their quick trip amongst the curdling of leaves and cawing.

"Birds?"

The doors slid open, dazing the children in a blast of heat and cold air. Condensing them in their seats with unease, still ever so slowly wandering out the door. She wandered out, hopping onto the concrete that was a platform, unkept with weeds protruding through the cracks. Ahead the sun fluttered. Slowly heading to rest amid the darkening blue sky that blanketed the mountains. Flourishing with pine trees and bushes. Overlooking a cliff that uncovered a small beach filled with untainted golden brown and sandstone. All of which linked up by a small exposed trail of sand and sea to a rocky formations that laid, splashing amongst rough waters. Ignorant about the boats which clambered around the waters. Flashing with bright lights that began to glimmer on the waters.

They gathered around, uneasy on the sand. Uncomfortable and sweating. Exposed to the weather seemed to had troubled them. She hid beneath the children. Trying to hide her face from the men and women once again. Now covered with a huge face mask which seemed to be from their desk. They always called it a hockey mask amongst themselves from her eavesdropping, but she couldn't be certain.

"The time now is about 8 pm. You are about to embark on a journey through the pine forest. You are to be given a map and a compass and to reach your destination by 12 pm from this location. You can team up to a maximum of 4 and use your abilities if you wish. But it is up to you. In the meantime you have 10 minutes."

The children split up murmuring about themselves. She couldn't care less however. Looking away at Maximillian who seemed to be busy with Ambar and his friends. Muttering about themselves. Too busy to think about her. She wandered slowly, laying down by a tree which swayed amongst the breeze in the rugged cliff. Calming her nerves despite her thoughts she struggled to erase.

"Looks like on my own again..."

She clenched her fists, watching the waves tumble through the sand in all of its fury. Embracing the rocks and sand amongst a chaotic sunset. Thinking about the words the two men said. Frustrated about what The Association meant and their purposes.

"Was it for power? Is it truly a necessary evil?"

The ground rumbled, breaking the thoughts as she looks out, watching the ground beginning to split up and tear itself apart into the ground. Attempting to swallow the grass with it.

"No!!!"

She slipped, tripping down and falling with the masses. Crushing the sand upon the bellowing of the sand and splash of water that crashed. Feeling her free fall turn into grasp of water that began to swallow her whole. She looked on stunned. Watching the sea swallow her whole, sinking her back into the ocean in the lights which dwindling in her consciousness. Falling further into deeper depths upon the gushing of water which began to violently push her along. Her eyes fluttered, tired and confused. She looks around the lights dwindling upon the little time which remained. Frustrated upon her new sunken depth. Unable to swim back up into the surface.

"What am I doing?"

She trudged along, attempting to fight her way through, but each force pulled her further into the darkness. She turned frantically, watching herself slowly fall into a dark twister. She couldn't really make out what it really was but the bubbles only made her freak out further. She violently trashed through the water, hoping for some semblance of progress but nothing worked.

"G-gah!..."

She gurgled, falling deep upon the whirlpool that swallowed her whole. Pulling her down onto the rocky terrain that laid. She risen out of the waters, trashing the now peaceful waters of the cavern that laid. She looks up, watching the cave lead to a bright light that began to daze her.

"What is this?..."

She leaped out of the water, her shirt and pants drenched beyond belief. Dripping back down to the source. She wandered slowly, stumbling upon the rocky surface which illuminated through the tunnel. Urging her deeper through the caves. She tumbled her through the rocks and seaweed, shallow with illumination from a large room that came into view. A laboratory that seemed to host a large casket. Hooked up in a complicated mess. Throughout the walls were carvings and weird artworks she couldn't tell or understand. The laboratory equipment cluttered across the sheet floor. On the table, paper messily filled the desks with half written writings and documents. Abandoned with haste without care and concern. Just the sounds of the vast ocean and a man's murmur. Mumbling in frustration and silent pain.

"Help me..."

She tried to move further up, but all she could see were hidden cameras which stared at the casket coldly. She couldn't be sure what to make of the man imprisoned in the casket, but the thoughts of the boy taken far away couldn't hurt her from taking the plunge.

"Are the cameras... active?..."

"I don't think so... Help m-me..."

She rushed to his spot, attempting to pull the thing open to no avail. Her hands weak, still outpouring with grief. A reminder of her experimentation. She gazes upon its scars, one of few left without any abilities. Still wallowing about against the frustration of scientists and trainers in the place. If it ever showed itself.

"No... More..."

"W-what is that!?!"

Rachel looked out of the cliff, crumbling down into the dark blue abyss. The spot Shao Lin once sat upon. Pondering as to her location against the children and adults hiding away from the unnatural storm. The waters heavy, crashing upon the cliffs with waters sky high in the dark clouds. Pouring heavily in the depressing landscape. She peered from afar, ignorant of the others seeking shelter, spotting the mass of giant battleships and submarines rising high in the air. Their occupants scrambling to hold on, flinging about the ship as it tore apart like paper cards in the catastrophic climatic whirlwind. An impossible sight.

"S-Shao Lin... "

She felt an incredible rush of water that came cascading in, surprising her eyes now glowing amongst the thick glass. The equipment sloshed aside, giving way to the water attempting to aid her in her struggle to open the lid with increasing pressure and speed, all to no avail. Watching the complicated lock that seemed to hate water and nullify drilling, pushed her attempts aside without issue. It covered the locked, forming its own bubble that prevented her from any further attempts. It was useless.

"Can't do... It's tough..."

"O-Ok... seems like the lock that gave me is extremely tough and resistant..."

He sighed, breathing in slowly as she came close to his casket, concerned for his safety despite her haggard looks. Unable to speak as usual in the flooded lab.

"Gotta get y-"

She looked at the casket, spotting the naked man in the thing. He seemed to be sweating badly and filled with wires that attached his arms and wrists like a cyborg. Heavily experimented upon without remorse. Frustrated in his casket. She looks back, murmuring him to calm down as he cuts her off.

"N-No no... it's ok... I am given air, food and water here... I just need help since I've realised I'm stuck here this morning. Tried to carve a bracelet from the rocks around here and drag the sea to my location. Didn't know that people would respond to this quite quickly... I supposed you aren't really normal are you?"

He chuckled, trying to elevate the mood as she raised her eyebrows, looking at her palms which revelled in scars. Four years of isolation from society really done little to help. Ridiculed for her lack-thereof of strength despite her raw power. Looking back up at the fogging casket illuminated by the glowing bracelet floating in the air in a purple glow. Unable to understand and know what was really true.

"Who are you?... You seem like you know what is going on..."

"I'm patient zero. I was once housed here after I was hit by an UFO. Does the Roswell Incident ring any bells?"

She looked at him, her eyebrows raised, hiding her fist now tense from what seemed like five minutes of waiting, unable to understand what he meant as he continued, chuckling uncomfortably, watching her stare at the laboratory equipment as they levitated around the room to her amazement. Hiding his glowing fingers that twitched.

"Since I can't get out of here, I need your help. Fill me in with some details regarding Oflip as a whole. Especially that organisation that had taken you and your friends hostage. Find as many people you know you can trust do some good and come here when they are ready. Use this bracelet I now giving you to guide them here. I'll be waiting."

He warmly smiled back at the haggard girl struggling to comprehend his plight. Slowly hopeful for a response. He couldn't tell what equipment was being attached to his casket. Lest was the claims he heard from the scientists outside murmuring 21 years ago when he reawaken. Amazed at the sugary blood now part of his body which glowed purple that allowed his cryostasis or the indestructible equipment they specifically brought to monitor him . Drained from him to infuse into five subjects. Most of them dead and the one cyborg rampaging through the world, the sight at the broken test subject stumbling from her treatment by that organisation he could sense couldn't be further from the truth.

"But why me? I'm a girl without her parents and trapped by an organisation as a disgraceful experiment!?! How do you even know who and what is going on?"

"I trust you enough to know what is going on. to be able to be there instead of sensing their location is much better ever since I've been reawakened and left to find information on a broken projector. Dragging you here from Oflip without issues is already a bonus. Besides. No organisation can ever win with fear. You can take as long as you like, I'll be waiting here. Just don't keep me here like a pet... Are you willing?"

She slowly grabbed the bracelet, looking at it's fine details filled with carvings of what seemed like words of foreign language. Carefully wearing it as the water began to speed up violently. Picking up speed. The gem on the bracelet glowed. Gleaming upon the shallow waters upon her attachment as she looks back up, staring at the foggy glass that hid him out of sight. Overflowing her with power. A new chance. A new hope.

"Yes."