by Luca Braña
The dragon sauntered towards his gate, signaling all the mutants to follow him back inside. Some did without question while some, those who still had a mostly human body, did so with hesitation and fear. No one was in the right mindset at the time to notice that Drago could return if he wished—they had far more worrying thoughts.
Tela could feel their anxiety, their despair. She could feel it all, and it was proving very hard for her to keep her composure and try to think of a solution. They would be forced to fight each other, and the weakest of them, the most pacifist ones… would just be discarded, disappearing forever, like many people she used to know.
She wanted to save everyone, to make sure they all could escape this hellish prison and have a normal life! She didn’t want to be forced to fight those who are trusting her! What… what could she do?
“T-Tela…” Cyko, who was standing near her, clutching both Myo and Magy’s hands, said in uncertainty. She could see that the youngest of them was trembling but refusing to cry while Magy herself was pale and stone-faced.
“We… we need to talk. About something that happened to us yesterday… And what happened now…” he said in a trembling voice. Tela sighed before finding her determination again. They needed to do something, and fast.
And so they told her what had transpired just the day before. How Cyko had first come across Snow, the impossibility of there being a cat inside this place and finally… The reveal that Snow was in fact, a pet of one of the scientists, and that she left them for him without so much as a protest, refusing to understand that what her papa was doing was horrible. The betrayal was hard to explain, with little Myo breaking down in tears again, but they had to let Tela know.
That piece of news unnerved Tela, who asked about the risk of their rebellion plan leaking out, that this whole fight against each other thing might be the scientist’s retaliation, but Magy refuted this by saying that Snow herself didn’t seem very smart and would be unlikely to understand what exactly they were planning… Yet, this didn’t change their current situation.
Many children in the gymnasium were mourning what they’ll be forced to do, with friends huddling together to comfort each other. Cyko could see from where he was that his family was one of those who were bunching together, with Torch doing his best to cheer up a crying Starry. He clenched his fists. This was unfair.
“I… I may have a plan on how to deal with this situation,” Magy spoke up, making everyone turn towards her, “I… I’ve been discussing with Scythe the best course of action… She suggested we do as they tell us and fight as seriously as we can but avoid hurting each other too much,” she offered in a small voice, to which Cyko looked at her in disbelief.
“Magy, you can’t possibly be serious! Look at what they did to us, at what they are forcing us to do!” he yelled in anger, not at his friend, but at their situation.
Magy nodded, signaling that she wanted to say more, “Yes… We have no choice. Scythe says we should treat this as just another experiment and bear through the pain and the guilt. Use this as an opportunity to get stronger so we can escape this place together,” she whispered, making Cyko, Myo and Tela’s eyes widen with understanding.
“Of course! All of us… as tragic as it is, are already used to pain. If we just treat this as another experiment and avoid hurting each other too much… We have a chance!” Tela exclaimed with a look of epiphany; it was so simple! Their hope hadn’t been taken away yet, they could still work together and save everyone!
“Everyone, please, listen!” Tela’s mental voice yelled out, snapping all the children from their despair to look at their leader. Some showed hope that she had found a solution, others felt apprehension at their future, nonetheless, she beamed and broadcasted her positive feelings.
“What we’ve just been told is hard. We’ll be forced to fight each other just to keep ourselves alive… This is cruel, they are forcing us to turn on one another, but… We can’t let them have their way! We have to stay united even as we fight each other! I have a plan!” she declared, letting everyone feel what she was feeling… hope. “Just like the scientist said, we have no choice, we have to fight each other when called to it, but… We can still come out alive from this! As tragic as it is, all of us are already used to pain, we need to treat this as another experiment to resist and overcome!” she declared, making many children’s eyes widen at her suggestion. Treat it as another experiment? Would that work? What about the weak ones among them? Would they be sacrificed so the rest could move on?
“No, we won’t give up on the weak! I have a plan, a plan to ensure all of us survive this! We may still have to fight and purposefully hurt each other, but… We’ll just have to bear it, to resist and survive until our preparations are ready!” Tela broadcasted to everyone she knew was a part of their fight, “we are in this together… And we will escape this prison! We won’t let them break our spirits, no matter what!” She let her feelings transmit to every single one of them and sure enough, the kids that were previously hopeless over their future, were now slowly gaining back their bearings; their own determination and hope.
They were united in this. They wouldn’t let the scientists get the better of them, they wouldn’t! Many of them were helping Tela map the underground prison, many were strengthening themselves for future combat against the guards, and the rest were contributing in their own ways. They would be ready soon! They would get the scientists, the ones behind their suffering, and win!
For Cyko, Magy and Myo, who were near Tela as she did her speech, they were filled with a sense of courage, like they could accomplish anything if they put their mind to it. They would all escape together and live a much better life than in here.
6
They were shocked at the radical change their room had gone through in the few hours they were in the gymnasium. Their beds were now bigger and more comfortable, the shower had somehow grown in size, giving them room to bathe, and the strangest of all, the room had received a television set! It was a small LCD screen, but it was much more than they had ever been given!
Needless to say, they were suspicious. “Those evil men… They were right when they said we’d be surprised upon our return!” Cyko said with a frown, glaring at the TV screen, “I bet my dinner they are trying to gain our favor!” He walked over to sit on his bed. It was soft now; at least it should make sleeping easier.
“Whatever the case, we should make use of what we have. Look, there are the new clothes they expect us to wear from now on,” Magy said as she pointed towards a big box near her bed. Cyko blinked as he looked around his own, finding a similar box. Myo did the same and found his although smaller.
“Huh, at least we’ll have something to wear other than those itchy rags, I was getting tired of having to wear only a towel whenever I had to wash them,” Cyko said as he took the heavier clothes from the box. Three sets of them were present, just as they had said.
“At least now we have better clothes to wear. Hmm… Let me go get changed really quick,” Magy said as she took one of the clothing sets and went to the bathroom to change, leaving Cyko and Myo alone. The two boys looked over their new clothes, taking them out of the packaging.
The only way Cyko could think to describe it, was that it looked like armor. It had some separate pieces, like shoulder and chest plates, but the clothes themselves were comfortable. He saw that his were blue colored while Myo’s were brown.
“I’m done! It does make me feel like a soldier, somewhat,” Magy said as she stepped out of the bathroom revealing her own purple version of their new uniforms. It fit her form comfortably, being sleeveless with a skirt the same shade as her hair. The armored parts made her look more like an infant soldier than anything else.
“You look good, Magy! But… I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing…” Cyko said with a small smile as he looked at his friend, who giggled at his praise.
“It feels good to wear this, it’s much more comfortable than those rags! Sc
ythe says the plates are good enough to protect and absorb damage from something like a bullet or a sword, but compared to what we can do, it’s very basic protection. She says even the armor the guards use is tougher than this,” she said with a smile as she twirled around to show off her new outfit.
“Big brother is right, you look great, big sis!” Myo exclaimed as he looked at her with stars in his eyes.
“Thanks, little Myo!” she said with a sweet grin as she made her way to sit on her own bed.
“The armor parts can be removed rather easily, I found out, which leaves just the clothes. They are made to be resistant to cuts and impacts, according to Scythe, and they are comfortable enough to sleep in!” Magy said as she went through the process of removing the armor plates of her uniform. “See? It’s easy!”
“Ah, darn it, they gave out something useful this time,” Cyko sighed in irritation, though he knew it would change nothing, not for them anyway.
“We’ll use it in the coming weeks, I’m certain,” he said as he eyed his own uniform, still inside the package it came in.
Myo was fidgeting, believing the same as them, but he was also anxious about something else. “Uh, can we see if that TV works?” he asked, making his two surrogate siblings look at him.
“Hmm, it would be interesting to know how the outside world is doing after all this time. Maybe we can find out if anyone is looking for us?” Magy asked. Cyko nodded.
“I think that is a good idea, though I doubt it. Let’s check it out,” Cyko said as he walked towards the small LCD screen before turning it on once he found the controller. The TV turned on, showing a news channel.
“On today’s urgent news, Creator Luni announced that an extinction level event has just been averted. According to her, a massive, planet-devouring creature was heading toward our solar system posing a threat to our world. In her recent live stream, she said the beast was the fruit of a ‘mad cult’s insane leftover experiments’ and expressed her hate for them but reassured us that everything was fine now. Governments around the world have expressed their heartfelt thanks and the desire to give her high honors for saving the world once more, the tenth time since she revealed herself to the citizens four thousand years ago…” the reporter on screen said as several more details regarding the incident appeared on the bottom of the television, including an image of the Creator herself and a depiction of the giant creature which looked like a massive, planet-sized serpent.
“Huh, and they tell us she is a threat. She has saved us ten times already! I mean, I’m strong, but I doubt I could even scratch the thing she killed!” Cyko exclaimed in awe as he watched the news intently. What would be the point of this whole thing if they were just eaten by a giant space snake? “They’ll just be throwing us out to die if we stay here. Just like Tela said, we all need to work together on this,” he said, earning nods from both Magy and Myo.
“I wish she could save us… She is so strong…” Myo said with a hopeful voice, looking at the Creator on the screen where it showed parts of the live stream she had made to address the danger.
“Yeah, it would be great, but here we only have each other. And now more than ever, we can’t let these bribes win us over. We need to keep resisting,” Cyko said in a determined voice. They may have gotten a lot of comfort today, but they wouldn’t allow themselves to become complacent. Nothing would make him forgive them for what they did. Nothing.
And he was sure his friends and family felt the same. They would escape, and they would show those scientists just what they had created.
7
A week passed and sure enough, they had all been given time off and allowed to rest as much as they could before being called to the gymnasium, which was now a different place than the school-like gym they had been used to.
It looked like a massive coliseum now—a large arena in the center with hundreds of spectator seats surrounding it. On the ceiling, directly above the arena, was a large set of displays that were turned off.
One thing that stood out the most, however, was the circle of robed and armored figures who were sitting in the seats closest to the edge of the arena, some having quiet conversations while others stood silently as if waiting for something. They all had long staffs. Having entered through the highest levels, the children were unable to see their faces.
“I welcome you all, to the Coliseum,” a steeled voice from the ceiling spoke, making everyone turn towards the large displays. They turned on, displaying the image of an emotionless scientist with white hair and a beard. Cyko’s eyes widened. It was him! It was the terrible man who took Snow away! he seethed.
“I am Dr. Gacha, the head scientist of the project you all are a part of,” he declared, making the children’s eyes widen.
He was the one responsible for all their suffering?!
“The Coliseum is titled for this level of the facility, named for this part of the project. All subjects will conduct live combat experiments against each other in the arena located below,” the man explained with a bland voice, the image on the screens changing to show the arena.
“You may take a seat wherever to watch the combats—either for entertainment or for studying your possible adversary’s powers and abilities. The team of mages located by the lowest seats will be responsible for protecting the audience from any wayward attacks. The screens will display the names of the combatants. Further instructions will be given on a need-to-know basis. Combat will start in three minutes,” the cold voice declared, before the screens changed to show an ominous looking countdown.
“I’ll kill him, I promise, I’ll kill him!” Cyko said under his breath, clenching his fists as many children from his ward made their way to the seats. After a few seconds, he felt two hands touching him, looking up to see Magy and Myo.
“It’ll be all right, Cyko, we are all together in this!” Magy said with a comforting smile, even as her eyes showed her anger at the scientist.
“B-big sis is right! E-even if it’s painful, we’ll make it through together, big brother, I promise!” the smaller boy said with a sweet smile, as he trembled in fear at the possibility of fighting. Sighing, Cyko allowed himself to smile at his roommates.
“Thanks you two, I know I can count on you! Now come, we have to find ourselves some seats,” Cyko said as he walked down the stairs to the seats, looking for somewhere they all could sit.
“Everyone, please remember what we discussed this week. If your opponent is weaker than you, try to find a way to let them score a win discreetly. If both of you are strong, put on a good show. Please, try not to hurt each other too much,” Tela’s voice rang out to everyone. Cyko heard a buzzing sound as he and many other children agreed with her. Good, they had a plan of action and they would follow it through.
“Attention to the first combatants,” the scientist announced as the countdown reached zero. Everyone looked up with apprehension as the black screen started to rapidly flash names before stopping on a single name. “Subject Number 444, Cyko, will be the first combatant,” the detached scientist declared, as a picture of him was shown alongside his number and name.
“So, I’ll be the one going first, huh?” Cyko said in disdain as everyone turned to look at him with pity. Magy and Myo, who were both sitting beside him, touched his hands in comfort and encouragement. Soon after, the screen started to flash names at random again.
“Subject Number 105, Ellyn, will be the second combatant,” the voice announced, showing the image of the girl alongside her name and number.
Cyko’s eyes widened. The girl he met just before Snow was taken away? He would have to fight her?!
“All other subjects are to remain in the Coliseum. Restrooms are on the fourth level of every area. The subjects who have been called must proceed to the arena with a reminder of the consequences of refusal. The main stairs lead directly to the arena,” the scientist said, making Cyko curse once again, knowing he had no choice.
“Be careful, Cyko,” Magy said as Cyko
got up.
“Yeah, be careful big brother… And try not to hurt her…” Myo’s small voice earned a smile from the blue-haired boy.
“Thanks, I’ll do my best, and I’ll try to avoid injuring her too much,” Cyko said before making his way towards the main stairs, noticing how the mages had sat up and were now standing in formation with their staffs in front of them.
“Cyko, be careful. She seems to be from a ward I’ve never seen before. They weren’t at the last meeting!” Tela’s voice rang out in his head with alarm, making his eyes widen. How hadn’t he noticed it?! Too late to back out now, though.
“They are from the maximum-security ward, I met her a week ago, she didn’t seem like a bad person, maybe you can get through to her?” Cyko asked as he made his way down to the arena.
“I… I can try, I can see her from here. But please, be careful, Cyko!” Tela’s worry washed over him, but it made him smile, knowing she was concerned about him. It meant she cared.
“Don’t worry, Tela, I’ll be fine!” he thought to her, trying to show her his confidence. He would do his best, he still needed to kill that scientist after all.
After a few minutes, he stood on one side of the arena, with Ellyn facing him. The two looked at each other with sad, but determined eyes.
“All right. Both of you seem to be in good standing with the scientists of this place, this means you two can fight on equal terms without worries, but please, don’t hurt each other too much. Good luck to both of you.”
Both nodded before moving towards each other to the center of the arena.
“This is quite a lot to take in, huh?” she asked as they approached each other.
Cyko nodded.
“How is little Snow, by the way? I trust she is doing well?” she asked, curious about the cat. He was dreading this question.
“They took her away,” he answered with a sad sigh, “she belonged to the nasty scientist up there who was speaking a few minutes ago. Turns out she can transform into a human and was likely just curious about us,” he explained, hating how the girl’s green eyes shifted from curiosity to deep sadness.