Chapter 23: Prison Break... or not
Mitchell
My life has become a series of bad dejavu: being poked with needles, being constrained to a tube almost 24/7, and three insane scientist eagerly awaiting test results from my forcibly taken blood. But no matter how hard I try, this is no dream. There are breaks in the cycle still, like how I'm currently being dragged down a corridor, half beaten and frozen in time, while three doctors sing strangely ominous classic rock songs.
They must've taken me a room over because it wasn't long before a long creak echoed through the hall and I was limply dragged into another experimenting room. I'm familiar with the shiny silver desks and trays that The Jester constantly uses to draw blood and inject serums into me, but this room was different. It smelled earthy, like where I was initially tied to a dirt wall. Before I could gather my surroundings, Harlequin and Time Queen tossed my limp body onto a lone wooden chair in the center of the room.
My rattling breathing echoed throughout the empty room, along with the rattling chains which tied me into place. A lone light shone directly over my head, spotlighting myself in the center of the room. I tried to look around and find something recognizable or to use in an escape, but the room was dark and bare. Then, hysterical laughter ricocheted through the room, which should be rather foreseen at this point. The Jester stepped out of the shadows, just enough so I could see her face. The rest of her body was still enveloped in darkness making her look like the Cheshire Cat.
"So what's the schedule today," I asked casually, "the daily tests followed by further torture and maybe a few hours of contortionism in a tube?"
The Jester smiled in return. "I must hand it to you! A week of testing and torture and your sense of humor hasn't failed! Quite remarkable really! The others only lasted a few days, mostly of sarcasm instead of jokes, but you're special. You have a certain fire in you. I must respect that."
I can't believe I've spent a week in this hellhole! My team must be struggling to find me. Still, I refused to show my emotions to this psychopath. "You didn't answer my question."
"Indeed I didn't, but I'm sure this will."
She flicked a switch, flashing every light in the room on. I squinted my eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden light. The Jester's footsteps echoed around me as she moved across the room. It was difficult but I could make out some details. No doubt this was another laboratory: pristine counters lined with dull and glowing liquids, scientific tools that I can't even begin to comprehend, and a strange earthy wall outlining the entire room. It seems all the rooms they sit me in now are either underground or just old. My eyes finally adjusted to the light, but The Jester was nowhere to be found. That is until someone yanked the head of my chair back and dragged me to a large wooden closet in the back of the room. The Jester's head suddenly popped in front of me, her half overjoyed - half depressed features less than a few inches from my face. She threw both doors open with a loud roar and pushed my chair to the front of the baseboard.
"Where are you taking me?!" I screamed.
She only laughed, waved goodbye, and said, " Have a nice trip!" as she spartan kicked me into the closet. I crashed through the back of it with a heavy thump, landing on the floor of a secret room as if I'd gone through the Narnia wardrobe. I sat sprawled on the cold floor, trying to catch my breath and pull the wooden shards out of my shirt. It felt freezing cold in the room, yet I was drenched in sweat. I pushed myself up, noticing the giant hole in the wall I'd just broken through. I clutched my arm which was bleeding slightly from the shards of wood piercing my side. But before I could take a step, a loud kerthunk echoed from the other end of the dark room. A huge orange blob blasted my chest, launching me backwards. I slammed into the wall and stuck there, suspended a foot off the ground. My eyes were fuzzy from the blunt force of the bullet and my arms ached from being pinned to my side so suddenly. Of course, familiar giggling echoed through the room as The Jester made her typical entrance from the darkness. She waved around a plastic folding chair, slamming down on the floor in front of me. She happily sat, looking up to face me. I'm already six feet tall, the added foot made me crane my neck to see her.
"So this is how you test now? By glueing your subjects to walls?" I asked sarcastically.
"Oh no! You aren't so lucky today, soldier. By the end of this, you're going to wish we were just running tests". She fired back, still holding her favorite grin.
I don't know how long I've been here or even where I am, but I sure as hell remember The Jester's experiments. I didn't show it but the fact that she thinking what's coming next is much worse terrifies me.
Awful squealing echoed through the room as she adjusted her chair, scooting forward so she was nearly directly below me. Now, I was practically breaking my neck to her calming sitting there, giggling and untying my shoelaces.
"I'm guessing you think I'm insane?" She asked calmly.
"Well, you have me dangling and glued to a wall, you test chemicals on me daily, and I've been living in a test tube for who knows how long after you kidnapped me! You're more than insane, you're psychotic!" I angrily yelled back.
A hard footstep echoed off of the solid tile floor in the distance. I couldn't see through the darkness, but I knew exactly who was there.
"Have your guards positioned on me? Afraid I'll break out?"
"Honestly, yes. I did recruit you after all."
I flexed my fingers, the only part of my body I could move except my head and feet. But damn am I happy The Jester thought it would be funny to give me my Academy jacket back, even though she doesn't know the tricks I have up my sleeves. After all, the first thing they teach you in the army is to always be prepared. It was slow going so it's good thing The Jester likes to rant.
She quickly stood, pacing throughout the quite room with just her footsteps and my heavy breathing making noise.
"You think I'm a horrible person don't you?" She asked.
It was really hard to wiggle the Bowie knife from out the small pocket inside my jacket and to try a look like I'm the paralyzed victim I'm supposed to be, but I'm managing. "No actually! Because my opinion of you has changed in the last ten minutes!"
"You kids really do love your sarcasm. Would you like to hear a story?"
"Do I have a choice?" I asked blatantly.
"There once was a little girl-" she began.
Guess that answers my question.
"-who had an unfortunate childhood."
I continued to flick the hilt of the knife back and forth with my middle finger. It came increasing loose, but not enough where I could grab it.
"This young girl lived with her parents who were both exceptional scientists. An international company confronted them about creating something very special for a very special client. He promised them everything they ever wanted, a successful child, but there was a catch. The child would be the test subject, the child would be successful because of the experiment. My parents weren't crazy, they declined the offer immediately because their baby girl meant the world to them. So, the scientists' lives carried on as they worked mediocre jobs for a small research facility and made a livable wage. They were the normal family everyone saw them as, but looks are deceiving. The parents wouldn't accept the companies offer, so the little girl did. At just ten years old, she negotiated a deal in which her parents would unwittingly create the serum R.E.S.C.U.E. was looking for. Then, the girl would inject herself with the serum and she would be nicely compensated. The sudden influx of money scared the parents, but the girl convinced them it was donations from their employer. For years, the girl continued to test the serums, some yielding no results, while some had awful side effects."
With just a few more flicks, the knife slipped from the pocket and into my hand. I carefully began to cut through the gelatinous substance, poking and prodding small holes near my hand. "Lovely bedtime story, although, despite it's spiritless plot, I don't feel very tired."
"I am the little girl! I am the greatest experiment ever conducted, even though most of the world doesn't know it yet, but they will soon enough."
The news stopped me in my tracks. I froze mid slice, the knife stuck halfway through the blob.
"What do you mean? What did they test on you?!"
"The future, Mr. Mitchell. I am not clairvoyant, but allow me to show you the future."
She sharply snapped her fingers and out came Harlequin from the darkness. She happily sat in the chair, awaiting further instructions. Time Queen then wheeled out a metallic silver cart with only one needle on it. The Jester carefully lifted the dark green serum. "The world will soon suffer like I have: they will watch the world as they know it burn and see the basic necessities of life betray them."
"Stop! Don't do this!" I screamed as she plunged the needle into Harlequin's neck. The green liquid slowly disappeared as The Jester forced it into Harlequin's neck. At first, nothing happened. Harlequin questionably looked around. "Did it-" she began until she started to shake. It started as a small, nearly unnoticeable quiver, but she soon began to violently convulse. I looked on, absolutely horrified, while The Jester joyously laughed. Harlequin fell to the floor, continuing her seizure. Then, she stopped. Her body thumped to the floor and became eerily still. The Jester looked on excitedly, staring at Harlequin's lifeless body.
"You killed her?" I asked terrified. If The Jester would kill one of her own for an experiment, I can't imagine what she'd do to me. I slowly slid the knife back into it's pocket. I have a feeling I'll need it in just a second.
"No child, I saved her." The Jester said a little too happily for my liking. Harlequin suddenly jumped up and sucked in a huge gulp of air. Time Queen helped her to her feet and sat her back in the chair.
"How do you feel?" The Jester asked, nervously.
"Powerful." Harlequin said carefully.
The Jester grinned and waved her hand to me. "Show me."
I looked on horrified as Harlequin tentatively stood and stared me down. She then raised her palm to me as a wave of anguish washed over her face. The blob began to dissolve, small pieces at first, then chunks of the blobs freed my hands and feet. The pieces swirled around Harlequin's fingers until they became water. I fell to the floor, trying to get blood flowing back into my sleeping legs. Harlequin wondrous stared at the orbiting particles, fascinated.
"Nice trick." I said. I was finally on my feet, about ready to take down these psychos once and for all.
"That isn't all, boy." Harlequin exclaimed, throwing the droplets of water back in my direction.
It formed a huge bubble around me, encasing me slowly from my feet until my head was fully submerged. I tried to swim out of it, but Harlequin kept it rotating, locking me in place.
"This is the serum, Mitchell. Marvelous, isn't it? It flows to the frontal lobe and adapts itself to super humanize what makes you human. Dependent on one's personality, it can do incredible things. Harlequin is fluid, unpredictable, and unstoppable, just like the liquids she controls. Time Queen is inescapable and controlling, finding even the best hidden foes eventually, like the time that bows to her will. Let him go."
I dropped to the floor, wheezing and coughing from all the water I inhaled. The Jester planted her boot on my chest, compressing my lungs.
"Myself: I am inquisitive and relentless. I am complicated to most and simple to some, just like the poisons I withstand. Pick him up."
Time Queen and Harlequin yanked me up and dragged me out of the room, The Jester in tow. My feet scraped against the pristine floor as The Jester faced me.
"You, Mitchell. You see through deception and understand what people are thinking before they themselves know it. You never miss you target."
I was still catching my breath and heavily coughing, but I managed to squeeze out a sentence. "Don't you ever inject me with that serum!"
The Jester smugly smiled. "I'm afraid it is too late for you, Mitchell."
I stared on horrified at the realization that in one of those many tests, The Jester had injected me with that serum. I had some super power that adjusted to my personality.
I felt the heat rising in my chest, the anger festering inside of me. Someone opened a door which flew open with a bang. I wa suddenly thrown backwards into the stasis tube chamber. I landed on my back which knocked the wind from my lungs. Clopping heels strode over and landed a hard kick into my stomach. I curled into a ball, letting the anger grow inside of me. I wouldn't become like Time Queen or Harlequin. I refused to become monsters like they had, using their abilities to torture people like me. I have no idea what mine is, but if I have one, I need to find it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the girl staring at me getting pulverized in the middle of the room. There was a small bronze plate at the bottom of her tube that read "Nicole". Well Nicole, I'm getting you, me, and the boy out of here.
The Jester and her crew backed off. "Get in the tube, Mitchell. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."
Every part of my body hurt, but I rose to my feet. I held my right arm which was in excruciating pain, both from being held in one place for so long and for being repeatedly beaten by them. Still, I sat sprawled on the floor, every breath causing excruciating pain.
"You need some incentive I see." The Jester cooed.
She plopped a small laptop in front of me, it was a camera feed of somewhere familiar, but I couldn't place it. Honestly, my brain was too preoccupied with not dying. That was until I saw my team burst through the doors. I was looking at the hangar and a live video feed of my friends. I knew they'd find me! Now, I just need to escape and rescue my two cell mates.
"Get in the cage, Mitchell." She said, more forceful this time.
"Make me."
I whipped out the Bowie knife, slashing Harlequin across the face in one swift swipe. I landed a hard kick into Time Queen's stomach, sending her toppling into an empty tube. I stormed over to The Jester, who happily stood in a corner. I pressed the knife against her throat, forcing her against the wall.
"Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you!"
Her eyes darted around for a few seconds and then she stared me in the eyes. "Because you're too late."
I roared in anger and threw her to the side, cutting the side of her face in the process. Next, I ran to Nicole's tube and feverishly began trying to release her. I pressed almost every button, hoping one would open the case. Nicole was pounding on the glass, trying to break her way out. There was a rising pain in my chest, but I pushed it aside. We have to escape and fast. If we could just hold down the fort for a little while longer, the squad could finally rescue us. The pain continued to grow until it became unbearable, like my heart had given out. Nicole looked terrified as I ceased to type and began to slowly fall to the floor. I sat l leaned against Nicole's stand, struggling to breathe.
Time Queen stood over me with strange looking sunglasses on. Time Queen was freezing my heart, giving me an untimely heart attack. The Jester angrily stormed over and socked me in the eye, knocking me to the floor. I heard Nicole pounding on the glass, yet I still couldn't move.
Harlequin bent over my face, " This is for the mean kick!"
She clawed at my face, leaving several scratch marks like an angry cat. I sat dazed against Nicole's pod, my left eye swollen shut and the other half of my face bleeding. I knew I looked as terrible as I felt: my favorite West Point shirt and jacket practically torn to shreds, my face looking like a Halloween costume, and increasing pain with every breath. I distantly heard Nicole knocking on the glass, trying to get my attention, but I knew any attempt to move would be pointless. Hell, it may be better if Time Queen would freeze me in place! Unluckily for me, the three of them were angrily chatting on the other side of the room. The must've come to some sort of agreement because The Jester marched over to me with her angry frown more prevalent than her smile.
"You've messed the entire plan up!", she screamed. "I was supposed to explain my evil plot to you, and then you'd have a brilliant revelation and join me!" She began pacing back and forth, quickly stopping to punch Nicole's tube wish violently shook from the force, tossing her around.
"Stop..." I said weakly, my lungs blaring from the pain.
"I didn't want to hurt you." The Jester said, surprisingly depressing for a homicidal maniac. Her sadness quickly changed, the terrifying anger returning. "Now, you've ruined it!"
She lifted me by my collar, making my entire body feel like it was on fire, and pulled my face close to hers. I groaned as she violently shook me, throwing a rushing pain throughout my body. She then practically slammed me against the wall next to Nicole, who looked on completely horrified. With her surprisingly strong grip around my neck and the, no doubt, fractured ribs I have, I felt myself suffocating. She must've seen my face in this midst of my pain because she sighed and dropped my, sending me sliding to the floor.
While I sat shivering, The Jester anxiously searched for something, and even though I couldn't hear what she was saying, she yelled at Time Queen and Harlequin for something. I don't know what scared me more, that The Jester was feverishly looking for something while I sat half dead on the floor, or that my hearing was disappearing. Richie once told me that the first sense you lose when you're dying is hearing. Even my vision was becoming blurry, Time Queen and Harlequin became colorful blurs frantically moving around the room, Nicole was just a looming dot in my peripheral trying harder to come closer, and The Jester was now only a blotch of green and purple surrounded by an increasingly black world. The blotch of color grabbed me by the color and lifted me high, shoving a needle into my side. I watched her press the injector but can't feel a thing.
In fact, the longer I try to feel my hands and feet, the less I feel over all. The more I try to keep my eyes open, the more bright light and black I see. A funny oxymoron isn't it?
The Jester carried me singlet handedly to a blurry glass cylinder: my tube.
"Our work isn't done." She said solemnly, before tossing like a rag doll into my cell.
One problem, she overestimated my weight. Instead of landing in the cell, I hit the wall. As if I need more broken bones?!
She grabbed my legs, pulling me back onto the silver plate. She stepped off just in time for the defending glass to miss pinning her to the floor (even dying I have no luck!). I looked up into the bright light shining from the roof. I could feel myself slowly rising from the tube filing. Even though the pain was excruciating, I felt myself relax. You're not dying in vain, I told myself. I watched the green liquid fill around me as I floated to the center of the tube, calmly laying on my back. I closed my eyes just as the ice slowly began to cover them and prepared to die.