Science experiment

Jillian escorted me to the examining table and the straps constricted me once more.

"Ohh…. Jillian we're getting frisky!!" my eyes widen in horror as I realise whose words had come out of my mouth. Rosealinde shut your mouth!! She had been in my mind all this time waiting for the perfect time to embarrass me???!!!!

Jillian looks at me with surprise etched on his alien features, I try to pass it off as a flirtatious remark by winking. Someone please kill me, or give me something to slit my wrists with.

"Full body examination starting on the Hybrid: Zoe-Lakisha Abscond. Model unknown, property: The Don, origin: human assassin." Some disembodied voice started to speak. It came out of the speakers situated around the rooms.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven." I reply.

"What was your human blood type?"

"AB positive." These questions seemed irrelevant to me.

"Siblings?"

"None" I reply.

"Okay, some history on you please."

"I was sold by a Chinese orphanage to an assassin-in-training camp. Later on, I became a full-fledged assassin at thirteen and made my first kill before then at eight. I was placed in an advanced tier and worked with people who were several years older than me. I trained in Eight method, Choi Family style,Tiger Claw System and Kung Fu. I have been trained only in knife fighting and guns."

"Yada yada, not interested. Next."

I scowl but continue.

"Then I was saved by The Don."

"Why?" interrupted Jillian.

"I don't know?! She hasn't said a word to me except boss me around." I snap back at him, irritated with the whole crew for dismissing my rather tear-jerking story. This stuff was gold, where were the tears, the sympathy? Hollywood directors lining up, no appreciation around here, idiots.

"Where have you been staying?" Continues Jillian. This seemed less like an examination and more like an inquisition. Also, why did Jillian care, he would obviously know I was lying. So, what was I to say? Rosealinde was luckily ever-present as usual.

"I have been staying at the Shadow Keeper's mansion with The Don's secretary." Hmm, half-lie half true.

"Mmmm.. do you remember anything you ate or any fluids you were given?" Asks a doctor, the examination was back on track.

"No, The Don knocked me out on both occasions."

"Twice?" They ask frantically writing. Twice? I ask her.

Try to not think please, everyone here will realise you're either crazy or someone else is talking so refrain from talking please. I shut up and allow her to take over.

"Well, I was purposely injured to allow The Don the excuse to take me back to her house immediately. Then I had the neuron tracker removed. Then I was purposely hurt again to see if the new DNA structure was doing it's job."

"Apart from unintentionally nearly killing Junior Spy Maya, what else have you discovered about yourself." I would've told them about the arrowheads but I felt Rosealinde slap me.

"Nothing." I answer flatly.

"Have you felt hot or cold during certain periods of the day?"

"Umm… no?" I ask unsure of the question.

"What about emotions, have certain emotions manifested themselves."

"Now I just don't know if you're speaking English." I snap, Rosealinde had left so I was pretty lost.

"Seems like she can't answer anything." I hear them saying to each other.

"Do you mind if we take a blood sample?"

"Why are you asking, just do it." Then I close my eyes.

"Are you trypanophobic?" What the hell was that? Fear of needles. Sorry for the intrusion. No fucking way, I blink just to make sure. Yep, Jillian had been the one in my mind, one: Rosealinde never apologized for 'such trivial things' her words not mine. And two I had felt the pager buzz to alert me. I thought when one 'asked' permission they would buzz before doing something, not after!!!

"Maybe." I mutter slightly embarrassed with myself.

"Don't worry many people are scared of needles" Says… was that Mango? I just nod stiffly and try to not look at the needle.

I felt my blood leave my body. Then I hear a scream. My eyes flung open to watch as the blood melts the glass tube my blood had previously been in. It was like the arrows thing all over again.

"Hmm… interesting." I hear Jillian mutter.

What was wrong with my blood? Was it toxic? Poison?

There was silence. Then Jillian suddenly clapped his hands and says:

"All right, training time." Way to avoid everything, but he had a point.

"But we're not finished!" The scientists began, Jillian whips around and glares at them in a menacing manner. I feel the metal click around my wrists and feet, then I was free. I quickly jump off the examination table. Jillian walks with me in total silence. I was itching to ask him what had just happened, and for once I hoped he was reading my mind.

"Rosealinde inserted some magic atoms in to." Jillian suddenly informs me. He sounded though like he was talking more to himself than me. I had magic in me?

"Cool?" I ask him.

"Not cool, it seems like she gave you the Original atoms."

"Umm… you've lost me." I mutter.

"Like humans have the myth of Adam and Eve who were the ones to populate the entire world. Which by the way, absolute horse shit. The wizards, sorcerers, mages, witches, elemental also have roughly the same. Only ours is too true. You probably wonder what the myth is? I'm not telling you, it's too long and complicated. All you need to know is the magic running through your veins belongs to a race now referred to as either the Originals or the Ancients, also vaguely known as Warlocks. Some are still alive and prefer to call themselves Warlcoks so as to lesser the pressure placed on them by everybody. And there are only three Original Warlocks remaining, but really there's only one left."

"Why?"

"Oh because too much power drives one to insanity, bla bla… you don't need to know. You just need to understand that you have magic in your veins and goodness knows what else!!" If I didn't know any better, I would say Jillian was almost gleeful and green with envy, but I didn't really know him so I brush that thought to one side.

"So, are you going to start training me today?"

"On how to use your magic? No." What, why?

"Many make the mistake on strengthening their magical ability leaving their bodies physically weak, no you must be strong in every way possible. To the gym!!" He suddenly says dramatically. I roll my eyes and unwilling to follow the weird alien and his antics to the gym.

The gymnasium, as I was informed to call it, was well equipped with all the necessary equipment, including padded walls. Jillian didn't tell me to do anything at first, he observed his surroundings with his hands on his hips.

I couldn't help feel like someone was watching.

"All right, I've decided. You will start with a simulation." Unsure of what simulation meant, but glad that I didn't have to run laps, I agreed wholeheartedly.

…

…

Two hours later I regretted his decisions and despised him completely and utterly. A simulation consisted of holograms fighting me. An infinite number of holograms, with weapons that were able to hurt me. I, on the other hand, was only allowed to use my fists. Jillian observed without commentating, at times I saw him smirk; but apart from that he just looked bored.

"Okay, I've established you are lesser than a junior." The hell, I was that bad?

"I was the best assassin." I felt like reminding him panting whilst leaning forwards holding my knees with my head lowered.

"Killing one or two people is easy, killing en masse is harder. You have to put more into it, more strength, more speed and more cunningness. Notice if they have weak members, notice weak points. The body involuntarily shields the weak parts."

"You mean like this." Then I just march up to him and knead him where the sun didn't shine. He looked confused as well as in pain.

"You're still a man, Jillian and men have balls. Or in your case, as of now, you don't."

"Interesting." He finally says straightening up with a smooth smile plastered on his face. Was I in trouble? I guess it wasn't every day someone kneaded him in the balls.

"Do you need a break?" He suddenly asks removing his blazer. I shook my head, then I feel, more than see something hit me in my stomach.

I hear my bones crunching, then I find myself shooting to the other side of the room. Aside from the small voice in my mind screaming weeeee! I was sure I was about to die. But I land crouched, and my bones had repaired themselves. Now, this was what mythical creatures were all about, awesomeness.

I lunge forward and remember what Rosealinde said about fighting her kind, the part where she said it was impossible. But there were ways to distract her kind. When I lunge, I make sure to make it look like a direct leap towards his chest, then my arm shoots out to rest on his shoulder and I flip over his head bringing one of my feet crashing down on his skull. Thank goodness he was a Shadow Person, he did go down like a nail hit by a hammer but then turned into liquid and oozed out.

I keep in mind Jillian was using his magic, maybe without even realising. So, I do another thing Rosealinde had taught me: I run. I ran in a circle around the entire gym, creating a magic repellent field. Jillian observes with detached interest.

"Rosealinde taught you how to repel magic yet not harness it." I hear him mutter. My hearing was definitely improving if I could hear him muttering from twelve meters away. I stop making the circle and stood facing Jillian; Jillian decides to take his shirt off. Not that I was going to complain, grandpa punky had it going on…

His torso was covered in tattoos, his back had this strange collection of swirls and… the girl from the picture in his office… was inked onto his skin???!!!! I stare, then blink and I heard an audible click. Was I a human camera? That was interesting. The rest of his tattoos were rather feminine, the swirling flowers and hieroglyphs down his biceps. I blink again, and again that clicking thing reoccurred. Yep, I was definitely a camera of sorts, should I be insulted?

"Ready?" He breaks the silence, I hunker down. He stands calmly, I concentrate on Jillian and Jillian alone. That's when I see him move, well more like faze. Faze, I too whipped to the other side of the room under a second. Then I start moving towards him trying to land a punch, he just swayed avoiding the punches. Before he knew what was happening, I kick him between the legs again, this breaks the pattern, and I jump at the chance to beat him even more. The moment he hunched over, I slam my palm on his back using the air under my palm to drive the blow deeper into his skin and I could hear bones breaking. I grab his arm and twist it out of its socket and then I punch him directly in the face. And I knew I had won the round, so I took a step back respecting the rules.

He stood up easily moving his joints back into place and fixing his alien face.

"You've been holding back from me." He says smiling, then he roundhouses kicked me.

"But in the game of survival, there are no rules."

I groan. Jillian leaves, probably because it was the best possible dramatic exit he could do. And something I was learning from Shadow People, they loved their dramatic entrances and exits.

I close my eyes wondering, what time it was.

"Zoe." I 'mmmd' to show I was awake and alive.

"If you have time to lie down, then you have time to do this." I wake up with a start and find myself staring at Esmeralda. How did she get her, and also why?

"What's up?" I ask, sitting up.

"I should be asking you that. The Don, as much as I admire her, is making my job in all this very hard." I shrug, if Rosealinde was busy annoying others then that meant less time annoying me… even though that also meant I wouldn't see her as much. Ugh, I so needed therapy.

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"I need you to remember exactly what was given to you the first day you were changed."

"I would tell you if I knew, but I don't so sorry."

"No problem, we'll get a clairvoyant to look." I sit up to look at her sharply. A what?

"A clairvoyant."