The Adapters: Simulation (Pt 7)

This is not directly related to the prompt. Also this part is particularly short.



People featured in this story:

Luna as Liz

Lillian as Lillian

Celeste as Celeste

Amethyst as Cirah

Ethan as Ethan

Trigger Warning: Blood and violence

I walked into the armory, examining the swords and daggers and bows. Liz was grabbing daggers and attaching them to her belt loop, then grabbed a fresh sheath of arrows.

“What?” she snapped, noticing me watching her. “Not everyone has crazy powers like the rest of you. Some of us are normal.” She shoved past me, the last wisps of her black hair disappearing behind the leaves. I glanced back at the weapons to find Lillian standing there, examining me.

“You won’t need much when it comes to weapons,” she commented, walking towards me, lifting my wings. “Sturdy, strong… not bad I guess. Good for defense and possible escape.” She examined my talons. “Those could do some damage.” She looked back up at me. “You’ll be leading the aerial unit.”

“Woah woah woah,” exclaimed Celeste, coming up behind me, followed by Ethan and Cirah. “Are you sure? She hasn’t had any training, and she doesn’t even know how to transform. How can we be sure she won’t die as soon as she’s in the field? You know Azazel will be targeting her.”

“I think she’s ready,” commented Ethan, his golden green eyes gazing into mine. “Let’s test her in combat, in the simulator.”

“Yeah!” exclaimed Cirah, her dark purple hair cascading down her back. Her white fox ears perked up with excitement.

“Fine,” said Lillian. “Prepare the simulator!” Cirah sprinted out the door, a smile on her face.

I walked into a strange room I hadn’t been to before. It didn’t have the usual twisted wooden floor or walls. It was instead a large metal box, with only one door coming in and out. I felt a little uneasy, reminding me of the years I spent locked up in a metal box much smaller than this.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to find myself face to face with Ethan, his orange ears flicking in his reddish-brown hair. 

“Don’t worry,” he said. “Remember that the simulation isn’t real.”

I nodded as he disappeared behind the door, most likely watching me through an invisible window. The metal walls flickered with light before becoming a large, flat field. People were fighting all around me- blood stained the grass, the smell of death choked the air. I immediately flew up in the air when a small girl with black wings and yellow eyes shot towards me. She barely grazed by me, leaving a small mark on my arm. I didn’t feel any pain, though. The girl immediately turned around and shot towards me again her small talons open towards me. I dodged right and grabbed her leg as she flew past me.

Time suddenly slowed down as tiny vibrations travelled through the air. A very prominent vibration was coming from her wings, so I grabbed her wing and yanked it towards me. She immediately lost her balance and flailed her arms, trying to reach for me. I twisted her wing over my arm and yanked it down, hearing a snap. I felt a pang of guilt as she plummeted to the ground, joining the cold bodies below.

I almost didn’t notice the arrow that barely missed my head. I turned around to find a boy loading up another arrow, the tip dripping with poison. I swooshed down, dodging arrow after arrow. I opened my talons and grabbed him by the shoulders, carrying him into the air. He was surprisingly heavy, so I had trouble gaining altitude.

I saw a small rock formation ahead and flew there as fast as I could, knowing I was vulnerable for another attack. I dropped him in the middle of the rock formation and flew away before I could see the rocks pierce his body. I heard someone on the ground shout for me to land as drops of rain fall from the sky. It quickly turns to a downpour as I land, my wings already becoming heavy. 

“There you are....” came a voice. I whipped my head around, trying to find the source of it. Through the downpour, I could barely make out 8 long, hairy legs walking towards me. My blood ran cold as the rest of his body came into view- his blood red eyes practically glowed through the mist. I spread my heavy wings, my black hair plastered to my face. 

Azazel leaped forward, and I just noticed the large bear claws that replaced his arms. I flew up, but immediately got dragged down by the downpour. The claws grazed my leg, and fresh blood poured from it. I fell to the ground, the strange painless wound causing me to become dizzy. 

He leaped on top of me, the thick fur on his arm dissipating, revealing the regular human arms underneath. His head was becoming oddly misshapen, grey fur sprouting from his face. The wolf ears sprouted from his wet black hair, sharp teeth filling his mouth.

I struggled as his spider legs pinned me to the ground, drool dripping from his mouth.

I twisted my talons and scratched at his legs, which were strangely easy to break. A strangled cry emerged from his throat as he lost his balance, and I took the opportunity to get away. But I felt a sudden vibration again, this time towards his abdomen. Of course- the underside is a spider’s most vulnerable area. I opened my talons and pierced his abdomen, fresh blood spilling onto my body. He dropped to the ground as the rain stopped and the field flickered, returning to the metal box it once was. I got up from the ground, all wounds received from the simulation gone. Lillian, Ethan, and Celeste walked into the room. I glanced at their faces for some type of reaction.

Lillian’s brown eyes gazed into mine as she gave a slight nod.