Chapter Four: Forever

She had been in the cell for a day when Cassandra came. Linnea still hadn't managed to process what was happening. Her tears were dry, her eyes were blank, and the lump in her throat had become a permanent part of her being. She was standing, staring at the sterile white floor when Cassandra stopped on the other side of the bars. Linnea didn't look at her face; she feared that if she looked too much at the woman who had raised, her, she would lose whatever sanity still flickered in her mind.
Cassandra stood for a minute, studying the girl. Her eyes were red rimmed, her cheeks bore the marks of mascara streaked tears, and her hair was tied in a loose braid with pieces sticking out and falling into her eyes. Good. They needed her broken.
"It's time for a surgery."
Linnea almost looked up at this, but she managed to keep her eyes on the ground, though they filled again.
"Why?"
Cassandra laughed. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard for Linnea; she barely managed to keep from covering her ears and screwing up her eyes like a small child. Instead, she shuddered and clenched her hands into fists. The gesture did not go unnoticed by Cassandra, but she chose to ignore it.
"You didn't think the surgeries would stop just because you knew about them did you? No, but this time we won't erase the memories. You will remember every time we add another component."
Linnea's breath was coming in shallow gasps now. For a brief instant, she wished she had never found out what they were doing to her. Ignorance truly was bliss sometimes.

Linnea averted her eyes, though her spine stiffened as she heard the rasp of a key in the lock. She didn't know what Cassandra meant by component, but now she did know what all the odd looking devices were for. Cassandra pushed open the door and started towards Linnea, who backed against the wall. Her eyes moved rapidly from side to side as though she was looking for an escape. For the first time, in that instant, she took in everything in the lab.

What she saw made her blood run cold.

*awks arm*
The drugs took effect very quickly, and Linnea found herself grateful for that as the brightness of the lab dimmed and her vision shifted in and out of focus. Vaguely, she was aware of Cassandra hooking her up to an IV and prepping her for surgery, but the larger part of her brain was merely thankful for a chance to sleep.She sank into unconsciousness, no longer caring what Cassandra was doing to her mind or body, only aware of the comforting darkness that lapped at the edges of her mind.

The surgery was completed in record time, and soon, Cassandra could see a change. It was a small change, but it was a change nonetheless. Linnea, for her part didn't notice anything new. She stayed in her cell, staring blankly at the floor and forcing her exhausted brain into motion every morning. She didn't do anything except think these days. Think about what they were doing and when they would stop. She caught snippets of conversation that passed between Cassandra and Steven, and she guessed some things, but the surgeries remained an unexplained mystery. There was never anything wrong with her except for the headaches, which she now knew were a by-product of the surgeries. There was no reason for them to be operating on her unless they would get something out of it. But Linnea couldn't figure out what that something was.
Steven was always kinder than Cassandra these days. He felt pity for her, and often brought her food and drink more often than was necessary. Perhaps he had grown fond of her in his time pretending to be her father. She asked him one day why he was doing this, and he had given her a mournful look through the bars of her cage.
"Science is more important than anything, darling. Knowledge is above all human life. I'm sorry you have to give yourself to this cause, but it is indeed a brilliant cause."
It was then that Linnea realized he was also crazy. She had hoped perhaps that Cassandra was forcing him, that he was still the loving father she had known. Once that delusion faded from her mind, she became more withdrawn than ever, no longer responding to the food that was brought to her. Eventually, Cassandra began to feed her intravenously while she was asleep.

The days blended together in an indistinguishable blur, and Linnea soon began to forget what the outside world looked like, and to forget a time when she had ever been happy. Then, he came. The same man that had kidnapped her that time. Linnea had been sitting in the corner, against the wall, but when she saw the familiar black clothing, piercing eyes, and beautifully crafted gun, she sat up as though she had been electrocuted. Her hands balled into fists and she stared at him with eyes that burned feverishly in their now deep sockets. He had been holding a whispered conversation with Steven, but when he caught sight of Linnea, his eyes widened a fraction and his face showed, then settled back into his habitual blank mask.
He pointed at her with one lazy wave of the gun.
"Who's the girl?"
His voice was now loud enough for her to hear, though she tried very hard to pretend she wasn't listening. Steven looked at her briefly, then back at the man.
"Just an experiment we're running. It's proving to be very interesting."
"Ah. Now about those weapons. My client is getting impatient. Have you finished modifying them?"
Steven's eyes lit up in excitement.
"Yes, yes we have. Let me get them for you."

The moment she heard the sharp sound of the glass door slamming shut, Linnea flung herself against the bars at the man. He looked surprised at her vehemence as she whispered furiously.
"You have to get me out of here."
"Get you out? Come now. I don't just do jobs. You have to give me payment."
His eyes performed a familiar run up and down her body. She ignored his wandering eyes and pressed against the bars so hard that she felt them digging into her skin.
"You owe it to Miranda."
"I don't owe anything to Miranda any more. My debt to her is paid."
Linnea looked at him desperately. She knew he could get her out, probably easily. She couldn't let this opportunity go; if she stayed in here she knew she would either lose her mind or try to kill herself, neither of which was an enjoyable scenario.
"Well you owed Miranda...what if I could owe you?"
He laughed long and hard at that. She glanced anxiously at the door. If her father came back now...
"Please. You don't know what I can do."
Half a smirk remained on his face as he regarded her.
"And just what can you do, Sparrow?"
She ignored the new epitaph and wracked her brains.
"My parents have given me some powers or something. I don't know what they are or how they work, but I promise you, the minute I figure it out, I'll use them for whatever you say."
It was a pretty good offer, especially considering how famed her father was for weaponry. She didn't consider the consequences her promise would have, she was only thinking about getting out of this hellish place.

After a moment's thought, he nodded, a gleam in his eye at the thought of having a weapon nobody could match. In a few seconds, he had the lock open. She saw the bolt loosen, though he left the door shut. Linnea understood why of course. She would have to wait until her parents had gone to work at the university.
"Thank you."
"I'll wait out front. The minute you get out, you run all right."
She heard the sound of Steven's footsteps on the stairs and backed into her corner again, lowering her head so that nobody would notice the smile on her face.
"And remember" He spoke in a whisper, moving a a safe distance from her cell. "I'll make sure you keep your promise."

The escape was almost too easy. Linnea's stomach churned until she feared she would be sick and her hands trembled as she opened the door and slipped out of her cage. The air hitting her face was almost enough to knock her over as she exited the old fashioned garage and ran towards the street. Nobody was out and, aside from the breeze, Oakshire was still and quiet. As promised, Mike was waiting for her in a spotless black car. Once she got in, his foot sank onto the gas pedal and he sped towards the center of town. Linnea was surprised to note the gun in his hand even as he drove.
"Won't somebody notice?"
His smile was dangerous.
"Only if they have a death wish. Now, where to?"
"Where...to?"
Linnea hadn't even considered and aftermath. She had been so focused on getting out, but now the realization that she had no money, no food, no clothes, and nowhere to go closed on her.
"Yeah, don't you have any friends?"
"Friends...?"
A vague memory came to her, a memory of before all this had happened.
"Charlie!"
He raised an eyebrow.
"That kid you were with when I kidnapped you?"
"Yes. Yes, he'll let me stay with him, I'm sure of it."
She sat up in her seat and gave him the address. Charlie would know what to do. He always did."

Mike pulled up in front of the house, then got out of the car.
"I'll be over there, I need a drink."
He indicated a nearby bar. Linnea nodded, wondering in the back of her mind why didn't just leave. She hesitated in front of the small house. She'd only ever been here once before. What if she wasn't welcome? Linnea had been out of the real world for so long, she had almost forgotten about social cues. She was distracted from her thoughts by an arm around her shoulders. She turned rapidly to find herself face to face with James. He smelled drunk.
"Hey babe, what brings you here...all messy?"
She backed away, disgust written on her face.
"Keep your hands off me. I was looking for Charlie."
"Forget about Ch-charlie, kid. He just shtarted dating that cheerleader chick. And he actually caresh about relationshhhhips."
Linnea rolled her eyes.
"I don't want to DATE him, I need his help."
"I can help ya babe, whatever you need."

Suddenly, his arms were around her and his hand was on her thigh. She flinched and shoved his chest in a futile attempt to get away. It didn't work, he just kissed her roughly. She tasted blood in her mouth and smelled his foul breath. All of the sudden, she was more than just disgusted, she was enraged. Everything that had happened to her came streaming through.
"I won't let an idiot like you take advantage of me too."
Her knee went to his groin. He grunted in pain and tightened his hold on her. She struggled violently, scratching his face and biting down hard on his lower lip, but nothing worked. Linnea didn't know what else to do, but she began to feel something inside of her. Something full of energy. Not the good kind of energy, the kind of energy given off by heat and light. Her head started pounding and her chest felt hot. She could no longer speak, but somehow she knew that this thing had to be subdued. There was something wrong, something very wrong. James reached for her breast. It was the worst thing he could possibly have done. When his hand touched her chest, electricity streamed from the contact. Linnea felt it, raw and dangerous, wreaking havoc on her body as well as his. For James, it proved fatal.
She watched his body crumple, watched the light go out of his eyes, and tried to process what had just happened. He fell to the ground, just as Charlie came running around the corner. He must have heard her yells.
"Nea! What's going on? Did James....oh my god."
James made a rasping noise that proved to be his last breath.

Charlie looked from his brother to Linnea with a look of pure horror on his face.
"What the hell did you do to him? What did you DO?"
She couldn't speak. She merely stared at him with eyes that were vast and held a sorrow that would have broken his heart if she hadn't just killed his brother.
"Tell me you didn't."
His voice was cracked and blank, like the wall of an old building.
"Tell me you didn't kill him, Nea, please."
Linnea found her tongue, after a long pause.
"I...I don't know what happened. He was going to rape me...I had to..."
"You didn't have to kill him! I was coming...he wouldn't have...James wouldn't have gone all the way. Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god."
Linnea wanted to put her arms around him, to do SOMETHING, but her limbs were still tingly and unresponsive. Charlie put his head in his hands.
"You...I thought we were friends. You KILLED MY BROTHER! I can never forgive you. To me, you...you'll be gone forever."
He pulled out his cell phone and began dialing 911. Linnea looked from his now murderous, tear streaked face to the body on the ground and panicked. She didn't know that her survival instinct had been heightened through genetic modification. She didn't know that her parents had given her that ability on purpose. And she didn't know that what she was about to do would cause several more deaths. She ran.

Forever.