The truck rumbled through the gate of Facility B before sputtering to a stop. The doors creaked open and the soldiers helped her out. She walked meekly toward the looming building, noting the turrets and towers, giving it the appearance of a fortress, a prison.
Inside, rows of stell-barred cells lined the walls, flickering lights casting dark shadows. She barely had time to process before she was shoved towards a metal door. A sign above labelled, "For Newly Arrived Eidolons Only."
The word became engrained in her brain.
Eidolon? What is that or rather...who is that?
A hard shove through the door sent her stumbling inside. The door closed behind her with a hiss.
"Good day," came gruff voice.
She turned—and froze. A woman in her mid thirties glared at her. The woman wore a grey blazer over a stiff white shirt, a pencil grey skirt hugged her legs, black stockings that hugged her thighs and sharp, black heels. In her hand: a baton, which she tapped in a rhythmic tune against her leg.
"Put this on," she barked, sliding a box across the floor.
Inside the box was blue coveralls with black boots and her number on it, "B-127."
She looked up, her face contorted in confusion and disbelief. The woman smiled menacingly. "Oh. Happy Birthday."
Dressed in her new uniform, she's dragged by some soldiers to a waiting desk. The receptionist wore tiny spectacles, which she adjusted without looking up. Her uniform matched the woman from before, but in blue. Her hair was scraped into a slick bun, not a strand out of place.
She then looked up. With a slam, she dropped a thick ledger onto the desk and gently placed the black powder in a tin next to it.
"Book her," the receptionist said flatly. The soldiers seize her hand, forcefully pressing her thumb into the power, then pressing it on the page. A fresh fingerprint bloomed like a bruise. "Good," she said, as she closed the book.
"Welcome to Facility B, B-127," she tacked the book on top of the rest. "Toss her."
"What?" Now B-127 gasped, as the men dragged her backwards.
"What do you mean? What does that mean?" She cracked, fear in her voice.
B-127 grunts as she flung into her cell, jumping at the loudness of the door being slammed, which echoed. She weakly got to her feet, cradling her left arm. She looked around. One barred window sat high above, right out of reach. Another smaller one, was set into the wall on her left.
There was no bed present, neither a bathroom or sink.
Did they want her to sleep on the floor?
"Hello!" A masculine voice shouted, making her back away. "Are you my neighbor?" He asked.
"Hello? Hell-o?" The voice called. She looked around, before realizing the voice must be nearby.
"Leave me alone!" She shouts.
"Leave me alone!" Another repeated, causing her turn around to the sound.
"Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!" Another voices echoed.
Quivering, she fell on her knees and curled up on the floor.
That was her wish.
She wished to be left alone.
Now she is
Alone.
B-127 opened her eyes, rising from the stone floor. The light from the window, indicated it was morning. The door was tugged open and a shadow loomed over. She grunts as a burly woman grabs her by the collar. "Get up!" She barks.
B-127 struggles to keep up as she's dragged out of her cell. The woman pulls her into an elevator and presses a button to level 3. The elevator descends, the various lights making B-127's eyes twitch.
A ping goes off, indicating they've reached. The doors slid open as she drags her out into a large woman, littered with tables and seats. She's plopped onto a bench, fixing her coveralls as the woman struts away.
The woman returns, slamming a metal food tray onto the table. B-127 jolts and looks up at her. The woman's uniform was similar to the two other women but it was green. On her head, she wore a green peaked hat.
"Eat, Eidolon," she sneered. "Birthday's over. We have an event planned today. Dodgeball. You'll love it."
She walked away and B-127 turned to her food, her face contorted into a frown.
That word again.
"Why are they calling me that?" She wondered.
The food was not appealing. It was grey mush, smelling like rotten food and sewage. She nearly barfed, but composed herself. Using the metal spoon, she scooped some and hurriedly shoved it into her mouth.
It was so foul!
It tasted like dead fish and slime. So strong it was that she spewed it out of her mouth, coughing. "You're doing it wrong," a boy spoke as he sat down in front of her. She looked up to see a red head, grinning at her. He wore similar coveralls as herself, as the others. His hair, orange in color, was vibrant and his eyes were bright green. And his smile...
It wasn't malicious, it was genuine, despite how unfriendly it looked.
"Eat up," he chuckled, as he got up. "You need to shove it into your mouth continually or you'll be vomiting forever!"
He let out a boisterous laugh, as B-127 watched him curiously. She noticed his number on his coveralls: B-75.
B-75....
Several women burst in through the door, dressed in the same green uniform, being lead by the woman in grey.
"Get up Eidolons! Hop to it!" She barked. The boy ceased in laughing, turning around and frowned. "Buzzkills," he muttered. He turned back to B-127 and flashed her a smile. "Get what you can. They're not so kind to those who don't eat," he advised before leaving.
B-127 kept her gaze on him as he ran off. She then gazed back at her food. She might as well put his advice to good use.
Taking a breath, she shoved as much as she can in her mouth, swallowing before getting up from her table and running off after him and the other children. She throws her tray into a bin with the others before following the line outside.
Outside in the grassy yard, B-127 looks up at the sun, her hand blocking the glare as the other kids milled about. Several whistles gathered the children's attention. The women in grey stood on several tall stages, meters from the children, holding clear bags that contained red balls.
The woman in grey stepped forward. "Listen up, Eidolons. We're playing Dodgeball today. This is the only time you're allowed to use your powers," the women in grey barked as the women in green stood ready to toss the balls.
B-127 blinked.
"Powers?" she mutters. "I don't have any..."
"But Mrs. Peapot," a girl with blonde hair whined. She had bags under her eyes. "I don't have any power."
The named woman in grey, Mrs. Peapot, sneered. "Do I look like I give a damn? Play!" She ordered, tossing the ball into the air.
The women released the balls from the bag and there was a rushing of feet and screaming as the children ran for them.
B-127 reached for the ball, but it bounced. As she chased after her, a red ball hits her right in face. She falls to the ground, stunned. She pushes herself on her knees, slowly standing up when another ball hits the back of her head, sending her back to the ground.
She pushes herself up on her elbows, her mouth filled with something metallic. Her head ached, having been hit twice now and her vision disorientated. She heard the faint cruel laughter of children around her.
Suddenly, she's yanked by the arm and pulled to her feet. Her pink eyes land on the billowing red hair of B-75. He glanced behind, his signature grin on his face. "Well Hel-lo!" He shouts as he and her jump off a kid, wielding an axe.
"You...." B-127 murmured as the B-75 punched another child in the face. "Are you okay?" He asks, right before a child lands, sending them both to the ground, covered by dirt.
B-127 coughs as the boy lumbers towards the two. Her pink eyes notice the number tag: B-006.
B-006 walked forward, increasing in size as he stepped. "What...are—" B-127 began.
"Max, you're not escaping me!" B-006 spat. Her eyes widened in surprise.
Max?
But Max the Hound is a cartoon....
B-75 gets up, wiping his mouth. He glances at his hand and sighs. "I barely felt that," he said, disappointed.
B-006's face contorts in anger. "Feel this!" He said, running forward and grabbing B-75. He tosses him into a turret, which there is an explosion. He then turns his attention of B-127. "Nighty nighty," he smiled, stomping towards her.
B-127 crawls away from him, her pink eyes widening with each step he takes. She squeezes them shut, thinking if she doesn't see him, he can't hurt her.
She pops them open again, noticing that she was standing. Everything was frozen, everyone was. She turned around and sees B-75 jumping towards B-006. She looks down and sees herself, crushed by B-006's foot.
"What?" She gasps, backing away in horror.
"What is this? What's happening?" She asks.
No one replied.
"What is happening!" She shouts.
She took deep breaths to steady her nerves. Freaking out won't help her. Her mind returned to what the woman in grey—Mrs. Peapot said.
"Powers," she said in realization. "Right....powers. She said we can use our powers."
She glanced down at her hands, staring at her pale and white it is.
"Is this my power?' She asks herself.