It all started with Ahmet Benici. The World's lead scientist published his findings that the laws that govern our world would change so drastically human life would not be possible. It was his findings that urged the U.S government to begin a secret project, Project New World. The purpose of this project was to save humanity from its impending doom. So I invite you visitor, whoever you are it doesn't really matter. Come, sit down at your keyboard and tell me, what role are you going to play in this story?
Setting
There are many rumors and stories to be told about the city of Chase. Stories and tales rise from the mysterious forest that borders its northern side. There's big talk of some government project happening on the other side, but no one can know for sure. The small town has a rather sparse population of 20,000 people and is kept isolated from its neighboring town by Wyers lake.
In terms of time, this site will follow real time to accommodate for the short life expectancies of compound patients. The current month is December, the year 2062.
Note: Please note this site is rated PG-13.
Disclaimer: All pictures and images on this site belong to their rightful owners. We do not and will not claim to own them. However the site plot and idea belongs to Time Lapse, please do not steal!
When Feral wasn't phased by his words, the Shield scowled. The other boy didn't even seem to care! Manners are important, okay? Flint wasn't about to go around preaching he was the most gentlemanly person here, because he wasn't. But manners...they were just common sense. They made the world go around the sun, or something cheesy like that. He didn't care too much for manners but in Feral's case, the kid could use a couple. It'd make Flint less inclined to punch him in the face and more prepared to talk things through.
But would Feral make it easy? No. He even asked if he was supposed to be insulted. Grumpily, Flint clenched his fists. It was obvious he wouldn't be getting what he wanted, and quite unfortunate too. He liked to think if Feral was more...well-bred, it would be easier to get along with him. But, was that even possible? To get along well will Feral? Probably not. "Whatever man, forget it." Flint shook his head, readjusting his glasses for the umpteenth time.
Unfortunately super strength and sharp teeth didn't gift you with the mind of a genius, or so Flint thought at the freak's question. Well wouldn't you like to know? he thought to himself. They were good questions and Flint might have been impressed if he hadn't already answered them in his own cryptic way. On his own, Feral would fail. Flint genuinely believed that. And when he did fail, he would bring down armageddon on the rest of them.
When patients started escape attempts, security would go up, punishments would be dealt out, restrictions would be modified. Who knew what would happen? Instead of wearing shock collars the WhiteCoats might come up with a new invention. Their wards might become cages. Their meals might become dog food. Suffering from unjust cruelty, stripped of their free time, anything could happen.
Something cold and wet landed on his nose and the Shield flinched only to realize it was snowing. Soft, full flakes drifted from the gray clouds above, alighting gently on the cobblestone ground before they disappeared. It was snowing. For a few moments, Flint was silent, appreciating the hush and watching the snowflakes. If Feral failed, moments like this, they wouldn't come easy. Did the other freak even know what he was risking? Did he even care? The Faculty wasn't going to sit around on their asses if he started pulling stunts like that.
Flint never saw himself as a hero. He never tried to be either. But he helped Feral for the sake of every patient and child who were trapped here against their will. Maybe he couldn't get everyone out, but he'd try. Mulling this over and adjusting his glasses several times, he merely shook his head. "I don't think I'll answer any of your questions. Figure them out on your own," he said simply.
So he tried to insult him for the sake of insulting him? Feral shrugged at the thought, not caring to press for any more info as far as his bad behavior was concerned. He only showed manners towards people he respected, and those people are practically non-existent, so while it was certainly a valiant effort, Feral wasn't about to get schooled on proper behavior anytime soon. Stubborn as a mule, he was, with the aggression of a wolverine. "Fine by me." he replies simply, letting it go from there.
He'd been waiting for a reply when it started, the snow. When he felt the little chill as something wet had dropped on his arm, Feral looked up to see snowflakes drifting down. The beast almost smiled at the sight, but was certainly distracted for a moment as he watched the snow fall. It was light, and likely wouldn't really stick just yet, but it was still nice to see and felt good on his sore skin. He was snapped out of his somewhat peaceful moment, however, when Flint spoke up again, his calm expression turning a bit sour again. "Talk about being rude." he growled, certainly not happy with being blown off like that. But, fortunately, the snow almost seemed to quell his temper. Not get rid of it completely, no, but at least he didn't look like he was about to tear out the other's throat as he might have normally.
He sits for a while in silence after that, having sat up by then, staring at the snow as it drifted down, melting almost immediately once it hit ground. Even sticks his tongue out to catch one while Flint's not looking. Eventually though, he speaks up. "I've been thinking. About going solo again." he brings up, almost as if it were a threat. Really? Well, more or less. It had crossed his mind, but as much as he hated to admit it, Flint was his one good chance out of here. He'd already accepted that if the boy didn't cooperate, he'd have to go back to doing things the hard way though. He wasn't going to wait around forever. "Relieve you of your debt because I could give less shits about keeping you around more than I have to." Of course Flint was probably convinced there was no debt, even telling him as much, but Feral still seemed convinced his taking the fall for his broken collar was worth some credit. "Spare us both the headache." he chuckles bitterly. "That way you don't have to piss yourself, wondering if we're gonna survive, and I can do my own thing. Get out or die trying." He's so calm about accepting his own death as well, almost too ready to get himself killed. At least he'd be free, in a fucked up sense. He wasn't interested in suicide, but he was okay with the idea of dying in a fight. Seemed more fitting.
Rude? Please, he'd said so politely. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Flint only adjusted his scarf. Covering his nose and mouth he breathed into the wool, letting it warm his face. Already the tips of his nose and ears had gone red from the cold. Pretty soon he'd go inside. But for now, he relished sitting in silence, watching the snow and the other patients too. Unfortunately, he missed Feral's antics, otherwise, he might have been convinced the freak had a heart. When Feral spoke, his words caused a thrill of fear within the boy. Go solo? Well damn. As he listened to the other speak, his mind struggled to leap ahead, forming plans, strategies, anything to impede his escape plan. He could always just tell the white coats, they'd take care of things. But Flint's plan was to escape with everyone. No matter how irritating he was, that meant escaping with Feral too. He wouldn't throw the freak under the bus unless he felt it was absolutely necessary though it might be if he proved to be determined about going solo.
Readjusting his glasses, Flint stood from the bench. He worried saying more would push Feral further away, but saying nothing at all would leave him in the deep end. He had two options. He could grovel and comply to all the freak's desires and get them out. Or, he could assemble his own team. He knew a fair amount of people, people who were gifted in certain areas, who had obtained valuable pieces of knowledge. He could gather all those people and form an escape plan for everyone. But would it be completed before Feral made a run for it?
He'd need to buy himself time, and lots of it. Feral needed to have a full schedule. Flint knew of only one way to prompt the White Coats to keep him busy, he'd have to attack him first, though. With luck, he'd look like the victim and Feral would find himself under the oppression of tests and experiments. It was still throwing him under the bus a little, though, and it meant Flint had to fight him. But, the decision was already made as he stood from their bench, allowing a sigh of acceptance.
"You'll die trying then. But me and my friends, we won't." He added quietly. There would be others who had similar desires, patients who wanted out but hadn't the courage to get out themselves. All it would take would be a few nudges here and there and maybe he could rally the whole patient body...or a good portion of it anyway.
A high pitched noise followed by a low hum verberated in the air around him. It was his shield though one could hardly see it. The translucent aura crept along his skin like an invisible forcefield. Flint hardly waited for it to reach the tips of his fingers before he pivoted on his feet drawing back his fist and nailing Feral in the face. He only prayed the guards would be nearby and prayed the wouldn't see him making the first move. Even if they did, he could spin some sort of lie to make him the victim? After all, he was angel, right?
Flint didn't seem too keen on his change of plans, Feral smelling the tinge of fear, masked slightly by his frustration. He hadn't known what reaction he'd receive from the other freak, but what he'd gotten was certainly nothing he'd been prepared for.
Feral looked up to him out of the corner of his eye as the Shield had stood, sighing about the beast's idea, no doubt. He even mentioned something about having friends who wouldn't meet the same fate as Feral might have. "Friends?" he questions. Not only because the freak was having a hard time seeing this guy have legitimate friends, but also because he was slightly curious about said friends. Did Flint know something he didn't? While he was thinking about this, opening his mouth to speak, he'd effectively been distracted long enough that there was no chance in dodging the other teen's hit.
It hit, hard, and Feral could hear a little crack that wasn't too comforting, already tasting a small amount of blood. It had left him dazed, for perhaps a few seconds, before his expression became so enraged that it was clear no amount of snow would be saving them now. "You son of a bitch...!" he snarls, his eyes looking darker, nails sharper. The beast wasted no time lunging at the Shield, far too angry to remember his intent to actually behave, let alone that guards nearby would surely hear them. No, he just wanted to kill this kid, far too gone into his feral mind to utilize any common sense.
He was only determined to wrestle Flint to the ground, take a bite out of him before his shield could repel him or prevent him from dealing any damage back. Right for the neck, right for the kill. It was only fortunate that guards were indeed nearby, running over to investigate.
If the fact Flint would get ahead worried Feral, perhaps it would work to his own advantage. Then again, perhaps it would only push him to leave sooner. Would Flint be a fool to assume it would prompt a change in heart? Give the other freak the urge to work together? Ha, yeah that would be pretty foolish of him. But when his fist actually hit Feral he looked completely shocked. It wasn't so much he'd actually hit someone, he'd sort of expected Feral to be some kind of ninja.
Well shit, the kid would surely kill him now. It didn't help that he'd hit him with his shield, the thing was hard as cement, or so he assumed. But, the rush of satisfaction did nothing to quell his terror as he saw the other's face contort with rage. Had his nails been that sharp before? For Pete's sake he wasn't morphing was he?
But Flint didn't find he had much time to think before Feral lunged at him.Nononono, please don't fail me nowhe thought as his shield wavered. Winded by the sheer impact, Flint was sent sprawling. Portions of the shield crumbled away like grains of sand before a new blue substance would weave itself into place. Hell, could he even take the brunt of Feral's claws? They were no longer tame enough to be called nails in his books. If his shield wavered, he was a dead man. Please someone activate his collar! he thought in desperation, raising his hands to shield his face should the other freak pounce.
The hit hurt alright. He was just fortunate he was more durable than the average human, otherwise it certainly would have done more damage. Incredibly painful or not, it served to piss him off enough, sending him into that beastly mode. Nothing more than an animal at this point, a dangerous predator ready to eliminate a threat. He bared his fangs, lashing out with those claw-like nails. It made an awful noise when it scraped against the other's shield, enough to make him cringe slightly at first, but it wasn't enough to repel him. In fact, when he managed to send Flint sprawling, his shield wavering, it only encouraged him to keep attacking. Eventually he'd break through and the Shield would regret fucking with him.
He'd continue clawing at the shield a couple more times before pouncing again. Were it not for the approaching guards, he might have eventually managed to find an opening. Unfortunately, as soon as the group of guards saw the two, the remote was pulled out, collar activated, and Feral roared in pain as he was electrocuted. He backed off, only slightly, tearing desperately at the collar, scratching up his neck with those new claws of his. They didn't relent, making sure he was down before they deactivated the device, seeming to have learned their lesson from last time. Eventually he succumbed to the shock, dropping down face first into the cobblestone below, body heaving with heavy and shaky breaths. He tried to pick himself up but was effectively drained, unwillingly resigning when his body refused to cooperate. "D-dammit..." he hissed. Could he really be surprised at this point? Of course some guards would come around and fuck everything up.
As soon as he was down the guards had made their way over, two of them securing Feral, binding his hands behind his back. The other turned to Flint, expecting answers. "What the fuck happened?!" Did he really have to ask, given that Feral was involved? Well the Shield was one of the more compliant freaks and didn't cause them much trouble. This was the second time the two had got in a fight though.
The grating noise forced Flint to cover his ears. Much like the sound of nails on a chalkboard, he couldn't stand it. The sound only reminded him how close the other teen was to stripping him of his flesh. As Feral pounced, Flint struggled beneath him. The guy was small but as far as mass and muscle were concerned, he was a lot stronger than Flint. It didn't help that he'd succumbed to an animalistic rage either.
The Shield could endure many things, but as Feral's claws caught hold of where his neck would have been, he became uncomfortably aware his shield wouldn't be enough to save him. Well damn. Flint struggled in an attempt to heave Feral off of him. "Calm down! I don't actually want to fight you!" He spat, yelping moments later as he felt something sharp tear through his arm. What the hell was that? His claws? His teeth? Just the pain of it almost caused him to black out. Down one arm, he should have extended his shield to force Feral back. But he was supposed to play the victim, only he wasn't playing anymore. "Get off!" He protested weakly. The guards came to his rescue though they weren't quite as welcome at first. Second-hand electrocution was worse then the initial shock and Flint seized in pain as the bolts from Feral's collar reached him.
Feral would back off and Flint would curl into a fetal position, arm and muscles burning as he shook. The shock had only been temporary. In fact, he was quite lucky his collar hadn't been activated as well. Though, there was no relief though, no reassurance his own collar wouldn't be activated. When the pain receded to moderately bearable, Flint pushed himself onto his side, clutching his injured arm to his chest. Three nasty gashes trailed along his arm, two short and one long. It extended from his shoulder to a few inches past his elbow. Already fat drops of blood stained the cobblestone below, turning the snowflakes red. It wasn't a pretty sight though, Flint didn't like blood.
Pulling his scarf close, he covered his mouth and nose, turning instead to the guards. Feral's howls fell on stone ears as Flint fought back a wave of guilt. He knew it hurt, he wouldn't wish that pain on anyone. But Feral was giving him a limited amount of options and none of them were pleasant.
When the guard addressed him, Flint shrunk away tugging at his own collar hesitantly. He offered Feral a weak glance before looking away. "The fucker started it," was all he said. He'd thrown the first punch but hopefully they would take his word for it. And Feral really had started it...in an abstract way of course.
At the very least, Feral could take pleasure in knowing he'd drawn blood, right? It wasn't enough though. He wanted more than that, and the boy's pleas fell on deaf ears. He might as well have been speaking a foreign language at that point. Fortunately, where he wouldn't be backing down willingly, he'd of course be forced to by the very thing he'd welcomed Flint along to take care of. Just kick him while he's down, honestly.
It took him a bit and, honestly, he still wasn't quite clear in the head, even after he'd been shackled and forced to sit still. He could feel the blood dripping off his nails and could smell it in the air. It made him growl, though at that point, the sounds were rather weak, just like he was currently. He was already having a hard time keeping his eyes open, tempted to just let unconsciousness take over so he could sleep through the pain. He might have even done so, had the boy not spoke.
He snapped his eyes open, struggling against the guard's hold as he managed to shoot the other freak a deadly glare, snarling. "You piece of shi-" his words were cut off as a force on the back of his head pressed him down, making him eat dirt. "Shut the fuck up." the guard warned. Ironic, wasn't it? He took the blame the first time, now it was being pinned onto him. Figures. He knew it'd come around to fuck him over eventually. Still.. it stung a bit.
The guard who'd been addressing Flint returned his attention back to him, not appearing to have doubted his claim. After all, it was Feral they were talking about. He looked down to the injuries, a rather nasty claw mark down his arm. It was definitely going to leave a mark. "Maybe next time you'll stay away from him." he spat. Kid better learn his lesson. After all, if this was going to become a habit, they wouldn't be so lenient next time. "Get up and get yourself to the infirmary." he orders. Of course he'd have to escort him there, make sure he didn't bleed out on the way, but he wasn't about to baby the kid. He'd gotten himself into the mess, after all.
Meanwhile they other two had finally hoisted Feral up to his feet, his head hanging down and he'd gotten awfully quiet. They were already starting to lead him off and Feral only lifted his head enough to shoot Flint another glare, a low growl rumbling from his chest before he was shoved forward and lead off, likely to recieve some sort of punishment. He'd take it, and then get back at the Shield for it later, when he least expected it.
An expressionless mask fell across his face as Flint watched the rough treatment. It must of hurt. It must have been degrading. But he didn't offer anything in Feral's defense. As the freak snarled at him he flinched. The look of shock was only half fake, despite having really deserved the comment. No, for once Feral hadn't done anything wrong, other then suggest going solo.
Flint wasn't the most dominant person, he wasn't trying to put Feral in his place, but he needed him out of his space until he could get a headway on preparations. Maybe then, when he proved he had the beginnings of a significant plan, then Feral would hear him out. But if the white coats didn't keep him busy, well he was screwed. Placing a hand against the cut, he grimaced feeling the salt from his skin mingle against his flesh. It burned but after the pain receded, he felt like he could manage. He would have offered Feral an apology if not for the act he was setting up. Drawing his knees beneath him, the freak slowly got to his feet. His world spun lazily for a few moments and the ever thickening snow did wonders to confuse him.
"Yes sir," he mumbled obediently, casting one last look at Feral before he staggered off to the infirmary. The freak could no longer be his primary concern. As long as he himself didn't end up being punished, Flint needed to gather his 'resources'.
