//------------------------------// // Horrifying developments // Story: Freedom // by SwarmLordAbdonis //------------------------------// The scythe-like appendage flailed wildly as it tried to break the glass more and more. But even though the limb had successfully broken through, the rest of the beast could not much to Jax's relief. The glass seemed to be stronger than expected. Much stronger. This was an interrogation room after all. Any chance of some-ling breaking out would be very hard. Even so, the fact that the thing had broken through it was just another testament to its incredible strength. Though from the looks of it, that one attack was all it could muster at the moment. Especially when it could be seen trying to barge through, widening the hole ever so slightly, but that seemed to be it. The creature itself managed to realise this and pulled its claw back, leaving a large hole from where it had tried to bust its way in. The creature gave an irritated growl and then took a few steps back. But it was still there. There were no hoofsteps leaving. The hole it had created was too small for it to get through, that much was obvious. But perhaps big enough for Jax. The thing had unintentionally created another exit for him. Even so, the changeling felt very little relief. *TAP* *TAP* More tapping noises coming from the door. Again, Jax had not heard it make its way over from the glass window. For such a large monster it was certainly light on its hooves. Maybe it was playing it smart and was seeking out any weaknesses the room had so that it could get in, or perhaps it was just going to keep attacking each entrance until one of them eventually collapsed? This thing had already proven itself unpredictable with its savagery thus far. The only thing that Jax could be certain of was that it wouldn't stop until he was dead, according to what he had heard on the tape at least. Minutes passed. For Jax it was more like hours. Every few moments the tapping from the door stopped only for it to be back at the window, sometimes with Jax being unlucky enough to catch a glimpse of a huge veiny eye staring at him before dissappearing. This happened a good dozen times before the sanity began to slowly drain out of Jax's mind once more. He couldn't stay in here much longer and he knew it. If he did, he'd either lose his mind from fear or the beast would eventually break through and kill him. The facts were clear. He had no choice but to risk one of the exits. Which one through? Right now he had no idea where the thing was. It could have been at any of the two entrances waiting for him. a fifty fifty chance at life. 'Whichever one it goes for next, immediatley head to the other exit as fast as you can.' He told himself, getting ready to run for his life. Moments later, tapping from the door was heard. Jax wasted no time and ran for it! As fast as his hooves could carry him! With the use of his wings, he managed to get his body through halfway effortlessly before needing to tuck them in to fit the rest of his body through. His front hooves touched the floor and he was forced to pull himself through. The chitin was enough to protect him from the edges of the glass, much to his relief. If he had just fur like a pony did, the damage done would have easily cut him to pieces. The room on the other side consited of a hallway with no lighting, similar to the one outside the interrogation room but without any doors. Down the right was nothing but a corner leading to the to the left, another exit outside maybe? And to the left was a ramp leading up ever so slightly before reaching a corner that stretched to the left, into the cells if Jax was thinking right. He barely made it through in one piece before thundering hoofsteps could be heard to his right. It had snuck over to his location again! Without missing a beat, Jax ran in the opposite direction up the ramp and turned the corner almost failing to realise that he had just run through an open door. With nothing but instinct ordering him to survive, he shut the door in the hopes that it would buy him a few seconds. However, for whatever reason the beast did not follow him in. Jax housed no complaints, feeling lucky for the small miracle and continued forth, making his way towards the cell. Though he did keep looking back every few seconds expecting the door to fly off of its hinges. Hopefully Ant was still okay. 'Probably slept through this whole nightmare' He thought in annoyance. He arrived at the cell in less than ten seconds. The door had been opened. Broken open in fact. Jax paused for a moment. Had Ant somehow freed himself? How had he gotten past the magical enchantments? The changeling slowly peeked into the cell for a better look. It was covered in yellow liquid. The floor, the walls and even the ceiling itself had been splattered in it. Jax almost lost control of his front legs seeing this all too familiar substance. It didn't take much longer before he soon discovered that the liquid dripped out from the cell and headed back to the door that he had entered. The door that after taking a closer look, had been dented from the inside of this room. Several wild and bizarre thoughts ran through his mind. Suddenly, a horrifying realisation clicked. It all suddenly made sense. Why Ant hadn't said anything when the beast first attacked. Why it was able to move around so quickly and silently in the interrogation room. Why he had been supposedly asleep all this time. The trail to the door and the busted cell door had spelled it all out. Somehow, Ant was now, somehow another one of... them. 'Is that something it can do?' Jax reasoned to himself as his mind battled itself. The rational side screaming at him the facts of what he witnessed and the other side denying it out of fear and disbelief. But it was getting harder and harder to ignore that his friend was gone forever. This also came with the knowledge of knowing that had the guard not moved him to the Quarintine, he would have also been killed, or worse. Jax had never felt so destroyed. His friend gone, the hive had decided to send a monster to kill him rather than rescue him, and even if he was to escape this place of death he would succumb to the harsh elements outside. He was trapped in his own personal hell. For the briefest of moments he actually considered going out there and let himself be torn to pieces until something new caught his eye. Something far more reassuring. There was a hook, next to the door that led to the quarintine area. On it, almost mocking him was a set of keys. For a moment he wondered if he was now just seeing things. He even went up to it and touched it. No, it was the real thing. Just sitting here this entire time mere feet away from his cell likely this entire time. It was like fate was cruely teasing him for it. Jax wanted nothing more than to release his frustration on the simple object but kept himself from doing so just yet. He could get out of this place. If he was going to die, he could at least make sure that it wasn't going to be in this place. He took the keys in his hoof and began to walk back to the dented door. He opened it up right away. Only to find that one of the things was right there waiting for him.It stood there basked in shadow while two yellow bloodshot eye stared into Jax's and screamed. The changeling's frustration was replaced with panic as he slammed the door and ran back. The door could be heard bursting open not even a second later. His first thought was to get into one of the cells and pray. PRAY that it would somehow be enough to save him! He felt something blunt smash into his back and he fell forwards. An attack that had sent him almost flying to the other side of the room. There wasn't enough time to get back to his hooves as something smacked against the cement floor on both sides of him. Daring to look, he found that the sound had come from the long scythe-like arms that belonged to what was hovering over him. Unable to get himself to move, Jax listened to the hisses, chirrups and raspy breathing of his captor. The sounds were so close, almost in his ear. He was almost certain that it was going to rip his head off with its bare teeth. It didn't. Instead Jax found himself slowly hoisted into the air as something wrapped around his waist. Then came the most excruciating pain he had ever felt. It was too much to register. He couldn't even scream as something long and thin like a needle had been pushed into his back, strong enough to break through his chitin, his flesh and drill into his spine, tearing away at the resistance of bone and muscle. Through the pain, Jax knew this was the end and managed to shut his eyes and hoped that it would all be over soon.