{Henry}
Much to my surprise, Derek told me he actually had to kill someone. It happened when he was still an Agent for the Resistance. The guy Derek killed was an Experiment not created by Lab 14 but he was created by Celestial Labs. The Experiment was stealing children from a nearby town, after the Experiment stole the children, he would assault them and break their bones and eat their flesh.
Derek had to kill the Experiment to save his life and the children that Experiment stole lives as well. Once the Experiment was dead he took the guy's body to Leader Felix. Based on the information Leader Felix was able to gather from Derek's badge Leader Felix passed Derek on the mission. That mission still gives Derek nightmares to this day.
"No wonder why you take your job as protecting me very seriously!" I said.
We were sitting at the kitchen table when Derek told me his story.
"That's the reason why I was so angry when I killed Experiment Rose and all of those other stupid Experiments at that stupid wedding!" Derek growled. "There's no way that I'm going to let that happen again!"
Derek was seething with rage at the very thought of me being harmed at Lab 14. The look on Derek's face was starting to scare me and I just wanted him to calm down. I grabbed the back of Derek's neck and made him kiss me. That seemed to calm him down.
Derek's face softened after that. "Sorry Henry, I just can't stand the thought of people being harmed. It makes my blood boil because of knowing the way you've been harmed growing up at Lab 14."
I put my hand on his knee. "You can't change what happened to me in the past. I'm not concerned about what happens to me. I'm just…"
Derek shook his head. "Don't even think about it Henry. I would think that the vision Ashley showed you would comfort you especially with being in that 'knocked out of your body realm.' But I understand why you're not so sure about things."
Derek stood up and held out his hand. "Come on, take my hand."
"Where are we going?" I asked.
Derek pointed to the bedroom and smiled. "Where do you think we're going? I think we should both keep our minds off of things as much as possible."
I smiled back. "I totally agree with you on that."
* * *
It's dark… Way too dark… I couldn't see anything for a while. I was trying to figure out if I was awake or dreaming. Out of the darkness there was a little bit of light shining on me as if someone had flipped on a light switch. I found myself sitting in a data gathering chair that Lab 14 would use for that. I hated that chair the most because I had lost count on how many times I had been tied up in it. Not only was I tied to the chair, I had a dog collar around my neck as if I were a dog. As I looked in front of me and felt nothing but terror when I saw Cora standing standing there with a smug look and an evil smile on her face.
"Well now Experiment Henry," said Cora, "we're not doing any testing today. I have a surprise for you!"
I gulped because I had no idea what Cora was planning and I was pretty sure I didn't want to know.
"You're engaged now!" Cora chimed. "We're having your wedding today! Just let me adjust your collar so you'll stay put."
"No!" I shrieked. "Let me go! Let me decide for once!"
Cora shook her head. "Nope! Not going to happen! You're my son and you will do what I say!"
"If you're my mother," I said, "then why wouldn't you want me to be happy?"
"That's why you're getting married today and you already proposed to her," Cora said.
"I don't remember proposing to her," I cried, "why would I marry a girl I'm not interested in?"
"Oh you proposed to her because it's an arranged marriage," Cora said. "We have decided on it since the day you were born!"
"But I don't know who she is!" I said.
Cora smiled. "You'll find out soon enough."
The next thing I knew there was a woman standing in front of me in a white dress. I didn't see her face because she had a dark veil on. I felt nothing but horror as the woman pulled my hand closer and slipped the wedding band on my finger.
"No!" I shrieked. "I'm saying no! I don't want to be with her! Let me go!"
"Too late," said Cora, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your wife!"
"NO!" I shrieked. I pulled on my dog collar trying my hardest to escape but it was of no use. When the woman lifted her veil, I saw two red eyes staring at me. When I woke up I was relieved to see that I had been dreaming.
* * *
When I opened my eyes I was in the tent that Derek and I had set up. I realized that I had been sweating so I went over to my bag and took out a towel and wiped myself off with it. Derek was outside the tent and I could hear him talking to someone. I recognized Leader Felix's voice. Of course Pestcord was in the background asking if he could see me. Thankfully, I heard Derek tell Pestcord hell no that he couldn't see me. Then I heard Derek relay to Leader Felix the next two locations that we would be going after. Derek finished the conversation and came back into the tent frowning at me.
"What's that look for?" I asked.
"I heard you screaming," said Derek, "it started halfway through the call with Leader Felix. Pestcord was asking to see you and even Leader Felix was concerned."
"What was I screaming?" I questioned.
"You kept saying no and let me go over and over again." Derek responded. "Were you having another memory of Lab 14?"
I rubbed the back of my neck and then shook my head. "No, it was actually a nightmare this time."
"What was it about?"
"Cora was trying to force me to marry someone again. I don't get it, if she wants children so bad why doesn't she get it some other way? I mean, she's a scientist! I'm sure there's some other way she can do that."
Derek laughed, "I think Cora's a screw loose or maybe a bunch of screws loose! That's why she loves torturing people I think?"
"No kidding, but I have a feeling Cora will probably try to do something like that again. I will definitely say no and I'll have so much fun wrecking the wedding in the process."
Derek cracked up, "I bet she'll try to take your 'voice box' out again."
I laughed, "Yeah knowing her, she probably will try that."
I had a feeling Cora might try to have me marry some creature that she picks that passes for a woman again. I had no idea how right I was.
* * *
{Experiment Ada}
I had no idea of how stressed out I was at the thought of being married to God Henry when I didn't want to be. I didn't know I was dreaming because I thought I was awake because of what was going on around me.
I was sitting in my room and I had an idea of what was going on. Everyone there was preparing the wedding between me and God Henry.
I heard the excited giggle of Experiment Lydia who was sitting next to me. "Isn't it wonderful Experiment Ada?"
"Huh?" I said in a daze.
"Aww," said Experiment Elena, "you're just nervous because it's your wedding today!"
At this point, I felt nothing but confusion. "Wedding? Who am I marrying? I don't get it."
"Wow, Experiment Ada!" Experiment Lydia said. "I've never seen someone so nervous about their wedding day that they forget who they're marrying. You're getting married to Experiment Henry today!"
Experiment Elena giggled. "And he's quite a catch too! I say you're lucky Head Cora picked you to be his wife. I bet you can't wait for tonight can you?"
I paused. "Excuse me? I don't recall being proposed to. I don't even have an engagement ring from him!"
"Yes you do have an engagement ring!" Experiment Lydia said. She pointed at my hand. I looked down, horrified to see that I had a silver ring with a tiger's eye jewel on it.
Experiment Elena giggled. "Isn't it beautiful? It really brings out the color of your eyes doesn't it?"
Experiment Lydia grinned. "You wanna see what you look like in your wedding dress?"
I was still kind of in a daze and I went from dazed to horrified when I saw what I looked like in my wedding dress. I was wearing a white wedding dress with a brown sash around my waist. The dress came complete with a white veil to cover my face.
Experiment Lydia and Experiment Elena were giggly at seeing me like this. Right after I saw myself in my wedding dress I found myself in darkness. Why that was I had no idea. Finally after what seemed like forever, a light shined on me as if a light switch had been flipped on.
I saw Head Cora standing at a podium and she was motioning for me to walk down the aisle.
"Come on Experiment Ada," said Head Cora, "it's time to start now."
I looked and felt nothing but terror to see that God Henry was standing there with a dog collar around his neck. He looked like he had been trying to scream but Head had his collar so tight I was surprised God Henry could even breathe. I shook my head and refused to walk down the aisle. When I did that, I found that a dog collar had been placed around my neck also. The dog collar was tight around my throat. I clawed at it and tried to get it off me but it was of no use.
Head Cora gave me a dirty look. "If you won't come willingly then I'll just have to pull you to me."
I looked down to see that Head Cora had attached a very long leash attached to my collar. Head Cora tugged on the leash pulling me slowly down the aisle. Before I knew it I was standing in front of God Henry and he looked just as horrified as I was.
Head Cora had a smug look on her face. "Now, Experiment Ada, do you take Experiment Henry to be your husband? And you better say yes if you know what's good for you!"
I wanted to run away from there as fast as I could and I was also looking for a possible way to take God Henry with me. But I was scared silly of Head Cora so I just nodded my head because the dog collar was too tight around my neck for me to speak at the moment.
Head Cora turned to God Henry and said, "Experiment Henry, do you take Experiment Ada to be your wife? And you better say yes."
God Henry refused to say yes so Head Cora tightened his dog collar.
"If you want to be able to breathe again," snarled Head Cora, "I suggest you say yes."
God Henry still refused to say yes even though he couldn't breathe. I admired him for standing up to Head Cora. I wished I could do the same thing.
Head Cora growled, "Experiment Henry, you are the most stubborn experiment that I've ever created! I wouldn't expect anything less from you. But you look like you're turning blue. All you have to do is say one stinking word; it's yes."
God Henry still refused to say yes even in the face of death.
Head Cora sighed and she pleaded with God Henry to say yes. Finally, Head Cora lost her patience with him and did something I thought she would never do to him. Head Cora picked up her gun and fired a bullet into God Henry's chest. His lifeless body dropped to the ground with a loud thud.
I coughed when the dog collar was finally taken off my neck.
Head Cora sighed, "Oh well, we'll have to find another experiment for you to marry. It's a good thing I already did the data gathering on him. I didn't think it would be the last one I would do on him."
Head Cora disappeared and I looked at God Henry's dead body and smiled and said out loud. "That's it! If Experiment Henry's dead, then Head Cora can't hurt him anymore."
That was when I woke up. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that I had been dreaming.
* * *
"Dreaming about Experiment Henry, aren't you Experiment Ada?" Head Cora said with a wicked smile.
"Why do you think that Head Cora?" I asked.
"You said Experiment Henry a couple of times in your sleep." Head Cora replied. "I knew you were a good pick for him! You're so eager to marry him, you're stressed out waiting for him to arrive. However, we do need to keep your stress levels under control. I don't want you causing any earthquakes before the wedding."
I nodded.
"Now, I have three new experiments for you to play with before Experiment Henry arrives." Head Cora said. "Are you up for playing today?"
I gulped and then nodded. I would never dare to say no to Head Cora with anything she asked me to do. "Yes, I'm up for it."
"Good," said Head Cora, "now it's time for you to get dressed and go play."
Since Head Cora scared me silly, I didn't refuse. I did as I was told.