Subject 27

by Phyrexian

Code Name Arkis

Chapter 6 - Code Name Arkis

“Do you honestly think you can leave here alive?! I gave you a fair chance just to walk away, but you shot it down!”

The small army standing in front of me, standing steady, ready to obey any order like a well trained dog.

“You’re not a soldier. Admit it, if anything you’re one hell of a infiltrator. Come and work for us, betray your country and you can earn a lot of money working for us.”

“And what if I said no, what then?”

“If you said ‘no’, then my men here will have to kill you.” After saying that, his men raised their guns, aiming down their sites at me.

“You drive a hard bargain, boss.”

“You’re a very wise man for accepting my deal. Now lower your weapons and put your hands on the back of your head and get on your knees.”

I slowly lowered my rifle and my sidearm to the ground, I slowly got on my knees and put my hands behind my head. My combat knife tucked into the sleeve of my jacket, ready to come out to play.

“Men, secure him, and take him to processing. We have a new recruit to start training.”

His men slowly approach me, there rifles still pointed at me. Closer and closer they came, surrounding me, my knife just itching to come out and feast upon their fresh blood. A smile broke out across my face as each one of them came very close to me, being ever so polite as to come to me. Slipping my knife out of its hiding place, cutting one of the soldiers in front of me. Slicing through his achilles tendon with ease. He dropped to his knee as his leg buckled under his weight. Giving me the perfect opportunity to go for his throat. His blood spewed out of his carotid artery making a beautiful crimson mist as my blade made a clean cut through his soft neck.

Quickly picking up the fallen soldier's rifle, open firing upon the men in front of me. A few soldiers dropping as the bullets ripped through their them.

“Open fire! We have a hostile!”

More shots rang out through the small crowd surrounding me, bullets whizzing past me as I ducked behind the soldiers on the ground. The commotion caused much chaos within the group, men cried in pain as their own fired upon each other.

“Ceasefire! Ceasefire!”

Only a handful of men still stood, I laid underneath the bodies of the fallen soldiers, waiting for the perfect moment to strike once more. The men started to search for my body, lifting a few corpses before finding me. As the body was lifted off of me, I kicked the man’s knee, a loud crack was heard as his knee was forced in the opposite direction. He cried in pain as he fell to the ground holding his knee in pain. The other men shifted their attention to the cry of pain coming from one of their own. I tossed my knife at the man in front of me, sinking deep into his forehead.

“Target spotted!”

The last two men fired on me, there bullets ripping into my body. One of the bullets ricochet off one of my ribs causing it to graze my heart, creating massive pain as my body went into shock. Laying there paralyzed in pain, blood slowly oozing out of the fresh bullet holes that now littered my body.

“Target down, I repeat, target down!”

Laying there, unable to move after my heart being grazed by the bullet. The last two guards now standing over my paralyzed body, last thing I see is the butt of one of the men’s gun swinging down and hitting me in the face.

- - -

Waking up in another cold sweat, my heart feels like it’s been kissed by the stray bullet, my forehead burning like I was just beat brutally hard by the gun. These memories I’ve been having seem so vivid. The my heart is burning with pain, feels like my heart is about to explode any second, each beat causing my heart to flare up in pain.

“27, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Cloud’s voice quickly grabs my attention, looking down to see her laying in the bed besides me, she has a worried look on her face.

“Y-You’re face is very pale, did you have a nightmare?”

Sitting there in the bed, grasping at my chest with every beat of my heart creating massive pain, like a fist strangling my heart with each beat. Just the bullet grazing my heart causing so much pain, if it actually penetrated through my heart I don’t think my friend can save me from that massive amount of damage.

“27.. Is there anything I can do to help?” Cloud now standing in the bed next to me, placing her hoof on my hand that’s grasping my chest.

Shaking my head, the pain now subsiding in my chest, my face now retaining color again. I lean back resting my head against the wall. Sitting there in the bed with Cloud, the pain now gone, I looked at Cloud and gave her a faint smile before getting out of bed. I walk over to the small pool of water, bending over to splash water on my face, trying to make sense of the memory I had last night. Cloud trots over to me, placing her wing on my bare back.

“27... Whatever is bothering you... You can tell me, I don’t want you to suffer alone, we’re both in this together.” Saying this she rest her head against my shoulder.

“Subject 27, rise in shine!” The collar’s around our necks start to fill the room with “The Master’s” voice.

“Did you enjoy your reward? I hope you did because you’ve got a busy day planned out for you. Now would you kindly start with the testing again? The door to the room has been unlocked and you two can start when you’re ready.” The room goes silent as the microphones in our collars go quiet.

“Well 27... I guess we need to get started testing.” Cloud turns around and starts to head towards the door.

Cloud and I leave the room and enter into a new hallway. The lighting was rather poor, some lights flicker on and off while some just never came on. A few pipes stuck through the walls, some dripping with what it appears to be water. Each drop of liquid dripping from the pipes landed in a small puddles. There was a odd sent in the air, it smelt like some sort of electrical fire mixed with rust. The hallway was rather long, near the end of it none of the lights seemed to come on, but it did opened up into a well-lit room.

“Hey 27, let’s hurry up and get through this hallway quickly, it’s giving me the creeps.”

Cloud and I started to walk down the dark hallway, the only sound I can hear was the liquid dripping from the pipes into the puddles. We’ve only been walking down the hallway for a short time before the lights that worked started to turn off and stay off. The sound of the drips increased as we continue down the hallway. The order in the air grew foul and the air started to become harder to breath, with each step I took, it became harder to breath. Placing my right hand against the wall to brace myself trying to catch a breath. I looked over my recently damaged arm and notice that it was nearly healed, just a few burn marks was the only thing that was left on my arm.

“27 what’s wrong?”

My whole body felt very heavy, unable to keep myself up any longer my arm gives way and I fall to the ground landing in a puddle. It became harder to breath every second, coughing violently in between each desperate attempts to breath. My vision starts to darkens with every inhale I take. The last thing I see is Cloud with a worried look on her face as I layed there in the puddle, I was only able to get one word out before the darkness took ahold of me.

“R-Run.”

- - -

“Look who is awake, boys. Our good friend with the stolen data.”

I wake to the sound of the voice from before, my thoughts scrambled, my head dizzy from the impact of the gun. My arms were bound to some kind of winch that holds me up, barely keeping my feet on the ground as I dangled there. The only feeling I have in my arms was the chains digging into my wrists. I tryed my best to look around the room, only able to get so much of it before my eyes fell back to the floor. The room was dark, only able to see a few feet in front of me as a light hang above me casting a bright down upon me. My left eye is swollen shut, my face felt like it went through a meat grinder, and my body felt very tenderized.

“Now my friend, tell me who sent you and why?”

“N-No.”

“Men, inject him with the cocktail.” I feel a sharp pain in my neck as a syringe starts to pump drugs into my system.

“Now, I’ll ask you again, who sent you and why?”

The drugs quickly went to work in my system, scrambling my thoughts even more. Unable to tell what direction is up any more I just dangle there as the drugs swim through my brain.

“T-The...”

“The who?”

“My mom!” I don’t know why, but after saying this I started to bust up laughing, only to stop as a blunt object strikes my stomach.

Coughing up blood after the strike, my head felt like it went through a blinder, unable to keep any thoughts straight.”

“Now, let’s try this again, who are you?”

“W-Who am I? W-Who is you?” Snickering at what I said only to be struck once more, coughing up more blood.

“Give him another cocktail, make sure not to use the same ones in a row.”

Another cocktail of drugs went into my system, changing my thoughts and turning my swimming brain into a drowning one.

“Now, let’s try something simple this time. How old are you?”

“2-22” Unable to keep my thoughts to myself as I’m asked questions.

“Very good, now let’s try something more difficult, who trained you?

“H-He never said his n-name... O-Only knew him a-” Coughing up more blood, interrupting me mid sentence.

“What was his name?!” Shouting at me, his voice is a little horsed.

“I-I don’t know his n-name... I only knew him as ‘The Blind Sorrow’.”

The man goes silent after hearing me say this.

“Now, who sent you here and why?”

My brain still feels like it’s drowning as the drugs swarm my thoughts and forces me to answer.

“I-I don’t know...” With drool mixed with blood dripping from my mouth, the taste of iron filled my mouth.

“Give him another cocktail, and increase the dosage.” The new mixture of drugs invaded my body, causing me to nearly black out from this mixture.

“Sir, his system can’t handle any more, if we give him another cocktail he will go brain dead.”

My brain is now crawling at a snails pace as the new drugs take hold in me. Unable to think clearly at all my eyes began to feel very heavy.

“He’s starting to pass out, you know what to do.” After saying this a powerful jolt of electricity rushed into my body, shocking me awake.

Screaming in pain, my mind now starting to clear some of the drugged induced fog away as the jolt kick starts my brain.

“There we go, now who are you?”

Staying silent, only to be shocked once more causing me to scream again in pain.

“Who are you!”

After the second jolt, I hang here panting, spitting up more blood.

“He’s not going to talk, bring in the tools.” After saying this I hear the sound of squeaky wheels rolling against the ground coming closer to us.

“Hand me the flaying knife.”

Only a few seconds later did I feel my skin being cut and pulled off my leg. The cold blade cutting through my skin with ease as it licked the muscle underneath. Screaming in pain with every single second the blade kisses my exposed muscle.

“Let’s try this again, Who sent you?”

“N-Never.”

“Wrong answer.” His voice darkened as he holds up a small bottle.

He slowly pours the contents of the bottle onto my exposed muscle, the first drop sending a terrible pain to rush through my mind. My body spazzing as the pain swarms my body.

“Let’s move up to more tender spot, shall we?” He slowly began to place the blade against my lower abdomen.

“Tell me what I want to know and I’ll spare you the pain”

“N-Nope.”

His blade started to work its way through my abdomen, revealing the muscle underneath. Screaming in pain once more as the blade cut through me.

“Tell me what I want to know!”

“N-N-Never.” My body is screaming in pain, begging me to give in.

He takes his fingers and presses them against my bare muscle, causing pain to explode. Tears starting to streak down my face as the pain continues on.

“Now then, tell me everything I want to know!”

“W-Why?” My vision starting to goes hazy as the blood loss from the exposed muscles, fighting to stay awake the best I can.

“Why? Why?! Because the people who hired you sent you on a death sentence!”

“So is every mission I’ve ever been sent on.”

The man staying silent only for a few seconds after hearing this.

“Then why do you accept these suicide missions?! You’re only one man! You can only do so much!”

“B-Because I never fail.” Spitting up more blood after saying this.

“You fail this mission, friend. Game over buddy, game over! Lower him down, I want him to beg for his li-.” A shot rings out in the room interrupting him as it rips through the back of his head.

“You’re a tough man to find, agent” The only thing I hear after that is his shoes tapping against the cement floor.

Another shot screamed as it impacted the other man in the room, his body falling to the floor with a wet thud. The mysterious man walks closer to me, the sound of a match being lit as he brings it to his face to light a cigarette.

“Now agent, I’ve got a proposition for you. But first, let’s get you down from there and onto your feet.” Lowering the winch that held me in the air to the ground.

He unhooked my chained hands from the wench, blood now rushing to my arms bringing feeling back them. He removed the chains that bound my wrists together. Both of them bloody and raw from the chains digging into my skin. I sat there on my knees trying to clear my head from the cocktails, everything is hazy as the man continued to speak.

“There we go, now agent, how about I buy you a drink?”

“W-Who are you?” Still spitting up blood.

“I’m the man who just saved your sorry ass.” Taking a hit from his cigarette.

“I had that under control, I was about t-.” The man interrupting me before I could finish.

“About to what? Kill him when you were dangling there like a punching bag?” The man says as he steps into the light.

“Fair enough, who do you work for?”

“A friend that wants to make sure you stay alive to keep on doing these ‘Suicide Missions’.” He says as he takes another drag from his cigarette.

“I see... So, how about that drink?” Saying this I black out from the blood loss.

I awake in a small room, laying in a bed with bandages covering my body that was flayed open. The air was very hot and humid, the humidity making my bandages cling to my body. Slowly starting to sit up in the bed before a pain rushes up my body forcing me to lay back down on the bed.

“You’re awake agent, wonderful. I had one hell of a time getting you out of that facility, but you did most of the leg work and cleared out a good bit of their soldiers.” The man walking over to the bed with a cigarette hanging in his mouth.

“W-Who are you?” Sweat running down my body, the heat mixed with the humidity was making it very uncomfortable.

“You may call me Agent Ice Cube, or just Ice Cube for short. My friends would like to meet you back home when we’re done here.” He exhales with smoke coming out.

“T-That’s fine, who are you working for, the CIA?” Trying once more to sit up again in the bed.

“Well, don’t you catch on quickly? Yes, I work for the CIA, my friends don’t. Take it easy now, you’ve been out for about two days your body hasn't fully healed yet.”

Now fully sitting up in the bed, resting my back against the cool concrete wall behind me as sweat drips from my body.

“You haven't done your homework on me.” After saying this, I removed the bandages that were on my body, relieving my nearly healed body.

“Very impressive... The rumors were true then. So what should I call you?” Ice Cube takes one last drag of his cigarette before tossing it out the window.

“You may call me Arkis, my real name is unimportant to you.”

“Fair enough Arkis, We’ll be leaving here sooner than I thought since you’ve healed rather quickly. When do you think you can start walking again?”

“Now if needed, and you still owe me that drink.” A grin breaks out across my face after mentioning the drink.

“When we get back home I’ll buy you that drink, now get to your feet and let’s get out of here.”

We both left that shit hole of a country, not returning to it ever again. We both made it back to America in once piece. We arrived in Washington D.C. The first thing he and I did was go straight to a pub and get a drink in me.

“So Ice Cube, how long have you’ve been working for your “friends?” Taking a drink of my whiskey.

“Well Arkis, I’ve been employed with them for several years now, doing basic stuff, covert operations, sabotage, you know the drill. And now recruiting...” Ice takes a drink of his pint of beer.

“Why, don’t you like recruiting? Not your cup of tea?”

“27! Help!” Wait... Why did the voice sound so familiar?

“Well, my friends been rather uptight on who they bring in, you’re the first that they went out of there way to ‘hire’.”

“27! W-Where are you?!” Wait, that sounded like Cloud... But how can that be? This is the real world.

“You okay there Arkis? You kind of zoned out there.” Ice takes another drink of his beer before lighting up a cigarette.

“Yah, I’m fin-”

“27! W-Where are you?! Help me!” That’s Cloud! She is in danger!

- - -

Waking up in the pool of liquid, all I can think about is what happened to Cloud. My mind shifting into overdrive as I call upon my friend for help. The darkness now rampaging throughout my body as I bend it to my will. Forcing it into my limbs morphing them into a new form. My limbs turn black and covered with scales, the new limbs like those of a timber wolf. Charging down the dark hallway towards Cloud’s cries, faster and faster my heart racing only wanting to reach Cloud.

Credits

Editing:

frieD195

Comments

[AllPonyProductions]

First I wonder if he ever escapes and goes to ponyville

[Pelakka_wurm]

703021
i hope

[rikithemonk]

Kneeling down on one knee, I put my head down and bring my hands together, resting against my forehead. Then I started to call upon my pack.

“Darkness that resides within my soul, please protect me while I borrow your power. Make our movements swift and our actions just. If we take any souls while you or I are in control, please be their shepherd to the abyss. When the day comes that you call upon my debt, I’ll gladly pay. Please grant these poor souls passage to the abyss and grant me protection from our scythe. May the abyss be vast and always welcoming to any unfortunate soul that is harvested by our scythe. May the abyss watch over me.”

I just lost so much respect for this character, and the one who sat there and let him fuck around. The correct move would have been to rip his head off as he was praying.

Im sorry, but you don't fuck around while in a life and death fight.
"I must pray before I attack you."

All respect gone.