The training room, about the size of ten football fields all smooshed together, was filled with every type of equipment imaginable. There was typical workout equipment like treadmills and weights alongside aisles of not-so-typical deadly weapons. In one corner there was an Olympic-sized swimming pool and in another was a track. There were even several different rock-climbing walls and obstacle courses. It would have been awesome if it hadn't been owned by an evil government corporation.
The director was waiting inside for them. She was a tall, muscular woman with white-blonde hair and slate-colored eyes that complemented her narrow face. "This is where you will master different skill sets as well as your new hybrid abilities," the woman explained. "I have found someone to guide your training, but unfortunately they will not be arriving for several days. In the meantime, I will let Pierce show you around. There are guards stationed at each piece of equipment to ensure you do not try anything, as well as to answer any questions you may have about the equipment. I have important matters to take care of, so don't do anything that requires me to intervene. If you do I will personally oversee your punishment." The woman let the threat linger in the air, fixing each of them with an icy stare. Then she walked past them, leaving Pierce in charge.
Pierce watched with narrowed eyes as she left. "It was the director who led the training of me and the old hybrids," she informed the new hybrids. "Hopefully the person she hired will be more agreeable." Pierce scanned the training room. "I guess I'll show you around and you can try out some of the equipment," she decided. "We can start at the pool."
The hybrids followed Pierce toward the pool. Knox and Grey appeared at ease, but Elliot and Madigan kept casting nervous glances around at the patrolling guards. When they reached the pool they weren't met with the familiar thick scent of chlorine. The scientists had engineered a bacteria to keep it clean without using harsh chemicals.
Next to her, Knox unbuttoned the top half of his jumpsuit, revealing lean muscles. He was built like a swimmer, with long arms and broad shoulders. Maybe it's because of the DNA change ... The shark hybrid stepped to the edge of the pool and dove in as if he'd done it a million times before. Or maybe not. "Just gonna swim a few laps. Don't mind me," he shouted, then took off swimming freestyle with surprising grace. He was down and back in what seemed like seconds, never tiring, and never taking a breath.
"Breathing underwater. Wish I could do that," Elliot said in awe.
"I'd rather stay on land and breathe air," Madigan grumbled, tail twitching.
"Come on. I'll show you the rest of the training room," Pierce said, and began walking away from the pool.
"Wait for me!" Knox shouted, using his hands to grip the side of the pool and pull himself out. Guards glared at him as he dripped water across the floor.
Pierce sighed, then led the group of hybrids around the training room. They walked by the track, some of the obstacle courses, and various weapon stands.
"Do you mind if I ask a few questions?" Grey asked her when they stopped at a stand stocked with bows and arrows.
"No, of course I wouldn't mind. Just understand that I don't have all the answers," Pierce said. And I won't tell you all of the ones I do know.
"First, I would like to ask more about the collars. I'm sure they have more uses than just tracking where we go."
"Yes," Pierce admitted. "If you manage to tick off one of the ones in charge .... Well, they burn you." With her index finger she shifted the collar the best she could, revealing old burn scars around her neck. "Heed my advice and try not to anger them."
"I'll keep that in mind." Grey nodded, eyeing the scars. "That woman earlier. You called her the director, I believe? Is she the one behind all this?"
Pierce sighed. "She only runs this place. I have no idea who's really behind all of it, and suspect that I will never know. When it comes to corruption the hardest part is always finding the one at the top."
"True," Grey agreed. "I'd also like to know why they chose the animal DNA they did. I'm guessing they were very selective?"
"They chose only the best of the best," Pierce answered. "First they picked a wide range of species so we would all have unique skill sets. Then they searched for ages to find the best specimens of each kind. I once heard a couple of guards chatting about how difficult it was to track down the bull shark they mixed with Knox. The brute killed several people before they finally caught him."
"So, why a bull shark?"
"They wanted a species that could survive in both fresh and saltwater."
"Interesting," Grey pondered. "Why did they choose an inland taipan for me?"
"No idea," Pierce lied. There's no way in Hell—which we're certainly in—that I'm going to tell him inland taipans are the most venomous snakes in the world.
"I guess I'll just have to find out." Grey smiled his charming smile. "And hey." He reached out to lightly touch Pierce's shoulder, making her stiffen. "If you ever need my help with anything, come find me."
Once they had made a full circle around the training room, Knox loudly proclaimed he was hungry. "Okay," Pierce said. "We'll go get some food. The cafeteria is over at the other end of the training room. Oh, and Knox?" she asked.
"Yes, Boss?" He showed his pointed teeth.
"Since we're going to be eating, at least have the decency to button your jumpsuit."
"'Kay mom," he grumbled.
When they reached the cafeteria Knox was the first to grab food. He picked up a perfect-looking apple and took a bite. "This is really good," he said, his mouth full. "And my teeth are like razor blades."
Madigan stared at the tall hybrid as if expecting him to drop dead. "It's not poisoned," Pierce assured her, picking up another and taking a larger bite than Knox had. She tried handing one of the fruits to Madigan, but the girl shook her head.
"I'm not hungry," she muttered.
"Suit yourself." Pierce shrugged.
The cafeteria was filled with every healthy food imaginable, but Pierce only grabbed a handful of protein bars and started eating them one-by-one. Grey soon followed her lead, but Elliot only watched.
"You all right?" Pierce asked him. "You don't think it's poisoned too, do you?"
The kid shook his head. "No, I just don't think I can eat. All of this," he gestured with his hands, "is a lot to take in."
"It gets easier," Pierce assured him. "I was the same way when I first got here." Elliot smiled, but his eyes were scared.
"Want to see if I can juggle these?" Knox said, and began picking up different fruits. He actually could juggle, and soon the hybrids had gathered around him so they could watch while they ate.
"I could do that," Madigan scoffed.
"Want to try?" Knox asked, tossing her an orange. She raised her hands to catch fruit, but was too slow, and it hit her right in the swollen eye.
"So much for cat-like reflexes," Knox stated.
Madigan's face flushed and she bared her teeth at him. "Shut up," she hissed.
"Wow, scary," Knox mocked, then threw another orange at her. The tiger hybrid caught it and crushed it between her claws. Pulp splattered against the floor and the scent of citrus filled the air. Madigan dropped the orange and stalked out of the cafeteria, tail lashing.
"Stop being so mean to her," Elliot said quietly.
"Mean to her?" Knox stared at the kid with a dumbfounded expression. Elliot looked down at his feet without elaborating.
"He's right. Be nice," Pierce warned Knox, then turned to Elliot. "Hey, want me to help you fly now?" Pierce asked him, and he looked up again with a nervous excitement.
"Yes, if you're sure you don't mind." He smiled shyly.
"Of course I don't. I need to get some practice in, anyway." Pierce finished off the protein bar in her hand and dumped the wrapper in a trash can. "Come on then," she said, not waiting for him to follow.
Knox and Grey went with them, having nothing better to do. Madigan was nowhere to be seen. "So, how did you learn to fly?" Elliot asked Pierce. "Did someone teach you?"
"Nope. There was another flier in my group, but she had hummingbird wings that worked a lot differently than mine. It kind of sucked. To learn I threw myself off different obstacles and hoped for the best. Eventually I figured it out."
"Didn't you hurt yourself?" Elliot asked.
"Definitely. I broke my arm at one point." Elliot started to look a little green again. Maybe I shouldn't have told him that.... "You'll be fine," Pierce attempted to reassure him.
They reached a huge rock wall that dominated the center of the training room. There were harnesses on the ground hooked to sturdy ropes. The ends of the ropes that were not attached to the harnesses went up to the top of the rock wall, through a pulley, then down the other side. Then the ropes were strung through an odd metal contraption. The scientists had built it so that if you fell, the machine would sense the change in weight and stop you from splatting against the ground. A guard stood silently off to one side, and Pierce offered them a curt nod.
"We're not climbing up, are we?" Elliot's voice was filled with dread.
"Yep. Until you build up enough strength for a ground take off you're going to need some height. I've found this to be the best place."
"Is this how you broke your arm?" he asked. Pierce only smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."
Pierce ignored the harnesses on the ground and walked up to the rock wall. She slipped out of her heavy black hunting boots and pulled black, fingerless gloves from her trench coat pocket. "You can use a harness if you want," she told Elliot, slipping the gloves over her hands.
To her surprise he shook his head and came to stand beside her. "I won't fall," he said confidently.
"All right then." Pierce found good handholds, then proceeded to move her feet. Once she got started the owl hybrid was like a winged spider. In the past five years she had climbed the wall so many times that it was now second nature to her. It didn't take her more than a few minutes to reach the top, where she swung herself up onto the narrow ledge, untied her trench coat, and shook out her feathery wings. It took Elliot longer, but he climbed steadily. The farther he got, the more his arms shook, but he never stopped. When he made it to the top he pulled himself up next to Pierce, breathing unevenly.
"I don't think I could've done that when I was human," he admitted. "I-I'm much lighter now."
Pierce nodded, grinning. "I was wondering when you would mention it. It's weird, huh? Like a bunch of unnecessary weight was lifted off you. Try running sometime. It's also a lot easier. You could probably run a marathon if you wanted to."
"Really?" Elliot's eyes widened. "I noticed I felt lighter when I woke up. At first I thought I was just tired or drugged, but since you're the same way I'm guessing it's because of the DNA change?"
"I've never been told the exact details, but I'm guessing we have hollow bones now, along with several other changes to make us lighter. Otherwise we would never be able to fly."
"Hollow bones, huh?" Elliot frowned. "If that's true, then aren't we super fragile?"
"Nope. I'm even stronger in combat now than before, so I'm guessing that if our bones are in fact hollow, they're reinforced with something strong. The only trouble is that when you're so lightweight it's hard to take a hit without being launched pretty far. The trick is to never let anyone land a blow on you in the first place."
"Oh, okay."
"Well, that's enough talking. Let's actually do some work," Pierce suggested, flexing her wings to work out any kinks. "First I need to get a little warmed up. Maybe it'll be helpful if you observe, so pay close attention." Pierce turned so that her back was facing the climbable side of the wall and stretched her wings as far as they would go. She winked at Elliot, then leaned back and let herself fall. She slightly curled her wings and began spinning in a downward spiral before extending them again and flapping hard toward the ceiling. Indoors there were no natural air currents, so she had to exert more strength than should've been necessary.
Pierce neared the metal rafters of the ceiling, which were far too close together for her wings to fit between. Despite this, she flapped even faster, gaining speed. When she reached the metal beams she snapped her wings shut. Her momentum carried her between two of the beams and she grabbed the one to her right, pulling herself up. The entire training room stretched out below her and Pierce sat there for a moment, admiring how high she was, then dropped back between the beams and toward the rock wall. She alighted next to an awed Elliot and refolded her powerful wings. She was breathing a little heavier than before after reaching such speeds, but still had plenty of energy left.
"That was amazing." Elliot stared at her, mouth open.
"That, is what five years of practice will get you." Pierce smiled in satisfaction. The other hybrids and some of the guards were watching her enviously. "Now it's your turn," she told Elliot, and the green tinge returned to his face.
"B-But won't my wings work differently? I mean, I'm part bat, not bird," he stammered.
Pierce shrugged. "Probably, but even if you were part bird I couldn't teach you any better. Flying is like whistling. Someone can try to tell you how to do it, but in the end it's up to you to figure it out for yourself."
"So you aren't going to give me any tips?" Pierce shook her head and he frowned. "Then why are you even here?"
"To catch you when you fall," Pierce said in a very matter-of-fact manner.
"When I fall?" Elliot repeated. "You know, maybe this isn't the greatest idea."
He made a move to step down onto one of the footholds and Pierce sighed. "Sorry," she said.
"For wha—?" But he didn't get chance to finish because Pierce gave him a rough shove and he toppled over the edge of the wall.
He screamed as he fell, and Pierce might've laughed had she not needed to dive after him. She watched as he attempted to spread his wings, but they got tangled together and he began thrashing wildly about. Pierce curled her own wings into a sharper dive, reaching him well before he hit the ground. She grabbed him by his shoulders and he went limp. Then she slowly lowered him to the floor. Even with his light weight, it was a struggle.
When Elliot's feet hit the ground he collapsed. With her keen ears, Pierce could hear his heart beating rapidly. "You're crazy!" he yelled after catching his breath again. "Why? Why would you do that?" The shy, nervous boy from before had vanished. The kid in front of her now was boiling with white-hot rage. Knox and Grey stood nearby, watching Pierce warily.
"Because there's no time for you to work up the courage to fly," Pierce said earnestly.
"What do you mean?" Elliot asked.
"This isn't some game, kid," Pierce said. "Starfall plans to use us. Soon we'll be out in the world facing dangerous enemies. You learning to fly could save your life."
Elliot paled. "Well, are you ready?" he asked.
Pierce tilted her head in confusion. "For what?"
The kid stood and dusted himself off, a weak smile spreading across his face. "I want to learn how to fly. I'll do whatever it takes."
"You may be the youngest here, but you have potential." Pierce nodded in approval. It was little more than an acknowledgement, but Elliot's eyes brightened, and he walked back to the rock wall with his head held high.