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     The room is heating up. That's probably my only clear thought at the moment. There's fire burning on the other side of metal grates. They cover all four walls and surround me in a heat haze. I'm still not sure how all the smoke is being directed away.
I don't like this. It was just hot at first, but the floor is made of a metal mesh while the ceiling is glass tubing. Without shoes, I can feel the bottom of my feet practically cooking.
     I'm so sick of these twisted games. It feels like the world has forgotten me. Has...... Has Mom forgotten me? The thought makes me so much angrier then I would've thought. This all her fault, isn't it!? There's nothing wrong with me; it's these people around me that need to forget.
I spring up into the air, intent on escaping the buring heat at my feat. I'll make them all suffer. I can make them forget and I can give them nightmares about what they're doing to my brothers and I. My bat-like wings propel me up to the ceiling, an I hang onto the glass tubing with my hands and feet. I can few that they're hot, but I can't be burned.
These people deserve to rot. Especially her. My mind reaches out like a phantom chain, latching onto one of the scientist watching me from a hidden camera. My ability goes haywire as I tear their mind into pieces.

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I slept on the floor. There were enough blankets to make a few beds on the floor, but it was still uncomfortable, and my dreams were rather unpleasant. Demon must have been unconsciously squeezing his own magic with how tense everything was. I bet he didn't even sleep.

     All our sleep schedules have been thrown off the last few days, but Vampire is taking it the worst. He insists one staying holed up in our room. I kinda wish that I could do the same. To my surprise, Beatlox stays with him in the room. It's not crucial to stick together. Besides, they'll both get dragged to me if they don't come out in a few hours.

      "Ok, I'm not sure what all the rules are here, but try not to break any", I tell my Shadows, walking out into the daylight.

     "We're not kids. It's not like I'm gonna scream or anything", Sirenlox rolls his eyes at me.

     "You once made an entire bus full of people stand up and dance the Macarana", Ender huffs.

     "Fair point", Siren laughs. His ability is pretty short ranged when not in a small area.

In the end, Ender and Demon both choose to stay with me. I don't really know what we're suppose to be doing. Wandering around and exploring seems as good an option as anything else.

     I didn't have the chance to really examine this place last night. My mind was on other things. Still, it's a whole new sight in the morning light.

     For one, I smell food. Some of the tunnels on the canyon walls are a lot wider. Could there be entire shops and restaurants here? Do they have their own money system? I'm not sure what to do without Seto. He's been my lifeline in all this until now.

     "Ty Lox, right? I hear that's your preferred name?", the voice and a hand on my shoulder stop me. I spin around quickly, jumping a little.

The girl touching me is about the same height, wearing a pair of blue glasses. Her tang top is hot pink and matches her skirt. There's a slightly taller girl behind her, and I somehow recognize her as a Shadow. She's dressed as a biker in all black leather and spikes. Her eyes are pitch black.

"Who wants to know?", Demon eyes up the two, especially the Shadow.

"Oh, I'm Maddy. My Shadow's name is Abby", the girl let's go of me and nervously smiles. She seems very sweet, honestly.

"Seto asked us evaluate you all, since we cover most of the Shadow types", Abby is very blunt. She doesn't seem very pleased with the arrangement, either. There's a small rustling in her pocket before a zebra stripped squirrel climbs up to her shoulder.

      "Evaluate?", I'm a little uncomfortable with her. It's one thing to trust Seto, who I've known for years, but it's still hard to think that there are this many people like me running around.

     "I gotta see what kinds of things you and your Shadows can do. Seto said you have thirteen!? I've never heard of someone with more then two before", Maddy looks at Ender and Demon in wonder. She doesn't seem surprised that the rest of us are missing.

"What exactly are you wanting us to do? We're not some sort of lab rats", Ender gets a little defensive, and really, who could blame him? I feel the same way.

     "Of course. Seto told me what you and went through", Maddy addresses Ender directly, "You're not the only Shadow to come out of a lab. My tests won't be anything like that. You can also refuse, if that's what you really want".

      My first instinct is to immediately refuse, but I stop to think. There's obviously a lot about my Shadows that I still don't know. Maddy could answer a lot of my questions. I look at Demon and Ender, and neither seem to be totally opposed.

     "Alright. We can try it, but I'll back out if you try anything too bad".

     "Of course. Follow me, then. There's a special area in the cliffs just testing Shadows", Maddy explains, leading me deeper into the canyon.

     We pass a lot of other human-Shadow pairs on they way. All of them look like they're busy doing some sort of job. Will I get some sort of job? Am I staying here for the rest of my life? What about Mitch and Jerome?

     Maddy takes us to a secluded cave dug into the rock wall. The entrance is wide, and it only goes back far enough to hold what looks like a 15 by 15 foot boxing ring. The sides are made of metal with strange purple lights turned towards the center.

     "So, there are some questions before we get started", Abby takes the lead while Maddy takes out a clip board to write notes, "How long can you stay fused with of your Shadows?".

     "I guess a few minutes? I've never really timed it", I shrug. I always get so exhausted that I've never tried to test it. Ender is already frowning.

     "So little? I though your compatibilities would be higher with how similar you all look. You should be more stable", Maddy says, confused.

"Stable? Compatibility? Would you care to explain?", Demon raises and eyebrow.

Abby rolls her eyes, and doesn't answer. She instead offers her hand to Maddy who sets down the zebra stripped squirrel before excepting. Just like with Seto, the Shadow turns black and melts onto Maddy like a second skin.

     "Our compatibility is high, so this form is very stable. I can stay like this for hours", they say. She leans down to pick up the zebra-stripped squirrel, and to my surprise, it also darkens to black.

     The girl in front of me has black eyes and blue glasses, with a black leather jacket over a pink tang-top. She has a long and bushy tail stripped like the squirrel's.

     "Of course, those with more then one Shadow have very low stabilities. Animal Shadows also have lower compatibilities", I notice that her voice sounds a little off from either Maddy or Abby. She's also breathing a little faster now from the strain. "My name's Zebby. Pulling off this trick kinda sucks, but that's what the purple light is for. Follow me, please".

     Zebby ducks underneath one of the purple lights and into the square. Ender and Demon exchange a bewildered look, starting to see where this is going.

I have so many questions. More then one Shadow can help me at once? We've never even thought of that. When I am using a Shadow's help, I'm aware that there are two of us, but we think like the Shadow. Who's in control if there's more then one Shadow?

     "No, we're not doing this. Didn't you just say that we have low compatibilities?", Ender eyes up the purple lights.

     "That's what this box is for. Something about the wavelength stabilizes Shadows. It only works in a small cube like this", Zebby explains the concept easily enough, but she also seems a little annoyed.

"I want to try it. Could be rather entertaining", Demon gives us both a wicked smile. Last time he and I did anything, a grown adult wet his pants in a haunted house.

With a little more bickering and a strong nudge from Zebby, we eventually decide to try it. Ender gives me another sour look before I take his hand. I don't like this. Sure, it can be helpful, but this hurts us. We're perfectly happy to exist on our own. I shuffle my wings a little and look at Demon. He's waiting for us. I hoe he doesn't try anything stupid. We take Demon's hand then, and everything changes.

We...... no, it's just me. What is this? Where is everyone else? Who am I?

Zebby looks on as I try to figure out what's going on. My fangs are longer then....... then who? I'm not them. My wings are a deep maroon color that have brighter scales at the joints. My hair is all streaky and my outfit seems to be a mix of....... of who's? I know I should be hearing someone, but I'm just me.

"What am I?", I look back up at Zebby in confusion.

"Disorienting, isn't it? Shadows have their own personalities and abilities, but when there's more then one Shadow, they make someone new. You're not Ender, Demon, or Ty", Zebby looks me over with interest.

A name comes to me then. I am Drake. And I'm just a fragment. Yeah, a fragment. I have bits of memories that aren't mine. My breathing picks up, but I barely hear Zebby calling me.

I-I don't exit alone. I can't be alone. Where is ghost? I-I have to find them all. If I'm here, there's something terribly wrong. My memory is so messed up. What happened to the battle!?

I black out.