Trigger Warning: Violence and Gore
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Echoes from the Past
Entry One Point Three (1.3)

It was the whitest room Aegis had ever seen. The walls, the ceiling, the floor, the tables, the weird bed and even the coats that the men wore.

Everything was white.

They had even given him a pair of white pants to wear when they took away the rest of his clothes.

Aegis followed the men to a bed that wasn't flat and hopped on obediently. He had heard that children who went to the White Room never returned, and had immediately assumed that it meant they lived there. But there was no toilet here. How was he supposed to relieve himself if he was going to live here now?

A metallic 'clink' echoed through the room as his hands and feet were bound to the bed with a glowing metal that made his head hurt.

It was unnecessary. Aegis wouldn't run away. He had nowhere to go.

But the men in white coats didn't seem to care. They were strapping tubes and wires to his body.

"Vitals stable," someone said, "get ready to commence." And everyone moved away from him.

One of the men in the white coat then walked up to Aegis with the biggest needle he had ever seen. He swallowed. Needles were scary and painful. But he was tied to the bed, he couldn't run away even if he wanted to.

"Commencing experiment XJ-three-four-three on subject one zero one seven." The man with the syringe turned to other men behind him, "Get ready to obtain a sample."

Aegis squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to see the giant needle going into his arm.

"Hold the subject still."

A pair of arms pinned his shoulder firmly down against the bed just as something pricked his arm. Aegis winced in pain and then opened his eyes again. At least it was over. He turned back to the men in white coats but they had all backed away from him to one side of the room.

Aegis frowned. That was weird.

"How do you feel?" one of the men asked.

Aegis shrugged, he hadn't felt any different, "My nose is itchy," he told them, "and—ACHOO!" Something dark, almost black sprayed out of his nose and all over his lap as he sneezed.

Blood!

He screamed at the sight of it. Blood meant he was going to die! He didn't want to die! Did Tofha-otè want him to die?

"It's just a nosebleed," a different man said kindly and walked up to Aegis with a cloth. He wiped the blood off Aegis' face and body with a small smile, "See? All better."

Aegis nodded and sniffed, he would have wiped his eyes too if his hands weren't tied. Mostly because his eyes were starting to get itchy with all the tears. His nose wouldn't stop running either.

Aegis looked around the room. The man who had injected him earlier was still talking, "Subject appears to be haemorrhaging from multiple orifices," he continued, standing behind the nice man.

Aegis gasped, something warm had suddenly begun to run down his legs, "I'm sorry!" He let out a bigger sniffle, "I know how to hold it. I swear!"

"Blood pressure dropping."

A sudden wave of dizziness and nausea followed, and Aegis rest his head against the bed, "I don't feel so good."

"We should start fluids," one of the men in the back said to the talking one. His eyes darted back and forth from Aegis' legs to the needle-wielding, talking man.

"Not yet," the talking man said calmly, "keep two bags ready, but don't do anything just yet."

Aegis turned to the ceiling instead, letting his world swirl into darkness.

And the darkness swirled into the round room again and Aegis was on the floor, sitting as straight as he could. As straight as his aching back would let him.

"Pathetic," Tofha-otè said from behind him, "snivelling like a child. Are you a child, Aegis?"

Aegis sniffed again, all instincts forbidding him from wiping his eyes and nose, "I'm a warrior!"

"Then stand up and fight like one!"

Aegis reached for a stick abandoned a few feet away from him.

CRACK!

He let out a yelp as the rod split the skin on his back. Aegis stifled a whimper, more crying always meant more pain.

"Be aware of your surroundings!"

"I was!" Aegis insisted amid the tears, reaching for the stick again.

CRACK!

Aegis woke with a start. Just a dream. It was so hard to tell when he was awake and when he was dreaming. Everything was the same.

Everything was bad.

He tried to wipe the sweat off his forehead but his arms wouldn't move.

Aegis looked down. His arms were fastened to the bed with a glowing metal. The events of the day came back to him with a sickening jolt. He was in the White Room, away from Vilcība, probably forever.

Aegis looked around him. The talking man and the kind man were the only ones left in the room. And they weren't looking at him. They were on a computer on the other side of the room. He cranes his neck to look down at his pants, they were clean and dry. As was most of the bed. Had the bleeding been a dream too?

"I'm thirsty," Aegis called, his throat felt so dry.

The kind man's head jutted in his direction, "Of course you are," he said and walked over to Aegis, "but you need to be on a fast for the next experiment."

"I don't want any more experiments!" Aegis snapped, his voice close to breaking again, he looked away from the man. Warriors didn't show weakness, they didn't cry. But he didn't care about being a warrior right now, he wanted his toys ... he wanted Vilcība.

"The sooner we get them done, the sooner you can play with your friends again," the man promised. He ran a hand through Aegis' hair that made the little warrior feel even sadder than before, but somehow also happy.

"I only have one friend," Aegis confessed, "he was supposed to come to the White Room too." He had hoped that he and Vilcība would at least be together. It was boring without his best friend.

"There's more than one room," the man said, running a hand through Aegis' hair again, "your friend is probably finishing up in another room."

Aegis looked up at the man earnestly, "Can't we stay together mister?" he said, "Please?" He would be as good as they wanted him to be, he wouldn't even cry during the experiments anymore.

"Doctor," the man corrected with a small smile, "Sten," he added after a pause.

"Please Doctor Sten!" Aegis pleaded, "I won't cry anymore, I'll do everything you ask!"

Doctor Sten sighed, "What's your friend's name?"

Aegis' heart leapt, "Vilcība!" he announced, "he's as tall as me, but he has black, curly hair and purple eyes!" He looked up at the doctor eagerly, hoping the description was enough.

The kind doctor was completely silent for a minute before he nodded, "Okay," he agreed with a smile, "since you're promising to be such a good boy. I'll take you to him."

Aegis beamed as wide as he could, "Thank you! Thank you!"

Doctor Sten let out a light chuckle, "But you remember our promise Aegis, you'll be a good boy?"

"I promise!"

"Let's go see your friend." The doctor removed the shiny metal tying Aegis to the bed and his headache disappeared like magic.

Aegis hopped off the bed and onto both feet. He skipped behind the doctor, unable to contain the excitement.

They walked out of his room and into a long white corridor with huge white doors on each side. Some of the doors were wide open and Aegis caught glimpses of other children and big boys sleeping on the white beds inside. He peered inside as many White Rooms as he could, hoping to catch a glimpse of his friend.

"In here." Doctor Sten opened a door to his right quite suddenly and Aegis skipped his way inside. His stomach felt just as excitable as he did.

"V!" Aegis yelled before he had even entered the room. He spun his head all around the giant room until he caught sight of his friend tied to the white bed. The bed was different to his own though. It was standing for one, and there were no pillows either.

Aegis ran to his best friend, but stopped short. Vilcība didn't just have the shiny metal on his hands and feet. It was around his chest and most of his face too, like a mask that covered his mouth and nose. Aegis' best friend was glaring at Doctor Sten as the pair of them entered, but his expression immediately changed at the sight of him. His eyes grew wider as they darted back and forth from the doctor to Aegis.

"Why is his mouth covered?" Aegis asked, frowning a little. They hadn't tied him like this, so why was Vilcība different?

"Ah well, your friend was being a little silly." Doctor Sten ran his hand through Aegis' hair again, "Tried to bite my finger."

Aegis continued frowning, that didn't sound like Vilcība. He was angry a lot, but he didn't hurt people. Behind the mask, he could hear his best friend's breath turn short and fast as the shackled boy shook his head vigorously.

"V what's wrong?" Aegis whispered, but his best friend continued shaking his head just as firmly.

"I think he'll be okay soon," the kind doctor said placing a hand on Aegis' shoulders, "the right motivation goes a long way, doesn't it Vilcība?"

Vilcība shook his head again, struggling against the restraints. Aegis turned to the doctor to try and secretly see why his friend was so angry at him. But the doctor caught Aegis' eye almost immediately and smiled as he patted his head.

"I have an idea," Doctor Sten said suddenly, "the room just across this one is vacant. How would you like to be neighbours with your friend?"

Aegis gasped, "You can do that?!" he turned back to Vilcība with another wide grin, but his friend wasn't smiling. Instead, the short gasps had turned into whimpers as the boy shook his head intensely.

"Maybe I should just stay in my room," Aegis mumbled. He didn't understand why Vilcība was crying, but watching him cry made his own tummy feel funny. It made him sad too.

"Nonsense," the doctor said patting Aegis' shoulder, "I think it would help you both to get a good look at each other." He stroked Aegis' hair, "Don't you want to see your friend, Aegis?"

Aegis gave a small sigh, "I do but ..." he looked at his friend's tear-stricken face, "I don't want to make V sad."

"He won't be sad for long," Doctor Sten promised as he whisked Aegis away from Vilcība.

"I'm leaving already?" Aegis' tummy lurched again, he didn't like leaving V in tears. He stretched his neck to get one more look at his friend to find him shaking his head and crying louder.

"Come now," Doctor Sten said, turning Aegis' head away from his friend, "you promised you'd be a good boy."

Aegis sighed, he had promised that. He had expected the visit to be a happy one too though, "Can I see him again after the experiment?" he asked, having to crane his neck to look up at the tall doctor.

"Of course, you can," the doctor responded with another gentle pat on Aegis' head.

They walked to the room across and Aegis clambered onto the tall white bed. He could still see Vilcība if he turned his head to the right. Aegis smiled, secretly content that he had his friend so close to him. He placed his arms and legs on the cylindrical metal that would tie him to the bed, but the doctor shook his head with a chuckle.

"Not for this one," he said, moving Aegis away from the shiny metal. "I'll need you to use your Gift for this experiment."

Aegis felt the tug in his stomach again, "I can't control it," he confessed quietly as the doctor began to strap wires to him again.

"Don't you worry," Doctor Sten smiled. Aegis spotted the talking doctor appear with a giant syringe once more, only this time the liquid inside was very dark.

"Commencing experiment XJ-three-seven-three on subject one zero one seven," the talking doctor said.

Aegis sucked in his breath, he had promised to be a good boy after all. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away. It was easier when he didn't see the huge needle going into his arm.

"All done," Doctor Sten said and Aegis opened his eyes again, letting out all the breath he'd been holding, "how do you feel?"

Aegis rubbed his forearm, "It stings a little," he confessed. Even though the needle was out, his whole arm hurt like it was being pricked from the inside. Aegis doubled over to one side with a wince as the pain spread to his chest, "It hurts!" he said between gasps, "It hurts a lot!"

"Shhh," Doctor Sten cooed, running a hand through Aegis' hair again. He wasn't sure why the doctor thought it would help, it didn't. His stomach felt like it was twisting from the inside, and no stroking was going to help.

Aegis sat up abruptly, "I'm going to be sick!" And just as instantly, he emptied the contents of his stomach on the floor.

"Let it all out," the nice doctor continued gently, running a hand up and down Aegis' back now.

It helped a little. As much as he had tried to be brave, he had always yearned for kindness. For a grownup to just be nice to him. To look after him.

"Feeling better?"

Aegis nodded, he hadn't even realised he was sweating until he lay back down. The pillow felt cool under his neck. It helped him feel better.

"We'll start again whenever you're ready, Aegis." Doctor Sten smiled and took a few steps away, "You should rest, that must have been so painful for you."

Aegis sat back up, feeling braver than before, "No it wasn't!" he insisted, "I can do more!"

Doctor Sten shook his head firmly, "No Aegis, you're only a little boy," he claimed as he turned the bed a little.

Aegis caught sight of Vilcība across him, his friend still looked terrified. But Aegis wasn't going to be like Vilcība, "I'm not a little boy!" he claimed, "I'm a warrior! I know how to be brave!"

The kind doctor still looked uncertain, so Aegis begged the man once again, tugging his white coat, "Please doctor!"

"Oh alright," Doctor Sten said with a small sigh, and Aegis puffed his chest a little at what he'd convinced the doctor to do. He was going to be braver than ever now. His face grew warm as the doctor patted his head again, "But if you're tired you'll let me know," the man warned, "okay?"

"I won't be!" Aegis declared, sitting taller than ever.

The talking doctor walked over to Aegis with a big knife. He swallowed, sweating for an entirely different reason now. But he continued sitting determined. Aegis was a warrior, he was going to be brave.

"Close your eyes," Doctor Sten said, and Aegis squeezed his eyes shut obediently.

"Commencing Test Alpha," the talking doctor began once again, his voice calm and methodical, "placing an incision in the femur."

Aegis felt a sudden, sharp pain in his thigh. He yelped and then covered his mouth with his hands. He wasn't going to cry. He was a brave boy. His leg already felt better now. It was itchy, but it wasn't hurting anymore.

Aegis opened his eyes to look back at the doctors. They weren't looking at him anymore, they were far too busy looking at his leg. He looked down. Dark red blood coated his thighs, but it didn't hurt anymore.

Doctor Sten wiped away the blood with a cloth, his skin there was just as pale as the rest of his body. There were no marks, no cuts.

"Was that a success Doctor Sten?" the talking doctor whispered, running a hand down Aegis' leg where the pain had been only moments ago.

Doctor Sten smiled, but it was a different smile from the one he normally gave Aegis. It was wider. Happier. "I am almost certain subject one-zero-one-seven has developed a second ability," he said.

No one spoke for a very long minute while Aegis itched his thigh uncertainly.

"Aegis," the kind Doctor Sten finally said, "this is going to hurt a little." And without warning, he slammed the knife down on his foot.

Aegis' felt it go completely numb for a second before the pain hit. Before the dizziness and the nausea hit. Before the blood shot out of the bottom of his leg.

He screamed.

As the pain seared through Aegis' stump, he screamed.