The Numbers

[Fehrant]

My body aches. I've been resting here far too long. How long? I cannot estimate. The person that woke me... male. Age, probably 45. He's nervous. Hmm, a doctor's robe. No, probably a scientist. This, doesn't look like a regular hospital, no. A facility? Yes. Other capsules containing other people, being woken up right now. They are wearing the same attire. There are a total of 14. Hmm, all young. This must be no coincidence. The scientist must know. Would he know who I am?

"Where are we?" Asked a boy in his early 20s. He had fiery red hair, and freckles. "I... my head. It hurts." He rubbed his temples.

"Where am I?" Came another female voice. A blond girl who had just being woken up from her capsule. "I can't... I can't remember anything! Who am I?" She broke into a soft sob.

"Odd, I can't remember who I am, either;" confessed a dark toned youth in a gruff voice. He was one of the tallest males in the room, and probably one of the most menacing looking. His body was deeply engraved with muscles that made him look as solid as a wall. He had a stern set of eyes overshadowed by bushy dark brows, and an equally bushy beard.

"Yeah, yeah... what's going on?" A high-pitched voice asked. This time it was a girl barely in her 15s, that looked awfully younger. She was the smallest in the room.

The scientist regarded her wearily for a second, then said, "I know you probably have several questions, but right now there just isn't any time. This facility is one its way to be attacked by a very dangerous threat, or more precisely, it has already been attacked." He walked to the door and it slid open. A blue humanoid creature lied on the floor, dead. Its blood was the color of grapes. It had claws and looked hunched. Right next to the body of this creature, there were several humans, cut to ribbons mercilessly.

"There isn't time," reaffirmed the scientist. "You all have powers, but you probably forgot how to use them. We'll get out of this facility, but chances are we'll encounter these creatures..." He made a long drawn pause. "Or worse."

"Now, for convenience's sake I will give you a marker, and write the numbers from 1 to 14. Here, pass around this marker, and write the number somewhere on your clothes. Unfortunately right now I don't have better clothes to give you."

The 15 year old girl was the first one to get the marker. "Yay!" She squeaked. "I'll be number one, he he he." She turned the marker to the toned youth, who was scratching his beard, deep in thought.

"So we have powers, eh...?" He mused. "I wonder..." He flexed and toughened all of his upper-body muscles. His upper clothing, already tight for his body, tore at several places. He finished the job by ripping the rest apart with his hands.

"Oooh..." The squeaky girl clapped amused.

"Please don't do that with your pants. Anything but that, man..." Jested the red-haired boy. The toned youth glared at him, but the red-haired boy simply laughed. Writing the number two on his pants, Number II passed it up. The boy had by now stopped laughing, and wrote the number four on his shirt.

"You are supposed to write three, stupid!" Accused the little girl in a childish fashion.

He grinned. "Four is a lucky number. Besides," he turned, faced the sobbing girl, and quickly wrote the number three on the leg of her pants.

"Hey! Stop that!" She exclaimed.

Number IV laughed. "See? Fixed." He walked to the next person. He was going to pass the marker, when she came upon a girl with closed eyes. He regarded her closely, looking one side and the other. "You blind? Want me to write the number for you?" He was about to do so when she snatched the marker from his hand. "I can do it just fine," she explained and proceeded to write the number five.

"Huh..." Number IV scratched his head. He carefully approached a finger as if to poke her.

"Don't," warned Number V.

"Wow, so you can see!" Declared IV amused.

Number V passed the marker to the other people behind.