Chapter 2

I was both relieved and fearful when I woke up and found myself in a hospital environment. Relieved because I was glad to find myself in a place where I could be diagnosed and hopefully brought back to normal and fearful because I was strapped to a rather painfully hard table. I was only alone for about a minute before several people entered the room. The first two were soldiers who took up position on either side of the door. The third and last person was an older man, in his 50's, wearing a white lab coat and large glasses that seamed to magnify his eyes. He had a piercing stare that looked like it was intended to strike fear in who ever it was cast upon. It did indeed leave me quivering to my bones. How he was able to stare at my face I will never know but he was able to. His look was one that promised much pain and torture in the future. He gave me a tight smile, like an evil genius that knew everything about you. Picking up a long syringe he began to speak.

"You are now the honored guest of the United States most secret research facility. No this is not Area-51, which, I might add, is the biggest joke ever created. This is actually a secret facility that even the president doesn't know about. Don't worry about your parents; they will not be looking for you. You see they believe you died in the fire at your school. Horrible I know but necessary." He laughed viciously as he took up a bottle of a stray paint type liquid and proceeded to coat my arm with it. "If you were wondering we are the people that create and test all manner of weapons. More importantly, thought, you are the most fascinating thing to have come in here for several years." He looked down at me. "I'm going to enjoy this very much." With that he inserted the needle into my arm, which he could now see because of the paint. I felt a searing pain shoot through my arm, promising much to come.

I was right when I said there was much pain to come. By the end it seemed like I had been in that facility for years. Time seemed to slow down and my day was filled with pain and torture. I lost consciousness often during my stay in their fabulous facility. My suite was about seven feet by seven feet and entirely made of steel. There was a bed too but it was so narrow that I had taken to lying on my sheet on the hard ground instead. I had a toilet too and a sink. The door had a whole at the bottom that was opened when breakfast and dinner was served. My whole environment reminded me of a cell on the Chateau d'If, which the Count of Monte Cristo had inhabited for several years, except that it was much more modern. My meals were mostly thick soups with little chunks of meal. The whole meal tasted horrible and I had a feeling it was made of every single nutrient I required to survive and stay strong in mind and body. I was glad for this but I would have given anything for a nice big cheeseburger.

I was often dragged out of my cell soon after waking and taken to a lab room where experiments were conducted on me. They scientists took large amounts of blood from me in an attempt to find out what happen. I was surprised to see that my blood was red instead of invisible. The scientists covered me in a tan liquid that acted like a tattoo and caused me to be seen. This made it easier for them to experiment on me. I was injected with many things. I found out that my bodily excretions were the same color as they always had been but my sweat and spite had turned invisible. I know you are wondering what the difference between clear and invisible so I'll explain. Sweat is clear but you can still see it running down your body because it glistens in the light. Well when it is invisible it doesn't glisten and therefore can't be seen running down my body. In much quantity it can soak a cloth and cause the color to darken but when by itself or on my body it is totally invisible. The experiments took a lot out of me and when I started to feel my strength fading I knew I had to escape.

I began to listen to the scientists as they did experiments. I learned many things about myself. I knew these things could be used later. I often learned what experiments would be done next and was able to prepare for them. One thing that I learned was that infrared caused me to be scene. I also learned that my blood consisted of several metal elements as well as a number of gases and liquids, some completely new to the scientist. At one point a scientist let slip that they had been able to create several sets of clothing that they believed would camouflage when I wore them. Soon after I learned this they began to test it and I was often dressed in several pieces of clothing in order to see what combination of elements would cause the clothes to be visible when off me but once it touched me to disappear. It was several weeks before they came up with the perfect mix and I was soon outfitted with clothes that I could wear and retain my invisibility. I loved the new clothes. After all, "Clothes make a man," as the saying goes. I was surprised when I was given several days of rest. The food improved slightly or maybe I was just more grateful or it. I could feel my strength building up and I knew I would have to escape soon.

Soon after the break was up they began heavy testing again. My first time back in the lab I heard them mention something about experiments with electricity. I became afraid by this and knew it would be painful. The next day I was pulled out of my cell and taken to the lab. It had been entirely reconfigured. I cannot describe the room because most of it was entirely alien to me and I was stupefied by the rows or equipment. I was strapped to the table but it was different this time. It was now covered in rubber. About this time I remembered what the scientists had said the day before and I started to shake with terror. The soldiers held me down while several scientists fought to get a harness around my forehead and claps around my wrists. A needle was jabbed into my arm and I felt a serum entering my blood system. My arms and legs began to settle down and I started to lose control of my body. I was strapped down and attacked to some kind of machine that I had a feeling was about to send an electric current through my body. I prepared myself for it and a moment later it happened.

Nobody was prepared for what happened next. In short the machine overloaded. I felt a little prickly sensation flow through my body and exit at every point where metal touched me. There was a spark from the machine and all the lights went out. As the flow of electricity left my body I regained control of my limbs, the shock apparently negating the effect of the serum. As the electricity left my body it causes the restraints holding me to the table to burst open, the ends fried and their locks melted. The shock had caused me to come to my senses and I knew this was my way out. I leapt off the table and hid behind it. The guards were on the other side, by the door, and had just flicked on their flashlights. There was a gasp from one of them as they realized I had disappeared.

"He's gone," one said, the lights panning across the room. They started to move toward the center of the room where the table was. I could hear their footsteps and knew where they were in the room. "No, he's still in here somewhere. Command this is Watcher 1," one of the soldiers said into his radio.

"Watcher 1, this is command. What is your situation?" a voice replied over the radio. There was a click and the soldier began to speak again.

"We have an escapee. He's loose from his restrains and somewhere in the room. The lights are out and we are searching. We may require assistance."

"Affirmative, Watcher 1, assistance is being prepared. Continue with search."

There was a click as the connection was broken and the lights began to pan around the room again. The soldiers approach the table and drew their batons. They were about two feet away when I acted. I grabbed the edge of the table and hauled myself over. Pushing off the table I launched myself at them. While in the air I let loose a flurry of kicks, one to each soldier. The first soldier was taken by surprise and I was able to land a kick to his neck, causing it to snap. The soldier crumpled to the floor dead. The other man was slightly more competent and was able to block the kick I through at him. As I touched the ground I attacked him once again. I let my training take over and dropped kicked out at his legs while punching at his face. He jumped to the side, avoiding both attacks. He wasn't prepared for my next advance as I reversed my direction and brought my foot around in a round-the-house-kick that caught him in the stomach as he was jumping. The kick sent him across the room and crashing into a counter covered in lab reports and equipment.