Cyrus Noble Chapter 11

After what felt like two hours on this trip, the truck finally stopped. I looked at the driver. It just occurred to me, but he hadn't said a word or shifted in any kind of way since we woke up. The Annihilator picked up the gun in front of him and started to get out. His gun hit the side of the driver's head....and it fell off. The head fell to the floor and rolled towards us. Megan screamed. This close, I finally caught the scent of the driver, and it wasn't human, it wasn't even organic. I picked up the head and examined it. "Plastic." I said. Viktor started snickering. "So, what you're saying is, a dummy was driving us? I want to see his licence!" I rolled my eyes. Jazz said, "More importantly, they had this van under remote-control. They don't trust humans." The back doors opened up. We spun around to see the Annihilator and a bunch of those soldiers we saw back at the dam. Behind them I could see what looked like an underground parking garage. The Annihilator said over his soldier, "Pawns. Escort these experiments to Dr. Ching. He wants to deal with these failures personally." Viktor needs to learn to shut up. "Pawns?" he said, "Really? That's what you guys call yourself? Why not the 'Tools', or maybe the 'Bodies-Bishop-throws-to-keep-his-butt-safe'?" The Annihilator took his arm and squeezed. Viktor gasped in surprise. I moved to help him but I froze in place when a hundred red dots flashed themselves on all of us. Mostly on me, but a few were on Jazz and the kids. The Annihilator let go. "That is your only warning. Now step out quietly so we may restrain you." They put these big metal cuffs on us, one at a time. They put a plastic set on Magnet and they put a leather harness around Megan: pinning her wings to her back. Crap. They know our abilities. And they're not taking any chances, even with these collars. They shoved us down a few hallways and into a big room. The room was a rectangle, with the door on one of the longer sides. The opposite end showed an aquarium, filled with exotic fish. There were filing cabinets on each ends of the room. There was a desk shaped in a semi-circle, it had a computer and probably a lot drawers in it. Behind it, in a roller chair was a little Asian man. He had glasses, a white coat over a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. He was reading a sheet of paper and barely registered us when we came in. He put his paper down and said, "I trust your hunt was successful?" The machine man behind us gave a quick, "Yes sir." The Doctor looked at all of us. He got up from his chair and said, "Not an impressive lot is it?" He walked around us, examining us. He regarded us and returned to his desk. "Nothing special worth saving. Where is their pet robot?" The machine had no emotion in his voice. "It is being broken down and examined as we speak." I gave a quick glance at the guys. Megan's, Sara's, and Magnet's eyes just about popped out of their heads. Jazz cast a worried glance at me. Viktor's face saddened. I felt the same. That robot was our best friend after all. I said, "I don't know who the heck you are, but I swear when I get out of this, I'll rip your spine out and beat you with it." He looked at me with raised eyebrows. Then he smiled, as if I was a pitiful child. Which, I'm not. He said, "Still a little fight in you. I like that. You and your friends will be the main targets in the Arena. Annihilator, take these failures to the hold." The machine put his right fist over his left shoulder and bowed slightly, like in a bad Japanese movie. The Pawns dragged us away, further into the facility.