Circus Acts

Chapter 1~Prologue

Here I am, running. Oh, how I hate running. My chest seems like it's going to collapse on itself. I wheeze and cough, but I know that I can't stop. The Erasers are after me.

I don't want to look back, because I know what's there. The Institute, falling behind into the mist of my memories, faded away. I hopped over a stone in the bushes and kept my pace; my feet went in a consistent rhythm of about 3 steps per second. I don't keep track, I just guessed to make myself sound smart. Well, I'm not the sharpest pitchfork in the pile!

I'm am an X. X-7, to be exact. The X's are a line of mutants from a hidden experiment in the Institute. The DNA is of two specimens of animals, 1.5% of the DNA of a specimen at one time, 3% of each specimen ONLY.

The Institute has kept the X's secret from even the School, only certain people know that we exist.

The X's are given gentle treatment until "The Test". The Institute was built over a jail, so instead of little crates, we have full-on jail cells. We can eat in a cafeteria, though it is heavily guarded and there is no way to escape, and we have time after meals to train with our groups.

Back to The Test. The Test is mainly a gladiator battle between the group and hundreds of Erasers to see which one is worthy to live. There are three rounds, sometimes they are all mashed together into one round, sometimes they are spread out. Two rounds are to kill off your teammates, one round is to see if you can live through the attacks of the remaining Erasers. If you die, you obviously lose. If you win, you begin to be treated like a regular mutant freak. You get normal tests for the other mutants, such as metabolic rate, stamina, taking blood and DNA, etc. to see how you survived.

...

For those of you who had no idea what I just said, here's the version for people like me. I got that from some whitecoat's speech. I have improved memory over humans.

I am Subject X-7 of the Institute. The X's are a line of crossover genes mixed into a human. Oh, lucky me, I'm 94% human, 3% avian, 3% feline, and 100% awesome; not to brag, but y'know, totally awesome… if you want to be a mutant freak. Well, some people actually do!

Anyways- Erasers. Mutant weirdos that everybody hates. They're pretty much these wolf things that are kind of human too but they're more like, just, mainly… mutant freaks that want to eat you and puke you up to serve to their kids. Yummy. Just kidding, they are mutant weirdos though. They're more like a hybrid of a dog and a human, but their thoughts are all evil. They always want to kill you, and they always follow the whitecoats without a hitch. Oh, whitecoats are the scientists that made us mutants. I sometimes feel bad for the Erasers, but I also don't. Isn't that funny, though?

Back to running. Oh, crap, scary doggies are after me. And, in case you haven't noticed, I am not afraid of them… at least, that much… OKAY, MAYBE A LOT! I am 3% feline, after all!

I made it to a cliff and looked down, okay… now to jump off this cliff and fly… again. Especially after my wings are pretty much screwed for life. Okay, on the count of three… one… two… one hundred twenty-six… one thousand three hundred thirty-two… three!

I jumped off the cliff and spread my wings, getting a cry of protest from their bleeding forms. They were white with black on the tips, much like my hair, and they were obviously covered in blood. Who'da thunk?

I caught the air beneath my wings and sighed, then shut my mouth in an attempt to keep from crying out in pain. I didn't want to look back, scared that winged Erasers were lurking behind me. I looked down, I was free. I kept flying, blood dripped from my wings and onto the ground, but I didn't care. I was free, goodbye to all my companions back at the Institute, I'm never going back!

…until I crashed into a tree. Crap. Institute, here I come…

I blacked out.

Okay, short chapter. I know. Well, look on the bright side; the next chapter will be longer!

Thanks to all my companions who support my fanfic of Maximum Ride. I only read the 1st book… Heh heh… *hides behind a bomb shelter* please don't hurt me…