Io waited, too scared to move an inch. Part of it, she admitted, was out of fear. Fear of her siblings not recognizing her. That they'd reject her. That she'd lose her family. It was almost paralyzing. They were the reason that Io had regained her humanity in their previous world. Io had killed and murdered thousands. It wasn't like she was a mass murderer or anything. It was just that their world was so broken.
Around and round, her mind went as she watched Dagan and Sorcha. It was their choice. She could respect that. At least she would try. Io's stomach twisted, and her tail twitched anxiously. At least they were all alive and in somewhat good condition, given the abruptness of their new reality.
Io's mind returned to their old world. Earth was a mess. Humanity had stolen so much it had become part of their culture. Humanity no longer cared. It was common for parents to abandon their children. In fact, abandonment was legally classified as a 'donation to society,' and even tax-deductible! Many parents 'donated' their children to further pursue their own selfish needs and desires.
Left to their own devices, raised by machines, or groomed to be the 'perfect addition to society.' Children didn't learn how to care, and why should they? Empathy? What's that? Sympathy? Love? Lies. Kindness? Does it feed you? Does it keep you alive? Sure, if you want to be sent to a testing facility.
No. All they knew was the chilly place previous generations had created with the technology. Fast forward a few centuries too few had held on to the beauty of humanity used to radiate when they were truly good. All that remained was an emotional wasteland, a mirror-image of their deadened planet.
The Standard Elite Learning Facility, or S.E.L.F. conditioned children from an early age to pursue perfection. Whether it was appearance, intellect, or ideally, both, if one wanted to live a decent life. Self-improvement meant survival. Perfection equaled success. Anything less and you were dead. So, there was no time for remorse when that meant someone else to take your place in the labs.
Phial. Whoever came up with the term should have been shot for their macabre sense of humor. See, a phial in science holds potential. Creation, destruction, healing, death, it doesn't matter. A phial is simply a container to be used in the name of science for the betterment of humanity without regard.
As for Io? In her tenth year, the scientists in charge deemed Io useless. She was neither genius nor a super beauty. Her genes did not meet the current administration's genetic expectations. She was flawed, so Io Skotos was wiped from the record, leaving nothing but a 'phial' behind.
The change in status came with a special laser marked from above her right eyebrow to the lower side of her left cheek, a visual representation of her defectiveness. The laser comprised a unique compound that made left a ragged line of silver across her skin.
Not only was it proof Io was a phial, but it made it easier for the hunters to track. A sacrifice that lined S.E.L.F.'s coffers. Kind of twisted, right? Suffice to say, Io had plenty of motivation to leave that hell-hole in the making.
Her escape had been gruesome. Blood spilled across grey walkways and danced up white walls. She had slaughtered anyone that came across her path, innocent or not. When Io had finally escaped S.E.L.F., she had gone into The Tunnels. Pro? It was nigh on impossible to track anyone through there. However, all kinds of human scum called The Tunnels home and that mark on her face came with a hefty bounty, waiting for the wrong people to notice.
So maybe while slaughtering her way out of problems was not ideal, but could it really be considered a con, though? If nothing else, The Tunnels had taught Io to kill. Quickly, silently, and how not to leave a trace.
Io didn't even know how far she walked through the tunnels, drinking urine and shit-infested water because it was do or die. Eating bugs because they were delicacies. That first bite of crunch was the highlight of her time there, the worse was scrubbing the bones clean from the human corpses she'd found. It was worth it in the end. Bones were strong and once sharpened, they made the best of weapons, and in The Tunnels; they were an easy resource.
When Io had finally reached the surface, the child that while cold but had maintained some innocence grew to be as vicious as her survival demanded of her. A girl of fourteen now, her silver scar highlighted the almost ghostly shade of white her skin had turned from years spent underground.
Her previously shoulder-length black hair reached her waist in its usual braid, but after a hellish run-in with a nasty group of cannibalistic humans, it'd turned white. They had graciously treated her to a horrific evening, as evidenced by the scarred-over bite marks on her left shoulder, the insides of her thighs, and the missing three fingers on her right hand.
That was okay, though. Their finger bones decorated the necklace around her neck and the leader of the cannibal's femur was strapped to her hip. Io stitched several bones defensively through her clothing to ease the blunt impact. A lesson Io had taken to heart from her after her less than pleasant stay with the cannibals. As for the smaller bones, Io carved them into fine needles she kept stashed in her bracers and in her hair.
Of course, the cleaning had taken forever since she didn't do cannibalism, but it had given her time to recuperate, though. Going through hell left its scars. She would never forget the cries of their victims. The feel of their teeth sinking through her flesh, not to eat, but to torture her. That man. The fervor in his eyes as he bit off her fingers one by one… By the time the Io had left The Tunnels, she was half-mad. Any humanity she'd had buried beneath the maddening terrors of the dark world left behind.
Living on the surface was peaceful compared to the nightmare she had left behind, only having to kill here and there instead of the daily battles to survive. It had also given her time to heal and while she was no longer the crazed animal, she'd been when she had first left The Tunnels, she wasn't quite sane either. Of course, having a safe place to crash for the entire night, exposure to proper nutrition when she could find it, and clean drinking water helped immensely.
It wasn't until close to the end of that first year that Io found Dagan and Sorcha. She was on her way out of The Ruins, the obsolete part of the city, when Io had taken a shortcut through an alleyway to avoid anyone taking notice of her. Hood up, scarf wrapped around the lower half of her face, and bone weaponry on display usually were enough to deter most people. Which worked well enough for her but, one cannot be too cautious, ergo the alleyway.
Midway through, though, she heard a noise. Io stopped, left hand drawing her bone sword effortlessly as she turned towards where the noise came from. She walked slowly with the grace of an apex predator, confident in the hunt. Io paused at the corner of the adjoining alleyway and waited for any signs of a trap. The noise sounded again, and Io relaxed. The snuffling sound was probably some sort of oversized bug. Good. She needed the reserves anyway, and what better way to start off her journey?
Io quietly worked her way towards the noise, pausing now and then to make sure she hadn't alerted her prey. When she got into range, Io crouched low, her slightly curved bone sword clutched in a reverse hold. She kicked the dilapidated bin already, swinging her sword unerringly where the noise had come from when she saw them.
Lying before her were two tiny children. They couldn't have been over two or three years old, obviously gaunt, with nothing but a ragged covering on each of their slight forms. Though one had curled around the other to keep warm, it was a losing battle because of the frigid temperatures. Instead of feeling pity, Io's body stiffened up in aggravation and her knuckles turned white from clasping the sword too tightly.
Io's thoughts regressed to her capture almost immediately. Back to when she was sitting in that cage watching those men, no, those monsters. If Io had had the opportunity, she would have killed that poor child to save her what would be her last hours, and Io…
Io looked down at her right hand where three of her fingers used to be, her brows scrunching together. If she had the chance, maybe she could have taken the kid if an opportunity had presented itself. The child had been too young to understand the world they lived in and wouldn't understand that Io was imperfect and not worthy of living in human society and that the only way to contribute to their species progression was to die for them in the name of science.
Instead, fate had been cruel, forcing both of them to suffer. What that child had gone through… Io had to force her thoughts to stop there. Madness lies that way. She took a deep breath, looked back at the two tiny forms huddled on the frigid ground, and chose. Io straightened up and slid her bone weapon into its sheathe, turned to walk off when a feeble whimper sliced through the air. Io flinched, memories roaring out of their Pandora's box tempting her with insanity. Her breaths came fast while her knuckles whitened from the grasp on her sword.
If she'd had an opportunity, she would have saved that child.
Regrets for the past haunted her mind like a lingering ghost, and Io's shoulders slumped. Fine. She may not have been able to do anything previously, but here and now? She would act. Io drew her bone sword and return to where the two kids huddled. "Better that you pass than to suffer at the hands of another." Io, eyes blank from recollections of old horrors, swung her bone sword, and the child that had covered itself around the other opened its eyes.
Seeing the incoming sword, the child managed the roll itself and the other child out of the way. The child quickly let go of the other child, dragged it further away, and positioned itself in front of them. Eyes wise before their time burned with rage, their green color practically glowing, their fury from the dirt-ridden face met Io's gaze.
"Go!" The child screamed, their hoarse voice fracturing across the words. The child grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it at Io. Io shifted slightly to the side and the rock flew harmlessly by her. Cold blue eyes clashed with fiery green. Io took a step forward, her sword lifting and sliding quietly back into its sheathe once more. This child was not dying and could be saved. Io's hand swung out and grabbed the child's wrist before he or she could do anything.
"Come," Io ordered, her voice rusty from disuse. She almost flinched at how rusted her voice sounded. She couldn't remember the last time she had spoken, now that she thought about it. Disconcerted, Io's brows drew together as she dragged the child away. She only managed a couple of steps before a sharp pain dug into her wrist. Io reflexively flung the child away from her and drew her bone sword, red rivulets flying as Io pivoted to face the enemy. She'd been foolish. Trying to create a family for herself was already making her weak. Those books she read long ago were nothing but tales of old, best forgotten before she too became dust due to carrying such antiquated thoughts.
Io was already swinging her bone sword at her attacker when the child that she had thrown was on her, sinking its little teeth into her thigh. Shuddering from the feeling of teeth in her flesh once more, Io grabbed the child, ripped it off her, and threw it at her attacker, which ironically was the other child. With an oomph, the children collided and fell to the ground. Both children got up, the healthy one pushing the sickly one behind while the sickly one grabbed onto the healthy one, trying to keep them away from her.
Io narrowed her eyes, her sword lowered at the ready. She was angry she'd been bitten without a doubt. However, the second child was alive as well. She could easily take care of one child, but taking care of two. Her gaze cooled. It would be difficult, especially since this one was fragile. There was only one of her. She could only do so much. What if… Yes, she could just take the healthy one and put the sickly one out of their misery.
"Come." She demanded raspily.
"No!" The child countered as it dragged the both of them deeper into the shadows.
"Come now." She demanded again.
"Go away!" The child yelled back.
Io furrowed her brow again, and her gaze turned resolute. This was not conducive. Io stalked towards the scrambling children and yanked the sickly one away. Just as she was about to slice its throat. Screams so much like the night that child had died rang through the air, slowing down Io's movement.
Io almost dropped the struggling frail child. The sickly child had tears in its eyes as the healthy child clung to it. At the last moment, the healthy child had shoved the sickly child. The change was enough for the healthy child's shoulder to be impaled by the bone sword piercing its shoulder, and successfully shifting the trajectory enough the sickly child was unharmed.
Io dropped the sickly child and quickly sat the other on the ground. She ripped off her coat and laid it down on dry dust and gently slid the sword back far enough for the healthy child to lie down. Her bottom lip clenched between her teeth as she guided the shocked child down, careful not to jar the wound.
"Ahhhhhhh!" The ailing child screamed in shock. The child threw itself at the other only to be caught by the back of their shirt.
"You will stop, or you will kill them," Io stated coldly as she stared down at the frail figure dangling from her grasp. The only response she got was a kick to the face.
"Do you want to die right now?" She demanded. Another kick was her response.
"Do you want this child to die? After all, they got injured because you are weak." Io told the child. Her voice frosted over.
The sickly child froze and looked at Io with a mutinous expression, as if to say that was not how things went down. That look startled Io. She had not expected this weak thing to show such backbone. Perhaps the healthy child had been right to defend this one. "Such loyalty and ferocity when one cannot win is… Admirable." Io thought to herself.
Fine. She'll take on this child too. Io gestured for the sickly child to come closer. She ripped a strip of cloth from her shirt with her right hand as her left was busy trying to keep the bone sword from moving too much and handed it to the sickly child.
"When I say 'now' it hold this against the wound and push," Io shoved the rag into the child's hands and gripped her weapon. She looked at the child and nodded before she swiftly pulled the sword out in one smooth motion. Blood bubbled to the surface as soon as the weapon left the child's body.
"Now!" Io demanded, and the child put the rag over the wound, using both hands. Io wiped the bone sword along her leg before sheathing it. As she kneeled, Io pulled her scarf off, exposing the silvery scar that ran across her face. Thankfully, though, it was night, and this was The Ruins, which meant no lights along the streets or in the buildings.
She lifted the injured child enough to bind the scarf around the child's shoulder and chest before tying it firmly over the rag to keep pressure. Judging from how thin this child was, Io was going to have to make sure that forage for whatever insects she could find, and if she were lucky, she'd be able to locate some canned goods in buildings that she had yet to explore.
Out of curiosity, she eyed the sickly child. Hmm… Interesting. The healthy child in her arms was even gaunter than that of the sickly child. No wonder the child was so pissed off when she went to put the sickly one out of its misery. This silly child had been sharing its food with the sickly one.
It was baffling. Why would the stronger child share its food? Did the child not realize that this cut down its own chances of survival? She glared at the parasite that had been clinging to the child Io had decided would be family. As much as she'd prefer to be merciful, based on her new family member's reaction, she'd have to table that discussion for another day.
In the meantime, she would keep the frail child. It wasn't like it would live long, given its poor health. Io nodded, satisfied with her little compromise. For now, she'd keep the sickly child. If it made the healthy child happy, she'd deal with it. That's what family did, right? The rest they'd have to leave to nature unless… Io thought before an idea came to mind. Io glanced back at the injured child. Unbeknownst to her, she had already started to change.