Still a year and a half ago.
The woman, Leticia, knew that the girl she named 616 wouldn't die even from the shot through her heart. She deemed the girl capable of any kind of self-restoration. And this too was a test of some sort.
Maia who dropped on her back upon being shot, lay on the floor with her eyes wide open, bathed on her own dripping blood, chest visible with a hole where the bullet went through.
The soldiers and everybody else inside were all stunned when they saw how the hole on Maia's chest closed up slowly.
A gasp that escaped Maia's mouth indicated just how alive she was.
Leticia's smile was full of awe and a sting of proudness that she did not even bother to hide. She indeed was in awe of the state of Maia and was proud that her decision to order the shot was fruitful.
As Leticia believed that she found a perfect test subject, a freak, a one-of-a-kind girl. Reality dawned upon Maia, and something, a much much-buried memory resonated.
Something ominous made her head pound and her heartbeat irregular. She felt it at the exact moment her chest felt the bullet inside of her body. She shot upright and saw that the bullet was there, drenched in the blood that came out of her at that moment.
Leticia saw this as an opportunity when she instructed one of the soldiers to retrieve Maia. Carefully, they stepped forward, inch by inch until they finally got a hold of Maia.
They need not pin her down because she might as well be paralyzed. For the memories that were unlatching was something that came with a cost.
Maia didn't know how she would process all that information but as she became certain of some things, a tear left her eye.
Her whole life was all but a big façade.
And that she was very much considered dead in the outside world.
Which meant, this time, there was no help to come. Not from her friends, her family, and not from Damian.
No one will save her. No one will protect her.
And that realization sucked out all the remaining hope she have left.
***
Maia didn't know if she was still human or if the scientists especially Leticia would ever get tired of doing tests on her.
She doesn't even know if she should be thankful that she was now wearing clothes.
As she currently stare at the white wall in front of her, she pondered on the thought that she might have been some kind of mutant.
Because she would certainly become one if this goes on. Currently strapped to a chair in the middle of a vacant room, she could hear what the scientists were conversing even through the glass window.
Her senses had sharpened, that was a fact in itself. She would notice the small insects or the slightest speck of dust in the corner of a room. She would hear footsteps and murmurs that she was sure were far enough for a normal ear to hear.
She would feel even the slightest sting with great certainty. Hell, she could even tell what was on her food or her drink.
She doesn't know if it was because of the thing that her earliest memory had revealed or if it was simply because of the kinds of drugs that were being injected into her.
These days, it was clear to her that she doesn't know anything. After a month of nonstop tests and experiments, Maia gave up on counting her days.
Her jet black hair was slowly turning into white. They said it was because of an obvious alteration brought on by mixtures of different chemicals. To what kind of chemicals they were, Maia had no idea.
It was then that Leticia directed her attention to Maia.
"Alright 616, we'll try this again. Answer the questions truthfully this time"
Maia neither answered nor nodded, but she did not need to for the scientists still proceeded.
"616 what is your full name?"
Maia pondered on the thought, she knew that the straps connecting to her limbs were not as merely what they seem to be.
She could feel the tiny edges of each strap possibly being connected to her veins or as a matter of fact to all of her blood vessels.
They had apparently been trying to garner some intel on her by knowing who she really was and if she was indeed part of the resistance. As it may have seemed, all the information of the government about the class Einstein was either burned or destroyed.
She was sure it was an inside job from the mutiny. And she couldn't be more thankful for that. It made it slightly easier for her to lie or to not talk at all. In which, in this situation she had chosen the latter.
When no answer was heard for the next three minutes, Leticia who was growing impatient gave a light order to the scientists seating on the panel.
In a matter of seconds, small electrical volts traveled through the straps onto Maia's body. Her whole being convulsed and a scream was the only thing she could do while she wriggled on her single chair.
This was torture. She thought. She had read far enough history books during her school years to know what torture was like. But, she could have never fathom herself to be in a situation like this.
After a short while, it stopped and Maia could feel herself catching her breath.
"616 if you don't answer, it will only be harder for you. For every silence, a higher voltage of electricity will course through you."
Maia knew that, but she only stared at Leticia.
"I'd rather die"
Leticia who was beginning to lose her temper massaged her temple. They have been at it for months and the government expects an intel for them to share.
Something which Maia was so unwilling to cooperate with.
"But that's just it 616, you can't die. Don't you understand? You are a human being capable of self-restoration. You should've been dead that day when the soldiers found you in that arena. You should've been dead when you were shot to the heart. You should've died with the multitude of drugs and chemicals we inject you. And yet, here you are. Being an uncooperative bitch."
Maia was sure enough that she was beginning to strike a nerve with the scientists, but she could only care less. If anything, she wanted these people to just drop dead.
"I'll repeat it, What is your name?"
"Fuck you!!"
With a sly smile planted on her face, Maia let out a curse while struggling to raise her middle finger at Leticia and her company.
This was surely the last straw as Leticia ordered for her to be electrocuted with the highest voltage.
Her companion looked at her with shock and uttered a protest.
"But, director, it may fry her brain. She might die for certain now. Then, we, we would lose her"
"Oh for all I care. We could lose her all the same. It has been specifically five months and all that we had learned from her is that she has is capable of self-restoration."
This wasn't enough for the lad as he was still wary of the truth. This was a chance for him to discover more and something that could help him raise his family from dirt.
Leticia knew this look and truthfully, she has her doubts. If Maia's brain certainly would be fried and this would finally lead her to death then she would lose an exquisite test subject. And yet, she could no longer keep her around for she was up to this point, useless.
"We had secured a cell from her, we would use that if this was certainly to kill her. NOW DO IT!!"
The lad obliged and Maia was shaken up to her core. Her body convulsed strongly and she feared that this might as well kill her. As she felt the electricity travel through her brain from her nerves.
Her body thrashed around and she felt a bubble slowly form in her mouth. Throughout the pain, Maia wished for her agony to end with death.
But then, she heard it again. Somewhere, not in the room she was in, not outside with Leticia, and not outside where the soldiers were stationed. Not on the herb plantation on the left side of this building.
In the forest, in the mountains outside, a voice was calling for her.
Maia, breathe. You will survive, believe me. For now, breathe.
And that was what she did, deep breaths, through her mouth, she gasped harshly. It filled her lungs with air indeed but the electricity wasn't stopping and she was still in agony.
She silently uttered a silent cry of help. She doesn't know to whom this voice belonged but if she was willing to offer help to her then she would gladly oblige.
Forget everything Maia. Empty your mind. Your memories would find you again but you would be in more danger if you don't seal them on your own.
How. How could she? She just lost her memories before waking up and now she was being asked to forget them again? It doesn't seem fair. No, for heaven's sake, it was absurd.
You had trusted in me so far, I am here. I will always be here with you. You need to forget Maia. They will stop experimenting on you if they knew that you couldn't remember anything. And they will surely know, for if you live after this, chances are, your memories were gone because your brain was damaged.
Maia did not even need to think of what the consequences would be. She would do anything to survive her current predicament. And truthfully, the torture was indeed dulling her senses, making her feel nothing except for pain.
She might have been hallucinating and the voice might have been simply a delusional encounter but there was something oddly familiar with her voice.
Like she had heard it before. Not in the arena, not today. A long time ago.
With one last gasp, she welcomed the electricity through her brain, and certainly, her screams of pain echoed throughout the facility.
As Leticia ordered the electrocution to be stopped, Maia dropped her head, her limbs limping throughout. When no movement from her was made within the next minutes. Leticia sent in the soldiers.
"Soldiers, check her"
The moment the three soldiers walked up to Maia, they tried to feel her pulse but felt nothing. She wasn't breathing anymore either. No pulse and no breaths meant she was dead and yet, slowly, her remaining jet-black hair turned white like the rest. This was the cue for the soldier's uneasiness. They turned to Leticia and the others who were standing stiff beyond the room.
"Director, I think…"
Before the soldiers could even finish their sentence. Maia stood up, forcibly removing her straps from the chair. She twisted the soldier's neck so hard that his cracking bones were heard as he drop face flat.
The other two soldiers pointed their guns at her but before they could even fire, Maia held both of their guns and used them to pull them together making the two soldiers bump at each other, making them dizzy from the unexpected encounter.
It was then that she had twisted both of their necks too.
In that moment, Maia who was neither breathing nor has a pulse had taken three lives.
Leticia with great horror, frantically ordered for more soldiers to enter but it wasn't needed anymore.
For Maia had remained still, her before brown eyes were now the color of blood and they were staring right at Leticia.
Maia walked out in an odd manner. Like a robot that was being forced or instructed to walk.
The moment she reached Leticia, everyone frantically scrambled to their feet and screamed. In their eyes, she wasn't human anymore. If before they had eyed Maia as an experiment, now she had looked beastly and monstrous.
She was now a monster, and that would be what she is for the next months. As she kneel in front of Leticia, a sign of submission that the older woman took the liberty to enjoy, when she realized what had just happened.
Maia would become her soldier and experiment for many more months. And this unknown transformation would bring many more benefits. The front house where they were residing would become a fort for the strongest. And Maia would be the strongest of them all.
But, unbeknownst to the government, this transformation neither took form because of Leticia and the chemicals. Nor was it because of the electrocution.
Maia… was simply reverting.
By sealing everything, even her current memories or recollection of who she was.
She was simply reverting to being what she was created to be.
A monster made by her mother.