I remember the time before everything happened my life was simple, survive-it got no simpler then that the house that me and my step dad lived in was an electrical hazard house through, and through the only way to use the electricity was by extension cords and micromanaging power outlet's but that didn't stop them from becoming wands any brute force or one bad fall created an electrical explosion all those small still enough to install fear.
My step-dad was nothing more then a petty hustler always looking for the quick buck but I never mind I always took up after him,memorizing the streets, how the homeless behaved and shit but I never did any of that, still he brought it home with him.
My mother lived in a bigger, better home, so she never knew, her orders were always followed by me. I could only do so much though and when I complained about food, she would grow irritated not because she didn't want to buy it but because my stepdad would devour it all in almost a week so scavenging was common for me after all, I was not his son… and then everything went to shit-kids started dropping like flies my own little baby siblings, dead at my feet, but my stepdad with ties with high cartels and drug lords took that as an advantage harvesting them their organs,selling their organs for cheap prices and would use that money to buy even cheaper cocaine, heroin and blues.
Even though I was much older I still had still gotten sick but I never said anything I just laid in my bed, occasionally my stepdad would come in and bribe me with candy's drinks but most importantly weed, it was the only thing that made it easier, however it was funny how in his mind that made everything he was doing right as if he wouldn't do what he has done to my siblings-to me in a heart beat and then one day, my lighter ran out, I couldn't smoke and the illness put me out.
When I woke up, I was sprawled on the bed and with no memory, about what happened, I tried to light the lighter again and again in the beautiful, beautiful, red flames emerged from my fingertip and the lighter sparked again. Little did I know my stepdad seen it all because laughably-he knew after all he tried using it, he knew it was out but the virus the illness was still new or so I had thought.
Shortly after President Grey took office camps, arose from the ground, and the children who had survived it, began to go to them. I didn't think much of it until the assassination attempt from there flyers begin to appear offering a $25,000 reward any child that has made it through the illness. That's when things began to get rough but it didn't concern me, from what I knew I was too old solidifying the thought that I had just a common cold so I folded into a paper airplane and threw it, you can imagine my surprise man in black suits came knocking.
It was the most normal of days, I had gotten up, made myself some eggs and went outside for a smoke and there he was-leaning against my fence as he asked "are your dogs trained?" At the time I had two bully's Luna and Taz I remember that I had said that if he where to climb of that fence they would be and he nodded calmly, "then can you answer the door?" He said and I didn't see why not after all I had two dogs and my knife so I went in and walked too the door, the rest was a blur but that day I remembered two things, my dogs where dead and my stepdads grin as he accepted a large bag.
~~~
Wakeing up to a blearing alarm I quickly got to my feet and began makeing my bed and almost like an echo this action was repeated across the whole cabin this only lasted a couple seconds before soldiers stormed into the cabin where they began to attach muzzles to our faces and chains to our wrists and ankles.
The smell of sot and burning metal soon began to fill the room and a small smile graced my face as I could see the fear in each one of the soldiers eyes even as they began to yell clear, the fear still remained.
"File up into single file." The soldier in front demanded and slowly we shuffled into place and almost immediately they began connecting our chains.
After our bonding's have been finished I felt electricity began to pump through my chains as we shuffled behind the leading soldier, the ones who had connected our chains put rifles to our heads as we left the metal cabin, the camp was almost like a metal boxes spread apart, scorch marks were common as frequent outbursts where common especially when the yellows began to be chained together with us Reds, it was said to be a social experiment but the electrical currents that ran through our chains proved otherwise a lot of us felt like it was used to control our tempers especially when they where orders not to wear there gloves but after a time I grew accustomed to it and it only served to make my smile grow wider after all the white noise served more than enough to control us.
I kind of shuffled absent mindedly only stopping whean my muzzle bumped into the muzzle of a rifle.
"To day you will be on the furnaces, do not get any ideas."
Rolling my eyes I felt the heat seep in causing the muzzle to itch on my skin and with it the weight of the chains became much more apparent and with the yellow sending a constant stream of electricity through our muscles, the chains felt heavier and the heat felt more intense this exhaustion could be felt between all of us even the yellow who was almost gasping for air with how hot it was.
With one clear whistle we began to push flames into the furnace.
Funny enough the yellow behind me had a generator to work with so the current of electricity was less, as she had to focus on her own duties so we didn't have to worry about being electrocuted while we worked.
Working the furnace was ment to drain us of our energy and it worked for a few of us but a lot of us had grown to accommodate that much use of our abilities but we had to look exhausted so a lot of the times we had to look exhausted because a lot of us didn't know what other forms of labor they would have us do if they found out, the heat was little problem in fact the flames where almost harmless to us well most of us-the yellow was constantly putting out small fires that caught onto her uniform every once and a while.
The Yellow hissed under her breath as she patted out another small ember that had caught on her sleeve. "This is getting real old, real fast."
I chuckled, keeping my head low to hide the amusement that flickered through me. "Could be worse."
"Oh?" she drawled, her voice laced with exhaustion and sarcasm. "Enlighten me, oh wise one."
"Could have hot metal burning ya." I said as I slightly lifted up my hands which where now a light red instead of the silver color it had been, smileing I let my shoulders slump and I watched from the corner of my eye as she wiped sweat from her brow that wasn't there.
The Yellow wiped sweat from her brow that wasn't there, her eyes flicking toward me with an exasperated look. "You're lucky you like the heat. I swear, if I catch fire one more time—"
"You'll what?" I smirked, keeping my voice low enough that the guards wouldn't hear. "Shock me? Because I'm pretty sure you've been doing that all morning."
She scoffed, but there was no real bite behind it. "You can't blame me for something I can't control."
I shrugged, the chains rattling as I flexed my wrists. "Yeah, well, I can't help it if the flames like me either."
She rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath before turning back to her generator. The air around her crackled as another spark jumped from her fingertips, barely missing my arm. I flinched instinctively, but not from pain—from the instinctual tension of knowing that, if she lost control for even a second, it could turn into something worse.
Across the furnace, one of the other Reds wasn't bothering to hold back. He was throwing in flames with full force, acting exhausted but keeping the fire roaring hotter than necessary. The soldiers didn't seem to notice—not yet, at least—but the Yellows working nearby were shifting uncomfortably, the heat messing with their already unstable electrical currents. One of them, a girl with a shaved head and a scar running across her cheek, was gripping her own arm, her fingers twitching uncontrollably.
"You see that?" the Yellow beside me whispered, tilting her head toward the girl.
I nodded slightly. "She's about to short out."
Before either of us could react, a sudden arc of electricity snapped from the girl's arm to the chain connected to the Red in front of her. He barely had time to yelp before the charge rippled through the metal, jumping from person to person like a deadly current. I clenched my teeth as the shock hit me immediately all the reds in the room-including me feel to the floor,some foaming from the mouth.
The furnace flared as the Red who had been showing off lost control, sending an uncontrolled blast of fire straight into the metal walls. The whole space shook, and suddenly, alarms blared.
"Shit," the bald Yellow muttered, already trying to suppress the electricity crackling around her.
The alarms wailed, a shrill, piercing sound that cut through the chaos like a blade. Soldiers stormed in from every direction, their rifles raised, barking orders that no one could hear over the frantic crackling of electricity and the roaring flames. The air was thick with the scent of burning metal and ozone, a choking, suffocating mix that stung my nose.
The Yellow beside me clenched her fists, trying to reel in her electricity before it jumped again, but I could see the panic in her eyes. She was losing control, and if she lost it completely, this entire place would go up in a way none of us were ready for.
"Focus," I hissed, shoving against the chains that bound me. The weight of them burned into my skin, but I barely felt it. My body was alight with heat, my instincts screaming at me to let loose—to burn it all down. But I didn't. Not yet.
The Red who had caused the flare-up was still on the ground, spasming, his body jerking with aftershocks from the Yellow's uncontrolled burst. The other Yellows weren't faring much better, their electrical fields unstable, sparking wildly. One of the soldiers moved toward them and before we knew it white nose filled the room and no mater the color we all dropped to the ground The white noise filled every corner of the furnace chamber, pressing against my skull like a vice. My vision blurred, my body locking up as the sound reverberated through my bones. It was like my mind was being wrenched apart, every thought drowning under the oppressive weight of the noise.
I barely registered the feeling of my body hitting the ground, my limbs seizing as my muscles spasmed involuntarily. Around me, I could see the others dropping like flies, Reds and Yellows alike writhing as their abilities were forcibly silenced. The once-roaring flames dimmed, flickering weakly before fading into smoldering embers. The acrid scent of burning metal still clung to the air, but the energy in the room had been snuffed out, replaced by something heavier—something colder.
Boots stomped against the metal floor, the soldiers moving with a mechanical efficiency as they began securing the downed prisoners. Muzzles were reinforced, chains tightened, and those who had spasmed too violently were dragged off without hesitation. The Red who had lost control was still twitching, his breaths ragged, but the soldiers didn't care. Two of them grabbed him by the arms and hauled him away, his feet dragging uselessly behind him.
I fought to stay conscious, my vision swimming as my fingers twitched against the scorched floor. The electricity that had surged through the chains had left my muscles weak, but it was the white noise that had truly done me in. It was always the same—suffocating, drowning, pressing down until we had no fight left. I could feel the heat within me struggling to push past it, but it was like trying to light a match in a hurricane.
The weight of the chains felt heavier than before, my muscles still sluggish from the aftershock of the electricity and the relentless assault of the white noise. My breath came in short, shallow gasps as the sound finally faded, leaving behind a ringing silence that felt almost worse.
Soldiers continued their rounds, checking each of us for signs of resistance. The Red who had flared too high had already been dragged away, limp as a ragdoll, while the Yellows were being forced to stand despite the unstable tremors still running through their limbs. The girl with the scar on her cheek was barely holding herself up, her head lolling as a soldier yanked her chains forward.
A rough hand gripped my shoulder, yanking me upright. My legs buckled, but I forced myself to stand, ignoring the dull throb in my skull. The soldier who had pulled me up gave me a once-over before tightening the muzzle around my face with a sharp jerk.
"Back in line," he snapped.
Despite my eyes being open it almost felt like I couldn't see, everything was black with white dots covering my vision and the people around me where nothing but black fingers, shakeing my head I continued forward, the chains practically carrying me forward.
The weight of exhaustion settled over the group as we were marched back to the cabins, our bodies dragged forward by the chains more than by our own strength. The scent of burnt metal and ozone clung to my skin, mixing with the stale air of the camp, but even that was preferable to the white noise that had left my mind sluggish.
As we approached the row of cabins, the dull clanking of our restraints against each other echoed through the yard. The soldiers walked in tandem with us, rifles raised, but their grips were lighter now—less tense. They had done this enough times to know we weren't a real threat in this state. Not after the noise.
The metal door screeched as it was yanked open, revealing the dim interior of our assigned cabin. The inside was humid, thick with the stench of sweat and old iron. The beds, little more than thin cots welded to the walls, lined both sides of the room, stacked two high. It was meant to fit far fewer than the number of bodies currently forced to cram inside. Some Reds and Yellows barely had space to sit, their legs either pressed against each other or dangling off the edges of bunks too small to be called beds.
"Get in," one of the soldiers barked. The chain tugged, and we obeyed.
Once inside, the chains connecting us were unlatched from the larger line but remained secured to our wrists and ankles. The muzzles, however, stayed put. A precaution. As if we hadn't all just been reduced to twitching wrecks a few minutes ago.
I shuffled toward my usual spot near the back of the cabin, my legs still unsteady, and collapsed onto the lower cot. Above me, the Yellow girl—my only real tether to this place—shifted, her breath still coming out in short gasps. Her arms twitched involuntarily, the aftershocks of the earlier surge still wracking her system.
"You good?" I murmured, voice hoarse from the strain.
She groaned. "Define good."
A weak chuckle slipped out before I could stop it. "Still breathing counts."
She huffed but didn't argue. Slowly, her shaking hands gripped the edge of her cot, and she rolled onto her side to glance down at me. In the dim light, her face was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, but her eyes still carried that sharpness—that glint of awareness she refused to let go of.
"How much longer, you think?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
Looking up at the walls I let my mind wander as I pondered her question, it had to be soon but not to soon because we only had one chance and I knew from experience that the guards where on there guard but from how overcasted the sky was I knew it would rain in a couple days and maybe just maybe that was our chance.
"Soon, but we need everyone on this so I need you to tell the yellows…the reds are quick to catch on."