Chapter Twelve - Myra
707 Words
Myra tsked, wagging her finger at Frank while circling him.
"Not very careful, Frankie, not at all. Letting yourself get caught?"
"I didn't need your help, Myra," Frank snapped.
"Oh, of course not," she said lightly. "I can take you back at any given time."
Frank avoided the question, instead glanced around the room.
"Hey, what happened to the lady?" At Myra's blank stare, he elaborated. "Tiny, old, a little loco."
"Ah," Myra said. Her face turned stony. "I remember."
"Okay, where is she?"
"No questions, Frankie. And be more careful. I might have to kill you next time."
Frank's lips tilted upwards, exposing his teeth as he laughed. "Bet you'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?" He leaned forwards towards Myra. "You should know, Myra, that you aren't the only failed experiment."
"Please," Myra said carelessly, "feel free to elaborate. And word that differently next time, I don't enjoy being called a failure."
Frank shook his head, "No one does, do they? From what I've collected, his name is Arsen. And he's decided to play smart and not tell the rest of the team, which I assume is how he's survived so long."
"You're so lucky, Frankie," Myra sighed, "that I got you out. Can you imagine what they would've done to you, the monsters?"
Frank bit back a laugh, though his thoughts showed clearly through his expression. I can't imagine it would be worse than what you can do.
"You didn't tell them anything, though, right? You didn't say anything about this... Arsen."
Frank shook his head.
"Good. I want to be the one."
"Myra," Frank raised an eyebrow, "what are you planning?"
Myra tossed her head back and giggled maniacally. "Oh, relax, Frankie. Nothing more insane than that assassination stunt you pulled."
Frank gave Myra a curious look. "I didn't kill Ilana Douglas, Myra."
"Oh? Then who did?"
"You know who, My. This is why ADAM made a mistake when they threw you away. You've already figured it out and I didn't have to give you any hints."
Myra giggled more. "Oh, I'm quite clever, don't you think?"
Myra intercepted Arsen while he was walking late at night. Or should she say early in the morning?
"Can't sleep either?" She asked softly. Arsen gave her a sideways glance and a cautious one-word answer.
"Yeah."
"The city's better at night. Calmer, somehow."
"Pretty much."
Myra heaved a sigh. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Arsen—"
Arsen started moving away from her almost instantly but she gripped his arm hard.
"Arsen, I know your secret."
"How the f**k do you even know my name?"
"Wait, my name is Myra Faith I'Anson."
Arsen slowly stopped and turned to face her. "Myra?" He asked.
"How do you know my name now?" She asked, surprised.
"Tisdale mentioned it. Tisdale, who's gone missing..." The words seemed more to himself than to Myra. Arsen mumbled something under his breath.
"Right, Frankie. Such a pain, that man is. Anyway," she cut off Arsen's surprised comments, "that's not why I'm here. I'm supposed to be dead, Arsen, and it's a miracle I'm not." She met Arsen's eyes ominously. "I trusted Magnus and Daren, I trusted them not to tell anyone."
"Tell anyone what?" Arsen demanded.
Myra sniffled and ran her sleeve across her eyes. "That I was defective. That I was normal."
She took a deep breath and steeled herself, hiding the manipulative glint in her eye.
"And then, the next day, ADAM agents were storming my house and dragging me away to that horrid hospital. To kill me."
Arsen blinked at her. For a moment, neither of them said anything, just kept walking in silence. "I don't believe you," Arsen finally said. "You're lying."
"I thought you'd say that," sighed Myra. Arsen felt a tiny pinprick form at the side of his neck, like the sting of a wasp.
Arsen stumbled, putting his hand against the wall to steady himself. Myra smiled sadly at him.
"We're more alike than I thought. I didn't believe it at first, either."
Arsen glared at Myra through drooping eyelids. His back was fully against the wall now, legs shaking as he struggled to hold himself up and stay awake.
"Sorry, Arsen," Myra whispered.
- Writer
