Other Fan Fiction ❯ Lab Hax: Cotton ❯ Welcome, Filia. ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
A few days later, it was like Painwheel was finally awake in this new place. She had washed, and is didn't feel like they changed anything from what she last remembered. Her wheel was still attached, and she had it folded down. She remembered a doctor saying they might not be able to remove because of how it was connected, but she was already use to it. The wheel had times when it was helpful, so she couldn't spend all her time hating no matter how much she wanted to. The "dress" from Lab 0 was gone, and she had on a light blue bottom up shirt, black long skirt, and blue house shoes. It felt good to be in normal clothes, again! Her nails weren't an issue, as they were nailed down into her. It hurt move, but she though of the pain as worth it. If she got upset, and had to battle they would possible pop back up. The 2 doctors she had come to know as Dr. Powers, and Dr. Locket took her into a large room with the subjects of the lab and other doctors present. "We've gathered you all here today to introduce you to Subject: 0-84 of Lab 0. Her project code is Painwheel, and her real name is Coral," the doctor went on. The others sort of scoffed, and ignored the doctor as best they could - expect a red headed boy that looked very familiar. When Coral's eyes came across the young man she unknowingly started staring at he. When the doctor was done they were all adjourned, and they let Coral free around the facility to let her get to know the other.

Her mind quickly pointed out how the place reminded her of Lab 0 with it's darkness, but was nothing like it in design. The other's didn't seem to want to talk to her much, but she couldn't have cared less. She was mindfully looking for the red headed boy. They almost ran into each other as they both turned a corner on the far side of the lab. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm just really into these papers!" he said playfully holing some of them them. He looked very comfortable in his dark colored, plain, baggy clothes. Coral stared at him for a moment before she finally said "Dr. Elise." The guy looked at her surprised for a moment, before he looked away from her with an off smile. "Oh, you know "him", huh? So, you've been to Lab 14." "Briefly. Nice people there." "There's nice people here. You just have to find them." "You dislike Dr. Elise?" "Not really. It's just..." The lad looked down with a clear frown on his face. "Just?" "Its a past thing. Let's just say that," he replied looking back up smiling. "I'd rather not talk about him. I wanna talk about you! I don't know much about you," he insisted. She found it odd that he had some sort of negative feelings towards Dr. Elise, looking like a sipping image him. "Well, legally, I'm dead." "I know about that. Lab 0 really out did themselves, that time. I'm familiar with their antics, and I'm glad they've been done in. It was only a matter of time," he said proudly. "You know what happened to them, though?" "Me... and a friend from Lab 14. We're what happened to Lab 0," she said finally smiling. "You 2 must have been a powerful pair for all that damage!" "Well, the explosion was thanks to Peacock of Lab 8. We took down the inside before that." "Ah, Project: Peacock. The talk of the town..." he said with an unimpressed groan. "It's good to know she's not the only one having fun!" Coral giggled lightly at the comment. Between Lab 0, Lab 14 and this Lab Peacock was the pride and joy, but not to everyone. To some there was the sense of shame of nothing having the project that defeat the Skull Girl. Even to a lab that wasn't an Anti-SG lab, they just seemed to be sick of hearing about it. Coral was happy to have someone to talk to and get along with. He introduced himself as YoYo, and they talked for the rest of the day 'til bedtime.

Things were quiet over the next few days. She spent most of her time outside either sitting on the roof, or working in a Lab's gardens. There were 2 gardens: inside a green room where the doctors, and a few subjects helped grow healing herds, and some food. The other was outside, which was food, and pretty flowers. It was originally for the subjects to solely work out, as an extra activity, but neon of them were interested, leaving the garden to ruin. Most of her garden time obviously went into the ruined one that needed to be rebuilt. When she didn't feel like working that hard she worked on the one inside. The doctors that were more familiar with her were more than happy to accommodate her in anything that would keep her calm. She didn't sleep without drugs or serious psychical conditions, so at night she'd watch TV, or do anything else. There are other subjects that were up at night, so she got to know a some of them.

It took almost a month for the new found peace to come to an end. Somewhere in Little Innsmouth was said to be some sort of hair monster causing havoc and eating the feral and dragonic people there - mostly of the female variety. Coral and Yoyo were sent out to have a look at what was going out. If anything, they would take some of the glory from little miss "I can do everything! I have everything under control in my model country", more namely know as "Parasoul". They arrived in the afternoon, just as the sun was going down. "The thing is said to be out at night," YoYo informed her, looking at the mission statement when they got out of the van. He was wearing what he called his battle uniform - a black body suit, black shorts lined with glowing green designs, green fingerless gloves, black socks, and black low top sneakers. He also tied up with outfit with fashionable green tinned designer goggles. Coral was wearing something close to her original dress Lab 0 put her in - but it was black, more form fitting, and lined with yellow stitching. Their wasn't much they could put on her, thinks to her abilities, and how she used them - but it was nice to have new clothes, in any case. They even took the metal braces off her neck wrists, and ankles and replaced them to yellow lighter ones. She had on a yellow and black mask on the lower half of her face, and her hair tied out in a bun with a yellow tie holding it. "Oh! You look nice, by the way!" Yoyo said nicely. Coral took a surprised look to herself at someone saying she looked nice. Those were words she though she'd never here again. "You... too.."

As soon as the sun was down they heard a roar coming from the east side of where they were. "I take it that's our perp," he said with a big smile, and started walking. Coral followed looking around at the place. The "people" were running in doors as their lives depended on it. "Why didn't they send anyone from Lab 14 to do this?" she asked. "If they did, we probably wouldn't know about it. Either they haven't of whoever they sent failed." The came up upon some eating sounds, and were just in time to see legs be swallowed by the large, bulky "hair monster". The thing looked over to them and growled as they took fighting position. Yoyo pulled a basic looking yoyo out of his pocket, and rolled it once. "Ok, now this is the part where I see why they call you Painwheel," he looked over to her amused. "And, yoyo..." she replied. The monster backed away from them, however. Both of them looked confused by the monster's sliding retreat, as they started to her soft human moans coming from the being. Coral looked down trying to think if she knew the voice she was hearing. Yoyo stepped forward, and rolled his yoyo again, and then throw it in a baseball pitch to attack. Blades popped out of the weapon's sides and cut some of the thing's hairs, which would be it's body, making it move back more. The monster continued to growl, and the moans became more clearly female moans. "Oh no... Filia..." Coral gasped in fear. She moved closer to the monster, and it moved away faster. "Please, Filia... I'm not... We're not going to hurt you. Filia..." The monster roared louder, and it's form started to weaken, and shift. "Let her go, you damn parasite!" coral yelled at the beast. "Come on!" she yelled back to Yoyo. They both charged to monster, and started cutting away at it. "Be careful. There's a girl under all these hair!" she called down to Yoyo. "Well, she's due for a serious hair cut!"

There was no telling where Filia was in the mess, and the monster's violent shacking around to get them off wasn't helping with being careful. Yoyo had to grab a leg the came out of the hair to hang on! He was still thrown off, but the leg flew with him. It was a girl, maybe the one that they saw just get eaten. He picked her up, and put her chest to his ear. "She... she's still alive... Painwheel! The people he eat might still be inside, alive!" he called over. "We have to get all of them out, then!" she yelled back as she continued to cut the hair. She cut some skin connected to an arm, at some point. She knew it wasn't Filia, so she roughly grabbed the arm and whipped the body to the side. It was pure luck the freed girl landed in a pile of trash bags. "What happened to be careful? You could hurt the one you're looking for!" he yelled up to her, then went back to the monster. He started ripping the hairs so not to hurt the people inside the being. It was harder to do, but he was more considered about the well ware of the victims. Coral was becoming frustrated, and enraged, but she know letting her anger get the best of her would ruin everything. "Filia! Filia!" she cried, now digging into the hair. "Maybe, you're the heart of it..." she whispered to herself, and wiggled herself into the monster. "Coral?" Yoyo looked up. Her wheel started spinning to cut some of the hair as she went in, but hair locked the wheel up when she made it all the way in. "Filia!" she yelled as best she could. She should have brought goggles, like Yoyo! She continued to claw inside, hoping her wheel wouldn't cut Filia in she was above her. She felt her arm brush up against something harder than the hair, and reached for it. When she felt the hair move them apart, the only thing she could do was rage. Energy released itself as she let out a pained over powering scream. The population of Little Innsmouth stuck their heads out of their windows and doors to see what was going on. The energy was shooting out of the monster at this point! It was screaming in pain, and it's hair was losing form. As the people it ate were coming out it was becoming weaker, and smaller. Some of the citizens moved there way, and a few of them grabbed their eaten loved ones away from the scene. Yoyo was able to gently pull out move people from the hair as Coral continued to rage. Some people started helping him, by taking the bodies and moving them out of harm's way.

Some people started cutting the hair down some more being as careful as they could, as more people might be in there. Everyone had to move away as the last of the thing's form fell. It revealed Painwheel with her wheel spinning strong, and energy over taking her body, and some more woman around her. One right next to her energy being Filia. Painwheel stopped raging on que, and picked up Filia with a big smile under her mask. "Filia, I'm so glad you're safe," she said calmly. "Well, this didn't go the fun way, but we got it done!" Yoyo said  smiling. "Let's go back," she said walking over to him, and he nodded. "Minette!" a cat feral screamed running over to the area. Yoyo and Painwheel looked over to the girl, and she ran and picked up the fish drago. "Are you the one's that saved her?" she asked. "Something like that," Yoyo answered. "Well, can't you stay? You're our heroes!" she said with the girl in her arms now. "I can't go anywhere without something happening while I'm gone! I'm don't like other people taking my spot as the hero, but.." the cat said. "Oh, I'm Nadia Fortune, by the way!" "Nice to meet you, Ms. Fortune... Oh, wait... OH, I see what you did there!" Yoyo said then laughed. "Maybe we'll come back later, but right all these women need medical attention, and this one needs to come with us." Ms. Fortune nodded in understanding. "I'm just pissed I wasn't here to save my own girlfriend. Things like this away happen when I'm away!" she said pouting. "Maybe next time," YoYo said and they departed with goodbyes to everyone. As they drove off, some more people head to the area to pick up the others. Painwheel jumped out of the van, and ran Filia into the lab before Yoyo actually stopped the van. The poor girl's clothes were ripped and worn, and her "hair" had been butchered short. she had no clear in her skin, and she had somehow lost weight. She ran up to the doctor's that were awaiting their arrival, and literally pushed Filia on them. "Whoa whoa! What's up with this?!" Dr. Locket asked, not wanting to touch the girl. "Filia! Help Filia!" she exclaimed. "What happened?" Dr. Powers asked. "Her hair was the monster! Help her! She might die!" she plead starting to cry. "Ok, ok! Don't cry. We'll help your little friend," Dr. Powers gave in, and called for help.

Filia wasn't seen again for a few days. Coral was worried, but she there was nothing she could be. She went back to tending to the outdoor garden, which was almost in acceptable condition. She replaced sitting on the roof, and helping with the indoor garden with sitting as closely to Filia as she could while they were working on her. It was only a few days before everyone was called into the same room Painwheel was in almost a month ago. They all stood there without knowing what was going on, as usual. The same doctors walked in with Filia, this time. All her hair been shaved off to fuzz on her head. Her hair was yellow, and there wasn't another set of eyes and teeth on her head! Her irises were now dark blue instead of red. She had on a long white robe, houses and she had an empty lost smiled on her pale face. "This girl is know as Filia. Some of you may know her with her parasite know as Samson, but we have relieved her of him. She will be joining us, and will have a project name, and subject number soon. You are always to address as what she is comfortable with being addressed." Her introduction was much shorter than Coral's, as there wasn't much to her. They didn't know where she was from, who she really was, or what she was like. This is the reason why they were taking her in, though. As attached as Coral seemed to be when she brought her that would mean she's staying, as well. The subjects left groaning in boredom except from a few males. Coral never minded them as she ran up to Filia and grabbed her in a tight hug. "Filia, I'm so glad you're ok!" she said joyfully. She looked over to the boys still standing there, and sneered at them - cocking her head towards the door. "Damn, it's always the hot one's," one of them groaned as they exited. Coral let her and frowned at Filia. She didn't hug back, but she still had the hallow smile. "What happened?" "We did exact something from her brain. That's how we got Samson out. It might take her some time to come back to herself. She should stay with you, for a while," Dr. Locket answered. Coral smiled brightly and took Filia's hand.