[Tonix]

My eyes snapped open as I shot upright. My chest rose and fell rapidly with my panicked breathing.

I wasn't in the alleyway anymore. The sounds were more distant, they didn't make my head pound like a jackhammer in my skull. Thank goodness for that, too. Any more, and I would have just let himself die.

I wanted to die. But something kept me grasping for life, keeping me from passing on.

I coughed, and let out a strained cry as I leaned over the bed I lay in. Blood rose from my throat, feeling like it was burning holes in my organs as I vomited.

I... I need to stand... need to walk, I reminded myself..

It had been like this for years, ten full years I'd been like this. With the blood, the agony, the torture of watching everyone around me die. It was the explosion.

The explosion I caused.

The sun outside that shone through the window blinded me as I stood and turned. Tears glistened at the edge of my vision, nausea took over me as I remembered that night. The body, the body of my friend, ravaged and shredded by the force of the impact. The feeling of the radiation released into the atmosphere, burning my skin, the pain as what felt like acid filled my bloodstream...

My claws clenched, and I let out a screech as I angrily dragged my hands against the wall. Two deep claw marks carved into it, jagged and exposing the drywall underneath the paint.

Another memory, a weak, flashing memory that came on and off, like a glitching TV. That girl, that girl that had found me in the alley last night. She had walked with me, led me away, brought me into a door before I had collapsed on the ground.

This must be where she had taken me. I stared at the wall for a moment before letting out a long sigh and leaving the small room. I groaned as my head bumped against the top of the doorframe.

I slowly stumbled down the hall, feeling like some kind of drunkard as I nearly tripped over myself trying to get into the living room. It was bad this time, the sickening feeling. It always came after I blacked out like I had. I would feel better later.

Hopefully...

The girl, she was there. She was bent over the sink, her breathing heavy as she clutched something in her hand. A bottle of some kind. Slowly, she stood back straighter, putting the white cap on the bottle as she stuck it in the cabinet. Its contents made a rattling sound as she put it up.

"Hello...?" I rasped, my voice dry from sleep. The girl didn't jump or anything, but seemed surprised by my sudden entrance. Her head snapped to me, and she cleared her throat.

"H-hi," She said awkwardly, "Sorry, I... kinda forgot I brought you here."

"Nah, It's fine," I said.

I had a million questions. Who is this girl? Why was she helping me?

"How... are you not dead?" I asked.

The girl shrugged. "You tell me. I still have no idea why you're so worried about me dying because I'm within whatever personal bubble you've set for yourself."

I wanted to say something else, but that's when I noticed her eyes. I hadn't really processed that radioactive green glow that came from her pupils last night.

"You're... like me," I whispered.

"What?" She queried.

I didn't reply for a second. I stared, stared at that glow.

She was another lucky - or should I say, unlucky, if she's anything like me - survivor.

That's... impossible.

But yet, I had been mere feet from that reactor when it blew. And here I was, alive and well.

Okay, definitely not well. But alive.

Could it not be implausible that someone else could have absorbed the radiation like I did?

"What's your name?" I asked, not thinking of anything else to ask.

She gave me a look that said "you didn't answer my question," but replied anyway. "Anatox."

Strange name, I thought. But then again, I also gave myself an alias after that first... incident. I nodded in acknowledgement.

My eyes drifted around the room, taking in the surroundings. It was a small room, an apartment, most likely. The room was split between the kitchen and living room, where tile met brown, carpeted floor. Out a window, sunlight streamed in, looking out over a city of tall buildings. There were two birds sitting on the balcony, feathers fluffed from a slight chill in the air.

The birds. Something came across my mind, a memory.

----

The raven sat, beady black eyes gazing at me without compassion, without spite. Somewhere in between, somewhere without emotion. It soothed me. Its talons wrapped around my finger, where I looked at it curiously. Why it had come to me, I had no idea.

It cawed at me, black beak opening to a toothless mouth and closing again. I winced as my head began to throb at the close proximity of the sound. I bit my lip, not showing the pain I felt. The raven tilted its head, blinking.

My hand shook. It felt like my lungs were about to collapse. What's happening? Am I dying?

I turned my shaking palm skyward, allowing the raven to hop into my hand. It cawed again, as if a query as to if I was alright.

I laughed slightly. My voice shook weakly. "No. No, I'm not."

It didn't understand me. The raven gave me a blank stare, ruffling its wing feathers.

A dagger of agony shot through my skull. I cried out, clutching my head, falling to my knees on the ground. The raven jumped in the air, flapping its wings frantically as it regained its balance.

My breathing heavy, I shakily stood back up, meeting the raven's gaze. My stomach growled, I haven't eaten in ages.

I was barely in control of myself. My fingers turned to claws, impaling the raven as I curled my hand around the bird. It squawked, surprised by my aggression, and frantically writhed in my grip. Blood splattered my hands as my claws punctured its skin.

Before I could even think, my teeth sank into the raven as it still struggled in my grip, warm blood dripping from my mouth, covering my hands, washing over my tongue as I consumed it...

----

I gasped, tears welling up in my eyes as I snapped back to the present.

"Helloooo? You in there?" Anatox was in front of me now, waving her hand in front of my face.

"S-sorry, what were you saying?" I stammered, finally finding my breath.

"I was asking where you came from," Anatox sighed, annoyed, "No one just shows up in an alleyway without getting there somehow."

I rubbed my arm uncomfortably. Whenever I tried to recall things from my past life, all I seemed to find was a screen of fuzzy static, impenetrable and cold to the touch. Farthest I could seem to go back was when I arrived at work the day of the accident.

"I... don't remember," I sighed, not meeting her gaze.

"Uh-huh," Anatox said skeptically. "What, you got dementia or something? Not something most people would forget."

"Well I'm not 'most people!'" I snapped aggressively, revealing my sharp teeth in an angry scowl. Anatox stepped back, surprised by the outburst. I took a deep breath, muttering under my breath, "Don't lose yourself, don't lose yourself..."

"Unsettling," Anatox remarked, standing up straight and brushing invisible dust off of her hoodie uncomfortably.

I cleared my throat. "Sorry. I... have a temper and tend to lose it often."

"Tell me about it," she scoffed.

Not wanting to bring her suspicions further, I was about to change the subject, but she did so for me after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"What's up with the whole bloody lab coat thing?" Anatox asked, gesturing to my coat.

Subconscious, I rubbed my hand on the crimson-stained fabric. "Long story that I'd rather not bring up."

"You're giving off very suspicious energy right now, and I'm reevaluating my decision to help you."

I sighed, now annoyed. "Alright, you want the truth? Well, I'll give you the truth. I'm some kind of homicidal, radioactive monster with a mental state more twisted than a pretzel. Happy?"

She seemed less surprised by my outburst, but instead was staring in shock and a bit of wonder at my hands. My claws were unsheathed, sharp points pointing from under my skin at the tips of my fingers. I retracted them, taking a deep breath to calm myself once again.

Anatox met my gaze again. "I don't know what I was expecting, but it definitely was not that."

-x-

Rip birb

1471 words