The next morning Anne woke with a start as a trolley laden with breakfast squeaked into her room. Tom was following closely, rubbing his sleepy eyes. It was a different lady than the day before. Anne ignored the obvious shock on the lady’s face when she saw Anne’s state. Tom climbed onto the bed next to his sister and shooed the lady away.

“Thank you, Tom,” Anne said wishing she could rub her eyes.

Tom responded with a yawn and a smile, then helped Anne sit up straight and propped up her pillows behind her. He hooked the trolley with his foot and pulled it closer. Tom fed her gently, making sure the bites weren’t too big. When Anne finished eating Tom wiped her small mouth with his shirt and, with a satisfied grin, grabbed his breakfast and started eating.

Anne was eyeing two glasses of water that were sitting on the trolley, and when Tom finished eating, he grabbed a glass and held it up to Anne’s mouth to drink.

She hesitated, but Tom would not take no for an answer. After they both finished drinking their water they waited in silence.

It was not long when the door opened, and a familiar face strode into the room. It was Elly, and she was wearing black trousers with a maroon button shirt and big black boots. Her posture was as stern and cold as always.

“Good morning dearies,” Elly said.

“I see you have finished your breakfast. Good. Tom, you will find your clothes in your room.” She gestured at him.

“Get dressed quickly. An officer will meet up with you thereafter,” Elly continued.

“As for you, Anne, we need to get you measured today.”

“Measured?” Anne asked.

Elly moved up to Anne’s bed, holding on to the bed rail.

“As I said before… we did this to you. We are making every effort to help.” Elly said softly.

Tom reluctantly left the room, giving Anne a small smile before closing the door behind him.

“Let’s go,” Elly said and started switching off the machines that stood next to the bed. Anne felt a slight rush as she was pushed out into the hallway. She could now see much better in her upright position as when she was first transported on her back, yet she hated the stares from everyone they passed. They made their way out the door where the six guards were standing watch, and then down a series of corridors. Anne could not take any more of the people gazing, so she closed her eyes, ignoring everything around her. She could feel the tether between her and Tom strain as she was moved further away from him. Then the connection faded. Cold swept through her body as her mind felt empty. It was as if a piece of her consciousness was missing. Anne’s stomach lurched at the horrible feeling, wishing she could be back with Tom.

They entered a large room with a high ceiling. In the middle of the room stood a big machine with pipes and wires running all over it. Anne could not make out much as they passed it quickly, but the cold air made a shiver run down her spine. They entered a smaller, darker room where two people were waiting for them.

“We are ready to begin, General Harvey,” the one man said as Anne’s bed was placed next to another in the middle of the room. They lifted her onto the other bed and removed her old bed.

“Good,” Elly replied.

“Now Anne, just lay perfectly still for a few seconds, ok? This will not be painful at all. They are going to take some x-rays and other measurements.”

“Are you ready, Anne?” Elly asked slowly and clearly.

“… General?” Anne whispered.

Anne tried to struggle but the anesthesia was already kicking in. Her vision blurred and numbness engulfed her.

It’s been a while.

Ah, you don’t remember.

No matter.

You will.

Soon.

Anne’s head was spinning when she woke. She opened her eyes but could only see a faint jumble of grey swim around her. She closed her eyes again, waiting for her senses when the sound of not-so-distant voices reached her.

“What do you mean it won’t work?”

“S… She is too small. Her b… body is frail. It was designed for a f… full-grown adult soldier. And…”

“Then alter the design and get it to production, now. You know what will happen if you don’t. I just might survive, though I’d probably wish I won’t. You will not see the next day.”

“I… I know, General. I tried that as well but…”

“But what?”

“I… did D.N.A. and tissue testing to prep the arms for synchronization with her body and n... nervous system. I needed to see what changes w…was needed for it to be flawless before I altered the physical build.”

There was a few moments’ silence. Anne recognized the one voice as Elly’s.

“Well… you see… her body rejected everything. Her whole system rejected any interfacing or syncing. Her body even actively defended itself on numerous attempts.”

“So, there is nothing we can do?”

“No… General. Even if the arms were perfect and custom-built just for her, her body will not have it.”

Anne pretended to still be unconscious, but a tear running down her cheek gave her away. She felt her bed shift slightly as someone sat down next to her on the bed.

“Hello, Anne.” Elly’s voice rang softly through the silence.

“I know you are awake. How are you feeling?”

Anne grumbled, refusing to open her eyes.

“Anne, I want you to know that my word still stands. We will keep trying until we succeed, I promise.”

Anne ignored her. She could not get herself to care. A presence softly touched her mind then, and it was as familiar as her own.

Tom.

He was somewhere close enough for them to connect again. The reunion was warm and comforting and she sensed Tom felt the same, making Anne risk a small smile.

“Where is Tom?” Anne asked abruptly.

“He is with one of my officers. They are making sure he is fine and healthy, especially after the attack.” Elly said, her voice trailing softer as she ended her answer.

“You will see him soon. We are done here for today. He will be waiting for you back in your room.”

Anne kept her eyes shut, focusing on the tether between her and Tom to distract her. She was startled when the bed gave a small jerk as it was pushed into action, starting her journey back to her room. They passed the cold room again, then entered the unknown maze of corridors. The connection between her and Tom grew stronger as she neared. She could almost feel Tom talk as gratitude and excitement flowed through to her, making it clear that he was awaiting her arrival. Their connection shook violently, and blotches of dimmed and distorted fear rippled through her. She opened her eyes in shock, looking around for anything amiss.

Something is wrong.

Before Anne could react, the thunderous noise of an alarm reverberated through the halls, and emergency lights could be seen flashing from the walls, bathing everything in bursts of bright red.

“We need to get you to safety,” the voice pushing the bed said, his voice barely audible through the sudden commotion. Anne recognized his voice as the other person that was talking to Elly when she awoke after the measuring. He was very pale and was pushing her bed as fast as he could. They turned the last corner before the guarded door that led to her room when the man let out a yelp. His face was strained with anxiety, but he seemed oddly in control. He made a hard turn with the bed as gunshots rose above the noise around them. The bed overturned with a crash, making Anne plunge to the floor face first. Her eyes burst into tears at the searing pain that enveloped her face. Dazed, she twisted and squirmed to try and make sense of her surroundings. Blood was spilling out of her broken nose. Using her feet, she pushed herself forward across the cold and slick floor, trying to get the guarded door leading to her room into view. She rounded the overturned bed when she locked eyes with the man who had been pushing her bed lying still and bleeding on the floor.

Another surge of muffled dread ripped from both her and Tom, yet this time the feeling felt sharper. Just past the body, Anne could see five heavily geared guards, dead on the floor. The floor and walls were riddled with the remnants of a fresh firefight.

No, Tom! Stay away from him!

Anne struggled around the body. Her face left red streaks on the floor, making her feet slip as she pushed herself across the floor. She rolled onto her back and pulled herself into a sitting position, then struggled to her feet. She ran past the dead guards, careful not to slip or trip over anything. The banging and crunching of a door could be heard ahead, making Anne quicken her step.

Anne froze as her room came into view and her mind shuddered, for the connection with Tom was gone. The door was ripped apart, and from within the room, a giant man pushed out through what was left of the door. With an expressionless and cold face, he turned towards Anne and started walking at a steady pace, dragging Tom by the hem of his shirt behind him. Tom's arms were hanging limply as he was dragged across the floor.

“Tom. No!” Anne yelled as she ran towards him. Her mind was pulsing, and her heart was thrashing in her chest.

“Let him go! Let him g-” Unconcerned, the brute lifted his hand and, as if swotting a fly, flung her out of his way. Anne flew backward into the wall with a crash and dropped onto the floor.

Powerless, she lay on the floor as Tom was dragged right past her. Tears were blurring her vision. Her tiny frame was shaking violently.

Rise.

Her whole body stiffened, and her muscles tensed.

Rise.

She shuddered again as the confusion in her head was ripped away. Her thoughts were now crystal clear.

Rise.

She sat up with her back against the wall and pushed herself up against it in one movement. Her legs were unyielding, and she was not shaking.

She stood motionless, taking in all her surroundings. The red glow was flashing across the halls around her. The sound of a fire raging off in the distance. Yelling and gunfire were sounding from somewhere above her. Water was spraying the floor from a broken pipe someplace off and down the hall. The soft pat pat as the blood from her nose hit the ground between her feet. It was raining outside.

Go.

She moved swiftly. Her small body followed the grimy, oversized boot prints that pushed through the chaos around her. She turned two corners, then she followed one corridor to where a giant hole had been blasted through from the outside. She climbed out over the rubble, keeping her balance with little effort. Wet gusts blew through her hair as she stepped outside. The storm made it hard to see very far, but she did not need to.

A large flat roof stretched out before her with a helicopter prepping for take-off. The giant man had reached it and flung Tom inside carelessly. The rain was soaking the bandages on her body where her arms once were, making them become undone from the added weight. The brute sluggishly looked over his shoulder at Anne as the helicopter started its ascent. His blank white eyes could be seen even through the downpour. The giant suddenly grabbed onto one of the helicopter’s landing struts mid-takeoff, pulled it closer with ease, and ripped the strut off.

The brute advanced on Anne slowly, brandishing the steel strut like a large thin club as the helicopter made a shaky escape. Its lifeless white gaze bored into Anne.

Anne closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I’m coming for you, brother.”