G'day mate! How is everyone this Saturday? I hope you're all doing well and if you're not, I hope the next days bring you happiness and serenity. Today I bring you chapter six of The Human Experiment, so please enjoy it and have a great evening.

Enjoy!

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I feel like I barely had any sleep before I'm awakened forcefully by a guard. I open my eyes and rub them to remove the blurriness.

"Wake up – free time!" he tells me. I give him a nod and stand up slowly, still dizzy from the deep sleep I was in. The guard waits for me to exit first before following me. I notice that I'm the last in the line and everyone is present today. My eyes meet Number Three's and I can't help but smile at the relieved look on his face.

As usual, we are escorted by the guards to the main room where each of us is ordered to be seated at a different table until we get permission to move. The guards are still heavily armored and more aware than they used to be. I try to look at any one of the others but each of them has their face turned away from the other.

"You will have an hour to roam freely before you are brought back to your respective rooms." Dr. Valkov's voice travels through the speakers. Number Three immediately runs toward me and gives me a large hug. He's stronger than he looks as he squeezes me tightly. I give him a light laugh and hug him back.

"Thank you," he whispers, hiding his face against my shoulder.

"Don't mention it," I tell him, patting his back. He pulls back and swallows heavily.

"Did they hurt you?" he asks me, wringing his hands together. A nervous habit of his. I don't have the heart to worry him. I shake my head.

"No, they just tried to make me move stuff like usual," I tell him, sitting down on a chair placed next to one of the tables. Number Three sits down next to me with wide eyes.

"And? Could you do it?"

"No," I say and see how he deflates immediately. Good old, Number Three. He loves the fact that I can hear thoughts and wants me to be able to move stuff without touching them as well. I think his powers are nifty as well. "Hey, your powers are much better than mine." he scoffs and shakes his head.

"You can move a table by just thinking and I can control a bunny," he says and the way he says it makes me laugh out loud.

"Hey, being able to control animals and feeling empathy for them is really neat," I tell him. He shrugs his shoulders. I nudge his shoulder with mine. "Come on, Number Three, no sad faces."

"I just wish...I had cool powers like you or Number Two..." he whispers sadly.

"I would never want Number Two's powers," I say quietly, so he won't hear me.

"Why? Being able to generate fire is so amazing." Number Three says, his eyes landing on Number Two who's staring at Number Five once again.

"Fire is destructive," I say. "It doesn't do anything well."

"It can keep one warm," says Number Three. "I think it can be both good and bad, depending on how you use it." I give him a nod and actually agree with him.

"Yeah," I mumble, my gaze once again landing on the beauty of Number Five. Once again, there are objects hovering around her but this time there's only pieces of paper, unlike the other time. I move my gaze and notice that Number Four is looking at Number Five as well, but it's more of a glare than a stare. She must have sensed me because her eyes meet mine and suddenly she stands up and walks toward us.

"Hey," she says, nodding her head at me and Number Three.

"Number Four, you're finally out!" Number Three says, giving her a wide smile. She returns it but not equally happy.

"Yeah, it lasted longer this time," she says with a sneer. Number Four is cute as well but she looks completely different from Number Five. She's quite short with a small body. Her eyes are big and brown, and you can easily see her feelings through them. Her hair is long and brown, reaching down her mid-back easily. "Like it was my fault, he was the one who started."

"You almost killed a guard with tree vines during your experimentation," I tell her with a chuckle. She gives me a smile while shrugging her thin shoulders. Poor Number Four, she must be starving after so many days in the Segregation Room.

"He said bad things about my father, and no one gets away with that," says Number Four, a fire inside her eyes. That's why I like and respect her. She doesn't let anyone talk down to her. Not even Number Two.

"Well, we're happy you're back." Number Three says with a grin. Number Four returns it.

"Thanks, Number Three. I missed you too, I mean, you guys too." she giggles and averts her eyes from us. "Is he always this creepy?"

"Who?" asks Number Three. Number Four moves her eyes over to Number Two who is still staring at Number Five. Number Three and I share a look before answering simultaneously.

"Yeah."

"Why does he keep staring at her? I mean, okay, she's pretty but what else is there? She's just sitting there facing the wall with no expression on her face." Number Four says with a frown on her face.

"Do I smell jealousy, Number Four?" I say with a light chuckle.

"Oh, please! I'm much prettier than her," she says with a light blush. "Just wait until I'm slightly older. You can clearly see that she's older than me."

"Maybe..." I say. Suddenly I feel my whole face heating up when my eyes meet the striking ones of Number Two. He's not saying anything but instead of staring at Number Five, he's staring at me now.

"He's such a weirdo," says Number Three who just noticed Number Two's gaze. And maybe he heard him because suddenly he stands up and walks toward us. Number Three grasps my arm in a tight grip and I'm pretty sure he's blocking the blood flow since my hand is becoming numb. "H-he heard me. He's going to burn me!"

"Just calm down, Number Three," I tell him trying to make him loosen his hold but it's futile. Number Two stands before us but his eyes are no longer on me but on-

"Number Four, right?" his deep voice addresses her. She looks more than confused but still manages to give him a confused nod.

"Yes?"

"You spent a long time in the Segregation Room, what did you do?" asks Number Two, crossing his arms and that's when I notice how muscled he really is.

"What's it to you, redhead?" she says, clearly giving him the same attitude, he's giving her. Number Three gasps and I can't help but bite my lip in nervousness. What are you doing, Number Four?!

Number Two chuckles and steps closer to her and grasps her by her chin before leaning down until his face is aligned with hers.

"Because I want to see if the daughter of a murderer is one herself," he says with a sneer. Number Four tries to shake off his hand but his grip is too strong, and I can see the skin around his fingers turning white from the tight hold.

"How dare you speak ill of my father?" Number Four growls, shaking her head furiously. She grabs his wrist and squeezes tightly when she suddenly cries out in pain. "It burns!"

Number Three jumps up and looks over at the guards. "Help her! He's burning her!" but it does nothing. They keep their stance, but I can see a sickening smile on their robotic faces.

"You're burning me! Let me go!" Number Four screams louder and now there are tears streaming down her red face.

"Number Two, stop it!" I scream into his mind, but he's not even fazed. He just faces me and gives me a hard push back with his other hand. I'm shorter and skinnier than him so it's impossible for me to fight him physically. "Stop it! You will kill her!" I scream louder in his mind.

"I don't care. Let her die! I will be the last one standing here and none of you are strong enough to stop me-" Number Two's last word is interrupted when his cheek is suddenly cut and a thin stream of blood spill down his cheek. His focus is taken from Number Four and his hand gets loose around her chin. She jerks her head back and takes this moment to punch him across his other cheek, but it seems to hurt her more than it does to him.

Number Two looks back and is faced by Number Five who is standing up, maybe for the first time since arriving here.

"Did you just attack me?" he says with a growl, stalking her. She says nothing but extends her arm toward Number Two and suddenly he freezes in his place. We're all watching them in shock because this is the first time we see Number Five using her powers on anybody. And because Number Two is looking at her like he wants to murder her. He tries moving but isn't able to and it is shown all over his face – pure hatred directed at Number Five. I look closer at Number Five and see how her skin is becoming pink by the second and that's when I understand what's happening. He's using his powers on her but unlike Number Five, he is hurting her, and I can see her arm trembling before she cries out in pain and crumbles to the floor. Number Two smirks at her pain and moves closer to her but not close enough because I decided that it's enough and step up to him – and he does not like that, at all!

"Move, Number One," says Number Two and, wait a minute, did he just call me by my name?

"Enough is enough, Number Two," I try to say as sternly as I can. "If you hurt any of us, you will be sent to the Segregation Room and who knows how long you will be stuck in there."

"Why is she allowed to hurt me?!" he screams, pointing a finger at Number Five who is still brave and meets his burning eyes despite lying on the floor. "My face is covered in blood from her stupid attack on me!"

"I know and what she did was wrong, but you started it, Number Two. You attacked Number Four and began saying unnecessary things to her." Is it actually working? Is he listening to me?

Number Two exhales loudly and I can see him thinking or, I can hear his thoughts.

That punk is right! What am I doing here attacking the others who are more like me than anyone else will be? I should focus my energy to become stronger, so I can escape from this hellhole!

I extend my hand shakily and see him eye it suspiciously before reaching forward and clasping my hand in his. I can feel how strong and warm his hand is when I'm suddenly pulled closer to him.

"Lucky for you that you are so cute, or I wouldn't have listened," he tells me with a wink before letting go of my hand and walking away to sit down on his chair. I give off a shaky breath and my mind can't comprehend what just happened.

Did he just call me cute?

Number Three runs toward me and wraps his hand around my arm.

"You're shaking, Number One," he mumbles and leads me to the chairs where we sat before. I sit down, still numb from the whole experience. Number Four looks at me and even though she says nothing, I can see that she's grateful for our interference.

"Did he just call you cute?" says Number Three, looking at Number Two who's returned to his seat and resumes staring at Number Five who's sitting on the floor again, avoiding his gaze at any cost. But this time, there are no objects hovering around her. Is she okay?

"I'll be right back, guys," I tell Number Three and Four. They give me a confused stare but nod their heads nonetheless. I stand up and walk slowly to where Number Five is sitting. I can see her tense up and I send her a message and hope she hears it.

I'm not going to hurt you. Can I come closer?

I barely see it, but she nods her head and I can feel the tension leave her body. Wait a second? Did she allow me to speak in her mind? Last time I tried, I couldn't do it. There was like a mental block that stopped me from reaching inside her mind. I kneel next to her and sit down slowly opposite her until we're facing each other. Her face is covered by long strands of her beautiful hair.

"Hi," I say softly. She looks up slowly and I can feel my chest tightening when her eyes meet mine. I swallow heavily and give her a small smile. She puts her hair behind her ears and slides a little closer to me.

"Hi," she whispers.

And that's the first time Number Five spoke to anyone in here.

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