Lights. Not the harsh light I was used to. These were soft, warming, cosy even. The room was small, smaller even than the cage I had been born in. But the walls had features. A strange pattern of animals, repeating one after another. It was broken up by blocky shapes, furniture of some kind. The exact names escaped me for most, having been barely mentioned as i grew.

My eyes focused on the bed, and the body lying within. I could see it's warmth, even as it hid under the covers. I could tell it was like those that kept me, but smaller. My enhanced hearing picked up muffled sobs, even though this person tried to be quiet. I could smell the fear, and knew I was the source.

I hated it. I had been made to be a weapon. I had killed, and would certainly kill again if they found me. But I never wanted to be feared by those who did not mean me harm. Judging from the size of this one, they were a child. And I had just given them material for nightmares spanning the rest of their life.

I reached out, gently patting the shaking lump. I wanted to tell them it's OK, and that I wouldn't hurt them. But that would require being able to speak. Something that hadn't seen fit to give me. I knew I was made to be a monster. A bioweapon, one to hunt and kill. An intelligent beast.

They shook beneath my clawed hand. I was careful to keep them away, using only the palm. I just carried on patting them, letting them build up the courage to come out. I could leave. I should leave. But where would I go? I didn't want to be lonely anymore. Here was as good a place as any to start.

Eventually my efforts bore fruit. They shifted, and pulled the blanket from over their head. A pair of green eyes stared at me, as the little girl looked out. I bowed my head to her, letting her be in charge. She was still afraid, I could still smell it. But there was a hint of curiosity as well.

"Are you a monster?"

Her voice was quiet. I raised my head to stare at her, before slowly nodding. Her trembled, raising the blanket to her mouth.

"Are you going to eat me?"

Her voice was even quieter. I quickly shook my head, making sure to keep my mouth closed.

"Do you want to be my friend?"

It was a genuine question. One that made my hearts leap. I nodded, ducking down. She grinned, her fear vanishing in place of joy. Moving fast she sprang at me, hugging my head. I reared back, surprised but pleased, before nuzzling into her.

"Polly, time to get up honey."

I heard someone shout. They were older, presumably a parent. I whirled around, letting my carapace change colour to match her pink carpet. It wasn't the best, but I was better suited to darkness and outdoors. Polly giggled, clinging onto me.

"Wow! You're magical!"

"Polly?"

As she was latched on, her door opened. A human man stood there, grey beginning to emerge from otherwise brown hair. He instantly realised I was there, as my camoflage was hindered by the limpet on my face.

"Polly! Get away from that, now!"

She looked over her shoulder, before hugging closer to me.

"Daddy, it's OK. Simba is a friend."

Simba? I practically melted as she gave me a name that wasn't Subject. Her father stared at us, and I let my carapace return to black.

"Honey, listen to me. I don't know what that thing is, but you have to get away, now!"

His voice was very reminiscent of those who gave me orders before. But he wasn't directing them at me. I could smell his own fear, directed at the fact I had his child attached to my face. I gently reached up, prying her off. His face paled, even as I put her down. I held up my hand, putting some distance between us.

"Daddy, Simba's nice! He's a monster, but he doesn't want to eat me. He's my friend."

She was pleading with her dad. I nodded, slowly standing. I couldn't reach full height, with the low ceiling, but I could tell he was even more concerned as I obviously didn't fit.

"What are you....?"

I shrugged, the answer difficult to convey without speech. He frowned, looking around.

"How did you even get in here?"

I blinked, not sure even how to begin. Polly reached up, motioning for my hand. I slowly reached down, letting her take it.

"It was magic Daddy! Can we keep him, pleaaaaaase?"

There's screams, I think. I don't know, I am in pain. I can't hear, my ears are ringing. My head hurts, and my legs hurt. What even are legs? What are ears? Why do I know what either of those are? I don't have either of those extremities...

I am running. Somewhere, doesn't matter where. I hurt someone, somebody, a lot of people, and someone didn't like that... I think...

Some creatures stood before me, trying to halt me. They are massive and fleshy, snarling and stupid. Everyone calls them 'Rejects'. I don't know what they are.

My arm melted into a long and thin tendril, and skewered the three in a single motion. It felt like my heart tightened, But I don't have one of those. I think. I could feel the three bleed into me, and I got stuck with the bits and pieces of the people their hosts were.

First one was a depressed school boy, aged 17. Second one was a teacher at Harvard University, aged 49. Last one...

I spewed blood onto the ground, from a mouth. I think. My being seemed to reject them, whoever that was. Every cell wailed in agony as I unwillingly absorbed whoever that used to be. The three started speaking, asking too many questions, and demanding too many answers.

It took so much effort to stomp out their voices. I already have a fucking headache! Ugh, where am I?

I glanced at the perfectly clean halls, well, previously clean halls. Come on, remember!

I halted at an intersection, and facepalmed. I don't even have a brain and I'm having the biggest headache...

"Subject 1256! Wait!"

A quick formation of an eye on my back showed me who it was. It was my retainer. I think. Short girl, blue eyes full of terror, disheveled blonde hair, typical lab scrubs. I was her pet project! I think! WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER ANYTHING?! STOP LOOKING AT ME!

I began to run again, blindy down one of the paths. Somewhere, anywhere, get me out of here!

"It's heading for the Relay Prototype!" someone yelled from somewhere far behind me. What's a Relay!? What are those?! Answer the 'It' that you made!

It was a dead end, the clean halls terminating into a solid wall. I just increased my speed, even if it killed my legs. I burst through the wall with a splash of what I assume is concrete and steel. On the other side were maybe five people in lab scrubs, maybe a foot or two beneath my height, staring at me with utter horror and disgust. Stop looking at me like that! I get it! I'm hideous! Leave me alone!

There was a door mounted on the wall opposite me. It was surrounded by complex machinery and who knows what else. I'm not even sure what I'm looking at, short of it being a door. A door full of swirling white energy.

I didn't wait for anyone to say anything, didn't wait for the scream of terror, or the yell of anger. I didn't wait.

I ran through the door.

...

I ended up in a room, with dimmed lights. The lights were soft, calming even. The room was painted pink, muted shades, but still pink. It was quiet, and still. I glanced around, with my clumps of eyes. It is a kid's room, the boy in my head used to have a younger sister with a room like this one. Something shifted, behind me. It's always things behind me...

I turned around, and saw a bed. There was a shape outlined under the blanket. It was still, hardly moving, the slightest movements. Breathing? Was it breathing? ... Was I breathing? Can I breathe? Do I breathe?

It shifted again, and gently sat up, pushing the blanket back. Shining green eyes, short cut black hair, and impossibly small and delicate. A girl?

It stared at me, wide eyed and silent. It's going to scream. It'll scream. I hate screaming, it makes me feel guilty. Wait, I feel guilty about things?

"Uhm... H-Hello?"

I stared at it. It said hello? It greeted, me? It... greeted me?

"A-Are you a monster?"

Fear. It was obviously fear. It's only fear. A seven foot five monster that is nothing more than a pile of tendions and flesh appeared in it's room and the only normal reaction is fear. That's logical. But I wasn't a monster, I hope. Just shaped like one. Just looked like one. Just acted like one.

"No, I'm not." My tone was soft, quiet, steady. I didn't know I sounded like that. Wait... I said that?

I felt something run down my cheek. Wet and quick. A haphazard tentacle climbed my face, and I felt the source of the discomfort. Tears. I was crying? I wasn't aware I could cry.

She lowered the blanket slightly, and the terror began to dim. "Y-You're not a monster?"

"No." I tried to put some inflection into my voice, but I couldn't. It was still soft and emotionless. I'm not sure how I can speak.

"Are you magic?"

...Magic? I... Maybe? I'm not sure... "Yes." I said, still internally unsure.

"That's so cool! Do you want to be friends?"

The terror was gone now, both in tone and posture. She was peering in the dim light, desperately trying to see me clearly.

I answered before I could think. "Yes." I want friends? What are friends? I can want? I have the capacity to want...

She shot both her arms up. "Yay! I always wanted to be friends with a witch!"

Witch... Female magic user... Myth... Why do I know these things?

She hopped down from her bed, and began to run towards me, her arms outstretched.

She wanted to hug me? No! Not this form! Not this disgusting mass!

I dug through the memories of the Rejects, and formed a good enough comparison to the girl. My body set to work, compacting and squishing down to the correct size. Tendrils folded into muscles, legs converged, and flesh turned to skin and hair. Some of my flesh became clothing. It was an easy process. Easy enough. I didn't know I could do it.

Done in one and three fourths seconds.

Short black hair, white dress, vacant grey eyes, pale skin. She looked like a walking corpse, but it was a million times better than my old form. It felt wrong only having two arms, and two eyes, and legs. Only one mouth and nose felt dangerous to maintain.

She jumped at me and hugged me, gently, softly. I placed my hands on her back without any force, I'm not sure how much pressure these creatures can withstand, so I'm being safe... Safe? I'm being safe? I wiped the entirety of a nation off the map, and I'm being safe?

I... killed an entire nation?

I began to cry in the girl's arms.

What am I...

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