Number 19's POV

   I was taken away from my moment of peace, which is sleep, by the sound of the door being opened by Thayer and the clinking of metal. Once he closed the door, he walked over to where I am chained to the wall. My arms and legs have thick chains on them. The thicker chains are around my neck keeping me from snapping at him. The places where I am chained are raw from my struggles. It heals but the wounds are constantly being reopened.

   He walked towards me with the smirk that he wears every time he sees me. Once he unlocked the chains from the wall, he brought me to the middle of the room where he reconnected the chains to the floor. Then he just stared at me.

   "Did you know? You're one of the finest slaves that I have had. No one else has survived this long while still rebelling against me." Thayer said as he walked over to me and started gliding his hands across my body, "You are unlike all the others. You excel at the fine arts. The food you make is amazing. And your body is fascinating. Even though you can't see like normal people, you can still perform regular tasks. The other senses, sound, taste, smell, and touch, are so much more advanced than a normal shifter.

   "And your so beautiful. Tall, long, silky hair, and wonderful skin that is a perfect canvas for my art. It leaves behind a lovely scar. You're very well built but not too bulky. A perfect slave to show off and have fun with. Now, ready for our daily routine?"

   Like always, I don't say anything knowing that it would get him mad. Reason? He apparently likes the sound of my voice. He says that he likes it more than his previous slaves'.

   "Why do you do this? You shouldn't keep a voice as beautiful as yours hidden. Now, lets hear that voice of yours." He said as he stabbed my right hand with one of his knives. I grunted from the pain but still kept silent. "Come now. We have other activities that we need to do. So just let me hear your voice and we can continue with the more important things." He said as he stabbed my other hand twice. Again, I only grunted but didn't say anything.

   "If you don't answer me soon, it'll be your feet next. And I'm pretty sure you're going to need that for your fights."

   "Alright, I'll talk." I said

   "There it is. Why don't you want to talk to me? I want to talk to you."

   "There's nothing to talk about."

   "Of course there is. For instance, how are you feeling?"

   "Bored. Now are you going to continue with the routine or what? This is getting me nowhere."

   "Actually, this one's a bit different. See, I think that you can be stronger if I just give you a little push. So I'm subjecting you to experimentation."

   "Experimentation?" I'm confused.

   "Yes. The scientist is a friend of mine."

   "Scientist? Friend?" I don't know these terms.

   "In other words, he is going to cut you, stick you with needles, and whatever else goes on."

   'Danger.' I thought. I start to struggle against my chains hoping to break them and get away from him. But like my previous attempts it's all useless. The chains are too strong for me to break and I end up reopening the wounds on my wrists, ankles, and neck. In the midst of my struggles I heard something that sounded like a slither. Recognizing the sound of leather sliding across the floor, I froze in place.

   "You know? I love it when you struggle. It gives me a chance to leave my mark on you." Thayer said as he lifted the whip with multiple clawed ends and brought it down on my back. I gave out a shout of pain as the whip continued to rip up my skin and tear it off.

   When he was finished, I was left on the ground losing a lot of my blood. I fought with myself to stay conscious and watch what's going on around me. When I did, I saw a man wearing something long and white walk into my field of vision.

   "Thayer. I thought I told you that he needed to be delivered to me unharmed since we don't know what kind of strain the serum will put on his body." Said the new guy

   "Antone, it's good to see you too."

   "I was so excited to hear that you were finally able to make good on our deal, but then I come in to this? He'd never survive the experiment."

   "First of all, I always intended to make good on our deal. It's just that none of the slaves ever survived long enough to make their way to you for your experiments. Second of all, he will survive. He won't die that easily. Lastly, there's nothing to worry about. His wounds are healing, just not all the way."

   The new guy, Antone, looked over at me and his eyes widened. I can probably guess what he is seeing right now. My back in tatters rapidly healing itself until the only things left are the blood stains and scars as a reminder. Antone looked back at Thayer.

   "He's strong. His regenerative capabilities are far better than the slaves who never made it to you. Not only that, he can shift into animals." Thayer said

    "Well of course he can shift into an animal. He's a shifter."

   "You're not listening. I said animals."

   "No way. That's impossible."

   "Yet here he is. Now take him. But keep him in a dark place with no light. He has never seen it. Who knows what seeing it now will do to his eyes."

   "What do you mean he's never seen light?"

   "I blindfolded him when he was born. His eyes has never seen the light of day or any other form of light."

   "What you do to your slaves is much worse than what I do to my experiments. I hope for your sake that he dies off like all the others. Cause if he lives then you will definitely die."

   Towards the end of their conversation, my vision started getting darker until I finally blacked out.

Antone's POV

   When I'm sure that number 19 is unconscious, I ask him a question that I have been wondering about.

   "How old is he?"

   "Why does it matter? You have your guinea pig."

   "Fine. Then, what of the slave's parents?"

   "Why, they're dead of course. Once he was born, I killed his parents and blindfolded him. He doesn't know what parents are. He doesn't even know what a girl is. He hates me and resists me but you know how much I like a challenge."

   "Yes. I know about your 'likes' and 'tendencies' for those kinds of things. Can't say that I agree. But you are yourself. Nothing I can change about that. Once I finish the experiment, I will bring him to you. Good bye." I said as I picked up number 19, put him on the cart, and wheeled him out of the room and the building that is hell for anybody.

   After a few hours drive, we arrived at the laboratory. I unloaded the cart from the truck and wheeled him in. I went through the halls until I came upon a dark room with a cage for 19. Once he was in the cage, I connected his chains to the floor and waited for him to wake up. Luckily it didn't take but 30 minutes for him to wake up. When he did, he looked around in confusion until he saw me. Then he started to growl.

   "Hey, no need to be hostile. I'm just here to talk to you."

  He just continued to growl at me. I sighed and pulled out a slab of raw beef as large as a cooking pot. He immediately stopped growling.

   "How about this? I give you this meat and you talk to me. Agreed?"

   He only gave me a short nod in response. I threw the meat into the cage and he jumped for it, catching it in his jaws. He tore at the meat with his sharp teeth and it was gone within the minute. Once 19 was done eating, he turned towards me with a confused face.

   "What? No 'thank you'?" I joked

   "Thank you? What does that mean?"

   "You don't know what it means?"

   "I only know what I have observed in the place that Thayer keeps me."

   "Can I ask you some questions?" I asked

   Again, only a short nod was given in response.

   "How old are you?"

   "What do you mean?"

   "How long have you been alive?"

   "I don't know."

   "Do you have a name?"

   "Thayer calls me number 19."

   "Why don't you wear a shirt?"

   "Thayer doesn't want me to wear one. He enjoys looking at his marks."

   "His marks?" I ask confused

   "The scars that cover my body. Though not all of them are from him. Some of them are from the people that I fight and kill."

    I just sat there dumbfounded. I honestly didn't know that Thayer went this far.

    "I have a question." He said in a strong but cautious voice.

   "Sure. Go ahead."

   "What is this?" He asked as he gestured to the cage that he was in.

   "That is a cage."

   "A cage?"

   "Yes. It used to contain people or things."

   "Contain?"

   "It means to hold. It serves the same purpose as the chains that Thayer attached to you."

   Afterwards, he didn't say anything else. He just sat in the cage and stared at it. When a little while had passed, I looked at my watch to see what time it was and I was surprised to see that five hours had gone by with me spending time with number 19. I got up and sighed.

   "Well 19, it is time we got started on the experiment. I have to return you to Thayer as soon as possible."

   That's when he finally showed a reaction. He growled at me and started yanking on his chains while trying to bust out of the cage. In simpler terms, he was going wild. I called my men in to come sedate him but it didn't work. We kept shooting him up with tranquilizers until he finally passed out.

   "How many darts was that?" I asked

   "Ummm...we kind of lost track after 250 darts sir." Someone answered me

"Dammit! What did you do to him Thayer?" I yelled out to myself. "Get him out of the cage and into the lab. We may have knocked him unconscious but we don't know when he will wake up again. As soon as he is restrained, we will start the experiment. Now go!"

   When I finished talking, they all immediately went over to number 19 and carried, well dragged, him out of the room and into the lab. Once he was strapped to the table with all the lights off, I got out the new serum and injected him with it. 

   For a few moments, nothing happened. But then he was screaming in pain. He strained and strained against the straps until he finally broke them and rolled onto the floor leaving a trail of blood behind him. I looked over the table to see what was happening and I couldn't believe my eyes. 

   On his back, bones were poking at his skin until they forced themselves out of his back and formed two large, black wings. Out of his head poked out two ears that looked like they belonged to a panther. The tail that he sprouted from his butt also looked like the long and sleek tail of a panther. The last of the physical changes that I noted were his eyes. Before, his eyes were just a really dark shade of red. Now, his left eye is a deep blue color while his right eye is a vibrant blood red. Both eyes had flecks of gold in them.

   When the changes were finished, he just laid there panting for a bit before he fell asleep on the floor covered in his blood. I immediately turned to the other scientists.

   "What the hell is this? Wasn't it just supposed to increase the strength given to him by his animals? So why is this happening?" I questioned them

   "We believe that it did indeed increase the strength given to him by his animals. Our hypothesis right now is that due to the fact that he has multiple animals the strength, or power, increase was too much for his body to handle. So in response, it created a way for that power to be released in a way that he retains his human form but partially shifts the body as an outlet of power." One of them explained

   "So it is basically a side effect. But to add on to the explanation, since the ears, wings, and tail are all outlets of power for him, they should be really sensitive. I suggest you be careful how you carry him from now on because if you do something to those who knows what he will do." Another scientist commented

"Oh thank you so much for the warning. But you don't have to worry about me. You guys are going to be the ones to carry him. I'm going to have my hands full explaining this to Thayer. Now hurry and clean up. I want to get this over and done with."

   When they were busy I turned around to number 19 and walked towards him. I bent down and hesitantly reached out my hand to pat his head. When I was sure that he was knocked out, I gently patted his head while looking out for his ears.

   "You poor boy. To be enslaved by that man since you were born and confined and now this. I feel sorry for you." I whispered

   After taking a second and going over what I said, I quickly took my hand away from his head and shook my head. 'Get it together. He's just another slave. That's all he is. Just another slave.'  I repeated over and over again in my head like a mantra. Because I feel that if I don't do this then things will get tremendously complicated. I got up from the floor and walked out the door with people following me and carrying number 19.

Back at Thayer's compound

   "Thayer. I've brought back your slave." I said as I walked into Thayer's office.

   "Oh that's wonderful. I thought it was gonna take longer so I was getting bored. How did it go?"

   "Well, it was a success. There were just a few side effects."

   "Side effects?  What kind of side effects?"

   "I think it would be better for you to see them rather than hear them from me."

   "Let's hope for your sake that these side effects are something that I wouldn't mind. Otherwise... Well, you've seen what happened to the others. Now shall we see him? I have been quite lonely without him." He said as he opened the door and walked through the hallways to the place where he holds number 19.

   When we got there, he opened the door and stopped. He just stood there and stared. After a while he walked in and right over to number 19 who was chained to the floor. He was awake with his wings spread out and his tail swishing back and forth. He lifted up his head and we saw his red right eye. His long hair was covering his left eye.

   "You know how I feel when you when you cover up those lovely eyes of yours 19." Thayer said as he walked over to 19 and brushed the hair from his eye. He gave a small gasp and took a step back.

   19 looked up towards us and stilled. In his eyes I could see the deep rooted hatred he has for Thayer and the new, raw hatred he is developing for me. He tried to get up but he was having a difficult time getting up due to the added weight of his wings. He looked behind him and the look on his face turned from furious to curious and back to furious. His head whipped towards me.

   "What did you do to me!?" He yelled as he started pulling on his chains.

   At first they were holding him well but one by one they started breaking until he was free. He looked at the chains with a look of surprise but it quickly changed to a look of joy. Sadistic joy. His eyes alone were enough to make me shiver in fear, but with his appearance he looks like a fallen angel.

   "You're both dead meat." He said as he pounced.

   Everything was in slow motion. 19 was coming at me with his sharp teeth and talons, I was cowering in my spot unable to move, and Thayer was getting ready to take action. When 19 was close enough to scratch my face, Thayer tackled him to the ground. On the ground, they rolled around in a ball while fighting each other. After sometime, they came out of the ball with Thayer on top of 19 while holding his arms behind his back. 19 thrashed and thrashed but his attempts weren't successful.

   "Antone, be useful and bring me those chains over there. They're stronger than the previous ones." Thayer ordered me.

   I did what he said and brought him the chains. He re-chained 19 to the floor of the room. Once Thayer got him chained to the floor, he got off of him which resulted in 19 going crazy. He started thrashing and yelling and roaring and acting like a wild animal.

   "Oh pipe down. I'm only doing this because I love you. Training will be held tomorrow. Be prepared." Thayer said once he opened the door.

   As we left, the only thing I could hear was the sound of 19 roaring out at us and echoing through the halls. The sound striking something in my heart.