Project Songbird

Chapter 42

I jerk around a turn and let out a yelp as Jack tackles me through the double doors and into the cafeteria.
"Get off of me!" I groan.
Jack didn't even speak to me, but I can feel his claws dig into my arm. Travis' control must've done more damage to us than we realize. I jerk over and elbow his face, knocking him off of me. I don't want to fight him. We need to figure out what is causing this snap. Is Mark next or me?? I roll back onto my stomach, pushing myself up off the floor.
"Get back here!" Jack grabs my leg and I stumble into a nearby table.
"Let go of me!"
I shake him off but he's quick to his feet and leaps at my back. His arm snakes around my neck and tightens.
"J-..ACK-!" I grab at his arm.
Fuck, fuck! Let go!!
I cough as he's pressing heavily against my windpipe. A splitting pain shoots through my bad leg and I struggle to keep myself upright. My vision starts to fade into black and I feel a jolt of panic surge through me! I stumble backwards and we collide with a wall. I lean forward and then slam back. Jack grunts and his grip loosens. I jerk his arm away from my throat and slam against the wall again to stun him before I burst away from him. I cough violently as I struggle to regain my breath. I immediately drop to the floor and Jack goes flying over me. Shit shit! What the fuck is going on! I stand, my knee buckles slightly and I grunt out. I glance down. Blood? I'm bleeding?? How???
I jerk my arm up and Jack's hand smacks against it! His force throws me back a bit and I am unable to block his second hit. He rears his fist back again and I jerk forward to tackle him back the other direction. The table we landed on snaps in half and I brought my fist back, If I knocked him out...
Jack used my hesitation and brought his head up, colliding with mine and I yelped out, jerking back. My fucking nose! He swipes his claws and they shred the shirt I was wearing, just barely tearing through my skin. Hesitation is going to get me killed! But, I don't want to fight him! I jerk my head to the side, trying to get rid of the flashes of Amy's face.
Suddenly pain bursts through my entire body and then I feel everything fall completely limp. W-what? I raised my head slightly to see that I had somehow ended up on the other side of the room. Jack grins at me from where he stands. His body is half transformed.
"Don't tell me that's all the fight you have in you." He stalks his way over to me. His tail whips around his backside.
I take in a strangled breath, "I don't want to fight you."
He crouches down, "Oh really? Why not? Am I not worthy enough of a fight? Amy was."
"That's not fair! I wasn't in control-!" I cough, "What's happening to you?"
"Whatever do you mean?" He asks.
"This isn't like you Jack." I reply.
"This isn't like you Jack." He mocks, "I never said I was Jack." He grins, the fangs glinting in the lighting.
"What?" I'm utterly confused. He leans forward slowly, eyes glowing bright, and lowers his voice, "Did you really think all of this was just from experimental testing?"
I frowned at him, "Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?"
He chuckles, "No, of course not."
"If you're not Jack then who are you?" I ask.
"It's not who, but what." He stands up.
"What?" I ask.
"Exactly." He crosses his arms over his chest. We both turn our heads back towards a pair of doors from the loud banging. His smirk fades a bit, "Hm, out of time." He looks back at me, "This has been fun, but keep it in the back of your mind, next time I won't stop." The transformation disappears and Jack stumbles sideways, holding his head, letting out a painful groan.
The doors burst open!
The agents rush both of us!
"Get down, get down on the ground!" They point their weapons at Jack.
He looks frightened and utterly confused. He places his hands up in the air before slowly getting down onto the ground. A few agents hurry over to restrain him.
"Get on the ground!" A couple shouted at me.
"How much more on the ground do you want me to be??" I growl. I hadn't moved from where I had been flung against the wall.
"Get on the ground!" They repeat.
I huff and slowly as I can, lay flat on the ground.

"What happened?" Bob asks through the speaker. Jack and I had been locked in containment rooms. I glance over at the speaker and then let out a heavy sigh. Should I tell them? If I keep it from them and it happens again, I might not be as lucky for the agents to interrupt the fight. But I don't even understand what happened. Jack says he can't recall anything about going to sleep prior to joining me in the kitchen. If that's true then who, or rather what, was I talking to? Do they feel threatened by me? Wait a second, are the Songbirds their own people??
No, that can't be. That doesn't make any sense. Possession???? I'm so confused.
"Ethan?"
"...I don't know." I shrug, "I'm not sure how to explain it." I don't really want to explain it. It'll make me sound crazy. Something possessed Jack and tried to kill me? Yeah, sounds real credible.
"How long are they going to keep us here?" I glance around the empty room.
"I think it's supposed to be a 24 hour hold." Bob answers, "Unless something else happens."
"A whole day?!" I hear Jack from the other room, "But I don't even know why I'm here!" It was quiet for a second.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I ATTACKED ETHAN!!"
I roll over on the cold floor and curl up in the corner, "Wake me up in 24 hours."
"Well it might be less than that. The doctors have to come in and check your injuries. Jack hurt you pretty bad." Bob says.
"Yeah, sure." I close my eyes.