"Cassia? Nice." He made his way to the metal table and examined the body like he'd done it before. "Stone dead. Has been for around… uh… 5 hours? Killed by trauma to the head, neck, and chest." He rubbed his hands together and looked around some more.
Stunned by the girl, Sunny's sudden change of attitude, Cassia blinked. "Wha- thanks," she said, with a hint of surprise in her voice.
"Seb, It was moving when I got up, it hasn't been 5 hours, more like 45 minutes. It died of its injuries in pain and alone…" My voice breaks, that's new.
"There were some supplies in another room, I woke up before you guys, I'll go get them," Sebastian said, before moving slowly to the wall and opening a near-invisible door by shoving his shoulder against it.
"It? That's a human right there, just as deserving of pronouns as we are," Cassia tried to say, but her voice was tired, and devoid of anger, let alone emotion.
He swung around. "It died! 5 hours ago! I swear!" He ran back over to it. He pointed out various signs to show the time of death. "See these? Here and here, means over two hours. And nothing there means under 6. Also, I timed it, I watched it die." He said before clapping his hand over his mouth.
"That body is of a male in their early twenties, please can we stop referring to him as an inanimate object? Five hours ago, forty-five minutes ago, it doesn't matter. He was still a living, breathing human being just as we are now. Alive," Cassia tried again, in the same tone of voice.
"Seb, slow down. Okay, fine, it died 5 hours ago, I'll give that to you. You are right Cass, it does deserve pronouns." I examine the body, trying to see if there is anything we missed. I turn it's hand over to look at it's wrists. I gasp, "Look!". Shaking, i show it to Sebastian, it's the mark of Hades.
I've seen it before, in fact, it's on my own arm. I covered it up before I planted myself in here.
"He, for the last time!" Cassia exclaimed, exasperated. But leaving the subject alone, she rushed over to where Sebastian and Sunny were standing, by the dead body, her eyes widened, not sure what the mark meant.
Sebastian's eyes widened. "Shit" he murmured. He reached out to touch the mark but stopped, his fingers centimeters from it and withdrew his hand quickly. "I have to go." He said serious, "To get the supplies of course!" He said quickly with a nervous laugh. He ran from the room, out the secret door which closed behind him. He cursed himself as he ran, rubbing his own arm. He wasn't careful enough. No doubt that that Sunny person had seen the symbol before. He grabbed the supplies he promised and started jogging back to the others.
"It's the mark of Hades, Greek God of the Underworld. So either this guy REALLY likes greek mythology, or…." I can't bring myself to finish the sentence, I knew this man, but I can't tell them that.
"Hey Seb! We've got a name on mystery man over here! Hurry up!"
Cassia instantly knew something was up. When Sebastian came back, she walked aside, bringing him with her by the shoulders. "Listen, I know something's off. I want you to tell me the truth, straight. I won't be lied to," she demanded. "At least, not again," she muttered.
"Hey Seb! We've got a name on mystery man over here! Hurry up!"
"How do you know that guy's name?" Cassia called over to Sunny, her guard up.
"Don't whisper in corners you guys, if we are gonna do this, we are gonna do this together!" I had already lost Matt, I can't lose these people too. "And to answer the question, he said it before.. so?"
"We do, Matt." There was a lump in my throat.
"Matt…" He muttered. "And you're right, Cassia. We should be honest. If anyone knows anything, please say it now so we're all on the same page."
I contemplate keeping the information to myself, if I'm going to survive, I have to tell them. The lights on the camera's stop blinking, the backup generator has run out. "I know where we are and I know how to get out of here…"
"Really?" Sebastian said, perking up.
At that precise moment, something in the furthest reaches of the lab screamed. It wasn't anything human. Not even remotely. More like a demonic twist of the scream of a goat and the roar of a bear.
"Then why didn't you say so sooner??" Cassia was slightly annoyed. "And Sebastian, you need to be straight. Sunny's said her part, or half of it at least, your turn. I'm in the dark here, what's going on?" her eyes were narrowed now, and her guard was up. High.
At the noise, she tensed up. "What was that?" she extended her wings slightly, ready to take off.
Sebastion swallowed. "There's something else here. I woke up before you guys. Hours before. The power is gone and this is the only room I've found so far with people. And I've searched a lot of rooms." It was the truth, at least part of it. But if he told them everything, they wouldn't survive.
"What's here?" she backed away from the others slowly. if they were keeping that many secrets from her, who knows what other secrets they could be hiding.
"I couldn't tell you, I work for the people that put you guys in here in the first place! I had to wait for the cameras to stop working. That scream was part of one of the experiments. Seb, you aren't the only one that knows things about this place. Cass, everything will be explained soon." I feel them staring at me.