"Ah!" I cry out as I lurch forward into the darkness surrounding me. Or at least I try to lurch forward, but the restraints around my wrist stop me. My arms flail around wildly, completely out of my control as my heart begins to race at paces most people would consider unthinkable. My heart feels like it's close to pounding right out of my chest and the shhing from just out of my severely limited field of vision only agitates it further. Well, that and turning the feeling of fright that's plagued me since I was startled awake into rage; the extent of which whoever tied me up probably wouldn't learn because I'm sure it'll subside before I'm released.

On a sidenote: I'm getting really tired of waking up in the custody of strangers.

"Hey Kat," I hear someone, probably the guy who was shushing me just a few moments ago call out from beyond the impenetrable abyss of blackness, "she's awake."

"I heard her, I heard her."

Wait a second, that voice sounds awfully familiar.

Oh, does it now?

"Thank you for the alert, Patrick."

Whoever, whatever she is, I can hear her footsteps echoing across the cement floor that I'm guessing encompasses the whole building, approaching me. Wait no, there's two sets of footsteps, no mistaking it. One of them is wearing tennis shoes and the other high heels.

Astute observation.

"What do you--" I start before a hand shrouded in darkness forces itself over my mouth and drowns out the rest of the sentence. Without thinking much of it, I bite down on the hand which only causes its owner to press its fingers deeper into my skin. My arms start to flail harder, determined on breaking through the leather restraints digging into my wrists. My teeth grind into the raw, broken and bleeding skin covering my mouth and I hear an agonized wail as the hand's owner pulls it away from me. I'm not that stupid and I lift my head in accordance with his struggles to break free. The blood is really starting to pour from his hand and into my mouth; it tastes coppery and bitter.

Then the man's other hand curls into a fist and slams downward into my stomach. My pitbull-esque grip on him is broken in favor of replacing the oxygen expelled out of my lungs and I start to gasp in shallow attempts to bring in air. Matter of fact, I'm so focused on breathing that I don't even notice the incoming fist until it connects flush with my cheek, forcing it right into my teeth and slicing the inside of it. Again the sensational taste of blood floods over my tongue, not only from that but from the tooth that was formally evicted from my mouth and now occupies the cement floor before me, blocked by blackness.

"What's your problem Pat? What part of 'I don't want a scratch on her' do you not understand?"

"She fuckin' bit me!"

"I don't care if she killed your entire fucking family."

"Um, hello? Don't mean to be pushy but is there any fuckin' reason to this or were ya just bored?"

That's when I hear the footsteps stop. Then, sound of open palm meeting cheek and the man who punched me, Patrick I think his name is, yelping in pain.

Definitely boredom.

"Now, it's Kat right? You prefer Kat?"

That's a voice I could never mistake. That's Tigris. Of course she's involved with this; when is it never her? Again, the intensity of my attempts at breaking free from my restraints increases but unlike the other times it's completely of my own accord; not the work of some weird tone or a survival instinct. I'm gonna fucking kill this bitch.

"Now now, calm yourself."

Though I can't see her, I'm sure she's doing that condescending little wave to me.

"Yes, Kat's fine Miss."

"Good. And you're sure it's Diaz?"

"Are you questioning me?"

"The lights are out. Call me old fashioned but that screams double cross to me."

"And yet you're still here."

"You aren't stupid enough to try anything."

"Right. Electricity's all fucked up here. Patrick, hit the lights."

I hear rustling for a moment and then footsteps leading away from me. My heart pounds in my chest again and I await (dread) the lights. Though, I don't have much time to dread that before I hear a loud click and the lights come to life, flickering at first but unbelievably bright. As I was looking up when they powered on, I'm blinded momentarily; an ailment I don't believe Tigris was suffering from too.

"Oh yeah, that's her."

"So, you gonna explain the resemblance?"

"Hadn't planned on it. You ready for the second part of this little job?"

My eyes start to correct themselves; adjusting to the level of light.

"Sure."

It's here where I catch my first glimpse of the person accompanying Tigris.


My eyes widen in shock.

"You knocked her fuckin' tooth out! Seriously, what part of--"

"Ahem."

"Right."

"Well, Kat, Katrina, whichever you prefer. I guess it was a little useless to learn the distinction because Katrina Perry, you're going to be known as Jessie Diaz indefinitely."

"Wait, what?!"

"Understood."

"As for you," she starts, reaching into her blouse and pulling out a syringe containing a greenish blue liquid, "Well, you won't have to worry about a thing."

She stabs the needle into my neck and plunges the serum into me.

And out I go.

Like a light.