Born Caged - Orcus' and Corey's Story

The story behind the Isotopes Corey and Orcus, and their escape from Helli0n. Set some time after Operation: DAWNING PEACE.

Orcus
My name is Orcus-2500. I am a Second Generation Isotope, special case. I am a former 0ccult Division operative with the codename “Angel” and an officer in the IDA branch of Helli0n.

Or rather, was.

Now, I’m a prisoner of the same organization I have sacrificed so much for to protect.

As we traveled to my next cell, I overheard the two guards in front of me talking, but could not see what they were holding or who they were.

“…I tell you. That woman was fine. Think I have a chance?” said the voice of a young man, probably a rookie.

“Of course not. She was an Isotope. They don’t mix well with humans, those genetic abominations.” Spat a grizzly voice, also male. As they spoke I kept silent, quietly testing the titanium restraints that bond my hands and feet. However, I already knew that the devices were IDA-issued, or in other words, anti-Isotope. It mainly consisted of two bullet-shaped gloves that kept me from holding anything, and two titanium straps around both my ankles, linked together by a chain of the same material. At least, I hope it was like that. They had me blindfolded me to prevent me from using my power, which really irritated me. The moment I find out their names…

“Still, she was very pretty… Hey, any news from the war front?” the young man asked his companion, my ears perking up slightly at the mention of the war.

“Meh, Nothing out of the ordinary. Halogens haven’t appeared in the area in some time, and Helli0n signed another treaty with Jvstice, giving them an embassy for their refugees. Personally, I want nothing to do with those future parasites, but I don’t have any say in it. Anyways, right now all we have to do is make sure this traitor is placed in the right cell. We are almost there.” The older man growled as the hovercar slowed down, probably reaching a checkpoint. I remained silent still, for talking did not seem to benefit me at the moment. A few minutes later, the vehicle was moving again, and our trek to my new prison continued.

“Hey, prisoner. I want to ask you something.” I heard the young man’s voice say to me, causing the older man to talk again.

“What are you doing, Travis?! We are not supposed to talk to… it.” He shouted quickly, the last word laced with malice.

“I’m just curious about something, that’s all. Hey, Isotope. What was it that you did to be named a traitor?” the young man named Travis asked me, the older man moving a little somewhere off to my right. Moving my head towards the sound of his voice, I acted as if I could actually see him and gave him my answer.

“I killed my comrade.”

After I said that, the car interior soon grew deathly silent, and remained so for the rest of the trip. My fake smile also lingered.

---

Corey
My lungs heaved as I trampled through the marsh. Frogs, fish, and snake alike darted out of my path for fear of my feet.

“Where is she? I don’t see her!”

“How do you not see her?”

“She’s the only naked African running that way!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Give me the bloody gun! I’ll get the damn Isotope!”

It had bee years since I had heard the word Isotope. It made my iridescent skin crawl.

It had been about 12 years since I had escaped the African Base through the drains and swam my way out to the Ocean. The following years had turned into me distancing myself from my home as much as possible. I hadn’t known they would still be looking for me in Ireland.

As the water grew higher against my calves, I heard the whiz of bullets racing past my body, nearly missing me each time. I needed to get into the water and fast.

Up to my knees. That would be the best I’d get for now. With a headfirst plunge into the water, I took a deep breath of the mucky water and opened my eyes. It was impossible to see more than a few inches any way. I would have to make do.

My webbed fingers and toes propelled me through the shallow water as I made a mad dash away from the spot. The voices of the men were too close for comfort. I kicked out again, getting away from my pursuers. A horrid sense of disturbance fell over me as I realized my right leg refused to move. Straining my eyes to see what had caught me, I found that a fallen tree limb had pierced the webbing between my toes. Panic began to fill me as I tried to unsnag my leg.

It was too late, though.
Another bullet zipped through the water, this time making contact with my trapped leg. Bubbles erupted from my mouth as I screamed in pain. The muddy water began to turn red with my blood. I was running out fast.

My vision began to blur as I heard the men slash through the water to my body. Most of the words they said were all just a jumbled mess to my ears. I struggled to stay awake, but everything was fading fast. Succumbing to fate, I closed my eyes and went limp.

---

Orcus
“There you go. Nice and secure.” The older male voice muttered as he finally closed the restraint on my left hand, leaving me chained to a wall in what I had presumed was my holding cell. Somewhere off to my far right, the younger male spoke out, probably reading off from a chart.

“Codename: Orcus. Serial number: 2500, classified special-case. Held under suspicions of treason, assisting rogue Isotopes, and… murder. Is to await court-martial in two weeks. Must be handled as a level 5 detainee due to the laws enacted with the Mortimer Protocol. Not permitted to remove his blindfold, under any circumstances.”

“I guess Helli0n thinks that my beautiful eyes can kill.” I laughed suddenly, making yet another joke in that grim situation.

“Enough. From here on out you will be placed under the watch of two new guards. Apparently, the higher ups in the 0ccult Division want to handle you personally. Not that I care. The quicker I get you off my back the better.” The older man growled, some footsteps telling me that he was backing away.

“Aww. Raspy, you know you’re going to miss me.” I cooed to the older man, using the nickname I had thought up a while ago.

“Bah. I hope you get the firing squad, you dirty Isotope.” Raspy growled once more, his footsteps fading away. However, I only heard one set.

“Shouldn’t you go with your partner, lad?” I asked quickly to nothing, a quick breath of surprise confirming my suspicions.

“I just… Hm… I just wanted to know… the comrade you said you killed… was he an Isotope, too?” the younger man stuttered to me, obviously nervous. Typical of a new recruit. Funny how though it seemed that he was about my age, I probably had more experience than Raspy and Travis combined.

“Yes he was, and a good friend, too.” I replied, moving my head up to look at the ceiling, even though the blindfold over my eyes prevented me from doing so.

“If he was your friend, then why did you kill him?”

Moving my head back down I smiled, but even that could not hide the sadness I felt within me.

“He asked me to. To save the rest of our squad… and our world.”

---

Corey
My trip to the NAC’s primary base was just a hazy blur of doctors, painkillers, and patronizing counselors trying to learn from me. It was obvious that Helli0n was more curious about me than angry. I found that surprising. My history is sort of interesting, though, so it’s not completely unreasonable.

I was born somewhere in central Africa. That’s right, born. I am not one of Helli0n’s Isotopes by birth. It always gave me a small sense of satisfaction to know that.

My fingers and toes were born with webbing on them, which isn’t too uncommon in normal humans, really. The special things were my lungs… and gills… and skin. And my eyes too now that I really think about it. I’m essentially a human amphibian. I can breathe underwater, talk to fish, and swim approximately six times faster than the average human. That may sound like all fun and games, but its no lounge in the pool. My skin dries out pretty quickly and I have to live near a water source. It’s not the worst thing in the world.

I was brought to Helli0n as an infant. Nobody knows all the details, but I’m going to assume that soldiers took me from my real family as soon as they found out about me. They tried to raise me as one of their Isotopes, but it didn’t work. I had managed to run away by the time I was five or six. That’s what they were so interested in.

Well, as soon as I was out of that place, I made my way to the ocean and spent the rest of my time swimming along the coast, traveling North in an effort to outrun Helli0n. You know how that turned out.

I wasn’t going to tell them anything. It was none of their business. Well, it was actually their business, I just didn’t agree with it.

The next time I actually became lucid, I was already at Helli0n’s base. My skin was uncomfortable dry as I sat up and observed my surroundings.

‘Obviously, some kind of lab.’ I thought grimly. I hated scientists. Coincidentally, one was busying herself with a piece of paper, scribbling manuscript across the pages.

“Water?” I croaked out, my throat parched.

Her head shot up in surprise at seeing me awake. She handed me a glass from the counter and I gulped it down without a second thought.

“Come with me.” She ordered shortly as she opened the door.

---

Orcus
Well, I’ve been in worst situations. Honestly, the only thing that bothered me was the boredom.

A day had passed since I was transported to the NAC Helli0n prime headquarters, and already it felt like an eternity. They had stuck me with a tube to provide the nutrients my body needed, but that did little to calm my appetite. Thankfully, the training I got from the 0ccult Division helped with that part.

Somewhere in front of me, some men seemed to be constructing or moving something, the sound of gushing water present also. They had started making noise right as I was about to fall asleep last night. Or was it this morning? Being blindfolded messed up one’s internal clock big time.

Since the noises in front of my cell were the only things that seemed entertaining at the time, I decided to listen into what the men were saying, hoping for some news about the war. Unfortunately, they were the typical construction workers.

“Man, those ladies last night were amazing…”

“I couldn’t sleep right because of them…”

Yep, typical construction workers.

The last 24 hours had been a whirlwind of events. I'd been formally charged with crimes against Helli0n, which I had expected. I was to be detained until my punishment could be carried out. What the punishment was, I had no idea. They probably hadn't decided yet. At least that would buy me time. That was all I needed.

After that brief ceremony of sorts, I was transported to the Detainment Quarters of the main base. My guards refused to speak to me, only offering me glasses of water on occasion. You can imagine the relief I felt when I discovered they had built me a tank.

It wasn't large by any means. There was just enough room for me to swim around a bit, but not nearly as much as I would have preferred. That must be why it's called prison. The water was shockingly cold, forcing me to assume it was just hose water. I could still see the prison bars and the small toilet attached to the wall on the other side of the glass, a constant reminder of where I was.

My guards left without a word to me and I couldn't say I missed them. The way they looked at me sent shivers racing through my skin.

In one of my infinite moments of free time, I poked my head above the water, trying to decipher the other prisoners around me. Down the hall I could vaguely make out the shape of a woman, pacing restlessly back and forth. There appeared to be an empty cell between her and the man across from me. Down the other end of the hall, I could hear rustles of movement but only managed to catch short glimpses of the owners. Sadness permeated the damp air in crept into my lungs. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I sunk back into the water. I sensed this place had a way of breaking you.

Desperately, I longed for my ocean home again. It may have been polluted, and I may have constantly been on the run, but it was better than this place.

It was the sounds of splashing to woke me up.

Blinking beneath the blindfold, I looked around only to remember that I was still in a visionary world of darkness. Quickly turning my head to the left and then right, two cracks on each side allowed me to relax a bit. Having one's arms and legs encased in titanium restraints is killer for the muscles.

As I did my best to stretch my sore body, I once again became aware of the splashing in front of me. Whatever they had made the tank for, they were in it now.

Smiling, I looked towards the noise, not sure what I was beaming at. Best to maintain a cheerful exterior while I suffer in this Helli0n Cell.