Chapter 1 - The "Smart" Monster

A strange sound woke me up. It was like something really bad at humming with a dry voice was, well, humming. It was annoying and reminded me of how hungry I was. So, I opened my eyes and noticed right away that my vision wasn't right. It was weird and, like, grey? That's not right. My eyes are red so, if my vision is going to be any weird color, it should be red!

Huh? Oh, my vision is becoming less grey. Well, would ya look at that? Neato!

...Actually, what does neat mean? Ehh, probably means something nice, like food! Speaking of which, I need to start looking for that. I am without a doubt hungry, and a hungry predator is in danger. Why? Well, a hungry predator that doesn't get food soon will then starve, and a starving predator makes stupid decisions. That is why it is important to eat when feeling hungry. Simple stuff, really!

As I looked around the...room? Yes, small room I was in, I realized that something was restraining me. I looked down and noticed that there were metal stuff around my wrists and, by the feeling of it, my back, legs, and body too. It seems like I was in some kind of restrainment chair, though what it was restraining is beyond me. Did this silly little chair think it can possibly hold the great and mighty me?

Well, the answer is it cannot! I am the great Ava, after all!

So, I simply got up, tearing the metal stuff that was holding me right off. I felt like somewhere in the back of my mind, what I just did shouldn't be possible but, seeing as I did it with no resistance, and I am clearly an unmatched super predator, I told that part to watch and learn as I do more stuff like that, like hunting!

Now that I was free, I could look freely around the room I was in. It was small and pretty much bare, with lights in the walls and a strange wall that I was facing when I woke up. In one of the corners of the room I saw a skeleton and knew right away that I ate that non-moving prey. Yet, despite knowing that, I can't actually remember doing it. In fact...

....I can't really remember anything? No, that can't be right!? I remember my name, that I'm a predator, predator things, and my father's name! And...besides that, I can't remember anything else. Huh.

Welp! No reason to try and remember stuff I can't. Currently, I am hungry and, what's the word? Hmmm...Ah! Now I remember! The word is curious. Yes, I am hungry and curious.

Like I first said to myself, the small room is bare. The only thing, besides the now broken foolish restrainment chair and the skeleton, was the strange wall. For a weird reason, I can kinda see through it. It was really weird though, like how my vision was when I first woke up. I could make out shapes on the other side of the wall, and a really bright blue light.

The light was so bright that it was actually making my eyes uncomfortable. So, in order to make it stop, I did the simple solution.

I growled at it.

....

......

........

....That bright light...It DARES To Challenge Me!? Oh, start Playing the epic music now! I'll teach this light a lesson about messing with a super predator.

Actually, what is music? Ah, who cares!? Back to the Light!

I decided, since the Light is my enemy, I shall treat it as such. I waited for the Light to make a move but, instead of doing so, it just kept still, glowing its annoying bright light. So, after checking to see if it had any hidden surprises waiting for me, I crouched down and got ready to pounce at the Light.

Now, don't get me wrong. I was going to pounce and teach that Light a lesson. However, when I did so, that damn strange wall got in the way, though it did make a crack sound. Since I am a predator and all, I caught myself when I hit the floor and instantly got back into a pouncing stance, only this time I was putting much more effort into it. The ground beneath me let out a weird groaning noise, though I don't think it is alive like the Light is, so I ignored it.

Now, what stopped me the second time wasn't the wall which I now assumed belonged to the Light, so I name it thy Light Wall! Amazing name, I know. It was an intoxicating smell.

Ooh! Intoxicating! That's a new one...

....It sounds too complicated so I'm just gonna not use it much.

Anyway, a really good smell. It made me stop and sniff the air. It smelled so good and tasty that I felt myself start to drool and my hunger seemed to want more of it. It didn't take long to pin point the source of the smell either. It was coming from the Light itself.

With a giggle, I got ready to pounce again...and yes, again I was stopped.This time by a weird crackling sound coming from everywhere around the room, which didn't make a lot of sense. It sent a shiver down my back, which is another way of saying it put me on alert.

"Zenar 24, please hold on!"

...What was that? It sounded like I should be able to know what it was saying, yet it sounded weird. Ah! Now I get it. It is the Light talking!

So it wants to talk now, ehh? Fine by me.

So, I waited.

And Waited...

....And waited....

....If it wants to talk so bad, how come it isn't talking!? Ack! Enough. I'll just eat it and get this over with.

Letting out a annoyed sigh, I crouched down again.

"Please hold on! Food is coming in shortly."

I raised an eyebrow and scanned the room. Did the Light say food or something?

Seeing as I wasn't going to get an answer, I crouched down again.

"Food is arriving very shortly so-"

I cut the Light off by standing up on my two legs and striking a victory pose.

"Aha! I finally understand ya. So yer bringing food, are ya?" I asked, giving the Light what I assumed is a totally awesome smug smile. Yes, tremble in...what's the word?

Wait. That tasty smelled died down! Bring it back!

I was about to go on all fours again, ready to see if by threatening the Light, that smell will come back, when the Light spoke again.

"...I see. I'm sorry. I did not think you didn't understand what I was saying, nor that you can talk. You used to understand what I was saying in the past but-"

"Are you calling me dumb?"

"Excuse me?"

"What does excuse me mean? No, you know what? That's not important. What is important is thinking I can't talk! Of course I can talk. Why wouldn't I be able to talk? Honestly, you sound like you're insulting me. Me, the mighty super predator! Light, I must say, you are dumb, especially since you not only took that smell away, but you shine bright enough to make my eyes feel uncomfortable! I mean, you do know I consider you prey, right? Honestly...what does honestly mean? Wait, why did I say that word twice? Back! Never mind. Also, what do you think sounds better? Back, or Ack-"

A strange sound behind me caused my head to turn around. At the wall behind me to my left, or I guess my right since my body was facing the Light, a rectangular space opened up. I could make out the sound of footsteps approaching, one heavy. I sniffed the air and smelled two shapes, though one of them seemed to be made out of metal and not prey stuff. The other one, however, was most definitely prey.

I jumped up on the ceiling and hid myself in the darkest corner of the room, which just so happens to be behind the restraintment chair. Once I hid myself as best as I could, flattening my spikes and tail, I waited, closing my eyes so the bright glow of them wouldn't alert the non-metal shape, the one I chose to be my prey. The metal-shape isn't since, because I am hungry, I don't want to see if I can eat it. I know for sure that I can't eat metal.

It didn't take long for a shape to enter the room. The metal-shape didn't enter with them, instead staying back. If I strike quick enough, I can kill the shape before the metal shape could react, then figure out how to deal with them.

"H-hey! Doctor Pallapine? Why is there a skeleton in here?" The shape asked, looking around the room, or my room I guess. My new room.

"This is an old containment cell for a Zenar. As you can see, the Zenar broke the chair restraining it before we moved it. We just need you to analyze it and see if it is salvagale."

Did the Light respond to the shape? Oh! I get it. The Light is lying to the shape since its name is obviously Light, not whatever Pall-something-Pine.

I waited for the shape to approach the restraintment chair, which put me almost directly behind them, before I opened my eyes. Even with my eyes opened, the shape was still just a grey figure. Ah, it figures as much. Well, at least shapes still taste good.

Thinking about that, I let out a giggle, being too excited about my first meal...which wasn't but I don't remember eating before....yet I do...

Ack! Forget about it. What ma-

I quickly stop my train of thought and dart to the right, avoiding the shape's gaze. I guess they heard me giggle. No matter. I am only a few feet away behind them. Now, for the way to make them non-moving...

"Hey! Why do I hear some creepy ass little girl in here!? Unless you ha-"

...Needless to say, I didn't wait for the shape to finish what they were saying. They, prey, dared to insult their own predator!? Are they dumb!? Creepy. They called me creepy!? Oh I'll show them!

I snaked my tail around their neck and brought them up, turning them around so we can see each other face to face.

"I'll have you know, shape that I decided is my prey, that it is very unwise of you to insult a predator, especially when that predator is around the area, or really right behind you. I mean, do you know that-actually, you were led here so of course you wouldn't know that there was a predator in here. That is why you should always be careful, even with a pack or someone ya trust. You get what I am saying? Well, you won't really need to since I am going to make you non-moving prey so i can eat ya but-"

Wait? Did they just-!?

"AND Now ya become non-moving without me even doing it!? Ugh! Why you..! After you insulted me, I don't even get to make you non-living!?"

Not able to express myself, I let out a minor roar of annoyance. Oh yeah! That opening also closed while I was telling the non-moving prey a lesson. Great. Now I can't explore where it went.

....

Zenar 24. The second most top secret project in the entirety of humankind, located in the most heavily defended place in the entire fortress, or facility. When President Kalesidia gave me a role in this, I was confused as I was ecstatic. I don't quite know why the project was called Zenar 24, like the names of other Zenars we have captured and study such as Zenar 13 and 58, but I didn't question it. I just assumed that it was some kind of weapon to destroy the Zenars and that was it.

Yet, when I arrived at the lab, I realized it was a holding cell and, low and behold, inside was a Zenar. Sure, she was most definitely different from other Zenars. Her tail was longer with more black spikes, and the black spikes below her elbows were longer than normal Zenars. he also had four black horns, two curved right where her ears would be, the sharp pointing facing backwards like any other Zenar, but the two additional horns, slightly curved and more like a demons sitting on top of her head, was new.

There were other minor differences too. The Zenar's hands were larger than normal, and her claws were sharper. In fact, the modefied black feet she had now had some slight red veins on their scaly-texture, and her tail was less insectoid and more like a dragon. The large red core that replaces her belly button was also smaller than normal Zenars and, going off of the data the others have gathered, she seems to be slightly stronger than other Zenars.

Yet, as I browsed through the notes on her, I came across something. That something that, without a doubt, is the reason why this Zenar is a top secret project.

The Zenar is intelligent enough to have the most basic of IQ's. Now, Zenars are intelligent, but their intelligent is more like sudden bursts, with most of the time their intelligence being childish animals. That is excluding the more uncommon Zenar and entirely excluding Queen and Princess Zenars, and the mysterious Alpha Zenars, which may or may not exist.

It didn't take long for Zenar 24 to wake up and, right away I noticed a big difference. Her eyes had three red rings around her oval-shaped pupils instead of the one, and the fear they invoked was worse. It was only because of how much I have seen and dealt with Zenars that kept me from leaving the room.

Her eyes were different for another reason. They were glossed over, not glowing as brightly as Zenar eyes should be, and they had an intelligence of a person, taking things in with much more complexity than other Zenars, yet look like a depressed person. I was soon informed that Zenar 24 has been like this since she first woke up. Unlike other Zenars, she barely moves. Well, let me explain.

Zenars are naturally lazy creatures, sleeping a lot. Yet, she was just standing or sitting, not even trying to get comfortable. When she did move, her movements were slow and felt off, like she was lethargic. However, when food was brought in, she moved just as fat as other Zenars, only things were noticeably different.

Instead of hiding, she rushed the lab rat, grabbing him and throwing him into the right corner. Then, she jumped back into the middle of the room and lunged at him, killing him by punching through his chest so hard that the heavily reinforced jetlen wall dented loud enough for us to hear. That was what tipped us off that she is stronger than a normal Zenar.

The next thing that happened was the biggest surprise. Instead of eating him, Zenar 24 backed away, clutching her head, and promptly passed out in the middle of the room. Two months later and it was all but confirmed that she was in a coma, something everyone thought Zenars can't go in. I made the orders to not disturb anything a week after she passed out so, when the restaintment chair was build and she was placed in it at five months in, the lab rat was nothing but bones.

Three months later, today, in fact, was when Zenar 24 woke up. Her eyes were instantly different. They no longer were dull and almost lifeless. I right away nearly felt myself throw up. Even if they were the same eyes, they brought even more fear now that they were no longer dull.

Like before, they still had intelligence. Unlike before, they were full of emotion. So much, in fact, that I instantly assumed the Zenar to be a child. Her actions afterwards, while terrifying how easily she broke out of her restraints, only proved that point. Then, after trying to break through the observation window, she stood up and spoke. She didn't giggle or let out a sigh like Zenars do. No. She actually spoke words indistinguishable from a normal human girl. No growling affect or anything of the sort. In fact, her face, besides from her pitch black eyes, sharp teeth, and black and red veins sprouting out from her eyes, ending about an inch or so, was exactly like a normal human. It was so surprising that I nearly forgot that she is a Zenar, a horrible predator that kill without reason.

All I could think was...

....Damn. They can speak.

It was not the most noble of thoughts, or important of thoughts either, but that doesn't matter. She also appears to be quite...dumb.

However, when a lab rat went inside, I was once again reminded that she is, without a doubt, a Zenar. I was also reminded, once again, how strange she is, crushing the lab rat's windpipe by accident while rambling at him about why he shouldn't have insulted her. Still, I felt my spirits waver at learning that she lacks humanity.

Then again, maybe I do too since I am the one feeding her humans despite knowing that Zenars are fine with fruits and other types of meat, and the one who found it kinda funny that she killed the lab rat, even if he is a death row prisoner, by crushing his neck without meaning too, and getting upset about it afterwards.