Shapeless

by Glenn Bullion

  Paula laughed, and her timing couldn't have been worse.

  "Aliens? Seriously?"

  Brady's eyes went wide.

  "You think this is funny?"

  She turned serious.

  "No. I'm sorry. Brady, I'm guessing you were made in a lab. You're the next step in warfare. The military used to visit all the time, wanting to see you. And you say they have tech to hurt you? It wouldn't surprise me if there are others like you, locked away in labs. You're the next arms race. There's nothing alien about you. Just good old-fashioned humans messing where they shouldn't be."

  "Told you so," Lily whispered.

  "I've done some awful things," she continued. "It's killed me having to watch from far away for so long, and not be able to do anything. Yeah, you've had it bad. But, you're alive. Anything you think is wrong with you, you can fix."

  The storage unit turned silent and tense. Lily almost felt like an intruder. She didn't know what to say to Brady. Maybe there was nothing she could say. She chose to simply be there instead. Slowly, she approached and touched his arm. He reached out and hugged her, and she was only more than happy to return the gesture. Paula, to her credit, said nothing. No rude comments, no attitude toward Lily.

  Brady leaned for Lily's ear.

  "Thank you," he said. "I, uh, needed that."

  She kissed him on the cheek.

  "Okay," Brady said, facing Paula. "What do we do now?"

  "It's your turn. When did all this start?"

  He scoffed in disgust.

  "Yesterday."

  "Tell me everything."

  Brady and Lily both filled Paula in on the last twenty-four hours. The night out at the club, the attempted kidnapping, all the way to the incident at the mall. Lily took over when Brady needed a break. Paula listened closely, hanging on every word. Not everything came to her as a surprise.

  "People speaking another language," she said. "Fighting over you. There's more than one group here. Probably from different countries, different governments. They didn't kill you last night." She laughed. "Only our government would be stupid enough to want to kill you."

  "How do I get them to leave me the hell alone?"

  "I don't think you can. We have to disappear, just like before." She took a deep breath and pointed while rattling off a combination. "Go to the safe."

  Brady unlocked it to reveal several stacks of money. He took a stack and ran the bills through his fingers. He'd never seen that much money before.

  "That's about ten thousand," Paula said. "Not much, but between that and the fake IDs, I think we can leave, stay hidden for a while, and start over. Canada's not too far away. We can head there."

  "Shit," Brady said. "That's our only option? Run?"

  "Well, I don't think talking to them will work. And you can't fight them all."

  Brady wasn't relieved.

  "There has to be another—"

  Paula's laptop chimed. Her eyes shot open as she held up a hand for silence. She reached for the keyboard.

  "What's going on?" Brady asked.

  "I hacked into the cameras here, their security system. Sadly, it's not much different than ours at the mall. They're picking up motion." She pulled up camera feed after feed, arranging them side by side on the screen. "Oh no."

  The different angles showed the entire self-storage building. The elevators, different hallways, the front office, the parking lot.

  There were cars everywhere. Men in suits slowly stepped out.

  "They're here," Paula said. "I don't believe it. They're fucking here—"

  "But how?"

  Paula's eyes went to Lily, along with an accusing finger.

  "Her," she said. "She led them here. She's with them."

  "What?" Lily said. "You're crazy."

  "Think about it," Paula said. She stood up and hobbled backwards. "You said you had a routine, and everything was fine. Then you start talking to her, and it all goes to hell."

  "I'm not with them," Lily said. "The only person I'm with is Brady."

  "Don't believe her. You'll end up dead. Or worse, in a lab. Tell me, how else could they find their way here?"

  Lily reached for Brady. She thought he might back away, but instead he put a hand on her back. He gave her a reassuring nod, confirming his trust in her. Paula's words didn't sway him.

  "Lily's my friend," he said. "She's saved my life."

  "Brady—"

  "There's no time to argue about this," he said. "We have to go."

  Paula shook her head.

  "I'm not going anywhere with her."

  "Fine. Stay here. Have fun hobbling. Lily, grab that money."

  She quickly moved to the safe and shoved the stacks into her purse. Glancing at Paula, Lily could see her having second thoughts. Paula rolled her head in frustration before approaching Brady.

  "Whatever," she said. "Let's go."

  Brady saw the change of heart coming and was already shape-shifting. He molded into a wheelchair once again, positioning so Paula could quickly sit. Lily pushed as fast as she could.

  She made one turn, but the hallways were already blending together. The place was a maze.

  "Where the hell am I going?" she asked.

  "Take a right ahead. The elevator should be off to the left at the end of the hall."

  Lily made the turn as directed. The wheelchair, or Brady, seemed to make an absurd amount of noise. Another intersection was just ahead. She was halfway down the hall when there was a ding, and light spilled ahead.

  They weren't alone.

  Two men stepped out of the open elevator. They already had their guns out, pointed at the floor. The look on their faces suggested they weren't expecting to see them so soon. They both aimed while another spoke into his collar.

  "We've got them. Third floor."

  "Back up!" Paula shouted.

  Lily tried to pull the wheelchair back, but the grips melted in her hands. Paula fell on her side as Brady moved in his liquid form at lightning speed. He pooled in front of them, his mass forming a pillar. He assumed his normal shape, but only from the waist up. The rest of him remained fluid. He snatched Lily's purse from her and took out his new phone from the side pocket.

  Despite being distracted by the sight, Lily saw the two men running for them.

  "Brady!"

  Brady didn't bother turning around. He shoved the phone inside himself, where his leg typically would have been. His upper body went fluid as well, following the rest of him. He grew and expanded.

  The two men fired. Lily flinched and ducked, falling to the floor next to Paula. Paula shielded her head and let out a small scream.

  The bullets never reached them. There was the sound of metal striking metal before the hallway went silent once again.

  Lily looked up to see a steel wall covering the entire width of the hallway. From side to side, top to bottom. She crawled forward and ran her hand down the cold surface.

  "Brady?" she said, feeling foolish immediately. She knew it was him, and knew he couldn't speak.

  She heard voices from the other side.

  "We have the target. Directly in front of us. He's, uh, turned into a barrier."

  "His people are on the other side. Use the south-side stairs."

  "We have to go," Paula said, pulling on Lily's ankle.

  "What about Brady?"

  The center of the steel in front of Lily bubbled. Block letters emerged from the surface, spelling out a single word.

  Run.

  "I think he'll be fine," Paula said. "We're in more trouble than he is."

  Lily helped Paula to her feet and they hobbled slowly in the opposite direction. Lily served as a crutch, supporting Paula's weight. The men pounded on Brady, the sound echoing through the hall.

  "We're not getting out like this," Lily said.

  Paula pointed ahead.

  "We passed a push-cart in the last intersection. We'll use that."

  "What's the south-side stairs?" Lily asked. "How do we
get out of here?"

  "Shit, I don't know. I didn't memorize the place."

  They made it to the intersection. Lily cast a quick glance behind her. Brady was still protecting them, covering the hall. She hated leaving him.

  Paula gingerly collapsed on the cart, being mindful of her leg. Lily pushed before she was completely settled.

  "Where to?"

  "We have to be careful," Paula said. "Or we'll make a circle and run right into them."

  "Then where to?" she repeated impatiently.

  "There's another elevator ahead. But…I don't know if this is the south-side or not."

  "Shit. We'll have to try."

  Lily didn't stop in time and nearly rammed Paula's leg into the wall. She merely smacked it instead, which still made her wince.

  "Sorry," Lily said, calling the elevator.

  Time seemed to go slower. The elevator hummed as it moved from floor to floor. Lily remembered Brady taking his phone, so she decided to turn hers on. She was looking at the screen, making sure it wasn't muted, when the elevator opened.

  "Lily!" Paula called.

  Lily looked up to see another man in a suit. He already had his weapon lifted, and pointed it toward her. The barrel was aimed directly at her forehead. It wasn't the first time in her life a gun had been pointed at her. Mattie had threatened her before. It still didn't stop her blood from turning cold.

  A shot rang out. It took a moment to realize she wasn't hit, nor was Paula. It wasn't until she saw the elevator painted red with blood, and the agent lying dead on the floor, that she realized they weren't alone. Turning in place, there were three men near another intersection. Any hope that the new arrivals were there to rescue them was gone when they ran toward Lily and Paula. Lily's legs refused to obey her.

  A cold hand grabbing her ankle made her jump. She looked down to see Paula had already pulled herself into the elevator.

  "Come on!"

  The men opened fire as they ran. Lily pressed against the side wall and hit the button for the first floor. The men were only inches away when the doors closed. Lily saw the frustration in their eyes. She nearly tripped over the dead body as she backed up. She couldn't look away. He looked up at her with lifeless eyes, his mouth slightly open. The blood continued to pool around them.

  She noticed blood dripping from the cart.

  "Paula!" she shouted. "You're shot!"

  "Well, it wouldn't be the first time today."

  Lily dropped to her knees in the blood to examine Paula. The elevator doors opened before she got the chance.

  There were four men waiting for them. They didn't wear suits, but dress shirts instead. Lily caught the last few words of a conversation, and realized they didn't speak English.

  "Up!" one of them shouted. He gestured to Lily's arms. "Up!"

  She didn't want to leave Paula's side. It took one of them stepping inside and shoving her to get her to move. Lily's head bounced against the wall. Paula kept her hands up while still laying on the cart.

  "I can't move!" she said, gesturing to her leg.

  The men seemed to argue, trying to decide what to do. Lily looked at Paula without saying a word. She hoped Paula had an idea, but Paula offered nothing.

  The argument grew worse, and the man who seemed to be the leader raised his gun toward Paula. Lily closed her eyes.

  There was a noise behind them.

  She looked past to see a vent fly off the wall. Brady's mass flew out, a huge ball of liquid. He cocooned the first person he saw and dragged him down the hall, away from the elevator. The remaining men fired, carefully stepping forward, but the bullets had no effect.

  He was almost too fast to process. Lily watched on one knee from the elevator. Brady swallowed another and lifted him to the ceiling. His mass lowered, and the man dangled from above, choking and grasping at something around his neck. Brady had left some of himself behind, forming a rope that hung the man from the light fixture.

  The remaining attackers had no chance. His essence split into two smaller pools and leapt forward, attacking two people at once. Half of Brady wrapped around someone's head while the other half broke an arm. He absorbed their guns into himself and spit them down the hall. The third agent tried to pull Brady off one of his allies, but his hands merely pushed into liquid. He tried to stab Brady, and only managed to wound his friend instead. A tentacle shot out from one of Brady's halves and knocked the knife away.

  He finally got tired of being pawed at, and his halves combined. He took on a shape as he focused his attention on the last man standing. Two legs and arms. A head. Almost humanoid.

  The man stepped forward to throw a punch, but made the mistake in thinking Brady was taking on his normal shape. The hallway echoed with the sickening sound of bones breaking as the man struck solid concrete. He howled and cradled his mangled hand. Brady's form turned normal as he shifted his gaze to Lily. The rope hanging the man behind him melted, dropping him in a heap. The rest of Brady's essence joined him, and more mass shot from his back. He started a conversation while casually choking the remaining man into unconsciousness without even using hands.

  "Huh?" Lily said. "What?"

  "I asked if you're okay."

  "Uh, yeah. Fine." She looked at the four men and their varying conditions. One gasping for air, one crawling on his hands and knees, two not moving at all. She wasn't sure if they were dead or not, and wasn't sure if she cared. "Paula. She's hurt. Shot."

  "Paula?" Brady said, peering behind Lily. "Are you…Paula?!"

  Lily turned, and drew a hand to her mouth at the sight of the security chief. Her face was pale, her eyes dark. Paula bled from her stomach and mouth. She struggled to keep herself on the cart. Brady knelt at her side, Lily next to him.

  "I'm…fine," Paula said. "I'll be okay."

  "She needs to get to the hospital," Brady said. "There's people all over the place, cars outside. I'll keep them busy, and you get her away."

  Lily was afraid for all of them. She wasn't sure she could do what he was asking.

  "Shit, Brady, I don't know—"

  "It'll be okay," he said. He left the elevator to approach the vent he emerged from. Reaching inside, he pulled out his phone. "Just get her there, and you both stay. You'll be safe. I'll call you."

  He gave Lily a quick hug and knelt to talk to Paula.

  "You're going to be alright," he said. "Just hang in there."

  Before Lily could say another word, Brady was moving. His body shrank, pulling in on itself, until he was a hawk. He carried his phone in his massive talons and flew down the hall.

  "Okay, Paula," Lily said, getting in position behind her. "Let's go."

  She pushed forward, maneuvering around the injured men. As they wound through the halls, making their way to the front, they could hear activity outside. Men talking, shouting, even gunfire. An explosion rocked Lily's ears, and she could only hope Brady was okay. What was he doing?

  "Two sets of people, at least," Paula muttered. "All fighting. All over Brady."

  "Don't talk."

  They made another right to see the front door. Lily's eyes lit up as she saw a man fly in front of the glass, screaming as he landed out of sight. More gunfire.

  She slowed down and walked around Paula, leaving her to rest on the cart. Dropping to a crouch, she inched her way through the lobby and peered through a window.

  "Jesus," she said.

  Paula moaned behind her.

  "What's happening?"

  "It looks like a war."

  Two cars were on fire. Men were shooting at one another, using other vehicles for cover. Several of them were wounded, lying on the ground out in the open or inside of an open van. Behind a car, someone poked at an open laptop, a strange sight for a gunfight. A window not far from Lily shattered from a stray bullet. She let out a small scream as she pressed flat to the floor.

  In the middle of the chaos was Brady.

  He leapt about, changing shape and moving at blinding speed. He
wasn't always attacking, sometimes simply running between people, drawing their attention and fire. The men alternated between firing at each other and calling out Brady's location. She lost track of how many forms he assumed. A lion, wolf, a bird. Turning into his liquid form, he shimmied and slithered under cars, and even through them. No gap was too small for him to pour through.

  When Brady did attack, it was brutal.

  He tossed men about with ease. Never assuming his normal shape, he moved in and out of the fight. He sliced legs with knives that formed from tentacles. He played with them, almost taunting them. Standing in the center of the lot, he stood still in his liquid form, appearing almost normal. The men opened fire, which didn't harm him in the least. The only thing they accomplished was occasionally shooting each other.

  Lily couldn't be sure, but she thought he turned toward her. He was still for a moment before leaping into the air. He again turned into a bird, this time an eagle, and flew away.

  The men couldn't collect themselves fast enough. They shoved their wounded into cars and sped away, giving chase. Lily caught some of the looks the enemies gave each other. Everyone knew the fight wasn't over, but the prize had left. Their battle would resume another time.

  Some of the suited men stayed behind. It made sense. They would examine the storage unit, gather all the information they could.

  She knew they had to hurry, leave before the scene settled down.

  "Stay here," she whispered to Paula. "I'll get the car."

  "Be careful."

  Lily pushed the door open and stayed close to the building. Four men had stayed. One examined another for injuries while a third searched what she guessed were dead bodies around them. She made her way to her car. It didn't go unscathed in the shootout. There were several bullet holes along the body, and the back window was shot out. But she didn't see anything leaking. A fourth agent paced near the gate, holding a phone. No one had seen her sneaking about.

  That wasn't going to last. There was no way to drive to the front door and pick up Paula without being noticed. She tried to judge the distance. Did she have enough space to get Paula and escape before they closed in?

  She was about to find out.

  Despite her best efforts, the door made a clicking sound as she slowly pulled it closed. The man on the phone looked up. Lily dropped quickly, lowering her head. She hoped he'd look away, but instead took a step toward the car.