Dark. Cold. Lonely.
Where am I? Leo's consciousness returned slowly, dragging him up from darkness. His head was aching, his eyes burning, his heart pounding. The last thing he remembered was…
"BETTY!!" Leo thrashed forward, but something held him in place. His arms were locked in some weird device that pulsed each time he moved. He looked around. The light was dim, but enough to make out the surroundings.
Is this… Felix's lab? What am I doing here? Where is Betty?!
Suddenly, the door slowly opened. Behind it was… Felix.
"Felix!" Leo shouted. "They brought you here too? We have—"
"Oh, poor Leo." Felix smiled. Not the warm smile Leo was familiar with; caring, supporting, perfect. He was smiling as if he hadn't genuinely smiled in years. Wide and proud.
"Felix! Alphabet is close. Let's—"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Felix." His voice quieted, not so full of joy, but of confusion and… something else. Something cold creeping into his chest. "Where's Betty? What's going on? Uncuff me so we can run, or I can fight!"
But Felix… Felix laughed. Loud. Amused.
"Why… why are you laughing?"
"Get out?" Felix stared at Leo. "You don't see it, do you?"
"…"
"I brought you here, Leo."
"No! You are my mentor! We are—"
"Mentor?" Felix interrupted with a laugh. "Do you really think I trained you out of loyalty to your grandfather? I can't believe you are just as stupid as him."
"No. No, no, no. You cared abou—"
"You're so predictable, Leo. You always were. Just like your grandfather." Felix's voice deepened.
"Since I worked with him — trained you too — I learned one fatal weakness about you both." He paused. "You trust. Entirely too much."
"I also learned how to exploit that, just as I have done with you. And you, just like him, are now mine. You were always meant to be, and you will never change. You will never escape Alphabet. And now, you have failed. Not just yourself, but your family too. Your supposed friends. Your beloved grandfather."
"My grandfather…" Leo's eyes brimmed with tears. His heart felt like it would tear through his ribs.
"He was a fool," Felix continued. "I don't even regret ending him. Once Alphabet had what they want, he became a thorn in the throat. So, I removed the thorn."
Leo's world tilted. The room spun. He couldn't breathe.
He killed him… Felix killed him… He…
Everything he believed, everything he was, shattered in front of him. The seven-year sleep, the DNA, the training… was all Alphabet's plan.
And Felix… killed his grandfather…
I'll kill him. I swear I'll kill him. I'll—
Leo lunged at Felix. The restraints yanked him back, slamming him into the ground. Electric shock pulsed through the cuffs. Painful. Disorienting. He reached for energy, deep inside, filled with fury… but nothing came out.
He tried again.
Nothing.
The restrainers were suppressing his energy. Felix laughed. "Did you really think we'd be unprepared? I created you, Leo." Felix turned and walked away, gesturing to the men. "Keep him stable. The special team is en route."
No. No. No. No. No. No.
Leo's mind spiralled, and so his consciousness.
I can't fail them. I can't. Betty, my family, my friends. Betty confessed to me, and I couldn't even respond to her. Yuki… she…
Each thought of them fuelled his rage and fear. He couldn't afford to lose them again. Not now. Not like this.
He had to get out.
He. Had. To.
"WARNING: SUBJECT VITALS CRITICAL." One of the consoles beeped.
"What?" Felix spun toward the console. His eyes snapped to Leo. "Increase Anti-Energy output to fifty percent."
"Sir..." One of the technicians' voice shook. "It's already at seventy-five percent."
"Then increase it!" Felix screamed.
But Leo wasn't hearing anything. All he was thinking of was his grandfather. His smile, his touch, his… warmth.
Felix took that from him.
Everything.
Every.
Single.
Thing.
"WARNING: ENERGY OVERLOAD DETECTED." The console beeped again.
Energy streamed out of Leo's hands. Light poured from the restrainers. His veins glowed white, then gold, then white again.
"CRITICAL: ENERGY LIMIT EXCEEDED."
"Max the anti-energy! Now!" Felix's shout was lost in the howl of wind swirling through the lab.
"We can't! The lab will—"
"I said, NOW!!"
Even at one hundred percent, Leo overwhelmed them. He couldn't control his rage… his fear…
"Leo! Stop now! You'll—" Felix tried to reach for him, as one last desperate attempt. But Leo wasn't in control anymore. It wasn't Leo. It was something else.
"YOU KILLED HIM!" Leo's voice echoed, but it wasn't right. Something else was there. Something—
Betty… I'm sorry I didn't tell you… I love you too…
Yuki… Thank you for always standing up for me…
Alex… I always dreamt of a little brother… even if we didn't get along well at first…
Mom… Dad… I'm sorry…
With one final scream, energy engulfed the lab. Blinding white light, and deafening shrieks filled the air.
One final tear streamed down his face, but vaporised half way.
Everything went white.