Subject 0

Epilogue

Nine years later... The young men and women stood against the wall. Onlookers would immediately notice all of them dressed in black gowns and caps. Some of them were talking to others in line with them, others just standing quietly, waiting for directions. All of them with huge grins on their faces. Ethan stared ahead, thoughts of all kinds rushing through his head until they became completely scrambled. The 18-year-old thought of all the work and Hell he had to go through just to get to this moment. He thought of all the support his loving adoptive parents gave him along the way. About nine years ago, he escaped the Lab along with many other subjects. 2,314 children of many ages entered. Only 378 got out. "The doors will open in a minute. Please walk in a straight, single-file line calmly and quietly." Mrs. Garcia instructed. The seniors quieted down as the doors flew open just for them. The students walked, looking out into the crowds, searching for their families. Ethan smiled as he saw his two mothers, Colton, and Aidan. They saw him too, and Aidan nodded at him in acknowledgment, while Colton gave him two thumbs up and one of his mothers snapped photos while the other cried tears of joy. Ethan's parents never showed up for him, so eventually, he got put up for adoption and he was adopted by a loving couple. He and his moms have gone through a ton while trying to adopt him and after the adoption due to homophobia and other stuff, but Ethan still loved them and they loved him back with all their hearts. The students sat in their seats, eagerly waiting for the ceremony to begin. The students and their families chatted amongst themselves while they waited. "Watch, most of their speeches are going to be full of bullshit". Colton joked, having already been through it once and knew what to expect. "Be nice!" Aidan lightly scolded. Colton reunited with his parents, who spent seven years searching for their boy. He is now a college student studying Art. He lives in anxiety knowing that he could accidentally kill anyone any minute, but therapy is slowly helping him control his power. Aidan became known as a national hero. Two years after the escape, he received the Medal of Valor for his bravery in the Lab. But quickly after learning that the government was going to use some of the subjects for experiments, he anonymously posted about it online so public opinion would fight for the subjects' freedom once and for all. Every single one of the subjects was released from the government's clutches due to public outcry. Some of them decided to keep their unique abilities, while others chose to surgically remove as much as they can of their abilities so they would be able to live as normal of a life as they can; and to forget about the facility. The ceremony began, and just as Colton predicted, it was filled with pointless speeches and other nonsense. But as it became time for the seniors to receive their diplomas, everyone finally started actually paying attention. Dr. Green was arrested and charged the death penalty for the kidnappings and murders of more than two thousand children. While some of them were born different species, they've also learned that Dr. Green experimented and mutated some of the subjects' DNA so that they would also end up like that. He was executed six years ago. Ethan skipped up the stage, staring in awe at the fragile piece of paper. The principal nodded, gesturing for Ethan to turn. He turned around happily, the principal holding his diploma for him, facing the crowd. Dr. Andie was arrested, too. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for his involvement in the experimentation of all the children, despite his assistance in helping them escape. He will be released the next year. "Ready?" The principal asked the graduates. Everyone nodded, holding their cups in their hands. Everyone started counting together. "One... Two... Three!" Everyone shouted as they tossed their caps into the sky. Ethan needed help from Colton with throwing his cap. Though Ethan, Aidan, and Colton may never fully recover from the horrors of the facility, they are doing much better than before. They've experienced the worst cruelty that humanity is capable of, but they've also seen the brightest parts of humanity too. It'll be a long road ahead for them, but they do their best each and every day. And that's all that matters. Laughter can be heard from every direction as the caps fell from the sky. Ethan laughed, tears of joy running down his face as he caught his cap. He ran to his loved ones, nuzzling them in an attempt to "hug" them. They both chuckled as they hugged back. They are safe, they are happy, and most importantly, they are free.

                                                                                      THE END