Kindred Spirits

Unfamiliar Territory

  After swearing him to secrecy, I led him to my base, leading him to the living room. I instructed him to wait while I changed into something more comfortable. I could tell he was shocked as I emerged in fitted trousers and button up shirt.

  "My house, my rules," I shrugged before leading him to the staircase at the back of the room. The entire second floor was a laboratory set up, the level below that serving as a training and weapons room, with a vault containing my more valuable items below that. 

  I explained what I could about my condition, carefully leaving Andy and the others out of my explanation. I proposed that he take samples of my blood to see if he could identify whatever it was that made me immortal and somehow use it to improve his serum. I allowed him to draw about a pint, and as he began looking over the slides, I told him some subtle differences I had noticed between my cells and that of a normal human.

  My cells were in a sort of stasis, never dying or reproducing, unless some kind of damage was done to them, which caused the cells surrounding the damage to quickly regenerate and replace the damage. I had subjected the cells to a barrage of hazardous and deadly chemicals, each with little to no effect. My working theory was that our cells had some kind of trigger hidden within the structure that activated when we died the first time.

  We stayed up for a few hours, with him trying unsuccessfully to isolate the trigger in my genetic structure. I offered him a guest bedroom, though he was determined to get back to base, taking a few vials with the promise that their source would remain hidden. He did give me a number to contact him at, and instructed me to use the codename 'rebirth'.

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  A week later, I was approached by a British woman in formal military dress at my gym. My wrists were wrapped as I attacked the bag, my hair swinging wildly as I executed a series of kicks and punches. I had rented out the entire gym for the hour, since apparently one ass kicking wasn't enough to warn off the other guys from trying to mess with me.

  Pausing, I turned when the door swung open behind me, revealing the aforementioned woman. She was quite pretty, curling brown hair framing a heart shaped face with lovely brown eyes. I gave a polite nod as I turned back to the punching bag.

  "I'm guessing the doctor sent you?" I resumed my workout, though not nearly as intense as before as she came up behind me.

  "You would be correct, though it took some time to track you down," she sat at the bench at the right of the bag, "He's asked that you come to our base, to assist him with his serum."

  "Can I ask why?" I turned to look at her, holding the bag in place before walking over to the canteen on the bench next to her. "Were the samples I gave him not sufficient?"

  "He says that something happened to them, a deterioration of the matter, apparently."

  I took a swig from the canteen, thinking it over in my head. I gave a reluctant nod as I lowered my canteen back down.

  "When and where?" 

  "Preferably now, though your stay may end up being extended, so I understand if you want to get a few changes of clothes."

  I heaved a sigh as I stood up, gathering my things before moving towards the door.

  "Alright, though if you try to hold me for longer, I strongly suggest you try to be a bit imaginative about it. Give me an hour."

..........................

  Coming back to the gym, I parked my motorcycle at the front curb, startling Peggy as I turned off the engine and removed my helmet. A pair of black aviators covered my eyes, matching nicely with my black leather jacket, blue jeans, and combat boots.

  "I'll follow behind you, if you don't mind," I gestured her towards the car, "I like having an alternative method of escape."

  She nodded in ascent before getting into the car, and I buckled my helmet back on before starting the engine again. We made our way through the city streets, heading to New Jersey. We pulled up to a base, stopping at the guard checkpoint. Peggy showed their credentials and gestured back to me, explaining who I was. I followed them as the gate opened, pulling into a small dirt parking lot.

  I pulled off my helmet as Peggy walked over to me.

  "They need you to submit to a brief search of your belongings and vehicle before issuing you a visitors pass. I'll take you there, if you'll follow me."

  I shouldered my bag as I followed her to the security office. 

  "Before you open this," I placed my bag on the counter, looking at the officer on the other side, "There are a few weapons in this back, purely for recreation or self-defense."

  Peggy and the officer shared a look as I began emptying the bag, removing the clothes and books and putting them aside. Next came the knives, from the smallest throwing knives to a large hunting knife. The two of them grew more and more dubious, eyebrows shooting up as I drew a sheathed short sword out and laid it on the counter next to the surprisingly large pile of various blades.

  It was silent as they were thoroughly shocked at the small arsenal I had somehow gathered in a relatively small suitcase. Peggy gave a slow nod as the officer began cataloging the assortment of blades in front of him, with me giving him the names of the different types of knives, as well as the use for each of them in regard to their suited fighting style and histories.

  We left almost an hour later, with me committing to showing the guard a demonstration of how to use each of them.

  "Do you make it a habit of traveling with a small arsenal at your disposal?"

  "Only when the place I'm traveling to makes it questionable if I'll be able to leave willingly," I quipped back, watching various squads of soldiers going through basic training. They were relatively standard for the soldiers I had seen in wars throughout the centuries, though my eyes were caught by a small man struggling to keep up.