Subject 15

CHAPTER 41 - Seth

The elevator slowly dropped, not nearly fast enough for Barton, who kept fidgeting with his gun and shifting his weight. I crossed my arms and looked down at myself. My loose khaki pants were tattered and covered in blood, my bare chest adorned with fresh wounds, some still bleeding while others had already scared over. Raven noticed them too and quickly took off her outer shirt, wearing her normal grey tank top under it. She tore the outer shirt into strips, wrapping a particularly bad wound on my left shoulder.

"You're going to get yourself killed if you're not careful," Raven muttered as she tightened the makeshift bandage. I slightly winced and thought to myself, If this is what it takes... so be it.

Barton looked at Raven, grumbled something, then asked louder, "Where's my crossbow?"

"It melted," said Raven after a pause. "Sorry."

Barton cursed, then returned to his nervous fidgeting.

The elevator jolted to a stop, and Barton nearly ran me over trying to get out of the door first. He looked around aimlessly, scanning the barren hallways before he shouted, "Samantha!"

And a voice, one as sweet and soft as a spring stream, shouted back, "Daddy!"

I stepped out of the elevator, and beheld Barton charging toward a steel door near the end of the long hallway. A single marking was etched in the concrete above the door: XV.

15.

That was my cell.

Raven quickly stood in front of me, placing a hand on my chest as she said, "Seth... don't go in there."

I looked toward Barton, who was getting ready to shoot the lock on the door, ordering Samantha to stand as far away from the door as she could. Raven put a hand on my cheek, turning my face toward her as she said pleadingly, "Please... don't go over there. You don't need to remember what it's like..."

I slowly grabbed Raven's hand on my cheek, letting it slide down my neck and onto my chest beside her other hand. I looked her in the eyes, my Mask, cracked and spluttering, the extension over my mouth gone, flickering with a host of emotions. "I have to, Raven," I replied, letting her hands drop to her sides. "I have to know."

Barton blasted the door open, and Samantha came running into her father's arms. Barton kept his gun to his chest, still the soldier, but he hugged his daughter with a fierce fatherly love that cannot be matched. Barton spun her around as Samantha buried her face into his shoulder, and I saw more than a few tears fall from his cheeks. But he was smiling like a fool, and when he turned to me, still clutching Samantha, he whispered, "Thank you."

I smiled, and nodded, wondering what it was like to have a parent who loved you that much.

But all the thoughts of lost parents, kidnappings, and destruction instantly left my mind when Samantha let go of her father, turned around to face me, and whispered, "Seth." I slowly walked to her, and she to me, but I couldn't keep in my joy, and neither could she. We ran to each other, and when I held her in my arms, I knew everything was going to be all right, and I felt invincible.

We stood there, hugging for a short time, a few tears sliding down Samantha's face as I stood there, looking at the door. Samantha took a step back, looking at me, then back at the door. I gently moved past her, walking past Barton as he stared at me.

"Kid." I turned to Barton, who looked at me with grave eyes. "You sure you want to do this?"

I didn't reply as I stepped into the small room.