Prototype : A New Start

The Long Road Ahead

"How are you?"

"Caught in rain, feels like shit, disposed of the wet biomass safely, recovered, feels like shit again, had to avoid lots of questions from friends, and did I mention that I do feel like shit?"

"There's raw steaks in the kitchen, feel free to eat them."

Mercer watched as the blonde departed quietly to the kitchen after hearing about the free food. Looks like his worry was justified, although he doesn't know whether Damian managed to dispose of his compromised Blacklight biomass properly or not, he'll just take his words for now.

His day was uneventful after the blonde left for the school. He actually went to some stores to stock up on their refrigerator and buy some daily supplies which they don't actually need, but it would be nice to fill up those empty cabinets and closets he still had all over the mansion... like, he only stocked up a room or two, there's still like, twenty others....

Lots of work to be done, that's for certain, and he had procrastinated enough since January. He'll get the mansion done and nicely to suit his own taste, Damian can do whatever he wants in his own room, but everything else is his.

Someone's possessive of their property-dash-territory.

By the time he walked upstairs, Damian went past him without a word and retreated to his room, closing the door behind him with a quiet click. Instead of actually returning back to his own bedroom, Alex decided to stand by for a moment for a minute or two.

When he quietly unlocked and peeked through the door, the gloomy evolved saw his disciple laying down on top some sort of a hammock formed from Biomass webbings. Those research papers from before are still glued to the ceilings.... at least they won't leave a mark.

This room would be so comfy if it weren't for those ceilings and walls, which looks pretty similar to what you would expect from a hive nest.

Whatever happened out there, it seems that he just wanted to be left alone to collect his inner thoughts... Damian reminds him of himself, quite bemusingly. Mercer wonders quietly to himself whether the blonde would ever regret of his choice trying to live as a human, a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Despite every effort they put in, no matter how convincing it is... They will never ever be human anymore.

The truth always hurts.

He gently closed the door, walking away from the room without making a single noise. Mercer's own mood was somber himself as he found a rather disturbing news in the television this evening, just minutes before he felt Damian's life form entering the mansion's perimeter.

Dana Mercer on the loose, the news caster says. Apparently, since no one could locate him, the government decided to go after his only sibling instead.

She was last seen on the run with both Hellers in New Mexico as domestic agencies wanted to take hold of her for 'protective custody'. It seems that the bureau hasn't realized that Heller had the same capabilities as Mercer, so good luck with that shit.

Strange, he was certain James' files were amongst those he leaked with Damian...

Half a year had passed ever since Blackwatch and Gentek got butt-fucked by the entire world, and despite that, its still a trending topic to this very day.

The WHO scientists who were dispatched to Manhattan's Red Zone post-outbreak made a very horrific report regarding how limitless Blacklight's potential is, and how it could infect the entire planet in less than a year if it were to keep evolving.

President Obama insists that the FBI are doing the best they can to find Mercer's Sibling. He also claimed that they already had made counter-measures against both Blacklight and any possible future outbreaks in the country.

That amuses him. Blackwatch had tried with a special parasite made by his own ex-girlfriend, and he had adapted from it. These civilized men, as cruel as they could be, hold ethics in high regard; Despite how dangerous the situation is, they wouldn't be randomly snatching people to experiment on them like Blackwatch did.

The Hippocratic Oath is a roadblock. Possible Scientific discoveries delayed because of muh human rights, muh feelings matters, muh wrong.

Again, good luck with that shit.

But what really sets him to a feeling of unease and urgency beside the possibility of Dana being put into harm's way... is Pariah.

Greene's kid.

Blacklight was a modified, man-made strain of Redlight. But Pariah? He was the perfect natural release. So much potential, so much waiting to be discovered.

McMullen mentioned how Pariah is possibly the ultimate life form on earth... and Mercer and Damian had released information about him to the public, shit.

It's no doubt that either the kid is still hidden somewhere by Blackwatch remnants, or the state had finally gotten the kid for their own plans. Poor bastard is probably being subjugated to experiments again-

Hell, as far as he knows, they're probably using him to try to create the literal cure of the Blacklight virus.

Mercer needs to find him. McMullen be damned, talking about how it would be very bad if both of them ever meet each other. No doubt the kid would be pissed if he founds out how he killed his only family member, his own mother-

But Pariah is the closest thing that you could consider as a step-sibling for Blacklight. Zeus wasn't going to let mankind play God again, no, not like how Alex Mercer did.

He will find him, and whatever happens, happens. And sure as hell he is not going to let Damian know about Pariah... Yet.

"Damian, I have a step-brother."

"What are you doing, step-bro~?"

Nope, not in a million years. Or billions.

And, lookie, Elizabeth didn't even try to intrude his thoughts. Somehow, Mercer's pretty sure that she is pleased that he is going to actually try to save her only son from the clutches of these scientists... despite being the biological freak who killed her and ended her world-domination school project.

Once he had the time, and he could trust Damian to not do anything stupid while he's not around- He will infiltrate The Pentagon, and get the answers he wanted.

And no one is going to stop him.

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Author's Note : Pretty short chapter.