Evo

Chapter Six: Subject Zero

The creature stood in the middle of the road.

Nobody moved.

Mika could hear the engine ticking behind him.

He could hear Daniel breathing.

He could hear Mara's finger resting against the trigger.

And he could hear the thing in front of them breathing too.

Slow.

Heavy.

Wrong.

It looked like a man who had been stretched too far. Its arms were too long. Black veins ran from its neck down both sides of its face.

Its red eyes stayed on Mika.

"Subject Zero," it said again.

Mika stepped forward.

"What are you?"

The creature smiled.

"You're asking the wrong question."

"Then tell me the right one."

The creature laughed.

Mara fired.

The bullet struck its chest.

It barely moved.

The bullet dropped to the ground.

"Everybody back!" Mara shouted.

The creature moved.

Fast.

It crossed the road before Mika could blink.

Mara fired again.

The creature knocked the gun from her hand and grabbed her by the throat.

Mika reacted without thinking.

He reached out.

The creature slammed into a tree.

Mara fell to the ground, coughing.

"Mika!"

The creature stood.

A piece of bark fell from its shoulder.

It looked at Mika.

"Better."

Mika clenched his fists.

"You hurt her."

The creature rushed him.

Mika raised his hand.

Nothing happened.

The creature hit him in the stomach.

Mika flew across the road and crashed against the side of the vehicle.

Pain exploded through his body.

Daniel ran toward him.

"Mika!"

The creature grabbed Daniel and threw him into the dirt.

Noah pulled out a small knife.

The creature looked at him.

"You."

Noah froze.

"You escaped."

The creature took a step toward him.

Noah backed away.

"What is that thing?" Mika asked.

Noah swallowed.

"An artificial Evo."

The creature looked at Noah.

"Still talking too much."

It charged.

Noah moved aside.

The creature punched the ground.

The road split.

Mika watched the crack spread toward him.

He jumped.

The ground broke apart.

Cars tilted.

Trees shook.

Mika landed on one knee.

His hands were trembling.

He couldn't feel the power.

It was there.

He knew it was there.

But it wasn't answering.

The creature came again.

Mika raised both arms.

The punch stopped inches from his face.

The pressure nearly knocked him over.

The creature stared at him.

Mika gritted his teeth.

"I've got you."

The creature pushed harder.

Mika pushed back.

The air shook between them.

His feet dug into the road.

Then Mika felt something.

The creature had a heartbeat.

But beneath it was another rhythm.

Something mechanical.

A machine.

Inside its chest.

Mika reached for it.

The creature suddenly screamed.

It grabbed its chest.

"What did you do?"

Mika didn't know.

He could feel something inside the creature.

A small metal core.

He pulled.

The creature dropped to its knees.

Black blood came from its mouth.

Mara stared.

"Mika."

He kept pulling.

The creature screamed louder.

Then the core tore through its chest.

It landed in Mika's hand.

The creature collapsed.

Silence returned.

Mika stared at the metal object.

It was warm.

A blue light pulsed inside it.

Noah walked closer.

"That's an Evo core."

Mika looked at him.

"Why was it inside him?"

"Because they made him."

"Who?"

Noah looked at Elena.

She was still standing beside the vehicle.

She looked almost pleased.

"Now you understand why they fear you," she said.

Mika turned toward her.

"You knew this thing?"

"I helped create it."

Mara raised her weapon again.

"You said you were a doctor."

"I am."

"You create monsters?"

Elena looked at the dead creature.

"Monsters are usually made by people who don't understand what they're looking at."

Mika stepped closer.

"Who made it?"

"Scientists."

"Which scientists?"

"Your father was one of them."

Mika stopped.

"No."

Elena nodded.

"Adrian Vale worked on Project Zero."

Mika shook his head.

"My father wouldn't do that."

"He did."

"You're lying."

"Then ask your mother."

Mika's face tightened.

"My mother didn't know."

Elena gave him a strange look.

"Your mother knew more than your father wanted her to know."

Mika looked at Mara.

"Is that true?"

Mara didn't answer.

"Is it?"

She lowered her eyes.

"Yes."

Mika stepped back.

The anger inside him grew.

"Everybody knew."

Nobody spoke.

Mika looked at the core in his hand.

"What happens now?"

Elena walked toward him.

"Now you come with me."

Mara stepped in front of her.

"No."

Elena looked at her.

"You can't stop this."

Mara raised her gun.

"Try me."

Elena smiled.

Then a gunshot came from the trees.

The bullet hit Elena in the shoulder.

She fell.

Everyone turned.

More shots followed.

People in black clothes appeared between the trees.

Mika recognized them.

Ascendants.

But these were different.

They wore white masks.

One of them shouted,

"Kill Voss!"

Another shouted,

"Take Subject Zero alive!"

Mara grabbed Mika.

"Run!"

They moved toward the trees.

Daniel helped Noah.

Elena was bleeding but still alive.

Mika looked back.

She was trying to crawl toward the vehicle.

He stopped.

"We can't leave her."

Mara looked at him.

"She created that thing."

"She knows where my father is."

Mara cursed.

"Fine."

They ran back.

Mika lifted Elena with his power.

She floated beside him.

"You're learning," she said through clenched teeth.

"Don't talk."

They reached the trees.

Daniel fired at the attackers.

Noah pulled Elena behind a fallen tree.

Mika raised his hands.

The first group of soldiers stopped.

Their weapons floated out of their hands.

The second group attacked.

Mika pushed.

They flew backward.

Mara stared at him.

"How are you doing this?"

"I don't know."

That was the truth.

He didn't know.

His power wasn't one thing anymore.

He could feel everything.

Metal.

Movement.

Energy.

Even the people around him.

He could feel fear.

He could feel anger.

He could feel the soldiers' bodies moving before they moved.

It was like the world had become a giant room and someone had finally switched on the light.

A soldier appeared behind Mara.

Mika turned instantly.

The soldier fired.

Mika caught the bullet.

He looked at Mara.

"You're okay."

She nodded slowly.

"Thanks."

Mika turned back.

The soldiers were retreating.

Then a voice came from the forest.

"Enough."

Everyone stopped.

Cain stepped into view.

The soldiers lowered their weapons.

Mika looked at him.

"You're working with them?"

Cain shook his head.

"They're working for someone else."

"Who?"

Cain looked at Elena.

"Her."

Elena laughed weakly.

"Still obsessed with my work, Cain?"

Cain walked toward her.

"You made the first artificial Evo."

Elena smiled.

"And you were the first one to survive."

Mika looked between them.

"What?"

Cain's eyes turned toward him.

"I wasn't born an Evo."

Mika felt cold.

"I was made."

Cain touched the side of his face.

"Like that thing."

Mika looked at the dead creature.

"Then why are you helping me?"

Cain was quiet for a moment.

"Because your father saved me."

Mika didn't expect that.

"How?"

"Adrian found out what they were doing."

Cain looked toward the road.

"He tried to shut Project Zero down."

"Did he succeed?"

"No."

"Where is he?"

Cain looked directly at Mika.

"Alive."

Mika's heart stopped for a second.

"Where?"

Cain smiled.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Whether you're willing to see what you really are."

Mika stepped forward.

"I don't care."

"You will."

Cain turned toward the forest.

"Your father is being held beneath the old Helix facility."

Mara's expression changed.

"Helix was destroyed."

Cain shook his head.

"That's what they wanted people to believe."

Mika looked at Mara.

"Can we get there?"

Mara nodded slowly.

"If the place still exists."

Cain looked at Mika.

"It does."

Mika held the blue core tightly.

"Take me there."

Cain smiled.

"You're finally asking the right question."

Elena suddenly coughed.

Everyone looked at her.

She was staring at Mika.

"Don't trust him."

Cain turned.

"Still protecting your secrets?"

Elena smiled.

"You have no idea what Adrian became."

Mika looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

Elena's eyes met his.

"Your father isn't trapped at Helix."

She paused.

"He's running it."

Mika froze.

The forest went quiet.

Mara lowered her weapon.

Daniel stared at Elena.

Noah whispered,

"That's impossible."

Elena looked at Mika.

"Your father isn't waiting for you."

She smiled.

"He's been waiting for you to awaken."

Mika felt the core in his hand pulse.

Once.

Twice.

Then a voice came from somewhere deep inside the forest.

"Mika."

He knew that voice.

He had heard it in the recording.

His father's voice.

Mika turned.

The trees stood still.

Then a man stepped from the darkness.

Scarred face.

Dark coat.

Grey hair.

Older than the photograph.

But the same eyes.

Mika stopped breathing.

Adrian Vale looked at his son.

"Hello, Mika."

Nobody moved.

Mika stared at him.

"You..."

Adrian looked at the blue core in his hand.

"You're finally awake."

Mika's voice broke.

"Why did you leave me?"

Adrian's face changed.

For a moment, he looked like the father Mika remembered.

Then the expression disappeared.

"Because I knew one day you'd come looking for me."

Mika took a step forward.

"And now?"

Adrian looked at the people surrounding them.

Then at Mika.

"Now I need to know whether you're strong enough to survive what comes next."

The ground began to shake.

Mika's eyes glowed white.

Adrian smiled.

"Good."

The old man raised his hand.

"Let's find out."