Chapter Nine: The Woman in the Cell
1349 Words
Mika had not slept.
He sat in the back of the vehicle with his forehead against the window.
Outside, the night was dark.
Inside, nobody talked.
Daniel drove.
Mara sat beside him.
Adrian was in the passenger seat.
Noah sat next to Mika.
For almost an hour, they had been driving without stopping.
Mika finally broke the silence.
"Where is my mother?"
Adrian didn't turn around.
"An old Helix site."
"You said Helix was here."
"That was the main facility."
"So there are more?"
"There were six."
"And my mother is in one of them?"
"Yes."
Mika looked at him.
"Why?"
Adrian was quiet.
"Because she knows something."
"What?"
"I don't know."
Mika laughed.
"You always say that."
"Because it's true."
"You built the place."
"I built part of it."
"And you don't know where they took my wife?"
Adrian's face tightened.
"They stopped telling me things a long time ago."
Mika looked away.
The vehicle turned onto a narrow road.
Noah spoke.
"How far?"
"Twenty minutes."
Mika looked at him.
"You've been quiet."
Noah shrugged.
"I'm tired."
"You've known my father for years?"
"No."
"But you know about Project Zero."
"I know enough."
"Then tell me."
Noah looked at Adrian.
Adrian shook his head.
Noah sighed.
"Your father wasn't the only scientist involved."
Mika waited.
"There were twelve."
"And?"
"Eleven are dead."
Mika looked at Adrian.
"Who killed them?"
Adrian answered.
"Some died during the collapse of Project Zero."
"And the others?"
"Cain."
Mika stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because they kept trying to recreate you."
The vehicle became quiet.
Mika looked at his hands.
"So there are other Subject Zeros?"
"No."
Adrian's answer came immediately.
"Then why recreate me?"
"Because they couldn't."
Mika looked at him.
"Couldn't what?"
"Understand you."
The vehicle slowed.
Adrian pointed ahead.
"That's it."
Mika looked through the windshield.
An old hospital stood behind a rusted fence.
Most of the windows were broken.
The building looked abandoned.
But Mika could feel people inside.
Many people.
"How many?"
Adrian looked at him.
"How do you know?"
"I can feel them."
Mara checked her weapon.
"How many?"
Mika closed his eyes.
"Twenty."
Noah looked at him.
"Twenty?"
"Maybe more."
Adrian opened the door.
"Stay close."
They entered through the back.
The building smelled of dust and chemicals.
Their footsteps echoed through the empty hallway.
Mika felt something moving below them.
"There are rooms underground."
Adrian nodded.
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"I designed the building."
They found a metal staircase.
Mara went first.
Daniel followed.
Mika stayed behind his father.
The deeper they went, the colder it became.
At the bottom was a long corridor.
Doors lined both sides.
Some were open.
Others were locked.
Mika heard crying.
He stopped.
"Someone's inside."
Adrian looked at the door.
"Keep moving."
Mika grabbed his arm.
"No."
"Mika."
"There's someone there."
He opened the door.
A little girl was sitting inside.
She couldn't have been older than eight.
Her arms were covered with small cuts.
She looked at Mika.
Then screamed.
"Don't touch me!"
Mika stepped back.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
The girl stared at him.
"You have white eyes."
Mika looked at Mara.
"Why does she know me?"
Adrian walked closer.
"Because they've been telling the children about you."
Mika's face hardened.
"Why?"
The girl whispered.
"They said you're coming to kill us."
Mika knelt.
"I'm not."
The girl looked at him.
"You're Subject Zero."
Mika swallowed.
"Yes."
She moved closer to the wall.
"You're the bad one."
Mika didn't know what to say.
He looked at Adrian.
"Get her out."
Adrian nodded.
Mara picked the girl up.
They continued.
At the end of the corridor was a large steel door.
Adrian stopped.
"She's behind this."
Mika's heart started beating faster.
His mother.
After everything.
After twelve years.
He could finally see her.
Adrian entered a code.
The door opened.
A woman sat inside.
Her hair was longer than Mika remembered.
She looked thinner.
Older.
But it was her.
"Mom."
She looked up.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Mika."
He ran to her.
She stood and hugged him.
For a moment, he forgot everything.
He was a child again.
Safe.
At home.
Then he remembered the lies.
He stepped back.
"Why?"
His mother looked at him.
"Why what?"
"Why did you let them use me?"
Her face collapsed.
"I didn't."
"You volunteered."
"I thought I could save you."
"You made me."
"No."
She shook her head.
"I carried you."
"Same thing."
"No."
She stepped closer.
"I didn't know what they were doing."
"Then why did Dad say you knew?"
She looked at Adrian.
Adrian didn't speak.
Mika looked between them.
"Tell me."
His mother wiped her face.
"I was pregnant before I knew about Project Zero."
Mika frowned.
"What?"
"Your father was already working with them."
She looked at Adrian.
"He told me they were studying genetic diseases."
Adrian closed his eyes.
"I lied."
Mika looked at him.
His mother continued.
"When I found out what they were doing, I tried to leave."
"What happened?"
"They wouldn't let me."
Mika's fists tightened.
"Then how did I survive?"
His mother looked afraid.
"Because they changed you before you were born."
Mika felt cold.
"What did they change?"
She looked at him.
"Everything."
Silence.
Mara stepped closer.
"What does that mean?"
His mother shook her head.
"I don't know."
Adrian looked at her.
"You know more than that."
She turned toward him.
"Don't."
"You have to tell him."
"I said don't."
Mika looked at both of them.
"Tell me."
His mother sat down.
"Your DNA wasn't the only thing they changed."
Mika waited.
"They put something inside you."
"What?"
She looked toward the little girl being carried by Mara.
"A core."
Mika's heart dropped.
"Like the artificial Evo?"
"No."
She shook her head.
"Yours is alive."
Mika felt something move inside his chest.
A slow pulse.
His mother continued.
"It grows with you."
"What does it do?"
"We don't know."
Adrian spoke quietly.
"We do."
Everyone looked at him.
Mika's eyes narrowed.
"You said you didn't."
"I was trying to protect you."
"Stop saying that."
Adrian looked at his son.
"The core is what allows you to adapt."
Mika looked down.
"And if it keeps growing?"
Adrian didn't answer.
Mika stepped closer.
"What happens?"
His father finally spoke.
"Eventually, you won't be able to control it."
The room went quiet.
Mika's mother grabbed his hand.
"That's why I need you to leave."
Mika looked at her.
"Leave where?"
"Anywhere."
"Why?"
She looked at Adrian.
"Because he found us."
Mika frowned.
"Who?"
The lights went out.
Everyone froze.
Then a voice came through the speakers.
"Hello, Mika."
Mika recognized it.
Cain.
Mara raised her gun.
"Everyone stay together."
Cain laughed.
"You found your mother."
Mika looked at the ceiling.
"Where are you?"
"Everywhere."
The doors at the end of the corridor opened.
Men stepped out.
Then more.
Evos.
Dozens.
Mika felt all of them.
His head began hurting.
His mother grabbed him.
"Mika, don't use your power."
"Why?"
"Because that's what he wants."
A figure walked into the corridor.
Cain.
He looked at Mika's mother.
"Long time."
She stepped back.
"You."
Cain smiled.
"I told you I'd come for him."
Mika stood between them.
"You want me?"
Cain nodded.
"Yes."
"Then leave her alone."
Cain looked at him.
"I don't want to hurt your mother."
"Good."
"I want her to watch."
Mika's eyes narrowed.
"Watch what?"
Cain raised his hand.
The walls shook.
The little girl screamed.
Mika felt the core inside his chest pulse.
Once.
Twice.
Then harder.
Cain smiled.
"There."
Mika dropped to one knee.
Pain spread through his body.
His mother screamed.
"Mika!"
Adrian stepped forward.
"Cain, stop."
Cain laughed.
"You still don't understand."
He looked at Mika.
"I'm not trying to kill him."
Mika struggled to breathe.
"I'm trying to wake him."
The core inside Mika's chest began glowing beneath his skin.
His mother stared.
"No."
Cain smiled.
"Yes."
Mika's eyes turned completely white.
The floor cracked beneath him.
Every light in the building exploded.
And somewhere deep inside Mika's mind, something opened its eyes.
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