Evo

Chapter Two: The Ones Who Came

Mika opened his eyes.

For a few seconds, he did not know where he was.

The ceiling above him was white.

There was a bright light hanging over his head.

Something beeped beside him.

He tried to move.

Pain shot through his chest.

He stopped.

"Easy."

A man's voice.

Mika turned his head.

A stranger sat beside the bed.

He looked maybe forty. Short hair. Grey jacket. A small scar ran from his left eyebrow to his cheek.

Mika stared at him.

"Where's my mother?"

The man did not answer.

"Where is she?"

"She's alive."

Mika breathed out.

"Where?"

"We'll talk about that."

"I don't want to talk."

Mika tried to sit up.

The man pushed him back.

"You've been unconscious for almost two days."

Mika froze.

"Two days?"

"Yes."

He looked around the room.

There were no windows.

No door that he could see.

Just white walls.

A metal table stood in one corner.

Mika looked down at his hands.

Nothing.

No glowing eyes.

No floating objects.

He almost laughed.

Maybe the basement had been a dream.

Then he remembered his mother.

The man in the hood.

The walls breaking.

The bullets hanging in the air.

His stomach turned.

"What happened?"

The stranger leaned back.

"Your house was attacked."

"By who?"

"We don't know."

"You're lying."

The man looked at him.

"You have a lot of questions."

"My mother."

"She's safe."

"Let me see her."

"Not yet."

Mika stared at him.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Daniel."

"Daniel what?"

"Just Daniel."

Mika almost smiled.

"That's stupid."

Daniel nodded.

"Probably."

A door opened behind him.

A woman walked in.

She wore a dark uniform with a small silver symbol on her chest.

Mika recognized the symbol.

He had seen it on police vehicles.

Government.

She placed a tablet on the table.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a truck."

"You didn't."

"Then what happened?"

She looked at Daniel.

He stood up.

"Agent Mara," he said.

Mara looked at Mika.

"Your mother told us everything."

Mika's chest tightened.

"Everything about what?"

"About you."

He looked away.

Mara pulled a chair closer.

"Mika, you need to understand something."

"I already know I'm an Evo."

Mara stopped.

Daniel looked at her.

"You told him?"

"No."

Mika looked between them.

"I heard it from my mother."

Mara nodded slowly.

"Then you already know more than we expected."

"What's an Evo?"

"People with altered genetic structures."

"So I'm sick?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"You're different."

Mika laughed.

"Everyone keeps saying that."

Mara opened the tablet.

A photograph appeared.

Mika recognized the man immediately.

His father.

He had not seen that face in years.

But he remembered it.

The smile.

The small scar near his chin.

The way he used to carry Mika on his shoulders.

His throat became dry.

"That's my father."

"His name was Adrian Vale."

Mika stared at the photograph.

"Was?"

Mara hesitated.

"We don't know if he's alive."

Mika stood.

Pain hit him again.

"Where is he?"

"Sit down."

"Where is my father?"

"We've been searching for him for twelve years."

Mika shook his head.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because my mother said he died."

"Your mother lied."

The words hit harder than the pain.

Mika sat slowly.

"Why would she lie?"

"To protect you."

"From who?"

Mara did not answer.

Mika looked at Daniel.

He seemed less comfortable now.

That scared Mika more than anything.

"From people like us," Mara said.

Mika looked at the government symbol on her uniform.

"You hunt Evos."

"Some."

"Some?"

"Not every Evo is dangerous."

Mika remembered the man in the basement.

"That one was."

Mara's face became serious.

"Did you see him clearly?"

"No."

"Did he say anything?"

Mika remembered the man's voice.

So you're the boy.

"He knew me."

Mara exchanged a look with Daniel.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Look at each other like you know something."

Mara stood.

"The man who attacked your house is called Cain."

Mika frowned.

"Who is he?"

"An Evo."

"What can he do?"

"We don't know everything."

Mara walked to the door.

"But we know he's been looking for you."

Mika's heart dropped.

"Why?"

She stopped.

"Because your father disappeared after trying to kill him."

The room went quiet.

Mika stared at her.

"My father tried to kill him?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Cain was part of a group called The Ascendants."

"What's that?"

"An Evo organization."

Daniel finally spoke.

"They believe Evos should rule humans."

Mika looked at him.

"And Cain?"

"Cain believes humans should disappear."

Mika said nothing.

A siren suddenly sounded outside.

Daniel looked toward the door.

Mara's hand moved to her weapon.

"What is it?" Mika asked.

Daniel pulled out his gun.

"We have a problem."

The lights went off.

Mika heard shouting outside.

Then a gunshot.

Then another.

Mara grabbed Mika.

"Stay behind me."

The wall exploded.

Mika screamed.

Smoke filled the room.

Three figures stepped through the broken wall.

They were wearing black masks.

One of them lifted his hand.

The metal bed flew across the room.

Mara fired.

The bullets stopped before reaching the man.

Mika stared.

He had seen that before.

The masked man smiled.

"He's awake."

Daniel fired again.

Another masked figure moved.

Daniel slammed into the wall.

Mara grabbed Mika and pulled him through the doorway.

They ran.

People were screaming in the hallway.

Mika saw soldiers lying on the floor.

Some were bleeding.

Others were unconscious.

"What are they doing here?"

"Looking for you," Mara said.

"Why?"

"Because you're valuable."

"I'm a person!"

"I know."

"Then stop talking like I'm a weapon!"

They reached the end of the hallway.

A large metal door stood ahead.

Mara punched a code into the panel.

Nothing happened.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

"Locked," Daniel said.

Mara cursed.

The masked man appeared at the other end of the hallway.

He removed his mask.

Mika recognized him.

Cain.

His eyes were completely black.

"Mika."

Mika stepped backward.

Cain smiled.

"Your father had the same eyes."

Mika felt something move inside his chest.

A strange pressure.

The lights above him flickered.

Cain noticed.

"There it is."

Mika's hands started shaking.

"What do you want?"

Cain walked closer.

"I want you to remember."

"Remember what?"

"Who you are."

The hallway trembled.

A crack appeared in the floor beneath Mika.

Mara grabbed his shoulder.

"Mika, don't."

Cain laughed.

"She doesn't know how to control you."

Mika looked at Mara.

"What does he mean?"

Cain raised his hand.

Everything around them lifted.

Metal doors.

Weapons.

Pieces of broken concrete.

Mika felt the same power rising inside him.

His heart began beating faster.

He could hear every sound.

Every heartbeat.

Every breath.

Every bullet inside every gun.

He could feel the building.

Its walls.

Its pipes.

Its wires.

Everything.

Cain looked impressed.

"Now you're starting to see."

Mika closed his eyes.

The power became stronger.

Too strong.

The floor cracked.

Mara shouted his name.

"Mika!"

He opened his eyes.

They were glowing white again.

Cain smiled.

"Good."

Mika looked at him.

Then at Mara.

Then at the people lying on the floor.

He realized something.

He could hurt them.

All of them.

He could destroy the building.

He could kill Cain.

Maybe he could kill everyone.

The thought scared him.

So Mika did the only thing he could think of.

He pushed the power down.

The objects dropped.

Cain's smile disappeared.

Mika collapsed.

Daniel caught him before he hit the floor.

Cain stood at the other end of the hallway.

For the first time, he looked worried.

"You don't understand what you are," he said.

Mika looked up.

Cain turned and disappeared into the smoke.

Mara rushed to the window.

"He's gone."

Daniel looked down at Mika.

"No."

Mika's eyes slowly closed.

Daniel looked toward the broken wall.

"He's coming back."

Mara nodded.

"And next time, he won't come alone."

Outside, somewhere beyond the city, a man stood on top of a building.

He watched the smoke rising from the facility.

Cain touched his earpiece.

"He's awake."

A voice answered.

"How strong?"

Cain looked toward the distant building.

He smiled.

"Strong enough to scare me."

The voice went silent.

Then it said one thing.

"Find the boy."

Cain looked at the dark sky.

"Already did."

He removed the earpiece.

Below him, the city continued as if nothing had happened.

People walked.

Cars moved.

Lights filled the streets.

Nobody knew what was coming.

But the Evos knew.

And they were afraid.