I do not know who I am.
People have asked me in the past, and I tell them my name. Because Subject Six used to be my identity, but now I have a knew one, and then something happened to that one.
Metamorphosis transcended me into something else; something stronger.
It divided me from my kind, stripping me of what I thought I knew about myself. Broke down barriers in my mind, and opened new doors to what I could be. But, that's not all it took from me.
I lost pieces of me I thought were innate, buried so deeply inside me, I didn't think they could be moved. Sometimes, I catch myself wondering what am I? I thought the answer was simple.
A Splice; a biologically and genetically enhanced creature, made from the mind of a genius. A man who knew true sacrifice, whilst hiding behind the facade of an arrogant genius. No one knew who he truly was, not even me.
I don't want to leave behind the same mysteries as he has.
Just because I don't know who I am, doesn't mean I don't know what I am. I am the heir to intelligence no one can have, I am the protector of people and creatures that do not want me, and I am the monster who will go after the ones who took everything from me.
Rage stroked through me; a new kind of hunger. All it done was make me crave something darker than I'd ever wanted before. Only this time, I was in complete control of that desire, and I even accepted it.
Damien would want me to do better. However, I think we both knew I was never good at following instructions. It made me wonder if he knew this was the path I would choose, as his blood spilled from him.
Inside my chest, where my heart should be, was a fire. The kind that branded my sole with a new kind of purpose, they had taken too much from me for me to bow down.
Somewhere, hidden away was my pack. They thought they were like me but they're not. In this world there is only one of my kind, which makes me a target. Painting my skin in luminescent paint, a beacon for all the power-hungry bastards left in the wake of the chaos.
Right now, they won't understand why I'm doing this. Maybe they never will, but I did. The price on my head was too high for anyone else to pay, and I was too selfish to watch the ones I loved die for the treasure I had to keep.
In the distance, I could hear them. Eric was barking at them to keep moving, keep their heads down. They hadn't felt me slip away, I done it so meticulously that they wouldn't, until it was too late.
Out of them all, I wondered if this would hurt him more between them all. Tonight, he wasn't just losing me. They took Hayden in the midst of it, I could still hear her screaming pleads, the way she stared holes through her father.
"Bullseye!" I remember the desperation betraying her strength, the way she so viciously fought, "Bullseye!"
Death. She was begging her father to shoot her dead, rather than to be captured. It was the first time I'd ever seen Eric hesitate, and I saw the price of it. Now, the weight of his decision hung over him like a cloak of liability.
But it was me. I was the reason they came here, and now I had to leave before they found the one thing Damien Ripper treasured; his haven for the sick.
It was down to me to take back what they'd stolen. None of us even knew if Hayden was alive, but I intended to find out. She was only there because she thought she was protecting me. What was it with that family, and trying to protect me?
My fingers touched the chain around my neck, fully aware of the power it was withholding. They would leave too, the rest of my pack. To draw away the danger, because that was who they were, and they were lucky to have Eric.
He would protect them.
"I hope you have a plan." The smooth drawl startled me, I snapped around. My hand forcing a choked noise from her throat, "If we're going to do this; we need a damn good plan."
Another hand rested on my shoulder, their grip reassuring. His comforting scent wrapping itself around me before I could react. I didn't want to look at him, because I had already said goodbye in my head, and I don't think I could say it to him.
"Go back." I forced the words from my lips, feeling my grip loosen on Venom's neck. She shoved me away from her, the expression on her sharp features scathing, "I need to do this alone."
Of course, he would notice I'd left. His grip tightened enough to turn me to face him, "When have I ever left you to do anything alone?" Theo questioned, his tone challenging, but his words were sincere.
"You don't understand!" I hissed through my teeth, now I was the one pleading. Begging him with my eyes to stay away from me, "The pack-"
"You don't honestly think you managed to leave without us noticing?" Theo gave me a look, both us aware that I should know better, "Tyrion is seeing Eric and the other's somewhere safe, before he catches us up. Freddie is watching out for them too, he's pissed you tried to run off on a secret mission without him."
Venom rose her brows at me, "Really, he was not happy." She stated, like his complains annoyed her. But I could see the underlying affections towards the flamboyant one of us, "You're lucky he didn't come here to kick your ass."
"As if the little punk would in the first place," Came a dry snort, the voice sounded painful to even listen too, "We're not late for the secret mission meeting, are we?"
A dozen different curses were on my mind at the sight of the twins. Admittedly, one of them was a slight tad of relief, that Warren hadn't died after all. Although, he did look like he's passed through hell and been dragged back.
His skin was sickly pale, and without his brother's help, I doubted he'd even be able to stand. Wayland offered me a slight smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. After all we just endured, I didn't expect it to either.
"Apollo will look after them when the other's join us." His eyes snapped behind me, to the treeline that stretched below the tall hill, "He's more of a lover, than a fighter, in his own right."
Too many of them. I didn't plan to have help for this, I didn't want any. This needed to be me, and me alone. I owed it to too many people, to all of the ones who'd died for it, and those unfortunate enough to suffer through living it.
But I knew these people; they wouldn't bend to my will.
"You don't understand," I breathed, my fingers tightening around the chain around my neck. Holding it even closer to me than before, "I have it."
Theo's hands moved from my arms, upwards. The time wasn't right to enjoy his touch, but that didn't stop me. Warmth spread from him, through me and I wanted so badly just to lie and bathe in it.
Feeling the touch of his thumbs smooth against my neck, made me inhale sharply through my nose. The touch itself felt entirely too personal, even if it was slight. Maybe it's because I know he's not a soft centered person, he has his own way of showing his emotions.
"Does anyone know what she's talking about?" Warren croaked, sounding more irritated by the passing moments. He grunted when Venom elbowed him sharply in the side, "Ouch! Goddamn, woman!"
He did. Theo knew exactly what I was talking about, somehow, I never could keep things from him, "I have the World Destroyer." I finally admitted, my voice entirely serious, "He gave it to me to protect."
Tugging on the chain, I felt the hard drive slide against my skin until it was held between my fingers. It looked like a simple silver point, thin at the bottom before expanding at the top. Inside was the hard drive with all the secrets Damien had been hiding.
It was his life's work.
"Then we'll help you." Venom asserted, throwing a backpack at me. She already had one thrown over her shoulder, "Gwen said to give you that, by the way."
My hand clenched around the device, "You can't come with me. Not for this-"
"Listen, he might have created you, or whatever, and maybe have been something more, but," Venom clenched her jaw shut for a second, her tone reprimanding. Laced with the same loss I felt, "He saved our lives; we were the closest thing to death, and he gave us the best cure mankind could ever fathom. His legacy isn't just yours to carry, okay!?"
Theo's hand dropped from my neck, his fingers found mine. They were hesitant before they intertwined with my own, "We all lost people," He reminded me, ghosts in his eyes, "Now's the time to take back what's ours, Selene."
"Fine." I cemented. There was no point in fighting this, they would only just force themselves on me anyway, "But I am going to kill her. I need you to understand that; I am going to kill Veronica Grave."
T H E E N D
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A/N
Evolution has finally come to it's end, and I hope I done it justice. I just wanted to thank everyone who read through this as I wrote it. You're support has been never ending, ever since Mutations; something that shocks me all the time.
A lot of changes came with this sequel, and you took them all in stride. Inviting my new ideas and getting excited about them with me, and nothing made my days happier. I got to know many of your from your comments, recognizing your usernames and becoming familiar with you. Especially when you guys gave your awesome opinions, and shared laughs with everyone else.
Hopefully, you enjoyed Evolution as much as you enjoyed Mutations. Otherwise, it sucks I wasted a butt load of time coming up with these crazy ideas!
EmbracingYou
XOXO