Days seemed to slip by in a hurry during the summer months. Students often watched their break shrink as the return to school lurched closer. Parties, sports, games, and camps only delayed the inevitable. There was no real way to stretch out the days to prevent the summer break from ending, but there were some students that didn’t mind this fact. One of these students was a sixteen-year-old, Violet Woz, who had just returned from a three-month summer camp. She hadn’t heard from her friend in quite some time, but that didn’t bother her. She was in the middle of finishing her book and preferred to be undisturbed.

Violet breezed through her required summer reading during the first month of the break and was now rereading one of her personal favorites. She had always been a bookworm, so it was no surprise when she ran out of literature. Fortunately, her household was an educational environment with an extensive collection of reading material.

A significant portion of the collection came from Ivan, Violet’s father, who kept all of his textbooks from college, as well as every research article he and his colleagues wrote. The documents were often filled with technical jargon that required a doctorate in bioengineering to understand. While Violet wasn’t able to fully comprehend everything that was written, she still enjoyed discovering new concepts. Ivan had previously expressed his concern over her reading his most recent document, but that didn’t stop Violet from trying. She made a point to confirm her parents’ locations before entering her father’s office.

Out of the two, Violet’s mother was the most important parent to pinpoint. Claire could move through the house swiftly and silently. It was critical to the operation that she was preoccupied to prevent her from wandering. Violet had to stand by while the day came to its end, waiting for her mother to begin cooking dinner. The family’s weekly menu was written on the calendar, and that day had a tedious meal that required Claire’s full attention. Just to be sure, Violet casually walked into the kitchen.

She noticed her mother expertly cutting the dish’s vegetables. Claire’s wavy brown hair was tied up. Fair, tawny hands held the knife as it glided through the stew’s ingredients. Her sharp chestnut eyes were focused on the cutting board. Violet knew from experience that Claire had just started cooking, and her window of opportunity was dwindling. She hurried to the living room to confirm her father’s location.

Ivan was always exhausted upon his return from work. At the time, he was resting on the couch. His dark skin was full of wrinkles from both stress and age. Streaks of white peppered his black hair. He didn’t say a word when Violet entered the living room. Instead, he increased the television’s volume. The news reporter was describing a recent homicide. The incident occurred several miles away from them, and the perpetrators were missing. Similar reports were broadcasted earlier in the day. Everyone was worried that this was some type of terrorist attack, but there was too little information to make that assumption. Violet was unaware of these reports, so she couldn’t grasp the scale of the events occurring. Ivan, on the other hand, grew more worried and thought about taking his family upstate. Against his better judgment, Ivan brushed aside the idea and waved Violet away.

With a slight bow, the curious child left the room and silently rushed to her father’s office. Ivan didn’t keep it locked but still expected his daughter to stay out. She was often well-behaved, but she’d act out as long as she knew she wouldn’t be caught. Violet held her breath and pushed the office door open. She shuffled inside and closed the door behind her.

The office was a large room with towering bookshelves filled to the brim. Books were categorized and placed on the bookshelf along with similarly themed works. The topics ranged from basic medicine to highly advanced technical books, mostly adhering to Ivan’s profession. Violet always thought this room was magical, but her main focus was the dark oak desk in the far corner. It was piled high with several stacks of recently published articles and documentation from Ivan’s work. A “world’s best dad” mug full of pens sat near the edge. Sticky notes were placed all around the computer’s monitor. Each one noted a specific project or task that Ivan needed to remember. With little time and a need to reduce possible evidence, Violet carefully pulled a document from the pile. Her heart fluttered as she read the title.

The Materialization of Ichor and Genetic Variability of the Evolved. The title alone fascinated Violet. She didn’t know what the document contained but was eager to learn. After reading for a few minutes, Violet realized she’d heard some of the terms before. “Evolved” was a label she’d heard from the news. It described a type of genetically modified organism that was altered to withstand harsh environments. The government had announced that human trials would begin at the start of the next year.

Violet was unsure how the testing would go. There were many groups who opposed it and vilified anyone that dared to volunteer for the trial. Many different concerns were raised, but they weren’t enough to stop the project from moving forward. Violet was indifferent to the politics behind the experiments. She was more interested in the test itself and the results it would produce. The only question on her mind was how it involved her father.

Ivan was a low-level researcher at a local clinic. He was supposed to be currently researching the development of more-advanced artificial limbs, yet his notes littered the article. Ivan clearly had a larger role than what he described to his family. Violet continued to skim through the papers. She wanted to better understand the current state of the project. Images and descriptions of body parts, the variation of subjects, and an odd dark matter confused her. It was too much information to take in at once. Violet decided to retreat to her room for further analysis, but her plan was interrupted. A sharp snapping sound echoed through the room and snapped her out of her thoughts.

Immediately, Violet dropped to her knees and hid behind the desk. She was always quick to startle, but it often played in her favor. There had been many instances where her father entered his office to quickly grab something. Violet was caught red-handed the first time that had happened, and it didn’t take long for her to learn from that instance. Now, even the slightest noise would cause her to hide. The best spot to conceal herself was underneath the desk. A large panel shielded her from anyone’s sight, and small gaps allowed her to view the rest of the room. It always helped to see where someone was going and when they left. Violet squinted through gaps to better understand the scenario. A perplexing image filled her view.

A large, masked man in fine clothing had entered the room through the window. He stood almost six feet tall. Broad shoulders and a barrel chest formed his athletic physique. For an intruder, he was dressed extremely well. A black suit coat and tie matched with the man’s slacks. A white button-up shirt was underneath his coat and was sullied with small splatters of blood. Everything was tailored to perfectly fit his body. Nothing about his apparel seemed to restrict his movement. Gloves and dress shoes covered the ends of his extremities. He would have been a remarkable bachelor, but there was one problem with his appearance. An onyx gas mask covered his face with pitch-black eye sockets. As the man scanned the room, Violet could only see the glimmers reflected by the room’s light. It was like gazing at pure obsidian.

“All clear,” the man reported with a deep voice. His words were muffled, but Violet could infer what was said. His polished shoes clicked against the wooden floor as he moved into the room. With the office door closed and a seemingly empty room, the man had little reason to conceal his presence.

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Violet stared at him with wide eyes as he casually waltzed through the room. He slowly pried open the door to view the main hallway. As he familiarized himself with the house’s layout, another intruder leapt through the window. The person’s foot caught the windowsill, forcing them to awkwardly stumble into the room.

It was a woman wearing an outfit that was similar to her partner’s. There were some slight differences. She wore a black vest rather than a bulky suit coat. The sleeves of her button-up shirt were rolled up to her elbows. Her porcelain arms, the only part of her body that was exposed, were covered in odd black markings that splintered into multiple smaller branches. Her clothes and arms were covered in a considerable amount of blood. Her menacing demeanor was exemplified by the midnight-black plague doctor mask that covered her face. A small hat made of the same material rested atop her head. The rest of her head was veiled with a black cloth. Muddy footprints trailed her as she meandered toward her partner.

“Are you alright?” the man asked his partner in a low voice. He closed the door to silently address the issue.

“I’m fine. Just a bit woozy. Might need a second before we take out the next target,” the woman replied with bated breath. She placed her hands on the desk and leaned forward. Several deep breaths help her slightly regain her composure.

“Whatever it takes. Just do it quickly. We need to move on,” the man stated as he started to scan the numerous bookshelves.

“Love you too,” the woman laughed. She shuffled some of the papers on the desk. Many fell to the floor as she tossed them aside. It didn’t seem like she was looking for anything in particular. She was simply passing time, waiting to fully recover. The room fell silent for several minutes before the woman spoke up. “So, we killing this bastard or what?”

The concept of murder taking place in her house caused Violet to gasp. It was a quiet inhalation, but Violet still panicked and covered her mouth with her hands. The atmosphere became heavy. The room chilled as time stood still for the hiding girl. She prayed that she wasn’t detected, but to no avail.

The desk was tossed aside with ease, and the woman stared down at Violet. She couldn’t see the intruder’s eyes, but she knew she was being looked down on in disgust. There was nothing the young woman could do in this situation. Her voice was caught in her throat. Fear took over in an instant. Without a second thought, Violet flew toward the door. It was the fastest she had ever run, but it was not enough. The masked man blocked the door and grabbed her without hesitation. He threw her to the ground with an extreme amount of force and pinned her to the ground.

“A child? She wasn’t in the report,” the man stammered. He seemed to have been made uncomfortable by Violet’s sudden appearance. The strength of his hold loosened but still prevented his victim from escaping.

“Too many targets and not enough intel. Regardless, she’s here, so we ought to put her down,” the woman retorted with a tired voice. She stood above her partner and glanced toward the document that Violet tightly gripped. A cruel heel pressed on Violet’s wrist, forcing her to release the papers. The masked woman swiftly snatched the article and scanned it. After a brief reading, the woman shook her head. “Naughty girl. You shouldn’t be reading this. Now you really need to go.”

“No. We’re following our orders to the letter. That was the agreement. This kid’s got nothing to do with this,” the man argued. The two intruders stared at each other. Not even their masks could hide the hostility in their glares.

“This isn’t up for debate.”

“I agree. Stand down. Now.”

Violet could feel the overwhelming pressure the two radiated. She didn’t want to be caught in the middle of their dispute. She needed a way to escape quickly. That was when a small glimmer of hope caught her attention.

“You don’t have authority over me. Not here. Not ever,” the woman’s cold words cut into her partner. The two were equals, so there was no clear commander. It was because of this that the argument was allowed to continue. Their relationship was slowly deteriorating as their venomous words continued. It was thanks to this authoritative debate that Violet could subtly move her free arm.

“I do when you get like this, so shut up. If you want to kill someone, go deal with the doctor. He’s bound to have heard the commotion.” The man gestured with his head toward the door. Neither intruder would budge on their position. It was best to simply move on and hope one would forget about the problem. That was what the man was aiming for. Fortunately, his partner was not in the best mental state at the moment.

“Fine, but we’re definitely talking about this later,” the woman said before kicking open the office door. Her steps hastened as she moved toward the center of the house. The clicking footsteps grew quieter as she went further away.

The masked man sighed. He slowly turned his head back to Violet. As he returned his attention to his victim, he was surprised with a pen stabbing his neck. The desperate attack was enough to penetrate his defenses. The weapon she used wasn’t ideal, but it should have been enough to force him off her.

Time seemed to freeze for the two as they stared at each other. The man’s grip didn’t loosen nor did it tighten. Violet remained pinned to the ground. Her hand still held the pen which was embedded in her captor’s neck. Blood streamed from the wound and flowed down her arm. She was petrified with fear. The man was too surprised to move. Almost an entire minute passed before motion occurred.

The man gently pushed Violet’s hand away. He nonchalantly pulled the pen and tossed it aside. His hand then moved towards his victim’s mouth. He didn’t cover it completely, so she could still breathe and speak. His movements perplexed Violet. Before she could say a word, something else derailed her train of thought. A sensation like a light mist brushed against her face. Violet tried to avoid breathing whatever was present, but it was a futile effort. She could only hold her breath for so long. A forced deep breath brought a wave of exhaustion. Despite the intense situation happening around her, Violet’s eyes felt heavy. She didn’t want to fall asleep, but it was getting harder to resist the temptation with each passing moment. Suddenly, it all clicked.

“An Evolved?” Violet managed to utter her realization. Her exhaustion made it difficult to think clearly, but it was the only logical explanation she could think of. Neither intruder wore body armor, showing they weren’t worried about any type of resistance. Violet was not the strongest in the world, but the man’s strength was unnatural. Then, of course, there was his apathy toward the stabbing.

It was her realization that sent shivers down her spine. The situation suddenly grew much more dire. If they were the same Evolved outlined in Ivan’s documents, there was no way any of them would survive the attack. It was almost impossible to remove something that was designed with durability as its focus.

“You seem to know more than I thought. Doesn’t matter. Soon, everyone is about to be woken up to the truth of what your father and his friends have been up to.” The masked man seemed annoyed by Violet’s words. An exhausted sigh escaped the gas mask. He pulled his hand away and dug into his coat. After retrieving a small steel blade, the man slit his wrist and quickly wiped some of the gushing blood onto Violet’s neck.

“Wha—” Violet stammered with a soft voice. It was getting harder for her to form full thoughts, let alone sentences. She couldn’t finish her question, but the man was able to infer her question.

“I don’t know how much you know about us Evolved, but we’re not all bad. Sure, that idiot isn’t the best example. She’s not herself at the moment. Another product of the doctor’s actions. As for me, well, I didn’t kill you. Just knocking you out for a couple of hours and making sure no one else picks you off.” The man said with a soft voice. He continued to paint Violet’s neck, making her false injury look much more serious. Once he finished, he took the bloody knife and positioned it close to her.

“Why?”

“It might be ironic for me to say this, but I don’t want to hurt anyone. At least, not anyone that isn’t a target. You haven’t done anything wrong. In return for helping you, I need you to do me a favor. After you have shed all your tears and the dust has settled, grow up into someone that’ll make a difference. This will never end if we continue down this road.”

The man’s voice faded as he continued to speak. He went on about philosophy and the struggle between man and God, but it all went over Violet’s head. She could no longer hear him as her vision blurred. Heavy blinks slowed as she succumbed to her exhaustion. The lull of rest had finally reached her. It was impossible to resist any longer. The wooden floor wasn’t comfortable, but that didn’t matter. She drifted to sleep. Her final thoughts were of her parents. Praying that they’d be safe.