August 25 mid-day Queens

Standing a few yards away from the facility main gates scouting the area. Kuniva hid out of sight of the security cameras. Despite it being the most active time of day the facility seemed deserted, not a signal vehicle or security guard prowling the grounds.

Leaping over the fence, scurrying to the facility entrance. Kuniva prowls the dark halls eventually reaching the room he fought with the first mercenary. Looking down into the hole in the floor, he sees a plethora of construction equipment, scaffolding and emergency support pillars.

Long before Kuniva returned to the facility, major news erupted that same morning. There were claims of a serious chemical leak from the company pr, but only Kuniva knew what actually transpired last night.

"I've must have caused enough of a ruckus last night for the company to outright filed for bankruptcy."

Little did Kuniva know, the fruits of his labor extended deeper than he anticipated from the start. Helix Industries is also filing for bankruptcy putting the project out of commission for good. All of Helix Industries clients found themselves in a tight financial and public bind. The public wanted answers for their incompetence endangering the common person's livelihoods.

Kuniva sat down on the floor near the hole staring into nothingness. "I'm sorry about your helmet, I promise to get it fixed before the year is done."

Sierra nods, "It's ok, it was obsolete anyway, I have another one in my arsenal. Also, Professor Walkings expressed her gratitude to you for helping put an end to Helix Industries," the lone voice echoed from the entrance.

"Is she ok?" Kuniva asked his sister.

"Yes, she was spared from the full wrath of the organization thanks to you."

"Good, at least…" Kuniva shivered as he hesitates to speak the last few words; on the contrary, Sierra knew what he was going to say but remained silent herself.

"Professor Walkings fled the state long before congress summoned the company leaders for a public hearing. She's out of harms way."

Kuniva looks up at his sister with a bitter smile. "I doubt it's over."

"It will never be over, your friends will always be in the cross hairs. Come, as promised. I'll tell you what you need to know… about us… our family… and you." Sierra retorted.

Kuniva groans heavily as he gets up from the floor like an old man with bad bones. "I'm following you."

The two siblings vacated the now abandoned industrial building walking down the quiet Queens neighborhood.

"Do we share the same parents?"

"We do, we share the same mother and father. Dad went missing during his exploration in the pacific deep, the same day you were conceived as a stillborn."

Kuniva paused, "Whoa hold on… I was born dead? what?" he muttered the last word under his breath. Sierra's expression was blank despite the heavy information she dumped on him.

"Losing dad and you, sent mom into a spiral of never ending grief, it only worsened when I was diagnosed with stage three brain cancer, progressing into stage four on my fourth birthday. I was put into cryogenic stasis until mother's work was done. By age 9, I was devoid of my ailment getting the chance to see the warmth return to mom's eyes. She was proud of what she had achieved facing what is said to be impossible―forbidden. The first time I saw you, you were locked away in a black cube. Mom refrained me from visiting the high end labs but I bypassed the facility security systems at night and I'll spend hours talking to your cube. But now I can tell you in person."

"But if I was born dead―how the hell am I walking among the living?"

"That I don't know myself―whatever mother did to bring you back is the reason why I'm still alive. I tried to understand her, she grew distant from me―she never interacted with me after I was cured. She gave me a task and I carried it out without question."

Sierra about face, Kuniva head tilting to the concrete floor. "Without a doubt I was because of me…"

"No, it wasn't I can promise you that…"

"Then who's at fault?"

Sierra only stares at her brother, breaking the silence, "Carbon."

Kuniva’s puzzled by the sudden mention of the 6th element of periodic table. "What about carbon?"

"Upon our last face to face in virtual space, I went through a few of our mother's private data. Father was a world class material scientist, he had accomplished something none has ever done or thought about. During one of his explorations in the middle east, he discovered an unknown element that aided in the foundation in creating your physical body. "Am I robit?" no, you're not a robot but something different and to be frank brother, not even I with our parents prized research data can put a finger on it."

Kuniva sadly chuckles, "At this point I honestly don't care about what I am, all I know is that I'm alive and living." The shroud shadows enveloping him grew heavier.

He turns in the opposite direction walking off, leaving his sister behind. She didn't pursue him, inspite of her emotionless expression her eyes told a different story. "I just want to protect you. His thirst to know our family history will overwhelm him or destroy him emotionally. Promise you brother, in due time you'll know everything about our lineage. But for now, the shadows is your best friend."

Stolen novel; please report.

Sierra looks at her hand then at the moon.

*******

Kuniva walked the streets with his head down, pacing his steps clearing the expansion gaps on the sidewalk. Sierra was long gone left behind.

"It feels like my head is going to explode, I'm not sure what to do? should go looking for my real mother?" Kuniva angrily nods his head.

"What good will that do me? and even if I did go looking her; what will I say to her? will I feel happy that I've found her?" The only person that comes to his mind is Sabrina. In truth, the thought of someone else being labeled as his mother didn't sit right in his gut. The only mom he knows of is Sabrina.

Passing by an alleyway, Kuniva's assess matrix suddenly activates, highlighting red drops of liquid on the floor leading deeper into the garbage disposal area. Without much thought about what could be lurking in the alley Kuniva continues on. The red fluid on the ground gradually darkens and becomes more consistent, following the trail of red liquid he stops at a closed green dumpster dripping the red liquid.

Deep within, he hopes the red liquid isn't coming from what he thinks it is.

His eyes gloss over the dumpster and takes a massive leap backwards.

"No way, I thought the project was over- Sierra!" Kuniva bolts out the alleyway at full stride down the street. Hard charging through the street he makes it back to the block where he last seen his sister, he clenches his chest and eyes dilated.

"Did I make a mistake?"

"No, you didn't," Sierra replied, standing behind her brother.

Without saying much she knew what was happening from Kuniva’s expression. "It's as you assume, The project is still ongoing just under a different leadership."

Kuniva perplexed, "How did―"

"I would hate to repeat it. I have direct access to your neural network, whatever you see I can play it back to myself but I'm mindful, only critical information is taken. Remember, whatever was done to you was done to me to a certain extent. You can consider me a support unit in many ways. But that's not important."

Knowing the project is still ongoing, Jasmine is once again on their radar.

"What will you do?"

"I saved you from Helix Industries and now I have to make sure Jasmine doesn't get caught up in this mess. Call Public Safety I have to go." With those last words Kuniva vanished into thin air.

Sierra backtracks to the alleyway from where Kuniva came from. Entering the alleyway the sound of voices can be heard from around the corner and one particular voice stood out the most to her.

"Aunt Cynthia."

Cynthia turns to her niece, "What are you doing here? you're no longer part of the project and free from Helix Industries control."

"Your nephew is on the move. He's not going to stop at Helix Industries, soon he'll be interfering with Technoco Solutions."

"Why because his closest friend is being dragged in? if im not mistaken, their tech is based off of her. They won't stand for anyone missing with their asset."

"Yes, and it's coming from my mother."

Cynthia paused, turning to the clean up crew signaling them to pick up the pace, "Speaking of my sister, there's been word that she's fled Cairo and is on her way to the states. I know for a fact she's giving you and your brother commands to weaken the organization."

Sierra stares blindlessly at her aunt before uttering a single word, "What you say is true, dear big sister." A wicked smile appears on Sierra's expressionless face.

Cynthia gets closer to her niece, "You have caused enough trouble for mother, Aisha. You've damaged the world enough with your selfish needs and we're the ones that must fix your mess. Go back to Cairo, now!"

"Or else what? assassination like how mother did to my pupil? not a chance in hell. Mother is already aware of my plan to permanently remove her from life itself."

"YOU HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF! you spelled Professor Wingate's doom when you betrayed her―"

"Just like how mother betrayed me! I did it to protect Venessa, keeping her talents from being exploited for mothers' personal agenda. I was on my way out of the administrator position after defying our mother after she threatened to take both my son, daughter, and Luna away from me, the first message when mother ordered the assassination of my husband. Knowing what her real intentions were; keeping Venessa away from such corruption was a must but in the end I've failed her as a teacher but that changes."

"And you've failed as a mother too. Turning your own two children into monsters all in sake of power and recognition, your son is the reason why she turned you away from the family and ordered the termination of Luna. You want to outdo mother so bad you forget to be one yourself to the two children you birthed."

"Too bad she didn't act like one herself, at least to me," Sierra chortled, leaving the scene.

"I'm warning you, little sister. You've tapped into power that doesn't belong―"

"You can't stop me and neither can mother. Neither can the hands of the divine or the organization that I once controlled." With those final words Sierra was long gone.

Cynthia huffs, "Leon, I'm shifting control to you. I have something important that I must take care of."

Leon nodded, "You got it boss, alright people let's get to the next sight pronto!!"

Cynthia's coat tail sways as she hastily walks to her car. Entering the vehicle, the center display chimes she answers the call.

"Your sister is in the states."

"Yeah, she gave me a personal message just a few seconds ago."

"The tension between the world's shadow governments and the Underworld is at an all time high, with the Blackwater Chemical Plant in the spotlight that was the final nail in the coffin for Helix Industries and its investors. Right now both sides are blaming the other for acts of sabotage. Aisha is here to finish what she started three decades ago. First she'll go looking for Sierra and then Kuniva."

Cynthia tilts her head up watch the clean up crew signaling her the all good before taking off to the next sight.

"What are we going to do about him? he's a threat to both the Underworld, the shadow governments, and soon he'll be targeted by the old faith."

"The old faith are occupied with their own problems, the aftermath of knocking Alexandria out of the sky and hunting down defectors and purging heretics from their ranks as for the Underworld organization and shadow governments you're too busy trying to claw each other's throats out. I've planned a special occasion just for Kuniva, you just worry about finding your sister, put an end to her escapade before the other administrators catch wind of her arrival."

"What about Takahashi?"

"He's been relinquished of his Administrator duties the second his company failed and aided in Administrator Hamilton in his own project using MY blankslate research. I can care less about what that bumbling idiot is currently doing."

"Now that leaves you without an Administrator. What's your plan now?"

"Changes are taking hold, for now focus on subduing your sister and sending her back home."

The call ends, she connects her network terminal to the central holo-display.

"Window opacity 100."

The car windows were blacked out, unable to see through no matter how close a person was to the windows.

"File number: 10192230-Alpha."

Pulling file from deep archive. The V.I announced as the digital file opens.

In the file were photos of her and Aisha appears.

"Just let me help you."