Chapter 4. [Redacted]
I stood over Jackson's body, my hands being crudely placed on his chest, the central source of it, the power. It took only a few seconds for the process to start, but to me, it felt like walking forever in a desert with the promise of water far, far in the distance. After what seemed like an eternity a crimson haze of energy rippled out of Jackson's chest, there was a bit of resistance but with no will behind it the energy was rightfully mine. It flowed into my hands and it felt euphoric, like nothing I had ever experienced, pure power and it was all mine. As I reveled in the feeling of ultimate and unadulterated power Jordan groaned and sat up, his hand cradling his chest in pain. Jordan glanced over at me, a complete feeling of dread washing over him as he felt it. Before it was just the sense of a predator, something instinctual, but now it was in the air. Crimson energy crackled around me and Jordan sat there shaking attempting to say something but the words caught in his throat.
I could sense it all around me, more power, and with more power...I-I could do anything, I could stand up to the Bureau and show them I'm not useless. I could take down anyone, nobody could get in my way...first I needed more, more of this divine power. This was my current thought process and it seemed like I was truly and utterly lost, but there was a force that felt bigger than me pushing against these thoughts. In the moment I was too self-absorbed to even acknowledge the feeling but it was very prevalent and actively pushing for control.
As the crimson energy ran through my body and rested deep in my chest my arms started burning. The pain was nothing compared to the overwhelming bliss I was feeling, so I just watched with amusement. I could feel my muscles, bones, tendons, and everything else that was damaged in the fight knitting itself back together. It was a strange sensation and I marveled at it smiling wide at the turn of events. Once my arms and hands were healed I flexed them, not only were they healed but I could feel they were stronger. Trying something I witnessed Jackson do I attempted to channel the energy within me to my fists. As the energy responded it felt like trying to pour molasses through a sieve, the energy was moving but with great strain and effort. I took in labored breaths sweat dripping down from my forehead, this was clearly something I had to train as it wasn't coming as naturally. As I stood, a wicked grin still prominently sitting on my face, Jordan got the courage to speak.
"S-sir, is that you?" Jordan choked out, scared but more worried about me.
I turned around aggressively and assessed him, checking to see if he was a threat. Deeming him but a mere insect in my presence I glared and scoffed at him.
"heh! Of course it's me! in fact, I feel more alive than ever, more like who I was always supposed to be." I flexed my fists and stretched feeling out my body before testing it. Flourishing my speed and combat ability I used multiple moves in quick succession as I casually spoke, more for my own sake than Jordan's. "I'll prove to the Bureau that I am an asset they couldn't dream of getting rid of. There are obviously more threats out there and it would only be the kind thing to do to take care of them for them. But the Bureau will rue the day they ever scolded me, I'll show them. In fact, for what they did to me and my family, they are lucky I let any of them live."
"Sir-no Brian, this clearly isn't you, something is wrong! Don't you see it?" Jordan said concern and pain in his expression.
I stopped suddenly in the midst of a flurry of moves and stared at Jordan, with impressive speed I got right up in his face. I had a finger almost touching him as I angrily retorted against his question.
"See it? See what, that I'm stronger? Faster? I can see that, I can feel it, nothing is wrong with me. You dare assume to know that something is wrong?" I spat, the venom and rage of the words radiating from me.
Jordan decided at this moment that he'd either die or manage to get through to me by some miracle. With a deep controlled breath, he stared back into the eyes of this stranger, hoping to find a glint of his associate and friend. "Brian, I know you are in there, whatever it is that has taken over you...I know you can overtake it. You have to, you saw how it ended for that man, don't let your dark emotions control you. Oh! Brian, remember when you first met me? I had just turned 21 and I was lost, but you helped me out and got me a good position. You did that, you've always cared about those around you, embrace that kind nature, and banish the ego that has overtaken you." As Joran spoke from the heart a single tear fell my eye. The rage, ego, fear, and hunger were leaving me as I remembered but the effort to take back control was immense.
Jordan recognized the internal struggle and could finally see a glint of the man he had gotten to know over the last 2 years. As I struggled, my hand shakily reached up and out so I could place it on his forehead. As my hand reached and my power activated both me and Jordan were sucked into each-others minds. Jordan had to let me in but there was no resistance there, we could feel and see memories we had together and memories from random moments in our lives. Here there was no way to hide and as we transitioned into this mental landscape I became myself again. We were stood on solid ground but the rest of the landscape consisted of far-off floating chunks of detached land. It looked as if a bit of land had been lifted up and out of the ground and each one was where a core memory existed. I could feel that I could control the memories Jordan and I shared and my memories, there was still more to figure out about this power but for right now I just looked on in amazement. The first time I experienced this I did it by accident and I had no time to look around and appreciate the beauty of it.
"W-woah...what happened Brian, where exactly are we?" Jordan said both amazed and confused as he looked around.
"Ever since the incident with Clark I've been able to enter my memories, well I had only done it once and even then I only remembered it when I stopped suppressing it in the fight with Jackson. But even then it was more that all the negative emotions I was suppressing jumped out and that included the horrible memory in question. This however is both our minds, I guess in one space? I'm not entirely sure how any of this is possible but here we are." I rambled fascinated with the whole thing now that I could actually think and process the events.
When I thought of the horrible memory it shot towards us from the distance and right as I was about to banish it I noticed something.
"Wait, wait, do you see that Jordan?" I asked inquisitively. "Right here." We suddenly appeared at the physical part of the memory and the issue in question. "This." I continued, pointing at an artificial tear that had remnants of crimson energy, not unlike the crimson energy from the last few days.
"Ok? Couldn't this just be the energy in your body or something?" Jordan said thinking out loud.
I responded, my face scrunched in confusion and intrigue. "No, first off this energy isn't mine, or at least not naturally mine, secondly I know you can't tell but this has been placed here intentionally, It's artificial. The most notable thing is it's very old, whatever this is it's from way before recent events. I honestly don't know what's going on here but maybe if I-."
As I went to interact with it both physically and mentally I was sucked into the tear in the side of the memory. It felt like going down a slide that fit tightly around me, the pressure just enough to feel warm and cozy. It was dark and damp and suddenly a blinding light was suddenly approaching as I cried and wailed. The current me emerged with the past me as I was suddenly living in the moment of a past memory. I was crying and being held by someone, the only thing on my mind was the terrifying light and objects around me in my immediate blurry vision.
"Oh, Brian, I love you." A female voice resonated out as I was held in her arms. I stayed there for a short time until I was abruptly taken away, her screams slowly getting quieter and quieter. "Brian! Brian!!."
As I was ushered out of the room through a door everything went black, when I came back to it felt as if some time had passed but I had no memory of anything in between. The transition was seamless as I opened my eyes to complete darkness, nothing changing but my awareness of the situation. The room I was now in was entirely dark except for a bit of light under a door in the distance, but it was swallowed up by the darkness, the light nothing but a false hope. I was on my stomach facing this door that seemed so close yet so far away, the fear starting to set in. All alone in an unfamiliar environment, the only comfort being the plush floor, tears fell from my eyes involuntarily. The moments of darkness went on and on and I had no idea how long I had been in this purgatory. I started calling out for anyone for someone, my mother. I screamed and cried out for hours until my throat was rough and dry, my stomach equally roaring out in protest. The darkness felt invasive and terrifying, like at any moment something was going to reach out and get me. After what felt like days I lay sprawled out exhausted, my eyes dry and bloodshot from crying, my mouth and throat raw, and my stomach groaning in protest. Right as I felt life slipping from me the door opened abruptly and a man in a nice suit started entering, his face being obstructed by the blinding light behind him. Not a moment later I transitioned to the next memory.
I was suddenly standing in a room with a white ceiling, floor, and walls, they were padded and the room was illuminated by bright iridescent lights. The man in the nice suit entered the room from a secure-looking door and stood in front of me smiling kindly, a snarl appeared on my face as he got close and I knelt and backed up as far away from him as I could like a feral animal. Right when he was going to speak the scene then cut to that of the same room but there was blood everywhere, a man was still standing a weapon in his hand. I came at him with precision and speed, expertly taking him down with an extreme amount of force.
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A voice coming from nowhere and everywhere boomed out. "Good job number 0088297!" I was no older than five and I had just mercilessly slaughtered several men and even received praise for it, these also weren't the first or last. I knew what came next so I prepped using a breathing method I devised for this exact moment. As soon as the gas entered the room I held my breath and then acted out passing out onto the ground. After 7 minutes I feared I was going to lose consciousness but the gas quickly dissipated. Holding out a little while longer I stayed completely still on the ground and let two men pick me up and out of the room. In a flash I acted, grabbing one of the men's weapons and shooting both of them before they could react. I dropped onto the ground and looked around franticly for any danger and to assess my situation, the first thing I noticed were all the doors. I was in a long hallway and doors littered the walls on both sides, inspecting them they were all the same and most likely led into rooms similar to the one I was in.
Running to the end of the hallway I gaped as I looked out into a giant cylindrical room, if you could even call it a room. There was a metal platform right outside the exit of the hallway that went all the way around the perimeter of this level. Stepping out onto the metal platform I rested my hands on the railing and looked around astonished. The room was split into four even sections vertically, and there was a platform connected to either side going through the middle. On either side, there were huge metal doors that must have been an exit of some kind. peering up and down I couldn't see a top or bottom to the place, however, I did see steps leading up and down to different levels. It didn't seem like there was an end to this place and the implications of it all didn't immediately come to me. Before I could gawk further I heard a commotion and alarms going off, I started running down the platform toward the metal doors.
Hearing hurried footsteps behind me I picked up the pace, I got to the stairs that would take me down to the exit. I started down them but stopped a few steps in and lowered myself, waiting for the men chasing after me I took out the gun I still had. As they approached the staircase I lifted the gun up and shot wildly, hoping I caused a distraction I continued down the stairs. As I reached the bottom I could see the door clearly, I looked back to see if they were still chasing me and suddenly ran into something. I stumbled backward onto my butt flinching at the sudden collision, quickly regaining my composure and adrenaline coursing through my veins I looked up. Seeing the man in the suit standing there, his hands in his dress pant pockets I aimed my gun up at that ever-present smile. Before the gun was even pointed at him he was in motion, appearing behind me without me even realizing. With a quick decisive chop to the back of my neck I was passed out on the ground, the blaring alarms the last my senses picked up.
I awoke in a panic, alarms still blaring around me, I was strapped down to a table unable to move anything but my eyes. I could see and hear a strange device working on me and felt some sort of weird pressure in my head, but it was muted like I was numbed. There were people all around me yelling commands and concerned comments but none of it was registering in the moment. I could feel myself losing consciousness again as I slipped from reality, but before succumbing to unconsciousness fully I peered at some monitors to the right of me. There was a photo of me with some statistics and information displayed next to it. To the right of that was a top-down view of me, I could see the device that was hooked up to my head, and it made me feel sick. Further right I could barely make out a bunch of monitors displaying tens of other children, the same device hooked up to them. Above all of this was a logo of sorts that spelled out "Project Soul". As my eyes were finally drifting closed all the other voices were shut out by one commanding voice.
"Progress with the memory wipe, this one may be stubborn and full of surprises but he will be a very powerful asset for us and Project Soul moving forward."
I awoke in a cozy bed, stretching before getting out, my body still sore from the days and weeks of training. I got cleaned up and ready for the day, my stomach grumbled and I excitedly smiled in anticipation of a hearty breakfast. After eating breakfast with the other kids I made my way to my first class. When my classes were over we did training, I was the star student having a seemingly raw talent for combat and fighting in general. my Master, the man I looked up to was coaching and directing us, he wore a nice suit and always had a big smile on his face. It was my goal to someday take him down, but he was just too good.
"You did well today Brian, I expect great things from you in the future," Rubeus said, patting me on the head before walking off to talk to the other kids.
Life went on like this for many years until I was 18, only a few things here and there of note but with my status and talent, nothing was a real issue. But a few months after I turned 18 and was expecting to participate in conflicts for the Bureau something happened that shattered my worldview. I was about to enter my Master's office to go over my future when I overheard a heated argument as I approached the door.
"Sir, things are progressing as fast as they have been projected to progress, There isn't anything more we can do." One man said concern and a bit of anger in his retort.
"If we stay complacent with 'projected progress' we won't have real results in decades, we need to make leaps and bounds in this project for what's to come! What is our current wall, we have had a sufficient amount of data for a few years now yes!? I understand that every day we understand more and more but there must be something big we're missing!" My Master, Rubeus angrily shouted, more at the situation than the man he was discussing with.
"Well sir, we have created an artificial soul, many in fact! But they become unstable almost immediately, there is something big we can't get past. Are we still sure the augmented clones are not a better use of our time and resources? I know it's not what they are looking for in the long term but this seems like an impossible fairy tale of a project." The man pleaded, clearly exhausted and overly stressed.
"Absolutely not, Project Soul will be our top priority full stop! Besides, we've put too much into this for it to not work out. You can argue the sunk-cost fallacy to me but this isn't my decision. Now, we expect some more tangible progress soon, figure out what the hookup is and deal with it. Maybe it's an issue of not having enough power allocated or needing a more stable framework. Whatever it is I want you to test everything and anything. Now if that was all I have a guest coming by soon so be on your way!" Rubeus commanded ushering the man to the door.
At the mention of "Project Soul" I got chills, it was like a dam that was cracked finally broke and memories flooded out. Sweat started forming and my body got hot as all the memories spilled into my mind, my breathing was all over the place, and true panic set in. Hearing the conversation had ended I rushed back to the turn in the hallway, to make it seem like I was just approaching. I tried to calm myself down as I heard the door open the man walking out, his steps were panicked and quick. I turned the corner and acted as if nothing was wrong and nodded at the man then waved at my Master trying my best to act excited. As I entered his office I sat down in the chair in front of him, sweat rolled down the side of my head. I fidgeted nervously as my Master stared at me inquisitively, his smile still etched perfectly into his face. His eyes, which always seemed almost closed opened wide as he leaned back in his chair slowly.
"How much did you hear, Brian?" He said, his tone flat and unamused.
"Uh-Uhm, what do you mean? L-like you and that man, oh, nothing. Maybe just some yelling I heard from down the hall I guess. Ha ha...why do you ask Master?" I replied, my nervousness and panic almost certainly giving away that I was lying.
My Master's smile faltered for a moment as he stared daggers into my soul, he quickly reached for something as I also jumped into action. With a swift motion, I grabbed my knife in my holster and leaped over the desk. Before I was able to get any further Rubeus had a device in his hand and he activated it. A jolt of electricity ran through my body and stunned me cutting my leap off short.
"Did you really think I wouldn't have safety measures in after what you did last time? You've only gotten more dangerous so it-." His words were cut off as my knife slashed through his throat. The jolt had only interrupted me for a few seconds before I overpowered the pain and shock, much to Rubeus's surprise. He choked and gurgled on his own blood before his head slammed onto his table, blood pooling out. I had made sure to cut through the artery in one concise slash and I reveled in the long-awaited revenge for all my suffering. I shot out of the door and ran for the exit, but guards were already on the move and headed toward me. Somehow they knew something was wrong and that I was the culprit, so I unsheathed my knife again and got ready. Adrenaline still coursing through my body I managed to fight off a few of the guards even with the electricity still shocking me. Stabbing and landing precise blows I dealt with them as fast and efficiently as possible. I took the gun off of one of the guards and used him as a meat shield while firing back at the growing number of guards. Taking a shot in the shoulder I groaned and breathed in hard, the afflictions affecting my body and mind were slowly escalating to overwhelming levels and I feared I wouldn't hold out much longer. In one last attempt, I jumped up from behind the dead guard and ran at the guards shooting and attempting to dodge any incoming bullets.
I took a few more hits before reaching the wall of guards crashing into them with force. This turned out to not be the best course of action as shortly after I was pinned down to the ground, my airway being restricted. Darkness slowly crept in around me as I tried to move or scream. I woke again strapped to a hard surface, everything coming back to me. I screamed and thrashed as they lowered the device onto my head. I pleaded and begged, tears streaming down my face as the anesthetics kicked in. I was able to stay conscious for 20 more seconds as I screamed and used as much force as I could muster to attempt to escape this cruel fate but to no avail.
As I faded to black passing for what felt like the hundredth time I appeared back in the mindscape next to Jordan. I came back screaming with tears cascading down my cheeks as I fell to the ground into a fetal position. I stayed like this trying to suppress all the memories I just unlocked but they kept flashing and unfolding more and more. New memories easily came forward, nothing in the way as they all came in at once. Minutes went by as I seethed on the ground, Jordan being affected by the strong emotions as well. The mindscape started shaking as it became unstable, the once small fissure in the fake memory ripping as memories shot out of it.
"Come on Brian, we gotta get out of here," Jordan yelled at me, grabbing me and getting me to my feet
My face was wet with tears and my throat ravaged but I shook my head and ran with Jordan. We reached a slash in the air that showed the outside world, our bodies in almost the same state as when I used my power, only a little time having gone by. We jumped through and woke up with gasps, we immediately noticed the building was shaking the scene reminiscent of the previous. I stood up and picked up Jordan, leaping out of the window and landing on the ground. Running a bit away the building fell shortly after, some fights still happening in and around the wreckage. One woman flew straight up with another person in their grasp, a few seconds later a body hit the ground with a splat and the woman soon followed after. She stood over the corpse and devoured the power from them. I carried Jordan further away before setting him down and sitting down myself.
Before I realized what was happening Jordan was on his phone.
"Yes, it's Jordan, and Brian is with me, we were at the Chesterfield hospital when all the chaos happened. I'm injured and Brian is in rough shape as well, you can be here soon? Great!"
I tried to be upset at Jordan and explain everything but the pure mental exhaustion was getting to me. I laid my back against the tree we were stationed next to and drifted to sleep, where I hoped it would be a dreamless night, free from the old but new and fresh memories in my head.