Reality was slowly returning, bringing with it an eye-splitting light. Edward tried to cover his face with his hand, but it was shackled to the bed. The cells swept past him, blurring as if blended into one. His brain was drifting off to sleep again, and his irritated eyes closed on their own. However, as he paused, he could make out the red lines that entangled one of the cells. Gathering what strength was left within, he lifted his eyelids. An elegant flower, blood red in color, was growing in Eve's cell. Its petals seemed to have glistening droplets hanging from them, and its roots entangled the bars and furniture of the cell. Another wave of fatigue came over the boy, carrying him into a deep sleep.

The blond-haired guard took off his body armor and sighed tiredly. The evening routine had been uneventful, which allowed the scientists to continue to be so negligent with their specimens. Opening his locker, he began to remove the rest of his uniform, changing into more comfortable clothes.

-Peter! - A stern voice sounded behind him. Turning around, he saw the commander of his squad.

-Good evening, sir! - he saluted, going over in his head the options for such a late visit.

-At ease. - Peter lowered his hand -You don't get paid to give rations to the test subjects. You know they get their dose at feeding hour and any deviation could disrupt their... bizarre experiments.

-I know, sir. But I don't ask for payment for that. That girl needed food, she was cry-

-Silence. An order is an order and you can't deviate from it, even if you strongly want to - he sighed, turned around and began to walk away slowly - I don't like it either, but it can't be helped.

Peter stared at the back of the departing supervisor for a while, then continued to change his clothes. The girl sitting on the floor of the cell reappeared in his mind. "Thanks a lot, kind mister!"

Slamming the door, the guy headed to the sleep compartment.

-Order is an order...

The smooth ceiling was barely visible in the night lighting. Edward was lying on his back, recently awakened from sleep. His arms ached, as if someone had used a saw on his forearms. As he lifted one of them, he saw a distinct black mark running down his forearm. The memory began to come back to him. Edward clenched his fists, rising from the bed. He owed it to himself to get out.

-Are you okay? - Nevada's voice came from the other side. The girl was sitting on her bed, her legs tucked up and staring at the boy. Crystals glittered in the corners of her eyes and on her cheeks, reflecting the faint light.

-What happened? - Edward slowly got up from the bed and walked over to the girl

-Eve...They... -Nevada sobbed, covering her face with her hands. The guy sat down on his knee so he was on the same level as her, then gently wrapped his arms around her. He clenched his jaws from the cold burning his skin, but he didn't back out.

-Shh, it's okay, you're not alone here...

For the first time in a while, another person's touch didn't hurt her. The girl pulled her hands away from her face, brushing away the hard tears that remained. Weakly, she hugged Edward back, feeling his cool skin beneath her palms. "It's like he's... not alive. Why?" - anxious thoughts flooded her mind for a second, but Nevada shook her head and pulled away from Edward. He, in turn, got to his feet and flexed his arms. A loud crackle echoed through the cell, dissolving in the air in a second.

He walked over to the bars, glancing into Eve's cell. The vines and flowers were gone, as if they had never existed. In the shadows, he saw the silhouette of a man completely wrapped in something. His limbs were suspended in the air, eliminating any possibility of movement. Edward peered into the darkness, trying to make out his body, but to no avail. Suddenly there was a loud clicking sound, and a few moments later, a bright light illuminated the lab. The body was now visible...or rather, what was left of it. The limbs were desiccated, covered in charred skin. It was as if the body had been in the flames for hours…

A loud beep hit his ears, after which the bars opened, and the specimens began to move out into the corridor, forming a line. Edward and Nevada stepped out of the cell, taking their usual places. The guy in Eve's cell didn't move. Suddenly, quick footsteps sounded from the direction of the entrance. The scientist was walking down the corridor, accompanied by two guards. Edward felt the girl pressed against his arm, as if in fear.

-What happened? - he looked at Nevada in surprise, trembling with fright.

-This woman is in charge of my experiments... But I mustn't go to her for a few more days... I don't want to.

The scientist walked over to the burned guy's cell, pulling out an ampoule and a gun-like device from her pocket. Loading the ampoule inside, she injected the contents into the guy's neck

-I expect you to be ready for the test by tonight. If not, you'll be eliminated. You've caused enough trouble already.

The woman walked away and the guards dispersed to different ends of the line. The morning roll call began, marking the start of a new day of torture for the "greater good".

The dining hall was filled with people as usual. But without Eve, it seemed empty... Edward looked around silently as Nevada was finishing her portion. Suddenly, he gazed at the entrance to the dining room, pointing his finger there. The girl looked at him in puzzlement, then turned her head as well. Slowly, with a struggle, a burnt man stepped inside. Most of his bandages were missing, exposing the numerous burn scars on his body. His head was hidden under the bandages, leaving only his eyes, nose, and mouth exposed. They watched as the man walked to the rendition window, took his rations and sat down close by.

-I'll go see if I can find out who it is. Maybe we can learn something useful from him, since the scientist spoke to him so personally.

Edward picked up his ration and walked around a few tables to the stranger. He stopped eating and looked up at him from under his bandages. The boy slowly lowered himself to a vacant chair, holding out his ration to the seated man. The man looked at the food in confusion, then back at Edward.

-What do you want? And why are you giving me your food? If you're tired of life, you won't starve to death, believe me. They'll take care of it. - He lightly pushed the ration away from him, placing it in the center of the table.

-My name is Edward. Don't worry, I don't need food. I... can't eat. But you're definitely going to need some extra nutrition, so take it, - he slid the ration forwards again.

-Hmm, well, your call. But don't blame me for how you feel later, - He set the container down beside him, and then held out his palm for a handshake, - My name is Seth.

Edward leaned back in his chair, watching his conversation partner.

-Who's the scientist who came to see you this morning? She sounded as if you'd ruined her day.

-She's crazy, you know. Her ideas are than her looks - he let out a chuckle, then continued eating - I would enjoy melting her eyes out, savoring that high-pitched cry of pain...

Seth paused to move Edward's portion into his ration. Finished, he handed him the empty container and continued speaking.

-But yeah, you're right, I do make it hard for her. I mean, I don't just set my ass up for a shot or walk near her leg into the cell like a good little puppy. If it wasn't for that stupid collar, I'd have gotten rid of her on day one...

-What did she do to you? - Edward pointed at the bandages - or rather, how did your body get like that? Did she try to burn you or something?

Seth looked him in the eye as he stopped eating, then put the instruments aside and began to carefully unwind the bandages from his palm, gradually exposing the scarred skin from the center of his palm to his fingertips.

-If I hadn't been injected this morning, I'd look even worse, believe me.

-I bet, your body wasn't completely wrapped up. We did see a little bit of it.

-We?

Edward pointed towards Nevada, who was sitting nearby.

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-We're in the cell across the hall. We can eat at the same table next time, if you don't mind. So what did you want to show me?

-I suggest you move back a little, it's not easy to control it.

The boy leaned back in his chair. Seth took a deep breath and snapped his fingers. A ball of fire formed in the center of his palm, quickly spreading to his fingers and enveloping them in flames. The man held his wrist with his other hand, gritting his teeth in pain. After a few seconds, he waved his palm, extinguishing the flames. Fresh burns were visible on his hands.

-Your own powers are crippling you too much, though...

-Powers? - Seth chuckled, wrapping his palms back in bandages - I'd call it a curse. I lived without them and everything was fine, and now...

-Object c-0434, you are requested to proceed to the exit immediately. Repeat, subject c-0434, you are required to come to the exit immediately, - a voice came from the speakers on the walls of the dining room. Turning his head towards the corridor, Edward saw two guards standing near the exit.

-Unfortunately, I have to go. I'll see you around, I hope - he got up from the table and headed for the exit, carefully avoiding the tables.

The guards handcuffed his hands together and then led him further down the hallway. At some point, however, they turned off the road into the operating room. This was the first time this had happened, so the boy prepared for the worst. If his surgeries were complete, they were planning to get rid of him.

Another set of double doors parted to the sides, giving him a view of a large room. The walls were smooth, with numerous compartments built in and closed off. A mirror sat on the opposite wall, stretching the full length of the surface. Removing the handcuffs, the guards pushed him inside, closing the doors.

-Subject c-0-4-3-4, this test will be conducted to check your body's ability to repair injuries of varying degrees of severity - a voice came from a loudspeaker in the corner - to begin the test, please approach the device to your right.

Edward turned his head, watching a small compartment move out of the wall. This mechanism looked like a small metal box with a hole in the middle.

-Put your palm into the device.

He walked to the wall, reaching into the hole in the machine. A click sounded. The device shackled his hand in a metal holder, preventing him from moving his palm. Suddenly Edward felt a sharp pain in one phalanx of his finger. Then in the other. Something was cutting them with surgical precision, but it was doing it slowly. He twitched his hand, but to no avail. A sound similar to a metal press came from the device. A second later, pain shot through his body like lightning. Edward fell to his knees, hearing the crunching of his fingers from inside the machine. Time passed, but nothing happened. The boy began to think that there was a malfunction, but unfortunately, he was wrong. The mechanism from inside howled like an electric saw. Edward started hitting the casing with his free hand, but soon stopped, screaming in pain. His thumb was slowly being sawed off. After a while, the lock opened, releasing his hand from its dead grip. Breathing heavily, the boy pulled his palm out of there, dropping to the floor. The bones of two of his fingers were shattered, and the remaining two had deep cuts on them.

-The first phase of the experiment is complete. In a few minutes we will give you further instructions to move the test into phase two - The device went back into the wall as if nothing had happened.

Nevada and Seth were sitting on the floor, not far from their cells, discussing something lively.

-So it turns out that this crazy freak is doing her experiments on the two of us? That's a surprise... - the guy was gradually unwinding the bandages from his hands. Most of the burns had already healed, leaving behind only the marks of scarred skin.

-How did you get here? - Nevada glanced at the man - Just woke up not at home?

-Not really - Seth sighed, putting the bandages aside - On the outside, I was a trainer. I taught people self-defense, where to hit to make sure their enemy fell. Once, though... - he showed two scars on his forearm, - I fell victim to my own techniques. Open fracture of both bones, simply put, the end of all physical activity. I was looking for a cheaper way to fix my arm, and I came across an offer like a fairy tale! Not only would the bones heal, but all subsequent injuries would go away quickly. All I had to do was agree to a drug trial, - Seth chuckled, - and I agreed, like a damn fool...

-I'm sorry for you - Nevada sighed, then continued talking, - and I got picked up right off the street. I decided to go to a bar, and on the way back, everything was gone. Who's going to look after mom now....

-Pull yourself together. She'll be fine, especially when you get back.

-Well, I'd have to figure out how to first...

The test subjects were being forced back into their cells. Realizing that it would be a bad idea to wait for Edward and not go inside, they said their goodbyes and went back to their rooms, each thinking about their own things.

A dark, viscous liquid dripped from his palm, forming a small puddle on the floor. Edward looked at his hand more closely, and noticed something unusual. A crust had already formed on the cuts, preventing further blood loss. But the cuts themselves were still there.

-You think it's time? His regenerative powers are greater than a normal human at this stage. The bleeding stopped within minutes.

The scientists watched the guy on the other side of the two-way mirror. Behind them stood several armed members of the security team, monitoring the situation.

-The bleeding stopped quickly, but the bones are still broken. He can't move them freely or bend them. Not to mention the missing thumb, which doesn't even show signs of recovery.

-You're right, but it hasn't been long, the regeneration effect isn't that strong in the current form.

-Then it's time to move on to the second phase of testing - Dr. Muerte approached the group of scientists - An external stimuli could speed up the process.

One of the scientists nodded, then gestured for the guards to come to the door.

-Subject c-0-4-3-4, please move to the opposite wall to continue testing.

Edward didn't budge.

-I repeat, subject c-0-4-3-4, please move to the wall.

-You've already mutilated my arm, you sick bastards. That's more than enough to test the possibilities of recovery. I will do nothing more.

-Obj- there was some fumbling in the background, followed by rapidly receding footsteps - That's even better! Open the door!

The boy quickly got to his feet, turning towards the entrance. That voice couldn't carry anything good with it. He instinctively clenched his fists, preparing for the worst.

-Look - the scientists gathered around the mirror, except for Alex. He was already standing in the chamber - the subject squeezed his sore hand without any difficulty. And the shredded fingers, look. The skin had already healed the damage.

-Yes, but no new limb has grown back. Are you sure it was a good idea to let Muerte in there?

-He knows what he's doing. This whole project was his idea, I think we can count on him.

The scientist walked directly towards Edward, his steps unhurried and measured. A smile spread across his face, and his natural hand was in his pocket.

-Edward, Edward... Waste of money and resources. Your only job is to just listen to what you're told, but you can't even do that.

-Shut up... - the boy headed towards the scientist, gradually speeding up his step - If you came here, then you can't fulfill your task so easily either. So what are you going to do now? - They stood a few meters apart - Kill me? You'll need more than just an iron hand.

Alex laughed, pointing at the guy with the finger of his mechanical arm, then he calmed down and looked him in the eyes.

-You're wrong, this prosthesis is more than enough. However, I have one more thing...

He took his healthy hand out of his pocket holding the pistol.

-What a pity we couldn't work together. Now we'll have to find your broth-

The boy leaped forward, running at the scientist. Muerte pulled the trigger. Edward's shoulder was pierced by a burning pain, and his step faltered for a moment, but he didn't stop. The scientist threw the gun away, then spread his arms out to the sides.

-COME ON!

The guards hurried to the entrance, as Edward and Alex exchanged blows. Muerte slammed his prosthetic into his side. A loud crunch was heard after the blow. Edward opened his mouth in pain, bewildered for a second, but after another moment he gathered his wits again, striking the scientist in the jaw. Alex swung around for another blow, but Edward caught his arm in his grip, grinning evilly. Suddenly, the collar let out a loud beep, sending a shock of electricity through the boy's body. His muscles went numb, and his body fell to the ground like a log. The scientist wiped the blood from his face, then turned to the mirror.

-I hope you have enough evidence that the serum works. The subject was capable of active movement, not to mention fighting ability. Soon we can begin the final phase of the experiment.

Muerte turned to the boy's collapsed body, leaning over him. His mouth stretched into a smile.

-See you soon, cambion.

The guards ran inside, grabbing Edward under his arms and carrying him out of the room. Alex followed them, turning to the other scientists. Once inside, he was met with disgruntled looks.

-We had a protocol. Your reckless actions could have violated it, leading to unexpected consequences, - one of the researchers stepped forward, reprimanding Muerte.

-Yeah? Protocol? - The doctor approached the researcher, hovering over him like a mountain - It said to apply pressure on the subject, which I think I did well.

-But what about the resu - Alex grabbed the researcher by the shirt and lifted him up to his level.

-Listen here. You saw how he used his hand after it was mangled. The phalanges recovered incredibly quickly, not to mention the cuts. I'm willing to bet my mechanical finger that the rib I broke for him has already healed as well. So enough whining - he lowered the shaking man to the ground - get his regeneration abilities on record and be ready to extract the serum soon.