A family. That’s what this boy had. It was the essence of his being. It helped shape him to become the man he is today and the man he wanted to be was someone who listened to everyone.

Unlike Kain, the research development team that Anthony was a part of was led in a much different way.

After the massacre that took the life of so many people. Something had to change. Something like that couldn’t happen again. There needed to be change; Genomes needed to be treated like they belonged.

They might have been tools to ensure that the control and grasp that the demons had on the world couldn’t stretch, but they still needed to be treated in a humane way. Thanks to one woman a mistake like this wouldn’t happen again.

The one thing I want to do the most in this world is to help people.

Ever since I was created I felt like I had a greater purpose in life. A purpose to be a hero. To be a light to shine against this dark world.

I’m the 999th Genome to be created and I was curated with Kain’s genes. His genetic makeup was the catalyst for creating the next class of Genomes.

Of course, his genetic makeup was modified to address the flaws that he had. Like the weak control, he had over his abilities and how over time even he would face genetic degradation if he overused his abilities.

There our hero was… resting on top of a tall corporate building. Just underneath a place filled with organic drones. He had on a pair of headphones to cover his frosty blonde locs. They really complimented his light-skin complexion.

It wasn’t far off to say that his skin was like that of caramel. He was also one to dress in a very relaxed manner, sporting a pair of brown cargo and a loose long-sleeve t-shirt.

His hands were resting behind his head and his light brown eyes were staring at the sky. Even though he was calm a part of him was listening to toxic lullabies. Eventually, the melody of the music took him in.

Cradling him like a mother does her child. As he stared at the clear blue sky he could envision what he wanted to be. The puffy white clouds calmly soared against the sky and the sun illuminated below.

Moments like these were far and between. It was these simple moments that made him feel so calm with himself. Why couldn’t all days be like this?

Then… it wouldn’t feel as special. Times like these can only be special if there’s suffering in the world.

It sounds terrible, but this is just the way things are. I want to be a hero, but I wouldn’t change this world in the slightest.

I can confidently say without a shadow of a doubt that things are perfect.

A single line of water expelled from his bottom left eyelid, treading down his cheek as he released a gentle sigh.

The moment of peace and quiet that he had was over as his phone began to ring and interrupt the song he was listening to.

He sat up and slid his headphones down to his neck as he pulled out a red iPhone 14 and answered.

“Oasis speaking. What do you have to report?”

“We found a demon in the city. We need you to take him out before someone gets hurt!”

“All right… consider it done already.”

BEEP.

The boy stood up and started to stretch before he bent down to make sure his Nikes were fully tied. They had a yellow and black color scheme to them. Once that was down he stared straight ahead and smirked.

His body was soon engulfed in a yellowish aura. This was Either… the primordial sixth element that existed all throughout the universe. Genomes were very good at accessing this hidden power more so than humans.

After all, they were exceptional tools. The aura poured out of him like water… gentle, calming, and fully confident.

One’s Either often reveals many personality traits and one’s mental state. It was safe to say that Oasis had a pure form of being.

“Time to activate my ability… QuikFlash.”

His aura only grew stronger… and his eyes were embedded with a yellow hue. Energy started to spark out from his body and without a second to waste he was gone. He began running down the tall corporate building as if it was daily exercise.

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The wind blew rapidly against his clothes and his dreads. But he loved this. He loved the way the air pushed up against his skin it was almost like the world was breathing life into him. His motto was after all to go as fast as one possibly could.

As he trod down the corporate building he left a line of yellow energy behind him. He then started to pick up more speed as he started to outrun even the cars that were going full speed. Something like this was a walk in the park for him.

Everyone watching wouldn’t even be able to notice him. To them, it was like a bullet passing by leaving nothing but a gust of wind in its wake.

He continued to zip along the street, making sure to avoid all the cars and pedestrians who would get in his way.

It would take no longer than a minute for him to arrive where his partners had sighted the main commotion. Sadly this was the issue of a demon.

Up ahead he could see what was going on… down in the city, there was a traffic jam one of demonic proportions.

It had to be taken care of swiftly. The people didn’t need to get harmed anymore than they have already.

Various cars had collided with each other with some people trapped inside. His first priority was saving them.

There were five demons in total all just looking for trouble. They were grey in color and had a number of horns protruding from their faces and bodies.

They wanted to spread only chaos and that was something that disgusted him to no end.

He wasted no time going from car to car, breaking off the doors, and escorting the people trapped to safety.

The demons watched and soon laughed as they found someone who could challenge them and prevent their mission.

“Foolish human, you are interfering with Lord Belial’s plans. We must turn this zone into a Red one.”

Upon hearing this the boy stared at this adversary with no remorse before shaking his head.

“I pity you demons. All this time I’ve been waiting for one of your kind to prove me wrong. That I don’t need to kill you guys. But I’ve only been disappointed.”

The demons snarled as they heard this. Black aura started to secrete from them and they threatened the boy.

“Just because you can use Either doesn’t make you stronger than us!”

“Heh… you can’t sense that? All five of you don’t even equal a quarter of my power.”

Two demons zipped through the streets, scraping their claws against whatever car was in their way and causing sparks.

As they approached Oasis From both sides, the boy stood still with a smile on his face. Confident and knowing no fear.

Just as their claws were about to rip into him he vanished.

“Where did h-“

BLOOD!! Squirted out from the demon’s head… rushing out like a busted water main pipe. A strong concussive force managed to completely annihilate his skull, causing the demon’s body to collapse.

Upon seeing this the other demon’s friend couldn’t even react as he suddenly noticed that there was a hole in his stomach. It was deep enough for his blood to spray out like a red mist as his body collapsed just like his friend's.

The other three demons gasped.

Oasis stood in front of them with a determined expression on his face. He was determined to kill them.

“Bastard! You think we’re scared of you!? All you did was use your Either to increase your speed a bit. We can do the same it’s a basic application of energy!!”

The three demons all started to increase the pressure of their energy. It flowed ominously and soon all three of them dashed forward, momentarily becoming streams of pure energy. Seeing this was disappointing for our hero as he smirked.

His energy increased as well. The demons moved as if they were in slow motion. He soon corrected them before he darted off with intense speed.

“This isn’t just a normal application of Either. I’ve made this my main technique. Even something as simple as this can be extraordinary with intense training!”

He mentioned as the group clashed. They passed by one another and ended up on opposite sides of the road. Oasis remained unphased while the other three soon noticed a burst of yellow aura expelling from their bodies.

Their necks were covered red with blood as one by one their bodies hit the floor with a loud thud.

Just like that everything was over. The demons who were trying to interfere with this city were defeated. But, this wasn’t the end, it was just the start of their nefarious plans. Oasis looked around the area… there was damage done to the roads and the vehicles but that was something the government had to fix.

“Hey, I took care of the problem.” He said as he pulled out his phone to speak with his contact. “They were kinda weak, I was looking for more of a challenge honestly.”

“A lot of strange things are happening in this city. It could all be connected to Terios and Abigail. We need to be cautious, this might be a small state, but lately, it seems like a lot of commotion is happening in Maryland.”

“I’m glad we came here Talia, let me know if you see anything else. If there’s any sign of Terios or Abigail let me know. I’ll knock sense into both of them.”

“Will do, Oasis.”

…

Just like that, he was off.

He couldn’t stand still in one spot for long, he always had to be on the move. After all, he was the one who got tired of the stagnant air of California. As comfortable as the scene was over there he wanted to spice things up.

Plus after what happened with the East Wing of the Research Facility he wanted to check everything out. After all, a Genome can never escape its creator. Every contingency plan was kept in mind.

Like a bullet Oasis took off, dashing along the streets, avoiding civilians, vehicles, and anything of the sort. There was no greater feeling than feeling the air against his skin.

His heart raced every time he moved like this. It was almost addicting.

…

Feelton Hotel

After the exciting run, Anthony returned back to the hotel where they were staying. It was time for a team meeting and what better way to discuss business than over dinner? In total, surrounded by the circular table in the lobby area was a group of three.

Anthony Aaron, subject #999, codename Oasis

Talia Cross, subject #751 a young aged woman with bone-straight, short hair that was as red as wine along with eyes that were as cool as aqua. She was dressed in red leggings, dark flat shoes, and a tight-fitting white tank top.

Cecilia Cross, subject #752 a young aged woman with wavy, long hair that was as red as wine along with eyes that were as cool as aqua. She was dressed in red leggings, dark flat shoes, and a tight-fitting white tank top.

The two of them were identical. With only two differing qualities. Cecilia often kept her red hair wavy and long, stopping by her shoulders. While Talia’s was bone straight and kept short, barely hitting her neck.

Cecilia was also a very flashy kind of dresser while Talia was more toned down.

“From our time out in the field, we can suspect that there are multiple parties involved.” Talia spoke.

“Yes, yours truly was able to stop Belial’s weak henchmen. They were quick to announce who they were working for.” Cecilia chimes in.

“So on one hand we have to worry about Belial and his gang terrorizing the people of this poor city by day. Then we have to stop Abigail’s forces at night.” Anthony stated.

“Yes. It’s a pain in the ass. Both of them… Abigail and Belial are threats to the safety of these civilians.” Talia said.

“Not only that but remember our main objective. To bring back Terios. Dead or alive.” Cecilia mentioned with a playful tone in her voice.

Anthony sighed before readjusting himself in his seat.

The current situation was bad.

Belial the demon lord of Pride was currently doing his best to try and take over this city and turn it into a Red Zone. The scary thing is he was one of the demon lords who commanded the most troops. So, if he was really serious he could conquer it if he truly desired to.

Abigail was a wild card. She wasn’t that well known, but it was reported she had powerful members amongst her rank as well. Not as notable as Belial, but with Kain under her thumb it would make things a lot harder for the Genomes.

“I’m going to bring him back alive. We will need his power to stop what’s coming to this city. Besides, my gut is telling me that he is in desperate need of saving.” Anthony muttered.