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"Did you see his eyes?" Braxton asked following after the three. "Did
you fucking see his eyes?"
"It is ok, it is his powers. He can see in the dark." Adir said looking
back at the man, even though he really couldn't see him. Gunther
hadn't spoke since Archer had damn near tossed the boy at them.
"What's wrong Shen?" Mercer asked feeling worry from the boy as he
bounced in and out of his head.
"I can not feel what Archer is hunting, I can barely feel Archer," Adir
said.
"He said something was in the building when the lights went out,"
Gunther said seeing them look at him. Coming around the corner they
saw Casimir.
"Can't be, I don't sense anything other then us here." Casimir said as
they started away again. Getting down to the infirmary they found
Jacy and Jade.
"I looked up and was clobbered by something big." Jade said, looking
up.
"Big, like what was in the warehouse big?" Mercer asked seeing Jade
look at him.
"No, like Archer big," Jade said. "Big and sleek, with cat eyes."
"Oh yeah, like some bad horror movie," Mercer muttered. "Lets split
up so the thing can peg us off one by one."
"No, you think it's better to stay together?" Casimir asked seeing him
nod.
"I say we stay together, get the lights back on, and find this thing and
help Archer." Mercer said. "We're a team, and our leader is out there
hunting this thing alone."
"I agree," Jacy said reaching under her desk to pull out a tranquilizer
gun. "The marks in Jade's arm look almost like a big cats claws."
"We can't track this thing, I'm getting nothing. Archer's essence is
hard enough to track, this thing got nothing." Casimir said shaking his
head as they headed out. They followed after Mercer and Adir, since
the two seemed to know where they were going.
"Maybe if you told her that you will be nice?" Adir asked seeing his
lover look at him sharply.
"Her?" Mercer asked hearing snickers from behind him. "Maybe that's
why it won't work."
"Come on, we need lights. Not all of us can see in the dark." Braxton
said seeing Mercer nod, be glanced at the group before turning back to
the computer in front of him. With a small shake of his head he placed
his hands against the keyboard. He started to type, his eyes starting to
glow as he worked.
With in seconds Mercer was buried deep into the computers central
area. He moved from one broken section to the other repairing them.
He could hear mutters, but ignored them as he worked. They had a
serious breach in their security system. Scanning through files, Mercer
looked for the most accessed in the last twenty-four hours, and the
strange fact that nothing on Archer was listed.
Mercer pulled back as the lights came on, shaking his head slightly he
looked up before looking at the people around him. It was a few
seconds before Casimir spook. "That was kind of freaky."
"No, there's no file on him. Nothing. There's one on each of us, but its
like he doesn't exists." Mercer said shaking his head. "But I think I
fixed the security problem."
"Good," Jacy said leading the way towards the main central area. They
keep their eyes open, and ears alert. They could hear noise, but it
seemed to come from everywhere.
"What the hell is that?" Braxton asked glancing at Gunther who had
fallen quiet. He noticed the look in the kid's eyes, and that the shirt he
was wearing was missing a few buttons. The group shrugged at the
question, none of them brave enough to guess.
"Go ahead and try little psychic, but your powers wont work on me,"
It said grinning at Adir, reaching out he snatched the boy up. Adir
cried out, his eyes wide. "Nope your not the one I want."
"Shen!" Mercer screamed as the thing tossed the small boy behind
him. They watched, as using the height, Adir managed to twist around
and land on his hands and knees. He slid slightly before falling with a
cry.
"Fuck off," Mercer hissed moving to protect the kid. Casimir and
Braxton also moved to stand in front of Gunther. With a small grin,
the thing moved with an inhuman speed. He moved through them like
nothing until he had Gunther by the hair.
"Oh no, see you're covered in his scent." The thing hissed dragging
him slightly away. "Come out Archer, I got your little toy, and you
better come out and save his sorry skinny ass."
"Let him go Simon," Archer hissed his voice floating around them.
"Come on, you honestly don't think I'm gonna let him go because you
said so, did youBrother?" Simon asked letting his gaze fall on the rest
of the team. The little boy had made his way back, helping up the
hacker. He hadn't hurt them to bad they'd heal. It was quiet for several
minutes. "Archer? Come on bro, come fight for your toy."
"I'm not his toy asshole," Gunther hissed swinging his fist towards the
Simons face. He connected, his eyes widening as the thing smiled.
"Feisty little fuck isn't he, now wonder he's got you so bothered."
Simon said picking the kid up by his hair. Gunther cried out, reaching
up to hold on before his hair was ripped out. Simon grinned staring at
the kid in his hand, little to late did he look up to see Archer above
him.
"Come on," Mercer said grabbing onto Gunther to pull the kid back.
They retreated away to where they couldn't see the fight. But they
could still hear it, and it sounded like two angry tigers fighting. "Get
that tranquilizer gun ready."
"Got it," Jacy said hearing what sounded like a cry from a wounded
animal before all was silent. They waited a few minutes before Mercer
peaked around the corner. Seeing Archer standing there with Simon
on the ground. The team walked out surveying the scene.
"Oh god," Adir said turning his face against Mercer, he didn't need to
touch the thing to know what killed it. It had been ripped apart, piece
of flesh hung from wounds on it.
He watched fighting the urge to run. Something told him that running
would be a huge mistake, that as long as he didn't move Archer would
just continue to watch him. But the man shifted again, dropping what
he had been holding in his other hand. Gunther's eyes widened as he
watched the organ drop to the ground, a strangled cry escaped him as
he bolted headed for his room. He didn't make it far, before he felt
something solid slam into him knocking him to the ground.
"Jacy," Mercer said pulling the gun from her suddenly numb fingers.
Cocking it he lifted the gun to his shoulder at he watched his boss.
Archer had pulled Gunther's shirt down, exposing the kids left
shoulder. Leaning down the man sank his fangs into the kids shoulder
causing Gunther to cry out.
Mercer shot the gun having Archer move at the last second, the dart
missing by inches. Turning Archer looked at them and let lose a sound
that made them cringe. It sounded just like a panther before it strike.
"Don't do that again!"
"Then let him up," Mercer hissed sighting the gun again.
"He's mine, I don't have to." Archer said leaning down to lick at the
small amount of blood that was dripping from the wounds he gave
him.
"I won't let you kill him," Mercer said hearing Archer laugh. A second
later Archer pulled back sitting up and pulling Gunther into his lap,
the kid's back to his chest.
"I don't plan on killing him, that's why Simon met his unfortunate fate,
he threatened what was mine." Archer said shifting to reach up and
cup the kid's chin.
"What the hell are you?" Casimir asked seeing Archer look up. He
could hear the man laugh, yet it sounded hallow.
"You ripped his heart from his chest, that is enough to give us pause."
Adir said still close to Mercer's side. He wanted to reach out and help
Gun, but knew that he didn't have a chance against Archer. Archer just
nodded, holding the dazed looking kid closer.
"Mercer you've heard of the Jackson/Thorpe experiment?" Archer
asked.
"No it didn't, but they got throw backs like Simon, pure hunters. The
cheetah DNA was too strong, made the human part of the brain easily
overran. It moved, it was pray and they killed it." Archer said looking
down at Gunther who was watching him. "I guess I should start at the
beginning."
"That would be nice," Jacy said taking a step towards him. "Let the
kid go first."
Archer pulled his hands away, but Gunther didn't move. Picking him
up Archer stood and turned towards the dining room. The rest
followed, slowly until they came to sit around the table. Casimir made
coffee, before going to sit at the table.
"So start," Mercer said pulling Adir into his lap. He knew the boy was
having a hard time with this, the fact he knew that his guardian could
kill so cruelly.
"I'm not like you guys, I don't have parents. Not in the normal sense. I
have donors." Archer stared having Jade cut him off.
"You were born from a petrie dish?" She asked seeing him smile.
"No, but the woman's who womb grew me wasn't my mother, more
like a surrogate." Archer said shifting his bundle. He was worried,
hoping that Gunther hadn't gone into shock. They kids heartbeat was
slightly erratic. "Anyways, they took DNA from special people, like
you guys. Special powers, the DNA was stronger, and slightly easier
to manipulate. And DNA from panthers, leopards, cheetahs. So after
about twenty tries, they had thirteen of us."
"So as we grew they tested us, speed, strength, sight. It was when we
we're ten when they started to have trouble with some of the more cat
like subjects. They started to hunt; first it was mice and other small
animals that could be found on the grounds. Soon it moved to the
doctors, and caregivers, and they were forced to put the four worst
down." Archer said dropping his eyes. "The last nine of us went
through training over the next five years, tracking and developing our
natural abilities. At fifteen, when realized there was a world outside of
what we had, I and Ethan,"
They waited, watching as Archer stood and set the kid back down. He
paced the room, his moved almost sad. It was a few minuets later that
he finally turned back to the group. "Ethan, and Filly, the only
surviving girl in the whole thing, and I decided that we wanted to see
the world. So the three of us escaped."
"I went crazy, I loved Ethan. I attacked them both, bringing down Bo
easily. And it was Simon and I fought that the doctors caught up with
us and tranquilized us. The next thing I remember is the cage I spent
the next two years in. I found out that Bo didn't survive the wounds I
gave him." Archer said shaking his head again. "When I turned
eighteen I saw Simon again, he told me that I would pay because I
took his lover from him."
"What happened then?" Mercer asked having read that the program
was canceled. And never got past the beginning stages.
"The six of us that were left we shipped around, to train. I was sent to
South America where I spent the next four years training in the jungle.
When I was done, I returned to where I grew up, finding that only I,
Ran, Skye and Pan came back. Leaving Strips and Simon missing."
Archer said.
"Simon, just now. I haven't seen him since I was eighteen. I keep in
touch with Ran who works at the center where I came from. Skye took
his own life when the woman he fell in love with died. Pan is in the
government somewhere. And No ones seen Strips since he was
shipped to the desert." Archer said letting his eyes gaze at Gunther.
"Gun, your a lot like Ethan, you share the same temperament."
"Do you plan on holding that all night?" Archer asked moving to the
coffee pot.
"How dangerous are you?" Mercer asked seeing him look behind him.
"I could kill you, even if you hit me with the tranquilizer." Archer said
turning to sit across from him at the table. "But have no intention of
doing so. I will not harm anyone here."
"Only the way you are with Adir," Archer said leaning back in his
chair to run his hand through his hair. Mercer could see them now,
small black spots that ran at the edge of his hairline.
"Listen, you are my team, and I will not hurt any of you." Archer said
standing. He walked out, leaving the man behind. He needed to clean
up the mess he'd made and shower. Digging the phone from his pocket
he dialed a number waiting for it to be answered.
"What wrong?" Ran asked from the other side. Archer smiled, out of
them all Ran had the most sense.
"A heart for a heart." Archer said hearing the man curse slightly. But
he knew Ran would understand, and he knew that Ran also knew this
was for the best.
"That leaves you, me, and Pan." Ran said shaking his head. "And I
haven't seen my twin in years."
"You two were the only ones born from the same womb, they didn't
think you'd survive." Archer said stopping at his mess.
"Archer?" Gunther said from the doorway to the man's office. Archer
looked up slightly surprised; Gunther had avoided him for the last
week.
"Yeah?" He asked watching the kid shift his weight from one foot to
the next.
"Of course," Archer said standing and following him out. Getting into
one of the trucks Archer turned towards the cemetery, his mind on the
kid. "Can I ask why were going there?"
"To close this chapter of my life," Gunther said glancing at him. "To
close the chapter on normal."
"Oh," Archer said not sure what he should say. The rest of the ride
was quiet, and pulling to a stop beside the gate he got out to follow.
"This way," Archer said leading the kid to where the incident ended.
He watched as Gunther stared at the spot, he couldn't tell what the kid
was feeling, so he stood just behind him waiting. Hearing a noise he
looked up to see Anthony standing across the grave from them.
"Tony," Gunther said softly seeing the other kid shake his head.
"You should have died, Gun. You killed something, my god you blew
it up." Anthony said shaking his head. "It was horrible, to see that
thing explode before my eyes."
"It would have killed us, it would have ripped us apart." Gunther said
softly. He tried to remember what Adir told him, tried to remember
that Anthony was just scared. "You know Tony it doesn't matter, no
matter what its not going to change what happened. Life's funny like
that."
Gunther turned away, deciding he was done. At least here, and came
face to face with the last two people he never wanted to see again. He
took another step back, this time running into Archer who was
standing behind him. He watched his parents approached him.
"Gun," his mother said almost looking like she wanted to reach out to
him.
"We hadn't realized they'd let you out." His father said softly seeing
Archer glare at him. "We don't want you out where you can hurt
someone."
"I haven't hurt anyone." Gunther hissed feeling Archer's hand on his
shoulder. "You abandoned me, you sent me away."
"That's because we love you, and we want you to get help." His
mother said taking a step towards him only to have her husband stop
her.
"Fair? You want to talk about fair?" Gunther hissed. "Fair is when my
parents love me, and take me home to heal. Fair is going to school and
graduating with my class, fair is finding love and having a family."
Gunther yelled taking a step towards his parents. He could see the fear
in them, seeing that his mother wasn't sleeping, and cried a lot. "Fair
has fucking ran out, and you know what. Fair is me walking away and
never looking back because I don't have parents."
"Gun," The woman called as her son walked away. Gunther didn't turn
around, just continued to walk.
"Stay away from him," Archer said softly. "You signed him away
because you didn't want him, and you don't get to take him back,
because he's mine now."
"As Gun said fair fucking ran out," Archer hissed before turning to
fallow after the kid. He found Gunther leaning again a Mausoleum
wall, walking over he touched the boy's shoulder.
"Why Archer, why don't they want me, but you do?" Gunther asked
his voice soft. He closed his eyes he couldn't break down yet. Not like
this, not with him.
"Can I trust you? Can I trust you that no matter what you'll never
leave me?" Gunther asked taking a deep breath.
"No matter what Gun, I'll be there for you. Not matter if you tell me
you hate me, or hit me. I'll be your rock, for as long as you need me."
Archer said. "I claimed you with that bite, made you mine."
"I don't understand why, I've been nothing but an asshole to you."
Gunther said. "My god I killed something,"
"So have I," Archer said taking a step closer and slowly turning the
boy. "No matter what, you and I will always have each other."