Ethan visibly expressed signs of unbelief as a frown drew together his brows.
"What do you mean? Wat rubbish are you babbling?"
Even though he responded that way Ethan desperately looked at the man standing in front of him, the one that claims to be his father's friend. Ethan always felt something did not add-up. Why were they always running away? At times, he has seen his mother exhibit a level of strength that hell in no way a housewife should have.
It has left him with hundreds of questions and those questions stayed unanswered, perhaps for too long. That was why he hated her, 'please tell me something goddamnit! Something! Anything!' Oftentimes, he would cry internally wishing on stars that his mother would speak to him as to why their lives were so strange and had them running away several times.
What were they running away from?
Ethan bit his lower lips. Now he was full of nothing but a voracious loathing for those moments he acted out because his mother wouldn't talk.
Observing him so far, Edward let out a helpless sigh.
"Come, I'll show it to you"
He said and walked forward. The lab was decorated by all kinds of biotechnological spectacles. A plant with sharp fangs instead of flowers, a metallic hand, with wires, but eyes all over, in one of the capsules was a full blown body immersed in water, with bubbles intermittently dancing out of its mouth, Ethan didn't have enough time to take note of what its mouth looked like as Edward opened the glass door ahead of them.
From outside, it was clear that the walls demarcating this chamber and the main hall of the laboratory was transparent, Ethan had expected to see the main hall from the chamber, but to his surprise, it was a white wall. How was that even possible?
But these were the least of his concerns right now. After all, Edward had called him to this place to show him something and whatever Edward had to show, Ethan hoped they would provide substantial answers to what is happening to him and why his mother had to die.
"Hello Avatar"
"Hello Edward. How may I be of help?" A monotonous voice responded.
Ethan raised his head, flustered a bit but managed to calm himself, it didn't take much effort for him to come to the conclusion that this is probably another one of Edward's creation.
But this was different. Edward continued,
"This is Lance's son"
"Ooh…" The voice sounded a little bit surprised, but there were no ups and downs to its tone, the tone of surprise almost sounded forced.
"Then he is Ethan?"
"Yes, he is Ethan."
Silence ensued for a short moment, Ethan was left in an awkward situation, why does an artificial intelligence know his name too.
He slightly turned his head to Edward who responded with a smile and said:
"Avatar was created by Lance and I"
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"My father created an artificial intelligence with you? I don't understand, judging by all this, I was thinking you were the kinda guy that stays stuck in the lab…" Ethan replied with a benign expression.
Scratching his cheek like he had been caught in a bad moment, he responded, clearing his throat even though nothing was stuck there:
"Well, I was more of the guy with the money kind"
"Edward and Lance made a great team. Those were good old days"
Its voice was almost flawless in expression, if not for tat lack of emotion within it.
"Alright, Avatar. I need you to tell Ethan about his identity"
"Alright"
The monotonous voice started with a stream of holographic vintage pictures that floated in around the room as it spoke.
"The first of its kind was seen in the 1800s. The event called the Holocaust was the beginning of the existence of the awakened. My resources are limited right now because several pieces of information are being withheld from me.
In three different locations, specifics unknown for now... there was a disastrous fall of unidentified comets, this fall razed in the entire city to the ground, supposedly harmed the people but they woke up the next day unharmed. This however was the beginning of awakeneds.
These people began to awaken strange abilities and powers, among them stood a corner stone. A man of superstrength whom today is known as the Hero Of Ages, Lewis Unclair Vancelot."
"Lewis Vancelot is the strongest awakening of that time and your ancestor..." Edward imputed that part and paused for Avatar to continue.
"It is just as he said. Please do not interrupt me again, you asked me to do this"
"My bad, my bad..." He dismissed the AI nonchalantly with a flip of his hand.
"Your grandfather and father also have displayed an exemplary level if strength and have tried to carry out your great grandfather's will."
As Avatar mentioned them, a stream of their pictures flowed out of thin air, one was in a black and white display, it was impossible to fill the complete aura of the man but the big smile on his face told Ethan that he would have been a great guy, he also took several pictures with footsoldiers.
The other picture however, was his father. It was just like the little photo his mom keeps in her wallet, a handsome young man that made Ethan question if he was a bastard... because he didn't seem to have inherited his handsome face. Although they both had thar black rough hair in common.
The picture in front of him consisted of three people, his father, mother and Edward, his two hands were still intact.
Ethan noticed it and looked to the man's handless sleeve.
"We were revolutionary armies of some sort and we were very close. We came close enough but even we were weak, we had not the proper measures."
Ethan frowned.
"What were you guys trying to do?"
Edward's face became rigid as he responded.
"We were running."
"Running? Since when did Revolutionary army run?"
"Well, when your foe is so strong and he is bent on absorbing your power in order to get stronger. Lance had a different kind of power. The ability to regenerate on a large scale, he even gained resistance to effects such as heat and cold. Because of it, we were hunted a lot. I also want to believe... you have that power too Ethan"
He turned to the young guy.