The third floor of the illegal experimentation facility was littered with bodies — some dead, some alive but unconscious. Brain matter and internal organs stained the hallway floor red, kicked around by one of the two individuals present.
Blood permeated the hallway as the two exchanged looks.
They both stood opposite each other, a few meters between them, with Eina's back facing the guards on the floor.
Eina's face was indifferent, her hazel iris was vertical like a cat's eye and the hands that she used as a weapon had bulged veins and black, long and pointed nails coming from her fingers.
Five's mouth was opened, letting his drooling tongue slip out. He stood at around six feet, his shoulder and leg width bulged to become slightly bigger than half the size of a man's head.
"You're still trying to protect those who imprisoned you? Very timid thinking for creations like us," Five scoffed. "You're really unworthy for being the original X. Too bad. The original is still just a prototype anyways. X-0, I give you this opportunity to save your pride. Kill yourself."
All experiment bases worked to test theories ranging from I to XII and in this base was built to test theory X.
Theory X proposed that if a test subject and a selected evolved creature shared similar 'personality and behavior,' the evolved creature's genes would not show much resistance and would merge with the subject's genes, allowing the subject to exhibit some of the creature's characteristics, depending on the creature chosen, the result could potentially leading to a tethered existence.
The first person to prove the theory right was designated X-0 who was also Eina. After careful research and study, Eina and the evolved panther that had its gene implanted in her were said to have traits like:
-Similar treatments being given to both.
-Both of their views of the world are suspected to be alike.
-Attitude/Emotions towards those deemed as enemies and allies were confirmed to be the same.
Also, based on other theories, the merging genes have a successful rate above 50%.
After multiple experiments were carried out, Eina's body beat the resistance of the genes and became a successful half human and half evolved creature.
But Eina didn't accept the change to her genetics and suppressed herself from completing the genetic modifications, letting her body composition waver.
To lead her to stop the suppression, the base higher ups told Eina she can be free, but she'd have to do certain jobs assigned to her. Due to how she was treated and her past, she rejected the freedom she was given.
Because of how useless she was outside the cell, she was locked back in, only to be used as a reference for future projects.
The second successful subject from theory X was designated X-5 who was the orange haired individual. He didn't completely beat the resistance of the evolved bear that was planted in him, so if he wasn't careful, he could lose himself to the conscience of the bear within the genes.
Still, he merged with the genes and began exhibiting the characteristics of the evolved bear.
Five despised Eina for suppressing her genes, viewing her as a waste of resources unworthy of her bestowed power. She couldn't even kill those who imprison her.
Unlike a lot of the captured experiments, Five was grateful to those who brought him from the slummy planet he lived to here, that's why he'd destroy all those who stood in his savior's way.
Five frowned, "You really are useless."
He moved, each step causing a vibration that Eina could feel.
Eina cracked her fingers as she also moved. Her steps were delicate compared to Five's steps.
She saw Five bring his hand down, attempting to knock her out with a single massive swipe, which she dodged with minimal movement.
She rushed him to take close the advantageous distance Five had. As she closed in, she leaped to kick Five in the gut.
The moment the kick made contact, a laughing roar sounded, "Ah. Hahahahaha! X-0, you fool! DO YOU THINK A MERE CAT KICK COULD HURT A PRIDEFUL BEAR LIKE ME?!" Five yelled like a mad creature.
Eina remained expressionless as she retreated under Five's blood filled gaze. With the instincts of evolved creatures that she had, she could feel it - A predator just woke up.
She couldn't drag the fight on like this. She needed to reduce how much she suppressed the gene within herself.
Five felt the increase in Eina's ability. He shouted, "That's good. You wouldn't want to die an easy death. RIGHT X-0?" He ran to continue the fight.
With that, the two predators who slowly began to use their true strengths, fought causing impacts that spread throughout that floor.
*****
After finding his way to the storage room, Femi finished donning his clothes and bodysuit and sheathing his weapon. He noticed Arwan had a tense look on his face.
"What happened?" Femi asked.
Arwan was also dressed; he was just waiting for Femi to be done. He was occupied in his thoughts until Femi spoke. "Their fight... It makes me feel weird. They feel like predators." Arwan sighed. "I wonder what type of experiments they really do here."
Femi looked with clueless eyes. "Worry about that later. What's next?"
Arwan brought out three tether batteries that were in his tool bag. "Due to variables, we'll tweak the plan a bit. You'll have to hold down Gallagher and the others alone."
Femi felt like he needed to share an opinion, so he said, "I can hold them down long enough for you to do what you want to do. Heck, they're too weak. I'll beat them all."
Arwan smiled at Femi's statement, "Sure you will." He extended his hand to give Femi two batteries. "Take this. One is the usual, while the other battery is the enhancer type I told you about."
Femi inserted the battery and kept the other in his pocket. He took their white and blue masks that were kept in the midst of other weapons and threw one to Arwan.
Arwan accepted the mask with solemn eyes. "All these weapons here. They are all for those who aspired to be great." He glanced at the variation of weapon and mecahs present, "Some are dead. But those who are still alive, let's save them."
Femi nodded without response as he didn't have any reaction to what Arwan said. He gestured to Arwan to head to the next floor.
As they left the storage room, Femi glanced at the fight while smiling. Femi stood to watch the creature crazed fight for a while before he eventually went towards where he was told to go.
Arwan, on the other hand, was disgusted by the smell of blood alone which led to him immediately wearing his mask. He rushed to the stairs that were noticed to be at the end of the hallway, close to them.
As they left the storage room, through a hidden hatch solely made for him, someone arrived in the storage room.
He watched as two interesting children hurriedly exited the room. Curious about what was happening in the facility, he extended his senses throughout all the floors.
He consumed the knowledge and pieced together what was going on.
"Seems like someone is messing with my playthings," He said, amused by what those kids had done.
This person was the overseer of all the facilities on this planet, also the person Alicia had been waiting for.
Moros arrived at the facility.