Chapter 129: The Arrival of Number Zero
Chapter 129: The Arrival of Number Zero
On the other side of the world, deep within the glaciers of the northern region.
Beneath the ice lay an entire underground facility, all gray and white.
No signs outside, no roads. Just snow and drones cruising at low altitude.
Ryan Valentine stood in the center of the main lab, white gloves resting on the control panel, eyes fixed on the massive cultivation pod ahead. Inside it, nutrient fluid slowly drained away, revealing a young man.
He looked ordinary. Not exceptionally tall, and his muscle definition wasn't as bloated as the failed test subjects before him.
But the moment he stood there, every monitoring instrument in the lab went wild.
The head researcher swallowed. "Mr. Valentine, vital signs are stable. Neural compliance link is stable. Muscle density is three times the projected value. Pain feedback is below two percent."
Ryan looked at the pod, a satisfied smile crossing his face. "Good."
The researcher hesitated. "But he's too quiet. No aggressive tendencies, no emotional fluctuation. Should we run another test on the neural control system?"
Ryan raised a hand, cutting him off. "No. Quiet is perfect."
The pod opened. The young man stepped out, bare feet hitting the metal floor. He didn't look at anyone else in the room. He only looked at Ryan.
Ryan picked up a black coat and draped it over the young man's shoulders himself. "From today on, your name is Zero."
The young man spoke, with no emotion in his voice at all. "Zero."
"That thing called Hunter was just a failed prototype. Muscles out of control, emotions out of control, brain couldn't handle sustained commands. And those idiots at The Aeterna Causality treated him like he was something special."
Ryan turned to the head researcher. "Do you see it now? True evolution doesn't require turning into a monster."
The researcher lowered his head immediately. "You're right, sir."
Ryan smiled. "Open the external testing ground."
A few minutes later.
Outer testing area on the glacier.
Two structures of solid ice stood in the distance, each the height of a building. They had been cut and shaped specifically for pressure testing, thicker than the standard for military icebreaker collisions. Ryan stood behind blast-proof glass, comm device in hand.
"Zero. Break it."
Zero walked toward the ice. Steady steps. When he was half a meter away, he raised his right hand.
His fist came down.
The entire ice field shook. The massive block exploded from its center, cracks splitting outward in every direction, then the whole thing collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Every researcher in the facility froze. Someone stared at the data screen, voice shaking.
"Peak impact exceeded the upper limit. The instruments burned out."
Ryan laughed out loud. He turned, pulled off his gloves, and tossed them to an assistant. "Perfect. This is God's masterpiece."
"Get the helicopter ready. It's time to go tear that bastard Ethan into pieces."
---
Two days later.
Elowen had finally stopped spending all day on the couch staring at her phone.
She still wore a cold expression, still spoke to Ethan with a sharp edge. But at least she was willing to come to the table for meals, and she'd exchange a few words with Mia now and then, nothing important.
Clara's take on it was blunt. "She's starting to get used to her kidnapper."
Ethan leaned in the doorway, jacket in hand. "Good. Sounds like you two are getting along just fine."
Elowen looked over at him. "You're going out?"
"Picking up some things."
Clara glanced at Ethan. "Take her with you. Give her some air. Two more days cooped up in here and she'll stare holes through the walls."
Elowen cut in immediately. "I don't need him to take me anywhere."
Ethan looked at her. "You're welcome to stay here and listen to Susan debate the curtain colors."
From across the living room, Susan looked up. "That was a perfectly reasonable opinion."
Elowen was quiet for two seconds. Then she stood up. "I'm going to change."
---
An hour later.
The street was lined with luxury boutiques, busy with people. Ethan came out of one store carrying two shopping bags and got back in the car. Elowen followed.
She had on a well-cut beige coat, hair loosely pulled back.
A few days together had given her a clearer sense of the situation. She knew Ethan hadn't mistreated her, had even given her a decent amount of dignity. But she still refused to let herself back down.
"Don't think buying me a few outfits means I owe you anything." Elowen's heels clicked on the pavement, her tone ice cold.
Ethan didn't bother responding. He just pulled over again in front of the corner convenience store.
Elowen stood in front of a shelf staring at the cheap, brightly colored candy, a slight frown on her face. "People actually eat this stuff?"
Ethan dropped two bags into the basket. "Evelyn does. Mia does. They call it movie night essentials."
Elowen looked at him. "You actually remember what they like."
"Is that hard?"
She didn't answer.
At the register, while Ethan was paying, Elowen picked up a pack of mints from the nearby shelf and dropped it into the basket.
Ethan glanced at her, an eyebrow raised. "You eat those?"
"I just want to find out how bad they taste."
"Adventurous."
They walked out of the store. Ethan had just set the bags in the back seat when he went still. Elowen noticed the shift and spoke up. "What's wrong?"
Ethan didn't answer. He just looked back across the street.
A young man in a black coat was standing on the other side.
Young. Blank expression. Arms hanging at his sides. Completely, unnaturally still.
Elowen followed Ethan's gaze and frowned. "Do you know him?"
Ethan looked for a couple of seconds, then pulled open the car door and got in. "No."
Elowen got in after him, and as she buckled her seatbelt she glanced back again. "Then why were you staring at him?"
"He looked too ordinary."
"That's not a reason."
Ethan pulled into traffic. "Around me, too ordinary is usually trouble."
Elowen watched the side of his face and didn't push further.
Ten minutes later, the shops along the road thinned out and the streetlights grew sparse. Elowen finally noticed something was off. This wasn't the way back to the apartment. She shifted toward the car door, watching Ethan carefully.
"Where are you taking me?"
"For a drive."
"A drive." Elowen gave a cold laugh. "On a road like this, with no one around?"
Ethan turned the wheel. The car swung into a narrow road alongside an old industrial area. "You need an audience to go for a drive?"
Elowen pressed a hand to her chest. "Listen to me. I won't go along with whatever you're planning. You try anything and I will make sure you regret ever being born."
Ethan was quiet for half a second. Then he reached over and flicked her on the forehead.
Elowen yelped and glared at him, hand flying to her head. "What was that for?"
"Clearing out whatever you just thought." Ethan kept his eyes on the road. "There's—"
He never finished.
A massive impact hit the roof.
The next second, the entire roof ripped upward and tore open.