The van lurched to a stop and Zeek was awake instantly. Hailey was waking up too as he stood up. They had been in the back end of the van for several hours after having been taken from the Institute by Inspector Stevens and his behemoth guards. They could have been taken anywhere; all they knew was that the Company had an unhealthy interest in them. Zeek intended to let the Company know just how unhealthy it was to try to hold him captive.

Heavy booted footsteps were surrounding the van, and Zeek had no doubt that they were armed. He stooped to whisper in Hailey’s ear. “When they open the doors, I’m going to fight them. I want you to run as fast as you can away from here, remember what I taught you and you’ll be fine. Don’t stop until you’re twenty miles from here, and then find someplace to hide. I will find you once I’m done here; then we can run away together. If you don’t hear from me within a week, get back to the Institute Doctor Senshin will protect you there.” She nodded and looked at him anxiously. “I’ll be fine.” He reassured her.

The doors opened slowly and sunlight spilled into the van. When the doors were fully opened, Zeek looked past the guards to see where they had taken him. He could see an open field at the foot of the hill they were parked on. He had to give Hailey enough time to make it to the trees at least. He stepped out of the van and counted only six guards, each armed only with a handgun none of which were drawn; these clearly weren’t the same guards that had met Zeek at the Institute or they would be a bit more alert.

Their lack of experience and expectations would only make Zeek’s job easier. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he let it out slowly and opened his eyes, when he did so his eyes glowed orange, and he was instantly aware of everything going on around him; and could move faster than ever before.

He kicked the guard nearest him in the face, which sent the larger man sprawling on his back. Zeek spun and punched another guard, who was moving to help his comrade, in the stomach causing the guard to double up in pain. Faster than the guard could blink, Zeek brought his knee up into the man’s nose. He spun and kicked another guard in the torso, as he did so Zeek noticed Hailey sprinting past him, her eyes glowing a vibrant purple.

By now the guards were realizing that Zeek was far more trouble than they had thought, and one was even in the process of drawing his gun when Zeek knocked him senseless. As he turned to face his next opponent, Zeek noted that Hailey had just made it to the tree-line.

A guard grabbed Zeek from behind and tried to restrain him; Zeek retaliated by stomping on the guard’s foot and head-butting him in the face simultaneously. Zeek threw the guard to the ground and heard a bang; a burning pain tore through his side just above his left hip. He knew instantly that he’d been shot; he looked at the guard that had done it, the man smiled apparently thinking that it was sufficient to cripple Zeek, who drew a knife from the belt of a downed guard and threw it.

The guard dropped his gun with a cry of pain; the knife had cut into the back of his hand and was now sticking right through his hand. He went to pull it out, but Zeek closed the distance between them and punched him between the eyes, knocking the man unconscious. As the man fell, Zeek took a calming breath, and let it out slowly; his eyes returned to their usual brown-orange.

Zeek looked around, fully realizing now that he was in a parking lot behind what looked like an old, rundown apartment building. The mortar between the bricks was missing in some places and entire bricks were missing in others. The fire escape on the side of the building was in a horrible state of disrepair too. “Why would they bring us here?” Zeek asked himself aloud. “I thought they were taking us to the Company.”

“They were, and they did.” A voice said from the doorway of the building and Zeek noticed the man standing in the shadows by the door.

“Who are you?” Zeek asked preparing to defend himself if necessary.

“You can relax,” The man in the doorway said chuckling. “I have no intention of trying to make you do anything you don’t want to. You just disarmed and subdued six full-grown, well-trained men in about a minute. Might I also add that you were injured during the encounter, and not one of the guards is remotely close to any sort of serious condition? You can accomplish more than this.”

“What are you getting at? WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME?” Zeek shouted. He was growing tired of all this; this man had seen where Hailey had run to, and Zeek got the feeling that he knew where she was going too. This man was too dangerous to leave as a loose end.

“Zeek, you are unique; you are capable of accomplishing things that most people could only dream of. You have only scratched the surface of your abilities, and you have no idea why you can do any of these things. Do you not at least want to find out what you are?”

“What do you mean?” Zeek demanded growing impatient with the man.
“With the capabilities that you possess you are far greater than any human on this earth, are you not even curious as to why you can do nearly impossible things?” It was true that Zeek had never wondered why or how he could do things that most people could not; he had just assumed that it was the reason why he had been in the Institute. Now, for the first time, he was beginning to question why it had been so easy for him to wonder around the compound at will; how did he know where all of the security had been, how was he able to hear people several floors away, how was he able to tell people apart by their scent alone?

“Why are you so interested in me?” Zeek asked cautiously; there was still no reason to trust this man.

“Because I will admit that I am curious as to what you are; though I have a hunch, but I cannot prove it. At least not yet.” The man said.

“I’m beginning to get tired of your vague answers.” Zeek said grinning; he was already building up energy in his hands.

“Yes. I’d bet you would be tired of it. To think though that my vague answers are working though.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you’re still standing there; that you haven’t attacked me yet; and that I’ve got you curious now.” The man said. Zeek considered his words and realized that he was right. He hadn’t been nearly this interested in anything in a long time. This man was dangerous, and if Zeek didn’t do something, then he would never get the answers he needed from the man, and Hailey would be getting further and further away and he would be unable to help her.

“You were right.” Zeek said getting ready to pounce, a small nearly invisible movement, a flexing of his calf muscles. “I was curious, but now it is time for this conversation to end.” With that he lunged forward and made to punch the man in the face with his energy-packed fist. The movement was faster than what most people could ever see, let alone react to. So Zeek was incredibly shocked when the man blocked his fist with the palm of his hand.

Zeek looked into the man’s eyes, and was more surprised to find them glowing green. He could feel built-up energy in the hand that the man had used to stop his punch. The man smiled and shoved Zeek’s hand aside with enough force to knock Zeek off balance and to the ground.

“You and Hailey are not the only ones of your kind, Zeek Mortalsbane.” The man said. “And I am your elder brother. I am Justin Mortalsbane. The Company took you away from our parents when you were but a baby; they tried to take me, but I got away. Now Zeek, you seek a way to keep Hailey from having to live in fear of the Company. You made a promise to her; a promise to keep the Company from ever hurting her again. I will help you fulfill that promise. I swear to you that so long as I continue to live, the Company shall never touch Hailey again. I will help you destroy the Company.”