The experiment flies through the wooded area behind the Faraday estate, as its claws dig deep into the barks surface before propelling it forwards, as gracefully as a leopard runs along the ground. It's breathing fills the silence of the woods, while distancing itself from the bunker it just escaped from. The sirens of emergency response vehicles get quieter the more distance it creates from it, as the light from the flames also dim, allowing the darkness to grow around it once more.

  It's dark red beads for eyes are the only contrast between it and the shadows of the woods that engulfed it. Once the silence had become the loudest noise around it, the fatigue of previous battles finally take their toll, as it lowers itself gently to the ground. Vallion's consciousness starts to take back control, his own senses taking in the surroundings. The darkness of the shadows around him, the sounds of the rustling leaves against the evening sky and the feeling of the dew between his new metallic claws, and the feeling of the mud as he sinks into it under his weight.

  The muscles worm and contract as they revert back to his normal size and weight, his limbs slightly snap as the bones are reformed to his smaller stature. The cracks in the mask slowly reform into a solid pane of glass as the pits in his eyes fill with a scarlet regret to form his normal eyes.

  Vallion moves his fingers, noticing the complete control he has, before raising his hand up to his mask, still stained with the blood of his uncontrolled massacre. The experiments memories flash by violently in his mind like a the torrent of water through an opened dam.

  All his emotions, IT'S emotions, fill his memory in an instant. The unending hunger, the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction of victory, all of the experiments emotions are pilled inside of him before his realization strikes and all those emotions are dwarfed with the feeling of regret. His hand sinks back into the grass as his only response was to scream.

  "ahh... ahhhhhhh... ARGHHHHH!" the screams echo out into the forest before he gags at the sudden feeling of vomiting. He tries to bring his hand up to his mouth, but the mask blocks the way as if it felt like it wasn't there anymore.

  His mouth inside the mask gives way to a wave of sickness, as it is quickly consumed by the mask itself, not even leaving a drop of residue or hint of a smell. His eyes dart around sporadically as he struggles to come to terms with his actions.

  The faces of all the soldiers are burned into his mind, along with the dreaded look his brother stared at him with. His eyes close shut as memories of his fathers last moments are replayed on a loop in his mind, before an unstable sense of serenity washes over him. Peace weakly grasps at his consciousness, as he finally places his feet underneath him. His legs shake along with the leaves around him, as his eyes dart around, unable to focus on any one object for too long.

  Finally he takes his first weak step forward, as a buzzing noise rings in his head, as if a bee had been stuck inside his mask. His claws dig into the bark of the trees around him as he props himself on one side, clawing his way forward. A distant light breaks through the horizon, like stars that begin to grow from the horizon. His pace increases, but his lack of balance cause him to stumble forwards, unable to normally walk.

  The large gap between the trees reveal the cause of the lights. The large sprawling city he used to call home has come to life with flickering lights of buildings, passing vehicles and advertisements. His eyes scan the surroundings as he tries to find a way to escape the planet.

  "Fuck..." his claw cups the front of his mask as he continues. "I can't go back to him. I have to leave. I HAVE to... any commercial vehicles are out of the question. Hijacking would be impossible with the level of defences and weapons this planet has. The undercity perhaps? but a lawless slum probably won't have the kind of ship i need.

  If i had the money, i could maybe bribe someone to smuggle me out but..." As his limited list of options are reduced one by one, his claws ball into a fist as the ground pulls his gaze in a slumped defeated sigh. The buzzing slowly occupies his thoughts before the buzzing turns into a murmur.

  Then into a muffled voice and finally into a clear conversation.

  "What about Vallion? Your brother" The rough voice was clear enough for Valion to recognize it as his teachers, Corvus. "I didn't see him, but i know he was down there somewhere..." The responder he recognized even faster as his brother.

  A small sigh left his lips, relieved to hear his brothers voice, or perhaps to find out that he didn't recognize him in his monstrous state. His head slowly rises with a new found determination visible on his visor as a plan begins to form in his mind.

  His stance lowers before leaping upward along one of the trees like a rocket. His claws clench the bark, bring his body close to it before traversing into the leaves at a rapid pace. At the top, His eyes focus into the distance, as if he'd been looking through a very powerful telescope, seeing the remnants of the bunker in an almost picture perfect clarity. A feat that surprised him, but deep down a feeling that he knew he could do that is what propelled him.

  Analysing the scene, he recognizes the face of his teacher and his brother, with a pained expression on his face. The teacher begins to walk back to his gravity ship, as it roars to life in anticipation for his boarding.

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  The doors slowly rise after the clunking of his claws against the ships metal fade away, and the ship rises into the night sky, blending in to its shadowy background.

  Corvus leans into the back of his aviation seat, the safety restraints clang against the metal parts of his seat as they hang loosely on either side of him.

  'So that's it... There's no way anything could have survived that blast. The bunker and the house are completely destroyed, and there's no sign of any body... The hope for a resistance is finally extinguished...'

  His inner monologue playout throughout his ships journey, as memories of Valion's first arrival play through his mind, along with the thoughts of his father, the crimson captain.

  'I'm sorry, i tried my best. I never could have predicted it would end like this old friend...'

  The ships engines silence themselves as the ship bobs gently to mark its arrival on the aircraft pad next to Corvus's private suite. The gears twist and whirl as the rear door descends. The clunking of Corvus's claws break the silence of the air, as the bustling of city life fills his ears. As he rounds the rear of the ship to enter his home, he turns toward the pilots of the ship whom are already saluting proudly toward him through the glass, to which Corvus responds with his own lazily raised salute before pressing a feather into his ear to activate a military communication device he is wearing.

  "Thanks boys, sorry i had to wrangle you both up so late in the night. I owe you." To which the lead pilot responds without hesitation. "It's our pleasure sir, and its us that owe you! but we would've done this anyway, isn't that right Gabe?"

  He exclaims in an overexaggerated tone while looking toward his co-pilot. "Sir! yes sir!"

  Corvus's chuckles under his breath before raising his wing in a wave before pulling his door open, letting the cool air conditioned temperature of his house to fill the spaces between his feathers. He begins to walk toward his bedroom before spotting his extensively filled bar out the corner of his eye.

  "I guess this is as good of a time as any..." A sharp sigh quickly follows his statement as a few feathers wrap themselves around the neck of lushly decorated bottle and the an eloquently carved liquor glass. The cork removes with a satisfied pop as an amber fluid spills out into the glass and filling it almost full. As Corvus places the cork back onto the top of the bottle his eyes are drawn to along the shelf to a bottle that also has it's cork removed.

  "rough night?"

  a statement filled with a low toned growl emanates from the darkness, like an ominous warning.

  Corvus immediately spins toward the source of aggression while lowering his stance, his wings ready to slice a razor sharp attack at a moments notice as a shadowy figure sits unnaturally still in one of his sofa chairs, draped in darkness.

  "Relax. I'm sorry to put you in danger like this, but I have no other options." His grouchy voice gives way to his normal tone, as Corvus's gasp escapes his beak as he rises back to an uneasy relaxed stance, as he raises the glass to take a small sip form it.

  "Valion?! Not only did you survive, you're the monster. Or rather the success of a dangerous experiment gone wrong?" His red digital smile tilts toward his cheek before disappearing once more. "Sounds like you're more informed than i am. So i need you to tell me what's going on with me, then, i need your help getting off this planet. We need to act now. You're getting your new rebellion but it starts today."

  His claws dig into the arm of the sofa as his own glass raises to the nose of his mask as it parts away sharply, splintering the glass to allow the electronics inside to consume the alcohol before stitching itself shut. Corvus's instincts scream at him to escape, but curiosity pulls him closer as he examines the details of the mask from all angles while explaining himself. "hmm, i only have what my sources give me, and frankly it isn't much.

  We know the mask is ancient, yet its technology dwarfs ours by at least a millennia" Valions eyebrow raises inquisitively while continuing to listen to Corvus. "It was taken by your father from one of the many temples on your home planet. According to the murals, an accepted host was given several powers, extremely heightened senses, incredible strength, unrivalled speed, and some sort of healing capabilities but... If the host was NOT accepted, the mask would consume their minds, figuratively and literally."

  His explanation causes a slight shiver up Valion's spine which dissipates as it reaches his mask.

  "That's all we've found out. The U.S.N tasked your father with finding the host, and forcing it to comply, or discovering what exactly gives the host its powers so that it could be replicated to make soldiers. It's true origins, where it came from, who made it, is a mystery. But you are the host! this changes everything! The resistance has a significant chance of winning against the U.S.N way sooner than i could have ever predicted!"

  A cautious and weary smile stretches across his beak as he examines the uncannily still Vallion as his bright red eyes on the masks screen follow his every movement. "Then where do i start?" His robotic-like voice crackles and distorts as Corvus takes the last sip of his drink.

  "We need to get you off this planet, but that's only the start. What we REALLY need, is to get you out of the U.S.N's influence, off of any of their controlled planets. It'll be a long smuggling journey, and once your on a more desolate part of the galaxy, we work our way back in, picking up our supporters along the way, building up our forces as we strike back." His words echo around the dark room as a robotic sigh follows.

  "desolate huh? can't be any worse than home, but i wont be fond of being alone again." Corvus's feathers rustle followed by the clinking of his glass against the tabletop.

  "Who said you were alone? I've finally got a chance to strike back with the resistance once more! I'm coming with you, until the bitter end!" His wings spread triumphantly as the wind changes in the room and a new found pride fills them both into the late night.