One year ago

With Keenan Darvis

'Stay here!' of course he knew she wasn't going to listen. She never did. Not since they had started running seven years ago. At the age of five she had already been a handful, and it had only gotten worse with the years. But even though he knew she wasn't going to obey, he would never stop saying it because he always hoped she would see the sense in it one day.

So he ran, towards the confrontation, trying to keep them away from her with all his might. After all he didn't matter all that much. It was her they wanted. Always her. Because she was young and easily manipulated. Because it wasn't just his genes in her, it was much, much more. Surprisingly both their mutations were absent in her. At least for now. She was different, and her teen years had only just began. She knew what was at stake, and she wanted to fight, but he didn't know how he could keep her from harm. After all, she was just a twelve year old girl, hunted by too many different parties.

A bullet soared right through him, followed by a few more, but his body morphed around them and without losing any speed he ran on. The lizard-man fell to all fours and came at him at high speed. He threw himself on top of the Lizard-man and tried to slow them down. He put up a mighty struggle, but there was three of them. Bulletfingers might not be able to harm him, but the Lizard's poisonous bite and the Sandman's sandstorms were a different story.

His two daggers slashed around, cutting the Lizard, who seemed to not be very bothered by it. Sand swept up and his vision was blocked. His dagger found Bulletfingers as he heard a loud yell. Immediately he grabbed the man put him in a headlock and cut off both his hands, rendering him useless. Teeth sunk into his calve and he slashed back cutting of another leg of the Lizard.

'Still putting up a fight, Keenan?' Sandman called. 'Just hand her over and we'll be done.'

'Never!' Keenan yelled back and he dove for the silhouette of the Sandman, who had long before sidestepped him. Keened was hit in the back hard and he fell to his knees.

'Maybe you should reconsider.' Keenan was about to reply when a bright flash passed by, knocking over Sandman.

'Maybe you should reconsider trying to mess with us,' she said daringly before hitting him square in his face. Keenan crawled up, ready to angrily yell at her that she should have stayed in the car. But before he even opened his mouth, teeth sunk into him once again and now he did feel it. The poison. His dagger struck his target and the teeth let go. The Lizard fell to the ground, dead. They had avoided capture once again. Bulletfingers was crying as he stared at the stumps where his hands used to be. Sandman laid unconscious and the Lizard was bleeding severely from a stab wound in his neck. She was safe.

Keenan clutched his side as he felt his vision go blurry. He staggered and fell to his knees. She rushed over to his side.

'What is wrong?'

'Poison. His bite was poisonous. I'm not going to make it.'

'No. No, there must be something we can do. Anything.'

'Alexandra, there is nothing we can do. I protected you for as long as I could, but I have to go to your mother.'

'No, please. You can't die.'

'I have no choice. You're strong, you'll survive. Remember our goal. Find him. He can protect you.'

'But I don't know where to find him,' she could hardly hold her tears back anymore.

'You- You will find him at the school… Lex-.'

'Dad. Dad. Dad!' But he wasn't breathing anymore. She slowly let him onto the ground and forced herself to get up. She forcefully wiped away the tears from her eyes and turned to the pick-up truck and climbed into the drivers seat.