Wood creaked in the wind. The door barley hung onto its hinges, but it was enough to hold back the chill outside. Aspen watched it cupping a mug of tea in her hands as she waited. A stack of paperwork now sat on the coffee table with a single unmarked vhs tape sitting on top of it, pinning down against the occasional draft that managed to make its way inside.

She was worried of course, how could she not be? But all she could do was wait.

Eventually, out the front windows she could see a darker form drop out of the sky landing in front of the door. It stepped up to the door and paused opening it with a heavy creak.

"Avalon!"

The creation paused looking at the door and her hand glowed gold, knitting the shattered door back into one piece. A quick test on its hinges and she nodded satisfied before stepping in allowing Merlin in behind her.

The Alakazam smiled at his trainer before going over to his usual window seat allowing them their time.

Avalon pushed the repaired door closed and stood there looking down at her creator her tail swaying behind her. The silence stretched out as they stared each other down.

Merlin let out a soft cough from his corner.

Avalon sighed and came over to the couch sitting down "I'm.. sorry… I don't know what came over me… I just"

"Avalon its okay…"

" are you though? Ok ay ? "

"yes.. thanks to Merlin… you coulda given me a concussion, but luckily he was here"

The big cat nodded looking down at her hands "I'm still sorry… I shouldn't have attacked you…"

"Apology accepted… do you want to talk about it… or anything else?"

The creation sighed and looked at the table and the new pile of paperwork there. "what is that?"

Aspen looked at the pile on the table. "Things I took with me when I left Nuvo Biotechnology Solutions… the company that funded your creation"

" oh"

"It.. might explain things better then I can if you want to look through everything.. but it wont be easy reading"

Avalon looked at the pile of on the table as if it might bite her.

With a gentle pat to Avalon's knee Aspen got up letting her decide when would be the right time to look. The sound of water running came from the kitchen as Aspen started on dinner again. After a few moments Avalon reached over and picked up the first ream of paper.

AG1-M2 Project

Dr Morgan Aspen

Personal notes

6/15/1999

Today I was given the salvaged documents and notes from a failed project. Initial reviews of it are interesting to say the least. When I was hired into the bio sciences division here I never dreamed I would be part of something so groundbreaking. Still.. I am uncertain about this. Had I maybe started from scratch like they had I would have more control. But on the same token being able to pick up where they left off is going to save what would have likely consumed the rest of my life in research now compressed down to a couple years. My supervisor has already asked for a timeline. 5 years. I bet I can produce results in 5 years maybe less. The amount of useful data we can get from a second pass on this will be phenomenal. I just hope ours doesn't end so tragically. It's a shame the original subject is deceased.

6/30/1999

Lab is finally set up. Technology has improved somewhat since the first iteration of this project. The main chamber is set and everything is ready. Even though it will be SOME TIME before we even put anything in the main incubation chamber it's good to be ready. I've already mapped the sequence we need from the mew fossil in the amber and spliced in the needed DNA that was missing from the sample. Like before we are using Alakazam and Human to fill in the rest.

8/27/1999

Our first subject was transferred to incubation today. We could not have predicted what happened. There was sudden rapid cell growth and we had to shut down the process. The amorphous blob that came out was… alive somehow. It was handed over to another portion of the lab for study and I was ordered to begin again.

Avalon read each line sometimes twice to absorb all she was seeing. Me… this was.. me.. how I began… An entry gave her pause "Amorphous blob?"

Aspen nodded as she worked at the stove "Ditto… the failures all turned into Ditto… from Doctor Fuji's notes they had the same thing happen. The odd mix of DNA in your creation often didn't set correctly.. enzymes didn't fire off at the right time.. RNA came unraveled or destabilized.. And since all animals contain mew and your sequence was mostly mew in the absence of structure it reduced to a base form that could shape shift and little else. In fact I'm pretty sure ditto didn't even exist until the first experiment began"

The creation nodded looking down at her hand and over her body suddenly feeling very fortunate. She picked the papers back up and continued. Entry after entry outlined the failures. Around 20 in total over the span of a year. Until...

6/20/2000

It's been almost a year and countless subjects have been failures. What is the magic ingredient that we are missing? The notes from the other project had similar problems but no mention how it was overcome. Due to personal issues I've been ordered to take a week of leave.

6/30/2000

I'm taking the risk. I am taking from myself and Merlin instead. He evolved just for this and he didn't have to. But I'm grateful he did. They ordered it to be female and by god if I'm not going to just make her mine. What's the use in worrying anyway? If things go the same as before I am a dead woman anyway.

7/15/2000

Initial cells seem stable. Tentatively hopeful.

8/27/2000

Transferred the zygote to the primary incubation chamber today. The entire lab held its breath and then? Nothing happened. No cell growth. No alarms. Just silence and a heartbeat detected. SUCCESS! Subject AG1-M2 seems stable. Just a little behind schedule.

Avalon looked up as Aspen came into the room with bowls of stir fry, setting one down for her daughter as she settled into the end of the couch.

She watched her mother a few moments before speaking "what happened?"

"what do you mean kiddo?"

She frowned and shook her head setting down the papers in favor of her food "You mention taking time off.. and Merlin evolving for you before you decided to.. use your own DNA… I can read between the lines… what happened?"

Aspen stared into her bowl and nodded as if she had decided something "I told you how.. how I would never be a mother? Do you remember that?"

" I do… but you never explained"

"Well I'm about to" she let a look of pain wash over her before she shook it off. "I was married when the project started. My husband also worked at Nuvo and we were doing well. But he wanted a baby.. frankly so did I…" glancing back at the shelf of kids books she clenched her jaw "We had been trying but… as it turns out I'm unable to have kids.. I'm infertile.. irreversible."

Avalon laid her ears back.

"When we got the news from my doctor.. it was devastating… but Mark.. my husband.. decided that I wasn't worth keeping if I couldn't give him a son or daughter. So he left me. Started dating some intern and asked for a transfer to another project."

" Don't cry Morgan, Mark wasn't worth the tears and never was."

"Merlin NEVER liked Mark… and honestly I shoulda listened to him."

Merlin could only snort from his corner.

"So… it was just you and Merlin and Panthur then?"

"yes it was… Merlin saw how stressed I was and well.. offered to do what was needed to make him evolve so we could use his DNA instead of the stale samples they kept sending us. And since I couldn't have a kid.. a daughter of my own.. well in that moment I decided YOU would be my child... not from me entirely... but enough to count."

"enough to count" Avalon echoed looking into her bowl.

"If it counts it counts… I will do my best for you Avalon no matter what. I made you. And had I been given a choice.. well.. keep reading when you are done you will see"

1/21/2001

I have been informed we will not be taking the infant from incubation on schedule despite my protests. Raising it from infancy would avoid so many of the issues they faced with the original. But "we need an adult subject sooner than later" What's 5 or 10 more years vs the possibility of the destruction it could inflict? Director Hamilton says I have been emotional compromised. That I'm looking at this project like a pet. I say if we want it to listen to us we have to treat it right.

3/07/2001

On top of the nutrient tubes they implanted along her spine and other vital spots they have also installed restraints. This is their genius solution to the rearing issue. This will not end well.

8/01/2001

She had touched my mind before. But only curiosity.. nothing truly sapient but more like a plant seeking light. This time it was the screaming of an injured child. I tried to sooth her but the other lab techs sedated her before I could get anywhere.

" Restraints?"

"Chains… they chained you in your tube. As if that would stop you."

Avalon looked over her wrists rubbing the scar tissue lightly "I remember the chains… I had them with me for months before I could break them off. The skin raw and then healed into this…"

"you can regenerate… but you apparently hadn't figured that out yet and so you had to heal slow… That and all the other marks on you.. same thing. Some had to be done like the scars for the nutrient tubes that fed you.. others not so much. The chains were barbaric and I'm sorry.. I tried to get them to remove them but they refused" Aspen gave her head a miserable shake "there's a little more to go kiddo…"

She reached over and picked up the last few pages. There were page after page of notes spanning four more years. Notes of her growth and development lacking much else. But eventually…

4/21/2004

Last night there was an incident at the lab. I was notified in the early AM that subject AG1-M2 escaped. They lost track of her in the mountains. I have not been called upon as of yet to seek her out. But I will be.. I will be ready.

12/02/2009

Called upon to corner subject AG1-M2. They had set some poisoned meat out into the forest where they suspected she had taken up shelter. Merlin and I set out first having been tracking her signature for a while now. Regretfully, by the time we found her she had suffered connective tissue error and there was little to nothing left. I tender my resignation today. I am done with this.

Avalon set the papers down and placed her face into her hands. It was a lot.. too much. A hand rested on her shoulder.

"I said it wouldn't be easy… but would you rather not know?"

The creation lifted her face from her hands tears running along her cheeks "no.. I needed to know"

Aspen reached over and picked up the VHS tape and moved to go put it away.

" Wait!"

She looked back those large purple eyes wide as she stared at her "What is that?"

"this… is… I don't think you want to see this."

" yes I do.. what is it?"

Aspen bit her lip and came back over setting the unmarked tape down placing her hand on it like it might run away "this.. is the lab footage they gave me from the night you were born"

Avalon hesitated before reaching for it "I may as well… see everything.. I remember that night in flashes.. nothing.. concrete"

"You are going to remember a lot more after this… I need you to promise me something" she picked up the tape and held it up "If you watch this you will not lash out… you can be angry.. upset.. sad.. you can scream.. you can thrash.. but do not hurt me, Merlin, or this house. If you need to go out and destroy a sea spire on the ocean that's fine but please remember this is your home and we are here to help you okay?"

She nodded slowly and settled back into the couch steeling herself for what was sure to be a very bad time.

The feed was oddly grainy but it could still be seen. A dim lab filled with the sounds of bubbles and machines ticking away as they record readings. The labs techs all stood far away from the tank and wore special helmets, avoiding any contact with what was within the tube. The soft jingling of chains can be heard in the tank filled with viscous orange red fluid. Inside she was lashed and restrained by the arms, legs, and neck.

She curled on herself squirming in the tank and kicking as if in a dream before slowly she opened her eyes.

No one noticed at first as she peered around the room from her tube, nose working eyes searching through the glass before they glow slightly, finally one of the workers noticed.

"It's awake..."

"Keep silent. Do not let it hear you."

She responded, squirming and opening her mouth to let out a silent scream, making the fluid bubble. She reached a hand out and collided with the glass with a short jerk of ringing chains. She paused and tried again. Her chest can be seen in fast compression as her movements get more and more chaotic. The film gets extra static. The staff start to panic scrambling for coms.

"She's moving! Call the security team!"

"Foxtrot Tango Nine, we need aid in the main labs. Subject Alpha is awake and moving!"

There was a sound like a flash bang. That high keening like the audio was overwhelmed and a bright light. When the sound and video cut back in there's the sound of shattering glass and a grotesque wet splat.

The techs stumbled around holding their heads and there she sat curled up on the floor of her now shattered chamber, shivering and steaming. She started to sit up as the techs got their senses back. She retched up more of the fluid from her lungs and taking her first breath of real air with a soft reedy scream.

The feed went to static again and the techs all frozen in place staring for a couple beats before the armed guards come rushing in from a side door aiming for the pedestal.

She slumped to her side, panting hard and rattling her chains. The wheezing of her newly used lungs is palatable even over the recording. She flicked her ears and slowly tried to sit up again pawing at the edge of the pedestal.

One of the team members jerked and his gun went off. Its hard to see as she jerked her hand back. And then suddenly everything is happening at once. Her eyes blazed with power and the feed crackled. She lunged at the people, straining on her chains, hissing in rage, fangs bared. Again that raw semi silent scream. The gun that was fired suddenly crumpled in on itself like it was smashed in an invisible fist and then they all opened fire as she began to frenzy to get free. The techs scrambled to get out of this nightmare. She screeched as shes pelted with rounds but nothing penetrates her skin. Still its clearly hurts.

During her panic she noticed the others trying to leave and looked towards the airlock door. It slammed shut with another round of static on the feed and the metal begins to glow cherry red. No one is getting out of here alive.

The chains on her glowed and seared her skin the metal bent finally and started to break away at the weakest links as she screamed again. The humans begin to shriek. Some panic and tried the door, some keep shooting. It's a mad house as they try to find a way out.

"Security team, subject alpha has broken free! We are sealed in the main labs! Send back up!"

Clips are dropped for live rounds and the gun fire began again in earnest. The ones who tried the door get burned for their efforts. She wailed as holes are blown open on her body and blood trickled down her flanks. She starts to lunge, The lead shooter is lifted up in the air and thrown against the back wall like he was hit by a truck. But then she flopped to the floor with a clatter of broken chains, links scattering everywhere, the braces still around her wrists and ankles. Then she is still.. breathing hard and bleeding freely.

For a moment it seemed to be over. A pause, where everyone held their breath... One of the fire team members scooted up to inspect her. Those burned were crying in agony as they tried to cool themselves at the wash station

She moved her hand slowly for the mans boot mewling softly. The fire team member started to crouch reaching for her before someone shouted. "No! Don't touch it! It will kill you! Let the restraint team handle it."

"But..."

"No! Don't be fooled by it!"

A few moved over with tasers in hand creeping closer.

In one sudden motion she heaved herself, not at the man next to her, but at whoever shouted at him. Fangs first she torn into his neck and throat. The man dead before he hit the ground.

The others started firing. The one she ignored stumbled back. Scientists broke the fire extinguisher glass and start coating the door in a desperate attempt to cool it down enough to open.

Blood down her front she shrieked that pained shriek again and sent an invisible wave out from her hand. Everyone near the door and firing at her smashed against the far wall. Breaking glass and equipment. Sparks began to arc from one of the machine banks.

There is the sounds of banging on the other side of the airlock door.

The man who had stopped shooting had somehow not gotten killed by this point. He got up and ran to the her. "H-hey! Over here!" he waved her over trying to lead her to the disposal chute.

Fire started in the spilled fluids and tanks start to pop as flames begins to rage in the labs. Klaxons scream as the fire suppression system starts up raining down on everyone. She looks towards man trying to help her and after a moment she begins limping over to him, bleeding freely from holes in her side and leg.

The guy rushed over and grabbed her helping her over. The door begins to crack open. There is something being pumped into the room.

Now hard to see her and this man as they moved just below camera, but as the door started to open it smashed shut again, another tube exploded. The man is said something, but its hard to make out as the sound of static started to rise.

She hovers into view the feed filled with static snow. Its hard to make out, but everything in the lab started to move and crush into the far wall and door. The airlock door split and flew away like it was made of paper. The people, the machines, the bricks of the wall everything just started to crush into what looks like a mini singularity.

A bubble of energy sprung up around her as the static and the force of the mini black hole intensify and then the feed suddenly cut out.

The tape ended. Aspen looked at her daughter who sat like stone staring unblinking at the screen as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She frowned and grabbed the fluffiest heaviest blanket she had and gently began to drape it over Avalon's shoulders "shhh… take all the time you need" Now bundled up she laid her weird daughter back against the couch with relative ease. "you don't need to apologize.. or speak.. or do anything for as long as you have to. Just rest…"

Aspen patted her and stood up to take away the dishes. There was a soft thud, looking back she could see Avalon had fallen to her side on the couch curled up in a tight little ball.

It was going to take time. She might never talk about her side of these things. Aspen accepted this was okay. What was more important then anything was she was safe and healing. When she was ready, if she was ever ready, she would tell her how she got away. But it didn't matter. She was home.