Author's Note: I'm back! Today's the last day of my vacation, so I will post one chapter a week. I spent the latter half of the week in southern Japan. It was hot but really relaxing to be near the sea and a great trip. I got to see the Disney musical "Beauty and the Beast" in Japanese, which I want to see again. I was really excited that I got really good seats, I near the stage but not too close.

Here is the next chapter! There is more interactions between Tori and Vincent that needs to be fleshed out in this chapter, sorry. We also learn how she is involved with the beasts.

Previously on "Indomitable Hope"...

"I know a lot about you, Vincent Keller. A young doctor-to-be that was rocked by the horrible tragedies of your two brothers. You enlisted in the army a little after their deaths to bring honor to them. Once you arrived at a camp base in Afghanistan, you were selected from a secret ops program funded a joint agreement between the Department of Defense and Murifield. However, the program was unsuccessful as the cross-species DNA they injected you with proved to be more deadly than it was intended to be. Instead of finding a cure for it, the program managers decided to kill off those who were involved with the project. They managed to kill off most, except the ones who escaped and hide."

"Ones like you."

Memories sprung up from the back of Vincent's mind when the woman sitting across from him was explaining about a life he had once forgotten. Everything was coming back in hazy pieces: the faces of his brothers, the various members of the platoon that he was assigned to in Afghanistan, and his time while hiding from the ones who created his other half.

But, how did this woman know about him? If she said she wasn't Muirfield, then exactly who was she?

The elegant woman finished up eating her bagel while looking onwards at the puzzled expressions displayed on the man's face.

It seemed like he didn't remember his past well, Tori thought critically, Judging by his reactions, Muirfield must of stepped up their game and did something to him to alter his memory.

"You are probably wondering why I know so much about you," the redhead began, "Please remember that I am being totally honest, I am not a Muirfield agent. Can't you sense that I am telling the truth by my heart rate? Is it not beating twice as fast as someone who would be lying to you?

Anyways, I know a lot about you and Muirfield because my father, Curt Winsor, was one of the first financial supporters of the agency back when it was created in the early 80s. He was lured in by a promise that he would be apart of history as my father could help to create superhumans, use altered DNA to eradicate every disease from the planet, and help science to learn more about human DNA structures. He also became a test subject as he received one the first batches of the cross species DNA injections, thus transforming him into a beast creature. The young scientists at Muirfield examined my dad thoroughly as they learned all about his superhuman abilities as well as the mistakes they tried to fix with the later experiments.

The organization was harmonious in its first five years as Muirfield's objectives were pure and unobstructed. The beasts back then weren't as violent as the ones from your generation as the injections they received weren't too powerful to cause long-lasting effects. My dad would tell me that his transformation would only last for a few minutes due to how weak the cross-species DNA was.

However, things changed a year before I was born as the agency headed towards the "dark" side. Muirfield was starting to lose money from the Government due to numerous reasons back then. One was that the Government was losing interest in a project that they considered to be a failure as the results were taking a long time to achieve. Another was the financial problems as the public and donors shifted their political interests. The agency's director searched and searched for a long time for a new steamline of cash and scientists who promised that they could get faster results on the experiments. That was when Li Zhao, a biochemist engineer who was in charged of a well-known human genetics lab but also lived a double life as a harsh dealer of drugs, came on board.

When he came in, he brought the term "ruthless" to the agency as he only cared about the money he was making and the quick results that could earn him a buck. He didn't care about the lives or the human nature of the people whom Muirfield experimented on. Sure, he did bring his lab's knowledge of how to create better engineered super soldiers by adding more variables to the formula. However, as the years went by, the test subjects lost their sense of humanity as these creatures, when transformed, forgot what was the true meaning of "justice".

My father kept on receiving injections for the cross-species DNA formula until he cut off his funding to the agency by, I want to say, the mid-90s. I don't remember exactly when because I was still a little girl who was sheltered from any knowledge about Murfield. Actually, I suspected that Murifield absolutely doesn't know anything about me because I mostly stayed in this manor for my whole life, rarely going out till I got older.

Why was I locked away and hidden from the rest of the world? That answer is found in my DNA. You see, I inherited a fair amount of my dad's cross-species DNA and have the ability to transform into a beast with incredible abilities. Now, I might not be as powerful as my dad can be but don't be fooled, I pack my own punch.

My dad had to hide me from Muirfield so they wouldn't know that their former sponsor was able to produce a child who also possesses superhuman abilities. I bet you if the latest director, Agent McCleary, heard about me, he would send his henchmen to experiment on me and maybe try to transform me into one of those human-less creatures.

Even though Muirfield tries to kill all their failed or past test subjects, they didn't have the guts to kill my dad. You see, if the national press got a whiff of a now-corrupted agency murdering a well-known businessman, the reporters would never cease to harass Murifield. So, Agent McCleary decided to spare my father when he was trying to purge all experiments from existence. He couldn't risk the damage or the threat of closing his precious agency if something careless happened."

Vincent kept on eating his breakfast as Tori continued her tale of her father, Muirfield, and her abilities. He could sense that the woman was being honest with every little detail in her story. The beautiful woman's heartbeat seemed to be normal. The man didn't smell the onset of sweat anywhere on her body. It seemed like that he could trust this woman. Finally a person to confide his secrets, fears, and confusion to!

While listening on, he wondered one thing.

"I am sorry to butt in. What you are saying is fascinating and pretty much helps me to understand more about Muirfield and you. But, let's back to the part where you said you found me near someplace called the Hudson River. How did you find me, ressutate me from my beast side, and get me to fall asleep on that lush bed over there?"

Vincent picked up a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice and took a swig of the creamy liquid after he finished questioning her.

"Excuse me, I must of have forgotten my matters as I was rambling off about the entwined past with my dad and Muirfield. Let me get back on track with your story," Tori gently expressed as she popped a few green grapes into her mouth. "Like I said, I can track you easily now because I know your scent. I also have heard from various sources that you mysteriously disappeared three months ago. Meanwhile, my father has heard reports from secret informatives that Muirfield has revamped their testing procedures to experiment a new formula on a past test subject. I thought while learning this information that something could of had happened to you due to the effects from the new formula.

I also decided that I would have the best members on my dad's security squad come and assist me to pick you up in case I had any problems. I called them up after I noticed that you were brutally attacking a petite but pretty middle-aged woman near Riverside Park in the early evening yesterday. It looked like you were trying to finish her off, just like the victim, by attempting to maul her with your own distorted mouth. However, I stopped you from completing your mission as I used a tranq gun to knock you out cold. I let my team carry your unconscious body to the van and have them administer the dose of a special formula that reversed your beast transformation. If it wasn't for my team, I don't know how long you would be stuck in that form for."

As she was finishing talking, Tori glanced at the Vincent as he was struggling with the flood of new information she presented to him. It was a lot to take in all at once. The auburn haired woman noticed that he brought his hands to his head and covered his already-closed eyes to try to take everything in.

Maybe with all this information, he is starting to remember, she concluded as she continued to watch the man and started to take a sip of the orange juice in a fancy wine glass.

Unanticipatedly, the man's eyes shot open as he suddenly remembered something about that night when he killed that helpless woman in the park. He looked into her emerald eyes, questioning her intentions back then.

"Wait, YOU were there when I killed that woman a couple of nights before, am I right?"

The woman put the glass filled with fruity juice down on the table as she replied to his accusation, "Yes, it was me who used a tranq gun to calm you down that night too. I was hoping that if I could knock you out, I could of save her life as well. Sadly, I was too late. She had suffered so much from a ruptured aortic valve combined with a massive loss of blood from the injuries you inflicted." That last part was spoken in a very harsh tone as Tori wanted to make sure the guy understood full well the results of his actions, even though he wasn't in complete control of them all the time.

He gazed at his hands with a disturbed expression on her face after hearing that it was him who killed that innocent woman in the park.

No, not the human side of him.

The beast side.

However, it was the same hands that violently stabbed and slashed both ladies. He was becoming a vicious monster without knowing about it. What was the man with a buzzcut hairstyle suppose to do now since he knew fully well that he could kill anyone at any moment! He couldn't do anything in his own power to stop himself from what he was turning into.

It was hopeless.

Glancing on how harshly Vincent took the information, the elegant lady came swiftly to his side of the table, knelt down to his eye level, and placed her hands on each side of his head, forcing him to look at her.

"I know it feels like this grave situation is hopeless. I know that feeling all too well. I been there when I found out that I possessed superhuman abilities that were both awesome and fearful at the same time. However, if you stick it out with me, we can overcome anything, including permanently stopping your transformation and trying to live normal lives.

Just believe me."

She reassured her statement by pressing her lips lightly on his.

Author's Note: O_O! Scandalous! Tori, Tori, Tori, what did you do? You might of gotten yourself in trouble with that! I wonder what was Vincent's reaction? Stay tune for the next chapter!