CHAPTER 72
WHO AM I?
December 11, 2010
3:26pm
Carthis, Scotland
The New Centre
John managed to get to his feet, and stumble over to his bed. His tremors had stopped, but his head was still pounding and there was a constant whispers of voices in the back of his head. John reached for the phone that was next to his bed with every intention to call for his butler Roger, but placed the phone back on it's cradle. John no longer knew whom to trust, or what to trust.
The visions -or God help him the memories- that had flashed through his mind had frightened him. What if they were true, that he really was this Peter and his father had changed his memories. John began to shake uncontrollably again. Was his whole life a lie? Was he just a tool to restart the Centre? Was that all he was to his father?
It was too much to even ponder, but one thing was clear he couldn't ignore his visions and the voices any longer. He had to find the truth, he needed to know who he could trust. And the only way he could do that was to find proof of Mirage. If Ethan truly did exist then John was pretty sure he could no longer trust his father.
The only thing was, John would more than likely have to confront Raines on Mirage. Raines frightened John. Even though the old man had one foot in the grave and was confided to a wheel chair, Raines was still dangerous. But unless John managed to find files pertaining to Mirage in the main frame, he would be forced to go to Raines.
"Talk about making a deal with the devil," John muttered to himself. "And great now I'm talking to myself. I'm pretty sure that's one of the first signs of insanity."
"I think it's the second. It comes right after hearing voices. But you've got that down as well. I guess you're two for two," Bane spoke from John's doorway.
"Bane. I didn't hear you come in. And aren't you suppose to be looking after Alex?" John questioned.
"She was worried about you and sent me to check on you. She said that something happened and from the looks of you I'd say she was right," Bane said taking in John's appearance. The boy was pale and beads of sweat dotted his brow.
"I'm fine Bane," John said dismissivily.
"With all respect sir, I'm not inclined to believe you. It's reassure me if you went to see one of the doctors," Bane told the boy.
"And tell them what Bane? That I've been hearing voices, having visions of a boy who looks an awful lot like me?" John snapped. Bane walked over and sat next to John on the bed.
"You want to know something Sir? Almost everyone here has lied to you save one person, and that's Alex."
"And you Bane, have you been lying to me?" John asked.
"I've kept something from you, but only to keep the both of us safe. And if your father ever discovers what I have done, that I betrayed him out of loyalty to you he'll have me killed," said Bane. John looked up at Bane confusion written all over his face.
"When you chose me to be your sweeper, your father requested my presence. He...demanded that I report any strange behavior you might undergo directly to him. Your father then informed me of your origins. John Sebastian Parker did not exist until 8:17am on October 31, 2010. You were stolen from your family, and brain washed into believing that you spent the past eleven years being raised to be the future Centre chairman. Biologically you are Catherine and Mr. Parker's son."
'You were born Peter Simon Vincent Parker. When you were three years old your sister Morgan took you away from the Centre after Raines and your father conducted experiments on you. You were then adopted by your sister Morgan and her husband Jarod, they raised you as their son and you loved them."
'On October 28, 2010 your father arranged for you along with your baby brothers Zane and Gabriel to be kidnaped. Three days later your father had your memories altered and you became John Sebastian Parker. Your father then used your clone Cain to replace you. When your family rescued your brothers they believed that Cain was you, their son. Alex found out about your double and realized that Parker still had you so she came to rescue you," Bane told John.
While he was talking, Bane had been unable to meet the other boy's eyes out of shame for keeping such a secret. But with everything out in the open Bane ventured a glance at John. The emotion Bane saw in John's eyes shocked the sweeper.
"Get...out," John hissed between gritted teeth.
"Master Parker, listen I know this is-"
"I said get out! You're lying you hear me! My father would never violate my mind in such a manner. You're a liar just like all of the rest, just like her and the other lab rats!" John yelled. "Get the hell out of my sight before I have you killed. And while you're at it say goodbye to Miss Russell because you won't be seeing her again. I did you a favor Bane, by pulling out of your cell on SL-12 and this is how you repay me. Is this how you show loyalty?"
Bane got up from his seat on John's bed and backed away from the boy. "Yes John this is how I show my loyalty. By telling you the truth about who you are. I can see that you don't believe me or you don't want to believe me. Either way know this, there is a girl on SL-8 who risked everything including her own life to give you back yours," Bane said cooly. He then left to tell Alex what had transpired between he and John.
Bane knew that Alex wouldn't be pleased that he had told John the truth. Alex had wanted to wait until she felt that John was truly ready. After seeing John in his room, Bane had thought that the boy was ready to learn the truth. But Bane had been wrong and he knew that he would have to face the wrath of Alex. Alex would be even more displeased when she learned that John would be removing Bane from keeping watch over the youngest Black File.
December 11, 2010
4:04pm
Carthis, Scotland
The New Centre
John could not believe Bane's words. He could not believe that his life was a lie. And yet a large part of him knew that it had to be true. It was the only explanation for the visions and the voices. But what if Bane was lying to him, trying to confuse him?
told truth alex knows truth trust alex trust bane
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" John yelled, covering his ears with his hands as he fell to his knees. But the voices continued. "Please it can't be true, Father loves me. He wouldn't do that."
you know the truth in your heart peter
The voice of a woman spoke in John's head. The other voices had stopped so the woman's voice was the only voice John heard. He had never met her but her knew who's voice he was hearing. It was his mother's.
"Mom," John whispered to himself.
trust her baby she loves you
Tears fell down John's face, knowing that everything he feared was true. He had been used by his father. Stolen from the people who loved him. Manipulated into hurting his family. John...Peter had been turned into the one person he swore he would never become. Richard Parker.
There was only one thing left to do now. He had to Alex go to and the two of them had to get out of the Centre before anything else bad happened.
John got to his feet and crossed the room and entered his bathroom. He scrubbed his face erasing the salty residue of tears. John made the motion to comb back his hair but stopped. Instead he pulled some gel out of the cabinet over the sink and spiked his short hair.
'I look like Angel. Will would get a kick out of this,' John grinned. His grin then faded realizing that his old memories were coming back. John wasn't disappointed by the fact. But he was saddened and confused.
The not quite year old now had the memories of two people John Sebastian Parker and Peter Simon Vincent Russell. He didn't have all of his memories of being Peter but John knew that they were there just below the surface. The only problem with that was that both pair of memories were already starting to blur together.
His memories weren't his only problem. John didn't know just who he was. It wasn't as though he would be able to turn back the clock and be Peter again. He had spent the past month being John and had a lifetime of memories saying that he was John. So the question was, was he Peter or was he John?
It was a question that would have to wait until later. At that moment he needed to find Alex.
December 11, 2010
3:48pm
Carthis, Scotland
The New Centre
Her inner sense had warned her that something had happened to John that would push him in the direction of discovery. So Alex had sent Bane to check on her brother. The two had argued over Bane leaving, the teen was devoted to John but he was more concerned about Alex's safety. Yet in the end Alex convinced Bane to go, assuring him that she would be able to fend for herself during the few minutes Bane would be away.
She was wrong. Not ten minutes after Bane had left the door to her room had opened revealing Raines, Cox and a pair of sweepers.
"Hello Alexandra," Cox purred. Panic arose in Alex as the two men who had haunted her nightmares her whole life entered the room. "It would seem as though your sweeper has abandoned you."
"He'll be back," Alex said evenly, stifling her fear.
"Such faith. And I'm sure that young Bane will be back. But the question is will he be back in time?"
"The real question is will you still be alive when he comes back," Alex retorted. She was stalling and to make matters worse Cox and Raines knew it. Alex was still very weak, she might be able to get of a ball of fire or two before exhaustion overtook her.
"You always were a fighter Alexandra just like the rest of your family. Yet you are no where near as strong as all the rest. You're the weakest of all. Why do you think everyone was always standing up for you. Rachel never needed for her brother to protect her, nor did Cassandra, or Terra, or Melissa, or Michelle. Just you Alexandra, you were the only one who needed protecting," Cox taunted.
"I never needed anyone to watch over me," Alex hissed. "They just did, because they love me."
"Come now Alexandra, they may love you in their own way but they weren't protecting you out of love, it was a job. Jacob, Marc, Tobias, Gregory, Jeremiah, and Michael all have their own sisters they love, what makes you think they needed another. No, they all agreed to take on the task of looking afer you because they all understood the same thing. You are weak."
"Shut up!" Alex yelled.
"The truth hurts doesn't it?" Cox smirked.
"That's not the truth," Alex said but the damage had been done and Alex was being to doubt her own inner strength. She wasn't strong like Alley and Will, who had survived the Centre without each other for five years. She wasn't strong like Jake who put all of the other Black Files' needs and worries before his own, who in so many ways was the oldest person Alex knew.
Cox was right. Her whole life, Alex had been the one everyone protected and fawned over. Aaron and Andros would joke saying that Alex was the family favorite. But a part of Alex had always known that the rest of the Black Files, Sam and Jen had always watched over Alex during her childhood at the Centre because she was the baby and Lyle had a tendency of hurting Alex more than the rest. She had always needed protecting form Lyle, Raines and Cox. Alex had always been the weakest of her group.
"Sedate...the...girl," Raines wheezed as he watched the effects of Cox's words on Alex. Raines's wheezing brought Alex out of her thoughts and she began to thrash about as the pair of sweepers approached her.
'I may be weak but I'm not giving up without a fight,' Alex thought to herself.
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Up Next: Alex puts up a fight. Will Bane arrive in time to help her? Peter is finally back but not all of his memories are there, and boy is there a lot of stuff for him to learn.