Updated 28/02/2023

"I'm an experiment from Team Saber but I wasn't the only one.

"They called me NH-3, so there might have been more before. Hopefully they still don't have them in a different lab somewhere.

"I was part of a series of experiments they called the 'Neo-Human Project'.

"What does that make me? Well, according to their naming of me, I'm the third neo-human to ever walk the earth. And hopefully, I'm the last.

"This is what this message is about. The Neo-Human Project is their highway to world domination. But, if this message goes through, we might have a chance."

Matthew was also running.

He had no idea of the direction he was going however and was almost certain that he was lost. His only intention was to get as far away from the Aperta tribe as he could. He would have teleported as far as he could if he had enough energy left in him.

And Neo wasn't exactly helping either.

"Well good job back there. Against Azen, I mean, not the whole leaving Shali thing and going back on what you said about not breaking trust," he said, appearing to float alongside Matthew as he tore through the forest.

Just shut the fuck up, just shut the fuck up, I don't need this, not now. He continued running, feeling the snow crunch against his boots. He held up an arm to protect himself from the freezing rain that was falling down, creating ice crystals in his hair which he could feel weighing the strands down.

He had been running for a few minutes now, dodging trees and letting Neo spout insults at him. It was a far from favorable answer to his problem, but it was at least something. Though, as he slowly got further away from the main area of the Aperta tribe, the answer was becoming less and less of being something. Though, he could still be wrong.

Arceus, he hoped he was wrong. Because being right about this was so messed up.

He tripped over a root and fell face first into the snow, making his hair whiter than it already was. The freezing rain bombarded his exposed shirt hole making his back arch. He scampered up and continued running, ignoring the snow and ice on his body.

"Perhaps you'd want to take everything back? Have a whole redo situation? Nah, you probably wouldn't, because you know you would do the same thing over again," said Neo, still casually floating beside him, not concerning himself with any of the turmoil Matthew was feeling. Physically or mentally.

I don't think I'm able to take much more of your bullshit, Neo. If you wanna criticize me, do it after we're back in Goldenrod.

"Yes, because we are definitely not lost right now and I'm sure we'll get to civilization by running randomly in the forest."

Matthew had no reply to that. It was true. He knew he had to stop eventually but he wasn't sure if that would be for a mile, ten, or a whole marathon. He didn't know, so he kept running.

But finding the reason for why he was running was an increasingly hard task to do. It had come up for a brief second as soon as he saw the Aperta symbol on his hand and he had begun running. He didn't dare look at the back of his hand again, afraid that he would begin seeing what he was doing as the right thing to do again.

He tripped over another root and quickly stuck his arms out to break his fall. Snow still managed to find its way into his clothes and hair but to a lesser degree. He quickly got himself up but slipped and landed back into the snow.

"Arceus… fucking damn it... stupid fucking snow…" he muttered as he slowly got his arms into a solid support.

As soon as he managed to get his first foot on the ground, something hit the side of his head, making him dazed and he found himself in the snow once more.

"Why did you run?"

He froze.

His head turned on its own, carried purely by his fear, and saw Shali. Her expression was cold but with anger and sadness just beneath the surface. The point of her spear was inches away from his face.

"Why did you run?" she asked again, giving him a near pleading tone. The spear came closer.

Matthew backed his head away from the sharp point, mixed emotions piling up to escape his mouth. "I don't know why I ran, Shali, alright?" He used his arms to roll himself over onto his back, now facing her. "But I have to leave, sorry."

He began getting up when he was hit once more with the blunt end of the spear. "Your aura shows that you're lying. You do know why, Matthew, so say it! At least say why!" yelled Shali.

"Fine. It was fear," said Matthew, giving a random answer. The spear advanced once more towards him. "So could you stop pointing that thing at me?!"

"Stop! Stop lying!" she said, letting her teeth show. "How could you be like this?"

"Me? How about you? Was I just a pawn in your master plan?" He paused. What he said struck a nerve, and he felt more anger to spew. "Did you even care if I lived or died? Did you just want to get out of being blessed with Azen?"

"I was going to explain myself to you, but you ran off," she replied.

"Well, it's a bit fucking late for that, huh?"

"Do you think I had a choice? Did you think something magical would be sent from the heavens to help me out? No, Matthew, that's not how things work. Not for me, not for you, not for anyone."

That struck nerve was suddenly bashed down, "Who the hell are you to lecture me on making a forced choice or working on my own? You don't know what I've gone through, what happened to me, what I had to do."

"And I suppose you know everything, every little bit of information on me then?" questioned Shali.

"No. I don't, and frankly, I don't think I need to." Matthew tried to stand up and this time he felt the aura bind set in. "What the fuck, Shali?!"

"During our nights together, I saw your aura. I saw it feel the guilt, the sadness, the yearning to help me. Was that fake? Did you not care at all?" She retracted her spear and moved closer.

She knelt down beside him and showed her paw, the symbol looking identical to the one he bore. "Does this mean nothing to you?"

And then, the reason why he had run away became so clear again.

"It means too much to me. That is the problem."

"What?"

He raised his hand, struggling against the bind, and showed his own symbol. "This thing, this symbol… This is a commitment. Something that I already have and can't have another."

"No, it isn't, Matthew! If you would just let me speak, I'll tell you why-"

"Oh, what? That this thing doesn't mean anything? Yeah, right."

Shali growled, causing Matthew to tense, "If you are so dense as to not let me even answer, then I am going to leave."

"Fine then! Leave!" he yelled.

Both of them were shocked at the harshness he had exerted in his voice. The freezing rain dropped all over them, beginning to taper off into a healthier flurry of snow. Neither one reacted to the cold weather, rather they were focused on the coldness each of them radiated toward the other.

Slowly, Matthew felt the aura bind release his body but he didn't move. He didn't think he could move, not after that. It was like breaking the silence at a funeral, somebody had to do it but nobody wanted to.

That somebody turned out to be Shali. She stood back up, looking at Matthew with a glare that made fear jostle his body. The spear swung near his face but was pulled away just as it was about to make contact. Though, he wouldn't have held it against her if she went in for a final injury. She turned and walked off, not looking back.

Matthew broke the pseudo-paralysis he was in and stood up, shaking the snow from his palms and brushing it off from his clothes. His eyes peered over to the direction Shali had gone and sure enough, there was no sign of her.

He shook it off and began walking. There was no reason for running anymore, was there? He was sure he was far enough away from the Aperta tribe by now and Shali probably wasn't going to stop him... Stop, stop thinking about that Matthew. Just keep walking, he thought.

The forest never seemed so docile before. Barely anything moved from the place it was set by Mother Nature. Some were glazed by the ice from the freezing rain, creating imperfect, icy refractors from leaves, branches, and stray bark.

This, however peaceful, environment did not resonate with Matthew well. The vortex that wracked the inside of his head was juxtaposed against that around him.

Did I do something wrong? The question echoed, only being answered by other questions of similar degree. Had he done something wrong? He knew it could be perceived as wrong but was it inherently wrong? Something just wasn't adding up. He had to do it, no argument there. So why did it feel so damn wrong?

He stopped and looked back, half expecting to see Shali there. She wasn't, but what would he have done anyway? Apologize, definitely. And to let her speak, that too, was definite. Those were the things he had denied her in his frantic state. Would that be it? No, his mind answered, there's more, you know that.

"Matthew."

He turned towards the voice, recognizing it as his own, and saw Neo standing there, standing straight and arms crossed.

"We should talk."

Surprised by how Neo spoke, devoid of spite, he stuttered and then spoke aloud, "No. Not right now. When we get warm, we'll talk." Matthew didn't mind speaking out loud to Neo when it was just them, it felt more natural to him. He walked forward and went right through Neo, who simply reappeared in front of him again.

"Come on, Matthew. It's not like you can avoid this, your thoughts are a mess."

He pushed through the ghost-like body of Neo, swiping it away with a wave of his hand. "I can and will avoid it. Not because I want to, but because I need to."

Reappearing again, Neo said, "I get your point, but if you ever want to stop those thoughts from driving you mad, I think it's worth your while to lend an ear."

This time, Matthew stopped just in front of Neo. "What do you want?"

"I think this is more centered around you, buddy. Your mind is a mess and you only have yourself to blame." Neo uncrossed his arms and stood more relaxed, "We don't agree on a lot, I'm sure you can agree to that. But I can recognize when there's something we both think is wrong."

Matthew was silent, feeling the snowflakes melt against his skin. It wasn't as cold as he thought.

"What you did with Shali, that was wrong, and you know it was wrong. Though not for the reason you're thinking of."

"What other reason is there?" he said solemnly, "Team Saber is my priority, my commitment. The moment I start adding stuff to my priorities, it's going to become a shitshow. And with what I have to handle with Team Saber already, do you really want to see what happens?"

Neo sighed, "You're not serious, right? You mean to tell me that you have no other reason to not stick with Shali other than that? You're pathetic."

"Well, I'm sure there are plenty of reasons, but they aren't as big as that-"

"Oh, bullshit!" yelled Neo suddenly, taking Matthew off guard. He had only seen him like that once before. Neo definitely got flustered at times, but he was never one to ever flare up like that.

"What the hell, Neo? Don't get pissed off because I made a decision that you don't approve of. If you haven't gotten used to that kind of stuff now, it's your own fucking fault," said Matthew, hesitant of the reaction it would evoke.

"This has nothing to do with me 'approving' your actions. This is me laying down the fact that you are so stupid that you decided to throw away the one thing that life has handed directly to you after so many years."

"And what's that?"

"Oh my fucking… Damn it, Matthew, it's called a friend. Shali is your friend."

Matthew paused, shook his head, and said, "No. She's not my friend. She was nice, yes, but she was never my friend."

"Yes, she is. Stop denying it and actually think."

He was about to reply when he remembered what happened when he didn't let Shali explain herself fully. He thought all the time they had shared together and came to the same answer that he had beforehand. Nice, but not a friend.

Then he began seeing those moments. Not long moments, but moments nonetheless. She had mended his aura out of her own kindness, she had stopped Azen from throwing anymore rocks at him, she had given him berries and she had let him have some freedom with his psychic. Even today, she had trusted in him that he would beat Azen, and he had wanted to keep that trust.

"So all these memories… And you really don't think she's your friend?" asked Neo, his anger diminished.

"Even if…" Matthew started but was cut off by a sudden blur in his eyes. He wiped them and found tears flowing, "Even if Shali is my friend, I can't get her involved in all this. She deserves better."

"She deserves better from you, Matthew. You need to stop being a coward and actually do something. Isn't that why you wanted to go after Team Saber?"

The snow continued falling, coating Matthew's clothes with a thin white layer. It had begun to pick up the pace a slight bit since it first started.

"Why are you telling me this, Neo?"

"Because you need this, Matthew. You need to give yourself this. I saw all those thoughts you had in your head. If you let those stay, all they'll do is overwhelm you. They'll cause you to make mistakes. And once Team Saber catches up with us, it'll be your fault when we get captured."

Matthew was silent for a moment, then turned around.

"Where are you going?" asked Neo, though Matthew was sure he already knew the answer.

"To my friend."

Matthew was walking back. Towards Shali? He wasn't sure. He had been walking around for about half an hour now, trying to find her. She wouldn't be back at the tribe; he had heard that she was exiled moments before his run began. The problem was that his psychic didn't have the power to locate people on a whim, so he was left only guessing the direction of where she had gone. In his state he could only wonder: Is she trying to find me as well?

No. She could use her aura sense to find him easily. After all, she had two auras to follow.

It was no longer snowing. The white layer that had descended onto Matthew's clothes had fallen off, no longer being replenished by a fresh supply.

Neo was silent. Matthew was put at ease by that fact. It didn't happen often that they actually stayed out of each other's way in situations like this.

He stopped walking and tried to listen for a sound, any sound. He had done this every few minutes or so, waiting for just a little hint of where something might be. It could be Shali. Most of the time it had been just a snapped branch or a small forest pokemon darting around.

There was a sound of leaves being displaced and he turned towards it. He couldn't see what made it and so he investigated, walking towards where he heard it from. Soon he heard it again, and again.

He moved around trees and kept a watchful eye out for roots. This had to be Shali, right? No, it couldn't be, why here of all places? It didn't matter why, as long as she was here. But was she?

She was.

As Matthew moved around another tree he saw a clump of bushes together, holding some light blue berries. He wasn't one hundred percent sure, but it seemed like they were yache berries. In front of that bush was a lucario who held a spear in her right hand, the left was picking some of the berries. There was already a significant pile to the right of her.

"Shali! Oh, Arceus, I thought I was never going to find you."

She raised her head to him speaking but then let it dip back down to her work, not even turning.

Oh. The silent treatment. Fair enough, I deserve that, he thought. He sighed, letting repose set in. "Okay, I understand that you're really, really pissed at me. And I get it. You have every right to hold everything I said against me."

Shali bent down and picked a single berry, looked it over and tossed it to the pile next to her. She found another berry and repeated the process.

"Shali, I'm sorry for what I said. It was wrong of me to talk to you like that and… I'm sorry for running away without letting you speak," he said, feeling his melancholy smile turn into an expression more suitable for the adjective.

She stopped, and Matthew's hopes skyrocketed. But then she stood up and walked around to another side of the berry bush, letting her face show. Her expression was the same when he was caught up in the trap, staring with loyalty for her tribe and little more than that. It gave him a chilling thought, Does this mean I'm nothing more to her than another human who wandered into this place? That can't be what this is, right?

Right?

"Please, Shali. Please let me talk to you," he turned his wrist over, the black symbol shiny with melted snow, and showed it to her, "This symbol means something to me, alright? It does. But I don't think I know what it means for you, or for the both of us."

She went down again and picked a few more berries, tossing them over to the pile without much care.

"Could you just spare a moment? Just a bit to tell me what you wanted to say back there? I would listen, I would listen to all of it."

Shali stood up and went over to her pile again, looked thoughtfully at it, then went back to the bush to pick more berries.

"Okay," he said simply. "I understand. If you don't want me here, I'll go." He turned around and felt something break inside. "But thank you for the time you spent with me, it was nice having someone to talk to." He took another look at the symbol. Its eye-like appearance was staring into him. "I'll see you later, Shali. I wish you the best." There was a breath, and he started walking.

He felt something fall onto his right shoulder. It was a spear.

"Whatever you do, don't speak or interrupt. Show me that who I'm talking to isn't the same one who ran away," she said quietly, almost with an edge of threat.

Matthew nodded. He tried to turn himself around toward Shali but the spear moved closer to his neck and he got the message quickly. Right. Let her speak, let her tell her side of the story.

"So you are going to listen?" she asked.

Another nod.

"Okay then." The spear distanced itself from his neck and eventually fell off. "You can turn around now."

He did so with extra caution, not wanting to lose this opportunity. The stare that had shook him was gone, now it was just Shali.

"When I saw you a few days ago, hanging from that trap, I never thought much of it. I was on border patrol, you were caught, and I had to deliver you to the elder for execution, even if you had two auras."

Matthew listened, reminiscing about how they first met.

"As I told you, I don't believe that all humans are evil, unlike the majority of my tribe, but that never stopped me from following their rules. I was a loyal member and although I had my own thoughts, I followed their laws. But when Azen was the one I was chosen to be blessed with, I knew I had to do something drastic.

"I had no idea what to do. Everything I wanted to do, I couldn't bring myself to do without breaking my loyalty to them. So when I saw you use your psychic against Azen, I knew what had to happen."

Shali held her spear in both hands, running one hand across the wood. "Being blessed to a human isn't a law that has been implemented nor one that forbids a human participating in a fight. Then, after I saw you heal so quickly, I was sure that I could go through with it. And I wasn't breaking my loyalty either."

I understand. I wouldn't want to be stuck in there with Azen, thought Matthew.

"It was a way where both of us could get out. As much as I wanted to get away, I enjoyed being with you, and didn't want to see you die if I could prevent it," she sighed and looked Matthew in the eye. "I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark, I had meant to explain this after the blessing."

"No, it was my fault that I ran away and…" Matthew trailed off, realizing he had spoken.

"You can talk now. I've said what I wanted to say."

He smiled faintly, "It was my fault. I could have stopped myself but I didn't."

She returned the expression, "We all have our reasons."

"Yeah, I just had some that weren't thought out."

They stood there, the snow beginning to fall again. Where it was briefly cold, there was now warmth. Shali returned the spear to one hand and planted it by her side, then she let herself smile fully. Matthew was relieved to find that he was looking at the Shali who he had come to know and not the one who had stared him down.

"Thank you for coming back, Matthew," said Shali.

"Thank you for giving me another chance with this, Shali." He allowed his posture to relax and saw the symbol peering up at him. "So… what does this mean? To you, I mean."

She looked at her backhand, "To me, it means my freedom. For us, it's a bond that cannot be undone."

"Umm, I'm not getting a good idea of what that means."

"All the vows we made during the blessing shall apply until the end of our days. I intend to keep those vows."

Matthew was about to say something but held his tongue. Think about this Matthew. Don't mess this up again. But what should he say? If Shali kept those vows, then she would most likely come with him, and that would lead to her getting involved with Team Saber.

She's your friend, Neo's words echoed in his head.

"If you want…" he paused, making sure he was saying what he wanted to say, "I'll keep them as well."

"Yes. I would like that."

"So…" Matthew hesitated, "friends?"

Shali's eyes lit up, there was a soft smile that revealed almost a bit of relief, "Friends."

He let all the tension in his body release. Even the cold didn't feel so bad now. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, but he had never been more glad he listened to Neo.

"So what now?" asked Shali.

"I have something to do. I've kind of been a little delayed from this whole experience," he replied.

"Sorry about that."

"Water under the bridge. Are you going to come?"

"I am."

Remember, you wanted this. "Then we have to go to Goldenrod City and I… I kinda don't know the way," he chuckled at the end.

"I'll lead us there."

They walked off together.

Colvin stared at the little sandwich that had been set in front of him an entire hour earlier. Soon enough they would remove it, then maybe replace it. He didn't mind whether or not they did so, his fate wouldn't be decided by the sandwich.

The cell was a little thirty six square foot cube that allowed minimal movement but that wasn't very concerning to him. He imagined he wouldn't be doing a lot of moving when he was six feet under. Actually, calling it a cell would be giving it too much credit. It was a glorified box. The walls were steel and a single incandescent strip light was what lit it up, though with such a small area it was more than enough. The door had a single sliding visor which allowed a pair of eyes to peek through and make sure he was still there.

What was about to happen to him? He had no idea. Thinking about it certainly didn't help, it was what caused his appetite to become nonexistent.

How did he get to this point? He was a mercenary that had worked for several clients, always fulfilling their requests with perfect results. There was nothing he couldn't accomplish, and he felt satisfied with that. He had imagined it would've just carried out like that for the rest of his life.

And then Team Saber came into the picture.

He had been hired for Team Saber in what he thought was a temporary contract but he quickly learned there was no such thing as 'temporary' with them. They were no longer his client, but his employer.

Oh well. They paid good money and were consistent with it. While it meant giving up the freedom to choose who he worked with, he didn't mind working with them consistently. He would just ride it out until the end. Whether that would be Team Saber's downfall or his retirement, he had no idea.

Then there was Julia.

She had tried to convince him to get out of the business, but it had come just as he accepted the contract for the Team. Still, she understood and allowed him to keep going. It didn't keep her from worrying but he did his best to ease her. She was always there for him, always there to lend an ear when he needed it. He felt grateful that he had her.

Three years in and there was a new job for him: he had to kidnap someone. Someone by the name of Matthew Alexander. He seemed like an alright kid; decent grades, played soccer, even in a band with a friend. Why did Team Saber want him? His contract with them stated to never question their actions, but he found out soon afterwards.

Aside from Matthew, there were another two kids who were brought into the Deity Lab by different mercenaries. Both kids were dead within a couple days of their arrival. Colvin suspected that a similar fate awaited Matthew.

He had been the one to fetch Matthew from his cell to whatever Team Saber planned for him. As Colvin was struggling to pull the kid along, the look on his face was one he would have rather wanted to see on a five year old rather than an eighteen year old. His eyes teary, lip trembling and had the high voice of someone in a tantrum. He was desperate not to follow the path that the others had followed.

However, he passed him off to others and walked off. He felt the screams of fear torment his mind for a few days before they eventually faded, thanks to Julia.

And yet it seemed that Matthew had actually survived the procedure that the others did not. That knowledge helped further ease his torment, and he soon stopped obsessing over the kid. Though he never quite left his mind.

Four years later, Matthew's hand was around his throat, hatred simmering in his glowing magenta eyes. His wild white hair was being flicked around by the rising heat of the fires around them. There were bodies scattered on the floor. Some were unconscious, some barely moving, and some that were deathly still.

Colvin was sure he would die. The kid had the intention to kill. But just as it seemed Matthew would squeeze hard enough to snap his neck, the hatred in him seemingly vanished, like another being had taken over him. His eyes no longer glowed and turned from magenta to green.

The grip on Colvin's neck had disappeared and he had fallen on the floor struggling to regain oxygen.

Just as he had gotten a good whole breath of air his mind went blank.

His head was in a daze for a few days and during that time he only managed to recover his name. Everything else was lost in an opaque fog that he had no idea how to navigate. He had no idea what he did, where he lived, or who he loved.

He had gone to a bar, figuring a social scene would help his head find connections again. There had been a woman. Her name was Alexis? Maybe. It was nearly a decade ago at this point. They had talked and that led to more talking and that led to kissing and touching. It felt nice at the time, and it would have remained nice had Julia not been there too.

She had probably come to look for him or something similar. It wasn't something he paid much attention to at the time, he didn't remember her after all, but remembered being confused with how hurt she appeared. He had seen her storm out but had figured it was because of a breakup with a boyfriend. He was half-right.

They were married.

He twisted the gold ring on his finger. Damn it, Julia, I didn't know!

When he got his memory recovered by Team Saber, he knew what he had to do. He needed revenge. Only after he put Matthew behind him could he go back to Julia and find peace.

Look where that got him.

He heard a knock on the door and the visor slid open. Eyes stared in, barely meeting his.

"It's time," the eyes said.

Colvin stood up, his head almost hitting the top of the cell. He took a step forward and pressed against the door. "I'm ready," he said.

The door opened and two pairs of hands were immediately on him, pinning his arms to his sides. He made no move to struggle, there was nothing he could do that would change his future.

He recognized the two men who were holding him, walking him down the corridors of the Deity Lab. They were with the same ones who just a few days ago aided him in attempting to recapture Matthew. He wouldn't be able to appeal to them, not only because he treated them terribly when he had failed but they wouldn't regardless. The shadow of Team Saber was on them all.

They passed by scientists, interns and other mercenaries but none looked over at him being walked down. It made sense, he was a dead man anyway.

Before he knew it, they were stopped at a pair of sliding doors. What was behind them? Probably tools for torture, that's what he imagined he would be receiving after his failure. After a few seconds the doors parted.

There was a chair with straps attached to the arm rests.

"You can let him go, he won't try to escape," said a voice to his left. The arms instantly left him.

Colvin looked over and saw The Doctor. He was a tall man, though rather lanky with a mess of black hair that carried a few gray strands. His eyes were slightly sunken but still held plenty of energy behind them. His actual name was a mystery, and by how many people called him by his alias, Colvin wouldn't be surprised to learn he had decided against using it entirely.

"How are you doing today, Colvin?" The Doctor asked. He approached, leaving his guard completely down.

If he wanted to, he could have strangled him right then, but he didn't. All that would have gotten him was a more painful and drawn-out death. Instead he said, "Fine, Doctor."

"I'm told you haven't been eating any food that we've given you."

"I don't have an appetite."

"You may have failed but we aren't about to let you suffer malnutrition."

This caught his attention, "Pardon? Why would that matter if I'm going to die anyway?"

The Doctor chuckled, almost letting loose a coughing fit in the process. "Yes, well, it seems there may be a use for you."

His mind felt faint, "So you're not going to kill me?"

"Oh, Arceus, no. However, that assumes you accept our proposal." The Doctor grinned and Colvin let a shudder run its course through him. Whenever The Doctor grinned he allowed some of the mad scientist in him through.

"What is it then?" he asked, swallowing his uneasiness.

"NH-3 was a true wonder. It was a shame to lose him after so much progress." The Doctor sighed, "So many tried but failed to contain the neo gene."

NH-3. That's a laugh. His name is Matthew. I'm not going to get revenge on your science project, I'm getting revenge on someone who ruined my life.

"We think it's time to resume the Neo-Human Project."

Colvin's eyes widened, "After so many years?"

"Not my choice. I would have liked it to occur sooner."

"So they need me to take more kids?"

"No."

The pieces fell into place in his head. "I.. I don't… Oh fuck …"

"I know it sounds rather… unattractive, but you must understand that this is the only you may be able to leave this room with your body still intact." The Doctor put a hand on Colvin's shoulder, "To put it simply, you are just a deadweight right now. There's little reason why we should keep you around."

"If I-" Colvin took a breath, "If I let this happen… will I be able to continue working to take down Matthew?"

The Doctor grinned again, causing another shudder, "Assuming you don't die from the procedure."

He paused and looked at his ring, he had been subconsciously twisting it. The feeling of Matthew's hand around his neck unearthed itself in his memory. "Strap me in…" he muttered.

"What was that?"

"I said fucking strap me in."

The Doctor had a brief expression of surprise but quickly led Colvin over to the chair. In a moment, there were at least five more people on him, attaching straps and putting things on him to monitor his vitals.

Soon he was almost completely immobile except for his fingers and head which moved minimally. The Doctor approached with a syringe that had an indigo substance. It had the consistency of syrup and stuck to the sides of the syringe as it was flicked to get rid of air bubbles.

"You're going to feel a pinch," The Doctor said as though Colvin were a child getting vaccinated.

The needle went into his shoulder, he didn't quite feel it but there was definitely a pinch. The contents drained into his body causing an ache to form. He knew it wasn't quite over yet.

"Are you ready?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes," he replied without delay.

"You'll feel more than a pinch this time."

"Just fucking do it!" he yelled suddenly, getting sick of the anticipation that was building inside him.

The Doctor nodded to him. "We will now begin the process of bonding the neo gene to your current genome. This will occur in three stages, each of which invoked by an electric current, each more intense than the last." He looked over to the assistants working the control panels. "Please begin."

"Preparing first electric current at one kilovolt," said one of the assistants. The air was filled with the steady low hum of a charging machine. "Releasing first electric current."

Colvin let out a yell but was quick to stifle it. So far it only felt like a mild taser. Something that hurt, sure, but not worth screaming over.

"Preparing second electric current at fifty kilovolts." The hum started again. "Releasing second electric current."

This one he couldn't stop himself from screaming. His muscles spazzed and tensed at random, making him feel like he was being contorted. All the while, the electricity burned his skin and made his eyes grow dark. He almost felt empathy for Matthew who had been bombarded by the electric attacks.

"Preparing third electric current at ten megavolts." The scientist speaking and hum of the machine sounded so distant. Ten megavolts? Am I even going to survive that? I have to. I'm not letting Matthew win. "Releasing third electric current."

In an instant his eyes filled with black. He didn't even get the chance to feel the electricity before he went unconscious.

He opened his eyes and saw the lab was gone. In fact, everything was gone, all was replaced with a jet black landscape. He was standing, completely clothed, on the ground. At least, that's what he assumed. It was hard to tell with everything being black.

I'm dead, aren't I? I didn't make it through. He looked at his hand, it still had his wedding ring. Tears came to his eyes. Julia, I'm sorry. I hope you have a good life.

He felt a cold spell and looked back up. There was a shadowy figure, somehow darker than the land around it. The edges of the being flickered like fire. It had no facial features and was svelte with its movement. It walked over to Colvin and stuck its hand out. The hand appeared human despite it being like a shadow.

"What are you?" Colvin asked, wiping the tears away.

"I am Neo," it replied with a genderless tone.

"You mean... the neo gene?"

"Yes."

Colvin took a shaky breath, letting his mind catch up with all that had happened. "Am I dead?"

"No, but you will be."

Colvin felt the coldness around him increase. A sudden faintness came to his head and his body felt weak. The situation became apparent to him. If he didn't do something then he would end up dead. "What can I do?"

The being motioned its hand toward Colvin. "Take it, and all will be resolved."

Instinctively, he reached for it before stopping himself. Nothing about this seemed right. Was this all just a ruse? Was this shadow person just something of an illusion that Team Saber created to give him hope of living when in reality he was going to die all the same?

No, that didn't seem to be it. The cold around him, that feeling of weakness, it was real. He knew that this being before him was causing it.

Another, colder, chill pushed itself through him.

This is the only way, he thought, this is the only way I can get to Matthew. This is the only way I can get back to Julia.

He took the hand. It was cold as death.

The being suddenly glowed bright, almost blinding him. The cold around him disappeared. As the light dispersed, he thought his eyes were deceiving him.

The being had turned into him. Everything looked identical except for the hair which was solid white and its eyes which were a dark indigo.

His twin smiled at him. "Good luck," it said.

Then reality rushed back.

"Heartbeat! We have a heartbeat! Maintain injections!" he heard The Doctor yelling. His eyes were populated with colored splotches of light that barely represented anything. He could feel air rushing through his ears and a coppery taste in his mouth. His own heartbeat was slow and harsh. It beat in his chest like a battering ram, threatening to break free.

He dipped in and out of unconsciousness, feeling pain in his chest and head before letting the flow take him to sleep.

Just as he was passing out, The Doctor said one more thing.

"Welcome to the world, NH-4."

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Peace!

-Minusbomb