I sat in a barren room. My red hair was long and hung down to the middle of my back, a long unkempt beard went down to my chest. My eyes were closed as I sat in the featureless room. My pale skin made me look almost dead. My eyes were sunken, and I looked haggard and thin, like a stiff breeze could knock me over.

The hiss of hydraulics sounded off in the once silent room. I did not flinch, and barely even acknowledged the sound. Five men walked into the room, four of them were dressed identically. In white armor with red helmets, they were all walking with trepidation. Not the man in front, though. He strode forward with pride. His long dark cloak dragged on the ground behind him. A skeletal mask rested on his face, obscuring it.

"Rise and shine, boy. It's time for your daily doctor's appointment." He let out an ear-grating sinister laugh. His voice had an unusual thrum to it. As if he were speaking multiple times at once.

I grunted but said nothing else. I opened my eyes, and they were a bright purple. With a concentrated effort I stood. My eyes were hard, and with my gaunt face I looked sinister as I glared at the man in the skeletal mask. Reaper. The four men in uniform pointed their weapons at me as I rose up. Almost as if they were ready for me to make a sudden movement.

"No." My deep voice was hoarse from lack of use.

"No?" The man began reaching under his coat.

"No. I 'm hungry."

A new voice sounded from the door, with a heavy Irish accent, "Request denied, Subject Theta."

I diverted my glare to her, a tall woman with short red hair and a cybernetic eye. She was dressed in a dark lab coat with long and thin tubes connecting to her hands and a massive contraption on her back. This was Dr. Moira O'Deorain, the Chief of Research for Talon. I narrowed my eyes even further at her appearance, I hated this woman. More than I've ever hated any creature in my entire life. Her twisted experiments turned me into a monster.

As my rage compounded, my body began flickering. The dark purple electricity danced around my body. I began to become immaterial. Suddenly the sensation stopped, and I slumped to the ground.

"Tsk, tsk. I figured you'd have learned better than to get aggressive with me, Operative Theta." She said with a smirk.

"Bite me. I ain't your Operative you crazy Irish bit-" I screamed out in pain as she began to inject whatever chemical it was in me.

My head felt woozy, but I stood on my feet. I wouldn't let this woman break me. I absolutely refused to let her destroy me like she had so many others. I stood on my feet and glared, the chemical only dulling my powers, as they continued to spark and flicker. They made me almost look as if I was an afterimage. The rare perks of existing as a being of pure energy.

The biggest downside though was that I could only really exist in this compound. If I left at this point in time, I'd fade. Gone to the winds and scattered throughout the cosmos. As if I'd never really existed in the first place. It also had irreversible effects on my memory. I couldn't remember who I was before the experiments. Those are honestly the only reasons I hadn't escaped. I couldn't control it and I didn't know where to go. I'd spent a while here, a few years maybe, and I still couldn't figure either of them out.

It felt intentional, like they were keeping me here for a reason. I couldn't figure out what though, I never was the smartest guy in the room. I was well and truly trapped, I knew it, Moira knew it, hell even the lowliest goon in the compound knew it. But I wasn't gonna make it easy on them. If I was forced to be here, I was absolutely going to make it everyone else's problem too.

My glare hadn't faded, and Moira's grin had widened as she twirled on her heel and beckoned for me to follow. Reaper shoved me forward, or at least attempted to. The energy in my body struck out at him.

"Why you little…" he growled.

"I can move on my own, lackey." I smirked.

I could feel the withering glare from under his mask as he nursed his hand and his ego. But as I said, I could indeed move on my own. So, I walked forward and followed the mad doctor. The walk was silent as Moira hummed to herself, and the other five Talon operatives just silently followed the two of us. I wasn't restrained, I mean honestly where could I go anyway? I couldn't even walk to get the daily mail without evaporating.

We stepped into her lab, and she glanced at the rest of the operatives, including Reaper.

"Leave us."

The four armored goons all saluted and walked out, without a word. Reaper growled and looked over towards Moira who simply waved him away, not even sparing a glance. She was simply too invested in whatever was on her screen. It was quite comical watching this self-stylized Reaper growl and huff like a disappointed child and then stomp out of the room, the door closing behind him. As he left, I felt my powers slowly begin to return as the mad scientist pressed a few keys on her keyboard.

A few devices around her lab began beeping and flashing, even an alarm began blaring. My body began to double in its width, and I grew at least a foot. I was constantly pulsing with waves of energy. I didn't even feel real anymore, I could sense everything. Moira, Reaper outside the door, a bunch of agents scattered throughout the compound. I could probably kill them all with just a flick of my wrist. As a matter of fact… I closed my eyes and a lance of energy jettisoned towards Moira who vanished in a wisp of shadow and reappeared a few feet away.

She glanced at me, her eyes wide and smiled crazed, "I've done it!"

She must have sensed my confusion. Because she threw her head back and laughed. A deranged cackle not unlike that of a witch.

"I've done it! You're perfect, you've reached your pinnacle!" She laid her head in her hands, "You're perfect! Who you were and are doesn't matter, you're our greatest weapon! You will bring upon their ruin!"

As she was glowing in victory, I froze. No. I was not going to be anyone's weapon. I refused to be something like that. I couldn't touch her; she was too fast and had almost supernatural reflexes and senses. What could I do to defeat someone who's chances of victory seemed almost assured? She could stop me with the press of a button, she moved faster, she thought smarter. I only truly outmatched her in the area of strength, but overpowering meant little if I had no way to close the gap…

Just as I was about to give up hope, the compound's alarms went off.

"Intruder alert. Wonderful." Moira had completely sobered up, but her malignant grin returned, "This'll be the perfect test run wouldn't you say? I must get you something, so return to your cell for the time being. Reaper will escort you back."

She stepped out of the room and whispered something to the wraith, who nodded. She returned the nod and then strode off down the hall. The man looked over at me and I could feel the slight trepidation as he took in my new form. The massive hulking monster that I had become, constantly flickering and not truly solid.

He jerked his head, an indication for me to follow. Is it possible that I could take him in a fight? As we left the lab, I saw several Talon operatives running down the hall, led by a hulking shirtless man with long hair and two miniguns in his hands. A large smile danced around on his face. I recognized him, he had to be called in when I was being too rowdy. His name was Mauga, and he's probably the only person I hated as much as I hated Moira. And that was a high bar. I obviously didn't hate him the same amount, but he came really close.

His beady eyes glanced over, and his smile widened. Whatever repulsive thought was in his head, I couldn't wait to snuff it out. But I needed to wait, he would be dealt with in due time, I needed to wait. I just needed to keep reminding myself that.

Patience is a virtue. And I have time for virtues, I can't really go anywhere after all.

We continued on our way to my cell, before the compound wall to our left exploded. And stepping through the massive gaping hole was an old man dressed in a red, white, and blue leather jacket. He was holding a bulky assault rifle and had a visor covering his entire face.

He stopped when he saw me and aimed the gun at me, firing. The pulse rounds were absorbed into my skin. I heard a dark chuckle and the wisps of smoke rose from the cracks in the rubble. Reaper reformed and cracked his neck with a dark laugh.

"Y'know Jack… you really should've called ahead. We would've prepared brunch."

"Shut it, Reyes. I'm here for Ward's kid." The newly christened Jack growled, "So call off this freakish monster and hand the kid over."

"How did you even…? It doesn't matter." Reaper muttered and then turned to me, "Theta, command code Seven-Tango-Delta-Four. Kill Jack Morrison."

My head started ringing and I felt nothing but rage. But something occurred to me, the facility's wall was open, and I wasn't dying. I could run. All I'd have to do is just go. Unfortunately for Jack Morrison, though I was not in control of my body. Only my mind. I tried to stop it; it just made my head hurt worse. I clutched at it and roared.

"You should run."

Was the last thing I could say before I lost control of myself. It's like I was a passenger in my own body. The next thing I realized, I was standing over the old man, panting. My body was constantly flickering and changing. I was losing stability. At some points I looked like the brute, at some points I was a being of pure energy, and at others I was just regular old me. I clutched my head and screamed. My body was constantly morphing and pulsing with energy. I couldn't feel anything. Well, that's a lie. I could feel too much. The pain was so unbearably high I couldn't feel anything, but I could simultaneously feel everything.

I heard an older woman cry out for Jack, and then Reaper laugh, and then nothing from him. And then nothing from me. Everything went dark as a dart sunk into my chest.

Author's Note: There is a reason for this story starting, and I'd say expect another one of similar vibes to this and Determination. Thoughts and opinions? This is the start of something different and just let me know what y'all think. I have abilities and stuff for him like I did for Hades, but much like Hades I won't reveal them until they are actually relevant. Like I said, lemme know what y'all think lmao.