— Darius Johnson —

I sat down on my bed next to Eve and hugged her with one arm, rubbing her shoulder soothingly.

Even though I tried my hardest, things still went wrong.

I didn't think my father would be so violent when dealing with her siblings, but in hindsight, I should have seen it coming.

We're waiting as my dad heads off to the Pentagon, hoping to have a little…chat with them.

What he really means is he will head over there and threaten those fuckers until they decide to clean up their mess. They're the ones in charge, even if this Global Defense Agency Leader guy has a general pulling the strings, which means it's their responsibility to ensure everything goes well.

"Darius…" Eve said quietly.

"Yeah, Eve?" I hummed softly.

"There's been so much. It's…it's too much." Her voice broke and cracked as she spoke. I ran my hand down her shoulder and along her back, trying my best to set her mind at ease. I couldn't even begin to understand her pain, and that's coming from someone who has died before.

"You should take some time off, stop doing hero work for a while." I offered, earning a small nod from her.

We continued to sit in silence for several minutes until we heard a knock at my door.

"Come in, mom."

My mother opened the door and walked in, holding a plate of freshly baked cookies and a cup of milk. Her eyes took in my face for half a moment before looking at Eve. She walked over and gave the ginger girl a small smile.

"Eat, dear."

Eve gave her a thankful nod and took both the plate and the glass of milk.

"I'm going to borrow Darius if that's okay?" My mother asked Eve. My friend looked at me for a moment, hesitation in her eyes, before she gave another quick nod. "Thank you. Come, Darius."

Judging by her tone, this was not gonna be a fun talk.

I followed my mother out of the room and down the stairs. She turned around and gave me a scolding look, and I could tell my assumption was correct.

"What the hell were you thinking playing hero when you don't even have your powers yet?!" She shouted, definitely loud enough for Eve to hear.

I blinked at her. "Mom…you approved of what I was doing. It's not like I did it behind your back; I literally asked you for permission."

Her scolding look didn't leave; in fact, I think it grew more tense. She crossed her arms and continued waiting.

I let out a deep sigh and lowered my head a little. "I'm sorry."

"You should be."

There was no winning with her. My father knows that better than anyone.

Once my mother saw that I fully acknowledged her point, she placed a hand on my shoulder. "I don't know everything about what's going on, but I know your father can handle it. What you need to do is make sure that Eve is alright."

I looked down and nodded and she patted my head softly.

"Good, now, you shouldn't leave her by herself any longer."

I made my way back upstairs to see Eve slowly eating the cookies with a slight smile on her face.

"Are they good?" I questioned with a smile of my own.

"Yup." She hummed, dipping a cookie in the glass of milk and taking a bite. "My mom never makes food like this; you're so lucky!"

Ah, right, her mother makes shitty food like cream cheese and olive sandwiches.

Should I call CPS on her? For Eve's mental health, I probably shouldn't, but for her overall well-being, I think it would be the right call.

"Thank you, Darius."

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at her with surprise. She continued eating the cookies as if she hadn't said anything, making me think that she might not have.

I took a seat beside her and tried my best not to watch her eat those delicious-smelling cookies.

I wondered how things were going on the almighty Lucan's side of things, but knowing him, I'm sure he was getting shit done.

— Lucan Johnson —

"Erickson had managed to slip this project under our noses. We've been dealing with various threats to the planet, requiring urgent attention. Now that we're aware, we'll be sure to clean this mess up." The scarred man said with a deep frown.

"This mess has caused my son and his friends more than a little grief." Lucan said with a rumbling voice, glaring at the man sitting across from him.

"I understand, Lucan." The older man rubbed his face, his hand tracing along his scar.

"Do you, Cecil?" Lucan asked, already knowing full well what the true answer was. "Just deal with it." With those words, Lucan got up and walked out of the room, leaving Cecil alone to his thoughts.

As he walked, Lucan reflected on everything he had learned. Steven Erickson was the name of the GDA worker that had basically gone rogue and created a sub-agency under him, with the intentions of creating a super soldier capable of rearranging matter on the sub-atomic level. Now that Lucan had been given the entire rundown of what was going on, he had to admit that the scientist that was able to help in the creation of Eve is a genius.

Even to Viltrum, he would be considered to have a bright mind. Altering things on the atomic level was no easy feat, and if all the information was to be believed, she should be able to alter the atoms of living things as well.

Lucan clenched his fists as he stopped for a moment.

The girl…to be able to do something so dangerous…she needed to die if he and Nolan had any intention of carrying out their mission with as little difficulty as possible.

A flash of Eve hugging his son tightly flashed into his mind as he continued walking down the halls. Again, a pang in his heart, the same one he hated, banged hard, wanting nothing more than for him to make up his mind, but ultimately, he couldn't.

His son and Eve are close, and his son is loyal to the cause. If things continue as they are, with how close the two are, they'll likely end up together romantically. This means that not only would killing her anger and push his son away, but not killing her would give Viltrum a powerful ally, even if it's in the form of a human girl.

Lucan nodded to himself. That was the best way to go about things, which meant that he'd have to make sure things went exactly as planned. First things first: gaining the girl's trust. How better is that than by giving her something all humans crave?

— Samantha Eve Wilkins (Atom Eve - Several Days Later) —

Eve speed-walked through the halls of the Pentagon, all while holding onto Darius' hand tightly. They had received news from Nocturnus that there had been a new development after the sub-program had been shut down. The same program that had given her her powers and caused her siblings so much suffering.

It turns out her mother, Polly, who gave birth to her, is still alive!

When Eve heard, she demanded she be brought to her, and the government agents approved her request. Although, she didn't go alone. She wanted…needed Darius to come along with her. He had been so helpful and patient with her since they'd met, and in a moment like this, there was no one she'd rather have with her.

"This is the room." The man who had been escorting them said as he turned around. She took note of the scar on the side of his face but not much else. She couldn't care less about other people right now.

Eve stepped past him and opened the door. She stayed at the opened door for a while as she saw a body laying in a bed. Tears began to well in her eyes as she walked forward, Darius just a few steps behind her.

Her mother was unconscious, and…she looked so weak. She looked like she had undergone years of chemotherapy with the way her head was bald and how skinny she was.

Eve walked over and reached out, wanting to touch her mother for the first time. She hesitated before gently grabbing her mom's hand and bringing it up to cup her cheek. She couldn't stop the tears from dripping down her face. This was her mother, the only real piece of family she had left.

"W-Will she recover?" Eve asked the old man, not bothering to look away from her mother's sleeping face.

"In time, she should. Currently her brain is displaying minimal activity, but it's better than just a few days ago. However, we cannot say when. "

Eve let out a choked breath. She had feared the worst. Feared that she would have to bury her mother after finally getting to touch her, but for one of the first times in her life, the news was good.

"Thank you…thank you so much."

The old man didn't say another word. She heard his footsteps and, eventually, the closing of the door.

As she felt her mother's hand against her cheek, she felt another hand on her shoulder.

"I'm happy for you, Eve."

She turned around and saw Darius giving her a slight smile, but one that conveyed the relief he felt. She looked back at her mother and kissed the back of her hand.

Eve wanted her mother to recover as soon as possible. There was so much Eve wanted to tell her mother about. From the start of her life all the way until now. The good times, the bad, the friends she made, and the boy she fell in love with.

She wanted her mother to know everything.

— Chapter End —

Beta Reader: Basilisk Dragonboy1