Epoch of Apokoliptic Genetica

Kane tore another piece of cloth and stanched any excessive bleeding for Selena.

'I didn't expect him to be so-', She thought in a daze.

He then massaged parts of her neck with gentle yet powerful hands.

'Genteel?', She thought briefly and then Kane helped her up.

She stared at him with a very conflicted expression.

"Um- Thanks?"

"Sure- Can you help patch me up too- I need you to bandage some parts and it'll be easier with the two of us- that alright?", He asked so calmly - she couldn't really tell whether he was truly Kane or not.

The old Kane Solaris was a worthless Fop with few redeeming qualities, the one before oozed a degree of Professionalism?- Charisma? - Competency?

She didn't know honestly.

" Sure, but I can't do it in this flickering light- Hey why haven't you used your Biomarker yet?", she suddenly asked.

" What?", Kane tilted his head...

" Jiah broke mine- mine was cheap standard grade but yours is the premium one with live tracking - if anything happened to it, the Temple of Aeterna would grow crazy", She showed a broken Embedded wristwatch on her right hand- it had no power.

She then gazed at Kane's heavily mutilated right hand,

"Oh"

And she glanced back again at Kane- every inch of his body was covered with injuries-

"How- how long were you tortured?",She asked in a low voice.

"I don't know", Kane replied directly.

"Are- Are you not in pain?"

" It's manageable ", Kane shook his head.

" For god's sake you have holes in your head! How is that manageable?!", Selena felt horrified at the state of his injuries.

"Pain is an old friend, but hey what's a Biomarker?", Kane calmly shrugged - Pain tolerance was something he had honed over several Genetic Iterations and then he asked the more curious bit.

" You don't know?", Selena pressed her palm on Kane's head and observed his cranial trauma.

" Did they fry your brain?"

"Seems to be the case"

"Look - if you don't know that, then what is your name?"

"Kane"

"Full Name- spell it out for me"

"K.A.N.E - though that thing has called me Kane and made some really weird remarks"

"Oh God- that's not - What are your parents' names?"

" I don't know- is it true that I am natural born here?"

"What?"

" Natural Born- did I have Biological Father who sired me and a Biological Mother who carried my body to term?"

"You have no idea how weird that sounds- but yes- You do! Why would that even be a question?! You know what ?! forget I asked- Instead"

"Do you even know what the year is?"

"No ?"

" You! You - You can't tell me you lost your memories!"

" I don't even know the full name of this body- "

"A Daemon would know, but you're not Daemon ", Selena gazed into his Amber Eyes- it wasn't inhuman but there was something off about it.

"I guess you don't know my name- just call me Selena for now- let's search for your Biomarker rooms quickly - the Generators in this building won't last for long", She pulled his hand instinctively and he followed her - curiosity brimming in his eyes .

In a few minutes, they reached the Holding Cells where Kane was most likely tortured.

"There! That shiny device", she pointed at a bloody platinum watch within a translucent storage -

"It's been... Tampered - look the location and Bio data are running on a loop- the geolock is at the Redfox Love Hotel- Wow- what kind of messed up bitch does this? You really should have better taste in women man", Selena chided him but surprisingly Kane nodded.

" Yeah Noted, Don't ever want that thing near me- it wasn't exactly human - that Jiah or whatever the name is", Kane spoke uncomfortably .

"Let's never talk about her", Selena muttered with an uncomfortable expression as she passed the Biomarker .

Kane caught it and examined it- it was an intricate device...

It was a primitive version of the Omega Bracer back on planet Nomos...

Did these people actually access those secret Strongholds?

Did they manage to adapt his advanced Tech?

He wore the Biomarker on his mangled right hand again.

*Clasp

The Biomarker latched itself onto his hand tightly and he felt a tight prick deep to the Bone.

*Beeep

"Atleast it recognises you, set it to reboot - then it should scan you properly and send a distress signal out! We really shouldn't stay in this place any longer", Selena immediately spoke with an uneasy expression as she gazed at flickering UV lights.

"Reboot", Kane immediately commanded

"Unable to Recognise Voice Command"

"Please try again", the cold female voice from the Biomarker immediately rejected his claim.

"What the Fu- Shit, We'll need to crack it manually! This is bad!", Selena immediately grew tense.

*roar

A faint bestial roar echoed and Selena's face instinctively hardened.

Kane's eyes grew sharp and he immediately gazed at the barricaded window.

Selena clasped her mouth tightly as she slowly retreated from the window.

Seeing her do that, Kane's nerves became briefly taut- he could sense incredible danger rushing towards them.

*Blink

*Click

The lights went out and only some kind of night light remained, when something rushed at the mirror.

*Crack

The Window began to crack and Selena grabbed Kane and ran -

*Shatter

*Roar

"We can't stay here- just follow and keep up if you want to live!", Selena spoke in a hurry as they ran to some kind of back door, Kane saw an oil lamp hanging from the door they were running towards.

Just as Selena got clear, he grabbed the Oil Lamp flung it at the wooden ceiling inside.

*Splash

*Click

*Ignite

Selena didn't bother to turn her head and kept running barefoot to what seemed like a sewer entrance of some kind .

Kane followed behind without protest- Selena seemed to be acutely adeptbat finding her way through the extremely dark tunnel as Kane simply followed her by her sounds.

"Stop", she whispered and he did.

*Tremble

The sewer began to vibrate as if like an Earthquake had arrived...

A few minutes later it stopped and Selena ordered," Go"

They both ran navigating the suffocating sewer tunnel maze without making too many sounds.

"Here, we climb that, We'll reach the shattered Skyscraper - I know place where I can work on your Biomarker - you better get me a new one alright?*cough cough", As she spoke she began to Cough.

" The Adrenaline's washed over and the fumes of this place aren't helping, climb and lock on to me- don't resist, you can't climb on your own in that state", Kane could easily hear how weakened she was, just by her breathing and the sluggish movements.

In fact Selena was too tired to argue and as Kane knelt, she got onto his back and he used the remaining of his bloodies shirt to fasten both of them tightly.

She held on to his neck with her arms and he began to climb the ladder in a steady manner- making as minimal as sound possible.

As he reached the top, he used one hand to slightly lift the lid up slowly and allowed his eyes to adjust to the new light, he tilted it up slightly to check if anyone else was there - surprisingly it was mostly empty.

He slowly removed the lid and climbed up carefully with a coughing Selena on his shoulder.

It was a UV lit basement with few ambient lights, with directions being spraypainted on the ruined walls as a large hole was present on the ceiling.

"Cough follow the Cough directions Vough cough", She spoke weakly into his ears.

" Okay", Kane agreed and began to wall climb to different floor following the spraypainted directions carefully - though his ears pricked up as he could sense something hunting outside these walls with the very subtle clicks.

UV light or not- he didn't want to attract any more attention especially with an injured body and a weakened companion.

He kept climbing carefully and even saw Selena grit her teeth tightly, struggling not to cough anymore - even she could recognise those faint clicks.

Step by step, minute by minute, he climbed upto 6 floors and then saw the Painted arrow pointing towards a heavy vault door of sorts.

He approached the vault door and Selena got off from his back, unfastening the cloth holding them together.

She then knelt to the side and retched silently.

Kane patted her back to ensure she didn't choke on her own vomit.

" I ...need to... unlock...", She whispered with a struggle as her dainty fingers pointed to the Vault doors.

" I'll keep watch- you just focus on that ok?", Kane spoke with a reassuring whisper and then gazed at the hole they climbed out of.

He walked to the hole and his ears pricked, the creature hunting them was near.

*BZZZT

Most of the lights went out while the Vault door lights remained.

"Fucker", Kane cursed silently at their dumb luck.

Selena however grit her Teeth and began to carefully rotate the Vault locks, fully aware what awaited them if they stayed out in the dark.

Just then Kane felt a tingling sensation in his innards, it was as if something was trying to work inside of him and it seemed to be irritating his mind.

His hands began to contort by themselves and he couldn't help but let out a low growl.

"Shit- Not now!", Selena shuddered at his actions and began to hurry up with even more mistakes.

" Kane, please don't - just hold on - don't let it take control", She whispered in a sobbing voice.

"Grrr ... What is this - what's in my body?", Kane felt the nerves around his neck tighten as slightly feral desires began to assualt his mind but he resisted, for now.

His breathing increased as he spoke in a more heavy tone," Selena- "

" Please - You can't turn now... ", She kept sobbing softly.

He then grabbed her shoulders and shook her out of her stupor, saying crisply," get a grip, what should I do to stop this"

"UV - you need UV light or Midnight Dust", she blurted and then something seemed to hit her.

"Hold on for me! Don't give in now!", She Began to quickly work on unlocking the rest of the Vault.

"Good", Kane spoke in a gruf voice and then turned his head to see two hot coal like eyes staring from the hole.

*Snap

A humanoid claw slowly climbed up and a tall yet skinny thing seemed with coal eyes and sharp claws stared straight at them.

*Click

*Click

Kane then removed two daggers strapped to his tattered pants.

"No matter what- don't turn back- if I don't come back up- lock yourself in", He whispered as he took his stance at the monster before him.

*Click click click

The monster let out a deafening shrill roar through its Mandible like mouth as Kane leapt at it with a grim expression.

*Slice

*Spark

The knife didn't make a dent on the creature as it began to fully focus on Kane- the more nearby target as it swiped and washed his back when he tried to roll out of it's immediate range.

*Spurt

But surprisingly, Kane didn't let out anymore sounds- his eyes fixed- like a machine onto the hostile creature before him.

When the flesh was strong, then the eyes or the Jaws must suffice.

It leapt at him and he barely dodged, whatever this creature was- it was very strong.

But each time as he dodged and parried the creature's vicious blows, he was covered with newer and newer wounds.

But he too studied his opponent -

And when the time came...

He used his knife, trading wound for wounds and sliced the eyes while letting it gash deeply into his back.

*Peel

*Snap

The creature cried out in agony by this stab in the eye and lashed out by smacking him to the Vault door.

*BANG

*Click *Unlock

Kane then turned to look at Selena's bewildered face as this unexpected slam had allowed her to accidentally solve the final lock.

*Shua

The door opened and Selena immediately grabbed Kane and dragged him as the creature was still shrieking in the Corner.

As soon as both of them got in, She slammed the Vault Door back as the creature then lunged towards them.

*BANG

*Click *Click *Click *Lock

*Loud angry roars

Selena then fell to her knees in relief , finally they were in a safe Zone!

And they escaped just through the skin of their Teeth.

She then turned to check on Kane, only to be completely horrified at the actual state of his wounds as he was lying down in a small pool of blood and lightly gasping in the safe room.

" You know what to do right, I'll leave it to you", Kane smiled at her and then closed his eyes.