Long Forgotten Sons (Beta)

It's not every day you find out your the descendant of Dracula, and that your brother is supposed to kill you in a ritual that unlocks their ancestors power. But when you already are a genetic paradox, you tend to get used to these types of curve balls. Just like in comic books when people have finally realized coming back from the dead is a common thing, Lucas had come to terms with the fact weird shit was going to continue to happen. Now, this is mostly due to his author being totally insane/masochistic, but that's beside the point.

Lucas was just glad Ryan was ok. Currently he was in his cell, getting the same talk from Lucius that Lucas himself got minutes earlier. It was just to keep them informed he guessed, after all it involved them and they had a right to know. It was quite nice to know Red was being so generous with the information, usually keeping secrets was his go to solution. In his cloaked armor, though without the mask and hood, Lucius sat on a chair over where Ryan had been laying, talking him through it all.

"Just remember, Lucas understands what happened..... Don't beat yourself up over this, i know better then most that that's not even close to the best way to deal with things."  Lucius said, eventually getting up after the long talk and attempting to place his hand on the boy's shoulder. He smiled and looked at him as he bent down to his level.

"I love you, son. I know i might not always show it, and that i might not always be there, but know that what i say is and always will be true." Lucius said, pulling in from his grip on Ryan's shoulder to give the boy a hug, after that, he stood, putting his mask to his face before it let out a hiss of air and latched onto the man's head rather quickly, the optics glowing to life. After that, he turned and opened the door to the cell, leaving it open so Ryan could see Lucas after Lucius walked out of view. The dark haired boy looked a bit upset, slowly shifting into the room without a world and crawling up onto the chair Lucius sat on previously. He looked to his brother, and then finally broke the stoicism with a smile.

"So i guess we're even now, huh?" Lucas said jokingly with a small chuckle, though the smile faded eventually, turning into more of a look of compassion. He understood what Ryan had went through, not being able to control himself and all that. He held no grudge against his brother, only felt sorry that they both had to go through something so similar.

".....You don't have to say anything to me Ryan, i know how it feels..... I'm sorry i put you into that situation." Lucas said, looking slightly down as if thinking of what to say, or perhaps if he should say something. Meanwhile, Lucius and Alpha would be outside, still awaiting their.....friend? He hadn't shown, or at least was late.

"Ryan seems to be back to normal from what my scanners can see..... I just, i don't understand why this was even necessary. We should have kept a better eye on them." Lucius said, looking at the two boys talk through the one sided glass, their image reflecting off the sheen of his masks glossy black segments.

"....Suppose there's no use in whining about it however, it's done. If Nick would get here, maybe we could actually formulate a plan to stop it from happening again."

It had been an eventful day, for everyone involved. Ryan had been thrown into a murderous frenzy, tried to kill Lucas and now he found himself sitting in a cell feeling all the more terrible for it. Apparently there was something about Dracula, but that had been explained by the crazy white haired guy, the one that had force fed him that weird glowing blood. How long it took the rage ro run its course he didn't know, but likely hours had passed before the end came. Luckily the cell had been made to hold him in, otherwise...well he didn't want imagine that. It was like back then, however the script had been somewhat flipped in regards to who was trying to kill who.  

At the moment his other parent was explaining just what had happened, though perhaps in better detail than he was given before. Having such a prolonged conversation with then was unusual, but then again this whole thing wasn't exactly the usual. Just one look at him and anyone could tell that he was in a sense, in shock. Eyes attached to Lucius as he processed everything that he said. This was perhaps his longest conversation with them, even if it was mostly him listening to them talk. If there was any consolation in the matter, it was that Lucas understood what had happened. That didn't make anything better actually, but it didn't make it worse. Ryan let the man pull him into the hug, smiling weakly and nodding when it felt appropriate.  

With all of that done, the cell door was left open for him to walk out of it. Once they were out of view, well Lucas came into view. Just looking at him made Ryan flinch, expecting some kind of negative reaction. After all, he did try to kill him so that made sense. He wasn't exactly thinking in perfect logic, but then again things were as they were with him. For a few seconds there was silence, followed by Lucas breaking it with a smile. They broke this silence with a joke, likely hoping to stop the tension that was obviously there. Rather than saying anything, he went for the hugging route as that made sense to him. Hopefully, Lucas wouldn't have a problem with it because he was totally doing the hug thing.

"I'm sorry...." Well he had managed to say something, so there was that. Considering he had apologized beforehand, well that meant things weren't too bad.

Alpha meanwhile was watching the two through a one sided glass that allowed one to creep without the party being creeped on knowing about it. "I doubt we can just lock them up for the remainder of their lives." Alpha said, eyes focused on Ryan, while his mind ran over everything that had transpired within the span of a day or so. Just thinking about it filled him with a sort of annoyance, considering that magic of all things had been brought into his bubble of a life. They were supposed to be waiting for someone, a friend of Lucius' that might be able to help them with their blood cult problem.  

"Does your friend  make a habit of being this late or is it just with you?" He asked, keeping his eyes upon the two.

Lucas accepted the hug, and the apology, even if there was no need of one considering Ryan had no control of himself. Despite that, Lucas was a bit shaken by what his brother had said. He seemed to retain some of his personality while under the magical influence, and that made it all the more disturbing and terrifying. In the end however, he stood by what he said. There was no need for tension between the two, it was over. it seemed that, in a way. the goal of their trip was achieved, in a sense at least. They indeed did have a more repaired relationship now.

Meanwhile, Lucius continued his contemplation. He was glad to see the two talking it out, and was glad their relationship was still in tact. The boys knew how to endure, that was for sure. Lucius considered what Alpha had said, about locking them away. He was going to say something but, he honestly couldn't disagree with that.

"I suppose your right. Even still, they need to be ready. Whether either of them decides to continue our cause's after we're gone or not, they need specialized training, because trouble finds the Alba's, it always has." Lucius said. The two really didn't get enough training in all honesty, not enough to combat what they would be facing no matter what life path they chose. But that was a thought for another time. He wasn't going to thrust them into combat right after such an experience.

"He doesn't like me very much really, it's an odd relationship, so likely just with me." Lucius admitted. Nicolas respected Lucius and his intentions, but like many others the Father of Alchemy was deterred by Lucius' methods and general personality. This produced quite a mixing pot of a partnership, but it worked out in the end.

Suddenly, from behind them, a flare of flame would erupt, though not burn anything. Through it the white haired male would step out, cane in hand, wearing his usual black and gold emblazoned cloak and tunic. His golden eyes scanned the males, and a curious smile formed across the older males face, as if he saw a joke only he knew the punchline to.

"At last, I see you two together. You make such a nice couple." The man said, hands on top of his cane as he stood, a look on his face that asked what was needed.

Alpha contemplated the state of the two young males relationship, hoping perhaps they would be closer rather than made distant. That would have been a shame, but then again time could only tell about that matter. Once the hug was done, Ryan pulled away looking nervously at his hands. "Specialized training might be useful, but that can wait." Alpha said in response to the whole mention of specialized training, though he found himself wondering what manner of training that would be. His mind managed to go off the rails, thinking over what manner of magical training they would have to go through. In all honesty Ryan had been slacking in his training as far as his telekinetic abilities, but maybe that needed to be changed soon. They had raw power but skill, well they lacked that.

As for this Nick's lateness, well it sounded as if they were indeed only doing this for Lucius. Which made sense really, considering that he was not known for being a likeable person. "No surprise there."He noted with a smirk, finding that small statement amusing more than anything else. Burying his hands into his pockets, he turned his attention from the two males back to Lucius in time to witness Nicholas Flamel appearing within his peripheral. Their entrance was flaming, brilliant in a flamboyant fashion. Alpha raised a single hand to protect his eyes from the light produced, eyelids closing slightly as the male came into his view. Their manner of dress was rather  extravagant, not of this time period if nothing else.

They looked old, within the latter years of a human life span and yet something about them held a certain wisdom about them. There was some kind of quip about a couple, something that he could easily ignore but...well he didn't. "That's not the first time I've heard that." Alpha noted, raising a single eyebrow as he continued to appraise the male before him. "Now I guess it's time we get to the important talk, right?"

Lucius smirked slightly at the joke, which might have seemed like an unusual reaction, but this was Nick. They did indeed have an odd relationship, and that could be seen not only from mannerisms but from everything they did around each other. They didn't approve of how each did things, but they were on the same side none the less.

"Right. I asked you here in light of the event you warned me of earlier today, and...... Well you see, we're in a bit of a pickle." Lucius said honestly, his mask changing how he sounded to that all too familiar low pitched techno voice.

"What? You have no idea how to beat them? You simply don't know enough to comfortably and tactically take care of the issue, as you normally do? Or maybe, this is just an opportunity to gain knowledge on the occult, to expand your own power and further your ends. Either way, why should i help you? That last time i truly did, you made your own child into some sick toy for you to play with." Nicolas said, his voice retaining the same pitch and tone even as he got more hostile with his words. He could have been talking about anything judging by his stance, he simply didn't look like he was saying anything against Lucius, but he was.

"Don't play naive, you know I'm not the same man i was. Don't forget, you trusted me when i was a lot worse, I'm sure you can do it again, for the sake of my children." Lucius retorted, his arms crossed now.

"....Ok, say i do trust you. What is it i have to gain? What does anyone besides you and your little organization get out it? Don't tell me it's just about your children, they are quite safe here, you know that. You've been wanting knowledge on the mystical arts since you saw them right before your eyes, and realizing your ancestry only made your hunger more intense." Nicolas said. Lucius knew every word was true, but what did it really matter? Nick seemed to be dodging as he usually did, even when in the end he did indeed help.

"What is it you want Flamel? You want to humiliate me? You want me to beg? You know of what resides in my line, and you know that it is deeply involved in a great many things. It's only a matter of time before something like this happens again, and i want to be ready, i want my son's and daughter to be ready." Lucius said, getting a little fed up with the bickering, though he had expected it.

".....Fine. I'll help, but this is for Lucas, not you. Just know I'm an alchemist, not a wizard. I can point you in the right direction, but anything more is up to you." Nicolas said. Meanwhile, Lucas and Ryan continued their conversation.

"Ryan, i need to ask you something. Have you ever, um, thought about Mom? ....Lucius said we have one and, i don't know, when i touched his sword, i think i saw her." Lucas admitted. It was true, he had seen her, and assumed it was his mother. She had a connection to the blade clearly, but how, that wasn't very clear.

Lucius would head the line of questioning, which he was fine with. He apparently had a better relationship with this unknown individual, granted he knew almost nothing about them beyond what was said about them in history and various fiction. How long they had been working together, well that was a good question but likely one he wouldn't get if he asked. Lucius had a way of keeping his secrets, and trying to openly get them was not exactly a way to get them; considering their trustworthiness. Perhaps this knowledge he gained from Flamel could help him with his own problem, if his prior idea did not yield any fruit. Regardless of what went through his head, Alpha's face stayed the same as it was since the beginning of the conversation began with Nicholas Flamel. In fact this man didn't sound like they wanted to really help Lucius, which by extension meant he had no intention of helping him.

The thought itself was unpleasant, considering the difficulty they had with the man the first time, but now knowing what they were dealing with could really help. Which meant, well he hoped they could get something out of this. Still, they made some good points at least when Lucius was concerned, but that didn't mean he would have said anything about that out loud. Luckily Lucius didn't attempt to put a stranglehold on Flamel, considering his explosive temperament but then again perhaps that was just a special thing he saved for him. Just thinking about it made him smirk, likely not too out of context without conversation, or maybe even out of.

Lucius knowing about the mystical arts, well that might have had more implications than just being able to fight against those crazy cultists. What those implications were exactly, that would have been something that he didn't want to think too much into. Just the idea of Lucius slinging spells, well that was just too amusing. Even his voice speaking in some manner of mystical babbling language was almost enough to send him into a spiel of laughter, but luckily he managed to control himself. So instead of focusing upon that, he turned his attention towards the conversation that was taking place. "And which direction would that be in?" He would ask, since cliffhangers were always annoying.

"Sometimes..." He admitted, though how much he knew about his mother was unknown. Her not being around, well that was something that he couldn't help think about. As far as Travis had told him, likely they were dead if their research into anything could tell him, but then again not everything was obvious within this. However, Lucas had said something about seeing her when touching the sword, which reminded him of being stabbed by it. Being superintelligent made forgetting things hard to do, but then again that didn't mean he could hold anything against anyone. Not as if he could considering he tried to kill Lucas. "Y..you did?" He asked, turning from his introspection to look to Lucas.

"Wh..what do you think it means?" Admittedly he had been curious about the prospect of their mother, it didn't seem like something that he would ever get an answer about. Now there was likely some manner of answer, if they looked in the right place.

"Towards oblivion.......... What happens next will test your minds, your will. If you prove worthy, you'll find learning about the mystical world far easier. It will show itself to you, and you can begin to seek what you wish. If you fail, well, you'll die." Flamel said, making the situation quite clear, or at least it's results. He couldn't really tell them what awaited them, because he didn't know. It was unique to everyone. He held out each of his hands, offering them to each of them. But there was slight hesitation, as if he were giving them a choice.

"I've been locked in my fair share of illusions, this shouldn't be difficult. I accept." Lucius said, taking the hand and waiting for Alpha. If he accepted as well, then within a span of a minute or two they would take the trial, either dying, or coming out ready to do whatever it was they were going to do next.

Lucas was glad Ryan's reaction was better then that of their sisters. She just kinda walked off with a shrug, not seeming to care. Lucas probably wouldn't either, but ever since the vision he had, he felt a pull to her. He needed to know more about her life, how she died, he deserved to know. But it wasn't like he could just ask Lucius, or summon up their mother to ask. And Travis, well, he had little to no idea about her likely. The only logical solution was to get Cora Zen.

"I don't know. But i think we deserve to find out. I need Cora Zen, but it's out there on a table and Lucius won't let me take it." Lucas said, thinking over what he could do. He soon decided to go out there, seeing Nicolas was there, and Lucius as well as likely Alpha were standing in a brief stasis.

"Nicolas! What are you doing here?" Lucas said with a smile. It was returned, but with a gesture the alchemist made it clear no hugging or even talking would be in order, do to the fact his hands were literally tied up with the others and speaking itself would be exhausting while performing this. It was perfect.

Running over to the table, Lucas grabbed Cora Zen and headed back to the cell. Nicolas said nothing, but produced a knowing smile; getting into trouble again, boys?

To be honest he disliked the sound of things more for each second that passed, and that oblivion comment escalated that. Could this be a ploy to kill both of them? It didn't make any sense of him to want to kill them, but then again he knew nothing about the male really, just what history told him. How Lucius believed this person, well that was another thing that he found himself wondering. Unless of course they were actually trustworthy, or at least he could trust they wouldn't try to outright kill them. Considering Lucius accepted, and this might help him protect his children, well he had no other choice. There was some hesitation, but he held out a hand, accepting himself into whatever it was that would come next.

Ryan however, more than anything was curious what Lucas had going on in their head. There was likely something and it likely had something to do with their fathers signature weapon. Which was confirmed when he said they needed Cora Zen, though getting it was another story entirely. Something that he found himself wondering about, trying to formulate a plan that would help them get around their...superhumanly intelligent parents. Not exactly the easiest thing to do, but then again perhaps they could think of something if they worked together on it. Lucas stood up, and so Ryan did as well. Well...he followed but not exactly closely, since just standing there felt awkward more than anything else.

For some reason their parents had locked hands with some old guy, though Lucas sounded as if he knew the guy. That confused him more than anything else, but it did show that they could get their father's sword without having to do anything extensive. So Ryan was relieved on that front, so as soon as they returned to the cell work could get started on the mysterious...mystery. "So..um...what do we do with it?" Ryan asked,looking the weapon over curiously.

Lucius and Travis were about to experience personalized tests of will. Red had done plenty of these things however, coming from the likes of the Primordial of Evil, who was actively trying to kill him. Even though Flamel was wise beyond belief and powerful, he couldn't match the sheer torment inflicted by Sin and Blood Tithe, it would be a cake walk for Red. Alpha, on the other hand, had never been through such an experience. This was about to get interesting.

Lucius had found himself in Alpha's facility, wearing white clothing and.......

You have got to be kidding me?

Lucius saw he was much younger now, he rushed to a window, finding his face had turned to that of when he was around 13. He really did look a lot like Lucas, barring a few small facial changes. It was odd looking at himself like this, and it brought back bad memories just at the feeling of it. But, he endured. He knew this was all a part of the illusions goal, so for the time being he would play along.

As for what Alpha saw, well, he wouldn't see anything at first, not even with those peak human eyes of his. He would know he was in a room, laying down, but he couldn't see anything but pitch black. In moments, he would hear whispers, or at least people talking from a distance away. He wouldn't be able to get up, as if his body was sound asleep, but he would hear. The voices were barely audible, but a keen ear could make out the words. A male and a female spoke.

"We have to, the experiment is compromised. I apologize, i know what he means to you, what they all mean to you, but you must understand......."   The man said, being interrupted by the female.

"What? That they have no souls? That they are a liability? Don't give me that, you know this is wrong." The female said. The man let out a sigh, as if he had anticipated this, and he had. Two armed men held the woman, and she began to scream, yelling for them to let her go.

"I'm sorry, but this is happening. If you can't accept it......then we'll simply stop you from doing anything rash." The man said. At this point Alpha would see a door open in his little room, letting in light. He would see a soldier, or guard at least, gun raised and ready to fire. That's when the woman broke the hand from her mouth and let out a plea.

"I'll do it! Just stop! He deserves better then being shot to death!" She said. The man considered this for a moment, and the soldier stood down, waiting for an order. Eventually, he gave in, and sent the soldier away.

"Do it quickly."

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Lucas honestly didn't know what to do with it. What happened before was simply an accident, perhaps triggered by him touching the blade. Maybe that was a thing, like, a new person in the bloodline touching it triggered something. He really had no idea, but it was his best lead.

"Not sure, but nothings happening now. Maybe you should give it a try." Lucas said, handing the sword to his brother as they sat in the cell. Ryan would then feel a serge, and just as before with Lucas his eyes would go cyan, the sword adjusting itself to it's new wielder. But the implications of this were unknown, at least for the moment.

The illusion began to envelope him, changing the world around him within a matter of second. For a moment there was nothing, and then within a matter of seconds things changed to something that felt familiar. He was laying down, dressed in white clothing that he had worn for most of his life. A low groan slipped from between his lips as he tried to push himself up slightly, hearing voices. One of them however, well they sounded painfully familiar. Enough that for a moment...a phantom emotion flowed through him, causing his breath to be lost for a moment. The fact his body is unable to move, well that was something that made this all the more terrifying. What the hell is going on? He thought to himself, growing slightly frantic with each second as the door opened, casting light upon the room even more. His mind brought to light this day, and it....filled him with even more dread as the woman appeared.

That was when his body physically could move, that was when something happened. This didn't feel as if he was there, looking through different eyes while experiencing it all the same. The sound of strange men talking and that familiar face cast with the sterile lights of the room. His lips tugged into a smile, even though he knew what was going to happen, and no matter how much he told them no one listened. "Mom?" He asked, sitting up on his bed with hands resting against his lap. She looked to him troubled, something that more than anything caused his heart to sink slightly. "What's wrong?" He asked, observant as always even Alpha truly knew what was going to happen.

"Travis..." She began, before her voice trailed off. "I love you, you know that right?" Such a simple phrase and yet it felt so good, causing that big dumb smile to form. "I'm so sorry for this." The young, stupid him nodded, unlikely to know what came next. Had she been tearing up? Regardless, the fingers clamped around his throat all the same, pressing with enough force to cut off his windpipe. Even if it was a vision, the pain was real enough that he felt as if he was suffocating. Limbs would move, but they were about as useful as the brain that was trying to force them to do as he wanted them to. He could feel the tears, damning them despite his inability to really control what was going on. He was just a ignorant child, wondering why mommy was trying to murder him. It was perhaps a terrible thing, but then again the world had no place for freaks born in tubes. Some would say he had no soul, and perhaps that was just an excuse for him dying.

Finally the climax of all things happened, there was the sound of something fleshy ripping, as blood splattered across his face. All that stood before him was a headless corpse, blood spurting from the neck as the body slumped over, fingers freeing themselves from a sore throat. Instead of going about to check if he was safe, he....broke down much like the aforementioned stupid child.

In a sense, Alpha wasn't exactly fine either.

--

Ryan looked at the sword, curious almost as Lucas said they had no idea about it. Nervously he chewed on his lower lip, being handed the blade that he was holding. "I guess I should." Reaching out, Ryan would grab onto the hilt of the weapon tentatively. That was when something happened, thought what exactly he could not describe it.

"You did it again, after all this time?" A familiar voice echoed out as the scene faded, the corpse of his mother and all. Next, Alpha was in pure darkness, a spotlight shining down on him as a male walked out into it, revealing himself. It seemed to be Oliver, for whatever reason. He was the one that managed to actually get through to him though, save Omega, but Gamma had always been more open to opposing his brothers choices. That made him perfect for this.

"You knew it was coming, you even reverted back to your old self slightly, yet you relived the action that has caused you so much pain. Don't try to deny it either. The difference between you and Ryan is that memory. You know it, i know it." Oliver said, the light shining off his usual dark grey suit, a sly smile forming across his face. It wasn't of arrogance, more of compassion and of brotherly love, but he still though Travis' actions were stupid.

"You never learn, not really, do ya big brother?"

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Lucius found the facility whiter then usual, if that were possible. There was a thickness in the air that unsettled him, and he found no one was actually in this facility with him, that he could see anyway. A feeling crept up in his mind, was this....was this fear? It wasn't your standard fear either, it was the fear a child got when he was afraid of the dark. He felt so........vulnerable..

Great, I'm a scared little child. Now what Flamel?

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"Ryan? That's you, isn't it? Finally got a hold of your Daddy's prized possession?" Ryan would hear, echoing through his ears as the room shifted. Lucas didn't hear anything, and all he saw was his brother staring blankly, his eyes alight.

"It's so nice to see you." Isabella said as the room went white and she stepped forward, a kind smile on her face. How this was happening, no one really knew. Not yet anyway.

Cora Zen (Exclusive to Ryan):

The Protector:

Blood, there was always so much blood. It felt as if it would never end, and yet it did in the end. Where he found himself was a room, bathed within darkness much like the time before the last...trial. That was when another found himself on his feet once again. Once ancient emotions began to ebb, all he could feel was a sort of shame within himself. "You act as if I had a choice Oliver." He responded, keeping his voice in control as much as he could. There was rarely a choice, especially for the person that he was.Looking up, he wasn't surprised to see his sibling standing there as siblings always were. "But yes, I suppose allowing myself to be strangled like that was the right option wasn't it?" His voice was filled with a cynical sarcasm, spat like a bitter bile.

If this was some illusion, well Alpha was not exactly thrilled with it. "I was a child being throttled by his mother, not exactly time to talk her out of it. Did I deserve to die? Had I done something so terrible that I deserved that?" He asked, a small amount of anger leaking through. "What kind of lesson is to be learned from something so pointless?"

--

Well something was happening, however it looked to be as if some strange woman had appeared out of nowhere. Ryan blinked a couple of times, looking down at the weapon in his hand before back at her. "A...are you...my mom?" Well Lucas had something about seeing a lady when he hled the weird sword, so maybe this was the lady he was talking about.

"You had a choice, we always have a choice. You could have simply subdued her. Instead you decided to kill her, without figuring out why your loving mother was doing this or why the others ordered it." Oliver reasoned, it was beside the point really, as he knew Alpha likely had an answer for that as well, he always managed to find an answer, to convince himself he was right, to shield his ego.

"But if there was such a clear alternative, then why did you do it? Was it because you were confused? Angry? Did you believe she deserved it because she dared lay a hand on you? You stupid child. She was the one who had no choice, not you. But this isn't the point." Oliver said, contemplating eyes figuring out how to say this. He loved his brother, but he needed a reality check and a dose of admittance.

"You can't justify it, it was wrong, but you have to accept that to begin to heal. I know how you feel, i see it on your face everyday. You went through the motions, you told yourself that if only you were normal, she wouldn't have done that to you and you could have been happy. If only you pleased the researchers a bit more, she would still be alive. You believe it was all your fault deep down, and the justification isn't to convince me or anyone else, it's to convince yourself. Yet, even with all the guilt and all the regret, you did it again. Why?" Oliver asked, genuinely wondering why Travis did it when he knew what was going to happen. It seemed he was still the same old kid, not an ounce of maturity earned.


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"Look at you now, the macho supervillain, changing the world, yet still a confused and scared child." The voice came suddenly and sent shivers down Lucius' spine. He was irrationally afraid of it, even though he had expelled those feelings so long ago. He knew who the voice belonged to, it was his first murder, his first real snap. His step father stood behind him.

"...You.... i-i" Lucius spoke, his boys voice quivering.

"Snapped my neck? Well, you know what they say about fantasy kitchen sinks, anything is possible." The man said as he stepped forward, Lucius instinctively stepping backwards to get away yet his eyes didn't leave the man. Eventually though, he stopped, standing his ground.

"Hows hell been you piece of filth?" He said, anger in his eyes as he looked up at the man in front of him.

"You still got a mouth on you, some things never change i guess. You act like i was such a horrible father, but i wonder how your kids feel. You tried using one just to get your little boy body back. Really, that's miles worse then whatever i ever did to you." The man said, a smirk on his face. Lucius quivered, his head moving to the floor, he knew it was true.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Lucius said, exploding with Red Energy, causing the entire scene to fade. Here he was, once again, doing exactly what an illusion wanted him to.


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"Yes, yes i am." Isabella said, though she and the room started to fade quickly, and she hurried her posture.

"I don't have much time, but i need to tell you a secret, ok baby boy? You can't tell anyone you saw me if i do, though." She said. If he accepted, she would lean in and continue, speaking quietly into his ear.

"There will be a time when Lucas needs you dearly, and you won't want to help, but i need you to anyway. You'll know what I'm talking about when the time comes, but for now, i love you, Ryan." And with that, she faded away, and the boy's eyes returned to normal.

"Did....did you see anything?" Lucas asked, wondering why his brother was staring into space for around twenty seconds.

"It's easy to say what someone could have done after the fact but it was all done in the moment." He couldn't afford to just explode, to drop that composure if this was indeed some manner of test. It made sense considering they were once standing somewhere else, and then he was here. Still, Oliver if they were real or not saw it fit to tear  into him for whatever reason there was. Had it been anyone else, Travis would not have even given them the time of day but it was Oliver of all people. That made it more difficult than just a fuck you, and ignoring them. No, it was always his own fault. Perfection was always expected, any less and there was even more guilt to come with it. Oliver went as far as to even call him a stupid child, drawing out a reaction from him in the form of his teeth grinding.

Still, an answer didn't come to him as hard as he thought about it. All he could do was leave the dark void silent, while he wrestled, for the words. Even if they were right, what good did choosing anything else do for him. It wouldn't raise the dead, only torture him with what couldn't be. That was after all what illusions were about, bringing someone something that wasn't real. "Because somewhere deep down, I hated her. You say we all have choices, and yet she wasn't allowed to have one? If she was truly a mother that loved me...then why didn't she choose me? From what I hear, parents are supposed to think of their children's lives above their own lives. I know what had happened, I was just going to be thrown out with the garbage." Having control over a facilities files after slaughtering its staff, well that let you look into things.  

"But the question being asked is why. Well...maybe I was just too weak to make the right decision." Maybe it wasn't exactly the solid answer, but then again his mental state was not solid either. Came with mind wrecking illusions anyway.
--
The woman confirmed that she was indeed his mother, which only caused a chill to run down his spine. There were so many questions running through his head, questions that he wanted to ask his mother of all things. However, there was not enough time for him to actually ask some questions. All she could tell him was that there was a time when Lucas would need him, a time that he didn't want to help him. When asked to keep this a secret, all he could do was nod in compliance. Next thing he knew, Lucas was asking him a question, something about what had happened. "I...I don't think so." Ryan said uncertainly, keeping his agreement with their ghost mother. "So...I guess that didn't go very well."

Oliver faded away, no longer a part of this vision, and the sound of clapping could be heard. Whereas Oliver was real, dreaming somewhere in the facility, this next person clearly wasn't. Unless he could be in two visions at once that his. The tapping of boots and manner of clapping made it clear exactly who this was, no one was as sarcastic.

"...What a revelation. Even as a child, you had it inside you. Oliver was missing the point, he said it wasn't your fault. You know what i think? I think it was. You lashed out, just like me you let rage and hatred overcome you and splattered your mother's brains all over your bedroom walls, finally you admit it. And you say i don't have a grip on my emotions." Lucius said. He paced around the male, as if sizing him up.

"Your creation was wrong, your life itself is wrong. You made the wrong choices all to get to the wrong ends, and even now you resist and gravitate toward what is clearly WRONG! You buried your personality and emotions deep in yourself not because you believe in logic over feeling, but because you were scared of them. You feared that chemicals in your mind could make you do things you didn't want to, that they might be powerful enough to overpower your will. You're a weak, fragile little coward." Lucius continued, raising his voice a bit.

"Why are you doing this? Do you even think you can win? Why do you continue to lead your family into something you don't even really care about? You could be taking them to their deaths, yet you selfishly do it anyway. I do what i do because i see a world that needs fixing, you do it because you were born into an evolution cult. Your continuing the work of the people that tried to kill you. That's not really what you want, is it? What's your purpose? What do you love? What mark do you want to leave on the world? TELL ME TRAVIS! .......Oh, that's right, you can't, not honestly, because you don't know." Lucius concluded. He was jumping around to different points, trying to mentally batter Travis into submission. He needed to admit it, he needed to see the truth he hid from himself for so long.

--------------------------

Why is it so cold?

That's the only thought that passed through Lucius' mind, again it was dark, but eventually flashes of what seemed to be memories shot in and out of his head like thunder. He saw fire, screaming, slaughter....... He saw his failure, he saw his body under the heel of some agent, he saw the innocent people of his country caged or killed or worse. He saw the scene in so many different ways, but the end result was always the same. He lost.

Because you're dead

Because you failed

Because you can't win and you know it

It's so cold....

--------------------------

"Huh, i thought for sure it would work. Guess we'll have to ask Lucius about it some time. Wanna go play video games?" Lucas said, seemingly dropping the subject now. If his brother accepted he would lead the way to his room, where he had everything set up to play.