About eleven minutes ago...

He spoke at the pace of a cheetah's run. 

"You want answers? Fine. Director has been lying to you. Reynolds Corporation didn't attack because 202 was made. They attacked because I was made."

Alright, I wasn't prepared to hear that.

 "They attacked two years after the original cure was found. When my mother was caught up in the nuclear explosion, they spontaneously created the cure to–"

"Stop the radiation from spreading." I finished. That's what Director told before the termination was supposed to take place, how he lied about it being my mother.

"It was the original cure – happened a year before you were born." 

So he was a year older than me. 

"Your parents created the original cure. Only your parents. Not Chadwick and Holland Front; they simply owned the company," he paused for a meteoric moment. "And it certainly wasn't Director. True, they were friends, but the truth stops there. There was only one thing that Director did create. He made 202."

My pulse automatically shot up. 

"Your parents didn't create 202, because they died before 202 was made – that was because of the Reynolds attack, that part, at least, is true. Reynolds attacked for the original cure. 202 was made because the Front lost the formula to the original cure during the attack, and following the deaths of your parents, Director recreated it. Alone. He made you. And now for your burning question to be answered. Why do they want to kill you? Why do they want to kill the cure that they worked so hard to recreate?" His voice suddenly dropped. "They got it wrong."

"Wrong? They got what wrong?" I quizzed, ignoring a sudden stomach drop. 

"You were born normal. You had nothing to do with the cure. After the death of your parents, Director bent over backwards to recreate the original cure. As a result, three years after the Reynolds' attack, he created the 202. But, like any other drug, it need to go through clinical trial, and that meant he had to test it on a human. So he chose you."

Test. 

"You did exactly what they wanted you to do. In fact, you ended up excelling their expectations. Director was able to replicate the original cure so precisely that you also turned out to posses enhanced abilities – something that they didn't expect to see." 

Made sense. The whole superhuman abilities was only brought about because of the fusion of radiation in the drug.

"What went wrong then?"

"It was always wrong. The 202 drug. The flaw was only concealed at first, but it was as you grew older, that they realised that they messed up."

"How messed up?"

"And it was this flaw that led to to Director's decision to terminate you."

"What flaw?"

"But they're going to release the drug anyway, because they can't afford to start from scratch."

"What was the flaw, Everest?"

He stopped. "It didn't add up," he spoke low."

"What didn't add up?" I was getting really sick of his fragmented answers. 

He stared into space saying nothing.  

"What didn't add up?" I repeated. 

His eyes averted to me. "You."

Heat rose to my face. "What does that mean?"

"The first couple of years after creating 202, they realised something. You didn't match their math."

My jaw clenched. At that point, if I wanted to, I could have put two and two together and deciphered it for myself, but I refused to because it would mean that–

"They got the formula wrong." His words sliced through me. "For a few years, 202 will seemingly "cure" cancer, but that's it. It's a corrupted drug. It doesn't work. It doesn't save lives; it does the opposite," the next thing he said made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "They calculated something, and that's why they decided to kill you off – naturally, by the time you turn twenty, you will die."

And then I was running. 

Strangely, after my initial spasm of tears, I felt quite ironically numb. That was all. Why do doctors give anaesthesia to patients? To numb the pain. Numb was good. It was better than crying for no reason like a dumb bitch. 

And so I spent the night perched up on a tree, all numb. Alone. 

The next morning, I found Everest again. He told me something very important and something that should have drawn light to my current situation; fortunately, there is a cure to the crappy 202 drug I've been forced to endure. Unfortunately, the sweetheart who invented it was:

"Gemma Reynolds."

____________________________________________________________________________

Author's note:

My, my, what a twisted turn of events! What kind of a malicious sadistic, soul crusher would do that... oh wait. Whoops! Sorry!

Nonetheless, don't get your panties in a twist (like the events in this chapter) just yet, for this is where it all begins for our two super humans. 

Embrace yourselves, for an adventure filled with excitement, anticipation, fascination, humour, meh probably some romance, and a lot more cold glares (definitely not from Everest, that's for sure). 

Thank you for reading! Please like, comment and share. 

-Ruth