"I suppose there isn't any way I can convince you to let me go?" I smirked, looking at Prototype as I wiggled in her grasp.

"Nope!" Prototype simply smiled.

Shit, this isn't good.

You're worthless.

Says you, now shut up.

I hope Sophie is okay. She got hit pretty hard and then Stellar returned. She's probably going to be occupied for a short bit, which means I need to figure out a way to get out of this.

The plan? Stall and wait for opening to turn the tides on these two. Since they're robots and well, and of metal, my hidden blades aren't going to really do anything.

But if I can find an opening and go for eye, I should hopefully be able to damage her vision and give myself enough room to turn the tides on them.

I ain't going down without a fight!

"So how did you two become heroes?" I asked.

"You're a strange human." Commented Prototype. "Making small talk while captured!"

"And you're not even hiding the fact you're a robot." I replied.

"No need to. You must've realized since your companion was also an AW-VSD model." Prototype continued.

"Stay quiet, human." Isolation frowned. "You're annoying."

"Nah, I don't think so." I grinned in response. "Annoying people is my speciality."

"I can tell." Isolation muttered.

"You're funny." Prototype smiled. "Sorry about capturing you. Boss' orders."

"I get it, hero business and all." I continued to slowly wiggle, slowly moving my arm and freeing it up. "Are all the AW-VSD models beautiful girls?"

"Of course!" Prototype grinned. "What is the meaning of life other than to be pretty?"

"There is no meaning." Isolation replied, deadpan.

These two have quite the personalities...

I paused as I realized that we were passing the Administration. We've also must've passed the police stations by now. If they aren't taking me to either of those, then where...?

"Where...are you taking me?" I questioned.

"To the boss." Prototype replied.

"And who is this boss?" I worriedly asked.

"That's classified." Isolation stated. "Stay quiet before I shut you up."

"Make me." I stuck my tongue out at her.

Isolation glared in response, before turning her eyes back forwards as she continued to fly us. It seemed like we were...

...leaving the city.

No, no no no no.

It can't be.

They're part of Stromford. Their boss would, theoretically, be Killian. But he's still in the city. He's been very public recently, making sure to keep his image nice and squeaky clean.

You absolute imbecile.

I know realize why I never found him all this time.

You've gotten us captured by the last person we could possibly want.

They're working for Vincent.

And he's been outside of Champion City. But unlike where I thought he might've been in another city...

He's been waiting right outside this whole damn time.

Because in the distance Isolation was flying us towards the nearby mountains that neighbored Champion City. And nothing screams secret base more than that.

That truck that was leaving the city?

How much you bet it was going right there.

Fuck.

No, no no no no.

I need to escape. I NEED to escape.

I cannot let him capture me!

You're nothing but a liability.

Let me take control.

Fuck no.

"Look, as nice as this has been..." I slowly spoke. "...tell Vincent to kiss my ass."

I fully tore my arm out from her grip, the metal ripping at my skin and tearing it up. I bit my tongue as I flicked my rapidly bleeding arm, bringing out the hidden blade.

I slammed it into the surprised Prototype's eye before she could react. Her grip lessened around me, allowing me to swing myself upwards and onto Isolation.

"We're landing! Now!" I growled, trying to bring my blade into Isolation's eyes. She dodged, only for something to suddenly grip me from behind. I looked behind in horror, seeing as the back of the purple jetpack had extended into an arm that held me by the waist.

It yanked me off of her, throwing me back into the grasp of Prototype. Her face had gone neutral, one of her eyes completely destroyed.

"Damn it, I hope they'll let me repair this..." Prototype muttered. "...this ain't cute at all."

I grunted as her hold on me became tighter, compressing me with the metal. The smile returned to her face.

"Don't try anything again before I return the favor." She smiled, a terrifying edge to the voice.

"Why the hell are you working for Vincent?" I growled. "He's going to throw you both away once you're done being of use to him."

Prototype didn't respond, turning away and keeping the smile on her face. Isolation kept her frown, an annoyed look on her face.

I struggled in her grip, but I was barely able to move. I couldn't wiggle myself out at all, no matter how much I thrashed and moved in her grip.

I felt my breath start to quicken as a pounding headache was taking over. Sweat was rolling down my skin in waves as my heart relentlessly pounded at my chest to escape.

Not again.

NOT AGAIN.

I made a fucking promise.

Getting revenge on Vincent was a selfish wish, so it could come later. My main priority has always been Gabriel.

If I'm captured, then-!

"Let me go!" I growled, struggling in her grip. "Fuck! Damn it! Shit! I'm going to tear you two apart if you don't-!"

And then something whacked me in the head, knocking me out cold. An instant later I gasped awake, back in that old bathroom of my old apartment.

I slowly looked up, shaking as I stared at the cracked mirror in front of me. My reflection stared back, the man in the mirror.

"I've let you have your little fun." He spat. "I let you lead the show. But you've done nothing but spat upon his grave."

"I'm taking over." He slammed his fist against the mirror. "This ends today."

"I'm not letting you out." I growled.

"You're afraid that you'll never get control again." He continued. "And you're right. You'll be the one that gets locked away. You were a mistake."

"You're one to talk." I countered.

"I didn't ask to be created!" He slammed his fist against the glass once more. "I never asked for this!"

"Neither did I, asshole!" I screamed at him. "But I'm not letting you kill Gabriel."

"I'm doing them both a favor." He glared.

"That's not what he would've wanted." I argued.

"You don't get to talk about what he wanted." He growled. "You're delusional, thinking you're in the right. Playing pretend all of the time for someone who doesn't even truly know you. You're a fraud. A fake. A copy. All while thinking you're a hero."

The other stuff may be true, but...

"No..." I replied. "...I'm no hero. I'll never be. Now fuck off!"

He slammed his fists on the mirror once more, the cracks across the glass spreading. I flipped up both of my middle fingers, falling backwards as my vision went dark.

I gasped awake, metal restraints across my wrists, ankles, and stomach. They strapped me down to a metal table in a hauntingly scientific room. I struggled in them to no avail. It was useless.

"You're finally awake." A haunting voice spoke.

That voice.

That damn voice.

I could never forget his fucking voice. I still heard it in my nightmares, taunting me with three simple words.

Isn't. This. Fun.

"Vincent." I growled, looking up and glaring into his blue eyes. He chuckled at me, running a hand through his brown hair.

"It's been a while." Vincent replied, twirling a pen in his hands. "You're a lot more expressive than I remember. How interesting."

"I'm going to fucking murder you." I spat.

"The little boy thinks he's sooooo tough." Vincent mocked. "You've been alive for a year. Frankly I'm surprised you're still alive at all."

"You're going to regret this." I glared.

"The same way I regretted last time?" He chuckled. "No no, my only regret is that you escaped. You were my best project, after all. My best creation."

He circled around me, monologuing to himself. "Truly, I've never had a better experiment than with yours. Even if at the time it was considered partly a failure."

He grabbed my face, staring into my eyes. "I mean, just look at you. Here you are, thriving a year later. A little fledgling that managed to perfectly integrate himself into society. You are much smarter than I ever gave you credit for."

I spat in his face. He wiped it off, keeping his grin without a care for the world. "It's a shame that it was only you that survived, however. I assume his luck ran out?"

"Fucking asshole!" I screamed. "You murdered him! He's dead because of you!"

"You two tried to escape, and that was the consequence of your actions." Vincent shrugged. "Nothing to do with me. It was a major loss at the time, but thankfully you share his blood. I can continue on with my greatest project."

"It's been such a drag, doing stupid research on AW-VSD models, the I-Genome, or Stellar and other double-powered." He frowned. "I had already reached the pinnacle of science, but because of your escape that was put on pause."

He then started to chuckle to himself, a maniac look in his eyes. "But here you are, returned! I've made a few breakthroughs while you were gone, and now I'll be able to go even past the pinnacle."

He jerked his head towards me, his grin widening in madness. It struck fear into my body, causing it to shake without me being able to control it. He got close once again, practically laughing in my face.

"Your blood is going to be the key." He grinned. "Especially after I do some modifications."

Countless possibilities ran through my mind, and I shuddered in fear at all of them. Whatever was coming, it wasn't good.

I struggled against the restraints once again, screaming in a mixture of anger and fear. No matter how much I trashed, I still couldn't get anything to budge.

"Now don't mind me." He grinned to himself, holding a needle attached to a tube. "I'm just going to be taking your blood now."

"No! No no no!" I screamed, shaking as he brought it closer. I continued to thrash, before he tightly grabbed my arm and stabbed it into one of my veins.

Blood started to get sucked out of my body, moving through the needle and into the tube, traveling somewhere to where he would be keeping it.

"It was a mistake not taking as much blood as I could last time." He rambled. "I hadn't expected you to actually escape, so I didn't have the proper requirements to make another clone."

"Fuck you! I'm going to make you regret ever creating me!" I screamed at him.

That's right. The secrets out.

Let's be honest. I knew this whole time I was never someone ordinary. That I was never a simple grunt.

I was a failed experiment.

Created by the man I hate most.

I'm a fraud. A phony. A fake. A copy.

All appropriate words to describe me.

Because I'm not even a real fucking human.

I'm a clone.

The one and only clone of Miracle.