"I am so very curious." He grinned to himself. "Will the powers be the same as Miracle's? Will they be more like Stellar's? Or will it be a mix? Only one way to find out!"

Oh yes, give the guy who wants to kill you powers, that'll surely go well.

I glared at Vincent as he approached with the syringe. He grabbed onto my arm, maneuvering it to properly stab the syringe into my bloodstream. I flinched as he pressed down on the syringe, injecting the liquid straight into my bloodstream.

He backed up, discarding of the empty syringe. He watched me with a grin as I simply laid there. Isn't this supposed to do something-

OH FUCKING HELL!

It suddenly felt like I was burning under the skin of my arm, as if my whole skeleton was on fire. I grit my teeth as the horrific sensations started to spread to the rest of my body.

I involuntarily shook, letting out a scream of agony as the pain continued to spread and increase. It felt like my whole insides were being melted and mushed all together.

"Hm, who knew a forceful awakening would be so painful?" Vincent noted to himself.

I grit my teeth, grinding them together to try and stop the sounds coming from my mouth as I writhed in agony. My senses were overwhelmed and I couldn't tell if I was supposed to be on fire, suffocating, getting stabbed to death, or being mauled by an alligator.

Sweat rolled down my face in a constant speed, my vision going blurry as it got into my eyes. And then after god knows how long the pain finally subsided.

I heaved heavy breaths, my chest rising and falling as I tried to recover. Other than the whole insurmountable pain that I just went through, I actually didn't really feel different.

"I kind of expected something to happen by now." Vincent spoke, grabbing my face and making me look at him. "Go on, do something."

"I'd spit in your face again but you'd probably like it." I crookedly grinned.

Vincent sighed, letting go of my face. "I'll give you one more chance before I resort to more...unpleasant methods."

"Talking to you is already unpleasant, don't think it can get worse than that." I chuckled.

"You asked for it." Vincent shrugged.

He suddenly flicked a knife out of his pocket and slammed it down onto my side. I gasped in pain as the knife dug through my flesh and into my body.

"Your S-Genome should be awakened now." He continued. "So I wonder if I can make it reveal itself through fight or flight responses? Life or death situations?"

He yanked the knife out of my side. I grunted in pain, feeling the sting from the wound as crimson liquid dripped from my side.

"How many stabs do you think it will take?" He questioned. "I'm estimating about five, depending on where I place them."

"You should release me." I smirked. "I have a feeling my powers will show themselves then."

"Still running that mouth of yours." Vincent replied, unbothered. "You almost make want to sow it shut."

He slammed the knife into my thigh. I grit my teeth once more as he pulled the blade out, letting me start to bleed out from my thigh as well.

"I should probably seal those wounds before you actually bleed out on me." Vincent hummed to himself. "I want to learn more from you before you're discarded. I hope you don't mind a little bit of...cauterizing."

He grinned, pulling up my shirt to see the wound in my side, only to pause. He stared at my side in confusion, before suddenly poking it.

Surprisingly it didn't hurt.

"The stab wound is completely gone." Vincent murmured to himself. He stabbed me in the side once more as I grit my teeth in pain. He pulled the knife out, watching intently.

"Fascinating!" He grinned to himself. He sprinted over to the computer and started to type onto it. I could do nothing but wait and watch, being completely helpless in this situation.

If only these damn restraints would budge!

He turned back towards me, a psychotic look in his eyes as he skipped back over. I braced for impact as he brought the knife over his head.

And then he slammed it down. I screamed out in pain as he did it once again. And again and again and again. Blood splattered through the air as he repeatedly stabbed the knife into my body and I was sure that I was going to die this time.

My vision was getting hazy and my mind was going in circles. The world was muted as the knife was repeatedly stabbed into my front side and wondered how I could even still think.

"Vandercourt." A sudden new voice spoke, making him finally stop.

I gasped for air, staring up at the ceiling. My blood had completely covered the table and had started dripping down the edges.

How in the hell was I still alive?

I glanced towards the new arrival, thankful for his appearance to keep me from that torture. He was a buff looking man wearing all black. His hair was a dark black and the lower half of his face was covered in a mask of surprise surprise, the color black.

"What is it, Nightshade?" Vincent glared, blood coating his lab coat. "Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"Someone broke in and is tearing the place apart." Nightshade stated, crossing his arms.

Could it be...?

"Then deal with them!" Vincent ordered.

"Do not speak to me in that tone." Nightshade glared back.

"Don't forget who saved your damn life." Vincent pointed at him. "If you want my help then you're going to do as I fucking tell you!"

Nightshade clicked his tongue in response, before seemingly melting away into the shadows. Vincent growled to himself as alarms suddenly started to blare through the room.

"I get it, I get it!" Vincent screamed to himself. "Damn it! Looks like I'll have to postpone the experiments for now. Alright my little clone, you're coming with me."

"As if." I spat.

He walked over with a grin on his face and something in his hand he picked up from a side table. It looked like some sort of cloth.

"You act as if you have a choice." He pressed the fabric to my face as my vision suddenly wavered. I tried to fight it, only for the world to go dark.

I gasped awake, once again in that bathroom that I always seemed to find myself in. I looked up at the cracked mirror, seeing the other version of me staring at me with a blank look.

My "inner demons". Heh.

He's more real than anything like that. Because after all, he's me. I'm just the farce he's been putting up this whole time.

It's time we end it.

Before he could say anything I slammed my fist through the glass, shattering the mirror. I climbed my way through, landing onto the other side and staring straight into his eyes.

"Aren't you tired?" He questioned.

"Of course I am." I replied, leaning on the desk. "I just got turned into fucking Julius Caesar."

"And yet you still find the time to joke." He continued. "Acting just like him."

"Because that's what I am. An act." I replied. "One that we put on. You would know. You created me."

He stayed silent at my statement, but the look I saw in his eyes was all of the affirmation that I needed.

"We were scared." I continued. "We were starting to love someone again..."

Alexis' face flashed across my vision.

"...and we were scared of that. We wanted to be liked. We wanted to be strong to protect her." I continued. "So you created me. A farce made in Miracle's image."

His affirmative silence hung in the air.

"But now..." I continued. "...there's even more that matter to us."

Sophie. Hikari. Aurelia. Eleanor. Gabriel.

"And you can't deny that any longer." I replied. "I may have been denying you, but you were denying me all the same. And you can't deny how we feel."

"It hurts." He spoke. "He died for us, and we can't even avenge him nor accomplish his dream."

"Not can't. We haven't. Yet." I countered.

"The others will all eventually die." He continued. "What is the point of caring for those who could be taken away any day?"

"Whether there is or isn't a point doesn't matter." I stated. "Miracle loved us unconditionally."

"Gabriel is trapped in an endless prison." He spoke. "And he won't be coming back."

"Either way, we won't abandon him." I continued.

"I'm tired." He stated.

"But we won't give up." I nodded. "You know that."

I extended my hand out towards him.

"Listen to this voice in your head. Take my hand." I spoke. "Stop denying me as I stop denying you. This facade is over."

He looked down, staring at my hand. And then slowly, he started to reach out for it. I grabbed his hand, pulling him into me. I hugged him tightly as he hugged me back.

And then there was one.

I may just be a clone. I may just be a stolen identity. I may just be a damn personality that was copied.

But that changes now.

I'm no longer alone. I no longer only have a promise and a vengeance to fulfill. I have people that I need to protect as well.

I'm goddamn Jason James.

I looked at myself, noticing that my right hand was giving off some sort of white glow to it. I looked at it in curiosity before I started to feel like I was falling.

I gasped awake, quickly taking in my surroundings. I was tied up and being carried over the shoulder by a familiar bloodied lab coat as he ran down the hallways.

My right hand was still glowing, the light becoming even brighter. I had no idea what the fuck was going on but I can't help myself!

I wiggled my body, taking Vincent by surprise as I fell off of him and onto the floor. He quickly flicked his knife out, stabbing at me as I rolled out of the way. His knife cut straight through part of the ropes, allowing for myself to untangle myself as I continued to dodge his stabs.

"You were never a fighter, Vincent!" I grinned as I jumped to my feet, my hand still glowing.

I reared my fist back as Vincent brought his arms up to block. I slammed my fist into his arms, the bright light flashing as he was flown backwards through the hallway with incredibly strength.

"Holy shit!" I looked back at my hand, seeing it was no longer glowing. "I actually have powers!"

Vincent chuckled from down the hallway as he slowly stood up. "Taking that punch was worth it." He grinned, cracking his neck. "So this is the results of mixing!"

"Yeah, you shouldn't have done that." I grinned. "You've just made a big mistake buddy."

If only I knew how the fuck I just did that!

Vincent started to walk forwards, confidence displayed on his face. Unfortunately they confiscated my stuff so I'm going to have to make do with my fists before my fist becomes all glowy again.

And then he vanished in front of me.

"What-?!" I was cut off as a fist slammed into my face. Another punch connected and then another one sent me stumbling backwards.

His fist was coming towards me once again. I shifted my weight, dodging the punch only for him to vanish again and his fist to collide with the back of my head.

And then he reappeared in front of me, grabbing my neck and lifting me up. What the hell was that?!

"You were wrong about me not being a fighter, however." He grinned. "You're not the only with an S-Genome here."

I quickly thought about what just occurred. You've got to be kidding me. He has freakin teleportation powers! Come on!

"Now-" He suddenly disappeared again, allowing me to escape his grasp. I rubbed my throat as my eyes widened at the person standing in front of me.

"Bloodwraith?" I questioned.

She grinned as her eyes connected with mine. "I found you~!"

Her umbrella was extended forwards, the tip having a slight bit of blood dripping down. Vincent reappeared down the hall, touching the back of his neck. He pulled it out in front, revealing a dash of red across his fingers.

"This just became complicated." He muttered. "You know what, I suppose I need to shift my priorities. See you soon, my little experiment!"

And he disappeared once again, teleporting somewhere else. That's going to be difficult to deal with...

"You...came for me." I smiled.

"Not yet, but if you'd just take me to your bed~"She grinned.

"Don't ruin the moment." I chuckled, lightly placing my hand against my chest. "I assume 'The Maid' is the one wreaking havoc?"

"Yes, but so is Mother Wasp and Phantom." Bloodwraith shrugged.

"Wait, even Mother Wasp?" I replied. "She's here in person?"

"Of course~!" Bloodwraith grinned, sliding over and attaching herself to my arm. "Now let's get out of here quickly, love. Well, I wouldn't mind if we took the long way~"

I simply shook my head with a smile on my face.

Oh yeah, let's fuck shit up.