Chapter VIII: First Kiss

Chapter VIII: First Kiss

“Alexa! Alexa!” kept repeating Dwayne (the microphone was inside one of his teeth). All circuits were busy.

”She will head towards her house, I just know it!” he thinks as he runs towards the closest train station.

Meanwhile, in some place away from where Dwayne is and unknown to us… Mordred arrives to his “lair”. That lair is a pent house in a brick and mortar 15 story tall building. There he finally arrives weakened to his home. As he opens the exterior windows he falls to the red carpeted floor. It’s actually a cozy house, themed around a hunters house with various heads on the walls of different animals, including a deer, lions and even bears.

“Hah.. so… they did get away with it…. They finished him!” he says as he slowly begins to take his armor away. “Destiny can play some nice tricks on us… haha. I can’t believe that the being that was created in that laboratory so many years ago is actually alive. The Bureau did get away with it… taking parts of my investigation for their own use. The transforming weapon… I invented that! Freaking idiots… I’ll have my revenge on them!” says Arthur… or Mordred… whatever (he’s half dressed).

On the other side of the city a dusk sun is making presence. That other side is known as the Bronx, a place for rich people to live. And in that same place Dwayne has appeared. Not stopping for a second after having taken the subway he walks towards Alexa’s house, a penthouse in a wealthy residential complex called “Elizabeth Hilton Houses”. As he’s about to enter the building he hears a familiar yell: “HEY!” it was Alexandra. Quickly he turns around and runs towards her.

“My God you are alright!” he tells her. “Yeah, I am alright… but no thanks to you Dwayne!” she replies. “Wait, I – I…” he staggers as he gives the reply. “You left me alone at that place as everything was falling apart” she says. “I….” Was all he could say. She, with a tear down her chin, heads towards the building.

“Alexa…” he thinks as one lightning quick thought crosses his mind. Not stopping he runs behind her and puts his arms around her. It was a marvelous scene as the dusk light covered their bodies.

“Not fair…” she replies with quite some more tears going down. “I was more worried about you than anything else… than anyone else. You don’t know how bad I really felt after leaving you alone in that chaos. For this I am sorry. There are things about me I can’t tell you yet as I don’t have the courage too. For this I am sorry. For not telling you how I feel about you, I am sorry. Now if you want to go on and leave me alone down here I will gladly take my leave as well. I just wanted to know that you were fine… I just wanted to know that you were breathing the same air as I do.” The young man replies as a flow of tears start coming down.

“Darn you…” she replies as a gentle smile draws all over her face. Slowly she turns around, facing him face to face, he still having her around his arms. “What do you speak that suddenly makes me feel so relieved. I will tell you, that last line sounded a bit cliché” she replies with the same gentle smile she always has. Slowly she raises her right arm and with the hand slowly caresses his left check.

“Since long I’ve known you… and yet I can’t figure you out” she says. “And you might never” he replies. “How is that?” she asks. “Because if you don’t give me a kiss now we will never speak again” he replies, cunning as ever. “Kevin did teach you well” she says. Slowly she closes her face on his and with a gentle movement she touches his lips. He replies by slightly opening his mouth. Then the moment arrived…. The kiss, their first kiss. It lasted for a few seconds until she made the move to back off a bit.

“Now I gave you the kiss… now you answer. Why did you leave me alone there? What is it that you can’t tell me?”

“I can’t give you those answers right now. I can just tell you that I left you alone because I felt the urge to help those in need. Alexa… I- I can’t tell you who I really am, I can’t! I am not who you think I am!” he replies.

Then Alexandra backs away.

“So be it…” she softly whispers; “if you can’t tell me who you are…. Who you really are, then this relation won’t work. If you can’t trust me then it will never work” she concludes. She turns around and walks away.

“Alexandra….” He says.

“Then… it is done” says Dwayne as he turns around. “She can’t be with me… if someone knew who I really am, then she would be in danger. I can’t put her through that… its better for us Alexa” he thinks.

Night has fallen all over New New York City. A depressed Dwayne enters the residential complex, completely ignoring Uncle Martin’s nonstop yells for him to eat. The young man takes the elevator and reaches his room in the fifth floor. There he sits over the bed’s edge and looks at a nearby mirror.

“This is me… a monster…..” he whispers. He turns on the holographic TV by just shouting “Turn On”. CNN begins and a female reporter appears on the projection: “Today President Adam F. Goodwill made various comments about the event that took place in New New York City, let’s hear them:”

Footage of President Goodwill appears and he begins to speak: “Today was a sad day for the United States of America, and especially a sad day for those living in New New York City. An unknown terrorist attacked the Grand Fiesta event killing hundredths, maybe thousands. Other thousands were injured and the people are once again living in fear, fear not felt since the city became the battleground for World War III. This madman will be trapped for sure, all of our forces and intelligence are looking for him.” he said on the previously recorded footage. A reporter then stood up: “What about the reports of the demon man that saved many others and stopped him? He’s known to have been around for a while?” he asked. “Honestly, I didn’t want to talk about that… thing… that man who today saved many. I give him my full thanks” the President replied, but then the same reported asked: “Who is he? Is it true that he’s an experiment? No one knows where it, or he, came from”. “The United States of America has never dealt with such things in its past, and never will. Now my fellow reporters I must take leave, for I must begin signing the aids for the people of NNYC. Good night” said the President, concluding the footage.

The reporter continues: “Now, who is this man? This thing that has saved so many and has helped hundredths already, and is supposed to be the one responsible of the slow decline of criminality in NNYC? Who is he? Is he a genetic experiment?” In that moment Dwayne turns it off.

“A monster… a it…” says Dwayne as he puts his back over the soft bed and slowly closes his eyes, falling asleep.

A few hundred miles away, below the White House a secret meeting was taking place.

“You say you can tell me who that man is?” says President Adam, who should I add, has a goatee.

“Yes Mr. President” replies another man, who seems to be a General. He’s a bit fat and might be around the 65 years of age with white hair in his head and beard.

“So tell me Richard, how did that man get away?” asks President Adam. The General, called Richard, quickly turns on a holographic design.

“Arthur Longheart, 35 years old, blood type O. Born in August 19 1999. Summa cum Laude in the University of Harvard, Genetics and Engineering. Was once married with Laura Longheart, a mastermind in magnetism, warfare, and hydraulic engines. She died 5 years ago, by our own hands. Arthur was one of our employees, working in the NanoBIO project. He was an excellent employee and using a membrane made from bone ashes he invented a shape shifting weapon, which could be changed by thought alone. Mrs. Longheart meanwhile worked in the creation of nanomachines under the command of Dr. Hyde. When she found out for what purpose her nanomachines would be used she rebelled against us. Immediately she was killed in order to keep the secret. In rage Arthur attacked Dr. Hyde but was paralyzed. But after that he turned into a peaceful man, obeying every instruction. Then 3 years ago, he decided to quit and joined as a Professor in the University of New New York City. There we have kept a constant eye on him…. Until now. He has been secretly developing things inside his own hidden lab somewhere in the City.” Was the General Richard’s reply.

“NanoBIO… was he also part of the GenoBIO experiment?” asks the President.

“Yeah, he was part of it” replies Richard. “How many samples are left of the GenoBIO’s?” asks President Adam.

“Over 18 are alive and well” replies Richard. “God dammit! Do you keep an eye on them all?” asks the President. “Not all sir… only of about five” replies Richard.

Back in New New York City, Dwayne sleeps peacefully. The windows are slowly opened by someone who stealthily enters the room. The man stands, obscured by the darkness of night stands by Dwayne’s side. Immediately the young man wakes up.

“Who are you?! Lights on!” says Dwayne. The lights of the room light up revealing a man, a bit feminine looking. He has curly long blonde hair that falls way below his shoulders, almost reaching half of the back. Blue eyes that could hypnotize anyone and soft white skin. He is also wearing a brown robe.

“I am not here to hurt you” he says, in quite a masculine tone. “Then who are you?!?” says Dwayne already standing up and getting defensive. A shy smile draws in the man’s face.