Chapter Text
Inside a spacious hall within the center serving as the main training area for fencers, two faced off against each other as they parried and dodged the swords trying to touch them. A captivated audience stood around them in awe at the lightning quick movements until finally, one of them struck and won their sparring match.
"And the winner." The referee declared as he presented the victor in that fight as applause rang through the air.
The winner lowered their sword before he pulled off the mesh metal mask off their head with a sigh. Green eyes glinted in the light and their short inch length blonde hair with fringes falling over their forehead and parted in the middle. They were thin and had an androgynous look in their face, but with a keen eye, anyone can tell the winner was a male at the tender age of fifteen.
He shook hands with his opponent, an air of comradery around them. "That was a good match, Pierre."
Pierre grinned, "I barely saw your sword coming. Well done Eric."
Eric smiled as he walked away from the training mat and went over to where his equipment bag was waiting by the bench.
"That was amazing brother."
Eric turned and saw his thirteen-year-old sister, her hip length pink hair tied back and black horn-like ornaments adorned the top of her head. Her bright round eyes watched her older brother.
"Thanks Anya. I thought for a moment I slacked off back there." Eric said as Anya handed him a water bottle.
"Nonsense. With final exams over we can finally relax for the whole summer." Anya stated as she pumped her fists in the air. Though she has matured over the years, she still carries that hyperactive energy.
Eric smiled slightly and looked down, "Yeah, relax." Though the school year has ended, the mission hasn't. The two siblings are in reality lab experiments who escaped captivity and have lived on the run and in hiding for nearly a decade. The scientists who created them are currently hunting them down as they were the first successful test subjects to develop powers.
Eric the telekinetic whose ability depends on focus and emotion, and Anya the telepath who can read minds of living beings around her.
"Let's go home." Eric said as he slung his bag over his shoulder and took Anya's hand then lead her out of the building.
Anya sighed as she carried her gymnastics bag beside her, "You don't have to hold my hand all the time you know. I'm not four anymore."
Eric kept his face impassive as he stayed on alert, "Old habits die hard little sister, including your tendency to chase after hooligans."
Anya shrugged, "You can't blame a girl for roundhouse kicking him in the head."
Eric glanced at his sister and frowned, "You're just lucky I got you out of sight before anyone saw you."
Anya smiled unashamed, "Still, his reaction was funny."
Eric kept his face straight as he willed himself not to laugh then admitted, "Okay fine, it was funny."
Anya giggled as the siblings made their way home. back to their family apartment.
"Hey, we're home." Anya announced as they entered their residence.
Bond bounded up to them, excited as ever to see his mistress.
Anya set down her bag and gave the giant white fluffball some loving scratches. "Have you been a good boy Bond?"
Bond blushed and turned to the side when he remembered his walk and how he ran face first into a brick wall when he chased that bird who had a piece of meat in its beak.
Anya smiled comfortingly at her faithful dog and rubbed his head, "It's okay."
Bond groaned in contentment as he leaned into her touch.
Eric smiled at their interaction as he hung up his black jacket on the coat rack. The only son of the family made his way further into the apartment and saw his black cat, Honey Ninja curled up on top of the couch.
"Welcome home you two." Their adoptive mother, Yor Briar Forger called out from the kitchen as she cooked family dinner. Over the years of living with her husband and children, Yor has improved significantly at cooking.
"Hey Mom, need help in the kitchen?" Eric asked as he quickly set his fencing equipment bag in his room.
"If you could set the table please." Yor answered, grateful for her son's helpfulness.
Anya plopped onto the couch and let out a breath. "Papa's not back yet." She stated when she could not hear the mind of their adoptive father in the apartment.
"Oh, Loid called earlier while you two were at practice, he has a late shift at the hospital, he won't be home until morning. So, it will just be the three of us tonight." Yor informed her children.
Eric set the plates and utensils onto the table and said, "He better not be overworking himself again."
Anya smile at her brother, "You know how Papa is when it comes to his work."
Eric shared a knowing smile with Anya. Thanks to the sister's telepathy, they knew their parents' real identities and professions. Their father, Loid Forger who works as a psychiatrist, is actually a Westalis spy named Twilight fighting in a cold war to protect the peace between the east and west from those who wish to reignite another war. Their mother, Yor Briar, a clerk at City Hall is a top assassin who specializes in her field by rooting out traitors to the Ostanian government and 'cleaning' the filth from society.
This family consisting of secrets and lies have ensured the purpose of maintaining peace. However, only Loid and Yor remain unaware of each other's true identity or that of their children.
Bond's ears went up suddenly, catching Anya's attention as she was given a vision of the future.
It was night and Twilight was in a secret location sifting through the files until his eyes widened. In his hands were pictures of two children who looked around toddler age. They resembled his son and daughter, yet their eyes were empty and filled with hopelessness. His watch ticked as it read 2:27.
Anya felt faint after receiving that vision. 'Papa's going to find out tonight!'
"Um, brother, I just remembered about the summer project Professor Rodeen assigned handed out for us. Could you help me get started after dinner." Anya asked, her eyes wide as she made a subtle hand signs to spell 'DOG'.
Eric's eyes widened as he followed that sign. "Is it that bad?"
Anya had a look of anxiety, "Very."
Yor watched their interaction with a fond smile, Eric is always taking time out of his day to help his sister.
Throughout dinner, the family minus one made conversation as they ate. Eric tried to keep it light when he noticed how Anya was subtly trying to eat quicker to end the meal faster.
"Now Anya, there's no need to rush. You'll get a stomachache. Your homework's not going anywhere." Yor gently chided when she caught the worry in her daughter's eyes.
Anya swallowed, pounding against her chest, "Sorry Mama, but it's important that I start this project quickly before anything else."
"Just don't choke before that." Eric advised as he glanced at Bond who whined against the couch.
When dinner finally ended and Eric quickly cleaned his dish, Anya pulled him into her room and turned on the radio.
"Alright Anya, I'm here, what did Bond see?" Eric asked as he sat on the bed with Anya fidgeting where she stood.
"Papa's gonna find our files."
Eric's eyes widened, "What?"
Anya nodded frantically, "He's gonna find out who 006 and 007 are tonight."
Eric ran a hand through his hair in frustration. For years the siblings fought like hell to keep this from the world, their father especially. His boss gave him orders years ago to find Subjects 006 and 007 and bring them in. Eric can stomach being a tool to get into Eden College to help their father get close to Donovon Desmond, at least he's comfortable with academics. But he cannot let the man find out about them.
"Brother?" Anya asked as she listened to Eric's inner turmoil.
Eric let out a long sigh to calm himself down. "I'm fine. Where will this take place?"
Anya frowned, "I don't know. I only saw the time on his watch when the vision took place. 2:27."
Eric glanced at the alarm clock on his sister's bedside, "8:42pm. I have five hours and forty-five minutes. I'll grab Honey Ninja and we'll head out."
Anya frowned, "You're not gonna fight Papa again, are you?"
Eric sighed, "I don't want to, but I'll have to if there's no choice. I'll just incapacitate him." This will not be the first-time father and son confront each other while masking their identities. Every time they had their encounter, it evolved into a fight between them, or together against their adversaries. Twilight is determined to catch Subject 006.
Anya still looked discomforted, she's worried about two of the most important people in her life. She doesn't want them to fight.
Eric stood up and laid a hand on his sister's shoulder, "Hey, I'm not gonna let anything happen to Dad. You know that."
Anya sighed, "I know. Just please try to get along with him tonight."
Eric frowned, "No promises, but I'll do my best."
Anya gave her older brother a sad smile, he's been saying those words for over a year now whenever he leaves for his nightly excursions. This will be one of those nights.
"Now, before I go to bed in thirty minutes, let's get you started on your summer homework." Eric announced, making Anya groan miserably.
"There should be a law that bans schools from giving out homework during the summer." Anya whined as she flopped onto her bed.
Eric scratched the back of his head, "Now Anya, the sooner we get started, the faster we can get this done. What do I always say?"
"'If you do your worst task first, the rest of the day is easy.'" Anya recited as she trudged to her desk as Eric pulled up a chair beside her.
The siblings worked out a chunk of Anya's project before Eric left for his room. Honey Ninja sat on his desk as he locked the door then marched over to the air vent under his bed. He carefully unscrewed the grate and pulled out a plastic bag. He opened the bag and the skull-like mask staring back at him. Eric meticulously pulled off his clothes then dressed in his black deathly persona. His hair, ears and neck were covered by a headliner, leaving his face exposed. Stealth boots, black pants with pockets filled with hidden traps and medical aide. A shirt and black tight-fitting zip up hoodie covering his weapons. Finally, the white skull mask was tied around the back of his head, concealing his identity. Eric pulled the hood over his head, resembling death itself.
Eric snapped on his backpack and turned to Honey Ninja. He opened his arms to her, "C'mon Honey, let's go find Dad."
Honey Ninja leapt into the boy's arms and climbed onto his shoulders.
Eric opened the window then closed it behind him before he levitated to the top of the apartment building. "Okay, where to?"
Honey sniffed the air then turned her head in the direction of where she can sense his father and meowed.
Eric took off running across the buildings, flying through the air with the aid of his power.
Ever since he reached puberty, his power has grown exponentially, and he can only suppress it for so long. The only way he can relieve that pressure is by allowing his power out every now and then. But those nightly excursions aren't to blow up a building, he's become a hunter. The criminals who fall between the cracks and are often ignored by the police, he made a point to beat them up and tie them up for the police to carry off to jail. Those who witnessed his power told everyone and anyone they could find. He even made it onto the newspaper, receiving both praise and criticism for his act of heroics. But Eric wasn't doing it for the fun of it. He's trying to lure out the scientists. For the past two years there have been kidnappings of immigrant children and those living in poverty. Most of those kids were never seen again, the ones that were had evidence of torture and wounds left behind by medical instruments. How did he find out? His sister read their parents' minds and realized both organizations are looking for the same people. He knew that what he's doing is dangerous, but he needs to stop them before they find him and Anya. They can't keep hiding forever. It was time to fight.
Eric stopped once they reached what appeared to be an old, abandoned research facility. It was two story and had a basement underneath. It was fenced in with the words 'no trespassing' on the front.
He pulled back the sleeve on his left arm and saw it was 11:15. He has three more hours left.
"He's somewhere in that building." Eric said to his cat who purred.
While he knows he will run into his father, he hoped not to fight him. He needs to destroy those files before Twilight finds them.
Eric picked Honey Ninja off his shoulder and set her down. "Stay here. I'll be right back." Twilight would recognize the cat if she stayed with him.
Eric levitated himself towards the building. From what Anya described from the vision, their files are located on the second floor with the waning moon peering through the window and the law office building across the street. After making a calculated estimate, he entered through the already broken window of the second floor. He looked outside and had a good view of the moon before he began to search the entire floor. He looked through the lab equipment and the desks. Everything was covered in dust and leaves. He combed through each room, leaving no stone unturned until he came upon an office section filled with overturned desks, cabinets and chairs. Eric sighed as he searched through the mess left behind.
One cabinet refused to open. He jimmied the handle trying to get it unstuck. 'Someone locked this.' Eric realized before he held a hand over the keyhole, focusing his power on the lock mechanisms until the drawer opened. He reached in and found multiple folders inside, it was wrinkled and had some scorch marks around the edges. He opened the file and was met with the faces of himself and his sister. Both of them looked miserable and unhappy. He scanned the notes, weight, age, height, blood type, just medical information in general. What it didn't have were their names. But Eric knew that this will be enough to put him and Anya back on the operating table.
He closed the file and grabbed the lighter from inside his jacket. With a click and hiss, flames appeared and touched the edge of the folder and began to devour the paper. Before the flames could touch his fingers, he dropped it in the metal trash can. He watched the fire consume the folder with a hollow expression behind his mask. What was once evidence of their existence is nothing more than a pile of ash. One more truth burned into silence.
He pulled out another folder and began to read over details on the experimental drugs that were in development and the adverse reactions they caused. His green eyes scanned each word and finding the list of names of researchers who developed these drugs. This is something he needs to take with him. He closed the file then stacked the other folders on top of each other.
Eric glanced down at his watch, '1:53, time to go.' He unclipped his backpack and set it on the desk then unzipped it to stuff the folders inside.
The sound of a gun's safety coming off made Eric freeze. He didn't have to look behind him to know who it was.
"Stay right where you are kid." His father's voice seemed to echo in the empty building.
Eric slowly turned around and faced his father. The best spy from WISE was dressed in a black covert op. The goggles on the black cloth covering his head and the mask concealing the lower half of his face.
"I never expected to find you here Six." Twilight stated as he glanced at the dying fire behind the boy.
Eric sighed as he scratched the back of his head, he really hates being called Six. "Hello Twilight. Can't we just skip this part and go our separate ways? I'm sure you've got some girlfriend waiting for you back home." He said, sounding bored, tired and just done with the same song and dance every time they run into each other.
Twilight glared, his gun still pointed at the boy who doesn't seem bothered by the weapon. "I came here to find a lead on a bioterrorist group. I believe they are the same ones who experimented on you."
Eric laughed dryly as he gestured to the folders, "You're not wrong. I'll let you have half of them if you let me go."
Twilight's narrowed gaze, "I have to take you in. I don't wanna hurt you kid. I'm trying to help you."
Eric sighed before he snapped his fingers, the files all stuffed themselves into his backpack before they zipped back up. "I sincerely hoped not to cross paths with you tonight." The backpack wrapped itself around him and clipped onto his front.
"We both know what happens next." Eric said with an annoyed tone.
"Yep."
Eric roundhouse kicked the gun out of Twilight's hand before he threw a punch at his face. Twilight blocked his punch effortlessly before he threw the boy over his shoulder. Eric anticipated this as he surprised Twilight by flying towards the ceiling and running towards the window.
Twilight looked up and gritted his teeth behind his mask and gave chase.
Eric's eyes turned a brighter shade of green behind his skull mask before he shot his hand at the window, the telekinetic blast cause the glass to explode as he flew out of the two-story building.
Twilight saw this coming as he already had his taser gun out and fired at Eric.
Eric jerked in the air when he felt something hit his leg, followed by a surge of electricity than caused him to fall. Just as he was about to hit the ground, he stopped himself just in time before he lowered himself gently. His muscles tightened up painfully as he tried to jerkily move his hands to the back of his leg and removed the taser from his body. He groaned as he struggled to stand up. He looked up just as Twilight slid down the rope from the building and ran at him.
Eric shook his head to rid himself of the remaining voltages before he threw his hands out, his telekinesis created a dust cloud and swirled towards Twilight who failed to dodge in time as he was blinded from the dirt and gravel.
By the time the cloud dispersed, Twilight realized the boy vanished without a trace.
The spy groaned as he rubbed the remaining dirt out of his eyes. "Just great."
'Handler's not gonna be happy.'
In a hideout hidden beneath the old, abandoned library, Eric applied healing ointment to the afflicted area where he got tased with only a lamp to aide in illumination.
Eric hissed at the burning sensation on his thigh. "I'm never going to sit right. The old bastard." He cursed under his breath before her placed a patch against the mark.
Eric eased himself to sit without aggravating his injury. He looked through the files and found the names of the researchers he vaguely remembers. He looked up at the board covered in pictures of sketches of the scientists he remembers, map locations, dates, and different colored strings connecting and crossing over the other.
He sighed heavily as he pinned the name of the drugs and connected a string to the scientists and the location of where he and Anya were born. He stared at the borad long and hard.
"Where the hell are you?" He whispered to himself then sighed. He waved his hand toward the lamp, extinguishing the flames.
Sylvia stared at her best agent with a look of displeasure through her round glasses. "You lost Subject 006...again."
Twilight kept his face straight as he felt small under her gaze. "Yes Handler."
"And he stole the information you were after. The only lead we have to find those scientists." Sylvia said in exasperation.
"There's one other thing." Twilight began, "He burned one of the files, it's nothing but ashes. Why would he do that unless it is information that pertains to him and his little sister. He could've burned the other files as well, but instead he swiped them for himself." His eyes narrowed as he thought about that kid. No matter how many times they try to catch him, he is one step ahead of them and has incapacitated their agents.
Sylvia hummed as he turned to the board, in the center was the newspaper article featuring the vigilante of Ostania, the Grim Reaper. Strings connected him to other articles of captured criminals involved in trafficking drugs, stolen goods and humans. Most of them kidnapped children.
"It is as we theorized, he's trying to draw them out. Letting them know he's alive, trying to scare them into revealing themselves. The information he took are what will lead him to his creators." Sylvia mused, her eyes filled with pity for the child who was experimented on and became a hunter.
"You don't think he'll try to kill them?" Twilight asked, "Much as we want them dead, we need all the information we can get to find the root of their organization."
Sylvia never took her eyes off the frightening mask, "I don't believe he will kill them...at least not until they give what he's looking for."
Twilight sighed, "I apologize for my failure Handler."
"Don't be. We all knew he will be difficult to find, and an even bigger pain to recruit. How old would he be right now?" Sylvia asked as she finally turned to Twilight.
"About fourteen to fifteen." Twilight said as he thought of his own children, he can't stomach the idea of the scientists turning them into lab rats, into someone like Grim Reaper.
"Same age as your kids." Sylvia stated, "It's hard to persuade this kid with words like you would with your son."
Twilight smiled slightly, "Eric's more mature and reasonable." He glanced at the board, "Subject 006, Grim Reaper, or however you call him, is still a child tormented by those who ripped him apart and believes he can save the world on his own. The little delinquent."
Sylvia chuckled under her breath, "We'll catch him next time. Hopefully with tranquilizers."
"Counting on it." Twilight muttered to himself, pissed that the taser didn't weaken the kid enough for him to knock the brat out.
The penguin chirped for five seconds before a hand reached over and shut it off.
Eric groaned as he pulled himself out of bed. He had about five hours of sleep last night and his thigh still sore from the taser shot. With a snap of his fingers, the bed remade itself.
Honey Ninja crawled out from under the bed and stretched her long body before she followed her master out of the room.
Eric noted the bags under his eyes and the bed head he's currently sporting as he brushed his teeth. 'Dad had it easy last. The jerk.' He fumed as he still experienced the sting from their altercation. Luckily this bathroom has pills to relax the muscles.
A yawn made him look up and saw his sleepy sister through the reflection. "G'morning." Anya slurred as she splashed her face to wake herself up.
"Morning." Eric's voice muffled as he cleaned his teeth.
Eric translated his thought, 'I burned the documents that had our information.'
This made Anya wake up as she glanced at her brother.
'I had a small fight with Dad. He shot me with a taser. But we're both fine.' Eric spat the toothpaste out of his mouth and sighed. 'Our secret's safe.'
Anya looked relieved and said, "Thanks for last night."
Eric shrugged, "It was nothing. I'll make breakfast for us." 'I gave Dad a hard time last night. Boss lady is probably chewing him out because of me. It's the least I can do.'
Anya breathed out a small laugh.
Eric stood in front of the stove making breakfast, his face set in concentration as the sound of bacon and eggs sizzling filled the apartment.
Anya sat on the couch watching her favorite show Spy Wars, though it's just a rerun, she never stops enjoying the story.
Yor yawned as she came out of her bedroom, "Good morning."
"Morning Mama/Mom." The siblings greeted.
Yor breathed in the air and sighed happily, "That smells wonderful."
"Thanks. Dad should be back any minute. Figured I'd make him something before he goes to bed." While he's aware it's daylight, he knew Twilight will need some well earned rest after pulling another all-nighter.
Right on que, the apartment door opened and in walked Loid Forger.
"Oh hey, speak of the devil." Eric glanced out of the kitchen, "Welcome back, we were just talking about you."
Loid gave his family a tired smile, "Good morning everyone."
Yor caught the way her husband slouched, "Oh Loid, you're exhausted." She worryingly said as Loid removed his hat and coat and placed them on the hooks beside the door.
Loid gave his wife a reassuring smile, "It's nothing, really. My boss gave me a day today and tomorrow." Thank God for that after the night he had. Though it was not a big fight like he usually has with Subject 006, it still exhausts him.
"Well, at least wash up before breakfast Papa. I say this with love, you don't look or smell so great right now." Anya stated as she caught the scent from her spot on the couch.
Loid took a small whiff of his clothes and wrinkled his nose in displeasure. "You're right."
"Breakfast will be ready in fifteen." Eric announced, still focused on cooking.
Loid entered the bathroom and took a quick shower before changing into more comfortable day clothes.
He got out, feeling refreshed as Eric, Anya and Yor set the plates filled with food onto the table.
Loid breathed in the smell of breakfast, "This looks fantastic."
"Thank you." Eric said as he sat down beside his sister, wincing as his thigh gave a cry of pain from making contact with the chair.
Loid caught Eric's discomfort, "Are you okay?"
Eric brushed off his pain and answered his father, "Yeah." He sighed as he got comfortable, "I neglected several training sessions while I was studying for finals. I must've pulled something yesterday." He lied convincingly to the best spy from Westalis.
Loid nodded in understanding as he took a seat beside his wife. "Put a heating compress on it, it should relieve the pain."
Eric nodded, confident and relieved the man bought his excuse.
"Rough night Papa?" Anya asked as she focused her telepathy on their father.
Loid sighed as he began to cut up his breakfast, "One of our patients didn't want to come back inside. He's always escaping his room."
Yor stared at her husband in concern, "He wasn't too rough with you, I hope."
Loid stared at his plate and breathed out through his nose. "It wasn't so bad. But he is one of our most difficult patients."
Eric stared at his father, waiting for the man to give them the best lie possible. "What happened?"
Loid closed his eyes for a moment as he thought about Subject 006 origins, his tragic life that turned him into weapon. "A lifetime of abuse has made him distrustful of people. He's fifteen years old and feels like the entire world wants him dead." He sighed, "I've been trying very hard with this one. I want to help him. But I need him to trust me."
Yor placed a hand on his arm and gave him an understanding smile, "Just be patient with him Loid, I'm sure that with time, he'll understand that you're on his side."
Loid glanced at his wife and returned her smile. "You're right."
Anya nodded in agreement as she read Loid's mind, his genuine concern for her brother gave her relief, but the memory of his debrief with Handler worried her. They were able to surmise Eric's reason for going after those crime rings.
Eric hummed as he calmly ate his food, "Just be more careful when you have your sessions with him. Some people aren't ready to heal from their trauma just yet."
Loid could not disagree with his son as he thought about Subject 006. "That may be, but no child should have to hold onto that kind of pain."
Eric swallowed his food as his heart clenched at his father's statement. "Or perhaps the reason for their pain holds onto them instead."
Loid hummed, "His abusers are still out there, unfortunately. Where and who they remain unknown."
Eric's fist clenched beneath the table. 'Nothing remains hidden forever.' He thought to himself, it is only a matter of time before the scientists reveal themselves.
Anya glanced between her father and brother, feeling worried for them. They are close as parent and child yet are distant as Twilight and Subject 006. Their reasons to fight align, but they neither ally nor enemy to each other.