COVELENT: XenoTrait

The common room was quiet. Felix stood alone near one of the large windows.

Rain tapped softly against the glass. His eyes remained fixed on his hand.

Slowly, he clenched his fist. Then he relaxed it.

”There is no sign that only days ago my body had been pushed beyond its limits... Regeneration.”

He pondered. Felix sifted through his memories, and then they surfaced, memories of mere days ago:

”Felix stood at the far end of a room. He was holding a bloody knife, and his arm was laid bare, cut open in multiple sections. He counted... 10, 9, 8, 7, 6... and all the cuts disappeared.”

Felix smiled. ”So it only takes about 5 seconds for minor injuries like this to heal... I wonder how long it would take for an arm to heal...”

Felix came back to the present and continued to look outside as he thought:

”I have seen strange abilities before, strength, speed, powers like that of Markus, even transformations showcased by Joel Jones. He had regeneration, but his regeneration was not as fast...

This is different. It’s very useful and terrifying if I was fighting someone like that.”

He smirked. ”Now I wonder how powerful my regeneration will be if I fuse it with the traits in my glances.”

Felix stared at his reflection in the glass. The ability reminded him of things he would rather forget.

”All those failed experiments, all the blood and pain.”

He tightened his jaw as more memories flooded through.

”Please let him live...””Felix!!!” a woman screamed.

His face hardened. ”...Not now... Hmm, now that I think about it, I have everything I need.”

He started laughing. ”I don’t need to hold back any longer.”

For a moment, everything was quiet. Then movement caught his attention.

Felix glanced toward the main entrance. ”Abel,” he said in a low tone.

Abel was leaving the building. Felix watched him for a second.

”Hmmmmm... Abel is probably going for a stroll somewhere. Or maybe he wants some fresh air.”

The gates closed behind him, and Abel disappeared into the rain.

Earlier in Takakura’s office:

Abel stood with his arms folded, and Takakura sat behind his desk.

”You know where Markus is?” Abel asked.

Takakura adjusted his glasses. ”I do.”

Abel’s eyes narrowed. ”Then tell me.”

Takakura studied him for several seconds. ”You intend to confront him.”

”I’m bringing Amme back,” Abel said.

”You may die,” Takakura pressed as he thought, ”If he dies, I’ll lose my source of blood... plus I don’t know where Markus is exactly... I just know he was sighted in his home country... but who would stay there?”

He looked at his hands as he looked at his infected body and sighed.

Abel shrugged. ”Then I die.”

Silence filled the room as Takakura thought, ”All this for a girl... wow.”

He sighed once more and pulled out a small piece of paper. ”An address and....a map.”

He slid it across the desk, and Abel immediately grabbed it.

Takakura spoke calmly. ”Follow that route.”

Abel looked at the address and nodded. ”Thanks.”

Without another word, he turned and left.

Takakura watched the door close. His expression never changed. ”That boy might just die.”

Back in the present, Felix sat in the common room.

Thirty minutes passed. Then an hour. Eventually, something felt wrong.

Felix frowned. ”...Where is Abel?”

He stood up and walked out of the common room.

A few minutes later, he found Jean.

”Jean,” Felix said.

Jean looked up. ”Hm?”

”Have you seen Abel?” Felix questioned.

Jean blinked. ”Not recently.”

Felix frowned. ”You sure?”

”Yeah, I’m pretty sure.” Jean shrugged. ”Thought he was with you.”

The uneasy feeling in Felix’s stomach immediately grew worse. Without another word, he walked away.

The door opened, and Takakura glanced up.

Felix stood there and asked, ”Have you seen Abel?”

Takakura remained silent.

Felix took another step forward. ”Did you do something?”

”No,” Takakura replied.

Felix stared at him, and Takakura calmly folded his hands. ”I simply gave him what he wanted.”

The room became quiet.

Felix’s eyes narrowed. ”...Meaning?”

Takakura answered immediately, ”I told him where Markus is.”

Silence filled the room.

Felix’s eyes slowly widened, then...

His fist slammed into the wall beside him as cracks spread across the surface.

Takakura didn’t even flinch.

”What the hell is wrong with you?!” Felix’s voice echoed through the office. ”You sent him there?!”

Takakura remained calm. ”He asked.”

”He’s unstable!” Felix stepped forward. ”You know that!... He may die!”

Takakura simply watched him.

Felix gritted his teeth as a couple of veins appeared around his neck. ”Why would you do this?”

Takakura finally spoke. ”Because stopping him would accomplish nothing.”

Silence filled the room.

Felix immediately pulled out his phone. ”Fuck!...”

He selected Abel’s number, and the call rang. Once. Twice. Three times.

Then click.

”Hello?” Abel’s voice was heard.

Felix immediately spoke. ”Where are you?”

A pause.

Then Abel sighed. ”You already know.”

Felix clenched his fist. ”Turn around.”

”No,” Abel said as he looked out of the window of the car he was in.

”Abel!” Felix barked.

”No,” Abel replied.

Rain echoed faintly through the phone. Felix’s stomach sank.

”Listen to me.” His voice became serious. ”We don’t know what’s happening to your body... You could collapse, or even worse, you could die.”

Several seconds passed.

Then Abel answered quietly, ”I know.”

”Then come back,” Felix said.

”No,” Abel repeated.

Felix’s voice cracked. ”Abel.”

”No.” His voice hardened. ”I’m not letting her go.”

Silence.

Felix closed his eyes, and Abel continued, ”If Markus has Amme...” A pause. ”...then I’m getting her back.”

The call remained silent. Neither of them spoke.

Then finally, Abel exhaled. ”Sorry, Felix.”

Click. The call ended.

Felix slowly lowered the phone.

The room was silent.

Takakura watched from behind his desk as Felix stared at his screen.