COVELENT: XenoTrait

The extraction point wasn’t quiet anymore.

It buzzed with noise.

Voices overlapped, boots scraped against dirt, metal clicked as weapons were checked and rechecked. The tension that had once filled the forest was gone, replaced by something looser.

It was relief as they thought it was all over.

Felix stood among them, still, silent, watching and listening.

”...I’m telling you, something was off about that place,” one of them said, adjusting his gloves. ”Animals didn’t act normal. Like they were avoiding something.”

”Yeah... normal for mutants,” another replied, snorting. ”Plus if they were avoiding something it was most probably us.”

A third laughed. ”Not everything revolves around you.”

More voices joined in, overlapping in stories and theories.

”I tracked something for three days straight. Thought it was him because of how the footprints were similar. Turns out it was just a damn boar.”

”You’re lucky it wasn’t one of those swamp things. Heard they get big out there.”

”Big? Man, I saw tracks that looked like something dragged a truck.”

”That’s nothing I saw a giant eagle the size of a plane.” Another uttered.

Felix’s eyes shifted slightly beneath the mask.

’These guys really have no idea if what they are saying....

Not at all close.’

Then another voice cut through the noise moving Felix away from his thoughts. ℯℯ𝑙.

The voice was calm, confident and commanding, ”I told you all to stay within assigned zones.”

The group quieted slightly.

The speaker stepped forward, adjusting his vest with an air that screamed authority. His posture, his tone, the way others instinctively gave him space...

He thought highly of himself, ”I was the one who confirmed the remains,” he continued. ”Structure matched. Height even bone density, everything. Whatever was left of Felix Ainst is scattered somewhere in that forest.”

A few nods accompanied by murmurs of agreement.

Felix tilted his head slightly, ’So this is the one who thinks I’m dead.

Huh what did this guy even find that he is saying that he found a match of me..’

The man continued, almost amused, ”Honestly, I expected more trouble. For someone they hyped up that much...” he shrugged. ”How disappointing.”

A faint smile formed under Felix’s mask, ’ this guy must be crazy.

It’s even worse because I think he really believes that.’

The helicopter roared to life shortly after, its blades cutting through the air, forcing the conversation to end. One by one, they boarded it.

Felix moved with them with no hesitation, without wanting to draw attention to himself as much as possible.

He wanted to stay like just another body in black.

The facility came into view as the forest gave way to something artificial.

Steel beams shot up into the air as they were supported by concrete walls on the ground as it’s structure was bizarre.

It rose out of the land like it had forced its way there, cold and deliberate. Lights flickered along its edges, systems active, alive in a different way than the forest.

The helicopter descended and successfully touched down.

The doors opened slightly and everyone stepped out and Felix followed behind them.

Back to where it started, to where he made a huge strive...or close enough to it.

They moved quickly, guided inward through reinforced entry points. Doors slid open with mechanical precision, closing behind them with a heavy finality.

Inside It smelled sterile like it was cleaned from top to bottom not leaving a single grain of dust.

Felix’s steps echoed faintly as they were directed down a long corridor, then toward a transport system embedded into the facility’s core.

The tracks were smooth but it lead to a platform that was out in the open and had no hand rails.

They boarded it without question.

The ride down was quiet, too quiet as the once talkative crowd quieted down.

Felix stood among them, unmoving, eyes forward, while the system carried them deeper underground.

Then it stopped moving with a thud.

A voice echoed through the chamber, ”Remove your helmets, it time for an identification check.”

The group shifted...one by one, they complied.

The helmets came off, their faces getting exposed.

Badges raised high but Felix remained still.

”Next.” the newcomer said.

A guard stepped forward his hand out.

Felix reached into the uniform and pulled out the ID badge and held it up.

The guard glanced at it, ”Benjamin Franco,” he read. ”Deployed unit.”

Felix gave a slight nod, ”It’s me.”

The guard frowned slightly, ”Remove your helmet.”

Felix didn’t move, ”I’ve got a severe rash,” he said flatly. ”It’s not...”

”Remove your helmet!” The tone sharpened.

A second guard stepped closer his hands near weapons.

Felix stayed still, ”I can’t do that.”

Silence fell then, ”Remove your helmet,” the first guard repeated, slower now. ”Or we shoot.”

The room shifted as tension snapped into place.

Felix exhaled quietly, ”...Alright.”

His claws slid out at an incredible speed.

The first guard didn’t even react before Felix’s hand struck, slicing across his arm, just enough.

The paralytic spread instantly and the guard dropped.

The second went for his weapon but Felix was already moving.

A slash across the man’s chest and snother body fell.

Chaos erupted in the room.

The weapons came up but they were too slow for Felix.

Felix moved through them like something they had never trained for. Each strike was precise with minimal effort to be efficient.

He didn’t kill....not yet at least.

Every cut delivered the same result...they all got paralyzed.

One by one, they dropped, bodies locking, eyes wide, conscious but unable to move.

Within seconds the entire room was still and Felix stood in the centre of it all , breathing steady.

Then he walked away stepping over frozen bodies.

He stopped beside one still struggling internally, ”Where’s Jack?”

No response came as the man couldn’t speak.

’Oh right they can’t move.’ Felix crouched down...his claws hovered just above the man’s face.

”Blink once for yes. Twice for no.”

A pause.

Then one blink came from the man, ”Good.”

Felix pointed, ”which direction?”

The man’s eyes shifted weakly to the right.

Felix followed the line and saw an exit, ”Understood....thanks.”

He stood up and moved in the direction he was given.

Doors didn’t slow him down at all as locks didn’t matter to him at all.

He tore through them, forcing his way deeper into the facility, following instinct, following memory, following something sharper than both.

He knew this place, even if it had changed, even if it tried to hide.

Then he heard them...Voices.

A room ahead with multiple people in a conversation.

Felix didn’t slow down, he reached the door and broke through.

The room froze.

Several figures turned instantly, shock flashing across all their faces and Jack stood among them.

For a split second no one dared to move. Then Felix did.

He crossed the distance in a blur, claws flashing as he struck the nearest person. A cut, then another and another followed by dozens more.

Bodies dropped one by one, they were all paralysed.

The room fell into chaos, then into stillness just as quickly.

Only Jack remained standing in that room beside Felix.

Frozen in his place, ...what is this?” Jack said, his voice tight. ”Who are...”

Felix stepped forward moving slowly at a deliberately pace.

”Jack.”

The name landed heavy.

Jack’s expression shifted with confusion. Recognition trying to form, ”No...” he muttered. ”That’s not...”

Felix reached up and removed the helmet, his long hair flowed out of it like water.

Felix dropped the helmet and said, ”It’s me.”

Silence filled the room instantly.

Jack stared...His face drained of colour, ”...Felix?” Jack took a step back.

Disbelief cracked into fear, ”No... no, you’re...we found...”

”Bones?” Felix tilted his head slightly. ”Yeah....That was a nice touch.”

Jack’s breathing quickened, ”This— this doesn’t make sense—”

”It doesn’t have to.” Felix stepped closer.

Jack stumbled back again, ”Wait,” he said quickly, hands raising. ”Felix, listen to me. I can fix this. Whatever happened to you, I can help...”

Felix stopped right in front of him.

”Help?.... really?”

Jack nodded rapidly, ”Yes, yes, I can stabilise you, improve the serum, give you control—”

Felix’s eyes hardened, ”You already did.”

Jack froze, ”I—”

”You made me this.” Felix’s voice was calm.”And now you want to ’help’?”

Jack’s composure shattered, ”Wait, wait— we can still work together. Think about it. The investors, the funding, everything we built—”

Felix’s expression didn’t change, ”You took that from me too.”

Jack blinked, ”What?”

”My work,” Felix continued. ”My investors...My control.”

Jack shook his head quickly, ”No, no, that’s not— we had to make tough decisions to run a business”

Felix scoffed, ” yes and now I’m about to make a tough choice too.”

Felix moved faster than Jack could process.

His hand drove forward straight into Jack’s abdomen as he lay his hand on Jack’s spine.

The impact knocked the breath out of him instantly.

Jack gasped, eyes wide, body trembling.

Felix leaned in slightly, ”I told you.”

His hand pulled on his spine a little. Jack choked, his hands weakly grabbing at Felix’s arm.

”Felix... please...”

Felix didn’t stop. His grip tightened cracking bits of Jack’s spine.

Felix pulled hard and ripped the spine from Jack’s body.

The sound was wet.

Jack’s body went slack, collapsing as Felix released him, letting him fall to the ground.

Silence filled the room as Felix stood over the body for a moment.

Looking down on it then slowly, he turned.

Around him, paralysed bodies lay frozen, eyes wide, forced to witness everything.

Felix’s gaze moved across them as he moved quickly wiping all the security cameras of his arrival.

He passed by one guy who was paralyzed, ”sorry guys all of you will never move again...”