Prologue: Awakening

The children cried and a dark figure walked over to one of the cages. A young red-haired boy crouched in the corner of the cage, whimpering in pain and fear. His head raised, revealing red on black eyes, eyes that saw in the darkness.

The man once known as Nathaniel Essex looked proudly at his recent creation. It was a pity that his last clone did not reach his full potential. Obviously LeBeau's upbringing had something to do with his rebelliousness and disregard for Essex's work. This time, he wouldn't make the same mistake. He would raise the child himself and mold the child into what he wanted. He gently stroked the shivering child's unruly hair and walked away, thinking about the possibilities available.

The child glared defiantly at the retreating back of Sinister and shifted in the cage. It was uncomfortable because he was unable to stand up and his back hurt. Once he was sure Sinister was gone, all of the submission and fear left his stance. The child fingered the lock and frowned. If he were Remy LeBeau, he would be able to break out. Unfortunately he had limited access to the core memories. But he had nothing to lose before there was nothing left of him in the mind. Soon, what Sinnister wanted would replace him: a cold-blooded killer... and a son obedient to his every whim.

The boy frowned and focused on the problem. Flashes of pain echoed in his mind and the child willingly embraced the pain and the memories that accompanied it.

He was looking into her green eyes, wishing that he could touch her face or hold her hand. He wanted to take away the pain and knowledge of his past but he couldn't. And he knew that part of him would always be with her, and it was that part that would kill him. Not the cold winds of Antarctica, but it was his own mind, his own soul that would condemn him to death...

The boy ignored those memories and plunged deeper into the recesses of his mind.

"De way t' pick a lock is t' have patience. Take your time n' listen carefully..." A older man, about thirty or so held up a piece of thin metal and a lock. "Watch." The man quickly picked the lock and handed it to the boy? him? who?

The boy, or himself, took the lock and picked up a similar pick...

The boy came out of his trance and tried to focus his bleary eyes. He revealed a long piece of metal from a small pocket in his shirt. He smiled and went to work. Soon the boy pushed open the cage and fell to the floor. He landed silently on the ground and looked around the dark laboratory. The other children were asleep and he tiptoed over to Red. She woke up and saw him out of his cage and made to ask how when he shook his head. The boy began to pick the lock on her cage.

A few minutes later, the two children sneaked out of the lab, the boy looked at the night sky in fright and horror. The boy felt years of memories crashing through his worn shields. He couldn’t scream or run, all he could do was hide and pray that Red would be all right without him. Slowly, the wounded mind retreated, leaving behind an empty shell. He was dragged behind Red who started running. The two children disappeared like lost souls in the night.