Chapter 5

The next day, Roy woke up in his new bed and walked out of the room after the morning routine.

The corridors were quieter, the hum of early morning activity settling into a steady rhythm. Roy made his way to the common area, where a few personnel nodded in acknowledgment as he entered. He grabbed a tray of food, not quite used to the deference that came with his enigmatic status.

Dr. Chen found him there, her demeanor more relaxed than the day before. "Eager for your first session?" she asked as he finished eating.

"More like eager for answers," Roy replied.

"Then let's get started." She led him to a lab filled with advanced equipment, walls lined with monitors displaying streams of real-time data. A team of scientists stood ready, glancing at Roy with anticipation.

The tests began—blood work, endurance trials, cognitive assessments—all designed to probe the extent of Roy's abilities. Hours passed in a blur of activity, Roland appearing intermittently to marvel at each result.

"Amazing!" he exclaimed at one point, waving a printout. "His data! With time it keeps on improving!"

He walked up to Roy, checking out his sweaty body. "Your power keeps on increasing. And it will only stop once it reached S-rank!" He spread his arms in excitement. "I have never had such a specimen, amazing!"

He circled Roy like an overzealous fan, muttering to himself about potential and legacy.

Dr. Chen stepped in, guiding Roy toward a console. "We need you to see something," she said, drawing his attention to a screen. "Your genetic sequencing. It's unlike any we've documented."

The display showed a complex map of DNA strands—intricate, vibrant, with unusual markers highlighted. "Those," Dr. Chen pointed, "indicate traits from the Ascension program. We see some of these in other subjects, but never all together like this."

Roy stared at the screen, trying to absorb the enormity of it. "So I'm… what? Some kind of perfect storm?"

"You're the only known second generation," Dr. Chen explained. "A true inheritor. The genes make you a perfect soldier, and S12 only awakened them."

Roland reappeared, practically vibrating with excitement. "Think of the possibilities! The Order's first natural-born superhuman! Imagine what you'll become!" His enthusiasm was infectious, but Roy felt a strange mix of exhilaration and unease.

"They'll want to move quickly," Dr. Chen cautioned, steering Roy toward a quieter corner of the lab. "The table. Elliot. Once they hear about this, they'll push for immediate deployment."

Roy frowned. "They want me to fight?"

"Eventually," she nodded. "But Roland will insist on more tests first. He'll argue it's for science, but it will buy you time."

Roy looked back at the screen, his genetic map pulsating with vivid possibility. "And then what? Does S-rank even have a limit?"

Dr. Chen hesitated, her eyes dark with buried concern. "Let me tell you a secret," She whispered. "Beyond S-rank is the SS-rank."

Roy's gaze sharpened. "SS-rank?"

Dr. Chen nodded, her voice low. "It's theoretical. No one has reached or survived it."

"But you think I can," Roy said, half in disbelief and half in awe.

Their conversation was interrupted as Roland approached, his enthusiasm undimmed. "No need to whisper! This young man is rewriting the rules as we speak!" He clapped Roy on the back, sending a jolt through him.

"Sir," Dr. Chen interjected, "we should consider his pacing—"

"Nonsense!" Roland exclaimed. "He's robust! Thriving! You are living proof of what we've only dreamed of." He leaned in closer to Roy, his eyes gleaming. "Imagine it—a new era, with you at the forefront!"

Dr Chen stepped in. "S—Sir, please calm down."

Roy stared at Roland, the scientist's excitement nearly overwhelming. The idea of SS-rank—of going beyond what anyone had ever achieved—was as terrifying as it was exhilarating. But beneath the enthusiasm, Roy could see something else in Roland's eyes: obsession.

Dr. Chen gently pulled Roy back a step, inserting herself between him and the scientist. "We need to consider the long-term effects," she said carefully. "Pushing him too hard could have consequences."

Roland scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Nonsense! He's handling it beautifully. The S12 has never bonded with a subject this perfectly. We must continue!"

Roy took a deep breath. "Before I agree to anything else, I need answers. About my parents. About Protocol Ascension. About why I was able to take down that C-rank chimera faster than Cade."

Roland's manic energy dimmed slightly, replaced by something more calculating. He exchanged a glance with Dr. Chen before nodding. "Fine," he said. "You deserve that much."

Dr. Chen led Roy to a nearby console, pulling up classified files. After a few security clearances, a document titled "protocol ascension" appeared on screen.

She scrolled down, revealing grainy photographs of individuals in laboratory settings. "It was an initiative by that guy—"

Roland interrupted her. "Archus." His tone mocking.

Roy turned to Roland, catching the rare sharpness in his gaze. "Who was he, really?"

Roland smirked, his voice intrigued. "Oh Archus? He was a terrifying monster in human skin. His ultimate ambition—power. Not political, but pure power. Project ascension was one of his pet projects."

"At the end of the dark era, a massive battle between Order and Foundation raged, lasting many years. And right at the end of that battle, it is said that he died. But i don't buy that. I believe he's still alive, lurking somewhere and planning something… devious" Roland started laughing creepily, the sound sending an involuntary shiver down Roy's spine.

"Your parents were part of that plan," Dr. Chen said, cutting through Roland's unsettling mirth. "They volunteered before you were born." She pointed to a picture of a young couple—serious and determined. Roy could just make out their faces, barely older than he was now.

"Wait," Roy said, frowning. "Why would they—"

Dr. Chen hesitated, her finger pausing on the screen. "Their goal was to create a new generation that could withstand what the Order was predicting: a resurgence of conflict even greater than before."

"Archus shared those beliefs," Roland added, his tone dripping with disdain. "He thought only the strongest should survive."

Roy stared at the image of his parents. "So they signed up for this knowing what it meant for me?"

"They believed in it," Dr. Chen confirmed softly.

Roland laughed again, eyes gleaming with a mix of delight and danger. "I don't think anyone realized that they would succeed and create… you."

"Truly… fascinating story, don't you think, my boy?" He stopped laughing and now only smiled, seeing Roy's serious expression.

Roy said nothing, absorbing this revelation as new information tumbled into place. His abilities, his past—it was all connected to a legacy he barely understood.

"And the council?" Roy asked. "Elliot? They're all part of this?"

"They are," Dr. Chen said, her voice steadying him even as Roland's presence loomed larger. "They want to harness what your parents began."

"And Archus?" Roy's voice hardened.

"He will show up," Roland cut in, his expression turning fierce."That damn Archus! Archus! Archus! Archus! Archus! Archus! Archus! Archus!"

He manically striked a wall next to him with such strength that it shattered into rubble.

Dr. Chen watched the collapsing bricks with alarm. "S12 on you of all people was a mistake," she said.

Roy noticed the flicker of concern in her eyes, and for a moment, Roland's obsession seemed more than just academic curiosity.

"It's fine!" Roland shouted, though his breath was ragged, his eyes wild. "All in service to our greatest achievement!"

"Sir, we should—" Dr. Chen started, but Roland waved her off.

"I'll be in my office!" he declared, sweeping out and leaving a trail of dust behind him.

Roy stared at the rubble, then back to Dr. Chen. "Is he… okay?"

She exhaled slowly. "It's complicated."

"Like everything else around here," Roy muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Dr. Chen placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know this is overwhelming."

"You think?" Roy laughed bitterly. His mind was spinning—a lifetime of answers and yet even more questions arise.

She sighed. "Tomorrow, we start your training. Once you reach A-rank. We won't be able to keep you here anymore." She waved her hand and walked away.

Roy watched Dr. Chen's retreating figure, feeling a weight settle over him. For a moment, he stood alone amidst the hum of the lab, his thoughts as frenetic as the machines around him.

He returned to the console, staring at the image of his parents. The mystery of their choice wrapped around him tightly, a coil of purpose and doom. He touched the screen gently, tracing their outlines.

"Why?" he whispered. "Why would you do this?"

But the question hung unanswered in the sterile air.

The lab lights flickered as if sensing his turmoil. Roy clenched his fists, determination hardening within him. If he was to be their legacy, he would control it—not the council, not Elliot, not even Roland with his wild ambition.

His resolve firmed. Tomorrow's training would be the beginning of something new—a path that was his own.