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“So, the sonofabitch used his knowledge of the system’s core architecture against us,” Kult said quietly. “And made himself into afuckingtwelve-year-old.”
“He did,” Quantum affirmed. “He leveraged his understanding of the neuro-partitioning and consciousness transfer processes. By accessing the root commands, he was able to override the safeguards and input a unique growth sequence.”
Harlow snapped his gaze to Quantum. “What do you mean aunique growthsequence?”
“Right now, he’s twelve years old. But he’s compressing lifetimes of learning into mere hours. Every day he’ll grow five years, learning or remembering all that he once knew.”
“Andwhywould he do that?” Kult puzzled with sadistic suspicion.
“That’s the real enigma,” Quantum said. “Let’s wake him up and find out.”
“If he remembers,” Atlas said.
All eyes locked on the module as it hissed open and up sat the thing they all wanted to kill, scrawny and looking half-baked. Literally.
“What’s all that black shit on him?” Kult muttered, his disgust at a thousand percent.
“Kevlar. Which will grow with him,” Quantum said, fascinated.
“Kevlarskin?” Sync asked.
“Kevlar coatedcells,” Quantum clarified.
“Why?” Atlas wondered as the boy hopped out of the pod. Smiling and naked. And...waving.
“What the fuck,” Kult mumbled as the boy hurried to the glass, stopping right before Kult, again waving like he needed to get his attention.
“Hello bruv,” he called, his voice muted by the thick barrier.
“Make it shut up,” Kult said.
“Now, Iknowyou’re angry with me,” he pled, “buthearme out.EverythingI’ve done is for our veryowngood.”
“I think I can kill a twelve-year-old,” Kult decided.
“Is that a British accent?” Atlas marveled.
“Our good?” Harlow said in disbelief, getting his weird eyes on him now.Judgyeyes? “You’repissed atme?”
“Damn right, I’m pissed at you, mate,” he shot out, the gold in his eyes flashing and overtaking the green. The boy’s gaze narrowed as he lowered his head.
“Is he remembering?” Sync wondered as Harlow eyed Quantum, glaring curiously at the human imposter.
“I remember what I gave myself to remember,” the boy informed, his tone surpassing his age as he looked back at Harlow. “Youtaught me all about that,bruv.”
“And do you remember what you did to Butterfly?” Atlas demanded now.
The boy looked right at his accuser. “I remember what Ihadto do.”
“Explain yourself,” Quantum ordered, his words cutting the air.
“Because she belonged toPain,” he snapped at him, that gold in his gaze flaring. “And you were doingjustas Kult said, reducing usrightout of her life. Go on then,” he dared lightly, crossing his little arms over his chest. “Tell me I’m wrong.” He eyed the rest of them, gesturing a hand at Quantum. “Ask him.”
“He’s not wrong,” Quantum said, his voice steel.
Harlow regarded his brothers, not really surprised to find them unperturbed. They’d all known it because it was inevitable. What they had with Butterfly had been unsustainable.
“And since she belonged toPain,well I bloody well had to do what I had to do.” He flashed perfect white teeth at Kult. “Bloodybrilliant, yeah?”
