Chapter 1

Seventeen years later

The sweltering air attacked a cramped metal box, baking its prisoner alive. The captive was used to it by now. How long had he been in there? He had no clue. Weeks? Months? Years? It could have been decades for all he knew.

He lay on the torrid sandy floor, too weak to protest his imprisonment. The first few days, maybe weeks, of confinement, he fought, banging on the hard metal wall, clamouring at whoever would listen. Eventually, he gave up, quickly losing hope of freedom. The pinnacle of his protest, was the barely noticeable dents left on the blistering alloy walls. Now, he merely lay on the floor, engulfed under the cloak of darkness.

His captors, whoever they may be, fed him just enough to survive. A slice of stale bread with warm water if he was lucky. His only possessions, his memories - however vague and hazy they were - and his name: Donovan Jones.

The only change in scenery, was during the experiments. They would pull Donovan out of his box, strapping him onto a pleasantly cool board, before moving him into a garish open laboratory.

Every once in a while, they would empty his bowels, and shave his residual beard. They used to drug him, preventing Donovan from harming the scientists, but now there was no need. There was simply, no fight left in him. He was but a soulless husk, spending his days in a constricted oven.

After he was somewhat refreshed, they would add even more leathery straps to his collection, securing him onto another board, this one a pure white and plastic. They would inject into him, innumerable amounts of serums of all different colours and quantities. On the odd occasion, they would pull blood from him, most likely to test it. The scientists - whoever they may be - ran almost every test imaginable on him. They would conduct fitness tests on him, making him run until he was completely worn out, then they would make him lift heavy weights. Sometimes they would conduct mental tests on him too; they would make him take exams, and sometimes show him a room filled with different ornaments. A few days later, they would show him the same room, but with something missing. He was good with this, he could always identify the missing item. He had no idea why they did it, why they chose him, why they did anything. He just wanted to be free.

He brought his boney knees up to his ribs. Closing his gold speckled, green eyes, he let a single tear fall from his scarred face, as he thought back to that time, so long ago, when he was happy, and safe, and free, when he had a family. Then, he thought back to how all of that got ripped away from him, faster than he could blink.

*****

Donovan dug his bare feet into the wet grainy sand, laughing hysterically at his mums goofy behaviour. Jessica his mum, was being pushed into the icy rock pool by his other mum, Rachel. Jessica fell right into the water, her bun quickly unraveling into loose dirty blond locks.

Donovan snuck up behind his other mother, before pushing her into the pool as well. She shrieked in surprise, as Rachel fell on her wife in a bundle of uncontrollable laughter.

"You little weasel!" She laughed. "Donny, you're gonna get it now."

"Uh oh." He stepped back in feigned fear.

"Just because you're eighteen now, doesn't mean you can do whatever you please."

She stepped out of the water, an evil smirk playing on her lips. Rachel pulled on Donovan's arm, pushing him into the salty water. He gasped in surprise, when the icy ocean water seeped into his clothes. As Rachel started strolling away with a proud smirk on her, Jessica stuck out her leg. Rachel tripping over the foot, fell face first into the pool once again.

While lying in a writhing pile, laughing until their throats hurt, a large noise rang around them.

"Well, I guess we're done here." She sighed while standing, and walking towards a well hidden circular device.

She gently placed a hand onto the device, revealing a set of holographic icons. She clicked an icon reading '4D' disabling the holographic projections. Their beach began dissolving, pixel by pixel.

Where once lay a majestic rock pool, sat an old porcelain bathtub. Instead of swaying palm trees, there was a dying brown pot plant. Donovan longingly gazed out of the semi-cracked window, recalling the stories his parents told him about once lush green forests, and pure blue oceans. Instead, he glimpsed rusting skyscrapers, clogged with graffiti, hazardous factories spewing gloomy grey gas, and feral dogs running the litter filled paths.

He shook his head trying to put an end to his wishful thinking. It would do him no good to dream for a better future, he knew nothing would change.

Jessica, walked back into the room, wearing a confused, but fearful expression. Three intimidating men, all in black bulletproof vests, followed her. They looked around the room, before landing straight on Donovan. Donovan stepped back in fear as he realised they were after him, for reasons beyond his comprehension.

Donovan took a closer look at trio. When he recognised the initials 'I.L.E.' his eyes widened. The men worked for the 'International Law Enforcement.' They captured the worlds most wanted criminals. They weren't exactly known for their kindness or generosity.

"I didn't do anything wrong. Please, I didn't do anything wrong!" He pleaded.

If he was apprehended by the I.L.E. then he would never see the light of day again. Donovan didn't know why they were here, but he knew it wasn't good.

Instead of responding, they walked towards him in perfect unison, two grabbing hold of his arms, while the third tightly cuffed him. His mums yelled at them to stop, but to no avail. It was almost like they couldn't hear them. Donovan fought against the I.L.E. but they were too strong. His mums pulled at the enforcers arms, but still, it had no effect.

Within moments, they pulled him outside the comforts of his home, and threw him into the back of a black van with tinted windows. The only thing he heard from the I.L.E. "How did you escape our radar for so long?" Kicking and screaming the whole way, he hoped someone would save him, anyone.

*****

He was suddenly brought out of his reverie when the sound of an opening door resonated into the cell. Like clockwork, they lifted him onto the same wooden board, and strapped him with the same leather cords. But, instead of moving left, towards the lab, he was transported right, into a room he hoped he would never be taken.

The sharp screams that left that room, was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the prisoners. Nobody knew what happened in there, but that just made it a thousand times worse. Donovan never even knew there were other prisoners, until he heard the screams originating in that very room.

For the first time in too long, Donovan fought. He tugged at the cords, scratched at the scientists exposed skin, and begged for the sweet mercy that he knew would never come. Donovan felt a sharp stab on the side of his neck, as everything faded into a void of black.