2 The Escape

Fortunately for me, getting out of the exhaust pipe was easy since it had convenient footholds. Probably used by the Hydra as an alternate exit for emergencies or maybe just for cleaning. I didn't care. My only thoughts were getting as far from this hellhole as possible.

Getting out of the exhaust pipe, his body smelled like soot and burnt human flesh. It was nauseating and likely to be found out. Thankfully, I had prepared beforehand and changed into the spare coverall that I hid in the one I wore. Although it was dirty too, at least it didn't look like I came out of a fire.

Looking around, I seem to be in some machinery room with generators and other machines I had no idea about. Amidst the roaring generators, I walked cautiously until I spotted some containers that smelled of petrol.

I quickly sprinkled the petrol over myself to mask the smell on me and walked around to find the direction to the exit. I didn't want to waste time showering and the dirty janitor's clothes should be fine until I escape into a crowded town that is supposed to be not far from the factory.

After walking around and trying to avoid people who gave me odd looks I finally found the exit. But the moment I spotted the gates I hid right away. Even a blind man could see that the armed guards at the gate were highly trained Hydra agents.

After thinking for a while I saw a truck coming from the warehouse I had seen while I was getting here. The truck passed the gates and got out. It seems that I have to walk back to the warehouse.

But my luck wasn't as good this time. A man who had the tag of 'supervisor' proudly pasted on his work clothes walked up to him and asked, "Are you new here? Why haven't I seen you around before?"

"Yeah, I came with my uncle Matt. I was supposed to try the janitor work for a few days before formally starting." I made up a story. One that I hoped would appease the man in front of me.

I didn't know why but somehow I could tell the man in front of me was greedy and liked to exploit labor to make more money. So a free janitor should be something he shouldn't question.

It seemed like the trick worked from what I could tell looking at the shine in the man's eyes. But still, the man wasn't a supervisor for nothing, "Which Matt? From which department?"

"Matt 'the axe'. The one with a scar on his cheek?" I relayed the information about a driver I had heard while walking past the warehouse earlier.

"Oh, you're Axe's nephew! Good, good. I can see you are working hard, continue. You'll make it big if you continue working hard." The supervisor had a kind smile but his eyes and scrunched-up nose showed the disgust he was feeling just being near me.

Probably disgusted by the smell of petrol and the shoot he saw on the young janitor's body, the supervisor let me go with some kind words. But just after he walked a few steps, he turned back and asked, "Oh, I almost forgot, what is your name?"

At the supervisor's words, I turned back and almost instinctively answered, "Savant, sir."

That wasn't my name. Although I don't remember what my name was, it definitely wasn't that but the name popped into existence in my head the moment I thought of my name. I could only take it as my past world's last blessing to its lost child.

"My parents wanted me to grow up smart with such a name, but here I am cleaning floors." I added a line to seem natural. Ending it with a wry smile.

"Oh, good name." The manager just gave a perfunctory nod. He would probably forget about the encounter by evening.

Hiding inside the cargo and smuggling myself out wasn't too difficult. I even thought about how the security was lax at this Hydra base. But considering the fact that it seems to be around the 1990s, Hydra should still be bold, since not many knew that they weren't dead.

I didn't dwell on it too much. From the moment I woke up, I had already been in too many extraordinary situations to care about any details. The only thing I needed to think about was getting away from Hydra.

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{Third POV}

Savant got off the truck and slipped away when it stopped at a gas station at the edge of a town. He was wary of any cameras or people while he made his way into the town that was nestled at the side of some hills.

He first found a goodwill donation box and rummaged through it to find some decent clothes to change into. After finding some that fit him he walked around to find a place to clean up.

He found a public restroom in a park to wipe himself off and change into new clothes. He could finally see himself in the mirror and what he saw was another surprise. He looked like a 17/18-year-old kid.

Even though he didn't have many memories about his own identity, he knew for sure he had experiences of someone at least in his mid-twenties. But then again, de-aging isn't even a big deal considering his situation.

Looking closely at himself, he wasn't the very good-looking type. Just an average guy who would blend into the crowd. His height was about six feet so that was a plus. He seems to have brown eyes and matching brown wavy hair. His body had some light scars here and there but he wasn't sure if Hydra did it or if it existed before that.

Savant changed his clothes and hid the guns in the slightly bulky hoodie he now wore. He thought of his plans ahead and the first thing was to get as much distance as possible from the Hydra base.

He didn't know his own identity and had no way of finding out in the short term so the best option was to steal a car. Walking to the parking area, he lurked until he had a chance.

After Savant found a target who was alone in the parking lot, he walked up to the girl calmly while she was fumbling to find the key. He used the butt of the gun to hit the girl's temple. The girl fell unconscious.

He checked to see if she was alive and sighed in relief once he felt her breathing. He didn't want to kill innocent people indiscriminately. He would kill for his survival but he didn't feel like he was a psychopath who could kill for pleasure.

Driving off with the old Honda Civic from the 80s, he searched through the glove compartment and found a map and some cash. After trying to read the map and cursing that google maps had spoiled him, he finally made out a route to California.

There wasn't any reason, it was just a big city where a guy without an identity could hide. He would make it a place where he would start his life in this new and unfamiliar world.

Savant knew that in a few hours that this car would be reported stolen so he had to quickly dump this car and find another ride to his destination. His plan was simple, drive a few towns over to Salt Lake City, sell the car cheaply to any shady guy you can find, and get a train to California.

And that is exactly what he did. Although there were some hiccups in between, there was nothing that pointing a handgun in the face wouldn't solve.

On the train, Savant finally relaxed and had some time to think calmly. The first thing he did was to find a newspaper. Information is key to planning. And the first thing he saw was the face of Logan 'Wolverine' plastered on the front page. Apparently, X-men fought some mutant terrorists yesterday.

'So this is not the MCU. This complicates things. I have too little information from the comics.' Savant sighed in exhaustion. 'I'll have to make it work. It doesn't seem like I am a mutant since I don't have any powers at this age. But I can't remain ordinary. I refuse to be ordinary in an extraordinary world.'

'Since it isn't MCU I can't do much without more information. So let's just eat and sleep for today. I'll think of other things when I reach California tomorrow.'

He could feel that his body was running on fumes at this point. Due to extreme stress, he had made his body work beyond normal limits just to escape earlier but now that he was in relative safety, his body was starting to give.

After having a hearty meal that could feed a bodybuilder, Savant went back to his room and slept. He fell asleep right away but he had a very painful sleep as his body slowly adjusted to getting food and rest after overworking without any energy.