A conversation with Noir.

=================Stan Edgar POV==========================

I was nervous, furious ! Over a hundred employees and none of them managed to stop the kid from escaping. We have containment plans for this !

I paced back and forth in my office, my agitation growing. We invested billions of dollars into this project; it had to work. We don't have the money or resources to create another test subject as strong as this one.

My brooding was interrupted by a masked, dark figure—Black Noir.

" Finally, you're here ! " I said, irritated by the " hero's " delay.

Without a word, he positioned himself in front of me and stood in silence, awaiting orders.

" We had a problem with one of our ongoing projects, Project America, and as a result, your assistance is required. " I said, walking to my desk and picking up a few envelopes.

" These contain all the information on the target. Remember, bring him back alive—he's too valuable to die. Now go and retrieve him as quickly as possible. " I said, handing the envelopes to Noir. With a curt nod, he left the room in a robotic manner.

I slowly made my way back to my desk and sat down in my chair, letting out a long sigh of frustration.

" How did this happen ? We have precautions for this. Damn it, we even had a hydrogen bomb in case things got out of control… this night just keeps getting worse. "

Frustrated, angry, and exhausted, I watched from my office window as the sun rose between the city's towering buildings, its rays reflecting off the windows. A beautiful sight amidst the storm.

===================John POV============================

I woke up to the rays of sunlight streaming through the window of the old house. I have to admit, it's really complicated trying to shut off all night when you're being hunted by a multi-billion dollar company that experiments on children.

Getting to my feet, I made my way out of the old house. The city was already awake. People were starting their daily routines: children waiting for the bus to school, a man walking his dog.

Everything seemed calm, normal, which was good. The past few weeks of my life had been anything but normal, and right now I just wanted a bed to lie down in and forget everything that had happened to me.

As I walked through the city, I passed several places—some stores, schools, and residences—until I reached a park where several children were playing in a sandbox under the watchful eyes of their parents.

Finding an empty bench next to a trash can, I sat down comfortably and watched the birds flying around the park. While observing the trash can next to me, I spotted a pair of black glasses inside, and it gave me an idea.

Picking up the glasses and wiping them on my clothes, I put them on. They were a bit big, and I doubted it would significantly affect my vision. The prescription wasn't too strong, and I could see well with them.

I know this isn't the best disguise, but it should be enough to fool people. The amount of dumb people on this planet is unbelievable, so for now, we'll go with the glasses.

Resting my arms on the bench, I tilted my face towards the sky and admired the morning sunlight for a few seconds. Then I heard someone approaching and quickly returned to my senses to see who it was.

To my surprise, a little blonde girl was looking at me with curiosity, and I stared back at her with the same curiosity.

" Hello, " she said, her voice bright and childlike.

" My name is Annie. What's yours ? " The girl said, tilting her head slightly to the left, waiting for my response.