Andrew

It has already been over two months since the last time Andrew saw the sunlight. Or was it two years? Andrew lost count of the days he has spent dwelling in this cell. It was surprising that he was still alive since others died a long time ago.

Andrew leaned against the cell's barrier, his dark hair almost reaching his shoulders. The surroundings were covered in perpetual darkness, leaving Andrew all alone. As he had always been.

There was a rotten stink in the air, yet it was much better than the smell of blood. Andrew's breathing was the only thing that could be heard through the vacancy, though it was disturbed by the silent steps of soldiers beyond the door.

Did that monster already come back?

A soldier opened the door into the guardhouse, rushing in with a few loud bangs. "Today's food portion." He said, placing a plate full of porridge next to Andrew's cell. As Andrew regarded the already leaving soldier, his heart plunged into endless hatred again.

Although he was extremely hungry, he didn't bother himself to eat the food. Starvation was one unpleasant way to die, but it was much better than dying in a laboratory.

"How much more will I have to endure this till they finally kill me?" Andrew banged his head against the rail, blood flowing down his forehead. He tried to kill himself many times, however, he never actually took the last step.

No, it wasn't because he feared death. The answer was quite literally the opposite - he couldn't leave this world without demolishing that madman professor. Not yet.

Eventually, Andrew was subjected to his overwhelming hunger and diminished the porridge in a matter of seconds. The taste was atrocious, but what could he expect. He was fed simply to get enough nutrition for later experiments.

"If only I was stronger..." Andrew grabbed the metallic bars, applying pressure on them. He had tried to escape earlier, but even one soldier was enough to stop him. Deceiving others was the only thing he was good at, yet even that resulted from the experime-

A loud bang echoed through the prison, coming from the opposite side of the entrance. Andrew perked his ears lightly, hearing soldiers firing their guns and shouting. An enemy? Something like this has never happened before...

-

Nagato killed one person after another, painting his cheeks with blood. The soldiers tried to resist with everything they had, shooting bullets, attacking with knives, and even going as far as to throw grenades.

Unfortunately for them, Nagato was simply superior. He held not a single hunch of pity for them as he killed more and more of the incoming officers. These were the people who have done atrocious things in this underground base, hence, they should feel pain equivalent to that of their victims.

"Please don't kill me... I can tell you whatever you want..." One soldier plummeted against the ground, looking at Nagato from below with tearful eyes.

As Nagato regarded the feeble human, he noticed that no more soldiers were rushing at him. Everyone was already dead. "Unfortunately for you, I have already absorbed the memories of your comrade." Nagato declared coldly.

"Wha-"

The soldier's head darted into the air a second later, spreading blood across the nearest wall. Nagato then took a deep breath, turning his palms into fists. The aftereffects of using the Tesseract could still be felt, though they weren't that apparent after these days.

"Now... should I look into that room?" Nagato glanced at an aluminum door at the end of the corridor. He could almost feel the death looming out of that room as he swung it wide open.

Darkness hovered over every corner as Nagato noticed tens of tiny cells dispersed around the margin. The place reeked of livestock, yet Nagato remained standing tall. Unfazed.

The little spark inside of him blossomed into violent flames, regaining its previous determination. This hidden prison was the exact reason he had to gain all the stones. Perhaps everything was done in the dark, but this world was collapsing under the endless hatred and evilness of humans.

"Who are you?" Andrew asked, sticking out his face from behind the bars. "How the hell did you get here?"

'A survivor?' Nagato regarded the youth hidden behind the cell. His whole skin was covered in dirt, hiding his fragile body underneath. Fear, hatred, pain: all these emotions were apparent in his azure eyes.

"I am just a passing mercenary," Nagato answered without even furrowing his brows, looking through the cell's bars. "Now, I am much more interested in your origin."

"A mercenary? Do you think I am a kid? You actually work for hydra, don't you?" Andrew's apprehension still didn't disappear from his face. "You were ordered by the higher-ups to destroy this place as there were some traitors here, right?"

"You talk quite a lot for someone in a cage." Nagato excluded some of his power, and Andrew's face paled visibly. He silently stuck his head back into the cell, backing off into the corner. "Now, would you mind answering my question?"

"Yes..." Andrew mumbled to himself, sadness overwhelming the fear as he focused his gaze on the floor. "I actually know little myself, or perhaps I lost my memory during the experiments. The only thing I can retain from my childhood is walking down a street and then feeling a sudden pain in the back of my head."

Nagato didn't break eye contact with the youth, looking at him with no emotion. This brittle youngster very much reminded him of himself. "What experiments were they exactly doing here?"

"They were trying to create a monster," Andrew said, growing uncomfortable at his own words. "They injected some alien blood into our veins, hoping that we would somehow turn into one ourselves."

"I presume it was unsuccessful." Nagato glanced around the room, noting human bones lying in almost every cell. It was revolting to even look at.

"Never. Not a single one of us managed to change completely." Andrew answered. "Some died promptly after the injection. Some kept their sentience for longer."

'Hydra really goes far in their pursuit of power.' Nagato thought, sensing a black rod sliding through his palm. This kid had gone through a lot. Ending his suffering was the most he could do.

"Hey...hey... what are you doing?" Andrew backed away into the corner of the cell, lifting his hands before his face.

"I am going to end your misery." Nagato stopped right beside the man, drawing his hand backward. "Releasing you will only bring you more suffering. You will never survive in the relentless storms outside, and by staying here, you will either die out of starvation or get killed by the soldiers."

Andrew sighed deeply. All this was true. Perhaps death was truly a better option. No...it was not. He couldn't just give up on his revenge after all these years of suffering.

"Then bring me together with you." Andrew looked straight at Nagato, noting his peculiar eyes and the rod in his hand. Determination beamed on Andrew's expression.

"No," Nagato said, without even considering such a request. "You are weak. You wouldn't be able to survive even one punch from a soldier. And now, I need anything but weak people surrounding me."

"Yes, I understand I am not the strongest." Andrew kept his eyes on Nagato, not backing away. "But I can also be useful, in other ways."

Slowly, Andrew's eyelids closed and Nagato pushed his weapon near the youth's neck. Just in case. "Remember how I said that no one turned into that alien fully? Well, a few still awakened some unique powers."

As the words echoed through the empty underground, Nagato noticed Andrew's face changing itself. His jawline turned more visible, eyes shaded, lips turned thin, and hair suddenly glittered with red color.

In a blink of an eye, Andrew looked completely identical to Nagato.