Chapter 12 - THE TRUTH OF THE FIRST CLONEThe security guards opened fire, but in the pitch-black chamber illuminated only by electrical arcs, Rick was an unstoppable force. He moved like a phantom, disabling the mercenaries one by one with terrifying, calculated precision.
Using the chaos, I threw all my weight forward, tearing the wall anchors out of the decaying concrete. I collapsed to the floor, pain shooting through my wrists, but I didn't care. I grabbed a heavy metal wrench from a technician's fallen trolley and smashed the lock on my leg irons.
"Leo..." a raspy voice called out.
I turned around. Mark was trapped near the exit—the blast doors had auto-locked due to the facility's power failure. He was holding a handheld detonator, his eyes wild with unhinged desperation.
"Don't come any closer!" Mark screamed, waving the detonator. "I'll blow the entire facility! We'll all burn under this mountain!"
Rick stepped out of the shadows, standing right beside me. His blue eyes slowly softened, reverting back to the warm, familiar brown eyes of the dog I had raised. He nudged my hand with his wet nose, letting out a soft, reassuring huff.
He was still Rick. Whatever technology was built inside him, the soul of my loyal companion was real.
"Put it down, Mark," I said softly, stepping forward. "It's over."
"You don't get it, do you?!" Mark wept, his face contorting in agony. "You think I wanted this?! You think I asked to be born in a test tube?!"
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I froze. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not your twin brother, Leo!" Mark sobbed, dropping to his knees, his hands trembling on the detonator. "I was Clone #1! I was your father's first attempt to transfer his mind! But the transfer failed! My brain was corrupted, filled with violent impulses and fragmented memories! He abandoned me in this facility to die when he made you—Clone #3!"
