Exhibit A

The sound of her black heels resonated in the dimly lit corridor as she approached the white door.

Upon reaching it, she stopped, and her piercing stare into the small security camera granted her access to a large, spacious, and monochromic room. Light streamed through the carefully crafted cracks in the walls at intervals.

“Glad to see you.” A man dressed in casual, business attire approached her, his stride confident and countenance serious.

She spared him no response. Her attention was quickly diverted from him to the slightly shorter boy dressed in black attire with a stoic expression, his eyes completely black. Suddenly, yellow rings appeared in the center of his supposed eyes, and he turned to the woman, meeting her judgemental stare head-on.

“This is exhibit A,” the man said, gesturing to his latest creation. “Tested and survived against the elements.”

“The elements are but a small part of the test.” She swiftly pulled out a gun and shot the boy in the chest. The boy stumbled backwards, though he remained unfazed. He placed a hand to his heart and looked at the wound that begun to bleed, analyzing the red substance on his fingers. “Artificial blood’s an interesting touch.”

“You’re mistaken.” The man straightened the boy and grabbed his hand and looked at the blood. “It’s real.”

The woman looked slightly intrigued.

“I saved this boy. He was in critical condition after a tragic accident. I saved him–somewhat. Salvaged most of what he used to look like and turned him into this.”

“He’s not human enough.”

The man lightly pushed the boy forward. “Perhaps not, but he can pack a punch.”

In one swift motion, the boy aimed to punch her. In a split second, she tilted her head to avoid the forceful impact. She felt the air of the blow hit against her high cheekbones.

“So can I.” The boy took a quick step back, just dodging the woman’s powerful kick, though the tip of her heel managed to scrape the bridge of his nose. “He has potential, better than your last.”

“Your kind words inspire me.”

“Good,” the woman said. “Because I know you would never walk away from a pretty penny.”