COVELENT: XenoTrait

For the rest of the day, Felix and Abel worked on the serum, running tests. As they were leaving the lab, Felix glanced at a vial with a prototype serum and thought, ”I cannot let him have the original serum.”

Felix and Abel stepped into a quiet room. The door closed behind them with a soft mechanical click.

Abel exhaled. ”For today, you can rest here. We will talk more tomorrow.”

Felix raised a hand slightly. ”Okay, we will talk more tomorrow. I’ll see you then.”

Abel nodded once and left the room without another word.

The silence settled immediately after the door shut.

Felix stood still for a moment, then exhaled slowly. ”Haa... I don’t trust that girl... she seems off. I can’t believe she is that cheery already after what happened to her.”

He tilted his head slightly. ”Still... I’ll confirm it tomorrow.”

Felix rubbed the back of his neck. ”Let me sleep.”

He sat down on the bed and slowly leaned back. Within minutes, his breathing slowed and he drifted off.

Warm sunlight hit his face.

Birds chirped somewhere in the distance.

Felix slowly opened his eyes.

He stared at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up.

He walked toward the curtain and pulled it slightly aside.

Light flooded the room.

He squinted, then exhaled. A small smile formed on his face.

”I have two missions today.” He stretched slightly.

”Figure out what’s going on with that girl... and fix at least one prototype using other methods...but no I still have unfinished business with that old man”

He turned toward the mirror. He studied his reflection quietly. The smile faded slightly.

”Right now... the world is in shit.” His eyes narrowed. ”I need to find a way to make this work.”

He paused. ”If only this Mark 8 outbreak wasn’t blocking international access...”

He exhaled sharply. ”I would’ve gone to Russia already.”

He straightened his posture. ”But I’ll work with what I have.”

Felix got dressed and walked toward the door.

He grabbed the handle, and it snapped instantly.

There was a pause. ”...Ahh, c’mon.”

He shook his hand slightly.

Then he started banging on the door.

”Abel! Abel, get down here!”

No response. He frowned and shouted again.

”Abel!” Still silence.

He clicked his tongue.

”Seriously... I guess I have to smash it.”

He made a fist and hit the door. The door fell off its hinges.

Felix turned his head, and his expression shifted slightly. ”Oh... it’s you.”

Amme stood there.

She hesitated slightly.

”I... I just thought I should wake you up.”

Felix raised an eyebrow. ”Why?”

Amme looked away briefly. ”It’s around the time I woke you up last time.”

Felix blinked once. ”...Oh yeah, at the motel.” He sighed. ”Okay. Whatever. I’ll go bathe first.”

Amme nodded quickly. ”Oh... sorry for disturbing you. You can pass.”

Felix walked past her into the corridor.

As he moved, he muttered under his breath, ”I don’t even know where the bathroom is...”

He paused, glancing around. ”And why does this girl keep appearing everywhere...” he thought.

He continued walking.

He passed a nearby room and saw Abel inside.

Felix leaned in slightly. ”Yo, Abel. Where are the bathrooms bro?”

Abel looked up. ”Go straight down and look to the left.”

Felix nodded. ”Got it.” He was about to leave when he paused. He glanced back. ”Do you know anything about that girl coming to see me?”

Abel raised an eyebrow slightly. A small smirk formed. ”So... did you like her?”

Felix immediately turned back. ”Haa! We both know you’re the one who likes her.”

Abel froze slightly.

Felix continued walking as he spoke. ”Bringing her up like that... don’t block yourself from this love stuff because of what happened before.”

He stopped briefly and said, ”I know you...You know you, and you know that I know that I know you.”

He waved his hand slightly. ”So stop being scared and talk to her normally. You two look good together.”

Abel sighed, ”I’ve played these games before and it did not end well.”

Felix added as he walked away again, ”Think about it. You’ve been doing this for too long.”

No response came.

Felix reached the hallway exit and paused again, and he turned slightly.

Amme was walking down the corridor.

Felix’s eyes narrowed slightly. ”Perfect timing.”

He called out, ”Hey! Amme, come here.”

Amme turned.

Felix gestured toward Abel’s room. ”Go in there and talk to my friend while I’m gone.”

Abel’s voice came from inside immediately. ”Wait...”

But Felix had already turned away.

Amme tilted her head slightly. ”Okay.”

She walked inside, and the door closed behind her.

Inside the room, Abel cleared his throat slightly. ”Nice weather we’re having, right?”

Amme glanced at him. ”Yeah... it’s okay, I guess.”

Abel nodded quickly. ”Not too shabby for a Monday. I like how the sun’s kind of hiding behind the clouds.”

Amme nodded again. ”Yeah... it’s nice.”

Another silence formed.

Abel shifted slightly. ”...Yeah, it is.”

The silence stretched again.

Amme looked away slightly. ”So... what do you do here?”

Abel hesitated. ”Oh. This is where me and Felix work. You can actually hear yourself think here.”

He paused. ”...So, do you spend time with friends often?”

Amme wasn’t really listening.

Her thoughts drifted. ”I want to...”

Abel noticed the lack of response. ”Uh... hello?”

Amme blinked. ”Hm? Oh yeah... we do stuff.”

Silence again.

Abel exhaled quietly. ”...You know, at this point you sound like you have no friends.”

Amme snapped back instantly. ”No, I do... I have plenty.”

Abel leaned slightly forward. ”Name one.”

Amme froze. A pause. ”...Uhh.”

The silence hit harder.

Abel let out a small sigh. ”Well... if you want, I can be your first.”

The room went quiet again.

Outside the room, Felix stopped mid-step.

He frowned slightly. ”...Oh my God, Abel, what are you doing...”

He rubbed his forehead.

Then paused. ”...Maybe I should leave them to it.”

A small smirk formed on his face. ”...Cheesy.”

He walked away.

After his bath, Felix exited the building, and he looked around the open area outside.

The wind was light. He exhaled. ”I should go see that old man.”

He pulled out his phone. ”Let’s see...”

He looked at the contacts. ”Jeans... Kim...”

He tapped Kim.

The call connected.

A voice answered. ”Hello?”

Felix spoke immediately.

”Kim. I’m going to send you my location. Come pick me up right now and take me to headquarters.”

Kim’s voice cracked slightly. ”Is the place safe? I don’t want to get infected.”

Felix replied calmly. ”Yes. It’s within the safe zone. Now come.”

Kim hesitated. ”...Okay. Send the location.”

The call ended.

Felix sent the location immediately.

Inside a vehicle somewhere else, Kim’s phone buzzed.

He looked at it. His eyes widened slightly. ”...Alright.”

He grabbed his keys, got into the car, and started driving.

Felix stood outside, scanning the area, and he spotted a bench nearby.

”...Better than standing,” he mumbled.

He walked over and dusted it off before sitting down.

He leaned back slightly.

”Right now...” He closed his eyes briefly. ”I’ve got three issues.”

His fingers tapped lightly. ”One... get those animals. Two... stabilize prototype production. Three... find anything on Markus Cain.....the other one i set about that girl can wait.”

He exhaled slowly. ”...And I might solve one soon.”

He opened his eyes again. ”It’s still going to take a while.”

He went quiet.

A distant sound broke the silence.

”Vrrrrrrr...”

Felix slowly turned his head.

He stood up. ”...He’s here.”

He walked into the middle of the road and stopped with his arms crossed.

The engine sound grew louder. A car approached at high speed.

It drifted sharply and stopped right in front of him. The door opened, and Kim stepped out quickly. ”Sir, I came to pick you up.”

Felix glanced at him. ”You don’t value your life, do you?”

Kim blinked. ”What do you mean, sir?”

Felix pointed slightly at the tire marks. ”You were drifting at that speed.”

Kim laughed nervously. ”Ah... I’m used to it, sir.”

Felix sighed. ”Let’s go.”

They both got into the car, and the engine started again.

The vehicle pulled off. Felix leaned back in the seat.

His eyes narrowed slightly. ”Things are moving faster now,” he thought. ”And I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

The car then disappeared down the road.