“What the fuck is this!? Or rather, what does it mean?” Alison was bewildered, and almost dropped the jet-black tablet from her trembling hands.

On the screen were pictures of the aftermath, a plethora of decapitated bodies and black blood that assaulted the eyes.

Rob sighed, and due to his time with the good General he was already well acquainted with the answer. “It means he killed General Armando’s wife, and the old general hates him for it.”

Maria was the first to react, speaking after staring for a bit at the crestfallen Alison. “Wait, so Armando has an actually decent reason for wanting him dead? Did Leo lie to us then?”

“Not exactly.” Rob put his hands on his chin, and stared upwards in thought. “The way the official document put it, the incident was caused due to the greed the scientists felt towards perfecting the Walker Gene.”

“Wait, didn’t my grandfather finish that serum a long time ago? Why is Leo coming up in that conversation?” Alison, who had finally snapped out of her previous silence asked.

“That’s because-” Rob started, but was quickly silenced by a hand from Lena.

“It’s ok Rob, let me do this.” She cleared her throat, then walked up and took the tablet back from Alison’s hands and flashed a friendly smile, one she hadn’t put on in months. “Sorry Alison, but if you almost dropped it just from reading about… him, then I don’t even want to know what you’ll do when you hear about your grandfather’s involvement.”

After handing the tablet back to Jessica, she began to speak. “It all started when your grandfather-”

“Shouldn’t I be the one to tell this story?” A monotone voice seeped through the closed classroom door and made the spines of anyone who listened tingle.

“Who!?” Lena shouted, but that was the only thing she got out as the door opened and in walked the object of her spite, Leo Jones.

“Hey all, I’m glad you made contact with her. I think I should take it from here though, she can tell you if what I’m about to tell you is correct or fabricated.” Rob stared at Leo, a man who usually had a smile on his face, but in this instance the distinct lack of one said everything Rob needed to know.

Rob shivered, and moved aside to allow Leo to stand in the middle of the room. “Thanks Rob.” Leo continued in that emotionless voice, then turned his seemingly lifeless eyes towards Lena and Jessica. “You don’t have a problem with that… do you Lena?”

———

Lena felt her eyebrows furrow in anger as she stared at Leo Jones. After making her way out of the military’s research facility, she had read and reread, over and over again the file she stole of Project Doppelgänger’s Clone 1919.

Even after all that had happened, and all that he had done to save humanity from the threats of the Dimension Eaters, she still couldn’t find it in her heart to celebrate him.

Was it something about his revolting beginnings? Lena supposed slaughtering one’s own brethren could be considered an act that would garner hatred and revulsion from anyone who knew, but she knew that wasn’t what she felt towards the man.

No, she felt fear. Blood-curdling, spine chilling fear towards the man. After all, if not even familial bonds could keep him from killing his brothers, what could stop him from severing any social connection he’s made since.

“Uhh Lena? They’re staring you know.” Lena looked behind her at Jessica, her long-time friend who had no powers of her own, and no weapons save for a single handgun that she didn’t even know how to properly use.

Jessica might not have known, but she was Lena’s rock after returning from the military. She would spend every night hugging Lena into her chest until she was ready to fall asleep, and even after all that she never pressured Lena to tell her what happened, and waited until Lena herself was ready to talk about it.

She would never forget those sleepless nights trying to save herself from having a panic attack, and Jessica who would rub her back until she calmed down.

Lena turned once more towards Leo, who was standing in front of Rob, Alison, and Maria, just staring at her. His cold calculating gaze failing to make her feel even a tiny bit comfortable.

“That’s okay. Well, for now.” Lena clenched her fist before noticing something off. She looked around the room and still unable to find what she was looking for, turned back to Leo with an annoyed look on her face.

“Care to explain?” Leo didn’t flinch at her accusation, didn’t even move a muscle, but calmly let out a sigh.

“What are you talking about? Is something bothering you?” He was playing dumb, causing her eye to twitch in annoyance and it made her fear fade as anger took over.

“God damn it, you know what I’m talking about!” She screamed before walking up to the stoic man and grabbing his collar, pulling him close.

“Where is your shadow? Where is Vanessa Kumo!?” She scathingly whispered into his ear. He grinned before pushing her body away, the sudden use of force causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards.

“Careful there,” he said, smiling to himself as Jessica caught the unstable Lena in her arms. “Don’t worry about Dantae. She’s somewhere where she’ll be able to intercept you if you try to run, so I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Anyway,” Leo continued, ignoring the stares of hatred from Lena and Jessica as well as the cadets behind him who were dead silent, unused to seeing their leader act this way, “You know the spiel. You’re surrounded, blah, blah, blah, prepare to be taken into our custody.”

“Wait!” A shadow moved out from behind Leo and stood in front of the two girls across from him.

“Talk first! Finish what you were saying.” Alison had her arms spread in defense of Lena and Jessica, her legs knocking together as she stared Leo down head on.

“Alison, what are you doing!?” Maria screeched at her longtime friend who had seemingly gone off the deep end.

Rob looked on in horror, too afraid of Leo to go to her side, and too emotionally detached to try and find a reason to do so.

Leo clicked his tongue and stared out the window. “Do I have to? Really?” Alison assumed Vanessa had spoken via their mental link and told Leo to unseal his lips.

“Fine. My ‘name’ is Leo Jones. However, I was born as clone 1919, one of the youngest of the 2000 clones that Doctor Walker created in his lifetime.” Leo shifted his gaze from the window to the ceiling, seemingly wistful for a time long past.

“In the 94 years that the doctor was alive, no one knew how he created the clones, not even the scientists he worked with. It was a closely guarded secret, and even under the threat of death, the Doctor only countered with his own threat of remotely detonating us clones as his last act of defiance.”

“So what is your relationship then if no one could get it out of him?” Alison looked lost and depressed, something that made Maria’s heart ache and Rob’s head throb in pain.

“You’re getting ahead of yourself. I said no one knew when he was alive. However, after he died and as Lena said, I killed my brothers, I searched for an answer to why I was made, and how.”

Leo looked straight at Alison, a look of regret making its way onto his face despite his best efforts. ”It turns out the Doctor experimented using himself as a base, and all clones came from there.”

Alison had a confused look, and asked, “What does that mean Leo? My grandfather looked healthy up until his death. How does that make sense?”

Leo sighed, and looked Alison straight in the eye. “It means he used his own DNA, Alison. I guess if you need to equate it to something… that’s right. I would be the equivalent of your uncle, wouldn’t I?”