Of Monsters and Humanity: The Genesis

Chapter 39 - Xander

Twenty-eight days before....

"There is a lot changing with Project X, Xander," Balcom says.

I know exactly what he's talking about, even though the memory of me finding out is hazy.

"The Holding Pen is in deep need of renovations. You, obviously, cannot be present during the construction."

"I'll be good."

"No, you won't."

I frown.

"You sound like you've heard of this before."

"I hear a lot of things," I play.

"So you know what I'm about to suggest?"

I press my lips down into a coy smile and shrug.

Balcom sighs and shakes his head. "You need to be moved. I'm working with a team right now to figure out where the best option would be."

I sit on the ground and grind my teeth together. Since when did he ever care about the best option for me?

"What is it, Xander?" he asks, tilting his head to the side. To anyone else, his body language might pass as normal, but I know better.

"I'm getting exhausted with this whole good-cop bad-cop charade you're putting on," I huff, running my hand through my hair. "Some weird 'Jekyll and Hyde phenomenon.'" I chuckle. "Isn't it funny how I can diagnose things to you, too?"

He opens his mouth to speak but he's cut off by my laugh.

"I also think it's funny how security footage was deleted out of nowhere...." I wonder aloud and start to walk around the Pit. "Byligan found it that day, and I'm sure you've gotten away with deleting security footage multiple times before."

A wry smile greeted me.

I narrow my gaze for a moment but continue. "So I suppose the footage of you showing me the first footage of myself was deleted?"

He doesn't move an inch, and the smile is acting as though it's taunting me.

"And this will be deleted, too?"

Still, he doesn't move. He sits like a statue of a smiling joker.

"You've deleted a lot of footage, Balcom. I wonder how long you'll be getting away with something like that."

He closes his eyes and scoffs. Sitting up, he leans in close to the glass. "As long as I'd like, considering I am the head of this entire project. I do and say whatever I want and I have hundreds of people under me to see that my wishes are executed."

"You've got a little problem, though."

He cocked his head to the side and blinked.

I smirk and level my hand in front of me to my upper stomach. "About five and a half feet tall, annoying, doesn't follow rules--"

"Terra."

I nod and stifle a laugh. Just thinking about her makes me want to laugh in wonder. She is truly something else.

"Why do you say that she is a problem?" he asks and hardens his jaw.

I don't know if he means to show me such a sign of weakness, and I don't know if he even noticed that he did. Usually all emotions that he shows are fake or theatrical, but I've been noticing a break in his facade. Something is getting to him, and I don't know what, but I like it.

"She doesn't follow any direction. Byligan is never in to watch her anymore. She's basically paid to sit here and talk to me," I go on.

"And this bothers you?"