Tension filled his every step, he knew someone, something was there. But he didn't know why, where and how they'd found him.
His mind raced through all reasonable possibilities.
Who would have a motive?
Batman, Killer Croc—
His breath caught in his throat.
The Laboratory.
The people that kidnapped him, he's sure human experimentation isn't cheap.
They wanted him back.
Another chill crawled up his spine.
If he didn't play this right, he could be put back under. He had only brief memories of the laboratory, being knocked out, flashes of consciousness and a deep, painful hunger that never seemed to subside.
He tried to play through all possible scenarios.
Could he run?
Or should he pretend he hadn't noticed anything?
But they likely knew how to find him.
Did that mean they knew about the shelter?
His blood ran cold.
That would mean he had nowhere to run.
They would find him.
He forced himself to breathe evenly. Trying to calm himself down, he was thinking ahead. He needed to think about what to do now.
He could hear it now, faint footsteps from the rooftops. The almost inaudible hum of a car engine, somewhere just out of sight.
Were they closing in? Or had they been this close the whole time?
He continued walking, trying to figure the quickest way possible back to the shelter. Whoever they were, surely they wouldn't be bold enough to attack a homeless shelter?
Too many witnesses, it would draw far too much attention. And even if they did, he'd have better chances there.
More people, more chaos.
Here though, the streets were practically empty and he was being actively tracked. But they hadn't attacked yet, for a reason.
They must be waiting for the best possible chance.
If he kept walking the expected path, he'd fall straight into the trap likely waiting for him. If this was the laboratory, they knew his abilities better than he did.
The car he'd heard earlier was getting closer.
He didn't turn to look, not yet.
He could feel the rumble of the engine through the pavement. It was going the exact speed limit, every other car that had passed was doing almost double.
Headlights washed over his back as the blacked out SUV pulled alongside Ken and matched his walking pace.
The driver side tinted window rolled down.
"Hey kid, could you show-"
Ken pivoted, planting his heel as he drove his foot straight into the driver's door.
BANG!
The impact sounded like a gunshot. The metal buckled inwards as the SUV lurched sideways, its tires screaming before it flipped onto its side.
Ken was already running, his figure a distant blur as he tore down side streets and alleys.
He could hear men on the rooftops surrounding him and the further he ran, the sheer scale of this operation was made known to him.
Continuous gunfire cracked through the night, the hiss of tranquiliser darts sparking against brick and metal tearing through the night as Ken eyed a nearby fire escape.
He didn't hesitate.
He jumped onto a dumpster, using it as a springboard to grab onto the edge of a fire escape. Metal groaned beneath his fingers and the entire frame shuddered from his weight. Ken hauled himself up the rusted stairs.
Bullets continued to rain as he threw himself up towards the roof above, the cold gotham wind tearing past him as he did. Ken eyed the surrounding roofs, plenty of other men were stationed here.
A tranquilliser zipped past his ear and shattered against a vent ahead of him;, close enough that he felt the air shift.
Ken ran, sprinting full force as he vaulted over ducts and leaped between buildings with the speed of a car. He didn't once hesitate as he threw himself into the void, his instincts controlling him as his mind took a backseat.
One of his eyes burned a blood red, his heartbeat pounding in his skull and muscles screaming as he used them, truly used them for the first time since the experiment.
Above him, in the dark clouds a red light flashed.
Ken eyed it, yet he continued to run, he'd long since lost the men on foot.
He was too fast.
It flashed again, almost invisible in the clouds. Yet Ken could see a vague outline, it was a drone.
They were watching him, tracking him until he got tired.
Ken stopped running, the drone mimicked him.
For a heartbeat, the world held still, the sirens, the wind, even the rain.
Then he bent his knees.
The roof cracked under the pressure.
He launched himself upward like a spring-loaded weapon, cutting through the air in a blur. His hand shot out, grabbing the metal body of the drone. With one brutal twist–
CRUNCH!
Sparks burst in a shower of red light as the drone tumbled, shattered, into the streets below. Ken landed hard, shoes scraping against the roof's edge.
He exhaled sharply, a faint mist escaping his mouth.
Now he could escape.