07:56 AM – N.P.U. Headquarters, North Metro
Adrian switched off the engine but didn't move. Not yet. That black sedan from this morning still sat heavy in his chest like a stone he couldn't quite cough up. He'd lost it in traffic or maybe it had let him go. Either possibility was equally unsettling.
He slid his access card through the reader. The gate creaked open with a metallic groan that sounded almost reluctant, as if even the security system knew what kind of day this was going to be.
Inside, the headquarters hummed with its usual morning chaos. Boots scuffed across linoleum floors, radios crackled with static and urgent voices, and the smell of truly terrible coffee wafted through the corridors like an accusation. Adrian kept his shoulders relaxed, his eyes sharp and constantly moving. He needed that file. He needed names. He needed to know exactly what kind of monsters Nexo had built.
08:10 AM – Captain Elias's Office
Elias was already seated behind his desk when Adrian walked in, which somehow made everything feel worse. No pleasantries this morning. No small talk about the weather or Garrick's latest terrible joke. Just Elias looking older than he should, tired in a way that went deeper than simply missing sleep.
He slid a thick black folder across the desk without preamble, keeping his gaze locked on Adrian. "You asked for this," he said quietly. "Read it."
Adrian opened the folder, and the bold red header practically burned itself into his retinas.
FILE: SUBJECT OF INTEREST // FOUNDER
⚠ WARNING: CONTENT ADVISORY
This file contains evidence of psychological manipulation, biohazard origins, corporate corruption, and profound moral collapse. Proceed with appropriate caution.
[SC] - DR. SERENA KOVACS
Origin: Toronto, Canada
Current Location: Metro City (Nexo Pharmaceutical HQ)
Role: Founder, Nexo Pharmaceutical Corporation
Age: 38
Appearance: Brown hair, typically worn in a practical ponytail. Blue eyes—sharp, analytical, unyielding. Wears a single silver ring on her right hand (suspected to contain embedded surveillance technology). Prefers muted professional attire: clean lines, clinical precision, nothing that draws unnecessary attention.
[BACKGROUND]
Her mother was one of the early casualties of the Hailstorm Virus outbreak in 2015. That loss, by all accounts, fundamentally altered her trajectory. Dr. Kovacs founded Nexo with what appeared to be genuinely good intentions: research, treatment, prevention. A world where another Hailstorm would be impossible.
What began as hope evolved—or perhaps devolved into an empire. Her initial breakthroughs were, admittedly, revolutionary. They were hailed as miracles by the medical community. But the pressure from investors, the seductive pull of rapid expansion, and the lucrative market for weaponized medicine pushed her steadily past any remaining ethical boundaries.
[PROFILE]
Psychological Assessment: Cold. Calculating. Emotional detachment appears to have intensified significantly after 2020. Displays multiple indicators of high-functioning psychopathy: notable lack of empathy, absence of guilt or remorse, views interpersonal relationships purely through the lens of utility. She sees control not as a goal but as a fundamental requirement for survival.
Morality threshold: Effectively nonexistent at this stage.
Strengths: Exceptional charismatic manipulator. Scientific genius with legitimate breakthrough credentials. Long-term strategic thinker who plans operations years in advance.
Weaknesses: Profound arrogance. She genuinely believes she's untouchable, which makes her predictable in certain high-pressure scenarios.
[DYNAMICS]
Family: Technically alive, but all contact ceased years ago. She appears to have surgically excised them from her life.
Co-Founder Relationship: Dr. James Vale (see attached file). Their partnership is purely strategic. Vale brings ambition and external connections; Kovacs provides vision and scientific credibility. Mutual distrust runs deep, but they remain allied out of practical necessity and shared profit margins.
Corporate Hierarchy: She wields absolute authority within Nexo. Her word is organizational law. No decision of consequence happens without her explicit approval.
[NOTES]
Ongoing surveillance strongly suggests that silver ring contains nanotech-linked recording and tracking devices. Further field testing required for confirmation.
All field operatives have been explicitly warned: underestimating Dr. Kovacs is not a mistake you get to make twice.
STATUS: ACTIVE
Threat Level: EXTREME
Adrian stared at the page for a long moment, then looked up at Elias. His voice came out flat, almost conversational. "She wanted to save the world," he said. "Now she just wants to own it."
Elias's expression hardened into something carved from granite. "Don't underestimate her, Adrian."
Adrian let out a laugh awful, humorless, sharp as broken glass. "Nobody does. That's the whole problem, isn't it?"
He turned the page.
FILE: SUBJECT OF INTEREST // CO-FOUNDER
⚠ WARNING: CONTENT ADVISORY
This file contains evidence of corporate corruption, systematic scientific malpractice, and deliberate strategic exploitation. Proceed with caution.
[SC] - DR. JAMES VALE
Origin: South Ridge, Australia (fictional township)
Current Location: Metro City (Nexo HQ)
Role: Co-Founder, Nexo Pharmaceutical Corporation
Age: 39
Appearance: Tanned complexion suggesting significant outdoor exposure in his youth. Black hair, black eyes—perpetually sharp and assessing. Always impeccably dressed in tailored suits. His appearance is meticulously maintained, down to the smallest detail.
[BACKGROUND]
South Ridge took devastating losses during the Hailstorm Virus outbreak. However, unlike his partner, Dr. Vale didn't enter this project out of grief. He entered it out of ambition. Pure, uncomplicated ambition.
He joined Kovacs during Nexo's earliest developmental years, bringing crucial funding networks, extensive biotech industry connections, and what can only be described as a ruthlessly pragmatic edge. In those early days, he served as Nexo's public face to investors and regulatory bodies. But that charm? It's always been just a mask. A very expensive, very effective mask.
[PROFILE]
Psychological Assessment: Charismatic. Ambitious. Pragmatic to the point of sociopathy. Completely, unapologetically corrupt. He views science not as a tool for human advancement but as a mechanism for domination and profit maximization.
Morality threshold: Absent. His survival instinct has fused seamlessly with an insatiable hunger for power and influence.
Strengths: Master public manipulator. Exceptionally sharp intellect. Makes ruthless decisions without hesitation or second-guessing.
Weaknesses: Chronic underestimation of others, particularly those he considers beneath his status. His pride creates predictable blind spots.
[DYNAMICS]
Partnership Dynamic: Kovacs provides the vision and scientific innovation; Vale executes and monetizes it. Publicly they present a united front. Privately, the relationship is contentious and brittle. Both parties understand that betrayal is inevitable—they're simply waiting for the optimal moment.
Family Connections: None confirmed. Personal ties appear to have been either systematically erased or deliberately buried.
Corporate Function: Handles all external growth initiatives, investor relations, and high-level political connections. He leaves the "messy science" to others but personally authorizes all high-stakes experimental projects.
---
[NOTES]
"If Kovacs built the machine, Vale is the one selling it to the highest bidder."
Unconfirmed intelligence suggests he's been funneling experimental data to private military contractors for personal profit outside official Nexo channels.
Field agents warned: his charm is a weapon system. Do not let charisma obscure capability.
STATUS: ACTIVE
Threat Level: HIGH
Adrian couldn't quite suppress the sneer that curled his lip. "The salesman," he muttered. "All charm, zero substance. Bet he could sell water to a drowning man and make him feel grateful."
Elias drummed his fingers slowly on the desk. "Just remember—that charm is how he gets people to do exactly what he wants. He's selling death, and somehow making it look like opportunity."
Adrian turned to the next page without breaking eye contact. He was after the complete picture here, not some sanitized corporate bio meant to reassure stockholders.
FILE: SUBJECT OF INTEREST // EXECUTIVE HEAD
⚠ WARNING: CONTENT ADVISORY
This file contains information regarding loyalty manipulation, internal enforcement protocols, and classified chain-of-command structures. Handle responsibly.
[SC] - DAMIEN D'ARAMOND
Origin: Cindrov, Canada (fictional industrial town)
Current Location: Metro City (Nexo HQ)
Role: Executive Head, Nexo Pharmaceutical Corporation
Age: 44
Appearance: Tall, broad-shouldered build suggesting either military or serious athletic background. Black hair with distinguished grey streaks at the temples. Dark onyx eyes that rarely blink. Always dressed in regulation corporate suits, but he carries himself like a career military officer, not a pharmaceutical executive.
[BACKGROUND]
Raised in Cindrov, a mid-sized industrial town in Canada that specialized in steel manufacturing.
His military career ended abruptly under circumstances that remain frustratingly unclear in official records. Multiple inquiries have hit bureaucratic dead ends.
He transitioned to corporate security work shortly after his military discharge. Kovacs and Vale personally recruited him for his demonstrated ability to enforce order without question or hesitation.
His ascent through Nexo's hierarchy was remarkably swift: Head of Security to Executive Head in under five years. He's been granted unprecedented trust to maintain operational efficiency through any means necessary.
[PROFILE]
Psychological Assessment: Loyal. Efficient. Cold. He functions more as an extension of received orders than as an independent decision-maker. This is not a criticism of his intelligence he's highly capable but rather an observation of his operational philosophy.
Scientific Input: Minimal to nonexistent. His focus centers entirely on administration, enforcement, and maintaining strict operational protocols. He knows how to keep researchers productive, compliant, and silent.
Strengths: Unwavering obedience to superiors. Exceptional tactical planning. Strict adherence to chain of command.
Weaknesses: Limited independent critical thinking. Rarely questions orders, even obviously questionable ones. His loyalty makes him dangerously predictable.
[DYNAMICS]
Relationship with Founder (Kovacs): Treats her directives as absolute law. He's completely, almost religiously devoted to her authority.
Relationship with Co-Founder (Vale): Wary mutual respect mixed with underlying tension. Vale is manipulative and unpredictable; Damien is a blunt instrument with a specific purpose.
Corporate Culture Impact: Maintains internal order through carefully calibrated fear, rigid structural hierarchy, and uncompromising discipline. Employees view him simultaneously as protector and potential executioner.
Family Ties: Estranged by deliberate choice. By his own account, his family considers him "dead." He appears comfortable with this arrangement.
[NOTES]
"He doesn't require belief. He requires orders."
Known to personally handle sensitive corporate "clean-up" operations both bureaucratic and, when necessary, physical.
In over twenty years of documented service across military and corporate sectors, he has never disobeyed a single direct order.
STATUS: ACTIVE
Threat Level: MEDIUM-HIGH (predictable behavioral patterns, but utterly uncompromising when engaged)
Adrian's jaw clenched tight enough that his teeth ached. "Officer or executioner," he said quietly. "Either way, the man doesn't miss."
Elias didn't argue with that assessment.
Adrian took a drag from his cigarette..when had he even lit it?—and turned to the final file with something approaching dread.
FILE: SUBJECT OF INTEREST // DEPUTY EXECUTIVE HEAD
⚠ WARNING: CONTENT ADVISORY
This file contains details regarding severe psychological instability, unverified human experimentation, and patterns of unpredictable violence. Proceed only if operationally necessary.
[SC] - DR. CASSIAN RHEIN
Origin: Dresden, Germany
Current Location: Metro City (Nexo HQ)
Role: Deputy Executive Head, Nexo Pharmaceutical Corporation
Age: 38
Appearance: Lean, almost gaunt build. Black hair cut short and uneven appears self-administered with scissors and zero regard for aesthetics. Grey-green eyes that never quite stop moving, always restless. His laboratory coat is perpetually stained with substances best left unidentified. Always wears latex gloves, even in non-laboratory settings.
[BACKGROUND]
A documented child prodigy who entered medical school at fifteen years old. Expelled at nineteen for conducting unauthorized experiments on human cadavers obtained through questionable means.
Disappeared completely into underground biotech research circles for several years. Resurfaced when Dr. Kovacs personally recruited him for what she termed his "unconventional genius."
He secured the Deputy Executive position due to his ruthlessly effective experimental approach and his complete absence of ethical limitations. Too unstable for full operational command but far too valuable and dangerous—to release.
[PROFILE]
Psychological Assessment: Severely unstable. Displays textbook narcissistic personality disorder with sadistic tendencies. Oscillates unpredictably between manic brilliance and chilling emotional flatness.
Scientific Specialty: Viral recombination. Hybrid serum development. Accelerated mutation protocols. He specializes in things that shouldn't exist.
Strengths: Genuine scientific innovator who achieves breakthroughs others consider theoretically impossible. Utterly unencumbered by conscience, fear, or human empathy.
Weaknesses: Erratic behavior patterns. Prone to dangerous obsession with specific research directions. Easily provoked by perceived disrespect or intellectual challenges.
[DYNAMICS]
Relationship with Founder (Kovacs): Views her as the "mother of opportunity." Displays cult-like devotion. His loyalty to her appears genuine, if deeply disturbing.
Relationship with Co-Founder (Vale): Frequent antagonistic clashes. Vale despises Rhein's chaotic methodology. Rhein openly mocks Vale's "hollow ambition" and "pedestrian thinking."
Relationship with Executive Head (D'Aramond): D'Aramond tolerates Rhein out of organizational necessity. He's spent years cleaning up Rhein's various "experimental complications." Their relationship is purely functional.
General Staff Relations: Most personnel give him extremely wide berth. Fear runs considerably deeper than professional respect.
[NOTES]
Unconfirmed but persistent rumors suggest Dr. Rhein has injected himself with early-stage serum prototypes. Observed behavioral changes and physical anomalies lend disturbing credibility to these reports.
He maintains an active obsession with fusing human DNA with animal-borne viral strains. Direct quote from intercepted communications: "True evolution requires monstrosity. Humanity's next step is beyond humanity."
STATUS: ACTIVE
Threat Level: EXTREME (unpredictable, brilliant, and potentially biologically enhanced)
Adrian let that final line sit in his mind for a bit. He snapped the folder shut with more force than strictly necessary and shoved it back across the desk toward Elias.
"So we've got a mad scientist who's using himself as a lab rat," Adrian said, his tone almost conversational. "That's either incredible dedication or a really creative suicide method. Maybe both."
Elias's expression didn't change. "You really want to walk into that building?" His voice was careful, controlled—the tone of someone trying to talk down a jumper.
Adrian's grin felt forced even to himself, sharp and humorless. "Want? No. Need? Absolutely. I need the files. I need answers. I'll go in, get what we need, and come back out. Simple infiltration job."
Before Elias could formulate a response—probably something reasonable and entirely unhelpful about risk assessment—the office door creaked open.
Marcus stepped through, looking like a man carefully carrying a live explosive he desperately didn't want to detonate. He set down a sealed folder on the desk between them and lingered awkwardly near the door, his hands visibly trembling.
"Sorry," Marcus said, voice tight and apologetic. "I probably shouldn't be bringing this in here. But you need to see it. You both need to see it."
He glanced at Elias, then back at Adrian, and quietly left the folder sitting between them like an accusation.
Adrian opened it. The header hit him like a physical blow.
EVIDENCE FILE — PROVIDED BY MARCUS VARIAS
⚠ CLASSIFIED — NEXO INTERNAL DOCUMENTATION
Distribution of this information outside this room constitutes immediate execution risk for all involved parties.
[SECTION: TEST SUBJECT ACQUISITION PROTOCOLS]
Public-Facing Label: "CarePlus Employee Stipend Program"
Actual Function: Systematic targeting of janitorial staff and low-tier maintenance employees as involuntary test subjects, disguised as voluntary participation.
Recruitment Methodology:
Bonus compensation packages
Complete debt forgiveness
Lifetime comprehensive medical coverage (ironic, given outcomes)
Actual Reality: Subjects receive injections of prototype viral agents and experimental enhancement serums.
Documented Outcomes: Test subjects rarely survive beyond 48 hours. Typical results include systemic collapse, catastrophic mutation, or immediate death.
Casualty Rate: 100% (confirmed across all available data)
Post-Failure Protocol: La Sangre Nera (organized crime syndicate) handles body disposal and elimination of mutated survivors.
Translation: Janitors sign employment contracts offering hazard bonuses. They might walk into the facility. They almost never walk out.
Adrian's hands went completely still on the folder. His voice came out flat, almost toneless the kind of empty that comes right before rage. "They're paying people to die." He looked up at Marcus, something raw and almost human flickering briefly in his eyes. "Paying janitors to be test subjects. People with families. With debt they're desperate to clear. With hope."
Elias's hands clenched into fists on the desk, knuckles going white. "And they've got a mafia on retainer to collect the bodies."
Marcus cleared his throat, the sound harsh in the sudden silence. "Most of them don't make it past the second day. The ones who do..."