Chapter 6.

"Hey!" Benjamin exclaimed. Approaching Flynn, he grabbed him by the shirt violently thrusting him to the wall. "Who are you and what are you and your acquaintance up to?" He asked with his eyes fixed on Flynn who was shocked and at the same time confused.

"What nonsense are you saying? And by the way, how did you come into my house?" Flynn asked with a frown on his face.

"Shut up and Answer my question?" Benjamin said, tightening his grip on him. "I overheard your conversation, I heard everything…"

"And what exactly did you hear?" Flynn interrupted with a frown on his face.

"You have a fraction. I don't know how you managed to sneak your way into this institution without being caught but I assure you that I will do everything to stop you and the mission you and whoever you were talking to have,"

Flynn laughed slightly. "Okay, I think you have said enough. You better get out of my apartment before I call the authorities,"

"I don't care whether you call the authorities or not…"

"Listen! You don't want to get me upset. I am giving you the opportunity to save yourself from a greater damage to your reputation and that is because I know you have many haters so just leave now,"

"And who said I want your sympathy?" Benjamin interrupted with a frown on his face and immediately after his comment he felt a sharp pain in his head which sent him bowing to his knees. He yelled out in pain lifting his gaze to Flynn whose eyes were firmly fixed on him.

"I warned you to leave but you wouldn't listen, now look at what you are making me do," Flynn said.

Benjamin struggled to get on his feet but the pain was too much for him to bear. "Vortex please do something," He wailed but there was no feedback. The pain went on and on and when there was no more strength in him he fell unconscious on the floor.

****

The next time Benjamin regained consciousness he found himself chained to an iron chair inside a room. His sight was still blurry but clear enough to see Flynn seated on the chair opposite him. There was a table in-between them and many papers were on the table.

"What the heck do you think you are doing? Get me off these chains!" Benjamin said while struggling to set himself free.

"Don't try too hard because you don’t have what it takes to break free. I already know everything about you. Including your little assistant named Vortex," At Flynn's instant words Benjamin stopped then fastened his gaze on him. "You seem surprised, don't you?" Flynn asked.

"You know nothing about me," Benjamin replied and immediately afterwards Flynn showed him the papers.

"Your name is Benjamin Carson. You were born in the year 2080, which means you are currently 19 years old. Your mother's name is Lisa Carson. Your father died in a plane crash in 2098 making you a half orphan," Flynn hesitated. "Apart from these records I know a few others, including the fact that you are being bullied in school because of your mother's poor financial status. Not just that, you ran an aptitude test but you came out fraction less. A few days ago you were being beaten up by your peers and as a result you were taken to the hospital only to realize that you have been activated by a host system. A few of the authorities have figured out that you have been contaminated and they are currently on the move to tame or kill you so as far as I can tell, your entire life is in a mess. Is there any other record that I am currently missing?" Flynn asked taking his gaze off the papers to Benjamin who was staring at him with so much hate.

Flynn waited for a response but when he got nothing he stood on his feet. "Right now your face is all over the news and the authorities have passed an order that if anyone finds you, you should be handed over to them immediately. Failure to do this could cause great harm, so you should consider being thankful rather than being a jerk," he said and afterwards he left for the exit door.

"I never asked for your help," Benjamin spoke up when Flynn was about to leave the room. "I don't trust you. I know you are up to something but I will stop you and that is a promise,"

Flynn could immediately tell from the firm look on Benjamin's face that he was not kidding. "I would like to see you try," he said.

As soon as Flynn left the room Benjamin began to struggle with the chains and when he could not set himself free he gave up.

[You cannot do this on your own. You have to grant me permission to use your body]

“Can you set me free?” Benjamin asked.

[Yes.]

“What then are you waiting for? Get me off these bonds,” He said and at his command Vortex took control of his body. The first attempt shattered the chains as the broken fetters of iron dropped to the floor.

Getting control of himself again he observed his wrist and luckily it was still in one piece. “I think I am beginning to like you a lot,” Benjamin said at first glimpse of the broken chains and without further hesitation he escaped through the room window.

Everything Flynn said was true. Benjamin’s name was all over the news and the search for him was getting worse by the day. It was frightening because at this rate a time will come when he would no longer be able to move freely in public. Now he has to figure out his next move and he has to proceed with caution.

It was already midnight and he was stressed so he located a good sport inside the hall they will be using for lectures the next morning. He sat on the ground leaning his back on the wall at the last roll of the large hall and there he slept off.

****

At sunrise the next morning Benjamin’s eyes fluttered open. The classroom was already filled with people and they were as noisy as always. He wiped his face with his hand sluggishly pushing himself up to the seat with the support of the chairs on his sides. The lecturer to take them on the course for the day was not yet present so he relaxed on the chair and drawing a deep breath he overheard his name.

He looked right only to see about five students having a conversation and eavesdropping on them he found out that they were talking about the news. It was not just them but the entire class of students was having the same conversation.

“Is that not Benjamin Carson?” one of the students alarmed. Hearing that the class turned ice cold and all their eyes fastened on Benjamin.

‘This is not good,’ Benjamin thought to himself while watching the fright on their faces. He couldn’t tell what was on their mind or what they would do now that they had known what he was. From the news, the authorities promised that whoever finds him would gain a huge sum of money and the last thing any student would want to miss was an opportunity like that so it was obvious that at some point they will make an attempt to tame him.

“Get him!” another exclaimed and at the command the entire class of students rushed after him.

Benjamin managed to fight his way out of the classroom and running down the hallway they pursued him. A few others phoned the cops while others reported the case to the school authority.

There was nowhere to go. The entire population of students was after him and anywhere he turned he could see desperate faces. Leaving the school was a terrible idea because the outside world was also unsafe so he took the safest route which was the woods inside the school environment.

He hoped that they would lose track of him in the woods and it happened just as he assumed. After going several miles he stopped then turned around panting while taking backward steps but it was only a matter of minutes before he heard their voices from the distance again. He could immediately tell that escaping from an entire population of students was almost an impossible attempt. He knew he was doomed.

“Benjamin,”

He heard someone call and when he looked, he saw Flynn standing a few meters away from him. Flynn didn’t seem as desperate as the other students but he couldn’t trust him either.

“What are you waiting for? Come on,” Flynn beckoned with his hands.

Benjamin looked back at the direction the voices of the students were coming from and back again to Flynn. There was no way he could do this alone so he took the only available option he had. He ran off with Flynn.