Jasper approached V8, his heart pounding. This woman intimidated him, but he knew that if he wanted to get stronger, he had no choice.
"Do you want to get stronger?" V8 asked with a frown, as if the very idea was ridiculous to her.
"Yes, ma'am... I want to get better. Stronger. We have a mission next week," Jasper replied, trying to sound determined, though his voice trembled.
V8 stared at him for a moment, then turned away, clearly uninterested.
"I see... I don't care."
She walked off as if she hadn't heard a thing.
Jasper clenched his fists.
"Shit... I can't miss this chance."
Refusing to give up, he rushed after her and called out again:
"Miss V8! Please... I need your help."
Now he was being direct—blunt.
V8 stopped. When she turned, her expression was one of utter annoyance. It was obvious: she couldn't stand him.
"Why the fuck should I help you?" she snapped, her rage barely restrained. "Is your life my problem?"
Her voice turned cold as she scanned him from head to toe.
"If it were up to me, you wouldn't even be walking these halls. You'd be locked in a cage, dissected like every other XCP."
Jasper swallowed hard. For a second, he thought he'd earned a bit of her respect, but now it was obvious—she despised him.
"Did I do something to you, ma'am? Did I offend you somehow?" he asked, confused, wondering if he'd disrespected her during their first meeting.
"Yeah," she answered without missing a beat. "The day you became a disgusting XCP."
With that, she turned to walk away. Jasper lowered his gaze. Just being what he was—an XCP—was enough for her to hate him.
But then, V8 paused.
"Tell you what," she said, turning back with a crooked smile. "Let's make it more interesting."
Jasper looked up. That smile made him nervous, but something told him this was his only shot.
"When a new XCP comes in, we usually test them on death row inmates," she explained. "We see how the subject reacts, what it eats, how it moves, how it kills..."
A chill ran down Jasper's spine. He already knew where this was going.
"One just arrived today," V8 continued. "And I can get you in with the test group. You'll go as one of those criminals."
"What?" Jasper stepped back. "And what if someone notices I'm gone? Won't F16 ask about me?"
"No," V8 said calmly. "It's your first day. It's normal to get a tour. F16 will give you three days before anyone panics. If you're still missing, they'll just assume you're another unruly XCP. And you remember what happened to NEO 4, right?"
Jasper didn't ask. He didn't want to know.
"Think about it. There's no better place to grow than the battlefield."
It was clear: V8 wanted him dead. Accepting her proposal was basically signing his death sentence. But refusing it meant staying weak. And in this world, weakness was also a death sentence.
"I accept," he said at last, without hesitation.
"Perfect," she replied with a satisfied grin. "Someone will come for you tomorrow. Don't make a sound. And remember—this has nothing to do with me, got it?" V8 said, her expression stern.
Jasper nodded silently. Then they parted ways.
Well… only he said goodbye.
***
Jasper barely slept. The nerves kept him restless. He was walking into a nightmare unlike anything he'd ever faced. This time, there'd be no William. No V8. He was truly on his own.
But he knew one thing—being humiliated during the test with the other NEO X members still burned him inside. He didn't ask to be here. He was forced.
So if he wanted to go back to his old life—to see his mom, to laugh with his friends—he had to improve.
He had to prove who NEO 7 really was... No. He had to prove who the hell Jasper Stone was.
PUM, PUM, PUM!
The pounding on the door snapped him out of his thoughts. The moment had arrived.
With determination, he opened the door... and was greeted by a familiar face.
It was the short woman with twin ponytails and a deadpan expression—the same one who had accompanied V8 during the school mission. Agent 6790.
"Well, I was wondering who the poor bastard was that V8 sent to die… turns out it's the kid from last time," she said, completely tactless.
"Come on, man, relax. You're already in this mess. Put this on."
Just like V8, 6790 pulled something from her hair—a green containment suit.
"Put on the mask and the suit. We can't risk someone recognizing you," she added while checking her phone.
"Alright... just give me a sec."
Jasper stepped into his room and did as she said. At first, he thought the suit would be too big, but as soon as he put it on, it adjusted and fit him perfectly.
"All set," he said as he stepped out.
"Good. NEO 7, right? I'll remember the room in case you die. Gotta clean it up."
Jasper didn't find the joke funny, but didn't say a word. They began walking. 6790 led the way while Jasper tried to get used to the feel of the suit.
After about twenty-three minutes, they reached a door Jasper had never seen before. It was black, with a skull marked by an X. Just looking at it made him shiver.
"Alright, we're here. Come, I've got to cuff you."
6790 walked up and snapped the cuffs onto his wrists.
They entered the room. The first thing Jasper noticed was how many people were wearing the same uniform—green containment suits just like his.
("All of these people are death row inmates? No way...")
He tried to count them. He wasn't sure, but there had to be around forty-five of them.
"What took you so long, 6790? You said you were bringing in a new criminal."
A man in thick glasses and a green coat that reached his knees walked over to them.
"Sorry, E7. This was a direct order from V8. She even woke me up herself. But he's here now. All yours."
Jasper moved forward and quietly joined the group.
"Good. Go get some rest. I'd be stressed too if I had to take orders from that psycho," the man replied, clearly exhausted.
6790 left without another word.
Jasper watched her go. Now, he was truly alone.
"Alright, you filthy pieces of human trash!" E7 yelled, addressing the group.
"Are you ready to die!!!?"