Ever Adapting Domination

Green foliage and trees of every shape and size adorned the landscape, their alien majesty a stark testament to the world's foreign nature. It was a constant reminder to those who walked its verdant paths. One of them trudged onward, while the other hung limp, seemingly unconscious, over his shoulder.

A smirk spread across Dr. Trevor's face as he unceremoniously dropped Sam onto the glowing grass. Sam let out a startled grunt as his face hit the ground with an audible thud.

"Next time, announce that you've woken up," Dr. Trevor said, amusement lacing his tone. "I've been carrying you for, oh, about twenty-one miles now. And in case you've forgotten, you're not exactly small—or light, for that matter."

Sam ignored the remark, groaning as he pushed himself up on unsteady arms. His eyes widened as he looked around, his voice rising in disbelief. "Where the hell are we? What is this? Why is the grass… glowing? Trevor, where the fuck did you bring me?"

Dr. Trevor raised an eyebrow, his expression teetering on the edge of mockery. "We're in another universe—a mirror reality, to be precise. Got here using a little machine I built in my spare time." He paused, gesturing vaguely at their surroundings. "Though, in truth, we probably didn't travel far—and yes, I'm using the term 'far' very loosely here. It's a neighboring universe, adjacent to our home one. Think of it as stepping into the room next door, but cosmically."

Sam's face contorted into an expression that could only be described as the confusion of a thousand lifetimes. "What the actual fuck are you talking about?"

Dr. Trevor sighed, a long, exasperated sound that carried the weight of unspoken lectures. "What good is your so-called enhanced intellect if you're not using it? Think, Samuel. Piece it together. It's not rocket science—well, maybe it's a little beyond that, but still."

Sam stared at him, blinking, before his gaze fell to the grass beneath his knees. He stared at the faintly glowing blades, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the impossible. Slowly, fragments of understanding began to take shape, though the full picture remained elusive. He finally looked up, his voice quiet and hesitant.

"How?"

"What do you mean, how?" Dr. Trevor asked, tilting his head slightly, his voice tinged with feigned innocence.

"I mean, how the fuck did you manage to get us into a different universe? Of all places!" Sam snapped, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "And, quite frankly, why?!"

Dr. Trevor smirked, a glimmer of amusement flashing in his eyes. "Ah, right. I forgot you weren't awake for that part. My mistake. I had assumed that you could leave certain parts of your brain functional while unconscious—like sea mammals do in the wild. You know, after your last experiment."

Sam's face twisted into a look of utter disbelief. "Yes, I can do that," he shot back, his tone sharp. "But I was so drained from the procedure that my body shut down all non-critical functions just to heal! It wasn't exactly optional, Trevor."

"Hmm, I see," Dr. Trevor mused, stroking his chin theatrically. "Well, my dear brother decided to infiltrate our government experimentation compound—probably to do god-knows-what. Oh, and to exact revenge for something I may or may not have done in the past. You know, the usual family drama."

"Okay?" Sam drawled, his eyebrows arching in disbelief. "So, your grand solution was to escape to another universe instead of, I don't know, facing your problems like a normal person? Or better yet, escaping with a helicopter or literally anything less insane than this?!"

"Seemed like a pretty good solution to me," Dr. Trevor said with a shrug, as if fleeing to another universe were the most logical course of action.

Samuel stared at him, his eyes narrowing slightly as he rubbed his temples out of pure reflex—though his enhanced body made the possibility of an actual migraine laughable. He let out a slow, deliberate breath, then asked, "Then if he was only after you, why the hell did you drag me into this?"

Dr. Trevor chuckled, the sound low and condescending. "Didn't I just explain that I don't fully understand my brother's motivations for infiltrating the facility? For all I know, he could be planning to steal all my research and experiments, either to screw me over, make a quick fortune, or both." He gestured toward Samuel with a flourish, his grin widening. "And you, my dear Samuel, are the culmination of all my work given form. Why would I leave you there for him to steal? Do I look like an idiot to you?"

"I don't know what you look like right now," Samuel said, his tone flat but tinged with simmering frustration. "But I'm pretty sure this is going way too far in any scenario I can think of."

"Exactly," Dr. Trevor shot back, his voice laced with a mix of condescension and amusement. "In any scenario that you can think of. But unlike you, I know exactly why I had to go this far. And, for the record, I'm not particularly inclined to tell you everything I know." He folded his arms, giving Samuel a pointed look. "I'm humoring you right now—giving you the basic rundown of the situation we're in. But don't expect me to answer any more questions about my decisions or how we got here. That's not up for debate."

When Dr. Trevor said that, Samuel knew there was no point in pressing further. The man was as stubborn as a mule—always had been, always would be. But then a realization struck him. He was in another plane of reality now, wasn't he? Far from the constraints of the world they had left behind. Wasn't he free?

The thought took hold, growing darker and more enticing: Couldn't I just take my revenge on Dr. Trevor right here and now?

Dr. Trevor, as if plucking the thought straight from Samuel's mind, smirked and said, "You're so easy to read, Sam. Did you really think we didn't develop countermeasures for the off chance that one of you might decide to go full ape shit and try to kill us?"

Samuel's expression darkened, his features twisting with a venomous mix of anger and dread. His voice was low and sharp, practically a hiss. "You didn't."

"We did," Dr. Trevor said with an infuriatingly calm confidence.

Samuel's fists clenched at his sides, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "You were never going to let us go, were you? Not when you had us bound to a leash this tight."

"I was going to let you go," Dr. Trevor said, his voice calm, almost indifferent. "The World Government, however, might not."

"WHY?!" Samuel roared, his voice filled with a raw, primal anger. He felt like a caged beast, trapped no matter where he turned. No matter how far he ran—or even which universe he escaped to—the slimy, oppressive grip of the World Government seemed to follow him, always tightening its hold.

Dr. Trevor continued pacing, circling a nearby tree as if Samuel's outburst were nothing more than background noise. Plucking a small flower growing on the stump, he twirled it absently between his fingers. "Well, Samuel, if you really think about it," he began, his tone casual yet pointed, "how do you think the public would react if they ever found out what we did to you children?"

Samuel's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. He had braced himself for another cryptic remark or perhaps a condescending jab at his intelligence. But this time, Trevor seemed ready to actually explain—or at least give him enough to piece it together. And from what had already been said, Samuel could guess where this was heading.

"Let me guess," Samuel said, his tone laced with bitter sarcasm. "The public wouldn't like that."

"Exactly," Dr. Trevor replied, twirling the tiny flower in his fingers as if the conversation were no more significant than the object in his hand. "The public wouldn't like it at all. And the government, for all its power and influence, can't help but care about public opinion. Because, at the end of the day, the people still hold all the power."

Samuel's jaw tightened, his voice low and accusatory. "So, what? They want to silence us? Kill us as soon as we're no longer useful?"

"Maybe," Dr. Trevor said, his tone maddeningly casual. "Who knows? Most likely, yes."

"Then what was the point of all this?!" Samuel yelled, his voice shaking with a mix of fury and despair. "Why bring me here? To prolong my suffering?!" He took a step closer, his fists trembling at his sides. "Because I'll tell you right now—I don't give a flying fuck about anything anymore. I'm leaving. And neither you nor anyone else can stop me. If you want me to cooperate, you'll have to make my charred, ashy, headless corpse cooperate! And even then—maybe not for very long!"

Dr. Trevor's gaze shifted from the flower in his hand to Samuel's seething form. His expression remained eerily calm, his voice devoid of emotion as he said simply, "Okay."

"Okay, what?" Samuel snapped, his voice laced with suspicion.

Dr. Trevor gave him a pointed look, his tone as firm as his expression. "Didn't I just say I wasn't going to explain my reasoning for coming here?"

Samuel fell silent, though the fiery glare in his eyes betrayed his simmering distrust. He watched Dr. Trevor closely, his posture tense and ready.

Unfazed, Dr. Trevor continued, his voice calm and steady. "I don't care what you do. Your life is yours to live as you see fit now."

Samuel's expression shifted, surprise flashing across his face as the words sank in.

Dr. Trevor met his gaze, his tone softening slightly. "I no longer have any power over you. I hold no ill will toward you—or any of the other subjects, for that matter. The government's mistakes aren't mine to bear. I simply pursued what my aspirations as a scientist demanded. I wanted to create a perfect human in every way, and I succeeded. My goal is complete, and I'm satisfied. I have no need—or desire—to see you die. In fact, I'm curious to see what you'll become as you grow older."

Samuel's eyes narrowed as he searched Dr. Trevor's face, trying to decipher any trace of deceit. The man had always been a mystery—calculating, confident, and maddeningly detached. But now, standing here in a foreign world with nothing but glowing grass beneath their feet and endless trees surrounding them, Samuel couldn't sense a lie in his words.

"You're serious," Samuel finally said, his voice quieter but still edged with skepticism.

"Completely," Dr. Trevor replied, his gaze unwavering. "What happens to you from here on out is up to you. Whether you leave, stay, seek revenge, or forge a new path—I won't interfere."

Samuel crossed his arms, still not entirely convinced. "And what about you? What's your grand plan now that you've accomplished your so-called masterpiece?"

Dr. Trevor smirked faintly, tossing the flower to the ground as he stepped past Samuel. "Let's just say I have a few more ideas to explore. This universe is full of untapped potential, after all." He paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Don't get yourself killed, Samuel. I'd hate to see all that potential wasted so soon."

With that, Dr. Trevor walked away, his silhouette quickly swallowed by the strange forest. Samuel stood there, the silence pressing down on him like a weight.

For the first time in his life, no one was pulling the strings. No one was holding the leash. The realization was equal parts liberating and terrifying.

He glanced down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them as he thought. This place was unfamiliar, alien. But if what Dr. Trevor said was true, then it was also an opportunity.

Samuel took a deep breath, his fiery resolve returning. Whatever came next, it would be on his terms.

It was finally time to live.