Gloved fingers began to type.
Year: [█████] [REDACTED]
His fingers moved to redact the information.
Month: [REDACTED]
Location: [█████] [REDACTED]
“Good. Next up,” the voice accompanying the gloves mumbled.
CLASSIFIED — LEVEL █████
MERCIER █████ █████
COMPREHENSIVE SURVEILLANCE REPORT
DATE: ██████████
[? WARNING: RESTRICTED ACCESS — USERNAME AND PASSWORD REQUIRED ?]
Name: Prometheus
Code: █████
[PLEASE INPUT DNA SAMPLE]
[DNA VERIFIED. WELCOME BACK, PROMETHEUS. CONTINUE REDACTION.]
AUTHORIZATION: A. Mercier (Deceased) / █████ [REDACTED]
CLEARANCE LEVEL: █████ ALPHA
DISTRIBUTION: [REDACTED]
SUBJECT SUMMARY - PROGRAM VIABILITY:
█████████ MERCIER (█):
Arena Completion: [REDACTED]
Facility Access Attempts: ██
System Response: Negative
Psychological Profile: Exhibits sadistic tendencies and psychological instability. Observation indicates potentially problematic. As well as [REDACTED].
Intelligence Assessment: Superior. Recommended for [REDACTED] upon Genes██ Ev██t. - [System error 0x4F7: Redaction protocol failure]
NOTES: Subject's activities at the Hea█ts De█ire - [System error 0x4F7: Redaction protocol failure]
facility have been documented. Involvement in [REDACTED] incident suggests tactical value in containment protocols. Subject has repeatedly eliminated threats to Project ███████ without triggering official detection.
[? BREACH DETECTED ? WARNING ? BREACH DETECTED ? WARNING ?]
“Oh Katarina, you minx.”
[SAFEGUARD ACTIVATED — BREACH CONTAINED]
—/—//██[C0RRUPT
████ MERCIER (█):
Arena Completion: [REDACTED]
Facility Access Attempts: █
System Response: Negative
Psychological Profile: Military mindset with strong authoritarian tendencies. Shows preference for direct confrontation.
Intelligence Assessment: Above Average
Monitoring: Mercenary development program confirms alignment with [REDACTED].
NOTES: Subject has shown susceptibility to Arena graduate countermeasures (see incident file: Min-Ji). Combat aptitude insufficient for direct [REDACTED].
███████ MERCIER (█):
Arena Completion: [REDACTED]
Facility Access Attempts: █
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
System Response: Negative
Psychological Profile: Creative but lacks practical application. Intelligence assessment: Genius. Exhibits class fixation that limits adaptability.
NOTES: Steam-tech innovations show promise for [REDACTED] but remain impractical for mass deployment.
████ MERCIER (█):
Arena Completion: [REDACTED]
Facility Access Attempts: █
System Response: Negative
Psychological Profile: Methodical with strong scientific aptitude. Intelligence assessment: Flexible. Mother's influence (█████████) remains problematic factor.
NOTES: [REDACTED] useful for Arena graduate enhancement. Subject remains unaware of compound's true purpose [REDACTED].
[REDACTED]
████████ MERCIER (█):
Arena Completion: [REDACTED]
Facility Access Attempts: █
System Response: Negative
Psychological Profile: Strong business acumen with moral limitations. Intelligence assessment: Superior. Reluctance to utilize extreme measures makes subject unsuitable for [REDACTED].
NOTES: Subject has demonstrated unusual [REDACTED]. Potential liability when [REDACTED] occurs. Surveillance indicates growing personal relationship that may compromise ███████ protocols.
Side Note: Shows great potential. A shame that subjects own personality holds them back and leaves them susceptible to manipulation.
█████ MERCIER (█):
Arena Completion: [REDACTED]
Facility Access Attempts: █
System Response: POSITIVE
Psychological Profile: Adaptive with strong survival instinct. Intelligence assessment: Superior. Uniquely capable of moral flexibility when required which elevates Intelligence assessment.
NOTES: Only subject to trigger [REDACTED].
Subject demonstrated exceptional tactical adaptation capabilities in high-stress scenarios. Subject displays unique ability to synthesize lessons from previous experiences and apply them in novel ways, resulting in unconventional but effective problem-solving methodologies even when standard protocols fail. Subject has confirmed [REDACTED].
[REDACTED]
ONLY CANDIDATE WITH 100% █████ FOR █████ █████ .
FACILITY STATUS OVERVIEW
LAZARUS-9:
Function: [REDACTED]
Status: [REDACTED]
Security: Max clearance DNA-locked to █. Mercier
Personnel: ███ researchers, ███ security personnel
Notes: Primary storage for [REDACTED]. ████ System calibration successful. Awaiting Phase 2.
HADES-22:
Function: [REDACTED]
Status: [REDACTED]
Security: [REDACTED]
Personnel: [REDACTED]
Notes: Initial ███████ contained within lower levels. Test subjects show [REDACTED]. A. Mercier's body [REDACTED].
FACILITY-REAWAKENING:
Function: [REDACTED]
Status: Standby
Security: [REDACTED]
Personnel: [REDACTED]
Notes: Preparations for [REDACTED] 87% complete. Will be activated when [REDACTED].
FACILITY-GENESIS:
Function: [REDACTED]
Status: [REDACTED]
Security: [REDACTED]
Personnel: [REDACTED]
Notes: All evidence of [REDACTED] from public record. Temporal anomalies contained. [REMAINDER OF SECTION REDACTED BY ORDER OF A. MERCIER]
OPERATION HISTORY (EXCERPTS)
OPERATION: KINGMAKER
Date: [REDACTED]
Objective: [REDACTED]
Outcome: [REDACTED]
Casualties: [REDACTED]
Notes: [REDACTED]
OPERATION: REBIRTH
Date: [REDACTED]
Objective:[REDACTED]
Outcome: [REDACTED]
Casualties: Acceptable within projected models
Notes: A. Mercier's foresight confirmed by subsequent [REDACTED].
OPERATION: ARENA
Date: [REDACTED]
Objective: Create combat-ready force for [REDACTED]
Outcome: [REDACTED]
Casualties: Within acceptable parameters
Notes: Min-Ji remains one of the most capable assets. Awakened B rank ability. Deployed to [REDACTED]
OPERATION: ADOPTION
Date: [REDACTED]
Objective: [REDACTED]
Outcome: Subject █. Mercier successfully integrated into family structure
Casualties: [REDACTED]
Notes: Subject's biological origins remain [REDACTED]. No trace of [REDACTED]. Only detectable via [REDACTED].
EVOLUTIONARY PARAMETERS:
[REDACTED]
CATALYST EVENTS:
[REDACTED]
SPECIAL ANOMALY:
Subject █. Mercier's
The following content is protected by Three-Key Security Protocol:
- [PASSWORD]
- [DNA SCAN]
- [AI ACKNOWLEDGEMENT]
[REDACTED]
FINAL ASSESSMENT:
All evidence confirms Lord A. Mercier's original hypothesis. The subject [REDACTED].
As directed by A. Mercier's final protocol, surveillance will continue until [REDACTED].
Lord Mercier's vision will be fulfilled.
AUTHORIZED BY: O. [REDACTED]
WITNESS: M. [REDACTED]
The figure adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses. On the monitors before him, multiple surveillance feeds showed chaos erupting throughout the city. A separate screen displayed vital signs from a containment pod where the first signs of movement had begun.
He tapped through the archived footage—surveillance spanning decades, hundreds of children tested, facilities constructed, operations executed. All leading to this moment.
"He was right," he murmured, watching as the monitoring equipment registered the first anomalous brain wave patterns. "Everything is proceeding exactly as Lord Mercier foresaw."
He entered the final command sequence.
The facility's alarms began to sound.