"And all of this, the defendant has committed before his eighteenth birthday.  It is clear that he is a danger to the people of Germany, and should be imprisoned for the rest of his natural life."  The prosecutor sat, smirking at Warin.  And why not?  It wasn't like Warin hid his tracks or made any defense.

"I see.  Yes.  Very well."  The judge cleared his throat, then reread the note that sat before him on his stand.  That note made him very glad that the defendant hadn't offered up any plea or defense.  Indeed, it made things so much easier.  The judge was a man of specific tastes, and somehow the writer of the note had found out.  In exchange for not revealing the judge's tastes to the media, the note read, the writer requested that one Warin Ebensbach be sentenced to life in prison at Haafenbar Langstrafenanstalt.  That prison, and no other.  For protecting his secrets, the judge didn't see this as so high a price.

He cleared his throat again.  "The defendant, having offered no defense and having entered a plea of guilty to all charges is sentenced to serve the remainder of his life inprisoned.  He will be taken from this court and sent as soon as it is practicable to Haafenbar Langstrafenanstalt, where he will be kept in maximum security conditions."

Warin Ebensbach only smiled wider.

Within a week of his arrival at Haafenbar, it was obvious to the prison's administration that the man could not be kept in the general population.  He was moved to solitary confinement, which suited the group that put Warin in the prison just fine.  It allowed them to administer the drug treatments and chemical enhancements to the man under even more secure conditions. 

Eight Years Later:

The man in the suit introduced himself as Warin's attorney.  Warin raised an eyebrow at this... he had no attorney that he knew of.

"I am Addler Kalb.  I am pleased to make your acquaintance.  Please, sit," the man said, indicating the chair across the table.

The attorney was of no concern to Warin.  The man was obviously in his late 50s, and was in pitiful shape.  This Kalb was 115 kilos if he was a gram, and did not reach two meters in height.  But the man's eyes bothered Warin.  They held this clever sparkle to them; Warin always hated men who thought themselves clever.  Too often, they turned out to be fools.  This one, with his carefully tailored suit and his walrus moustache, smelled of fool, alright.

Kalb just sat there, smiling at Warin.  That irritated him also.

Through gritted teeth, Warin growled, "So, you are my lawyer.  You must be here for a reason, so spit it out."

"Ah, yes.  Mr. Ebensbach, let me be honest with you. I have nothing to hide from you and pose no danger to you." If Kalb was trying to placate Warin, he was doing it all wrong.  But Warin let the man continue.  "I have been watching you since you were born. Where possible, I have helped you – when necessary, I have left you to your own devices."

Warin's eyes narrowed dangerously.  "And?"

I have been retained by your father to --" At Warin's shocked glance, Kalb interrupted himself.  "Yes, I am aware that you never knew your father.  Or your mother, for that matter.  Your father paid a woman some twenty thousand deutschmarks to donate one of her eggs.  She was chosen on the basis of her genetic makeup.  The egg was inseminated with your father's sperm, then implanted in another woman, chosen just as carefully.  When you were born, you were placed in an orphanage and your mother disappeared back into her normal life.  From there, you know most of your story.  Shifted from foster home to foster home, orphanage to orphanage, constantly getting yourself into greater and greater trouble.  Until it was decided that, for your own good and the good of your father's long term plans, you should be confined in one place until the experiment had reached its final stage."

Ebensbach listened to everything he was told with a growing rage.  His mind traveled back to his childhood... the abusive foster parents, the uncaring orphanage workers, the constant bullying.  Never once had he even wondered about his parents.  They didn't matter, just as no one else mattered, either.  But now that he'd found he was part of an experiment... that explained his abilities.  He was stronger, faster, and smarter than any of the guards he came in contact with, and they knew it.  It all made sense:  he'd been shaped into the perfect predator.

"Your genetic code was tampered with while you were still in the womb by your father, and then during your imprisonment you were given special drug treatments.  This forced your development along desired lines.  Effectively, you are the next step in human evolution."

"This person who say is my father did this to me?"  It wasn't really a question.

"Yes.  Your father is a brilliant man, you see.  He is an expert in several scientific fields... genetics, for one.  Your body is more resistant to injury than a normal human being, you are stronger and react more quickly.  Your brain can store and process information faster... everything about you is a step above the average man.  This is your father's gift to you."

Warin thought about it for a moment.  "Some gift.  I'm still in prison."

"Not past today, Herr Ebensbach.  Your father has garnered your release."

Warin was bemused by that.  "So my father has enough pull to get a life sentence commuted?  Who is he?  God?"

That question came out more like a demand than a question, but Kalb was unfazed. He opened the folder and handed Warin a piece of paper. It was old and smelled of wine, wood smoke and leather.

Warin opened it and read:

"My son.

"You are reading this because you have found my lawyer. I regret that such devices are necessary – but this man is loyal to me and will be loyal to you as well. By now, you have learned of your gifts. You have learned of my role in your creation. You were given every physical and mental edge I could genetically and socially engineer into a person. You are my son – my legacy to this world that has misunderstood everything I have ever tried to give it. Now, I give it to you – if you can take it."

It was signed "Your father, Reginald Winssinger".

"Reginald Winssinger... never heard of him."  Warin tossed the letter and the envelope onto the table.  "Was I supposed to have?"

The question took Kalb by surprise.  "You mean to say you've never heard of Lord Doom?"

That revelation lit up within Warin's brain like a firework exploding.  Several things he still wondered about became clear.  After a moment, he spoke again.  "So... what happens now?"

"Now, we leave, Herr Ebensbach."  The lawyer stood and gestured toward the door.  Smirking again, Warin nodded, then followed the man out.  It took nearly half an hour to process him out of the prison, but he was shortly breathing the free air again.  He followed Kalb to the lawyer's automobile, and climbed into the passenger seat beside him.

"Here."  Kalb handed Warin a plain white envelope stuffed with money.  "It’s a million Deutschmarks and a map to a location that you might find helpful."  Kalb started the car.  "I have been directed to drive you to an airpor-- " The fat man was silenced by Warin's elbow smashing into the bridge of his nose.  The bones of the lawyer's skull shattered inward, sheering through the man's brain, killing him instantly.  Of course, Warin hadn't been listening.  He quickly counted the money, confirming it was a million Deutschmarks, then came to a decision.

Screw his father... he'd find his own way.  But the money would help him get started.