Project Element

Project Element (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3:

I wish I could say that this is when the dramatic fight music started playing, and then we all began training to perfectly master our powers.  I wish I could say that I was whipping up tornadoes and bossing people around by just putting a thought in their mind.  

I'd be lying,

All that required time that we didn't have.  I didn't even know where to start with my so called powers.  And even if I did master them, what the hell was I expecting to do?  I mean security at the lab had been increased by the ten-fold.  Did I really expect to just mosey in, blow all the bad guys away, somehow find the correct injection, and then just leave?

I mean...Obviously it wasn't going to be that easy.  It wasn't going to be easy at all actually.  If we stormed in there, trying to act all tough, they wouldn't hesitate to harm us.  I mean, they could just make replacements.  But sitting around and waiting was not an option.

So here me and Blaze were, three hours later, walking back into the office building that we'd emerged from just the day before.  My heart was pounding.  I'm sure that Blaze could hear it.  He gave me a guilty looking, knowing that I wouldn't be here if not for him.

As soon as I realized what was happening though, I knew this was the only option.  There was no way I was waiting to see what happened when Blaze's whole body became charred.  

When I'd told Blaze that the only option was for us to get caught, so they could give him the injection, he'd treated me as if I was joking.  I wasn't joking.  After much debating, I got him to agree with me.  It was the only way.

He'd wanted to go alone.  I wouldn't let him.

When I told Claire and Savannah what we were doing, they'd been shocked.  Claire had looked at me, her eyes devoid of emotion.  Her voice still rang in my ears.

"You don't know what it's like to be locked up.  That's why you're doing this."

Even if I had been, that wouldn't have stopped me.  Blaze needed me.

Savannah had tried to convince me otherwise.  But I told her that it needed to be done.  It didn't matter that I could be trapped there, a souvenir of their scientific experiments for the rest of my life. I mean, maybe I'd figure something out, and me and Blaze would escape a second time.

I wasn't really counting on it though.

The closer we got to the office, the more resigned I became.  I began to accept the fact that I could be spending the rest of my never-ending life in a cell.  Blaze needed me.

The receptionist looked at the two of us, standing hand in hand.  Something registered in her eyes, and I knew that she was activating some alarm to alert them to our presence.  

Blaze gave my hand a squeeze.

"Why're you doing this for me Aria?  You hardly know me."

"I wouldn't want to be alone."  

Four of the men in black uniforms emerged from the elevator and began running toward us.  I dropped Blaze's hand, and slowly raised my hands into the air.  He did the same.

Then they were upon us.  

"He needs the stabilizing shot!" I shouted, "Stabilizing-"  I felt a prick in my side, and was silenced as if a hood was pulled over my mind.  Everything went black.

My mind felt sluggish and my eyes were heavy.  Keeping my eyes closed, I shifted my body on the cold metal beneath me.

Home sweet home.

I blinked the sleep from my eyes and slowly sat up.  God, couldn't they at least give me some padding?  I was going to get a crick in my neck, sleeping on this slab of metal.

Blaze was in the cell next to mine, still passed out.  His mouth was open, and he was even drooling.  Obviously the metal bed wasn't bothering him that much.  

"Ah, finally awake!" An enthusiastic voice said to my right.  I sharply turned to look at who was speaking.  "Good morning, sunshine." He laughed, as I narrowed my eyes at him.

It was a man of 20, at the oldest.  He had brown hair, shaved closely to his head and pale gray eyes.  He had a kind looking face, his full attention currently focused on me.

"Who are you?"  He wasn't wearing a lab coat and his muscular arms were showing through his t-shirt.  No way was this guy a scientist.  Maybe one of those men in black in training.

"My names Zach." He walked over to my cell, sticking his hand through the bars.  I stared at it with my eyebrows raised. "Do you know what shaking hands is?"

"Of course I do, I'm not an idiot." I snapped, "I just don't want to shake your hand."  He withdrew his hand, pretending to look hurt.

"My father is currently head scientist here." He explained, "They thought you'd open up more to someone your own age.  They gave me a list of questions I'm supposed to ask you, but it appears I've lost it."  He shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I ran a hand through my hair, then glanced over at Blaze, "Is he OK?"

"He's fine.  They gave him the stabilizing shot.  He'll just be knocked out for a little bit." Suddenly, his voice turned teasing, "Is that your boyfraaaand?"

I glared at him, "Is that one of your required questions?"

"No, it was something along the lines of, where's the other two?"

"As if I'd tell you."

"I didn't expect you to."

I stood up and walked over to the edge the cell, directly in front of Zach.  He took a step back, as if threatened by me.

"What are you going to do to me?" I locked my eyes with his.

"I'm not doing anything to you.  You can't escape from there.  There's no reason to worry about you anymore."

"How do you know that when Blaze wakes up he won't just burn through the cell again?"

"There's disrupters." He shrugged, "They used to just affect you in the cell.  However, after that last incident, they're in affect everywhere in this building.  Except Bolt's little box, of course."

My mind was reeling.  I knew that once me and Blaze came in, getting back out was going to be a challenge.  However, it now seemed next to impossible.  Obviously they were feeling confident if they were leaving Zach here, alone, to speak with me.

"I want to talk to Bolt." I said slowly, his yellow eyes flashing through my mind.  Zach laughed at me. 

"You don't always get what you want, princess."