Atomic Rebooted

43. Electra

MIRA

My head pounded. That was the first thing I remembered—then squinting at the lights in my face. Stark white, they were as blinding as the sun. I felt so tired, so heavy. So useless.

Just like the day Verity died.

I blinked open my eyes, as if that would chase the light away. I had to try and get a better view of my surroundings. But everything around me was a blur, slow like syrup, and I couldn't concentrate on anything.

I realized when I tried to move my hand that my arms were strapped down to my sides, and there was an IV drip attached to my elbow.

"This isn't ideal." My words slurred together as I tried to lift my head.

I was rewarded with my heartbeat pounding my temples. I fell back against the metal table. Only now did I realize that it was cold. I couldn't even bring myself to shiver.

"I'll admit, I'm quite curious to see if Atomic Energy has done anything special to the girl." I felt a gloved hand on my forehead. I turned my head, to try and shake her off. But the female voice above me just laughed. "This is everything I've ever wanted in my research! And now I have the opportunity. . . "

"I know, we've been waiting for this day for such a long time," agreed a male voice, also somewhere above me. There was then a pause.

A new female voice spoke: "Doctor, she's trying to wake up. We need to give her another dose."

"Drat, I left that in the other room," the first voice grumbled. "Menlo, Glitch, be dears, make sure she doesn't try to hurt herself until I get back with the anesthetic."

"Yes, Dr. Electra."

A jolt of cold energy ran through my veins, and my muscles spasmed against the metal restraints. My heart beat faster—and so did the pounding in my head.

Oh no.

We were in one of Dr. Electra's secret laboratories.

I struggled to remember how I'd gotten here in the first place. We'd been in the abandoned hideout in Old Kingsbury, we were looking for something, something to do with Atomic Energy—

"Henry!" I tried to yell, but it only came out as a sleepy mumble.

That earned a laugh from the male voice—Glitch, I could remember it faintly from our profiles.

"He's going to be just fine." I could see a black-gloved hand, contrasted against the brightness, coming closer to my face. I tried to pull away. "The doc isn't going to hurt her only success. He's somewhere safe—"

Glitch pushed a stray hair off my forehead. The gesture was supposed to be a comfort, but coming from a supervillain's henchman, it only curdled my blood.

I closed my eyes, trying to draw on my energy, or something. I had to get out, I had to find a way to rescue Henry. He didn't deserve to get pulled back into his nightmares like this, because of me.

But what could I do?

Super-speed didn't come with super-invulnerability. While I had more than the average person, that had more to do with training than anything else.

Trying to kick through the metal restraints could do more damage to me, leaving me unable to take the henchmen properly.

"All of our other experiments died, unfortunately, before we could finish our work," Glitch continued, oblivious to my train of thought. "With the two of you, we have another chance to find the truth. A child who grew up with the power, who can tell us the secret. Then the one success, who we can use to make the rest."