Unleashed

Chapter 9

A/N: I update "Unleashed" every Friday afternoon, one chapter a week. Thank you for the continued support, and I hope you enjoy!

I'm really sorry I have to keep throwing you guys off schedule, but next week I'll be updating on Thursday. I have a family commitment, because apparently my family likes to "do things" on weekends. Of course I, the introvert, would much rather stay home and write, but according to my mother that's "not an option". Also, I'd like to apologize again for not adding a chapter last week. But I was finally able to polish it off, and it's much better now than it was a week ago. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if you feel so inclined, please vote and/or comment! It means the world to me when people do :)

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It's been two days since Ressarts assigned Mikhail to be my mentor, and since then we've barely been allowed to leave each other's sight. Every bit of training we do now is as a pair, but Mikhail isn't any less obnoxious for it: in fact, it seems as if he's only gotten worse over the past forty-eight hours we've

As of right now, Ressarts has asked Mikhail to escort me to the tech lab to see something he claims will help me get past my emotional barrier. After maybe five minutes of walking in silence, he stops by a plain, unmarked door and grunts a single word: "In."

I'm a bit disappointed: I was expecting a more extravagant door to lead into this so-called 'high-tech' laboratory. Mikhail must take my hesitation as a sign of my high expectations falling through, because he smirks and gestures to the door once again. "Go on, open it."

I step forward and open the door. In the back of my head I find myself thinking that since he's the man, he should have opened the door; then again, this is Mikhail we're talking about. The moment I see him being chivalrous is the moment I'll know hell has frozen over.

The first thing I see upon entering is a huge computer monitor mounted on the back wall, glistening in the bright fluorescent lights. My hands brush the porcelain-like walls as I walk towards the display. A high-pitched beeping emanates from it, and though it's towards the back of the otherwise-cluttered room, it's definitely the most prevalent tech in the lab.

"You're here!" A disheveled-looking Italian man in a lab coat approaches us, blocking my view of the screen. "I heard you would be coming!"

"Who are you?" Mikhail asks bluntly.

"I am Dr. Matteo Hoffman, head scientist here in the Base's tech lab. And you would be Martin and Leila, correct? It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance; I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to meet before in all the years you've been here, Martin! But as you know, this place is huge, and there's never been a reason for you kids to have to come down here before! However you, Leila, only just got here, so I've no reason to make an excuse for you, now have I?"

"Actually, it's Mikhail and Lacy," I mumble as his rambling comes to an end.

"Of course it is!" Hoffman chuckles. But apparently he wasn't listening. "Now, Leila, if you would please follow me...."

Out of the corner of my eye I see Mikhail giving me a sideways glance. Is he... grinning? "Go on, Leila," he says. "Follow... what was it... Dr. Martin? Oh wait, no... Martin's my name."

I stare blankly at Mikhail, dumbfounded at his attempt to joke with me. I suppose it's a welcome change in him, but a strange one at that. He ruins it, though, by shooting me a steely glare and gesturing harshly for me to follow Dr. Hoffman.

God, what is up with this guy? I think. Being with Mikhail is like flipping a coin: you're never sure which side of him you're going to get.