The League Of Justice: Age Of Superhumans

Chapter Four

       Dr Eddy and Dr Tom walked into a very gigantic laboratory containing dozens of bubbling tubes with human beings inside apparently still alive, due to the fact they got oxygen masks on their faces. The laboratory is well illuminated with white bulbs. There's a woman inside working on an unconscious woman on a table. The Aegis' Commander stopped at one of the bubbling tubes staring at the woman inside it, cracked a vicious smirk as he spotted large claws on the tip of her fingers. He couldn't believe it that Dr Ernestina is speeding up the process of mutating all these poor souls, turning them into their personal weapons to achieve their goals.
     "Dr Ernestina." Dr Tom said, as he approached the Geneticist.
     "Dr Tom, Dr Eddy!." Dr Ernestina Richmond said, with a smile. She's fair in skin tone with forest green eyes and blond hair.
     "You're really something else, sweetheart!" Dr Eddy said, impressed, as he walked to the doctors, while looking around the laboratory.
     "I'm nothing like you, Eddy!" Dr Ernestina said, in a chuckle.
     Dr Eddy frowned clearly angry now, because Dr Ernestina always challenge his authority, calling him a failure or a weakling of their Corporation, along with all his sidekicks. The geneticist wants to take command from him, believing he's only making all of them weak.
     "Please don't start. We are only here to talk." Dr Tom said, tenderly.
     "I got nothing to talk to you about." Dr Ernestina said, sternly.
     "Well, we have something in mind." Dr Eddy said, sternly.
     Dr Ernestina stopped what she was doing, sighed heavily, then spun back and gazed at Dr Eddy for a moment. She cracked a mischievous grin, knowing what the doctors want from her. They intent on using her guinea pigs to decimate the credible threats and to get the most rare formulas back. But she won't give them what they want without a price to pay if they failed to accomplish their simple task.
     "Let's make a deal then!." Dr Ernestina said, with a vile grin.
     "I'm your goddamn commander!." Dr Eddy said, in annoyance, looking at the Geneticist warily.
     All of a sudden, Dr Ernestina unleashed an unbearable pain on Dr Eddy with a gaze; he fell on his knees groaning and sweating in agony as he clutched his head with both hands; that's when he reminds himself that the Geneticist possessed the power to manipulate pain, something he usually overlooked.
     "Do I look like I care, Eddy? You are in my territory, so you must abide by my rules!" Dr Ernestina said, in disgust, before she makes the pain goes away.
     "What's the deal?" Dr Eddy asked, breathing heavily and sweating, before he regains his feet.
     "I'll give you what you want, but... If you fail to accomplish your task, I'll take command!" Dr Ernestina said, boldly.
     Dr Eddy realized quickly that he has just dug his own grave by coming to the Geneticist to help him exterminate the credible threats by all means necessary. And he knew what taking command means clearly; it means she'll kill him in order to make an example out of him to the others as greedy as he's for more power.
     "Are you sure about it?" Dr Tom asked, looking at Dr Eddy. He knew the kind of beast Dr Ernestina used to be and she's far more ruthless than anyone of them in the Corporation, that's why she's feared and respected.
     "He doesn't have a choice, Tom. He refuse the deal, he dies. He fail, he dies!" Dr Ernestina said, with a vile smirk, as she glanced at Dr Eddy.
     "We have a deal." Dr Eddy said, nervously.
     "Good. I'll send seven of them to you later!" Dr Ernestina said, with a sigh, as she goes back to her work.
     Dr Eddy and Dr Tom exchanged a look before they both left the laboratory,  dreading what could happen to them if they fail. They decided to be more terrible and vicious to Ibrahim and his friends, since their lives were both at stake; considering the theory that when a new world is forged, the old one must be put to rest at all costs; meaning Dr Ernestina was planning to decimate them all.
     During lunch time, Ibrahim and his clique were at their favourite table in the Cafeteria, drinking and cracking jokes as usual. Ibrahim looked around the place hoping to spot his crush which he did; he spotted her sitting with Safreena.
     "Guys, there's a school party tonight!" Khalifa said, feeling excited.
     "When are we hosting a make out party?" Raphael asked, in a chortle, and seriously.
     Ibrahim and the others swung a wonky look at Raphael, who always make out with girls he met at any nightclub they went. To their expectations he just shrugged not really caring about what his friends were thinking or even saying about him.
     "Maybe you should get yourself a girlfriend." Ishaq said, with a sigh.
     "Am not a fan like him." Raphael said, as he gazed at Ibrahim who was busy staring at Fateema without even blinking for a second.
     "That reminds me, we don't have a date." Saoban said, in a serious tone.
     "You should ask her out, dude." Ishaq said, tenderly, looking at Ibrahim.
     Ibrahim cracked a grin as the thought of asking Fateema to go out with him rushed into his head. He will have the chance to express his feelings for her one way or the other before it's too late.
     "I think you're right, Ishaq!" Ibrahim said, with a smirk, before he left the table.
     Fateema was chatting with Safreena when she saw Ibrahim coming their way smiling; that's when she thought maybe he liked her; if not for that he wouldn't be bothering her like that. Abruptly, he paused in his tracks which puzzled her. She saw him looking at a direction; she quickly looked at the direction and saw a guy smiling at Ibrahim who seemed shocked and puzzled all of a sudden; it's Hashim Sa'ad his long time nemesis.
     "Oh my god!." Safreena said, in a slow voice, shocked, spotting Hashim at the door smiling at Ibrahim. That's when she realized how bad things will soon be because the mischievous one is now one of them.
     "Who is the new guy?" Fateema asked, still looking at Hashim.
     But before Safreena could responds, Ibrahim in a fit of rage, hurried towards Hashim. But Abubakar out of nowhere showed up and grabbed him back, not wanting another problem due to the previous event and his parents were really mad at him when the chancellor called.
     "He's here for vengeance." Abubakar said, in a whisper, before he let go of Ibrahim.
     Suddenly, Saoban and the others joined Ibrahim and Abubakar, staring coldly at Hashim who was busy smiling viciously. Hashim was impressed seeing some of the members of the notorious clique back in the days, still together like always. Everyone looked shocked and confused about Abubakar and Ibrahim standing side by side without glaring, fighting and mocking one another.
     "Holy crap!" Khalifa said, shocked.
     "He's here for payback, we shouldn't allow him know we're not in good terms." Abubakar said, in a whisper.
     Ibrahim exchanged a look with Saoban and the rest clearly puzzled and shocked that Abubakar decided to call it a truce, just to deal with their high school rival who they had duped during their graduation and obviously has come for revenge.
     "Good idea!" Ishaq said, softly.
     Ibrahim joined Fateema and Safreena, while Abubakar followed Saoban and the crew back to their table. Everyone in the Cafeteria minded their business; Safreena and Fateema both stared at Ibrahim for a moment, waiting for an explanation.
     "Who's the new guy?" Fateema asked, looking at Hashim buying himself lunch.
     "An old rival." Ibrahim said, with a smirk.
     Fateema felt slightly suspicious that Ibrahim was hiding something. She then glanced at her best friend whom had known Ibrahim and his crew since high school. Feeling puzzled, Safreena just stared at Ibrahim, wondering if he and Abubakar had reconciled just to deal with Hashim whom she believes came for vengeance.
     "We didn't reconcile." Ibrahim said, reading her thoughts.
     "What? How did you know what I was thinking?" Safreena asked, confused.
     "I guessed what you were thinking." Ibrahim said, in a chortle, then reached a hand and took Fateema's drink.
     "That was the trick he used on me the other day." Fateema said, feeling suspicious, as she watched him take a sip of her drink twice, while gazing into her eyes. Now she's well aware where he was heading to, and that he was clearly here to ask her to go out with him tonight to the school's party that is organized by their chancellor.
     "It wasn't a trick, Teema. It was something I used to do sometimes, to know what others were thinking." Ibrahim said, tenderly.
     "Really!" Fateema said, puzzled.
     "Yeah, anyway, are you girls going to the party tonight?" Ibrahim asked, feeling a little bit uncomfortable asking them that so quickly.
     "Yeah, why not?" Safreena asked, in a chuckle, realizing why he came.
     "So... You got dates!" Ibrahim said, sounding nervous.
     "Yeah, we got handsome dates!" Fateema said, excited.
    Ibrahim felt his heart burn with anger as what Fateema just said echoed inside his head. He stared at her for a moment, shook his head and stormed off, without saying a word, apparently pissed that the girl he has a crush on thought she would lied to him just because she doesn't want to go to the party with him.
     Fateema exchanged a puzzle look with Safreena, apparently doesn't know why Ibrahim got angry so quickly and easily. Safreena smiled widely after realizing what was really happening; Ibrahim have a crush on Fateema and came to ask her out, but she faked having a date which basically made him angry and stormed off.
     "He likes you!" Safreena said, in amusement.
     "What?" Fateema asked, bluffing.
     "That's why he came here!" Safreena said, in a chuckle.
     Fateema glanced back and looked at Ibrahim for a moment, sitting now with his friends. She apparently doesn’t want to start a relationship with a boy right now, especially with a boy like him with a notorious reputation here and there. But a part of her admired his reputation believing that it could be changed to something much more better.
     "You should give him a chance!" Safreena said, softly.
     Fateema sighed, gazed at her friend, wondering why she was trying to convince her to give Ibrahim a chance; a guy she doesn't know that much; a guy with anger issues and violent instincts to hurt anyone that got on his way.
     "Tell me everything about him!" Fateema said, with a sigh, as she glanced back at Ibrahim chatting with his friends.
     Hashim walked into a laboratory with his lunch, smiling wickedly. He met Abdulqadir, Suleiman, Muhammad and Safyan there, working on their projects. He took a seat at a table to eat his lunch, while trying to figure a way to retaliate what Ibrahim and his clique did to him during their high school graduation.
     Abdulqadir and the others stopped what they were doing; stared at Hashim who's full of bad influence. They believes he'll not make peace with Ibrahim and the rest, because he vowed to make their lives a living hell one way or the other.
     "You were probably doing great at Kaduna State University. Why did you chose to come here anyway?" Muhammad asked, rhetorically.
     "You're the best student KASU has ever had and would never have until a thousand years." Abdulqadir said, seriously.
     "I came here to see what the scientists of this school are really made of!" Hashim said, sternly, without looking at them.
     "We all know that was not true, dude. You're here for vengeance." Muhammad said, in a stern voice.
     "Maybe you were right!" Hashim said, in a chortle. He got up, glanced at Safyan and the others; then cracked a vicious grin, recalling they were also part of Ibrahim's clique, and he chose to be at the school just for payback.
     "Better watch out!" Hashim said, in a threatening tone, before he left the laboratory, leaving his lunch there. Safyan and the others felt threatened obviously, clearly they should watch their backs, due to the fact they knows what he's capable of.
     After the school has closed, Ibrahim, Abubakar and the crew headed to the lockers' corridor. Everyone in the school including the teachers, guards and janitors were still shock and at the same time thrilled that the school will know peace, since the most relentless rivals have finally reconciled and buried the hatchet. Nasir out of nowhere joined them on the hallway clearly thrilled as well.
     Ibrahim stopped at his locker, while the others all went to theirs, to keep some of their things before leaving. Suddenly, Fateema showed up beside him, this time smiling at him for the first time; that's when he got into her head to find out why she came to him smiling after she pissed him off in the Cafeteria hours ago. To his amusement, he finds out that she has decided to go out with him just to know more about him.
     "You've changed your mind." Ibrahim said, thrilled.
     Fateema suddenly squeezed her face, apparently tired of his creepy behaviour. She gazed into his eyes as he smiles at her, for the first time she saw love, care, kindness and fun inside them which somehow triggered a feeling for him, but a part of her abruptly denied it.
     "What should I call you? a freak or a weirdo?." Fateema asked, jokingly.
     "Any of them that pleases you!" Ibrahim said, softly.
     "Okay freak, I'll go to the party with you, but on one condition." Fateema said, sternly.
     "Which is?" Ibrahim asked, smiling.
     "It's not a date!" Fateema said, sternly, with a grin.
     "No problem, your grace!" Ibrahim said, with a bow, and then laughed.
     Fateema felt herself blushing. She then recalled her conversation with her friend telling her that he apparently love her, but trying to express his feelings. She decided to give him a chance to express himself to her.
     "Which time are you coming to pick me up?" Fateema asked, softly.
     "8:00 pm!" Ibrahim said, tenderly.
     "Dress handsomely!" Fateema said, grinning.
     "Dress elegantly, your grace!" Ibrahim said, in a chortle.
     Fateema smiled widely before she took off, leaving Ibrahim smiling victoriously believing she's definitely into him as well. Abubakar appeared beside him looking at him warily, then swung a gaze at Fateema, obviously admiring her beauty and grace.
     "I like her too, but I'll wait." Abubakar said, in a serious tone.
     Ibrahim cast a wonky look at him, thinking maybe he thought he was only with Fateema for something else not love; that's what would definitely inspired him to say that he would wait.
     "I'm in love with her, brat!" Ibrahim said, in a whisper, before he took off, leaving Abubakar grinning triumphantly.
     That night, Ibrahim was in his bedroom getting himself ready for tonight's school party. He checked the time, it's already 7:45 PM. He quickly put on his black suit which he bought for last time's party he had attended without a date; clearly the worst party he ever went. He faced his mirror as he put on his blue tie boldly,smiling at himself.
Suddenly, he heard his phone buzz. He rushed to it on a table. He finds a message from Abubakar notifying him that he's waiting for him outside the apartment building. He paused for a moment, wondering how Abubakar still has his phone number. He just smiled, then left the apartment.
     Fateema was already in her room waiting for Ibrahim to show up to pick her up. She was now wearing the most elegant, beautiful, fashionable and very expensive dress her mum bought her for her birthday last month. Even though she had warned Ibrahim not to take going out with her to the party a date; a part of her that was starting to like him felt it's a date. Her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest, as the thought she has never really dated more than one boy at the same time before in her life, crossed her mind. She doesn't care to have more than one boyfriend, because she doesn't want to end up like many girls whom had fallen in love with the wrong guys. But she was willing to test Ibrahim, to see if he's even trustworthy enough to deserve her or not. She left the room with her hand bag containing her cell phone and some cash she had saved just in case. As she came downstairs she found her parents dinning at the dining table. Her parents seemed happy and impressed with her beautiful dress and high heels.
     "Oh dare! Is this a school party or a date?" Her mom asked, in a chortle.
     "Mum I told you, it's a school party." Fateema said, in a serious tone.
     "Whatever! I just hope you find a handsome boy there!" Her mom said, happily.
     Fateema suddenly felt herself blushing, clearly not knowing what to say next. At that moment, she heard three honks outside the house; that's when she felt her heart pounding nervously.
     "Who's the boy?" Her dad asked, with a grin, as if he knew what she was feeling. But the way he looks at her he seems to notice what she was going through.
     "It's not a date,dad." Fateema said, with a sigh, before walking to the front door.
     "Come back early, sweetheart!" Her mom said, tenderly.
     "Alright, mum, I will." Fateema said, before she opened the door, walked out and then closed it.
     Fateema paused for a moment seeing a very handsome ibrahim standing beside a blue BMW fancy car smiling at her. Ibrahim smiled widely apparently shocked and impressed by the way his crush dressed like she's from a royal family; even though, she's already the queen of his heart eversince he first saw her and believed she's the one he had been waiting for.
     "You look beautiful, your highness!" Ibrahim said, softly.
     "Oh, please you're making me feel..." Fateema said, blushing, as she walked to Ibrahim gracefully.
     Ibrahim opened the back door for his Queen with a grin, then gestured her to get in. Fateema stopped at the door, glanced at him, wondering if telling him he's handsome could make him blush as well.
     "You look... Handsome!" Fateema said, tenderly, before she got into the car.
     "Thank you!" Ibrahim said, happily. He closed the back door, then opened the front door and hopped in.
     Abubakar gave Ibrahim a sidelook with a grin, then glanced back at Fateema with a grin; he then turned back to his old friend with a look that says "you're so lucky!", before he started the car and then pulled away.