Undecided

1 - Waking up somewhere strange

Isaac awoke in a cold sweat. He did not yet want to open his eyes, his mind spiraling in deep thought. The previous day was a blur, bits and pieces scattered through his brain. He remembered his father building something different as a strange man in a suit entered their workshop. He remembered wiring an important piece of the machine, something meant to stabilize it, as his trembling hands just barely avoided short-circuiting it this time. He remembered feeling as though he'd been hit by a cannon, with his thinner than average body smacking into a wall. He remembers the man in the suit opening a small device in front of his father, it made sounds, but he could not understand them, yet he could tell it shimmered a ghostly blue light. His father terrified, and with the last remnants of energy left in his body, he remembers stumbling quietly into a hidden closet and pressing a button meant only for emergencies before passing out into a world of strange nightmares.

He did not yet wish to open his eyes, for the bed he rested on was not his own. Although skinny, Isaac's height was slightly above average. His father, however, being a master constructor, has modified his bed to be most comfortable, yet the one he laid upon kept his feet halfway outside of it. He did nothing to change this however, so mesmerized by his recollection of events, his dreams of ninjas and robots and his feeling of being observed. Indeed, such a feeling only grew as his mind slowly settled upon reality. He could hear the slow and silent breaths of someone trying not to be noticed, and feel the incline of the room as the boards of wood adjusted to minute movements. Perhaps he might not have been as skilled a combatant, but his father had trained him to be attentive and cautious around strangers.

Yet, before he could move to acknowledge the individual, a voice rang loudly around the room. "Awaken boy! It is no longer time for your slumber! I have tried to make Mori stop watching you but was refused! The both of you must eat!".

The voice was masculine and harsh, almost as if coming from a beast rather than a man, and following it came an appetizing smell of toast and eggs.

Isaac refused to move, although the scare had made him tense up his body.

"Thank you for the food John, but I don't think his body is ready for his consciousness to return. He did take quite a beating back then." The voice that responded was soft and calm, androgynous and playful in its form. "You can leave the food though, and bring some more doughnuts."

"There are no more doughnuts! You and Wanda ate them all and left me only one! The soggy one even! You know I prefer the crispy ones!"

"Everyone likes the crispy ones John, that's why you have to come early. Now, if I may go back to staring at this sleeping young man."

"How long will it last in such a state Mori? I mean, it's been four days already, and he doesn't even have a scratch. Honestly I..."

For a second the air turned cold and the sweet voice rang frigid. "That enough John. Please go for a bit. I should be down soon."

Without another word the man left, closing the door behind him, his footsteps loud and quick. The room grew silent for a bit afterwards, with only the sounds of crispy toast being broken by someone's hands. The sound slowly growing louder.

Unable to hold his curiosity any longer, Isaac slightly opened one eye, only to quickly jump up as he noticed the toast being slowly cracked right next to his face.

"Figured that'd make you wake up kid." Said the gentle voice. It came from a man with medium hair black. Well, he figured it was a man from his build, but his face didn't indicate either too harshly. With slightly tan skin and a shirt that did not hide the incredibly built abs, the one that seemed to be called Mori lunged toward Isaac with a hug. "I'm sooooooo happy you're alright! For a while I thought we might've lost you!"

"It still hurts everywhere; could you please stop squeezing me that hard?"

"Oops, sorry." He said, backing away. "Well I imagine you have many questions right now, and I shall answer, but first, have a toast. You must be hungry." He said, handing him a small plate with a toast covered with scrambled eggs on it. It smelled delicious indeed.

Ready to wolf down his meal, the young man decided to ask his first question, so as to hear it while eating. "Where am I?"

"You my boy, are in the guest room. Or maybe I should call it your room from now on. But if you want me to be more specific, I'd say you're in bed."

With mouth half full, Isaac voiced "I mean the building! Who are you anyways?"

"Well, I am Amore, but you can call me Mori, and this is what I and the big guy that spook you earlier call home and office. It's kind of our secret hideout, you may call it, previously owned by professor Franks."

"You knew my father?"

"Knew him? Kid, he was my teacher. Instructed me in nearly all that know. I'm kind of what you would call your godfather. Or maybe more like a cousin? I don't know what the gap is between our ages. How old are you again kid?"

"About 20 I'd say, give or take, why?"

"Oh, so I guess godfather might be accurate, since I'm a bit over thirty at the time, but regardless of title, I'm currently your new...." He paused, seeming to choose his next words much more carefully, his voice feeling a bit more serious and quiet "...instructor. I'll be training you so what happened the other day may not happen again."

".... Ok.... But what happened the other day? Have I really been out for four days? And wait, you just said this is my room now. What happened to my old room, you now, at my house? And, above all that, where's my father? Why was HE not in the room?"

With quick and energetic words Mori responded with a "It will all be explained soon enough, for now need to rest. Eat your food, I want to introduce you to the others. There are some clean clothes in that pile at the corner, so get dressed properly. I'll be waiting outside.", dodging the question and quickly heading toward the door.

The room then fell silent, again leaving Isaac alone with his own thoughts. However, even as he hungrily observed the rest of his toast, only one thought could cross his mind. One he quietly vocalized for himself.

"Please be alright."