Changed by Time ✔

nineteen.

Nolan wasn't sure how far they went, just that he was being led blindly by people who could kill him at a moment's notice. He tried at the cuffs, only to fail as he realized that he couldn't do much at that time. All he could do was trust that they would keep him alive a little bit longer...

Just long enough for him to come up with a plan. Or long enough for someone else to come get him.

"I think the old bat's taking a break," one of the operatives said. "Let's go now. Before anyone else decides to check in or actually do their job."

Nolan let out a grunt as he was picked up and thrown over one of the larger operative's shoulder. He squirmed a bit, attempting to loosen their grip even just a little bit. He knew that even if he tried to run now or just break free, there was no way he'd get out of there successfully.

He was trapped.

Nolan heard the click of a door and the final footsteps before he was placed down again. He could hear shuffling and inaudible whispers, prompting him to try at the handcuffs again.

He stopped as he felt a hand press against his chest, shoving him back. He tripped over his feet, falling awkwardly and hard into a chair. Another set of hands readjusted him, sitting him fully up as they redid the handcuffs to keep him in the chair.

The bag was ripped from his head, causing him to grunt as his eyes adjusted to the bright fluorescents. He blinked a couple times, looking around the room as five figures surrounded him. He was back in that damn hotel room.

"I know this isn't exactly what we were envisioning when we finally got a chance to chat," Abigail began, kneeling slightly in front of him. "It is better than not chatting at all, so I suppose we can be grateful for that."

She gently gripped the edge of the gag, pulling it down and letting it hand loosely around Nolan's neck. He coughed a bit, licking his lips as his mouth was finally free.

"What did you do to Wendy?" he sniped back. "Hell, what do you even want with me?"

"To answer your first question," Abigail responded, "I don't know where she is. We tried to talk to her, but she threw the first punch. Before I knew it, all my men and myself were out cold... and she was gone. Didn't leave a trace behind."

Nolan scoffed. "I can understand if she threw the first punch. I mean..." He gestured to his bound hands. "You haven't exactly given us a reason not to clock you."

"You're not hearing me." Abigail shook her head. "I don't know where she went. She just took off... without you."

Nolan looked at the ground, letting out a breath through his nose. "What do you want with me then?"

"You are much more important when it comes to this search," Abigail said, walking towards one of the beds to sit on the edge. "You are the one with all the knowledge, all the brains, all the wisdom... I can actually have a conversation with you. With Wendy, it'll just end in a fist fight."

"Again, you still haven't given us a reason not to break your teeth in."

Abigail paused for a moment. She leaned over the bed towards him, resting her elbows on her knees.

"Do know why we're doing this search, Nolan? I know you think it's purely for the Clover Program, yet there's more to it than meets the eye."

Nolan kept a cold expression. "Enlighten me."

"When my father first discovered the SuperSource twenty-four years ago, he only had one vision: to create a team of people with superhuman abilities who could do some good. Cliché, no?