Risen from Ashes

Act one, Part Five: What Now?

One week later

Back at TCRI, things haven't been so easy since Arianina and the others got mutated. They lost all the mutagen they had worked hard on for a year. And now they have to start over again from scratch and make it up for lost time, starting with cleaning the mutagen room from the spliced ooze and fixing the tube.

Inside the room, Eric, in his new mutant form, watched the repaired team putting the tube back together. They wear a protective bodysuit, gloves, boots, and goggles. The team carefully sealed the tube in tight and secured it till one of them almost fell and tripped from the clean floors that the cleaning team finished.

"Be careful! I want it to be locked airtight!" Eric shouted at the workers, letting out a growl at the end. He looks down at his hands, almost human-like alligator. Ever since he got mutated, his mutant side was fighting him and trying to take over him like a caged animal wanting to be free and take control of its capturer. He should've known that allowing a field trip in was a horrible idea. "This new body is hard to channel." He growled. "She will pay for the damaged she caused to me and my plans."

"Eric Sack, my my." A familiar voice spoke from behind him. Eric turned around, and standing by the doorway was Bishop with a smirk on his face.

Eric snarled. "Bishop? What brings you here?" He is still mad about their last encounter.

Bishop walked in and observed the room. "I came to check and see how you are managing, and it seems I am right." He informed him. He faced him. "I told you about the bug."

"I can make an antidote for this!!" Eric growled. "I just need the materials for it, and I will be back to normal!" His teeth were showing as if he wanted to scare Bishop. But Bishop remained unmoved.

Then Bishop looked away. "It's most likely to happen, Eric." He stated.

"What are you talking about?" Eric glared.

Then Bishop turned back to him, giving him his full attention. "You think the mutants have figured out how to remove their mutagen? No. And I doubt that no one wants to go back to normal." He added. "I wish you the best of luck on your recovery Eric. Goodbye." Then he walked to the doorway and left, leaving Eric by himself.

Eric growled. After that humiliation last year, he refused to be humiliated by Bishop again. He just needs the materials to make his mutagen again and a cure for his mutation.

And by a stroke of the moment, Rockwell came in. But the expression on his face showed a sign of bad news. "Sir, I have a report of our shipment." He began.

"what is it?" Eric asked him, waiting to hear some news he hoped would be good.

"Well...I am afraid that the materials for the mutagen won't be able to arrive till three months." Rockwell explained. "So we need to put a huge pause on it until we can get it." He added.

Eric froze in place. "So I am forever stuck in this form?" He implied.

Rockwell sighed. "Our doctors have tried everything to cure this mutation, but it proves to be impossible." He reviewed with a concerned expression. "I am deeply sorry, my friend."

Eric was growling like a wild alligator. He left the room and walked inside a chemistry lab. Then suddenly, he threw a table against the wall, shattered the beakers, and tore apart a chair in a blinding rage that frightened the scientist. After his raging tantrum, he roared loudly. "One day, one day, I will get that girl Arianina and destroy her!!! Inside and out!!!" His roar echoed throughout the building.

~*~

The heart monitor was beeping, beeping, and beeping. It echoes the hospital room while a grown man lies in bed with a breathing gas on. He looks up at the ceiling, breathing in and out along with the air machine. Then he turned and saw a young girl sitting by him.