Battlefield: Control (Book Two)

Chapter Fifteen - JD

Everything happened quickly.

JD saw The Doctor set up his lab, humming and smiling as if he were getting ready to have a party. When Sprout and the others came, the room was full of chairs and other equipment that hadn't been there before. Dale was with them, and JD couldn't help but feel disappointed. Until the conversation took a surprising turn.

"Nah," The Doctor said. "There is no catch because you owe me. You talk about force, and I remember you distinctly. Nervous, unsure, but you knew what you wanted when you came to me. Adventure and power, and I've given you both. Now you need to repay me with your service."

"I don't need to do anything," Dale spat before trying to leave the room.

Sprout moved to stop him, shooting a long vine from her arm that he easily batted away with a black, gooey-looking fist. The blow sent her stumbling backward into one of the lab tables, and she knocked a few supplies off.

The Doctor growled angrily and pulled out a gun. "Have you ever heard the phrase— I brought you into this world, I can take you out of it again? It's pretty applicable right now I think."

The unknown girl in the group began to glow and there was a soft hum. As the light grew stronger, so did the humming, and steam began to rise from her body.

"Please don't hurt him," she said.

"Tori, what are you doing?" Dale asked.

"Everyone, calm yourselves," Mondae said, and stepped in-between The Doctor's gun, and Dale's head.

She waited until The Doctor put it down again before continuing with a small smirk. "Good. Now, Doctor, I think you're being a bit unreasonable. We can simply brainwash the boy and make him do as we please. His powers are strong and useful. This is an opportunity we have to take."

"Brainwash?" Dale asked, swallowing.

JD glared at Alan. "So you're okay with just watching all of this and not doing something?" he whispered.

With a sigh, Alan shook his head. "We can make an attempt to get your peer, but I'm not sure if it's a wise decision."

"Helping someone out is never a bad idea," he grumbled and then jumped down from the ceiling compartment they were hiding in—placing him right in the center of the room. Alan followed his lead, and everyone else in the room was stunned to silence.

"Look, the guy said no, okay? What part of that didn't you understand? The N, or the O?" JD said angrily, trying to gain control of the situation.

"Alanmendiquixanimackle..." Mondae said, and shook her head. "Always playing hero."

"And Chihuahua Man," The Doctor said tersely. "Not a pleasure, as usual."

JD thought of a brilliant "your mom" joke to retaliate with, but bit his tongue. It wouldn't be a good time to be immature. Orlando was the snarky one, JD was the leader. He had to act like one.

"Sorry to ruin all of your fun, again, but I have issues with you forcing people into doing things they'd rather not be doing," he said instead.

"Blah. Blah. Blah," The Doctor muttered, pointed his gun at JD, and pulled the trigger.

The gun blast rang in JD's ears, and he readied himself for the sting of a bullet that never came.

Alan was able to put a shield around them both. The bullet hit the shield and fell to the floor. If JD hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it. Everyone else but The Doctor had their ears covered.

JD had to take advantage of the confusion if he and Alan had any hope of getting Dale out of there unharmed. The other two he wouldn't worry about, not if they'd already made the decision to be loyal to the wrong side.