The Scientist

Keralis

Zedaph’s POV:

I’ll admit, being kidnapped and trapped for what felt like a month by a terrifying, dark, looming figure wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be—personally speaking. Sure, he was terrifying at first, and yes, I know he drugged me. But let me explain. The whole point of me going to work at that rundown restaurant, The Dirty Spoon, was to get him to kidnap me. I know it sounds bizarre, but it was either me or Doc, and we had a plan. Well… most of a plan. Burning down his cabin wasn’t part of it, but getting him into the villa definitely was.

Now, here I am, watching him on a camera as he paces around the holding cell like a caged animal. He’s still fuming, and judging by how he just bent a steel rod like it was made of taffy, I can confidently say he’s way stronger than I anticipated. Insanely strong. I mean, bending steel? Seriously?

I rubbed my chin, thinking about the best approach. Therapy seemed like the only thing that came to mind, though I knew he wouldn’t take too kindly to any of us going in there right now. He was still burning with rage, pacing around, throwing what I can only describe as a massive temper tantrum. Eventually, he tired himself out and slumped into a corner, glaring daggers at the bars.

Hels, bless him, was practically buzzing with the urge to go down there, to comfort Xavier like a black cat drawn to a thunderstorm. But we had to stop him. "You’ll get yourself hurt," we told him again. No one was ready to face just how dangerous Xavier was in this state, and none of us were keen to push our luck.

Watching him through the cameras, I could only imagine what was going on in his mind, hidden behind that helmet. Glaring at the bars, seething with frustration—there was no way to tell for sure. Hels didn’t take it well when we sent him back to his apartment, practically dragging him away before he could intervene. You could see how much it pained him, but he seemed to understand, even if it hurt him more than he let on.

We left Xavier to stew for the rest of the night, giving him space to burn out his anger, hoping it would cool before we made any moves. Meanwhile, I ended up getting some much-needed comfort, wrapped up in a very necessary cuddle pile with Tango, Impulse, and Skizz. Truthfully, I was more terrified than I’d let on. I had no idea what Xavier had planned for me back in that basement—what his real intentions were—but the fact that he hadn’t acted on any of it gave me some hope.

Maybe, just maybe, he’d be okay in the villa. If we could just get his head on straight.

The next morning was shaping up to be quite the event. I checked the cameras, hoping for a little progress, but Xavier had made sure to remind us he wasn’t going to play nice just yet. The shower, a proper one with soap, hot water, and everything? Broken. We brought him clean clothes, hoping he'd cool off and use them. Nope. He still smelled like campfire, and he refused to change. The bed? Also broken. It looked like he’d been trying to escape or something, but with the cameras always on him, there was no way that was happening.

At least, he’d stopped swearing at us and ranting about how we were ruining his plans. Small victories, I guess. Wels was keeping Xisuma and Hels updated on his progress—or lack thereof—and I knew Hels was still sulking, probably trying to figure out how to get to him without causing more chaos.

But the real concern was when Xavier hurt himself while tearing apart the cell. He managed to cut his hand through his heat-proof gloves, which only made everything more frustrating for everyone involved. I let out a long, tired sigh. I just wanted him to calm down. To stop trying to self-destruct. Was that too much to ask?

As I sat there, brooding, I suddenly felt a warm weight on my shoulder, startling me for a second. It was Tango, his tail wrapping around me as he leaned in for a comforting shoulder rub. His warmth was just what I needed, and I could tell he’d been keeping an eye on the cameras too.