Helpless [Book 2]

32 || Tornado Warning

➟ly
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I woke up the next time to the sound of elevator music. Of all damn things, elevator music. There was a burning hot pain in my left side, like something had been pressed there. My eyes cracked open, the white ceiling of whatever facility the Ineffects put us in fading into focus. I was in a different room, my friends nowhere in sight. I moved to brush my hair out of my face, only to find my arms restrained against the chair behind me. Oh right. We were here. I spotted some camera in the corner do the room. Restraints? Security cameras? Glad to see they trusted me.

"Subject 3. Great to see you up again. I would've guessed your pain tolerance would be higher, considering. Still. Two shocks and you're out. Weak." A man stood above me, one I couldn't recognize. He wore a white lab coat with the Ineffects logo on the right lapel and had really old-looking glasses draped over his nose. Short, shaved black hair was pressed to his skull. He was wearing a nametag keycard thing, but I couldn't quite make the name out. Well. He looked like a fucking dick. All he needed was a goatee and he'd make the perfect supervillain.

"Right. And how many shocks would it take to knock you out? I'm asking for curiosity reasons only, I promise," I said. His face scrunched up. He gripped the black handle of the taser. But... he paused.

"I've been told I can't use this against you until I really need to, with your pain tolerance and all. But hey. If I need to, rest assured that I will. But for now," he said. He turned around, facing a table loaded with small instruments- something that looked straight out of a dentist's office. "We can just have a little fun, shall we?"

Something about his face set me off. Something was odd with this picture.

The elevator music skidded to a stop. "Would Wallace D. Gallagher please report to the HQ, Gallagher to HQ."

"Goddamit, Mick, I just was getting started," he cussed at the loudspeaker. Hmm. Loudspeaker guy had a name. "You wait here, 3."

"What, like I was gonna go somewhere?" I said. I tugged on my restraints for good measure. The guy- Gallagher- narrowed his eyes.

"You might wanna watch that tongue, young lady, or you might not have it very much longer." With that he left the room, leaving the door swinging behind him.

It wasn't thirty seconds after he left that another face appeared in the door. Well, rather, he didn't appear. Just sort of... established himself.

"Hey Ly! Psst, Ly!" I looked over, eyes narrowed. No one was there. The door creaked open, but no one stood on the other side. It was empty. Who the hell- "It's me, it's Sam!"

"What? What are you doing here?" The door pushed open further. Still, no face showed.

"It's not just him. And keep your bloody voice down, would you? There're cameras here everywhere." That second voice was undeniably Tommy.

"Got it, got it," I said, lowering my voice. " I haven't seen you in months! Why are you here?"

"Isn't that the question," Sam said.

"We're trying to get you out of here," Tommy said.

"And if you get caught?" I asked.

"Hazzy and Piers are back in the city where we left them. Trust me, it'll be fine. I thought this out." Something about what he said sounded a little more like he was trying to convince himself than to convince us.

"Tommy, you thought out the plan for like, a split second. We hopped on a freaking helicopter. Without a plan! I'm surprised my invisibility has lasted this long," Sam said.