RETALIATION

11. No Control

     Day two. I was no step closer to finding an antidote or discovering the identity of the perpetrator who was behind this sickly plan. The world doesn't need to be infested with murderous reptiles again, the last thing everyone needs is a real Jurassic World. It would be cool, if the reptiles weren't so intent on trying to kill us. Ivan ran more tests on Kallie and I, with the normal results that the other members had too. It was discovered that Kallie was not only a shape shifter, but a matter shifter as well. She was able to transform into any liquid of any form she wanted, which gladly explained the reason behind her strange ice water experience.

     Kallie told me that her entire family had be taken, and she had received some text four weeks ago that they were dead in the hands of the Lazarus. The organization had threatened to never reveal the family's burial site unless Kallie was willing to surrender and follow their commands. She wasn't that type of girl though. I swore that she was probably just as powerful as I was supposed to be, but the two of us had yet to actually push through to our true potential. Yet meanwhile, I had done a mini investigation on yesterday's strange events, one of which when Ivan was scratched up by something in the back room of the laboratory.

     He's hiding something. And I don't think it's for a good cause either.

     "Huh?" I blinked at the sound of a ping from my phone.

LO: If you want your friends back, we suggest that you and the remaining members give yourselves to us.

LO: Come here if you want your precious band mates to survive.

     "L...O..." I studied the abbreviation.

     Lazarus Organization.

     "Hey!"

     I gasped in fright from Ivan's strict voice.

     "Why are you in Aisha's room?"

     Fuck...think of something, Dan!

     "I want to see if there's anything that can point us closer to the identity of the Lazarus."

     "Why were you on your phone all of a sudden?"

     Was he watching me?

     "Uh-my...umm. mate-"

     Before I could provide a legit explanation, the doctor snatched my phone from me and began to scroll through it, my paranoia heightening when he tapped on the iMessage app. his face started out as calm and pieced, but once he set his sight on the two most, haunting recent messages, Ivan froze. It wasn't concern inside, but a roaring fire beginning to spark. He slammed the phone down on Aisha's desk space, probably cracking the screen. I gulped and began to nervously sweat a ton, adjusting the imperfect positioning of my WWCOMMS tee as I let my anxiety take over my thoughts. Is he going to hit me? Or take me to some torture room? Or kick me out for being a shady person?

     "We have rules, you know," he began. "And those rules include sharing information with authorized workers for the sake of the investigation." Words hissed from his icy aura.

     Good lord...he's fucking scary.

     "I-I'm sorry..." I bit my lip. "I was going to-"

     "Save it," he muttered and picked up my phone. He turned it over and examined it before tossing back to me, unimpressed as he observed me struggled to properly catch my cell phone.

     "I can go out and look for-"

     "YOU CAN'T, ALRIGHT?!" he yelled. "I'll send my agents to stake out the city with Kallie," he turned around, facing the door, obscuring his disappointment in me.

     "W-what about...me..." I quietly asked and sadly stared at a polaroid photo of Aisha and her family.

     It's my damn fault.

     They might even not be alive.

     "You'll be staying here until further notice." Doctor Ivan said with a stern hook in his tone.

     "To do what?"

     "Train."

     "Why?" I felt left out of the action. This wasn't fair.

     "You haven't tamed your elemental powers yet."

     "Oh."

     I watched as he strolled out of the room, silent and ghostly. I think he was literally a ghost if it weren't for his beating heart and warm complexion. Ivan was pale as fuck, paler than myself, I had to admit. I waited for a few minutes before leaving Aisha's room, secretly taking the polaroid with me before I returned to my dorm. The bed had been made by the employees of the agency, while my black suit had disappeared for some technical alters and advancements. The only thing that was still there was my set of ear buds. I set my phone down on the nightstand and slumped down onto the bed, still clutching Aisha's polaroid picture. I would have gone into dorms of Toby, Aria, and Arminius, but with Ivan being strict and all detective-like, it was impossible.