Overdose

32. The Executioner

I had never been in The Master's office before, and I was nervous just standing at the door. Xander had told me that he had returned, and I decided that it was important for me to talk to him. I knocked on the door.

"Come in."

I opened the door. The Master's office was a very tidy place, but not dark like Xanders. While Xander kept his curtains closed, The Master had his open. However, The Master's furniture was all dark. In the corner was incense, sitting on a stand with a few other sticks surrounding it in cups. On his bookshelf was books about psychology and also, The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe. I stared at it until he said something.

"It's nice to meet you." The Master looked away from the files he had been shifting through.

I sat across from him. On his desk was a bunch of papers, a computer, and a fidget spinner. He also had a picture of him and a woman, and a small girl with long black hair. He saw me looking at it and took it away, putting into a drawer.

"You've had a quite a busy week." He said. I nodded, not looking at him. On his wall was a large picture. It was a him and a group of people standing in front of a building. I had never seen the outside of The Facility, but I recognized the parking lot. Next to him was the same woman and girl from the photo, and on the other side of him was Dr. Evelyn and Xander. They all had smiles on their faces. It was odd seeing Xander with a genuine smile on his face. There were other people in the picture, but I didn't know who they were.

"Ah, you're interested in the picture." He walked over to it, and I did the same. "Yes, this was the opening of The Facility."

"And all those people are Prodigials?" I asked.

"Some are. My wife and I, Xander's brother here, and some of the other people are actually parents of some of the Prodigial children here." The Master went quiet for a moment, looking at the photograph. "Seeing this makes me wish things were the way they were before. Before this place turned into a layer of hell." He walked back to his desk and sat down.

"So, why don't you take it back? It's your building, isn't it? You paid for it. You did all the work. Why don't you tell Xander to pack his things and hit the road?"

"It isn't that easy. There's so much I have to fix. All my hard work was reversed by Xander. I'm working on something in America. Something that I won't let Xander ruin." The Master leaned back and played with the fidget spinner.

"And you'll just leave this place behind?"

"I will bring some people along. I'll take Heath and his friends. If you would like to come along, you are welcome to."

"But I don't have powers like they do."

"You don't need powers to. I need someone who is loyal, someone who is strong and willing to help others."

"So, you won't make me hurt anyone?"

The Master shook his head. "Hurting people is the last thing I want to do."

I sat back down in the chair, thinking about everything he had said. "I will think about it, if you do something for me."

"And that is?"

"Help me break Nathaniel and I out. Nathaniel has been trapped in Containment for years because of his father. It would be unfair to leave him down there." I suggested.

"That is something that can be done. When I take Heath and his group I can get him out at the same time. But where are you going to go if you're not going to The Academy with me?"

"Home." I put my hands on the desk in an attempt to look serious. But there was something about The Master that made me feel small.

"Fair enough." The Master stood up and held his hand out. Diamond cufflinks sparkled in the sunlight. I shook his hand, trying to give a firm handshake so he knew I meant business. "I will call you back in here when I get a plan together."