Naya's POV.
The question still remained. My existence was in question, and I needed answers. There was no way a blast like that, which had reshaped the entire city—maybe the entire world—turning it into rubble, could have left me unscathed. Then again, due to my weird healing abilities, which I still didn't believe were real, there was a way I might have remained alive. But then again, I don't believe I could have healed from the burns, from the fire, to the collapsed building either.
"Why am I here, Michael?" I asked, more defensively, as the feeling inside me began to rise. I watched as his brows knitted together. He slowly descended to his knees, and his face began to turn a shade of blue, just like the pixie-cut lady's. What the hell was going on?
A familiar voice echoed from behind me, making me rip my gaze away from Michael and turn towards the source of her voice.
"We brought you in because we wanted to save you, and because we want to find answers for those questions as well," she explained.
Dr. Cronos was a renowned scientist who had dedicated her life to the world of science. I had always admired her and was ecstatic when I was appointed to work under her. She was an Indian-American woman with long, straight black hair, always tied in a neat bun behind her.
I narrowed my gaze. "How do you intend to find those answers?" I questioned suspiciously, as two guards appear threateningly behind her, making me take a careful step backward.
"I don't think I have to explain this to a fellow scientist," she said. "You should know by now that you are something special, something different. You died and came back to life. It's not every day you see that." She held her clipboard close to her chest.
I couldn't help but scoff, shaking my head lightly as I put two and two together. Of course, I knew the drill. Every scientist was always fascinated by anything that wasn't of the worldly order. It itched at them to know and understand the unknown. Dr. Cronos was no different. I may have liked the woman, but one thing I noticed was her ambition and zeal toward her experiments. Regardless of who or whatever was in her way, she always knew whether she was wrong or right—as long as she got answers.
She was the lady version of a mad Frankenstein.
"You want me to let you open my body up and poke around until you find something unusual?" I scoffed in disbelief, gnashing my teeth against each other.
For a while since I had woken up, I had felt a sense of dread, as though I knew something bad was coming. It was like a bad premonition.
"I knew she'd choose her experiment over my life. After three years of collaboration, it stung to see how easily I became expendable. Was all that trust just a means to an end?"
How does that feel? Would you like more tweaks or a different angle?
I took cautious steps back, carefully maneuvering around Michael, who lay unconscious on the ground. His face had regained its usual color, a stark contrast to the bluish taint.
Dr. Cronos glanced down at him in confusion before locking her gaze on me.
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," she said, her expression stripped of any warmth—just a cold, empty stare.
"I'm not letting you poke around in my body," I stated firmly, watching as a resolute expression flickered in her eyes. After a moment, she released a deep sigh, as if she were weighing her next words carefully.
"Get her," she ordered the two security guards flanking her.
Once again, I was on the run. But before I could take another step, arms wrapped around my legs, tripping me and sending me crashing to the floor.
I glanced backward and noticed Michael had come back through, his hand wrapped around my leg. Panicking, adrenaline pumping through me, I apologized before kicking him with the sole of my boot. He finally let go.
I launched to my feet and darted down the hallway while the two guards gave chase.
Ever since returning, I found myself always running for my life, without a moment of rest. I turned a wrong corner and reached a dead end.
"No, no, no, no," I repeated, before I spun around and tried to find another exit. But it was too late. Both guards had caught up with me, keeping me in place until Dr. Cronos showed up.
Her head moved from side to side as she tsked. "You can't run from me. You need to understand, this is good for science. Whatever is inside you can help us in a world like this, bare of the basic necessities, as we try to bring back healthcare. You would be a hero," she tried to explain further.
Nothing like that sounded like a good cause to me, and I knew her well enough to know this wasn't about the deed. I gnashed my teeth together, balling my fists by my side.
"I already told you, I would pass on the offer, thank you. Feel free to get another lab rat," I stated, surprised my voice didn't quiver with fear, even though my heart was already trembling. The intensity of the moment wrapped around me like a vise, but I pushed through, determined not to show any weakness.
It seemed like she was losing her patience, barking another order for the guards to grab me. But instead of obeying, all three of them suddenly fell to their knees, gasping for air, clutching their throats as if an invisible force had gripped them.
It was happening again. What was causing this? I didn't have time to bother. I glared at the guards, and blood began to drip from their noses, their eyes, and their ears. In seconds, they fell face flat and ceased breathing.