A shifts to turn to their companion. “Listen. Not all of us are on their good side. You work with them. I don’t. If they get their hands on me they’ll leave me drugged in a laboratory, tearing me apart piece by piece.”
“A-”
“No. They like superheroes with super strength. With flight or telepathy. They like heroes with straightforward powers. They don’t like heroes whose powers are like mine. They think I could level an entire city.”
“Could you?”
“I don’t know!”
B was right. They couldn’t keep running.
When the agents came to pick them up in a grocery store parking lot, they didn’t resist. They raised their hands in the air, followed all the instructions. Didn’t even flinch when one of them handcuffed them, didn’t blink when one shoved a needle in their neck.
...
“And this is where we do our research,” one of the scientists said.
B had been invited to tour the organization’s facility. Not wanting to be rude, they had accepted. As they were led down the halls, they tuned out the scientist’s comments and looked in the observation windows.
They stopped dead about halfway down the corridor.
“What’s happening in there?”
“Oh, just testing. Nothing abnormal,” the scientist replied.
B paused and looked in the window. “Is that, A?”
“I’m sorry?”
“I- never mind. Let’s keep going.”
...
A had fallen into a rhythm. Every morning someone would fetch them. They’d be hauled into a laboratory, everything was fuzzy after that. When they regained themselves they were back in their cell with a little food placed on a small table. After they’d eat it they’d only have to wait a few minutes before someone came in with a needle. They’d feel their muscles go limp against their will. Their eyelids would fall to half mast. And they’d drift. Unable to move. Looking at the ceiling until they finally drifted into sleep.
The hallucinations were new, though.
...
“A, A, can you hear me?”
A was staring at the ceiling with glassy eyes. It took them an agonizingly long time to finally somewhat focus their eyes on B.
“B?” A murmured, confused.
“It’s me, A. I’m breaking you out. Well, we’re breaking you out. I brought the whole team. They’re dealing with the rest of the facility.”
“Oh...” A’s eyes refocused on the ceiling. “Don’t think I like the hallucinations.”
Hallucinations?
“A, I’m actually here. Can you move?” B doesn’t even know why the asked with the state A is in. “I’m gonna pick you up, okay?”
A’s eyes were back to half mast and they groaned in response.
B left the building, letting their team finish. They could only hope that their team was making sure the group that had done this learned their lesson
