Mahito stared at the group a moment. They stared back, obviously scared. Mahito sighed and rubbed his head.

“I am not in the mood for this.” He groaned. “You people show up in the weirdest places.” The wanderer cocked her head and stared at him.

“Ummm….” Tella said frowning. Mahito shook his head.

“Have any of you seen a scientist named Abbey Winters?” he asked. They all stared back at him in silence.

“Eh… Well… Yeah but she… Well she…” Will tried to speak. Mahito sighed.

“Never mind. I’ll find her myself.” He said. “Good night.” And disappeared. They looked at each other in stunned silence. Tella finally shook her head.

“Mahito gets weirder every time we meet him.” She said. They nodded and walked off, trying to find their way back.

 

 

Abbey jumped as her beeper went off. She grabbed it, looking at the small screen and scowled.

“I’ll be back. I’m needed at the control room.” She said, glancing over at Demus and Collin. Gwineth glared at her but said nothing. This could have been because Gwineth was tied up and gagged, courtesy of Demus.

“Gwineth, I’m not done yelling at you.” Abbey said, stepping out the door. “I’ll be back.”

“Come on Collin,” Demus said. “Let find the others.” Collin nodded. He was wrapped in Abbey’s lab coat until they could find him some more clothes. Demus looked down on Gwineth and suppressed a smiled. He put a hand on Collin’s shoulder and guided the boy out of the lab and down the hall.

“Thank you for getting me out of there…” Collin said softly. Demus nodded. Collin frowned.

“But… Why would anyone want to experiment on me?” Collin asked. “What… What did she want to do?” Demus looked down at him, regarding the boy.

“She said something about how you can channel magic through your hands… I think she wanted to find out why.”

“That’s just a talent!” Collin shouted. Demus looked at him in silence and nodded slowly. Collin’s shoulders sagged.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway… She didn’t get to mess with me…” he said.

“Yes.” Demus said. “I wonder where the others went. They were coming with us you know… but some kind of door came down and they couldn’t get through. Maybe they went back to the room.”

“I wanna go back there anyway.” Collin said. “I want some real clothes. Its cold in here.”

 

Abbey walked into the main control room. She frowned, noticing only one section of lights were on and she couldn’t see anyone.

“Hello Ms. Winters.” A voice said. Out of the shadows Mahito stepped, turning his face to gaze at her. Abbey blinked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

“Well, General. Greetings.” She said tersely. Mahito’s lips curled slightly into a smile.

“You don’t look happy to see me. But, then I dare say you never do…” he said leaning on one of the walls.

“Do you have business with me General?” Abbey asked. Mahito shrugged.

“That all depends Ms. Winters.” He said, gliding across the room. He rested his elbow on a counter and stared into her eyes. Abbey stared defiantly back.

“Tell me what you know about Project A.” he whispered. Abbey blinked, but her expression remained the same chilly gaze.

“Project A?” she asked.

“You know what I’m talking about.” Mahito said. “I read about it. The government keeps very good records, even if they are a bit hard to find.”

“Really.” Abbey said. “Well, you don’t need me then.”

“Oh but I do.” Mahito said, voice dropping in volume. He watched her, dangerously. “The files didn’t tell me much. But they did list you name.”

“I don’t know anything about it.” Abbey said.

“Then why was your name listed Ms. Winters?” Mahito growled.

“I was a student.” She said.

“Then you know about it.”

“No.” Abbey said.

“I need to know its purpose!” Mahito shouted. “Tell me!” Abbey hardened her gaze and said nothing. Mahito sighed, and pulled back away from her, looking up. He began talking, as though to himself.

“It was a genetic experiment… The government ordered it… Didn’t they?… It was… Fifteen years ago? Did I read that right?… In this lab I believe… that’s why they build these labs… Right?” he dropped his chin back down and gazed at Abbey. “Right?” he asked again.

“I don’t know. I told you. I was just a student. The most involve I got into it was handing supplies to the real scientists.” Mahito watched her and with one quick stride pushed his face into hers, and growled.

“Don’t lie to me.” He said softly. “You know why… You know why they did it. Tell me!”

“What do you care?” Abbey shouted.

“Might I remind you that I am a General! I have access to classified information! And when I ask you something you are to give me the truth! Do you understand!” Mahito shouted. Abbey glared at him. He cursed her and fell back once again, turning his face away from her. His lungs shuddered and he gasped, trying to breath.

“A-Abbey…” he said softly. She blinked, at his tone, “Abbey…” he repeated, “Am… Am I Project A?” she paused, not answering. He looked up, staring at her. Abbey blinked and closed her eyes.

“Tell me!” he shouted. “… Please… Please. I need to know. I need to know why everything is so…” he stopped, choking once again. Abbey watched him, biting her lip.

“When the senate refused to convict you… I got curious. I’d heard about you, your abilities, you personality…” Mahito was watching her again, his eyes riveted to her face. “… I pulled a few strings, and did some research…” she stopped. “And I believe… That you are indeed, Project A... That’s why they wouldn’t convict you. That’s why you were made a General…” Mahito looked down, breathing heard. He squeezed his eyes shut.

“So, what does that mean?” he asked. Abbey shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

“… Project A was fifteen years ago! I’m a lot older than fifteen years!” he shouted.

“Growth hormones… I don’t know for sure but… That’s what I would guess.” Abbey said.  Mahito shook his head and looked back into Abbeys eyes. She stared back in silence. He frowned.

“Your hiding something from me.” He said. Abbey narrowed her eyes. He straitened and stared at her, becoming angry.

“What?! What is it?” he shouted, “What do you know! Tell me!!”

“I’ve told you all I will.” Abbey said pulling back. Mahito had her cornered he growled softly.

“Really…” he said. “Would you like to die?” but he stopped, a small smile spreading over his face. Abbey gritted her teeth, fearfully. “No…” Mahito purred softly. “No… I’ve thought of something better…” he smiled and reached into his cloak, taking out a packet of papers. “As it happens Ms. Winters, I do have some business with you…” he handed her the papers. Abbey shuffled through them, confused. They came from the capital.

“Fresh from Avrai…” Mahito said. “They are the termination papers for this lab. This entire complex is set to detonate if I give the order…” he smiled. “And I will. It will happen in… twenty minutes… You see,” he said, “I had a plan B. In case you didn’t tell me everything I wanted to know.”

“You think that by destroying this lab I’ll tell you?” Abbey shouted. “I really could care less! This lab can burn to the ground for all I care.” She stopped, “Of course, you will allow evacuations?” Mahito looked at her and nodded.

“For the sake of my dear… mother.” He said shrugging, “At least I suppose you’re the closest thing I have to a mother, one of them anyway.” Abbey glared at him.

“Alright. Go ahead. Order away. I don’t care.” She said. Mahito smiled, pulling out a communication device. He clicked it on, turning to a frequency picked up by Avrai.

“Destruction of Lab B124-678… May proceed.” He said. There was a crackle from the device and a small voice said,

“Yes sir!” Mahito smiled and turned to Abbey, clicking the device off.

“Just one more thing Ms. Winters,” he said. “I guaranteed the safety of you and the students… If anyone else comes out… They will be shot.” He grinned darkly. Abbey’s eyes widened.

“Yes. I saw them.” He whispered. He smiled again and with that, exited the lab, letting the door bang behind him. Abbey stood in shock for a moment then, cursing, ran after him, screaming his name… But Mahito was gone. Abbey cursed again and ran back into the lab, grabbing a microphone and switching it on.

“Attention! Attention all personnel! Code Three Evacuation! This is not a drill! Code Three Evacuation. Please proceed to the nearest exit.” She shouted into the mic. She knew better than to think this was a bluff. Mahito would do it, she knew.

Abbey ran out of the lab and down the hall, heading for the supply wing. Several students saw her in the hall. They blinked sleepily and asked what was going on.

“Get out!” Abbey shouted. “This place is being bombed I twenty minutes! Take everyone out!” she found several senior students and told them to take everyone out side. They rushed off and Abbey continued toward the supply wing.

 

Abbey burst into the room where she had been hiding Collin and his friends.

“Oh, good your all here.” She said, looking over them.

“Yes, we came back here after…” the wanderer started. Demus frowned.

“Is everything alright?” he asked. Abbey shook her head.

“You all have to get out of here somehow… I just talked with Mahito, he knows you’re here.”

“Yeah, we kinda-” Will started but Abbey cut him off.

“He’s going to bomb this place in twenty minutes! Only students and personnel are allowed to exit— if you all are seen coming out, he will have you shot.”

“Ma-Maybe we could… Get out a b-back way…” Collin proposed but Abbey shook her head.

“There is no where to hide, you’ll be walking out into flat treeless land. You’ll be seen.” She said.

“We can’t stay in here!” Tella said.

“Pack up, all of you come on!” Demus said, “We’ll figure something out.”

“Yes… Yes…” Abbey paused thinking deeply as they packed.

“Oooh…” she said, her eyes widening. “I just thought of something… and it may work.”

 

 

“This lab was built to have a huge population living in it,” Abbey explained as they ran down the halls, “But the government didn’t want to pay so much for it, so they cut personnel down to bare minimum… The thing is, back when there were plans for a lot of people to be here there was going to be a subway system; an underground train that would take people to and from Avrai form here.”

“Really?” Collin asked. Abbey nodded.

“They abandoned plans for it, and everyone forgot that it was even a plan in the first place…” she continued, “What’s important is that they began the tunnel! I believe there is a tunnel all the way to Avrai from here in the labs… If we can get you all in that tunnel then-”

“We can get to Avrai!” Tella said.

“That means we won’t have to worry about security going across the land!” Demus said. Abbey nodded.

“But I warn you, it’s an old tunnel and I wouldn’t guarantee its stability… I’m afraid it might cave in on you.”

“It the best we’ve got!” Collin said. “It’s a lot better than being shot or staying here and getting blown up.”

“Yes.” Abbey stopped. She turned and unlocked a door, opening it to reveal what looked like a closet. She pushed past the cleaning supplies to reveal another door.

“Come on, its here.” She pulled out her keys again and unlocked this one. Beyond the door there was darkness.

“There’s a stair well, leading down and beyond that the tunnel.” Abbey said. She paused looking at them. “This is as far as I can go.” They looked at her in silence. Abbey smiled sadly.

“Thank you so much…” Demus said.

                “You’re welcome.” Abbey said and looked down at Collin. He looked back, sadly and moved toward her. She knelt down and hugged him.

                “Be good Collin.” She said softly. “You’ve got a key pad, so I can email you. They won’t be able to trace me, so don’t worry… It’s just that I have a lot of things I still need to tell you dear.” Collin blinked and nodded. Abbey rose and they made their way down the stair well. Tella, the last one to go down, paused and looked back at Abbey.

                “He must have been spirited.” She said softly. Abbey blinked.

                “Excuse me?” she asked. Tella smiled.

                “Bran, he must have been spirited… To have left everything, even his love, so that he could better the world…  And start anew.” Tella said. Abbey opened her mouth but found she couldn’t speak. Tella smiled sadly.

                “Thank you again.” She said, and darted down into the blackness. Abbey blinked, closing her mouth and stepped back. She swallowed and turned, running back down the halls, toward the exit… and outside to her waiting students.

                A few minutes later, they all heard a buzzing from the sky, and then the building erupted, explosions sounding all around it. The roof fell in and orange fire consumed the old labs of the Arean wastelands.

                Abbey watched with her students, tears standing out in her eyes, sparkling in the firelight.