Mike and Stefan exchanged skeptical glances, their eyes widening in unison. "People up where?" they asked simultaneously, staring at the ceiling where Rachael's finger was pointing. "Are there people up there?"
"You're being ridiculous, stop taking things literally, I meant the higher-ups – the government, scientists, or whoever is interested in your case." Rachael clarified.
"Stop talking nonsense, Rachael. Hostage? Dream on." Mike scoffed. "I can just reveal to them that my vision is back."
Rachael's rationalization was swift. "And you think that's going to change their minds? Think about it, Mike. Your situation was mysterious, attracting various doctors who were baffled by your transformation. Do you think they'll let you go without understanding the phenomenon behind it?"
Mike's confidence wavered, and Rachael pressed on. "Even if you leave here without their interference, do you think they won't be monitoring your every move?"
"Dammit! She's so intelligent." Stefan muttered under his breath, surprised by Rachael's IQ.
Mike's super hearing picked up the comment. "Shut up, I can hear you!" he yelled. "I'm also intelligent!"
Stefan's jaw dropped, wondering if Mike's super hearing ability was indeed true.
Mike's thoughts turned to his recent encounter with the nurse. "Now that I think of it, the nurse who attended to me today was different from the ones before. She didn't ask me any questions, nor did she answer mine."
Stefan's eyes widened. "Whoa! You're in deep shit," he boisterously said. "What are we going to do now?"
Rachael's gaze was fixed intently on Mike, her expression conveying a sense of gravity and urgency. "We need a comprehensive and foolproof plan to extricate you from this predicament, Mike. Do you have a strategy in place?" She asked.
Mike's smile exuded confidence, hinting at a sense of self-assurance. "Of course, I do. You guys create a diversion out there, and during the ensuing commotion, I'll seize the opportunity to make a swift exit."
Rachael's eyes narrowed, her brow furrowing in skepticism. "That's your plan? What if something goes awry? What's your contingency plan, your plan B?"
Mike's smile faltered, and he scratched his head, betraying a hint of uncertainty. "Uh...well, there's always a plan B, isn't there?"
Rachael's intensity grew, her voice taking on a note of incredulity. "What is it? Don't tell me you don't have a backup plan, a safety net to fall back on. Do you want to get us into trouble?"
Mike's grin returned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "If plan A fails, plan B is...we make a run for it, we flee the scene!"
Rachael and Stefan's gazes fell to the ground, their faces etched with disappointment and disillusionment.
Rachael rolled her eyes. "What was I expecting from a bat boy?" she scoffed.
"Or should we say...Batman, or bat baby, the caped crusader of our time?" Stefan chuckled, his laughter infectious and uncontrollable.
"Don't even compare him to my favorite character. He's no way near the Batman. He can't fly, not strong and...he can't even see during the day," Rachael said, rolling her eyes in disgust.
"So you love Batman more than your brother!?" Mike grumbled, his jealousness palpable. "I feel like I can fly also, and I'm strong."
Rachael and Stefan burst into another whoop of laughter, they continued for about one and half minutes, unaware Mike had left.
"You think because…" Rachael's sentence trailed off as she whirled around the room, looking for him. "Where the hell is he? Did he leave already?"
Stefan's eyes widened in alarm, his voice laced with concern. "Oh no! Let's go catch up to him, before he messes up the whole plan and puts himself in jeopardy!"
As they entered the room where the doctors typically congregated to monitor Mike's progress on the screen, they were met with an eerie silence. The absence of medical personnel was striking, and Rachael's instincts told her that something was amiss.
They hastily exited the room and and got the main corridor. Rachael's footsteps suddenly came to a halt as her gaze scanned the floor with an intensity that bordered on desperation.
Stefan followed her gaze, his eyes widening in shock as he took in the sight before him. Four men lay motionless on the floor, their bodies splayed out in a manner that suggested a sudden and violent confrontation.
"What in the world happened here?" Stefan exclaimed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Rachael's breathing was labored, her fear palpable as she struggled to process the scene before her. "There's no way Mike could have done this," she muttered, her eyes darting back and forth as if searching for an explanation. "No way!"
Without another word, Rachael took off in a sprint, her feet pounding the floor as she made a beeline for the elevator. But just as she reached it, the blaring of the alarm cut through the corridor, its shrill tone sending a chill down her spine.
"I suggest we take the stairs, I doubt the elevator will be functioning in a situation like this!" Stefan's voice cut through the din, his words laced with a sense of urgency.
"That's going to take a while," Rachael replied, her voice trembling slightly, her eyes fixed on the stairs as if dreading the prospect of descending them. The gentle breeze wafting from the open window beside her sent a shiver down her spine, causing her hair to stand on edge as the soft whispers of the wind danced across her skin, leaving her with a sense of unease and foreboding.
But Stefan was undeterred. "We're on the third floor, we'll be on the first floor in no time! Come on!" He shouted, his voice ringing out.
With that, they both scurried down the stairs, their footsteps echoing off the walls as they fled the scene of chaos behind them.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, the first floor, they were met with a sight that made their heart skip a beat. Seven armed men stood guard, their presence a stark contrast to the usual calm and serene atmosphere of the hospital.
Rachael's eyes widened in surprise, her mind racing with the implications of what she was seeing. The armed men seemed to be searching for someone, their eyes scanning the area with an air of urgency.
Without anyone telling her, Rachael knew Mike was the target, and that the armed men were determined to capture him. She grabbed Stefan's arm, her voice barely above a whisper. "Come on, let's go back! We're not the ones they're after, let's go back to the third floor!"
Stefan shook his head in agreement, his eyes fixed on the armed men. "We're in school uniform, they can't do anything to us. Let's get out of here, Rachael."
But Rachael hesitated, her mind consumed by thoughts of her brother. "I can't leave Mike with these people, heaven knows what they'll do to him if they lay their hands on him. I can't let them turn him into a lab rat, never!"
Stefan tried to reason with her, his voice laced with concern. "Think, Rachael, think! They would've found him already if he's here. Let's get out of this place, we can take the emergency exit."
But before they could make a move, one of the armed men spotted them. "Look who we found here! They played right into our hands. Hello, kids."
Rachael's heart sank, her mind racing with the implications of their discovery. She knew they had to act fast, or risk being caught in the crossfire.