"Oh my goodness, that was a harrowingly close call!" Stefan exclaimed, squirming as they emerged from the hospital, still visibly shaken by their encounter with the NPS agents.
"You were so cool back there, Rachael. What's the secret behind your unflappable confidence?"
"Protecting my brother, of course," Rachael replied. "And I'll stop at nothing to keep him safe from harm. I won't let them turn him into a mere test subject, a guinea pig for their experimentation."
Stefan opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing.
"Do you even have siblings?" Rachael asked.
Stefan nodded thoughtfully.
"Of course I have younger ones - a boy and a girl," he replied. "I think I grasp the depth of your emotions. But do you really believe those men would try to harm Mike?"
Rachael raised the corner of her lips in a scowl. "You fell for the captain's trick, didn't you?" She said, "He was trying to manipulate us into revealing information about Mike. It's all a facade, Stefan. They're not interested in helping Mike; they want to exploit him for their own purposes."
She paused and whirled. "And where the hell is he now? Where is Mike?"
"I'm right over here!"
Mike's voice came from a short distance away, as though listening to the whole conversation. He emerged from the crowd, a nonchalant smile on his face and his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Rachael and Stefan rushed toward him, curiosity visible on their faces.
"How on earth did you manage to escape the hospital without getting caught?" Rachael asked.
Now that I think about it, it's quite unbelievable. I slipped out of the room when these two were distracted, their attention caught up in their own amusement, Mike thought to himself.
I remember feeling annoyed, a surge of indignation coursing through my veins. When I emerged from the large room where the doctors typically convene, two armed men approached me from the corridor, ordering me to return to my room.
What do they mean? Are they looking down on me?
But something strange happened as one of them kept pushing me back. I felt a sudden, intense energy flowing through my body, as if a dormant power was awakening within me.
The next thing I knew, I was overpowering them, my strength and agility heightened to supernatural levels.
As I grasped the man's hand, my grip tightened like a vice, crushing his fingers with a sickening crunch that echoed through the corridor.
The man's anguished groan was abruptly silenced by my swift punch, sending him crashing into his companion, both men slumping against the wall, unconscious.
Two more agents appeared, their eyes wide with shock. One of them charged, fist clenched, only to be intercepted by my unyielding grip.
Our hands locked in a fierce struggle, but I overpowered him, slamming him into the fire extinguisher, which hung like a sentinel on the wall.
The man crumpled to the ground, writhing in agony, until my leg delivered a decisive blow, rendering him motionless.
The last agent stood frozen, his gun trembling in his hand as he stuttered into his walkie-talkie, probably alerting his captain to the chaos unfolding before him.
But I still felt the inexplicable surge of energy coursing through my veins, as though the unseen force that had awakened within me was about to burst forth.
A searing pain erupted across my back, but I remained upright, buoyed by this mysterious power.
And then, I saw them – wings, majestic and menacing, unfolding from my back like a dark, skinny cloak.
The agent's eyes widened in terror as he beheld the impossible sight, his words dying on his lips. Fear consumed him, and he collapsed, unable to comprehend the wonder—or dread before him.
Without hesitation, I spread my wings and soared out of the open window at the end of the corridor, leaving the chaos behind.
"Mike! Can't you hear me?" Rachael's piercing voice shattered the reverie, and Mike's blank eyes refocused.
"What were you saying?" Mike asked, struggling to maintain his composure.
"How did you escape the hospital without being caught?" Rachael repeated.
"I flew!" Mike blurted, his words tumbling out like a confession.
"What!?" Rachael and Stefan exclaimed in unison.
"I'm still trying to grasp the extent of my abilities," Mike explained. "I'm not entirely sure how they work. But I promise to share everything with you once I've had a chance to understand it better."
"We've been through a lot to protect you, and it feels like there's still so much you're not telling us," Stefan said.
Mike nodded. "I know, and I appreciate everything you've done for me. I'll fill you in on all the details after school, I promise."
His eyes took on a distant look. "Something inside me took control earlier. It was a powerful force, and I couldn't resist it. But one thing is clear."
Rachael and Stefan leaned in, their curiosity piqued. "What's it?" they asked in unison.
"I overpowered those men, and it felt amazing," Mike replied. "I don't know why, but I enjoyed every moment of it."
Rachael and Stefan stared at each other for a brief moment then turned back to Mike, they no doubt found it hard to believe what he's saying.
"How do you plan to convince your parents about your new identity without ending up back in the hospital?" Stefan spoke up, trying to drive the conversation on the right path. "What kind of expression do you envisage to see on their faces?"
"We'll keep everything from them for now. That's our only option," Rachael intervened. "Whatever lies we feed them won't change the fact that Mike has gotten back his vision."
Stefan raised an eyebrow. "But what about the fact that he knocked down four armed men?"
"Do you think my parents will believe that? There's not even one CCTV footage to support that claim."
"We're here!" Mike's voice cut through their conversation, he gestured to the bus terminal, where their attention was now focused.
"Are you kids getting on?" the bus driver asked, his eyes fixed intently on the trio.
"Yes, sir!" Rachael replied, nudging the boys to board the bus quickly.
As they settled into their seats, the other students on the bus couldn't help but stare at Mike. He ignored them, turning to Stefan and Rachael with a whispered question, "Is it written somewhere on my face that I'm a bat?"
Rachael burst into laughter, and Stefan joined in, their merriment drawing curious glances from the other students.
"Why did you say that?" Stefan asked, now grinning.
Mike glanced around at the sea of faces, his neck flushed with unease.
"Don't you see all the attention I'm getting? People have been staring at me ever since we got on the bus."
Rachael leaned back in her seat, a reassuring smile on her face. "Just ignore them, Mike," she said. "I for one wouldn't, but others would see you as a handsome boy. Let them be, okay?"
Mike sighed and leaned back. The trio fell silent for the remainder of the bus ride, the tension dissipating slightly as they arrived at their stop and disembarked.
As they walked down the hallway leading to the school gate, Mike's discomfort grew.
"Something feels strange," Stefan pointed out, also noticing it after a couple of minutes of walking. "Everyone around us has been staring at Mike since we got off the bus."
Rachael nodded in concurrence. "The feeling is mutual, I noticed it too," she added before turning to scan over Mike's face. "There's nothing written on your face that says you're a bat, or is there?"
"I told you, everyone's been staring at me, and it's really making me uncomfortable!"
Stefan's gaze snapped to the back of Mike's uniform, his eyes widening in shock.
"Oh my...what happened to your shirt?"
"Good heavens!" Rachael exclaimed as she followed Stefan's gaze. "What happened to you, Mike?"
Her mouth wide open as her eyes fixed on Mike's torn uniform. She'd seen this before, when Mike first escaped from the hospital a few nights ago, claiming his sight was back.
Mike glanced back to confirm. His uniform has torn, just like the patient gown he wore the night he fell from the hospital building.
He raised his head and let out a deep sigh as both Stefan and Rachael stared at him with questioning expressions.
"Yes, yes, yes! It's true!" he exclaimed in surrender. "I know it may sound unbelievable, but I'm certain I have wings. I don't know how to explain it, and I haven't fully understood it myself, but it's real."
"You have what? Wings? Don't be ridiculous!" Stefan scoffed and handed him his cardigan, which Mike quickly donned to cover his tattered uniform.
"Don't thank me, just be honest with us," Stefan said. "You're really startling us with these outlandish claims. Now, come on, what really happened?"
Mike glanced at Rachael, who still wore her questioning gaze, and then at Stefan. He hesitated, unable to bring himself to repeat his earlier claim, fearing they would think him crazy.
Just then, a car sped past them, followed by a gust of wind that blew dust into their faces, breaking the intensity of the moment.
"Who the hell was that?" Rachael grumbled, wiping the dirt from her eyes.
"Christina!" Both Stefan and Mike responded in unison.
"I guess all the guys in school have a crush on the school queen. You even recognize her car."
Mike turned to stare at her, but Rachael quickly averted from his unnerving glare.
"You're really going to get yourself into trouble, Rachael," Stefan said, "You knew how much we resented Christina. How can you still…?" he turned to Mike, "And by the way, did you believe that bitch wasn't suspended?"
"Didn't you know?" Mike asked.
"Know what?" Stefan replied, leaning in.
"That Christina's father is one of the school's major sponsors?"
"OMG! No wonder she always gets away with everything she does in school."
"That explains her arrogance and her belief that no one can confront her," Rachael nodded in agreement.
A car pulled up beside them, honking its horn. The window rolled down, revealing Laura's smiling face.
"Hey, guys! Need a ride?" she asked, her eyes scanning the trio.