"Wow, Gabriel, your dad's lab is so cool. Look at it. This place actually makes science look interesting."
She paused, scratching her head.
"Who would've thought I'd say 'cool' and 'science' in the same sentence? I guess it's like they say—anything's possible." She laughed.
"I guess my dad's more impressive than I thought," Gabriel replied.
"Definitely."
The pair moved through the lab wide-eyed, taking in the glowing blue screens, humming machines, and rows of unfamiliar equipment. Their gaze was drawn to a monitor that still read: DNA Synthesized.
"You see? Total mad scientist stuff," Jai-Lee said with a grin.
"I wonder what DNA they're working on anyway. My dad's always cagey about his projects."
"Well, now it's your time to shine," Jai-Lee said, nudging him.
"Don't worry, I've got it right here," Gabriel said, rummaging in his pocket.
"Don't tell me you forgot the card."
"Ah-ha! Got it!" he said proudly, tapping it against the scanner.
"Welcome back, Robert," the security speaker announced as the door slid open.
"This is so cool," Gabriel said, stepping into the lab and looking around.
Jai-Lee pulled out her phone and snapped a few photos.
"Jai! We never agreed to pictures. If those leak, I'll be grounded till I'm thirty."
"Relax. I'm not stupid."
Jai-Lee continued to take photos, forgetting to turn off her flash. As she moved toward the corner and snapped another picture, the sudden burst of light startled a dragonfly in a nearby container. Its wings twitched, letting off a rapid hum as it flew around its cage.
"What's that noise?" Gabriel asked, suddenly alert.
"You're asking me? This is your dad's lab!"
The pair began to tiptoe slowly toward the sound.
"Oh, phew. It's just a dragonfly," Jai-Lee exhaled. "But… what's that green slime-looking thing next to it in the tube?"
"No idea, but it's cool."
As they took in everything, Gabriel's heart was pounding. Every part of him knew they shouldn't be doing this.
Then Jai-Lee froze. A flash of light hit the window. She turned sharply, her instincts flaring, and walked toward it.
That's when she saw them.
Men in masks. Carbines in hand. Moving with precision.
"Gabe…"
"What?" Gabriel said, walking over.
"Come here. You're gonna wanna see this."
He stood next to her, staring through the window at the men. His chest thudded like a drumline.
"I don't think they're late-night cleaners, Gabe."
"No, what gave it away, Jai? The guns or the masks?" he said, trying to mask his fear with sarcasm.
"Gabe, now's not the time for jokes. You know how I get when I'm scared. And right now? We're cooked."
derricks men , sat their stoically, they were hungry soldiers ready to prove themselves to their leader and now was their chance.
"What's the move, boss?" one of the masked men asked.
"Destroy everything inside. If you see anyone, hurt them. We're sending Robert a message tonight he'll never forget," Derrick replied, his voice as cold as ice.
"You heard him. Move out."
The leader of the group planted a small explosive on the entrance door, the timer blinking red. Then they stepped back as the counter wound down.
BOOM.
The lab doors blew off their hinges and the lab shook. The entrance was completely decimated, and the masked men were now in the building, raining down chaos as bullets tore through the facility like thunder.
"We need to get out of here and fast," Gabriel said, already moving. "Grab the dragonfly. I'll get the vial."
"Wait, why do I have to grab the bug?" Jai-Lee asked, her voice shaky.
Gabriel shot her a look. "You're right. Here, take the vial."
He handed it over and rushed to grab the dragonfly's case.
The intruders stormed the lab like a SWAT team, sweeping from room to room.
One of them kicked open a door and shouted, "Check everything! Leave nothing standing!"
Inside a side room, Gabriel swiped the keycard on a door panel. It beeped, then clicked open. He and Jai-Lee rushed in and ducked behind a large desk, hearts thudding in sync.
"I swear I saw a green light coming from this way," one of the men said.
"You're losing it," another replied.
"Shut it. Just find whoever's here."
Gabriel and Jai-Lee stayed frozen. Their breathing was shallow. Sweat clung to their foreheads.
"We can't keep the vial," Gabriel whispered. "If they find it, we're done."
"I know. So what do we do with it?"
"I, I don't know."
"Drink it," Jai-Lee said suddenly.
"What?! No way, I don't know what's in this thing!"
"Do you wanna die over this thing?! Drink it!"
Gabriel shook his head. "Rock, paper, scissors."
"You serious?"
"Dead serious."
They threw hands; Jai-Lee pulled scissors, Gabriel paper.
"Damn it," Gabriel muttered as Jai-Lee pumped her fist in celebration.
She handed him the vial and he stared at it, face pale. Drinking that thing was the last thing he wanted to do. He thought about asking to run it again, but there wasn't enough time.
"Gabriel, now. Impending death, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah…"
He uncapped the lid and chugged until there was nothing left.
"So… how was it?" Jai-Lee asked, as disgusted as she was curious.
"Not too bad. It just tastes like lime."
"Oh. That's it? You got it easy then."
"I think so, wait…" Gabriel clutched his stomach, his body trembling.
"You good?" Jai-Lee whispered.
"Does it look like I'm okay?" he struggled to say as he thought his hardest not to scream. He dropped on his side, curled up in a ball, and began rocking back and forth.
"Arghhh!" He screamed, but luckily for the two of them, Jai-Lee's hand made it to his mouth just in time.
"Gabe, you've got to be quiet," Jai-Lee begged as she looked around in a flustered state, not knowing what to do.
Gabriel gritted his teeth as waves of pain ripped straight through him. His skin was burning; his bones were shifting.
"Arghhh!" he screamed louder this time, as her hands weren't enough to muffle the sound.
"Gabriel? Gabriel, what's happening?!"
Jai-Lee started panicking, frantically looking around for help that wasn't coming. Sweat poured from her brow. She tried to put both of her hands over his mouth in a futile attempt to keep the growing screams down, but he screamed louder and louder as his body convulsed.
"Did you hear that?" one of the men asked.
"Yeah, I know exactly where that came from," said another. "It came from down this way. Follow me."
The men stormed down the hall with their weapons out in front of them. As they reached the end of the hall, there was only one door there: a metal grey one.
"This is it," said one of the men.
"Then what are you waiting for? Blow it off its hinges already."
The leader of the group eased the man in front out of the way.
"If you're too scared to do a job like this, leave and don't come back."
The leader placed an explosive on the door, then stepped back a few meters as he watched the timer. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Bang!!!
The door blew completely off of its hinges, the remains flying back into the room. Dust and debris filled the air.
As the men stepped forward, they saw a large, bug-like silhouette standing there.
"What is that?" one of the men asked, confused by its shape.
"I don't know what the hell that thing is, but if it moves this way, I'm shooting it."
But as the dust settled, Gabriel stood there, completely transformed. His wings buzzed softly, glowing a faint blue. His veins pulsed as his body surged with energy.
The lead intruder took a step back. "What the hell is that thing?"
"Whoa, whoa, wait, guys," Gabriel said, his voice deeper, distorted.
"That thing talks?" one of the masked men said.
"Thing?" Gabriel repeated, turning to see his reflection in the nearby glass. His eyes widened in shock. "What the," He jumped back, startled.
"He never told us about this freak. What the hell's been going on in this lab?" the leader shouted, raising his rifle. "But forget it. We're under strict orders. Light him up!"
The room erupted in gunfire and Gabriel threw his hands up. "No!"
But as the bullets came, time slowed.
He could see them flying through the air, each one frozen mid-flight. His body moved on instinct, weaving around the bullets with ease. In a blink, he vanished from their sights.
By the time time snapped back to normal, Gabriel was by the window.
"How did that thing do that?!" one of the men yelled.
Gabriel turned slowly, a grin curling at his lips.
They opened fire again.
This time, Gabriel moved like lightning: dodging, flipping, twisting. Every movement was fluid, deliberate, surgical. As time resumed its natural flow again, the men dropped one by one like dominoes, collapsing in perfect sequence as he dismantled them without hesitation.
Gabriel stood still, chest heaving, wings fluttering.
He stared at his hands: confused, excited, high on adrenaline.
The room fell completely silent. The only sound that remained was the low, fluttering hum of Gabriel's wings.
From behind the desk, Jai-Lee trembled.
"Gabriel… you there?" she whispered.
"Yeah. I'm here," he replied, still catching his breath.
She let out a long sigh of relief. "I was beginning to think we were done for."
She stood up slowly. And that's when she saw him.
"ARGHHHHHH! Please! Please, don't kill me! I'm too young to die! Please!"
Gabriel blinked. "Jai… it's me, Gabe!"
She paused, her eyes scanning him up and down.
"Gabriel?" she asked, voice hesitant. "You sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. I'd know if I wasn't me," he said with a weak laugh.
Jai-Lee stepped out cautiously. Her eyes moved across the unconscious bodies sprawled across the floor.
"…What the hell just happened?"
"I wish I knew," Gabriel said calmly, finally lowering his hands. He looked down at himself. His arms pulsed with faint blue light, his veins glowing like they were lit from within.
Jai-Lee turned back to him. "I'm sorry I couldn't help, Gabe. I was scared. When they blew off the door, I closed my eyes as hard as I could and prayed. Next thing I knew, everything went silent. Then bam, here we are," she said nervously.
Gabriel's expression hardened. "Don't worry about it. Right now, we need to go. I can hear the police coming."
"I can't hear anything. You sure?"
"Jai, we don't have time for this. I'm sure," said Gabriel, before grabbing Jai-Lee and flying straight out of the window.
As they burst through the glass, Derrick caught a glimpse of them.
He blinked, convinced his eyes had betrayed him, because there It was: a human-sized dragonfly, flying. Clumsily zig-zagging through the sky, barely able to control it, as it crash-landed in a nearby park.