She faced an empty, white room, but her head was spinning, and she closed her eyes. Her mouth was dry, and her legs and arms were tired. She tried to take away a strand that stuck on her forehead, but nothing moved. Opening her eyes again, she saw the leather bands around her wrists. A quick shake of her legs confirmed that there were bands around her ankles too.

Marvelous.

She was in one of the interrogation rooms. Axel had brought her once to learn how to interrogate someone. She failed.

The door opened, the loud stridor filling the room. The man with the icy, blue eyes entered, looking proud.

"Hello, Alba. How do you feel?"

"Ready to kill you."

He laughed, and it was the first time that his eyes brightened.

"You are a strange girl. Sometimes I think you are very brave and sometimes that you are crazy." He neared her and put his hands on the arms of the chair, hugging Alba's arms.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I can."

Alba closed her eyes and stopped herself from cursing. "You had everything here, and you threw it away for what? World-control? You don't even know if it can work. And even if it did, how do you think your life will be? Boring!"

"I'll control the world. How boring can that be?" He rested his back on the wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Let me go, and I promise I won't kill you."

"Nice try." He winked.

Her face twitched. "I had to try. Now what? Will you use the chip on me?" She was desperate for some water; her mouth was too dry.

"I don't want to miss your adorable comments yet." He highlighted the last word. "No, I have a greater idea."

He opened the door and called for someone. "I will show you how easy can power be taken because nothing should be taken for granted."

Alba furrowed her eyebrows and waited. Two men entered the room, dragging someone. A third man was carrying a chair and put it next to Alba, only two meters away.

"Leave him on the chair and tie him," Agent O ordered.

Alba's eyes widened as she saw the man's face. "No..."

The men strapped her father on the chair, his head falling as his unconscious body couldn't keep it straight. Blood was running from his nose and a deep cut ran from his right eye toward his mouth.

"Why are you doing this? He didn't do anything but protect the world."

"He protected liars and manipulators. The world comes first and bullshit. The rich and the richer come first. What has PROTEA done for people who actually need help?"

"What have you done for people who need help?" she answered back, shouting the "you".

"Don't talk about things you don't understand, kiddo. You don't know him. You only see what he wants you to see."

Agent O shook Rob and slapped him on his face. The man groaned and tried to open his eyes.

A few moments passed until he opened his eyes completely and looked around. "Alba?"

"It's okay. I'm okay," she reassured him.

"Do you want to know how I got that scar?" Agent O pointed to his cheek. "Tell her, Robert."

"It was an accident, Alaric."

Alba raised her eyebrow, learning Agent O's real name.

Everyone's ruler. Guess who decided to make the meaning of his name come true.

"You can stop lying now, Robert! I haven't forgotten how you left me to die after your so-dear chief commanded to leave me."

"I had my orders! You were almost dead, and the base needed the information we had found. Do you think I wanted to leave you?"

"I was tortured and half-dead. And if it weren't for that stupid guard, I'd be dead. Only I know how I had to crawl out of the grave you made for me!" The veins on his neck popped, and his face turned red.

Alba was staring speechless, her brain unable to think a way out. She had noticed a gun and a knife on his belt, but the bands around her wrists were too tight.

"I'm sorry that I left you there, I really am. But if I had to choose between the good I did with that information and your life, I would do the same again." He raised his head, the blood on his face shining under the light.

"Very well."

Agent O walked out. The prisoners looked at each other.

"Whenever you have a chance, you'll run and won't look back. Axel is locked outside, and you must find a way to get him inside."

"How?"

"Go to the room that doesn't exist only in movies."

"Where?"

Rob moved his eyes, and his eyebrows and pointed to every direction.

They are listening, Got it.

"Most of the base is locked, and no one can come inside. I created the system that way that days will pass until they can get in."

"But they will want to leave this place, right? They have a plan."

"I'm not sure about that. I'm so sorry I dragged you to all of this. I wish I never let you sign to be an agent."

"It's okay, dad. I would come anyway. I thought my parents were murdered."

His eyes brightened, and his lips turned upward. "You believe me, right? I could never harm your parents."

"I believe you, but that doesn't mean I was wrong. I'll try to distract him, and maybe you can remove the bands."

"I'm too tired and beaten. You are our best chance."

Alba opened her mouth to protest, but Agent O entered again, a man in a white coat following him, bringing something that looked like a metal service trolley.

"Dr. Smith! You got to be kidding me!"

Her father looked at her surprised face as she recognized the new man.

"Hello, Alba. It's good to see you again. You missed our last session."

"You son of a bitch!" Alba shouted and moved her body forward in an attempt to reach Agent O. However, the bands kept her in her place.

"Who is he?"

"Let me introduce you to my psychologist. He was monitoring me after the accident. The accident that dear Alaric caused. The accident that caused the amnesia that dear Agent 37-T managed to hide from you. And of course, it turns out that dear Alaric was messing with my therapy too. No wonder I couldn't remember anything when I was talking to you!" she screamed the last words looking at the man with the white coat.

"You have no idea how much I laughed when I learned you had amnesia. But I couldn't waste that opportunity. Dr. Smith has been a great asset. He's not a psychologist though."

The man had turned away, his white coat covering the service trolley and everything on it.

"Now that we have all greeted each other, let's continue. Doctor, is everything ready?"

"Yes, sir." He turned around, holding a syringe, the needle looking menacingly toward Alba.

"Great. Let's start with my friend."

Her legs and arms convulsed, trying to break free. "No, use me! Not him!"

"It's okay, Alba. Look at me!"

Her lips trembled, and the tears escaped from her eyes. "Please, not him."

"Look at me, sweetheart," the man pleaded.

The doctor neared his subject, tore his shirt and lined the needle with one of his veins.

Alba looked at her father.

"I love you. Don't forget that."

"No! Please!" The chair moved, screeching on the ground, saliva escaping her mouth and mixing with her tears.

"It's done, sir."

"Leave us alone."

She turned her head and looked at his eyes. With a first look, nothing had changed in those brown eyes. But the more she looked at them, the more she realized how lifeless they were.

Why, God? Why does it have to happen to me?

She screamed as much as she could, her lungs running out of air, her hands gripping tightly the chair.

In the meantime, Alaric had put a small tech piece around his head, a green light appearing at the end of the device, on his temple.

"Let's check this out," he said like a child who received a present.

He untied one of the bands and took the knife out of his belt. With his right hand touching his gun, he dropped the knife on Rob's lap.

"Take it and stab your hip. No permanent damage please."

"You are insane!" Alba screamed.

Rob took the knife with his right hand and pushed the blade on his hip.

"Don't scream or anything. I don't want to hear it."

Her face spasmed in disgust, and she felt that she wanted to throw up.

He's insane. Oh my God! I need to get out of here.

She moved her legs trying to loosen the bands.

"Now, I want you to cut off your bands and stand up," Alaric said.

Alba continued looking at the man that once was her father and continued moving her leg, hopeful that Alaric wouldn't notice.

"Now, I want you to kill Agent 23 by slicing her throat."

Her leg stayed motionless, she even stopped breathing.

She turned her head toward Alaric. "You are sick! I'll make sure you won't escape that place!"

He put a finger on his lips, ordering her to be silent. "Go ahead. I gave you an order."

The man stood in front of her chair and then, bent his knees a little bit. His bloody face came closer, and the smell of blood hit her nostrils.

"You don't have to do this. I know you are still in there, you must be," she said, no longer caring for Alaric.

I have to try. I cannot die like that.

"Dad, please... I beg you. Don't kill your daughter. Do something and stop this. You are strong, and I know you are still in there. I believe in you because-" She stopped talking as the knife brushed against her skin, and the brown eyes looked deep into her green ones. "-because I love you too."

The man pushed the blade, a few drops of blood dripping on the cold metal.

"Please, dad, help me. Stop that..."

The blade cut further.

How much time do I have? One second? Two?

"Please..."

Something beeped, and the device's light on Alaric's head turned from green to red.

Alba cracked a smile. "Dad, this is your chance. Snap out of it. I know you are strong."

"Continue," Alaric shouted, but the man didn't move.

"Dad?"

She tried to find answers in his eyes, but they wouldn't speak. However, they moved. And then, his hand moved. Alba believed that this was her last second alive, but the blade left her skin and flying, fell on Alaric's abdomen.

He made a whimpering sound, and his body crouched, the device falling from his head.

"Dad!"

"Run, Alba, run to that room and don't look back."

He untied her hands and legs as she touched his face, crying in joy.

"You must go now."

"Come with me."

"No, I have to stay and make sure he won't follow you. I believe in you, and I believe you can save us all. Get Axel in the base and help him win this war. Your mother would be very proud. I'm very proud of you."

Alaric, now falling on the floor, reached for his gun. Rob saw the movement with the corner of his eye and put himself between the gun and his daughter. The gun fired, and the bullet flew.

"Run!" he screamed.

The last thing she saw was her father, with his hands full of blood, jumping on Alaric while she crashed the device with her feet.

Don't look back, she thought, and the last thing she heard from the room was another gunshot. She ran as much as she could, no one was in the corridors, the grey walls were miserable and silent. Only the echoes of her boots hitting the floor filled the empty halls.