There wasn’t enough time for me to make sure I was following him. By the time I realized I had lost him, it was too late. I wandered into another room to search for him.

“Noah?” I yelled out, trying to be as loud as I could. I waited for any kind of response, but there was none. Looking around the room I found myself in, I realized that I had no clue where I was.

In all the years I had heard of this lab, I’d never imagined this room. It was musty and filled with mildew. Rusting medical equipment was all over the place and there was dried blood all over the floors.

The blood seemed disorganized, but as I looked closer it all led to one spot in the room. I looked up from the floor once I saw the wheels, and was horrified by what was there.

An operating table.

I thought back to Noah, and all the scars that surrounded his body and face. The powers he got in this room. I never imagined that I would ever see it in person.

There was a strange scent in the room, like a mix of iron and rot. I felt nauseous. I could hardly breathe in the musty room. The thought of what used to happen in this room all those years ago made me sick.

I saw some brown leather sticking out from the table. There were two on the end and two near the head. I walked closer to the operating table, having to avoid the mess of old supplies on the ground.

They were hard to see with the mess of rust all over them and the fact that they were ripped apart. It was easy to tell exactly what they were, even with all that mess. As sick as it made me feel, I couldn’t help but reach out to them.

They were ripped apart by someone who was on the table. There was no telling who was the one to destroy them. It could have been anyone, but as I looked up I began to realize who it was.

I almost didn’t notice it, but there was a faint black shadow over everything in the room. It was almost like a radioactive bomb went off and it left a permanent mark on the room. As strange as that was, I knew who had caused it. I’ve seen what he’s been able to do, and what restraints he’s been able to break. Compared to the metal he’s broken, leather would be like ripping a piece of paper in half.

Just as I realized what this room was, I heard someone walking towards me. I immediately turned and reached for the gun in my holster.

I was met with familiar yet unnerving green eyes, glowing with the radiation that fueled him. The rest of his face was covered with his metal face mask and black hood, which came along with a black military-grade uniform. He looked somewhat annoyed but relieved that he found me. Then his entire demeanor changed as if he noticed what room we were in.

“Where were you, Jackie?” His voice came into my head. He sounded almost panicked like he wanted nothing more than to leave this place. I understood why.

“I got lost, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” I sounded hesitant. He knows exactly what I want to ask him, even though it’s not relevant to our mission.

It was obvious that he was in my head, and I knew he wanted to answer but didn’t know how to. This room was one he was familiar with. As if confirming my theory, he nodded his head and turned around. He doesn’t enjoy being in here again.

I followed him and decided to reach out in some way.

“Noah-“

“We have a mission. I’ll answer your questions later.”

He doesn’t want me to worry about him. I’m not giving up on this so easily. I stepped in front of him and forced him to stop walking.

“Just tell me if that was you who broke those restraints. That’s all I want to know.” Noah almost looked defeated. There’s a voice inside my head that lets me know I’m right, and that it was his surgery room. That was the room where he got all of his scars. Instead of giving me an answer, he pushes me away.

“We need to move.”

I know he won’t give me a straight answer anytime soon, but that little voice inside my head was enough. As horrifying as that room was, at least it gave him the ability to avoid talking about things directly.

“Seriously?”

“Invading people’s minds is a huge invasion of privacy, Noah. You should know better.”

Even though he’s experienced so much, he’s still able to smile and make jokes. As much as I want to pity him, I know he’s stronger than that. I’ll let him rest from my questioning for a while, he has more important things to worry about now.

Though I can imagine all the scars that surround his body, I know he’s more than that. He’s a strong man who can get through anything, and more than that, he’s a good friend. My questions will be answered eventually, I just have to have some patience with him.

Just as I thought of this, I could almost see him relax for a moment. He has a real issue with looking inside my head.

“Shut up Jackie.”