The Initiative (A Sleeping Beauty Remix)

Three

Three

"...sometimes our dreams turn to nightmares/ our wishes to regrets/ easy to look in the mirror/ and spend our cold, aching nights/ wondering where it turned a mess."

-Derik Young, Musetune Artist, I Miss You Album

They need me? As if. Unless they needed someone to be pounded into a pancake, they definitely didn't need my...skills.

Leonger must've seen the doubt on my face because he spoke up. "Look, I can only imagine what you're thinking right now. But the rest of this conversation can take place another time. Dr. Rozano, if you would...?"

The lady doctor moved to grab my wrist.

I was faster. My fingers shot out, locking around her forearm. She let out a surprised gasp.

Her slim arm felt like a twig in my grip. She was so skinny. So breakable. I had a good feeling she didn't know any type of self-defense either. With her size and lack of knowledge, someone could easily beat her. Did she know how quick she could be taken out?

"It's alright, Agent Lewis," Leonger spoke, "she's giving you something our lab technicians have been working on for years. It's a device to keep you stable."

To keep me stable? That sounded like I was a wild horse. Not a contracted government agent. "What if I don't want it?"

Leonger clicked his tongue. "You're going to want it. Otherwise, I have to send you back under." He grabbed a sleek silver bracelet from Dr. Rozano and snapped it on my wrist. I swallowed my growl as it made a tiny beep and then a strong click.

The device looked like one of the slim wedding bands couples wore--only stretched to fit my wrist. It was blank, nothing but a clean surface, though when I peeked underneath, a steady red light flashed.

"Does this mean I'm your minion now? Is there a contract you want me to sign in blood too?"

Leonger's lips twitched. "I don't make deals with the devil."

I blinked. Did he just refer to me as Satan?

"This device will constantly monitor your heart rate, blood sugar, and adrenaline levels. If any of them begin skyrocketing in an alarming way, it will run an electric current down your skin."

"So you'll taser me into submission." Kinky.

He continued like my mouth hadn't moved, "If you begin to show signs like those in the past, it will shock to incapacitate."

"Lovely," I said sarcastically.

Shock to incapacitate. It should have been scary. Foreboding. Instead, cool, soft relief spread through my insides and I stroked a thumb carefully over the top. "How is it going to--ah!"

A corner of Leonger's mouth came up. "Yeah, the bracelet will take a sample every once in awhile to send data back to our technicians. Think of it as a backup."

A curse word danced along my lips.

"Is she ready to be cleared?" Leonger directed the question to the good old doctor on my left.

Doc frowned but nodded. "I suppose so. Despite the amount of time under, her muscle mass doesn't seem to have gone down too much. Still, I'd like to put her in physical therapy for a week or so."

"Done and done."

"Can I do the honors?" I piped in, my hand already hovering over the needle in my arm.