Origins

4:23 p.m.

Alessandra was left in the atrium all alone until one of the Council members found her. Mia Sterlings told her to come with her and that she would explain everything soon enough. So Alessandra had no choice but to follow Sterlings to her office.

Sterlings office was sleek and clean with a polished white desk and some smooth white filing cabinets that lined the walls. She had a nice office chandelier hanging from above and beautiful dark oak floors. Sterlings sat in her fancy chair behind her desk and nodded at Alessandra to have a seat in the white cushioned chair on the opposite side.
"So Alessandra, are you going to take our offer?" she asked, leaning back in her chair and clasping her hands together "After all the chance to get superpowers don't come too often, does it?"
Alessandra could've cared less about superpowers at the moment, those guards had just taken Seth and Sterlings wasn't even the slightest bit concerned.
"Where did those guards take Seth and why?"
"Did you not hear me? Do you want superpowers or not?" Sterlings said unclasping her hands and leaning forward. She was really starting to get on Alessandra's nerves for some reason.
"I just want to know what happened to Seth."
"Why? He's just a co-worker isn't he?"
"Well yeah I guess but why did you take him?" Alessandra asked. "Is he in some kind of trouble?"
Sterlings sighed and readjusted her thin wired glasses. "Oh, Alessandra you have no idea. His father is a villain who can control minds and we heard about the mind-controlled man so we had to take Seth in for questioning."
"I know who his dad is but Seth isn't bad! He hasn't left my side all day!"
"Is that so," she said raising her eyebrows. "Because our intel tells us that you went to go eat and at one point he stormed outside . . . "
"We just got into an argument and he went outside to clear his mind. Is that really all you have against him?"
"Do you know where he went when he left?"
"I don't know probably just outside! It's not a big deal!"
"I see. Well, he's still going to be questioned and we will keep you updated. But if you're not going to get powers there's no reason for you to wait here for him so-" she reached for a black phone that was sitting on her desk.
"No, wait!"
"Oh?" she stopped and looked at Alessandra questioningly. Alessandra knew what she had to do. She knew that she needed to stay and make sure Seth didn't get imprisoned or anything crazy just because of who his dad was.
"I'd like to take you up on that offer."

Sterlings lead Alessandra through one of the many hallways that branch off from the atrium to the white room Seth had mentioned before. But something was different about this one and the one from Seth's description. Maybe there are multiple white rooms?
This one was dark like the light was turned off, and there was a metal chair sitting in the middle.
"Is this the right room?" Alessandra asked a little concerned.
"Oh yes. This is the right room." Sterlings said with confidence. Then Sterlings looked at one of the guards who had walked with us over here. She gave him a look, then started walking away.
"Wait what's-" The guard had stuck something in her arm, sending a sharp pain through it and making her all of the sudden feel dizzy. Everything was fuzzy as the guard dragged her into the dark room and into the cold metal chair.
"What's going-" She tried to ask but then she fell asleep.

"You have to hurry."