Fire

Present...

Once again, Xander found himself alone in the room. The doctor and the other man had left, but he knew they would be back soon. As he sat there, confined by restraints, familiar memories from waking up in a hospital bed after the fire at his house flooded back to him. It was like deja vu all over again.

He couldn't shake the feeling of panic and fear that consumed him on that traumatic day, when he was restrained by doctors and nurses for his own safety.

The loss of his parents weighed heavily on Xander's mind as he struggled against the restraints. He regretted not being a better son and felt guilty for causing them distress before their untimely deaths. He missed how his father always greeted him with a smile and laughter, even when he got into trouble or got kicked out of school.

And although his mother would scold him, he knew his father was always proud of him for standing up for the underdog. But now that they were gone, their absence hit Xander harder than ever before, leaving a deep wound in his heart.

Xander's thoughts raced with questions about his father, family, and why he was being held captive. He took in his surroundings - a small, sterile room filled with medical equipment. IVs and wires were attached to his arms, and he could feel something being injected into his veins. Fear and confusion gripped him as he waited for their return.

The metal door slides open once more, and they both re-enter the room. The doctor's face is now lit up with excitement, much to Xander's mounting frustration. He pulls at the restraints, fueled by his rising anger.

Once he breaks free, he'll make sure to leave the doctor with a few less teeth. The doctor chuckles under his breath. "Don't bother trying to escape," he says calmly. "We're moving on to the next phase of our experiment. You see, we injected you with a drug that instantly killed all of our previous test subjects. Mr. Roberts made the right choice in bringing you to us; you are a truly remarkable specimen."

Xander forces himself to suppress his fear; he needs to appear strong. "What do you want from me?" he asks, trying to keep his voice steady. 

The doctor's wicked smile sends a shiver down Xander's spine as he turns to Mr. Roberts. "I believe it's only fair that you explain to the boy why we're so eager to have him here." 

Mr. Roberts nods and turns to face Xander. "Let me formally introduce ourselves. I am Captain Ace Roberts - you can call me Ace. And this is Dr. Vince - not your typical doctor. We work for a top-secret government division called the Special Operations Unit. Your father was a part of our team and was one of our most skilled operatives. His passing was tragic, but it wasn't an accident, Xander. We'll discuss that further later on. For now, we only took you against your will because it was the only way to get you here. Did we drug you and conduct tests on your body? Yes, unfortunately. But there is a reason for all of this, Xander, and I'll explain more once we finish with all the necessary examinations."

Ace paused, studying Xander's face for a moment before continuing.

"Your father was not just an ordinary agent; he possessed incredible strength and power. The unique blood running through your veins is something we want to unlock. Our world is in a war between good and evil, humans and supernatural beings. Your father had the rare ability to control fire, making him a valuable asset in this war. The creatures depicted in horror films and scary movies are real, and they are trying to take over our world. Your father's powers were able to defeat them effortlessly, but now that he's gone, we need someone else with his abilities. We believe you have the potential to wield even greater power than your father did. You could be our next genius Xander."

The words echoed in Xander's head like some twisted fairy tale. Control fire? Supernatural beings? This was too much. His father had been a normal man, a loving husband, and a doting father. He wasn't some superhero fighting supernatural battles.

Ace seemed to read his thoughts and said, "I know this is hard to believe, Xander. But we need you."

His words were cut short by another voice. "We don't need him, we need his powers." Dr. Vince's voice drowned the room with its clinical coldness.

Frustration bubbled up within Xander. "And if I don't want to be your lab rat?" he challenged, glaring at Vince.

Ace sighed and looked at him with what seemed to be genuine regret in his eyes. "Then you'll be thrown into the real world where those creatures roam freely, hunting those with the bloodline like yours - untrained, unaware, and unprotected."

A chill ran down Xander's spine at his words. Was this their way of coercing him into compliance - fear?

For the first time since this nightmare began, hopelessness washed over Xander. He was trapped here with no escape.

He thought back to his parents' fiery end. Could his father have started the fire with his supposed supernatural abilities?

Xander shook his head violently as if trying to shake off these ludicrous thoughts. And yet, he couldn't help but wonder - could there be truth in what Ace was saying?