Isabel struggled to open her eyes as she slowly regained consciousness.

She was blinded by the light shining down on her. It wasn't the light from a fire or an insect. The ringing in her ears prevented her from hearing what was being said, but she could hear the faint murmurs of multiple voices. She tried to raise her hand to block out the light, but her arm wouldn't budge. She pulled against whatever device was keeping her pinned down. Her head rolled, feeling the edge of something. If she had to guess, she was strapped to a table with someone close by overlooking her.

A blurred silhouette passed her table. It was a tall figure. The individual wore what Isabel guessed to be old medical garbs. As her hearing returned, she could hear the person whisper to themselves. The voice was soft but masculine. The man wasn't stocky. If Isabel could pry herself free, she would have no issue dealing with this person. However, she couldn't find the strength to break free from the straps. She began to question if her abilities were somehow inactive. A frustrated growl rolled out of her mouth, catching the attention of her host.

''Please, don't struggle,'' he ordered in a firm but quiet voice. ''You have been dosed with enough tranquillizer to put down a herd of elephants. I was reluctant to waste so much of my resources on you, but it had to be done. You are quite special.''

The seconds flowed together, making it difficult for Isabel to tell if she was still asleep or waking up. The man was now standing over her, stroking her face like she was his prized procession. She tilted her head away, causing him to cease lavishing her with attention. After a moment of nothingness, Isabel glanced in his direction. His face was covered by large goggles and a face mask around his mouth. He seemed to gaze at her curiously as his head leaned from side to side.

Suddenly, Isabel remembered the events that transpired before she was brought her. She recalled her confrontation with Albatox and Baerock, and hearing her mother crying out for Jon. As far as she knew, her old family friend was dead and buried. Her fists clenched with anger as she tried to tear herself free from her binds.

''You are in no condition to talk,'' the man stated, bringing out a syringe.

Isabel grit her teeth. ''That won't work.''

''It's true, I initially had difficult piercing your skin with any of my equipment. But, the Drakes were able to provide me with an unorthodox tool.''

He reached for something else in one of his pockets and showed it to her. At first, Isabel thought it was a special kind of knife or even a large animal tooth. But, she soon recognized the dark color and knew it was a scale belonging to Albatox. Her host glided the sharp end of the scale across her arm, drawing blood. Isabel hissed in pain before she felt the needle being pricked inside of her and the world turned dark once again.

XXX

The next time she awoke, she could hear a familiar voice speaking loudly. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned her head on the table to see the man who was examining her was conversing with Albatox. The Drake always had one eye on Isabel, making sure she didn't regain enough strength to escape from her binds.

''I need more time with her,'' the man spoke with Albatox as if he was on equal footing. However, the Drake didn't look at him with the same respect. ''She bleeds like a human, but there is more to her than meets the eye. I can only do so much with limited technology.''

''You're lucky we gave this tech to you, Doctor,'' Albatox growled back. ''I gave you three days to find out how she can do what she can do. The last thing we need is more humans like her running around. She almost killed my sister. She outmuscled me.''

''And that is fascinating to me,'' the Doctor said excitedly. ''I do have a theory regarding the origin of her abilities. But, I want to be sure before I make any kind of confirmation.''

Albatox advanced on him. ''You've got two more days. After that, she'll be put in the ring for my entertainment.''

''You can't put her in the ring. I might not have anything left of her to examine.''

''Then you best work swiftly, Doctor.'' Albatox turned and marched out of sight.

All the while, Isabel continued to tug on her restraints. She could feel them loosen around her wrists. Once she heard Albatox disappear into the unknown, she thought about planning her escape. If she was quick, she could make a run for it before either of the Drakes realized she was gone. A surge of pain rushed along her shoulder. When she turned, she saw the Doctor cutting her with the scale and had a syringe in his other hand.

''Please, don't do this,'' Isabel pleaded. ''I can get us out of here.''

The Doctor looked directly into her eyes. ''I'm afraid I can't do that.''

''I know you're scared. I am too. But, with my strength and your knowledge, we can work together and escape.''

''We would not be compatible together,'' he injected the needle into her shoulder. ''Unlike you, I do not wish to escape.''

XXX

Isabel didn't know if hours or days had passed. She slipped in and out of consciousness. Every so often, she would see the Doctor either leaning over her to study her flesh and blood, or hunched over a desk with medical equipment to study the samples of her blood. He appeared to show no concern for her well-being. Any time she would try to convince him to help, he would put her to sleep over and over again. She could only ever get a few vague words out of him.

She tried to feel anger. However, she only felt lost. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this powerless. It reminded her of her life before she acquired her abilities. Being looked down upon and treated like a freak triggered haunting memories that flashed in her mind. It didn't matter how much she tried to use anger to her benefit, she couldn't muster the strength to escape. The Doctor made sure she was never awake enough to do anything reckless. His more merciful moments would be when he would pace around the room, talking to himself as he debated with different theories and questions over Isabel's abilities.

Isabel thought that maybe she could use that to her advantage. He wasn't willing to give her what she wanted. But if she could offer what he wanted, there might be the chance for an escape.

''I'll tell you everything,'' she coughed as she felt her eyes rolling and her head spun. ''I'll tell you about my abilities.''

The Doctor shook his head. ''No, no, I cannot trust your word. Science is the one true answer. I will discover the source of your power. I believe I am getting closer.''

Isabel licked her dry lips. ''What will you do when you find out?''

''What every scientist does when they make an incredible discovery, share that knowledge with the rest of the world. I wish to share what makes you special.''

''What?'' Isabel questioned. ''You mean…you want to make more like me? Can you do that?''

The Doctor was silent for a moment. ''If it can work on you, I don't see why it wouldn't work on others.''

For a split second, Isabel felt a flicker of hope. ''If there are more like me, we can fight back against the Dragons.''

''Or we can serve them better,'' he responded.

Isabel's smile faded. ''Why would we want to do that?''

''Because Dragons are the ultimate apex predator. They are the superior and dominant species of this planet.''

''What about humanity?''

''You ask that like humanity is worth saving,'' he walked away from her table and placed his gloved hands in a bucket of water to clean them. As he rubbed his hands together, he glanced over his shoulder to look at Isabel. ''Humans were on the brink of destroying this world before the Dragons arrived to liberate it, just as they have done with the others.''

''Other what?''

''Other worlds,'' he removed his gloves and set them on the desk to dry. ''Did you really think that Earth was the first planet the Dragons conquered. That is what they do. They travel from world to world, sharing their power to other civilizations. Those who serve loyally under them can bask in their glory.''

''And those who refuse?''

He slowly turned to face her fully. ''You know what happens to them.''

Slowly, Isabel could feel her anger building. But, she didn't want it to show. She didn't want to give the Doctor a reason to sedate her again, especially when this was the longest conversation that she's had with him so far. ''Is that what you want? To go with the Dragons to destroy other worlds.''

He sighed. ''That is another problem with humanity. They never see the bigger picture. It's always about the individual. You have to understand that I am on the brink of discovering something truly remarkable thanks to you.''

''What's the point anyways? Dragons breed and make Drakes. Isn't that enough of an army?''

''True, Dragons can create offspring and hybrids, but you are in another class entirely. Drakes are only half-breeds. They can't inherit all the traits and power of a Dragon. But, if Albatox's descriptions of what you could do are accurate, you are the closest being to rival a Dragon's power. I have spent years trying to perfect a formula to create something like you. You are the confirmation that it works.''

It was so much information for Isabel to process. She thought back to the very beginning with her encounter with the skeleton. It had to be connected in some way. She just hoped that she could stay awake long enough to connect the dots. ''Are you the only one that's doing something like this?''

''I am now.'' He said. Isabel waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't say another word.

''You talk like I'm one of a kind. Has there been no one like me?''

''No,'' he answered. ''I have tried. But, none have been successful. That's why I can't afford to lose you to in the ring.''

Isabel thought back to Albatox's warning before. ''What is the ring?''

''A gladiatorial arena. Albatox and Baerock needed something to entertain them. So, any strong humans they capture are pitted in a ring to fight to the death, either against themselves or one of their hybrid pets.''

''And you don't think I'll survive something like that?''

''I hope you do,'' he walked back over to her. He reached out and stroked the back of his hand against her face. This time, Isabel didn't flinch as she tried to look him in the eyes. His goggles were almost fogged up, she wasn't sure if the brown color she saw belonged to him, or were reflections from her own eyes.

She quietly tugged on her restraints. ''Do I at least get to know your name?''

''Doctor, that will do.'' He replied promptly. ''This is not the place for pleasantries. You are the creation, and I hope to confirm if I am your creator.''

''Still…'' Isabel smirked. ''My name is Isabel. Remember it. Because no matter what you think of me, I know who and what I am.''

Her words seemed to have gone over the Doctor's head. His whole body was rigid as he studied her carefully. Isabel groaned as she was unable to tell what he was thinking behind his layer of protective clothing. She could see him breathing quickly beneath his face mask. Suddenly, without warning, he took out the scale and cut her arm, uncaring how deep the gash was. Isabel cried out in pain and tried to break free before it was too late. She heard the restraint snap and her arm was finally free.

At the same time, the Doctor jabbed the needle into her scar. Isabel grabbed him by the throat and threw him away. However, the toss was weak and he merely stumbled towards his desk. Isabel climbed off the table, but her legs turned into mush. She collapsed to the ground and couldn't keep her eyes open for long. The last thing she saw before she drifted into a deep slumber was the Doctor standing over her, looking down at her like an experiment he was testing on.

XXX

HELLO MY SWEET SUPERSTARS! WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS NEW CHAPTER? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND THEORIES SURROUNDING THE DOCTOR? HE'S A CHARACTER THAT I HAVE BEEN EAGERLY WAITING TO INTRODUCE TO YOU ALL. THERE WILL BE MUCH MORE GOING ON WITH HIM IN THE FUTURE. THE NEXT CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE AN ACTION-PACKED ONE WITH ISABEL. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT THIS COMING FRIDAY. THANK YOU ALL SO, SO MUCH FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT FOR THIS STORY. I LOVE HEARING ALL OF YOUR GREAT THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS. I'M SO PROUD OF THIS STORY AND I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT OTHERS ENJOY READING IT AS MUCH AS I ENJOY WRITING IT. WHILE WAITING FOR NEW CHAPTERS, PLEASE DO STAY SAFE AND LOOK AFTER YOURSELVES. TA-TA FOR NOW.