Flug entered his lab and found Melanie strapped on to a gurney/hospital bed. She was still and sleeping soundly.
Flug moved closer to examine the girl's sleeping form, specifically moving closer to analyze her broken tracker. His expertise immediately told him that although the tracker did not leave her ankle it was effectively totaled. It had been exposed to a powerful heat source that warped it almost beyond recognition. Whatever Melanie had done to it, the tracker was destroyed and needed to be replaced.
After only several minutes of work, Flug managed to get the tracker off Melanie's foot. The next step after that was getting a suitable replacement. That would be easy enough.
All of it would be. It was Melanie who made things so difficult, all because she refused to let go of her ideals.
"Foolish, stubborn girl," Flug muttered to himself as he got to work.
Luckily, Flug had the foresight to begin upgrades at the start of this. He had made an organic chip he could place inside her.
Part of Flug wished he were allowed to do more painful things to Melanie for all the annoyance and difficulty she put him through. Another part of him wished her better fortune in the future as he prepped the chip out of the ice box.
Flug knew the price for defying Lord Black Hat. He could only hope that Melanie would give in. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she had potential.
Flug sighed as he chose a spot for the implant and began to prep for surgery. He took off Melanie's restraints and moved her onto her stomach. Then after moving her ponytail aside, Flug sanitized and numbed the skin on the nape of Melanie's neck so that she would not feel the coming injection.
Then, with the preparations having been made, he injected the tracking device into her neck. It was a quick and painless process with the chip now inside and resting like her.
Melanie wouldn't have needed to be put to sleep for it if she hadn't been so damn resistant.
With the procedure done, Flug covered the injection spot with a band aid, took the green scrunchy out of Melanie's hair, put it on her wrist, and laid Melanie on her back to rest. He put restraints on her hands and feet, covered her body with a blanket, placed her head on a pillow, and turned away to work on other projects.
About an hour later, Melanie began to stir.
Flug looked over at Melanie. Then he looked over at his watch to check the screen for the tracker to make sure the chip was operational and was pleased to find it working.
"Excellent," Flug said to himself.
Melanie's eyes then fluttered open and the first thing she saw was Flug looking at a screen she couldn't see.
Flug glanced at Melanie before turning off the screen and said, "Finally awake I see."
Still very groggy, Melanie asked, "Where am I?"
"A part of my lab," Flug said rather coldly "A part of my lab," Flug said rather coldly as he crossed off some things on a checklist he was carrying around on his clipboard.
"Why am I down here?" Melanie asked tiredly. "Did you dissect me? Is that why I can't move?"
"Don't be so dramatic," Flug said, lifting the blanket for a moment to let Melanie see the restraints on her hands and feet before letting it drop back over her body. "I simply had to take care of that broken tracker."
"But it's not on my foot now," Melanie said, wiggling the foot the tracker used to be on.
"Yes, well, it was damaged beyond repair," Flug said before continuing sarcastically, "Thanks for that by the way."
Melanie flashed a cheeky smile and said, "You're welcome. It wasn't easy. I tried sawing it off with my scythe, holding it under water, and then holding it over a portal to Hell to melt it off, but it didn't work."
"Once again, thank you for gloating," Flug said, visibly annoyed.
"It's your fault for making them too strong," Melanie retorted, ever the sass master even when drugged.
"I'll remember that if I ever attempt something similar," Flug waved off dismissively.
"I'd be gone by now if it weren't for that," Melanie lamented, gesturing with the restrained hand closest to Flug. "I'd be flying away outside. I should have just left."
"Well, fortunately, you won't have an opportunity like that again," Flug said, pulling up a rolling stool next to the gurney so that he and Melanie could look at each other closer to eye level.
"Why not?" Melanie asked.
"Because I'm here to tell you to stop," Flug chided. "Believe it or not, everything we do here is for your own good and to spare you from the wrath of Lord Black Hat."
"Yeah, right," Melanie said sarcastically. "Because you did such a good job of that earlier."
"I'm serious, you dumb kid!" Flug exclaimed. "What do you think will happen if you continue to fight him?"
"Nothing worse than what'll happen if I don't," Melanie replied, shaking her head sadly.
Flug sighed deeply and said, "Melanie, here's a piece of advice that I want you to take to heart…"
He then slowly pointed to the tip of his paper bag and finished, "It can always get worse."
Melanie paused and looked away for a moment before she looked at Flug with defiant eyes filled with compassion and earnestness and said, "It can also always get better. I have found life beyond this place and him with people who care about me and love me as I am. It's the best my life has ever been. I found a world where I could be myself and be free and feel the love of God. And I don't care if I die for it. I'm not giving it up. It's better than anything Black Hat has ever offered anyone in my family. I know for a fact that it's better than anything Black Hat has ever done for you either. You could find that for yourself too."
Flug looked askance for a second and then replied, "Black Hat has already given me everything I could possibly want. Black Hat has given both sides of your family everything they've wanted, too. He's even part of your family, you know. He could do the same for you if you cooperate with us…"
"I'm not gonna cooperate!" Melanie snapped. "I don't care if Mama Muerte and my parents work with Black Hat. I don't care if my Papi and Black Hat are technically brothers and that makes him my grand-uncle either! He can eff right off!"
"Melanie, this goes beyond blood or business," Flug said. "Black Hat is a force, the force of all evil…"
"Exactly," Melanie interrupted. "Why do you think I want nothing to do with him?"
Flug sighed as he stood up, kicked his stool back across the room, and said, "Be stubborn about it then. He'll want to see you soon enough anyway, and with any luck, he'll show you what I've been learning from him. How to wield incredible power."
Flug then turned from Melanie and radioed Dementia through his watch for assistance, "Dementia, get down here. I need you to escort Melanie to her room."
"I don't care what Black Hat wants to teach me," Melanie said, staring wearily at the ceiling. "I will only care if he lets me do one thing."
"And what's that?" Flug asked.
"If he lets me free the trapped souls here. They're everywhere," Melanie replied as her eyes followed the movement of the invisible souls as they flew around the room. "They're down here, too."
"Good luck with that," Flug said before muttering the rest. "Those are one of his favorite snacks."
Melanie's tired mind then remembered something important, "Dr. Flug, where's the new tracker?"
Flug paused and had a moment of silence, pretending as if he didn't hear her, before responding with a slow turn around, "What makes you think there's a new one?"
"I don't see the old one anywhere," Melanie replied.
"Well, as I said before, it was damaged beyond repair and had to be disposed of, but that doesn't mean I had the time to make a new one," Flug lied. "It'll take time to build."
Melanie looked at Flug suspiciously and began pulling against her restraints.
"And what do you think you're doing?" Flug asked.
"You know why I don't listen to you?" Melanie asked. "It's because I know I can't trust you. I know you don't care. I know you're just brainwashing me because Black Hat wants you to. Everything you say is fake. So, by extension, what you're saying now must be fake too."
Flug folded his arms, raised a brow, and asked, "And if I'm telling the truth?"
"It's better to be safe than sorry," Melanie replied, resting from her struggles for the moment. "All you've done is limit my freedoms, drug me, and make me listen to boring lectures. You're not trustworthy."
"Well, I suppose you won't have a choice this time," Flug said, turning around and holding his hands behind his back.
"Did I ever?" Melanie asked sarcastically.
"Then you know the drill," Flug said rather smugly before calling Dementia on his watch again. "Darn it! Where is Dementia?"
Melanie took the moment to phase both hands out of her restraints at the same time.
This went unnoticed by Flug who sighed in frustration at Dementia ignoring his call yet again. He absentmindedly waited for her while Melanie sat up in bed and stretched her arms.
Then as Melanie phased her feet through their restraints, Flug sat down on his rolling stool. His guard continued to go down as he placed his hand under his chin and allowed his mind to wander to different places. He thought about his talk with 505 and wondered how he would make up yelling at his son. Maybe Flug would get 505 ice cream to make up for it.
Meanwhile, Melanie tiredly pulled the blanket around her body, and climbed off her gurney.
Flug didn't notice Melanie step onto the cold floor and start walking around. He checked his watch to track Dementia and sighed in annoyance when he found that she had not even begun to make her way to the lab.
Flug almost didn't notice Melanie walk away from him into the surrounding lab, hoping to find a bathroom. He finally noticed when she paused and allowed her tired eyes to rest on the shiny equipment.
"Where do you think you're going?" Flug asked with an exasperated sigh.
"The bathroom," Melanie said. "I have to go. Would you show me where it is please? Or give me a beaker to use instead? Or maybe you could take me outside and let me dig a hole like we did when we went on that camping trip…"
Flug waved his hands to make Melanie stop and said, "Alright! Alright! I'll take you!"
Flug grabbed a hold of Melanie's hand and dragged her forward past the sliding doors into a hallway. She wearily shuffled her feet to keep up. He led her past many blueprints and chambers, one of which contained the Flower of Foulness which tried to snap at them. Soon enough, Flug reached a lavatory reminiscent to that of a plane.
"Okay, here we are," Flug said, letting go of Melanie's hand and gesturing to the bathroom.
"Your lab is effing huge," Melanie said, looking around at the lab.
"Thanks, I guess," Flug replied.
Melanie then turned to Flug with a burst of realization and said, "Hey! You were holding the hand I set you on fire with."
Flug scoffed, looked at his burned lab coat, and replied, "So, I did."
Melanie looked at Flug with a sad smile and said, "I'm sorry that happened by the way. I didn't mean to set you on fire. I was trying to break your nose."
Flug rolled his eyes in annoyance and replied sarcastically, "Gee, thanks."
"I mean it," Melanie protested sincerely. "I only tried to break my nose so you wouldn't inject me. I didn't actually want to kill you. I mean, yeah, you're a jackass, but I don't want you to die."
Flug paused, feeling unexpectedly touched and pleased by this revelation. He actually felt himself smile a little. Unfortunately, that emotion was immediately undercut by both his profession and his alignment.
"You have weakness as a hero then," Flug replied coldly, raising his hand and thumb to point to the door again. "Now, are you going to use the bathroom or not?"
Melanie scowled and entered the bathroom, leaving Flug alone with his thoughts.
Folding his arms, Flug leaned against the metal walls and thought of how he liked the kindness and restraint she showed, but how it was ultimately all pointless and foolish. Melanie could never become a villain with that attitude.
After a few minutes, the toilet flushed, the sink switched on and off, and Melanie emerged from the bathroom or rather staggered out of it with her blanket wrapped around her cold body. She was still groggy from the sedatives.
Flug pat Melanie's back, placed his hand behind her shoulder, began guiding her forward, and said, "We should get you back to your room. I'm sure 505 is done by now. I'd wait for Dementia, but I frankly have no idea what she's doing. So, it's up to me."
"You're being nice to me?" Melanie asked in surprise. "That's new."
"Yeah, well-uh, I'm not against being polite," Flug said. "Like it or not, you're still a guest."
"Is there a distinction between a guest and a prisoner with you?" Melanie asked.
"I would say it's different since you're still a kid," Flug replied. "You still have so much to learn."
"That's what Sensei Lucy always says to me," Melanie said before catching onto what Flug was saying. "Wait…like what?"
Flug's goggles gleamed as his hands followed along his words into a fist, "Who has power and how to wield it. Something I'm sure your Nun-ja friends won't teach you."
"You're wrong!" Melanie snapped. "Sensei Lucy has done more to teach me how to control my powers than Papi ever did! She understands me which is something you never will be able to! She's one of my best friends! I love her and look up to her! Besides that, she's the only person I know who ever got away from..."
Melanie covered her mouth and her eyes flashed in panic as she realized what she was saying. She backed away from Flug nervously to get out of his immediate reach.
Flug loomed over Melanie maliciously and said, "Is that all you have to say? I'm sure Black Hat would love to hear more."
"No," Melanie muttered. "I knew it was an act. Leave me alone! I'm not telling you a damn thing!"
She then summoned her scythe and flew away from Flug as quickly as she could.
"Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God, oh, God! I'm so stupid!" Melanie cried.
"That much at least is true…" the familiar raspy voice would whisper before she found herself at the foot of Black Hat's desk, at the blink of an eye. "But I must say it's quite helpful."
The being that was evil incarnate turned slightly with a wide grin and an illuminated monocle.