Chapter 9

Ethan Cross was midway through cleaning up his clinic when the door swung open with a creak. He glanced up, expecting one of Grayson's men or another patient in need of immediate attention. Instead, Vivian stood in the doorway, her sharp green eyes scanning the room.

"You again?" Ethan muttered, dropping the bloodied gauze into a trash bin. "What do you want now?"

Vivian smirked, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "I'm here to take you up on that offer."

"What offer?" Ethan asked, narrowing his eyes.

She crossed her arms, leaning casually against the wall. "You said you'd help if I told you what I needed. So here I am, telling you."

Ethan sighed, already regretting whatever was about to happen. "Look, I've got enough on my plate. Unless someone's dying, this can wait."

"Oh, it can't wait," Vivian said, her tone suddenly serious. "Because if you don't come with me, I'll make sure every bounty hunter in this city knows exactly where to find you."

Ethan froze. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, but he forced himself to stay calm. "What do you want, Vivian?"

She smiled, sensing his resignation. "I have a car waiting outside. You're coming with me to my lab. We've got work to do."

Ethan sat in the back of a sleek, black SUV, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Vivian sat across from him, scrolling through her tablet, her expression unreadable. Two burly men in dark suits flanked them, their presence a clear warning not to try anything.

"You're not exactly subtle," Ethan said, breaking the silence.

Vivian glanced up, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Subtlety doesn't get results."

"Neither does dragging someone into a situation they don't understand."

She chuckled, leaning forward slightly. "You'll understand soon enough. For now, let's just say you're about to see something… revolutionary."

Ethan didn't respond. He stared out the window, watching as the familiar streets of the underground gave way to more industrial surroundings. The SUV finally pulled up to a large, nondescript building surrounded by a high fence and security cameras.

"Welcome to my lab," Vivian said as the car came to a stop.

The interior of the building was a stark contrast to its drab exterior. Bright, sterile lights illuminated rows of high-tech equipment, computers, and workstations. Scientists in white coats bustled about, their faces focused and determined.

Ethan couldn't help but feel a pang of unease. This wasn't just a lab—it was a fortress.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Vivian said, walking ahead of him. "State-of-the-art equipment, cutting-edge research, and more funding than most governments could dream of."

"Great," Ethan said flatly. "Now tell me why I'm here."

Vivian stopped in front of a glass wall overlooking a smaller, sealed-off lab. Inside, a team of scientists was gathered around a table where a complex array of machinery was set up. On the table was a small vial containing a glowing blue liquid.

"That," Vivian said, pointing to the vial, "is what we've been working on."

Ethan frowned. "What is it?"

Vivian turned to him, her expression unreadable. "A breakthrough. A way to repair cellular damage at an unprecedented level. Think healing wounds in seconds, regenerating organs, curing diseases that were once untreatable."

Ethan's stomach twisted. "That sounds… impossible."

"Does it?" Vivian raised an eyebrow. "You of all people should know that 'impossible' is just a word. Haven't you been doing the impossible for weeks now?"

He stiffened, her pointed comment not lost on him. "What does this have to do with me?"

Vivian gestured for him to follow her into the lab. As they entered, the scientists glanced up briefly before returning to their work.

"We've hit a wall," Vivian said, picking up the vial. "The formula works in theory, but in practice, it's unstable. We need someone who can bridge the gap between research and application. Someone who can think on their feet, adapt to unpredictable situations."

Ethan shook his head. "I'm not a scientist. I'm a doctor."

"Exactly," Vivian said, stepping closer. "A doctor who's been pulling off miracles in the underground. A doctor who, according to my sources, wasn't half this skilled a few months ago. So tell me, Ethan—what changed?"

Ethan's chest tightened. He didn't respond.

Vivian smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not here to dig into your secrets. But you're exactly what we need. You think differently. You solve problems no one else can. And you don't have a choice."

Ethan's jaw clenched. "And if I say no?"

She tilted her head, her smirk turning into a cold smile. "Then I walk out of here and tell everyone exactly where to find you. The police, bounty hunters, maybe even a few people from Senator Holt's circle. Do you really think you'll last another week?"

Before Ethan could respond, an alarm blared, and red lights began flashing throughout the lab.

"What now?" Vivian snapped, turning to one of the scientists.

"We have a containment breach in Lab 3!" the man shouted. "One of the subjects is destabilizing!"

Ethan's stomach sank as he followed Vivian to a nearby observation room. Through the glass, he saw a patient strapped to a gurney, thrashing violently as their veins glowed faintly blue.

"The formula," Ethan said, realization dawning. "You tested it on a person?"

"We had no choice," Vivian said, her tone defensive. "But something went wrong. His body's rejecting it."

The patient's screams grew louder, their movements more erratic. Ethan could see the telltale signs of organ failure setting in—blue-tinged skin, labored breathing, and irregular muscle spasms.

"You need to stop this," Ethan said, turning to Vivian.

"That's why you're here," she said, her voice cold. "Fix it."

Ethan stared at her in disbelief. "You want me to save him?"

Vivian met his gaze, her expression hard. "I want you to prove you're as good as everyone says you are. Now get to work."

Ethan rushed into the containment lab, grabbing a pair of gloves and assessing the patient's condition. The system's voice spoke in his mind, calm and clinical.

"Diagnosis: Systemic organ failure due to cellular instability. Immediate intervention required. Recommendation: Neutralize formula with counteragent."

"Counteragent?" Ethan muttered. "What counteragent?"

"Chemical compounds available in Lab 2. Requisition immediately."

"Great," Ethan said under his breath. He turned to one of the scientists. "I need access to Lab 2 now!"

The scientist hesitated, then nodded, leading him to a cabinet filled with vials. The system guided Ethan's hands as he mixed the counteragent, each step a precise calculation.

Back in the lab, Ethan injected the solution into the patient's IV. For a tense moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, the patient's breathing steadied, and the glowing veins faded. The room fell silent.

"He's stable," Ethan said, pulling off his gloves. He turned to Vivian, his expression hard. "But if you try this again without knowing what you're doing, you're going to kill someone."

Vivian's smirk returned. "That's why we need you."