Chapter 2: CHAPTER 2 - Unraveling Fragments
As the day unfolded, Mia, Alex, and their compatriots, brought together by a shared purpose, remained steadfast in their resolve. Their mission led them to traverse the intricate labyrinth of Hope City, determined to uncover any semblance of information that might illuminate the enigma shrouding their past. Every stride they took resembled a journey through a mist-laden maze, where mere wisps of memory tantalized them without ever coalescing into clarity.
(FLASHBACK) In a vivid recollection, Mia found herself breathless and in full flight, desperately attempting to evade a relentless pursuit by a group of men. Their urgent cries pierced the air, "Hey, hey!! Mia Thompson, cease your movement at once! This is the HCPD. Halt immediately, or we shall be compelled to use tranquilizing measures," one of the covertly dressed operatives bellowed as they closed in on her. "I said STOP!!" He promptly aimed and fired a tranquilizing dart, striking her on the neck.
Mia awoke from what appeared to be a dream or some kind of trance, her hand instinctively moving to her chest. To her astonishment, the spot where she had been shot with a tranquilizing dart in her vision was now a reality on the back of her neck. "Okay, that's super weird," she remarked aloud, her bewilderment apparent. She also noticed that she was wearing the same clothes from the vision she had just experienced.
"Oh, cool! You're awake. I think we've just unraveled what your powers are while you were asleep," Alex said as he turned to the still-groggy Mia, who appeared shaken by the experience. "Powers?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued. "Remember when I mentioned something about a virus and said we weren't entirely human anymore? Check this out," he continued.
With that, Alex closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, his eyes were entirely white, with his pupils significantly dilated. The veins all over his body began to pulsate vigorously, and he breathed heavily. "Whoa! Are you okay? You really went all out there," Mia exclaimed, her face filled with a mixture of amazement and concern.
"Yeah," Alex replied, still catching his breath. "In 60 seconds, Jay is about to walk through that door with a really old laptop. He'll miss a step right here," he pointed to a specific spot near the door, "and fall really hard. The keys 'X' and 'A' will pop out and land right here and there," he gestured to two randomly selected spots in the room.
Mia's eyes widened in surprise. "You're right!" she exclaimed, albeit with a hint of skepticism.
Exactly a minute later, everything played out just as Alex had predicted. "I told you so," he said with a sense of satisfaction.
Mia couldn't contain her amazement. "That was f***ing cool. How the hell did you do that?" she asked, her expletive reflecting her astonishment.
"I really don't know," Alex admitted, grinning. "Since we all woke up from that pile of rubble, we've manifested some crazy ass abilities beyond any reasonable explanation." He gestured towards Mia's shirt. "You change clothes in your sleep about six times; it's gotta be connected to your ability."
Mia was still trying to wrap her head around it all. "How's that even f***ing possible?" she anxiously inquired.
"I honestly don't f*ing know," Alex replied with a shrug. "We're all in this shit show together, trying to make sense of these wild powers and the mind-bending mysteries that come with 'em."
"They found themselves across town in a small, dimly lit apartment that looked to have been abandoned, Mia flipped through old newspapers and clippings, hoping to find any mention of the explosion or the mysterious virus that had altered their lives. The articles painted a bleak picture of the aftermath - a city struggling to recover from the catastrophe, with whispers of secret experiments and missing persons.
Alex, with his innate ability to sense events, was absorbed in a pile of archived police reports. "There have been numerous crimes, but some of them seem staged... as if someone was trying to create distractions," he murmured to himself, his brow furrowing in concentration.
Meanwhile, the youngest amongst them, who they called "Jay," after fixing the laptop he tripped and fell on, was trying to hack into government databases for any classified information. "I don't understand much of this tech stuff," he confessed, frustration evident in his voice. "But I'll keep trying."
Their endeavors seemed like an uphill battle, and doubt gnawed at them. Yet, the bond they formed amidst their shared uncertainty gave them strength.
In another corner of the apartment, the muscular woman, whom they called "Riley," was honing her control over her abilities. She could manipulate objects with her mind, but the extent of her powers remained a mystery. She focused on levitating a small book, her brow furrowed with determination.
As the book wobbled mid-air, it suddenly halted, frozen in place. "Did you guys do that?" Riley asked, her voice tinged with surprise.
Mia and Alex exchanged glances, both realizing they hadn't moved an inch. Jay shook his head, "I didn't do anything. It just stopped."
With a sigh, Riley let the book fall back to the table. "My powers... I can feel every object, every freaking thing around us, even when they're hiding or camouflaged."
"That's f***ing incredible!" Mia exclaimed. "It could be invaluable for detecting threats or uncovering hidden information."
As they discussed Riley's newfound abilities, the bespectacled man, who they referred to as "Ethan," stepped forward with a folder in his hands. "I've been doing some research on the lab where the explosion occurred," he said, adjusting his glasses. "I managed to find out that the facility was privately owned by a corporation called 'TechNova.'"
"TechNova?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "They must be behind the experiments that led to the virus and our powers."
Ethan nodded. "Exactly. They were involved in various research projects, but all records about this specific one have been wiped clean. However, there are rumors of an underground syndicate linked to the corporation. Perhaps they have more information."
As they continued their discussion, a sudden commotion erupted outside. Sirens blared, and the sound of boots echoed through the streets.
"They've found us!" Jay exclaimed, fear coursing through his veins.
Alex rushed to the window, peering through the curtains. "Government personnel, heavily armed. We need to get the f**k out of here, Now!"
Gathering their belongings and instincts sharpened, the ex-humans fled the apartment just moments before the authorities arrived. Their quest for answers had just taken a dangerous turn, and the shadows of Hope City seemed to close in around them.
Little did they know that their pursuit of truth would lead them further into a web of intrigue, where allies and enemies would blur, and the mysteries of their past would unfold into a revelation beyond their wildest imaginations. The journey of the XENO-HUMANS had only just begun.
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