The chaos caused by the rogue seismologist finally subsided, thanks to Manifold. He was praised for saving the town from further damage. Civilians whispered about him—the kid with the goggles.
Manifold jolted awake, scanning the room. Faded white walls. Sterile air. A stiff white bed that felt like stacked bricks. A plain white desk.
"Huh—where am I?" His voice cracked.
He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his arms, like an aftershock. He groaned, breathing heavily. Then it clicked.
"A hospital… it's been a while," he muttered.
Outside the window, the world glowed a bright red-orange, like sunset. The skyline looked calm—untouched, as if nothing had happened. But Manifold saw the disaster hidden beneath that peace, and it unsettled him. He frowned, recalling everything: the seismologist's plea for help, the earth-shattering blows, that final look before madness consumed him.
"That could've been me," he whispered.
His fist tightened beneath the sheets. Every breath dragged across his pain, but he forced himself to stay steady.
A distant voice echoed from the hallway. The doorknob turned.
"Huh?" Manifold looked up.
The door opened slowly. A tall, muscular figure stepped inside—black leather jacket, sleek black pants, dark hair, and sharp blue eyes.
"Look who got into trouble," the man chuckled.
Manifold sighed, but smiled. "Man, it's you. How'd you even find me?"
"You were everywhere. You've made yourself quite the headline, goggles boy."
"When are you gonna do the same, mutant boy?" Manifold shot back.
"Hey, can't blame me," the man shrugged. "I still haven't mastered my powers compared to you." He sighed. "But I'm getting close. I almost turned into what I wanted."
Manifold smirked. "What is it this time, Darwin? A fly or something?"
Darwin groaned. "Oh, come on, man…"
"Based on my experiments," he continued, "I can change into my desired form about twenty-five percent of the time—if I really focus. And a full hundred percent if I know the exact genetic makeup of the animal."
Manifold grinned. "Interesting. But what about something with a complex structure? Like an invertebrate? Amphibian? Or something microscopic—like bacteria?"
Darwin scratched his head. "Look, I'm still not sure about that stuff. I'm not much of a thinker. I'm more of a feeling guy, y'know?"
Manifold groaned. "You've gotta list all the possible variables, Darwin. You need the upper hand. Analyze first instead of relying on intuition alone."
"And become a walking spreadsheet? No thanks," Darwin said flatly.
"I'm not having this conversation again," he continued. "We just approach science differently. You chase discovery through calculations. I feel the science."
"I get that," Manifold replied, flicking his goggles with a quiet click, "but that's exactly why I defeated the seismologist."
Darwin punched him lightly. "Heh. This is why you're so cool."
Manifold winced, grabbing his arm. "Ow—still hurts, y'know?" A sharp pulse trembled beneath his skin like a tiny quake.
"I'm not that cool after that battle," he sighed. "Something felt wrong."
"Then let's get you outta here," Darwin said, concern in his voice.
"I need to get back to my experiments. They're probably lost without me." Manifold smirked. "That would be nice."
A knock sounded at the door. A nurse stepped in, clipboard in hand.
"Excuse me, sir. I'm afraid you'll have to stay longer. We still need to determine what happened when you passed out."
"If you want, I can make a detailed analysis of how I fainted," Manifold said. "The faster I get out, the better."
The nurse raised an eyebrow. "I appreciate the confidence, but hospital protocols are—"
Darwin cut in. "I'll sign anything. I'm with him."
"It will take about a day. Please relax for now." The nurse left.
Darwin scratched his head. "Let's just focus on getting you out."
Manifold grinned, flicking his goggles again. "It's fine. Be patient. You can leave for now."
"Alright then. Call me if they need signatures." Darwin waved and left.
---
A day later, Darwin returned—this time with Manifold's mom—to finally get him discharged.
"That was a great hospital visit," Manifold said playfully. "But it's not happening again."
"And that stunt you pulled better not happen again," his mother hissed.
"Well, it definitely won't end in a stalemate again," he smirked.
Darwin sighed. "That was troublesome."
He punched Manifold lightly again. "Anyway, I'm heading out. See you, man."
"I'll call you if I need you," Manifold replied.
"Goodbye, darling!" his mom waved.
"Let's go, Mom," Manifold said.
"You know you shouldn't be doing that, honey."
Her voice grew worried. She looked at Manifold and sighed.
"I must do what I need to do."
"The entire place was in trouble—it would've been a disaster if I hadn't interfered." Manifold sighed softly.
His mom smiled warmly. She patted the weary scientist. "I raised you right, my dear. I'm so proud of you."
"Now, let's go. Should we get a spicy chicken sandwich on the way?"
A light joy sparked in Manifold's eyes. "Of course! It's my favorite!"
He grinned and took off his goggles—to spend a day with his mom.
---
The room was dimly lit. The walls were hard as steel, and tinted glass covered every corner. A single chair sat in the middle, beside a table stacked with documents.
"What should we do to him, boss?"
A Sci-Fighter agent spoke from behind the tinted glass.
The boss was cloaked in rippling water that dripped from his clothing. "We ask questions. An interrogation will be held in this room at once."
The agent nodded. "Yes, boss!"
"Now that the suspect is in Hydrax City, we start the experiments!" the boss roared.
"And get me that girl…" A monitor flickered, displaying the image of a prodigy musician.
"She is needed for the experiment."
The boss clapped once. "Dismissed."
"Yes, boss!" The agent hurried out of the room.
---
Back in his room, Manifold whispered,
"Access granted."
A synthetic voice replied, and a hidden door slid open.
"Let's get back to work," he grinned. "Check updates for our experiments."
Updates:
Chemical Bonding: 20%
H₂O Molecules: 10%
"Still a long way to go. Better train harder," he said.
The lab was huge—glowing monitors, flasks, microscopes, and a worn-out training dummy. Two seats waited at the main desk. On the whiteboard, one note was circled in thick red marker:
"Theory of ████████"
Suddenly, the computers beeped loudly. Radio waves spiked. Screens flickered.
> "Strange signal detected... Origin: Hydrax City."
Manifold's eyes narrowed.
"Hydrax City? That's near the ocean. I've never been there."
He paused.
"But if something's happening there… it must be trouble."
He grabbed his communicator.
"Better call Darwin. Something's not right."