Chapter 25: The Emergence Killer - Part 2
David Martinez reappeared in the conservatory after six hours of absence, staring at the exotic plants with the hollow expression of someone whose fundamental nature had been surgically removed. The freshman who'd been manifesting teleportation ability now couldn't manage a hop, skip, or jump that defied basic physics.
Third victim. Pattern escalating.
But David remembered fragments that Sarah hadn't—broken pieces of memory that painted a clearer picture of what was happening to emergence-vulnerable students.
"A device," he whispered when Wednesday questioned him with clinical precision. "Cold metal against my skull. Someone saying 'just a little more essence' like they were adjusting measurements."
Technology. Deliberate technology.
Wednesday's investigation shifted immediately from supernatural predator to scientific harvesting. The breakthrough detail changed everything: this wasn't mystical essence theft but engineered extraction.
"Someone built a machine that can drain outcast abilities," Eugene concluded with the systematic analysis he'd been developing. "That's not random predation—that's systematic harvesting."
Engineering background. Access to advanced technology.
Our suspect pool expanded to include anyone with technical knowledge and resources to develop extraction equipment. I spent three nights searching faculty offices using Unnoticed Mode, looking for evidence of suspicious research or equipment purchases.
Crane's office: meticulously clean. Nothing suspicious beyond the general aura of menace.
Helena Vale's office: jackpot.
The guidance counselor's workspace contained invoices for neurological equipment, research notes on "essence restoration theory," and medication bottles suggesting someone struggling with severe depression and identity dissociation.
Former siren. Lost her powers. Trying to steal them back.
We needed information from Helena's closest associate—Dr. Martinez, another faculty member who might know about her equipment purchases or recent behavior changes. The approach required delicacy and speed, which meant using abilities that made my skin crawl.
Familiarity Mode. Violation disguised as investigation.
I found Dr. Martinez in the faculty lounge during afternoon break, grading papers with the weary patience of someone who'd been teaching teenagers for twenty years. Time to make him trust me without earning it.
Focus on belonging. On being valued. On being someone he'd naturally confide in.
The ability activated with sickening ease. Suddenly I was "an old colleague, trusted friend" whose presence triggered warm familiarity instead of stranger caution.
"Aron!" Dr. Martinez looked up with genuine pleasure. "Haven't seen you in ages. How's the research going?"
Information extraction time.
"Actually, I wanted to ask about Helena. She's been ordering some unusual equipment lately, and I'm concerned about her project scope."
Truth wrapped in false context. The worst kind of manipulation.
The information spilled naturally from someone who thought he was sharing concerns with a trusted peer: Helena had been ordering neurological monitoring equipment, mentioned "restoration research" during faculty meetings, and had become increasingly erratic since losing her siren powers to an experimental "cure" five years ago.
Desperate victim trying to rebuild what was stolen.
I maintained the façade for ninety seconds before retreating, guilt crushing me like physical weight. The violation felt complete—not just deceiving someone but making them trust me while I harvested their concerns.
Power corruption. This is how it happens.
I found Enid on our roof afterward, needing someone who could handle emotional honesty without judgment.
"I just violated someone's mind for information," I confessed. "I feel like I need to shower for three days."
Truth. Complete truth about what I'd become.
She didn't offer empty comfort or rationalization, just wrapped her arms around me and held on until the self-loathing receded to manageable levels.
Anchor. Human anchor in the storm of ethical compromise.
"Did you get what you needed?" she asked finally.
"Yeah. Helena's desperate, not evil. Someone gave her the technology."
Which raises the question: who has access to essence extraction equipment?
Confronting Crane required calculated risk—either she was complicit and we'd force her hand, or she was hunting the same target and we could gain a dangerous ally. We presented our evidence in her office like prosecutors laying out a federal case.
All cards on the table. Truth as tactical weapon.
Crane listened to our complete case against Helena with perfect stillness, expression revealing nothing beyond clinical interest. When we finished, she was quiet for thirty seconds that felt like hours.
"I've been monitoring Ms. Vale for three weeks," she said finally. "She's not the primary threat—she's a desperate victim trying to restore what was taken from her."
Validation. Our assessment was correct.
"The real question is: who gave her the extraction technology?"
Wednesday demanded answers about the nocturnal surveillance we'd documented, and Crane's response changed everything:
"I'm protecting emergence-vulnerable students from a threat I don't fully understand yet. Something is coming that makes outcast abilities critical to survival."
The big reveal.
"The Unmaking is approaching, and we need every powered individual we can preserve."
The Unmaking.
My fragmented transmigrator memories crystallized around that phrase—Season Two's overarching threat, something about reality itself under attack. The details remained frustratingly vague, but the existential dread was immediate and overwhelming.
Cosmic horror. Reality-threatening cosmic horror.
"Help me stop Helena without destroying her," Crane continued. "She's as much victim as perpetrator."
Alliance offer. Dangerous alliance with dangerous woman.
But if The Unmaking was real, we needed every ally we could get.
Enemy of my enemy. Classic tactical alliance.
"What do you need from us?"
The trap required careful coordination and significant risk. Eugene would serve as bait—his bee communication ability was entering emergence escalation phase, making him a perfect target. I would provide surveillance and intervention through shadow manipulation and Unnoticed Mode. Wednesday would handle direct confrontation. Enid would provide backup with alpha-enhanced combat capability.
Four-person tactical unit. Maximum capability deployment.
Crane provided one critical tool: a device that could detect the extraction equipment's energy signature within fifty meters. Insurance against surprises during the confrontation.
Technology versus technology. Fight fire with fire.
As we prepared, Eugene's confidence was performance masking terror, but I appreciated the attempt at leadership through example.
"If this goes wrong—" I started.
"It won't," Eugene cut me off. "Because we're not the scared kids from last year. We're the ones who stopped Crackstone. We've got this."
Character growth. Eugene becoming the leader he was meant to be.
My shadows coiled protectively around him, unconscious promise to never let him become victim again.
Found family. Chosen obligation.
Time to save my best friend. Again.
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