*Alan's POV*
I know I said I wouldn't go,but here I am, dressed in a blue tux, about to pick up my date, my life could be complicated at times.
"I don't have a good feeling about this,"
I muttered to myself, barely audible.
I sat in my car outside Piper's house, fingers tapping the steering wheel, one leg bouncing uncontrollably. Something inside me screamed not to go. Was it fear of Piper? Or maybe Danny about what he might do when he sees me at his party,or was there something deeper that I just couldn't place my hand at.
Lost in my thoughts, I flinched when a soft knock hit my window. I turned to see Piper's beautiful face smiling at me.
She wore a long red gown, a white fur cloak draped over her arm, and deep red lips to match. She was what we'd simply call:
"Gorgeous."
Her dress went well with her pale skin and the way she curled her hair suited her oval little faceI was staring until she snapped her fingers in front of my face.
"Come on, lover boy," she teased. "Let's not be late for the party. And by the way blue is your color."
She slid into the passenger seat gracefully. I glanced over, still speechless. She just stared back at me, that look on her face almost saying, "Got anything to say?"
"Yeah, you're right. Let's not be late."
I should probably not compliment her now and That face she made was my cue to shut up and drive. She nodded at me as I pulled away from the curb.
*Meanwhile, at the MutantUnderground…*
"Walter!"
The room fell silent.
The voice wasn't loud, but it held weight,enough to freeze Walter mid-sentence. His jaw clenched, eyes dropping briefly to the floor before lifting again.
Because the voice hadn't come from Tonner.
It came from behind him.
From someone he hadn't seen enter.
Someone with more authority than he had but what shocked him the most was what the person in question was doing which lead him to glance over at Tonner who just shrugged when he noticed the stare
Mr. Jeffery Lockwood.
One of the original founders of the New Zealand Zone.
Walter turned stiffly, head bowed, hands clasped behind his back, lips pressed tight.
"This is not the time for you to turn down any available resources," Jeffery said coldly.
Resources". That's what he called them.
Didn't he realize the person in question was just 17? Still a minor?
"I heard his ability is Voltrik Pulse. That could come in handy," Jeffery continued. "Your priority should be locating the target."
Walter gave a short nod, then turned to Tonner who was standing at the side.
"Get the kids. We move to phase two."
"Okay, sir," Tonner said, quickly exiting.
Jeffery stepped closer, placing a hand on Walter's shoulder with forced warmth as if they'd been long-time friends.
"I feel your pain," he said. "I don't enjoy sending them out there either."
"What does he know ? These kids were just like chess to him" Walter's hands tensed behind his back. He knew better than to voice his opinion to someone who has more authority . Jeffery felt nothing for those kids. This wasn't empathy, it was strategy. And coming from a man who wasn't even a mutant, the words rang hollow.
"You're right, sir," Walter said, forcing a crooked smile. "We should use every available resource."
He gently shrugged off Jeffery's hand and walked over to a seat, lowering himself with the casual air of someone pretending to be comfortable. Jeffery joined him moments later as the both sat down in awkward silence waiting for Tonner to get back.
A few moments passed.
The door to the restricted room slammed open. Twelve feet marched in with calm confidence. Behind them, Tonner trailed, already trying to distance himself from the group.
"Make yourselves comfortable," a smooth, unfamiliar voice said.
The mutants turned toward the speaker.
It wasn't Mr. Walter.Instead, a stranger with a cheeky smile met their eyes, motioning toward the seats.
Some furrowed their brows in confusion.
Others didn't bother acknowledging him at all.Once everyone was seated, Mr. Walter gave a subtle nod to Mr. Tonner.
Tonner stood and walked toward the projector screen. Holding the remote, he faced the students, then clicked a button. A face appeared on the screen.
"This person here is your mission," he said firmly.
He paused to scan the room, expecting questions but everyone's eyes remained locked on the screen. Tonner cleared his throat awkwardly and turned back.
"Through the psychic ability of Paige Harry, we were able to extract the name of this individual. The person you're looking at... is your target."
He hesitated slightly.
"Your mission is to bring him back here preferably alive."
A voice cut through the silence.
"Mr. Tonner, does that mean we have to bring him back unharmed? And why him?"
Tonner turned toward the speaker, Aeron.
"The reason we need him is classified," Tonner replied. "But if he turns out to be dangerous... you have permission to subdue him."
Knowing how inconsistent their intel team had been lately, Mr. Walter expected the mutants to doubt them maybe even question the mission. But truth be told, they didn't.
"If this target might be dangerous, then why send us?"
Jax leaned forward, eyes locked on Walter.
"Why not deploy the Elite Unit?"
Walter nodded, expecting the question.
"That would've been ideal, but the elite group is already out on assignment. Secondly, this mission is a test. We want to see how you handle yourselves in the field. Your performance will be evaluated and points will be awarded accordingly."
Another voice broke in sharp and cold.
"If that's true, then why is he here?"
All eyes turned to Violet, who pointed a finger directly at Aeron, who was lounging silently, cheek resting on his palm with a nonchalant look. Her voice dripped with contempt.
"Why is there a Level 1 Rank A on this team?"
Her sneer deepened.
"Isn't this trash going to drag us down ?"
A tense silence fell over the room.
Mr. Walter's glare shot across the table, sharp enough to make Violet flinch.
"Even if he is 'trash' to you," he said coldly, "there's a 90% chance his ability will be crucial to the mission."
The voice that followed was calm but commanding and it belong to non others than…
Jeffery.
Hearing this Violet's deepens but she didn't trash talk again. Jeffery hadn't spoken again since the team arrived, but now his words cut through the air.
"Now, if there are no further complaints"
He slid a folded paper across the table that Jax grabbed it.
"That's your target's location. Before departure, head to the Communication Room. You'll be given comms to stay in contact with HQ and clothes to blend in with the crowd ."
He stood up, eyes narrowing as he looked at each of them and when he saw no one attempting to ask any more questions he left the room but not without adding
"One final warning. Failure on this mission… may mean your death. The surface isn't safe. Mutants are hunted, watched, and betrayed. No non-mutant is your friend."
He paused as Silence enveloped the room with no one making a sound after hearing his last words some faces dropped.
"You're dismissed."
They gulped hard as fear registered on some of their faces, while others remained stoic. The only one who showed almost no emotion was Jax it was as if he were immune to it all.
"Let's go. We have no time to waste."
Jax stood up, naturally slipping into the leader role. It was obvious he was the highest-ranking among them and the only one entrusted with most of the advanced gear.
They all rose and began filing out, but just before they reached the door, Mr. Walter spoke, his voice low but full of weight.
"Be careful out there. Your safety comes first... remember that."
They nodded and smiled faintly, then walked out. Walter exhaled deeply, slumping back into his chair as he wiped his face with both hands, worry carved into every line.
*Danny's Party – Nightfall*
In a dimly lit room flooded with red and blue disco lights, Alan sat at the bar, drink in hand. His eyes wandered across the party crowd, watching the chaos unfold. Music thumped. People danced. But Alan… felt out of place. The moment they arrived, Piper had dashed off to her friends, leaving him alone.
"You still don't feel like joining the party?"
The bartender asked with a cheeky grin, wiping down a glass.
"Not at all," Alan replied. "If I join, I'll probably kill the vibe. So I'm better off here."
The bartender laughed surprised that someone his age didn't want to be any part of but yet was there ' he was probably forced into coming'. "You're one funny guy."
"Get me a shot of your hardest drinks."
The voice came from beside him. The bartender turned, surprised, and Alan looked up too.
A girl dressed in sleek black , hair tired in a ponytail .She wasn't striking in the traditional sense, but there was something quietly captivating about her. Her ginger hair framed her face in soft waves, catching the light with a warm, coppery glow. Freckles dusted her pale cheeks, and her eyes held a quiet sharpness observant, thoughtful. She carried herself with a quiet confidence that made you want to look twice and as she slid onto the stool next to Alan She flashed a confident smile that lit up her face at Alan who couldn't stop staring at her
"Hello," she said, looking straight at him. "Nice to meet you. I'm Paige Storm from the Department of Theatre Arts. And you?"
Alan looked at the hand she offered. A little cautious, he shook it.
"Alan. Engineering department."
She beamed. "Engineering," she repeated, almost to herself. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sipped from her drink.
"You're living your best life, huh?" she teased, eyes sparkling.
Alan gave a small, awkward smile. Her presence was sudden, but something about her made him lower his guard slightly.
"How come I haven't seen you before on campus?"
He sipped his drink, eyes still on her.
"You probably don't know me," she replied with a knowing smile. "But I know you. I mean… with a face like yours, you're hard to miss."
Alan flushed slightly, embarrassed but flattered.
"Well, you don't…"
Just as Alan was about to respond, his phone lit up. He glanced down, expecting maybe a text from Piper but froze when he saw the sender.
It was from the last person he expected.
Danny.
> Meet me at the toilet. Now.
Alan's face twisted into a frown. He didn't bother checking for a follow-up message he simply cleared the screen and put the phone down.
"What's wrong?" Paige asked quickly, standing from her stool and moving closer. Her sudden concern was sharp, almost too sharp.
"Are you feeling any strange sensations in your body? Any surges of energy?"
Alan's brows furrowed in confusion. That was an odd question too specific.
"No… definitely not," he replied cautiously. "I just got an annoying message."
"Oh…"
Paige stepped back, her face falling slightly. Her gaze dropped to the floor and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"I must've come off really suspicious," she mumbled, then forced a small, awkward smile. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
"No, it's fine," Alan said quickly, trying to put her at ease.
But just as he was about to say more, another message flashed on his screen. This time, it was from "Piper".
> It's like I don't mean anything to you. If you don't show up here…
Alan scowled, "what was Danny doing with Piper's phone " He stood abruptly, not even looking at Paige.
"Excuse me," was all he said before walking away.
Paige watched him go, her expression unreadable until a voice buzzed softly in her ear.
"Are you there?"
"Yeah. Paige, listening."
She stood, adjusted her dress, and moved.
"Target is on the move."
"Copy that. I'm following him now."
Meanwhile, not far from the bar, a figure cloaked in black who had been hidden between two columns stepped forward, eyes narrowing as Alan walked out of sight.
"Caught you,"
Abilities break down
1. Jax Renner -
*Ability:* *Cryo Veil*
*Rank:* 5 | *Level:* A
- Can generate and manipulate intense cold and ice.
- Creates misty cryo fields to reduce visibility and slow enemy movement.
- Can encase targets in ice or use freezing projectiles in combat.
2. *Paige Storm*
*Ability:* *Portal Manipulation*
*Rank:* 3 | *Level:* A
- Opens short-range and mid-range portals for movement or attack redirection.
- Can create dimensional gaps to transport teammates or trap enemies.
- Requires focus and spatial awareness ,too many portals cause strain.
3. *Violet Ashryn*
*Ability:* *Shadecloak*
*Rank:* 4 | *Level:* A
- Controls shadows to cloak herself or others, becoming nearly invisible.
- Can solidify shadows into weapons or restraining tendrils.
- Works best in low light; overuse can weaken physical form.
4. *Mathew King (MK)*
*Ability:* *Super Speed*
*Rank:* 4 | *Level:* B
- Moves at high velocities, making him ideal for recon and rapid attacks.
- Can phase slightly through objects if momentum is high enough.
- Speed bursts are energy-draining; requires cooldowns after long sprints.
5. *Aeron Steele*
*Ability:* *Voltrik Pulse*
*Rank:* 1 | *Level:* A
- Manipulates electrical currents through his body or surroundings.
- Can short-circuit tech, disable power sources, or release electric pulses.
- Inexperienced, but his raw potential makes him valuable in tech-heavy areas.