Marcus endured his first day at Lincoln Standard with the patience of someone playing a role. Teachers spoke to the powerless students with barely concealed pity. Classmates formed social hierarchies based on who'd been rejected from which hero academies. Some clung to delusions that they'd be late bloomers. Others had already resigned themselves to mediocrity.
Sarah Chen found him at lunch, as promised. She sat across from him in the cafeteria, studying him with curious eyes while picking at her food.
"You know what's weird about you?" she said without preamble.
Marcus took a bite of his sandwich. "I'm sure you'll tell me."
"Most Nulls are either depressed or angry. But you're... nothing. Like you don't care at all." She leaned forward. "So which is it? Are you secretly devastated and hiding it, or are you actually fine?"
"Does it matter?"
"Humor me. First day of school, we're all processing our shattered dreams together. Might as well be honest."
Marcus considered her for a moment. Sarah was perceptive—more than he'd initially given her credit for. That made her either useful or dangerous. He decided to give her a truth, carefully edited.
"I always knew I might not awaken," Marcus said. "My parents are C-rank heroes. Weak genes. The statistics were against me from the start." He met her eyes. "I prepared for this outcome. Made peace with it years ago."
It was a lie, of course. But it was a believable lie.
Sarah nodded slowly. "Practical. Depressing, but practical." She pushed her tray aside. "I awakened thermal resistance. Sounds cool until you realize it means I can touch hot things without burning myself. That's it. Can't generate heat, can't manipulate temperature. Just... resistance. F-rank at best."
"Why not apply to Apex Academy anyway? F-rank is still ranked."
"My family can't afford it. Apex Academy is free for B-rank and above, but F-ranks and D-ranks pay tuition. Forty thousand dollars a year." She laughed bitterly. "My parents told me to 'be realistic' and just get a normal job. Guess we're both disappointments."
Marcus filed the information away. Sarah had resentment toward her parents, toward the system. That resentment could be useful if properly directed. But not yet. He needed to be patient.
"We should form a study group," Marcus said. "Focus on academics. If we can't be heroes, might as well be successful Nulls."
Sarah's expression brightened slightly. "Yeah? You actually care about grades?"
"Knowledge is the only power that doesn't require awakening."
"Damn. That's either really wise or really sad." She extended her hand. "Study partners?"
Marcus shook it. Her hand was warm—the thermal resistance, probably. "Study partners."
As they parted ways for afternoon classes, Marcus felt the microscopic monsters beneath his skin stirring restlessly. They were hungry again. His own energy could only sustain them for so long. He needed to feed them properly, needed to accelerate their growth.
Tonight. The Blackwater Processing Plant.
---
Marcus left home at 11:00 PM through his bedroom window. His parents were asleep—they'd eaten dinner in silence, his mother making occasional attempts at conversation that died in the awkward quiet. His father had retreated to his study immediately after, probably trying to figure out where he'd gone wrong in raising a Null.
*If only you knew,* Marcus thought, pulling his hood up. *Your "powerless" son is about to become the most dangerous thing in this city.*
He'd released Alpha-One earlier, using the chemical compound to shrink it for transport. The monster waited in his backpack, along with basic tools: flashlight, multi-tool, empty containers for specimen collection. He looked like any other teenager out past curfew, not someone about to rob a contaminated facility.
The Blackwater Processing Plant sat on the outskirts of Neo-Seattle, surrounded by chain-link fencing and hazard signs. It had been shut down two years ago after a chemical spill contaminated the surrounding area. The government had declared it too expensive to properly clean, so they'd simply sealed it and posted warnings.
No guards. No cameras. Just a rusty fence and bureaucratic neglect.
Marcus cut through the fence with wire cutters, slipping into the facility grounds. Moonlight cast long shadows across cracked concrete and overgrown weeds. The main building loomed ahead—a massive structure of corrugated metal and broken windows.
He released his microscopic monsters, sending them ahead to scout. Through their shared senses, he perceived the interior: collapsed corridors, flooded rooms, and beneath it all, the underground storage levels where the real prize waited.
No heat signatures. No movement. Completely abandoned.
*Perfect.*
Marcus entered through a side entrance, the door's lock corroded and useless. Inside, the air smelled of rust and chemicals. His monsters detected trace amounts of various compounds—some toxic to humans, but potentially useful for monster evolution.
He made his way to the stairwell leading underground. The steps were slick with moisture and unidentifiable substances. Marcus descended carefully, his flashlight cutting through the darkness.
The underground storage level was flooded with six inches of dark water. Rows of metal shelving stretched into the darkness, holding countless containers of industrial chemicals. Most were mundane—cleaning supplies, industrial solvents, nothing special. But Marcus's previous life memories guided him to the back corner, to a section marked "Experimental Development."
Here, the government and private contractors had stored failed experiments, compounds deemed too dangerous or unstable for production. In 2147, Toxic King would stumble upon this place and discover several mutagenic substances that would make him one of the city's most dangerous villains.
But Marcus knew exactly what to look for.
He found it behind a collapsed shelf: a secure locker, half-submerged in the contaminated water. The lock was electronic, long dead from the flooding. Marcus pried it open with his multi-tool.
Inside: twelve sealed containers, each labeled with alphanumeric codes. Marcus recognized them immediately:
**BW-47**: A cellular acceleration compound. Extreme carcinogenic in humans, but could speed up monster growth exponentially.
**BW-93**: A DNA destabilizer. Made living tissue malleable, easier to reshape and transform.
**BW-151**: Pure concentrated Essence, crystallized through an experimental process. Incredibly rare and valuable.
And most importantly:
**BW-ALPHA**: An experimental mutagen designed to give normal humans awakened abilities artificially. It had failed catastrophically in human trials, causing horrific mutations and death. But for monsters designed to be mutable...
Marcus carefully packed each container into his backpack. These compounds alone would advance his research by months, maybe years. With them, he could create monsters far beyond what should be possible at his current level.
A sound echoed through the facility—footsteps, multiple pairs, moving with purpose.
Marcus froze. His monsters immediately went on high alert, detecting three heat signatures entering the underground level. Human-shaped, but one was significantly hotter than the others.
*Someone else is here.*
He killed his flashlight and moved silently behind a shelf, releasing Alpha-One from his backpack. The monster expanded to full size, its grey chitinous form nearly invisible in the darkness.
Voices carried through the flooded room:
"—told you this place was picked clean years ago. We're wasting our time."
"Shut up and keep looking. The boss said there's still valuable compounds down here. We find them, we get paid."
"I don't like this. Place gives me the creeps."
Marcus listened carefully. Three people, searching for the same thing he'd just taken. The voice patterns suggested low-level criminals, probably hired by someone with knowledge of the facility's contents. In his previous timeline, had someone else discovered this place before Toxic King?
The hot signature spoke: "I'm sensing something. Chemical traces, fresh. Someone's been here recently."
*Thermal detection,* Marcus realized. *One of them has heat-sensing abilities.*
He needed to leave, but they were between him and the exit. And if they discovered the missing containers, they'd know someone had beaten them here. That would draw attention—investigations, possibly hero involvement.
Unacceptable.
Marcus made his decision quickly. He sent a mental command to his microscopic monsters, deploying them throughout the room. Alpha-One moved silently into position, waiting for his signal.
"There!" The thermal detector pointed directly at Marcus's hiding spot. "Someone's here. Body heat, about thirty feet ahead."
Flashlights swung toward him. Marcus stepped out calmly, hands visible, looking like a scared teenager caught somewhere he shouldn't be.
"Please don't hurt me," he said, injecting fear into his voice. "I was just exploring. I didn't take anything—"
"Bullshit," one of the men said, pulling a gun. He was tall, heavily scarred, with gang tattoos covering his arms. "You're carrying a backpack. Let's see what's in it."
The thermal detector moved closer—a woman in her thirties with glowing orange eyes, her awakened ability making her vision shift between normal and thermal spectrums. "Kid's alone. No backup. Heart rate's elevated—he's terrified."
The third member of their group hung back, nervous. Young, maybe early twenties, holding a crowbar but looking like he'd never used it in a fight.
"Give us the backpack," the leader demanded. "Nice and slow."
Marcus complied, dropping it at their feet. The leader opened it, pulling out the chemical containers. His eyes widened.
"Holy shit. These are exactly what we're looking for." He grinned at Marcus. "Looks like you just made our job easier, kid. Now we just have to decide what to do with you."
"Let him go," the nervous one said. "He's just a kid—"
"He's a witness," the leader interrupted. "Can't have him running to the heroes."
The thermal detector studied Marcus with those glowing eyes. "Something's wrong. His heart rate just dropped. He's not scared anymore."
Marcus smiled.
"Very perceptive," he said, his voice losing all pretense of fear. "You're right. I'm not scared. Do you know why?"
His microscopic monsters erupted from the darkness.
They'd been multiplying while Marcus stalled for time, feeding on the chemical residue in the water and air. What had been seventeen was now forty-three, each one growing to the size of large rats. They swarmed over the nervous man first, dragging him down into the contaminated water. His screams echoed through the facility.
"What the fuck—" The leader fired his gun, but the bullets passed through the swarm uselessly. "They're everywhere!"
Alpha-One emerged from the shadows behind him, moving with terrible speed. Its enhanced strength allowed it to rip the gun from the leader's hand and snap his arm in one motion. The man's scream cut off as Alpha-One's jaws closed around his throat.
The thermal detector tried to run, but Marcus was faster. He'd positioned himself between her and the exit, and his swarm cut off all other escape routes.
"Please," she gasped, backing against a shelf. "Please, I have a daughter—"
"That's unfortunate," Marcus said coldly. "For her, I mean. Growing up without a mother."
The monsters descended.
It was over in less than a minute. Three bodies, three sets of abilities to harvest. Marcus felt no remorse, no hesitation. These people had chosen to be criminals, had chosen to threaten him. They were resources, nothing more.
He commanded his monsters to consume them completely. As they fed, he felt the power flowing back to him through their connection. The leader had minor regeneration—his gang tattoos were actually living tissue that could repair damage. The nervous one had enhanced reflexes. And the thermal detector...
*Thermal vision,* Marcus absorbed the knowledge. *Mid-tier sensory ability. Useful for surveillance.*
Ten of his monsters began glowing with faint orange light, their eyes adapting to see heat signatures. Perfect.
Marcus recovered his backpack and checked the containers. All intact. He looked at the three spaces on the floor where bodies had been, now completely clean. His monsters had consumed everything—flesh, bone, blood, even clothing. No evidence remained.
"Alpha-One, return to compressed form." The large monster shrank obediently. Marcus sealed it in his backpack along with the chemical containers.
As he climbed back to the surface, Marcus reviewed his gains. Forty-three micro-monsters now, with new abilities integrated. One elite-tier monster. Twelve experimental compounds worth millions on the black market. And zero witnesses to what had happened here.
He emerged into the night air, cutting back through the fence. In the distance, Neo-Seattle glittered with lights—a city of heroes and villains, of power and politics, completely unaware that their greatest threat had just taken his first real step toward power.
---
Back in his room, Marcus laid out the containers on his desk. Alpha-One stood guard in the corner while his micro-monsters returned to dormancy within his body.
The chemical compounds would need to be tested carefully. BW-ALPHA was particularly dangerous—even for monsters. But the potential was enormous. If he could adapt it properly, he could create monsters that mimicked awakened abilities without needing to consume awakened humans first.
His phone buzzed. A news alert:
**THREE MISSING AFTER SUSPECTED VISIT TO CONDEMNED FACILITY - POLICE INVESTIGATING**
The families of the criminals had reported them missing after they failed to return from their "job." Police were investigating several abandoned buildings, including Blackwater. But they'd find nothing. No bodies, no blood, no evidence.
Marcus deleted the notification and opened his laptop. He pulled up his timeline of events, cross-referencing what should have happened at Blackwater with what actually occurred.
*In the original timeline, no one discovered the compounds until 2147,* Marcus noted. *But these three knew about them now, in 2145. Someone hired them. Someone with knowledge they shouldn't have.*
Was his presence changing things? Or had this always happened, hidden in the background of events he'd never known about in his previous life?
*It doesn't matter,* Marcus decided. *If the timeline changes, I'll adapt. I have resources and knowledge they don't. I'll stay ahead.*
He began planning his next moves:
**Immediate priorities:**
1. Test the compounds on his monsters
2. Establish a better laboratory
3. Continue gathering resources from his list
4. Maintain cover as powerless student
**Long-term goals:**
1. Create monsters capable of independent operation
2. Infiltrate criminal organizations for more test subjects
3. Acquire rare materials for higher-tier creations
4. Prepare for major events from his timeline knowledge
A knock on his door interrupted his planning.
"Marcus?" His father's voice, unusual this late. "Can I come in?"
Marcus quickly hid the containers in his closet and minimized his laptop screen. "Yeah."
David Vail entered, looking uncomfortable. He was still in his hero costume—a simple red and blue uniform that had seen better days. His hair was grey at the temples now, his face lined with stress. A C-rank hero approaching retirement, with nothing to show for twenty years of service but a modest house and a disappointing son.
"I wanted to talk," David said, sitting on Marcus's bed. "About the awakening. About... everything."
"I'm fine, Dad."
"You're not fine. How could you be?" David rubbed his face. "Look, I know your mother and I haven't handled this well. We were so focused on hoping you'd awaken that we didn't prepare you—or ourselves—for the alternative."
Marcus waited, saying nothing.
"But I want you to know something." David met his eyes. "Being powerless doesn't make you worthless. My father was a Null. He was a mechanic, a good one. Lived a full life, raised a family, died happy. There's no shame in being normal."
*Normal,* Marcus thought. *He thinks I'll settle for being normal.*
"I know, Dad," Marcus said aloud. "I'll be okay."
"I'm serious, son. You're smart. Smarter than me, probably. You can do anything you set your mind to. You don't need powers to be successful."
"I understand."
David seemed relieved by Marcus's calm acceptance. "Good. That's good." He stood up. "Your mother and I are proud of you. We want you to know that."
After his father left, Marcus stared at the closed door for a long moment. His parents were good people, in their way. Limited in vision, weak in ambition, but not cruel. In another life, he might have appreciated their concern.
But that life had ended with a bullet in a laboratory, surrounded by his failures.
Marcus pulled out the BW-ALPHA container and held it up to the light. The mutagen swirled inside, dark green and viscous. Highly unstable. Lethal to humans.
Perfect for monsters.
He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a syringe. He'd test it tomorrow night on his weakest micro-monsters. If they survived the injection and evolved as he predicted, he'd be able to create monsters with awakened-level abilities from scratch.
And if they died, well. He had forty-three of them now. Losing a few to experimentation was acceptable.
Marcus smiled at his reflection in his darkened window. Beyond the glass, Neo-Seattle slept peacefully, its heroes resting after another day of protecting the innocent.
None of them knew that in a bedroom in a modest suburban house, a powerless teenager was engineering their extinction.
"Sleep well, heroes," Marcus whispered. "You've got about six months before you realize what's coming."
He turned back to his desk and began planning his next raid.
---