The containment chamber was filled with a quiet tension, the air thick with anticipation.
Grace sat at the center of the testing room, her posture more composed and confident than before. She was learning. Adapting. Becoming stronger rapidly.
Damian stood behind the control panel, his eyes locked onto her every movement.
This was her fourth test, and if the previous days had shown anything, it was that she was progressing at an alarming rate.
Which was exactly what he wanted.
The twelve small metal spheres hovered in the air before her, spinning and shifting positions like an intricate mechanical clockwork.
Unlike her earlier attempts where the spheres had moved in unison, now, each one followed a unique path. Some looped gracefully, others zigzagged unpredictably, but not a single motion was uncontrolled.
Beth raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's new."
Anabella nodded in agreement. "Her control is improving faster than expected."
But Damian wasn't watching the spheres.
He was watching Grace.
Her breathing remained calm, steady. There was no strain on her face, no signs of mental exhaustion.
And then, something unexpected happened.
A researcher across the room suddenly jerked forward, his arms moving unnaturally stiff like a puppet on invisible strings.
His clipboard clattered to the ground, and his body took two steps forward before collapsing to one knee.
Beth and Anabella took a step back in alarm.
"What was that?" Beth asked.
Grace let out a sharp breath, her expression dazed as if she had lost her balance.
"I-I don't know," she admitted, her voice shaky. "I just… I felt something. I wanted him to move, and then—"
Damian turned to the restrained researcher, watching as the man shook his head in confusion, his body no longer under external influence.
"Fascinating," Damian murmured.
Anabella frowned. "You think she just controlled him?"
Beth scoffed. "More like a fluke."
"No," Damian said, his tone calculated, intrigued. "That was deliberate."
He turned back to Grace. "You didn't just push him but rather you sent a command into his mind. You didn't move his body. You transmitted an order, and his brain carried it out."
Grace's eyes widened slightly, the realization sinking in.
"…So, I really can control people?" she whispered.
"For now? Only for a few seconds," Damian answered. "But with time? That limit will reduce or even disappear."
Grace fell silent, but Damian could tell—she was considering the implications.
This was exactly what he wanted. The more she grew the more he wanted to devour her.
Instead of Kessler watching from his usual spot, another First Sons officer was monitoring the test remotely.
Kessler hadn't even stepped foot in the lab today.
Damian already had an idea why.
Based on what he remembered of the timeline, Cole MacGrath should currently be dealing with Alden Tate, Moya, and John White in the Warren.
Trish would know for sure, but if Damian was right, then Kessler was busy elsewhere, meaning he had a rare window of freedom.
And he intended to use it.
Later that evening, Damian walked into another containment lab, where the four new test subjects were being examined.
Each had been injected with varying doses of RFE the day before.
Now, they were being put through stress tests where they were forced into near-death situations to try and trigger a fight-or-flight response like Grace's awakening.
Name: Elliot Mercer (The Boy)
Alias: N/A
Alignment: Neutral
Power Level: 🌍 🌍 (2/5)
Danger Level: ☠️☠️☠️ (3/5)
Power Status: 10% of Abilities Unlocked
Health: 98% (Stable)
Faction: Unaffiliated
Abilities:
Gravity Bending: Able to increase or decrease gravitational force in a localized area, affecting objects or terrain. Requires focus to maintain control over affected targets.Current rate 2x or .5x
Damian's thoughts when he saw the boy's stats. "Interesting, but impractical. Gravity control isn't useful unless refined, and he's too young and his awakening too low to be a proper asset."
Name: Rachel Vaughn (Young Woman)
Alias: N/A
Alignment: Neutral
Power Level: 🎲 (1/5)
Danger Level: ☠️☠️☠️ (3/5)
Power Status: 20% of Abilities Unlocked
Health: 96% (Stable)
Faction: Unaffiliated
Abilities:
Probability Shifting: Can subtly alter probabilities to increase favorable outcomes or worsen odds for opponents. Can't guarantee absolute success, only improve odds.
Luck Manipulation: Passively reduces the likelihood of personal harm (e.g., bullets missing, attacks slipping, mechanical failures in enemy weapons).
Next Damian looked at the young woman of the group. "This one is incredibly valuable. A Conduit who can manipulate luck would be useful in combat, strategy, and deception. We need to take her with us no matter what."
Name: Marissa Tate (Middle-Aged Woman)
Alias: N/A
Alignment: Neutral
Power Level: 🔊🔊 (Sound Manipulation: 2/5)
Danger Level: ☠️☠️ (2/5)
Power Status: 35% of Abilities Unlocked
Health: 97% (Stable)
Faction: Unaffiliated
Abilities:
Sonic Resonance: Can generate and amplify sound waves, affecting objects or disorienting people. Requires time and concentration to build up strong sound-based attacks but at a high enough pitch can kill.
Soundwave Manipulation: Can focus sonic vibrations to cause minor structural damage or disrupt technology.
Looking at the other woman Damian thought. "Useless. I already have access to sonar-based abilities through my absorbed bat DNA. No need for redundancy, but she might grow into something more interesting later."
Name: Jason Holt (Middle-Aged Man)
Alias: N/A
Alignment: Neutral
Power Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (4/5)
Danger Level: ☠️☠️☠️☠️ (4/5)
Power Status: 60% of Abilities Unlocked
Health: 95% (Stable)
Faction: Unaffiliated
Abilities:
Kinetic Absorption: Can absorb kinetic energy from impacts (bullets, punches, explosions) and store it as power. Needs to be used consciously so blind spots and surprise attacks bypass the defense.
Kinetic Redirection: Can release stored energy in powerful counterattacks (e.g., explosive punches, shockwaves).
Kinetic Cellular Regeneration: Can release stored energy to stimulate cells in the body to rapidly heal.
The last man was the one to get the strongest dose of RFE. "Second most useful ability in the group. Good power potential, but easily countered if the enemy is smart. Probability Shifter is still the top priority."
If Damian couldn't take them all, he would prioritize the Probability Shifter.
Trish's Conduit group needed people and she could use someone with her ability.
But first, he would need to observe them further.
While Damian was analyzing the new Conduits, Sasha was finishing her final security modifications.
The primary escape route was fully mapped out.
A secondary escape route was almost ready.
All security camera shifts were now in place, making an undetectable path out of the facility.
As Damian and Sasha passed each other in the hallway, their shoulders brushed, allowing a brief exchange of memories.
In that instant, Sasha learned that Damian wanted to extract at least one or two of the new conduits. The guards might hesitate to shoot at escaping experiments so as to not waste the effort poured into these people. If they were careful, Grace and the Probability Shifter could both escape with them. The rest if it was possible then he'd taken them and if not then that was that.
Sasha gave no reaction, simply continuing on her path.
But now, the heist had a new layer to it.
That night, Damian sat in his private lab, reviewing the security feeds.