I get back to Ray's office and slump against the wall. I pull off my helmet and let out a long breath. I sit still for a moment but then start giggling uncontrollably.
"That was incredible," I laugh out loud.
All by myself. I neutralized the outbreak singlehandedly. The adrenaline dump from the mission was unlike any other. No manmade drug could ever recreate that. And then afterwards… people were cheering for me! Me, of all people! I laugh louder. I was a real hero! Suddenly, a wave of fatigue hits me. I was also REALLY tired. I super-charged 3 times during that fight. It seems that three times is be my max… I let my eyelids close, and I fall asleep.
"Hello Evan."
My eyes flash open and I scramble to my feet. I'm in a pitch-dark room. There is a single bulb above my head, casting a circle of light around me, but I cannot outside the ring of light.
"Who's there?" I say, putting my hands up.
Footsteps approach behind me and I whip around to face them. Archie slowly enters the light.
"You…" I say, my voice dripping with hatred.
"Is that any way to greet your bestie?" Archie says, spreading his arms as if asking for a hug.
"We're not friends. You drugged me!"
"Yeah, my bad about that. It was all in good fun."
"Good fun??" I yell, charging him and throwing a wide right-hook at his head.
My punch never connects though. My hand passes right through his head, as if I just tried to strike a cloud. I gasp and take three impulsive steps back.
"That wasn't very nice," Archie says in a whiny tone.
"What the hell…" My swing had distorted Archie's face.
"You're a monster, you know," Archie says. "No better than those mutants you fight."
"What are you talking about?"
"Little boy blue over here thinks he can run around and play hero. Stopping beings of his own kind to stroke his fragile ego."
"Shut up…" I say, throwing an uppercut. My strike distorts his head further, there is no head to speak of now. Just an Archie-colored cloud.
"You all come from the same place you know."
There is a low rumbling coming from all directions now. A rumbling that is rapidly getting more intense and unbearable. I cover my ears; it feels like my head is going to explode.
I wake up with a start, in the same spot I had fallen asleep in. The rumbling is still there though. It's footsteps rushing past the door. I wipe the saliva off of my chin and scramble behind the Medical Pod.
The footsteps pass the lab. After a couple moments the door opens. I hold my breath.
"It's just me. Come on." That was Rachel's voice.
I peek out from behind the pod. Rachel closes the door behind her.
"That was some awesome work today!" she says, skipping around the room. "You stopped the hoard with maximum speed and efficiency. AND you didn't die."
I chuckle. "Yeah. Your pointers helped a ton."
"Well of course," Ray says, tucking her hair behind an ear. Then she gets serious. "We have to talk."
I swallow. "About…"
"The mutants."
I exhale. "What's up?"
"The ones that you fought today. Did you notice anything different?"
I try to think back, but I wasn't really paying attention during the mission. I shake my head.
Ray walks over to her holo-display. She brings up some pictures of the mutants.
"Here are some pictures of the ones that we've encountered previously," she says.
These mutants are similar to the ones that I had faced at the hospital and at school. They looked human for the most part, retaining most of their unique facial features. Some had experienced slight increases in height. They all had pale skin with the prominent blue and purple veins.
I nod. "Like the ones from the school."
"Right." Rachel pulls up some pictures of today's mutants. "Now take a look at these."
I gasp. How had I not noticed the differences right away? These mutants were way stockier, all possessing heavier builds than previous ones. Then the faces… The faces are far more mutated than any mutant we've encountered. The faces are wide, with small, beady purple eyes. There was no nose to speak of, instead there are two slits in the creature's face. The mouths are lipless, most with few-to-no teeth.
"That's horrible…" I say, breathlessly. "They're like… like trolls."
Ray smacks her fist into her palm. "That's a really good way to put it."
"Why are they so different?"
Rachel shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine. All we know is that we've only seen this variation of mutant in the Wealth District. And nobody else wants to make this connection, but I think these new mutants have something to do with the mafia that's taken up residence there."
I nod. "That would make the most sense."
Rachel starts typing on the display once more. "I've been doing research. And by research, I mean playing in the police files, and I've come up with useful information on the Northwest drug mafia. They call themselves the Allure. They're the third largest drug ring in Fulton. Three possible suspects for leader of the Allure are Martin Heath, Zenelle Bodaire, and Lucius Ark. All are multimillionaires who reside in this district and have been caught with the possession of Rush pills and powder. Needless to say, each one paid off the police and no action was taken."
I nod. "Who do you think caused the outbreak?"
"Not sure yet. I don't think it's Heath though, because he is currently being tried for embezzlement of money from his father's business. Which means his fortune didn't come from dealing."
"Right. So, the other two suspects are Bodaire and Ark."
"Right. So, we need more evidence on both," Rachel says. "And I have a plan."
"Sounds good," I say, getting excited.
"Okay. So, first-" Ray was cut off by a loud beeping from her display.
"What's that?" I ask.
Rachel turns to the display. "News bulletin…" Rachel interacts with the display, sliding and pressing the holographic panels. After a moment she gasps.
"Oh my gosh… Evan…"
"What? What is it?" I say, beginning to panic.
She taps on a panel, and it expands. It's a video. A video of me?
"Evan, you're trending!"
The headline was "Blue Superhero In Fulton?" Rachel hits play on the video. Someone had videoed me racing down the street and jumping over the stopped cars. Ray scrolls. There is video after video. Some were my fight with the mutants. Others are me racing down the street.
"That's crazy…" I say, enraptured by my newfound fame.
"I know," Ray replies, matching my tone. "And look, they even gave you a lil nickname."
There were a few videos titled "The Blue Blur." There were social media posts calling me a bunch of names. Blue, Running Man, Blurr, Blur Boy, Speedy… the list goes on!
"The Blue Blur, huh?" I say. "I kinda like it…"
"Right? Blurr has such a nice ring to it!"
I pick my helmet up off a nearby table. I look at my reflection in the visor. Blurr. I even have my own hero name now.
"Alright," I say. "What's our next move?"