The city streets were packed. Sirens screamed everywhere. Soldiers' boots pounded against the asphalt, buses roared forward, and tanks held their ground. High-tech scanners swept through the tunnels, hunting for mutants.
Deep inside one of those dark tunnels, the team followed a mysterious man.
Khaled walked beside him cautiously.
Khaled: "Who are you?"
The man's voice was low.
Stranger: "Connor… and you?"
Khaled: "Khaled. Thanks for helping us."
Connor gave a faint smile.
Connor: "No problem… Glad to help people like me."
He turned, his gaze running across the group—then stopping on Ethan, who was slung over Boris's shoulder.
Connor: "Honestly, I thought you were alone."
Boris: "Wait, you two know each other?"
Ethan winced.
Ethan: "I don't know any of you!"
Connor's tone darkened.
Connor: "I saw him on the news earlier today."
Simon, smirking at Ethan:
Simon: "Congrats, buddy… You're famous now!"
Khaled ignored the joke and turned back to Connor.
Khaled: "Are you by yourself?"
Connor: "Yeah… and clearly, you're not from Spain."
Khaled: "We're a group from all over. We protect people like us. We're based somewhere safe—up in the Atlas Mountains."
Connor's lips twitched into a small smile.
Connor: "Nice. But how'd you even find him?"
Khaled: "We've got a plane. You can come with us—it's not safe here."
Connor: "I know… but I've learned to hide among the crowds."
Khaled: "Where do you live?"
Connor: "I've got a wooden cabin by the beach."
His tone shifted—harder now.
Connor: "The army's tracking us with those cursed machines. We need to move."
Hana suggested quietly:
Hana: "Why don't we call almy and have her send the plane now?"
Khaled: "If we turn on our comms, they'll detect the signal. We reach the beach first."
Simon: "Yeah, that's exactly how they found us last time!"
They hurried toward the tunnel's exit.
Connor: "The beach is close."
They burst out into the open air. Drones filled the night sky like a swarm.
They ducked into Connor's shack near the shore while Khaled sent a quick coded ping to almy.
Minutes later, the plane appeared over the sea.
Connor: "Tell her to land on the water. I've got a fishing boat—we'll take it out to her."
The plane lowered onto the waves. The team climbed aboard Connor's small boat and sped toward it.
As they boarded the plane—
Simon, wrapping a bandage around his arm, looked at Connor:
Simon: "You coming with us?"
Connor went silent. He glanced back toward the beach.
Connor: "No."
Khaled: "I get it… but they'll find your cabin any minute now."
Connor: "Yeah… I'll relocate."
Khaled: "You won't last long hiding here. Not after today."
After a long, tense silence, Connor finally stepped onto the plane—as if forcing himself to do it.
---
Inside the plane
In the cockpit, Khaled adjusted the controls. Hana checked navigation. The engines roared, lifting them off the sea and into the sky.
A call came through from almy.
almy: "How'd it go? Did you save the kid?"
Hana: "Two, actually."
almy: "What?! You found another mutant?"
Khaled: "Yeah. The second one helped us escape."
In the back, Simon sat clutching his injured arm. Ethan lay silent, fighting through the pain in his leg.
Boris sat beside Connor, trying to break the heavy silence.
Boris: "Don't worry… You'll like the place. It's like a village—trees, crops, good people."
Connor: "I barely know you guys… aside from your leader."
Boris chuckled.
Boris: "Oh right, introductions! We didn't even do that for Ethan."
He pointed around.
Boris: "I'm Boris—Italian. That's my buddy Simon, he's British. The girl in the cockpit's his sister, Hana."
Connor: "Nice to meet u … And Khaled? Definitely sounds Arabic."
Boris: "He's Algerian."
Connor: "Interesting. So… what are your powers? Didn't see much of a fight back there—aside from Ethan and his water tricks. That was wild."
Boris: "I can turn my skin into whatever I touch. Simon's faster than a blink. His sister's body stretches like rubber. And The captain He channels deadly radiation through his axe."
Connor, smirking:
Connor: "Then you'll be useful."
Silence fell again.
Boris: "You're upset about leaving your city, huh?"
Connor looked down, voice low.
Connor: "I was born there… lived my whole life there."
Simon cut in:
Simon: "What about the blast? It was close to you guys—especially along the coast."
Connor: "That day… the explosion was so close the whole city shook. A few days later, I took my boat out to fish like always. While diving, a shark bit me. But it wasn't normal—it released this black fluid so thick I couldn't even see my own blood."
Boris and Simon: "Whoa…"
Boris: "That explains your… amphibious side."
Connor: "Something like that."
Connor's eyes drifted to Ethan lying silent nearby.
Connor: "What about you? You're not Spanish."
Ethan: "California."
Boris: "No way—California?! My dream was to visit the U.S. someday!"
Simon: "Hold up—how'd you end up in Spain?!"
Ethan: "I was on a marine study trip off the Mediterranean coast, near Italy. When the explosion happened… we were right there."
Boris: "You saw it?! How bad was it?"
Ethan: "Huge. Black. Terrifying. I've never seen anything like it."
Simon: "Crazy that you survived."
Ethan: "Woke up in a hospital in Barcelona. They said they found me unconscious on the rocks."
Connor: "That explosion's still a mystery."
He looked at Boris and Simon.
Connor: "What about you two? How'd you end up like this?"
Boris: "Radiation exposure. I was working on my university lab project."
Simon: "Me and my sister got hit during a sports olympiad in Italy."
Connor: "Olympiad? What sport?"
Simon: "I was a runner. She was a gymnast."
Connor: "Figures. Fits your powers."
Connor: "And your captain?"
Boris: "He inhaled radioactive dust while working on his grandfather's farm."
Simon: "There are plenty more mutants back at our base."
---
The plane finally descended between the Atlas Mountains, landing on a small runway.
Ethan was unconscious, Simon still gritting through the pain.
Khaled: "almy, we've got two injuries. Tell Daisy we'll need her help."
Once they landed, the team disembarked.
Boris carried Ethan out. Hana helped her brother.
Outside, Stan was waiting. He spotted the wounded and rushed over.
Stan: "Welcome back… I saw Boris carrying that boy , and Simon's arm looked bad. Serious injuries?"
Khaled: "Gunfire during the clash with the army. Simon's hit in the shoulder, Ethan in the leg. They'll be fine."
Khaled introduced Connor.
Khaled: "Without him, we'd probably all be dead."
Stan extended his hand.
Stan: "I'm Stan. Thanks for saving my family."
Connor: "Connor. Good to meet you."
---
Khaled headed inside to check on the wounded.
Daisy was already tending to Simon and Ethan—her fear from earlier days now gone.
Daisy: "Hey, Khaled. How are you holding up?"
Khaled: "I'm fine. You? You seem more confident lately."
Daisy: laughs softly "Yeah… I'm getting used to this place. It was just a phase."
She examined Simon's shoulder.
Daisy :"hi simon .... So you get shot "
Simon With happy facial expressions
Simon :"ooooo u ?!!! .... Daisy !! I remembered u The doctor we saved in Holland ... How are you ? "
Daisy smiled :" hhhh .... I'm fine thnx "
Then she checked him.
Daisy: "Not too bad. Follow these instructions for two weeks—you'll be fine."
Then she moved to Ethan, still unconscious.
Daisy (told Khaled): "He's been through a lot. Weak body, but strong will. He'll recover."
She hooked him up to a few devices to stabilize his vitals.
Then almy entered the room.
Almy: "Hey… everyone alright?"
Khaled: "Yeah. Simon's shoulder, Ethan leg. They'll live."
As she stepped closer, almy suddenly froze—her eyes locked on Ethan's face.
A strange curiosity filled her expression.
Almy, softly:
"This is the boy…?"
"Choose: Connor or Ethan? Who do you trust more? 🔥"