CHAPTER 9 — "The Serum Glitch"
Jaden woke up early on Saturday morning, feeling rested and clear-headed. He stretched, rolled his shoulders, and reached for the water bottle beside his bed. His fingers brushed it, but he misjudged the distance by a small margin. The bottle flipped off the dresser and clattered onto the floor.
It was a simple mistake, but not a normal one for him.
He paused and analyzed it. His serum level was only at fourteen point three percent. It gave him strength, coordination, and processing power beyond the average athlete, but nothing close to the unbelievable. Yet something about his reaction speed felt slightly imbalanced, like his mind and body were not in complete synchronization.
Jaden exhaled slowly and spoke to himself.
"Alright. I need to check this."
He was not afraid. He was alert, controlled, and calculating.
An Odd Pattern at Practice
Practice later that morning confirmed his suspicion. Coach Daniels had the team running simple timing routes. Jaden dropped back, planted his foot, and delivered a short out route.
The throw came off his hand with flawless mechanics, almost too precise. Malik barely had time to turn before the ball reached him.
He laughed, raising his eyebrows."Bro, you threw that before I even finished the cut."
Jaden nodded thoughtfully."My reaction time feels slightly ahead of my body. Not a big deal. Just needs tuning."
There was no panic. No confusion. Only analysis.
System Diagnostics
That night, he sat at his desk and opened the serum interface. A soft blue projection appeared before him.
SUPER SOLDIER SYSTEMVersion one point fourteenPartial enhancement detectedMotor timing irregularities presentRecommended action: Calibration
Jaden studied the report like a scholar reviewing complex equations."So the cognitive upgrade is advancing faster than the muscle adaptation. That explains it."
He leaned back in his chair.
"It is not dangerous. It is just mismatched."
He tapped the confirm option.
Private Field Session
He went to the quiet field behind the school, tossed his bag aside, and began testing the limits of the imbalance. He threw deep balls, short darts, cross-field outs, and rollout passes.
Some throws came out faster than expected.Some came out slightly delayed.Some were perfect.
Everything was within a human range, but Jaden could feel the inconsistencies. He did not get frustrated. He observed, adjusted, and trusted the process.
"This is what progress looks like. Not everything upgrades evenly."
He set his stance again.
Calibration
The interface flickered once more.
Manual calibration availableTime required: forty minutesExpected result: restored balance
Jaden nodded calmly."Run it."
The calibration began. His muscles warmed, relaxed, then tightened slightly. His senses sharpened and settled. It felt like stretching after a long workout. Nothing supernatural. No glowing. No transformation.
When the process ended, the system displayed a clear message.
Calibration completeSerum synchronization improvedAccuracy and timing stabilized
Jaden rolled his shoulders again and smiled.
"Good. Now we move forward."
An Unexpected Conversation
As he gathered his equipment, he sensed someone approaching. He turned to see a man in a jacket with the Alabama Crimson Tide emblem. The man stepped forward with a confident walk and professional posture.
"I did not mean to interrupt," he said with a polite smile. "I watched the last ten minutes of your session. Very controlled work for a young quarterback."
Jaden kept his expression neutral."Thank you, sir. Just sharpening the details."
The recruiter studied him carefully."You process information at a remarkable speed. Footwork, mechanics, release timing. Everything looks intentional. You do not rely on raw talent alone."
"That is the goal," Jaden replied. "Always refine the craft."
The recruiter nodded slowly."Good. Quarterbacks like you do not stay off the national radar for long."
He extended his hand."Name is Coach Mitchell. I am here because Alabama is interested."
Jaden shook his hand calmly, meeting his eyes with confidence."Then let's talk."
There was no fear.No panic.Only purpose.
Jaden was not losing control. He was evolving at the correct pace.
And he intended to master every step of it.