The Steelwolf peeled itself from the wall, snarling at its new threat.
Alicia made a sharp gesture with her hand.
Three pieces of rebar shot forward like spears, moving faster than arrows. They struck the Steelwolf's legs and shoulder, punching through its metallic hide and pinning it to the concrete.
The beast thrashed, trying to pull free, but the metal held firm.
Just then, another Steelwolf emerged from the side, its yellow eyes locking onto Henry. With a guttural snarl, the beast's muscles coiled, and it lunged forward, its jaws snapping wildly for his throat.
Henry's eyes widened as he saw the beast approaching. "Alicia!" he cried out.
Alicia gasped, her hand thrusting outward in a desperate panic. A jagged metal street sign tore itself free from a nearby pole. It shot forward faster than an arrow, burying itself deep into the Steelwolf's throat with a sickening crunch.
The beast hit the concrete with a heavy thud. It thrashed wildly for a few agonizing seconds, choking, before it went entirely limp. Dead.
Alicia slowly lowered her hand, the remaining floating debris clattering to the ground. She stared at the lifeless creature, her eyes wide, her chest heaving. Her hands began to shake violently, a deep, full-body shudder racking her frame. She had trained for combat, but she had never taken a life before. The sheer reality of it, the pooling blood on the cracked pavement, made her stomach violently turn.
"Alicia?"
Henry's voice, raspy and breathless, broke through the ringing in her ears.
She blinked hard, tearing her gaze away from the carcass, her expression shifting into one of desperate concern. "Are you okay?"
Henry stared at her, mouth open. "Yeah. But you... you just... metal? You can control metal?"
"Yeah." Alicia swallowed the lump in her throat and hurried over to help him to his feet, examining his bleeding shoulder with a critical eye. "Metal manipulation is one of my abilities. I thought you knew that."
Henry smiled wryly. "Memory loss, remember?"
"Right. Sorry." Alicia tore a strip of fabric from her jacket with still-trembling fingers and pressed it against his wound. "Hold this. We need to stop the bleeding."
Henry pressed the makeshift bandage to his shoulder, wincing. "Thanks for saving me. Twice."
"Of course," Alicia muttered, forcing a small smile. She wanted to ask him how he had moved so fast earlier and how he had managed to hurt a D-Rank beast. After all, Henry was supposed to be a normal human being with no powers whatsoever.
But her own rattled nerves and the chaos around them took precedence. She looked out over the plaza. The Ironhide Behemoth was still rampaging in the distance, smashing through buildings. More Steelwolves prowled through the destruction, hunting fleeing civilians.
"But we're not done yet."
Henry followed her gaze, his heart sinking. "There's too many. We can't—"
"We have to try." Alicia's expression hardened, though her voice still held a tremor. "I can't just leave. I'm not letting innocent people die when I can help."
Before Henry could respond, two more Steelwolves burst from a nearby alley, flanking them from both sides.
Alicia turned to face the beasts, raising her hands despite the shaking. "Looks like we've got company."
Henry let out a shaky breath. He was genuinely terrified. After all, up until yesterday, beasts were nothing more than fiction and fairytales to him.
But now, they were very much real.
"You can defeat them, right?" he asked Alicia, his voice cracking slightly in fear.
Alicia exhaled, clenching her fists to steady them. "Yeah," she replied. "D-Ranks are a walk in the park for me." She forced a smile.
Henry sighed in relief. "Okay, good. Cause I—"
BANG!
He was cut off by a sharp pain in his head. That familiar crushing pressure in his skull returned.
"Ah!" Henry grunted. "No, not again."
His vision flickered. And then... darkness.
He passed out on the spot again, but his body remained standing. His posture straightened, the pain in his shoulder suddenly irrelevant. His eyes cleared, sharp, icy, and focused once more.
Alicia noticed the change immediately. "Henry?" she called out, her voice tight with lingering stress.
He didn't respond. His gaze swept the scene with mechanical precision—two Steelwolves flanking, a Behemoth in the distance, multiple civilians trapped in various locations.
Alicia frowned, sensing the same strange presence she had felt earlier. "Henry, what's going on with—"
"You did what you had to do," Henry cut in, his voice entirely devoid of its usual warmth. It was cold, analytical, and blunt.
Alicia blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift. "Huh? What are you—"
"If you hadn't killed it, I would be dead right now," he stated flatly, his eyes briefly locking onto her trembling hands. "So snap out of it. You can't afford to be distracted right now."
Alicia let out a shaky breath. She already understood what he was talking about. And she'd been trying her best not to think about it... the fact that she'd killed a living thing. But it wasn't easy for a nice and caring ray of sunshine like her.
"It's either them or us, Alicia," Henry added coldly. "You have to understand that."
Alicia swallowed hard, the cold logic in Henry's voice somehow grounding her. She exhaled sharply and gave a slight nod. "Okay, I'm fine now."
"Can you handle those two?" Henry gestured sharply toward the approaching Steelwolves.
She nodded. "I can handle them. But what about the Behemoth?"
Henry's gaze locked onto the towering monster. Killing a beast that big was a suicide mission for both of them. So the only logical thing he could think of was...
"We trap it." He said flatly.
Alicia raised a brow. "How?"
Henry's eyes scanned the environment—damaged buildings, overturned vehicles, and most importantly, a construction site two blocks away with heavy equipment and unstable scaffolding. He immediately had an idea.
"You keep these two busy," Henry ordered, pointing at the wolves. "I'll set a trap for the big one."
Alicia studied him for a moment. His posture, his tone, the complete absence of fear or hesitation.
Something was very, very wrong.
This wasn't the Henry she knew.
But there wasn't any time to question it.
"Alright," Alicia said slowly. "But try not to die. If you do I'll kill you."
Henry's lips twitched—not quite a smile, but close. "Noted."
The two Steelwolves were almost on them now.
Alicia made a sweeping gesture with her hands, and...
Whruum!
Chunks of metal debris—pipes, rebar, street signs—rose into the air around her, forming a defensive barrier.
"Go!" she shouted.
Henry's body shot forward, quickly accelerating to his top speed. He became a blur, leaving Alicia to handle the wolves.
She didn't waste time. With precise movements, she sent a barrage of metal projectiles at the two beasts to herd them. She could have ended it instantly. Her second ability granted her terrifying control over the anatomy and physiology of living things; with a single thought, she could have seized their biology and ruptured their hearts, or even crushed the Behemoth's internal organs from the inside out.
But doing so required absolute focus and a cold, detached intent to kill. Staring at the two wolves, the image of the first beast choking on its own blood flashed in her mind, making her stomach lurch. She couldn't stomach another kill today. So, she opted for containment.
Using the twisted rebar like a remote-controlled cage, she forced the beasts away from the civilians, pushing them into a defensive, tight space.
Meanwhile, Henry reached the construction site.
His body moved with purpose, not an ounce of wasted motion. He grabbed a steel cable, looped it around a weakened support beam, then tied the other end to a massive concrete slab suspended by a crane.
[What are you doing?] Miley demanded. [This is extremely dangerous—and, what is up with you anyway? You're acting weird]
Henry ignored her, continuing his work. He found another cable, created a second loop, positioning everything with geometric precision.
Then he weakened the support beam further—kicking it, slamming debris into it, creating stress fractures at exact structural weak points.
Then he activated Accelerated Perception.
[-3 Ep]
The world slowed. Henry calculated angles, stress tolerances, points of failure. His mind worked like a computer, processing variables four times faster than a normal human mind.
And then, he finished up his trap. Three strikes. Right at the beam.
That was enough.
He delivered them with surgical precision.
The beam groaned, fractures spreading, but it held. Barely.
He deactivated Accelerated Perception and turned back toward the plaza.
[Ep: 14/20]
Alicia had successfully forced the two Steelwolves into an alley between two buildings, sealing them in with a thick web of twisted metal girders. They were trapped, snarling furiously, but contained.
She was leaning heavily against a concrete pillar, panting. The sheer physical exertion of the fight, combined with the emotional toll of her earlier kill, had left her deeply fatigued.
As Henry approached the edge of the site, she caught sight of him. "Henry," she gasped, her voice strained. "Wait. I don't think this is a good idea." She expressed her concerns after thoroughly analyzing his plan and identifying its potential pitfalls. "I can... I can fight the Behemoth. I just need a minute to rest."
Henry didn't even break his stride. "We don't have a minute," he said coldly. He moved to the edge of the construction site, picked up a piece of rubble about the size of a basketball, and hurled it.
The chunk of concrete arced through the air and struck the Behemoth's head with a solid thunk.
The beast paused. It turned. Those sickly yellow eyes locked onto Henry.
RAAAAAAGGHH!!!
It roared—a sound that shook the air. Then it charged, straight at Henry.
Alicia's eyes widened in horror. "Dammit, Henry!" she shouted, too exhausted to chase after him. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
Henry smirked. "No. Just trying to catch a beast."
And then he ran.
The Behemoth thundered after him, each footstep shaking the ground, buildings trembling from the force.
Henry led it straight toward the construction site, his speed keeping him just ahead of the beast's massive claws.
Fifty meters. Forty. Thirty. He was getting closer and closer to the trap.
Alicia watched in awe, suddenly understanding the geometry of the cables and the hanging concrete. "Wait a minute," she breathed. "That could actually work."
Henry ran as fast as he could, the behemoth trailing blindly behind him, rage overriding caution.
He kept moving. Twenty meters. Fifteen. Ten.
Then his body crossed into the construction site, weaving between the equipment with practiced ease.
When he was five meters away, Henry grabbed another piece of rubble and hurled it—not at the beast, but at the weakened support beam.
CLANG!
It was a direct hit. And then...
CRASH!!!
The beam shattered instantly. The entire scaffolding structure groaned, tilted, and collapsed at the exact same moment the behemoth crossed beneath it.
Tons of steel, concrete, and heavy construction equipment crashed down onto the Behemoth, burying it under a mountain of debris.
The beast roared, thrashing violently, but it was pinned. Trapped perfectly.
Henry stepped back, breathing heavily.
[Stamina: 35/70]
Just then, the designated beast control authority arrived.
In the distance, sirens wailed. Military hover vehicles descended from the sky, their spotlights cutting through the smoke and dust. Agents in tactical gear began pouring out, establishing a perimeter.
Alicia jogged over to Henry, staring at the collapsed structure with a mixture of exhaustion and profound relief. "Your plan actually worked," she chuckled weakly. "Good job!"
But Henry wasn't responding anymore. Instead, his body swayed. He let out a groan. "Argh!" The pressure in his skull spiked, like his brain was being squeezed in a vice.
And then... his own consciousness rushed back.
"—gah!" Henry collapsed to his knees, gasping. His vision swam, his head pounding like a drum. Blood dripped from his nose.
"Henry!" Alicia was at his side immediately, catching him. "What's wrong?"
"I... I don't..." Henry's voice was weak, terrified. He looked around—at the destroyed plaza, the trapped Behemoth, the agents swarming the area. "What... what happened?"
Alicia stared at him, her expression a mix of concern and deep suspicion. "You... you don't remember?" she asked in disbelief.
"I remember those wolves coming to attack us, and then..." Henry's face went pale. "I passed out. I don't remember anything after that."
Alicia's frown deepened. She glanced at the construction site, then back at Henry. "You just trapped a C-Rank Behemoth using tactical planning I didn't even know you were capable of."
Henry blinked. "Wait, hold on... I did what?" he asked in shock.
"You basically took down that behemoth," Alicia helped him to his feet, her grip firm. "But you were different too. Your attitude changed completely. You didn't even flinch. Henry, what the hell is going on with you?"
"I don't know!" Henry's voice cracked. "Honestly, I... I don't remember any of it!"
[She is telling the truth, Henry] Miley said. [You were... not yourself. It was like a completely different person took over your body]
"Is that even possible?" Henry murmured to himself, still in shock.
Alicia glanced at the approaching agents. "Look, I don't know what's going on with you, but we need to leave now. Before they start asking questions about who took down these beasts."
Henry hesitated. "But—"
"Now, Henry." Alicia said sharply. Then she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the crowd of fleeing civilians. Her metal manipulation created small diversions—causing debris to shift, drawing the agents' attention away from them.
They slipped through the chaos, moving quickly but not suspiciously, just two more scared teenagers trying to escape.
They made it three blocks before Henry's legs gave out. Alicia caught him, half-carrying him into a small alley.
"Sit," she commanded.
Henry slumped against the wall, his whole body trembling. Blood still dripped from his nose, and his shoulder wound had reopened, soaking through the fabric.
Alicia crouched in front of him. "Alright. Talk. What's happening to you?" She asked.
"I don't know," Henry said honestly. "I really don't. One second I'm here, the next... it's like I'm being forced to sleep. And then I wake up and everything's different."
Alicia sighed. "I don't believe you, Henry. I want to, but I can't."
Henry shook his head. "I honestly don't know what's going on," he claimed. "You have to believe me."
Alicia frowned. "Okay, but what about the fact that you have powers?" she asked sharply. "Did you also not know about that?"
Henry's voice died in his throat. He was guilty on that part. But he still didn't understand how she found out. All he could truly remember was passing out and waking up to different scenes.
Alicia took his silence as a clear confession. "You have speed abilities, right? Super speed to be precise?"
Henry hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah," he admitted.
Alicia exhaled sharply. "And you've been hiding it this whole time."
"I only just got them recently," Henry said in his defense. "I'm still figuring it out."
Alicia furrowed her brows. "Does your mum know about it?"
Henry shook his head. "No one else knows besides you," he muttered, already thinking of a way to convince her not to tell anybody.
Alicia sighed. She studied him for a long moment. "Okay. But that's not all, is it? The way you fought—that wasn't just having abilities. That was pure combat skill. Like you've been fighting your whole life."
Henry's hands clenched. "I already told you, I don't remember—"
"I believe you don't remember," Alicia interrupted. "But something in you does. Something that knows how to fight. Something that took control."
Henry's blood ran cold. "Took control? What are you saying?"
"I don't know." Alicia stood, pacing the alley. "But we need to figure this out. Whatever's happening to you, it's dangerous. You could hurt someone. You could hurt yourself."
Henry sighed. "I know."
Alicia turned back to him. "Here's what we're going to do. First, we don't tell anyone about this. Not your mom, not my mom, no one. This stays between us."
Henry nodded. She basically just made his job easier. "Okay. But why?"
"Because if TRIAD finds out you have unregistered powers and you can't control them, they'll either recruit you by force or lock you up as a potential threat." Alicia's expression softened slightly. "And because I'm your friend. I'm not letting them take you."
Henry felt a wave of gratitude. "Alright. Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." Alicia knelt down again, meeting his eyes. "Second, until we figure out what's going on, you don't use your ability. At all. Not for fun, not for fighting, nothing. Whatever's triggering this... thing, you need to be careful."
Henry gave a small nod. "Of course... I will."
"Henry." Alicia's voice was firm. "People could've died today. You could've died. We got lucky. Next time, we might not be."
Henry wanted to argue, but she was right. He'd lost control completely. He had no memory of fighting, no idea what he'd done or how he'd done it.
It was terrifying.
"Alright," he said quietly. "No speed. Not until we figure this out."
"Good." Alicia stood and helped him to his feet. "Can you walk now?"
"Yeah. I think so," he replied.
"Okay," Alicia muttered. "Let's get you home so your mum can fix you up."
They made their way back through the city, avoiding the main roads where TRIAD presence was heaviest. The destruction was widespread—damaged buildings, overturned vehicles, injured civilians being treated by emergency services.
By the time they reached the edge of the Myers estate, the sun was setting, casting long shadows across the frozen grounds.
The mansion was quiet when they slipped inside, but that peace didn't last long. Less than ten minutes later, the distinct, thunderous roar of a private military-grade hovercraft echoed outside.
Felicity burst through the front doors a moment later. She was still wearing the sharp, elegant business suit she had worn to the neighboring city's diplomatic summit. As the leader of the city and one of the most powerful people on the planet, her schedule was demanding; sitting at home was a luxury she rarely afforded. The moment news of a localized beast breach had interrupted her meeting, she had authorized an emergency, high-speed flight back to her city.
Emily had called her in a panic while she was in the air, revealing that Henry had gone out into the city with Alicia.
Seeing Henry's battered state in the foyer, Felicity's usual iron composure shattered. She didn't scold them or demand immediate answers. Instead, she rushed to his side, blaming herself over and over for not being in the city, patching him up with a high-grade healing serum while breathing sighs of pure relief that they were alive.
Later, Jane showed up at the mansion to pick up her daughter, and Alicia made sure to tell her the same story she'd fed to Felicity:
We went out to have fun. Beasts attacked us. We ran for our lives and hid somewhere safe. TRIAD arrived later on, and we were saved.
She completely left out the part where Henry single-handedly trapped a behemoth. She also left out her own traumatic battle with the Steelwolves; there was no need to make their mothers more worried than they already were.
After a while of catching up, Jane finally decided to leave with Alicia. Felicity and Henry gathered outside to escort them off.
"I'll come back in a few days," Alicia whispered to Henry before she left. "We'll figure this out together. But until then, lay low. Act normal. Don't draw attention."
Henry nodded. "Okay."
Alicia hesitated, then pulled him into a quick hug. "Be careful, Henry. Whatever's happening to you... it's bigger than just speed powers."
Henry smiled faintly. "I know."
She pulled back, gave him one last concerned look, then turned and walked away with her mother. They got into their ride and lifted off, heading out of the estate and out of the city.
Henry watched them go, then slowly made his way back toward his room.
His body ached. His mind was exhausted. And somewhere deep inside, he could feel it—that presence. That other consciousness lurking in the shadows of his mind.
Watching. Waiting.
"What are you?" Henry murmured to himself as he closed his bedroom door.
The next morning.
Henry woke to sunlight streaming through his windows, but unlike previous mornings, he didn't feel refreshed. His body ached—a deep, bone-level exhaustion that made every movement feel like he was dragging himself through mud.
His shoulder throbbed where the Steelwolf had clawed him. The serum had healed the wound completely, but Henry still felt a slight, phantom strain when moving it.
[Good morning, Host] Miley's voice was quieter than usual. [How are you feeling?]
"Like I got hit by a truck," Henry muttered, sitting up slowly. "What really happened yesterday, Miley? And don't tell me you don't know."
[I... I'm uncertain] Miley admitted, and Henry could hear genuine concern in her voice. [Your consciousness was suppressed. Replaced by something else. Something that possessed combat knowledge and tactical thinking far beyond your current capabilities]
Henry's stomach twisted. "So I have like a personality disorder or something?"
[I don't know] Miley said. [But whatever it was, it saved your life. And the lives of multiple civilians]
"Great. So I have a thing living in my head that I can't control." Henry ran a hand through his hair. "This is insane."
[I recommend we investigate this carefully. Do not attempt to trigger another episode until we understand what's happening]
"Don't worry. Alicia already made me promise not to use my speed." Henry stood, wincing as his muscles protested. "No daily quests today?"
[I believe you have the energy to do some of the quests] Miley stated. [Like the pushups and situps]
Henry nodded. "Yeah, I can still manage to do that."
But just as he was about to drop into a pushup position, he heard a knock on his door.
"Henry?" Felicity's voice came from the other side. "May I come in?"
Henry turned to the entrance. "Yeah, come in," he replied.
The door opened, and Felicity entered, looking as elegant as always. She was wearing a crisp white blouse and a black skirt, her hair pulled back perfectly. But her expression was serious. Not angry, but rather profoundly concerned.
"We need to talk," she said, closing the door behind her.
Henry's throat went dry. "About what?" he asked carefully.
Felicity took a step forward. "About yesterday," she said. "About the beast attack." Then she paused and stared directly into his eyes. "About your daring engagement with the beasts."
Henry froze, his heart racing. But he quickly masked his shock with confusion. "I don't know what you mean," he murmured.
Felicity took another step forward. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean," she said sharply, though there was no anger in her tone. Just the unyielding firmness of a city leader. "I know about everything you did yesterday, Henry. How you fought a Steelwolf and trapped that Behemoth under a pile of debris."
Henry's eyes widened. She knew the truth. But he wasn't going to admit to anything just yet. "I... I really don't know what you're talking about, mum," he shook his head, feigning innocence. "I didn't do any of those things. Alicia and I already told you what happened. We hid somewhere safe till the agents showed up."
Felicity laughed. "You spend one day with Alicia, and you're already becoming a con artist," she chuckled. Then her expression turned serious again. "Don't lie to me, Henry. There's no point in doing so..." she said.
"...I already know everything."