Darwin's phone buzzed — a message from Manifold.
> "It's an emergency. Desperately need your assistance here at my lab,"
the text read.
Darwin raised a brow. "I wonder what it is this time."
Without hesitation, he grabbed his bag and rushed toward Manifold's house.
"Hello, ma'am," Darwin greeted politely as he stepped inside. "I'm just looking for your son, Manifold."
It was Manifold's mom — not a scientist by any means, but wise and intelligent, much like her son.
"He's down in his lab, darling," she said with a knowing grin.
Darwin made his way downstairs, his expression a mix of concern and curiosity.
"How was it? What happened?" he asked.
"Relax… I just picked up some sound and radio waves from Hydrax City. Something feels off about them."
Manifold adjusted his goggles, deep in thought.
"Sound waves and radio waves, huh? That's weird— wait, look at that! It's going haywire!" Darwin shouted.
"I have a hunch it's a message of some kind… but I can't crack it. I'm no expert," Manifold admitted, his concern growing.
Both of them stared at the screen — the waveforms zigzagged wildly. Unfortunately, their lab had no tech sophisticated enough to decode the signals.
Darwin scratched his head. "We need someone who understands this kind of stuff. Someone who works with sound."
Manifold's eyes lit up. "Wait… there's someone I've heard about."
He quickly typed on his keyboard. "Here — her name's Lea Sagea. She's about our age, a musical prodigy who went rogue after rebelling against the Sci-Fighters."
The monitor flickered, showing details of her tragic last concert — and her disappearance from the musical world.
"I don't know, dude. This sounds like a huge gamble," Darwin said, crossing his arms.
"Hehehe, a gamble, huh? Makes me want to get her on the team, don'tcha think?" Manifold winked.
Darwin sighed and shook his head. "Welp… let's get this over with, then."
"Alrighty, Darwin. We should find this lady ASAP." Manifold grinned, handing him a small black device with an antenna.
Darwin examined it. "What is this, my guy? Some kind of tracker?"
"Exactly. That's how we'll find her." Manifold slipped on his coat and flicked his goggles. "Now turn into something that can fly. Time's ticking."
Darwin activated his Genetic Variation Mutation. His body twisted, DNA shifting through animal forms in a blur — shark, lion, eagle — until he stabilized.
"Alright, perfect. Eagle wings acquired," he said, now sporting brown feathers and an aerodynamic frame.
"Let's roll." Manifold strapped his goggles tight as Darwin lifted him off the ground.
---
"Sooo, where do we find Lea?" Darwin asked while soaring over skyscrapers glittering under starlight.
"Glad you asked," Manifold replied, holding up the scanner. "This device tracks radio frequencies. It doesn't translate them, but it can pinpoint sources of strange activity."
"I get it. So basically, we follow the noise," Darwin said, flapping faster.
They swept across districts, scanning abandoned theaters, rooftops, and studios — but no trace of Lea.
Then, suddenly, the scanner started beeping like crazy.
"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!"
"WAIT, DARWIN — I'VE GOT SOMETHING!" Manifold shouted. "Three o'clock! Over that abandoned amphitheater!"
The structure loomed beneath them — its walls draped with vines, posters peeling from decay. Rusted instruments littered the stage. And amidst it all, a silhouette sat at a broken piano, her long hair swaying as she played distorted, mournful notes.
"Screams… everywhere…"
"Why must everything still echo?"
"Is this… finally my last concert?"
"Look, there she is," Manifold whispered. "The legendary prodigy."
"I've been waiting, my dear," the girl said softly, not turning around. "I've heard you creaking around all night…"
Then her voice warped. "Why…?"
In a blink, she vanished into the sound.
"Woah— where did she go?" Manifold's eyes darted around the hall.
Her voice echoed from every direction, the pianos playing themselves. The amphitheater flickered with spectral light — like time itself was rewinding.
"Have you finally come to kill me… Sci-Fighters?"
"Wait, hold on, Lea! We're not Sci-Fighters," Darwin said quickly.
"Yeah, actually, we're wondering if you'd join us," Manifold added, brushing dust off his coat with a grin. "We're investigating what's happening in Hydrax City, and we could use someone who understands sound and frequencies."
"Not… Sci-Fighters…?" Lea's voice wavered. "Then… you're not here to kill me?"
"No, Lea," Manifold assured, raising a hand. "We're here to help you."
Lea hesitated, then materialized before them, her glowing eyes dimming.
"I'll help you… on one condition."
"Yeah, sure!" Manifold replied instantly.
"Wait— let's hear her out first," Darwin interjected.
"I can hear… everything," Lea said, clutching her head. "Can you make it stop?"
"So you want to control your power, huh? I think I can manage that." Manifold grinned, flicking his goggles.
"You… could do that?" Lea's voice softened with hope.
"Of course. Surprised a prodigy like you can't control it yet," he teased lightly. "Alright, we should go."
"Before we do," Lea said, stepping back to the piano, "allow me a song — a gift for finding me."
She pressed the keys — each note shimmered into the air like light.
"This is a song of the static…
Of signals lost in sorrow…"
The melody spiraled through the amphitheater, summoning mist and holographic notes that replayed the past:
— The fall of the amphitheater.
— The chaos.
— The scream that summoned thunder.
— The silence that followed.
Manifold's scanner vibrated violently.
"These aren't just waves… they're memories! Encoded recordings of what happened here!"
Darwin blinked. "She's showing us everything."
"Heh! That's exactly what we need on the team!" Manifold laughed, flicking his goggles.
Lea's voice echoed once more:
> "I sang through the despair of people…
For the ghosts who haunt me.
And maybe, with your help…
I'll sing for hope again."
She stood tall, turning away from the ruins. "I'm ready."
"Alright, Darwin, eagle mode again!" Manifold said.
"No need," Lea replied calmly. "I can hover on sound waves."
"Lucky you," Manifold muttered. "I wish I could fly."
They returned to the lab around 3:00 a.m., exhausted but triumphant.
"Hey guys, why don't we get some shut-eye?" Manifold yawned.
"Oh right, I should've told my mom I'm staying over," Darwin said sheepishly.
"Do you want to sleep yet, Lea?" Manifold asked.
"Sure… that sounds delightful," she answered softly.
"ALRIGHT! FIRST SLEEPOVER WITH THE SCIENTIST BUDDIES!" Manifold cheered, goggles glinting.
He lay back, thinking: Still thinking about what our teacher said last class… but it's probably nothing.
"There's still class tomorrow, y'know. Are we leaving Lea here?" Darwin asked.
"Right… can't do that," Manifold said, shaking his head.
"Well… there is another plan," Darwin suggested.
"She goes to school with us? Sounds great!" Manifold replied instantly.
"I don't mind," Lea said, smiling faintly.
"That settles it! Let's bring her tomorrow!" Manifold exclaimed.
---
Morning sunlight spilled into the room. The trio readied for school.
"Think I should wear my lab coat today?" Manifold smirked.
"Why? Just wear the uniform properly for once," Darwin replied, fixing his tie.
"Manifold, honey! Breakfast is ready!" his mom called.
"Yeah, Mom! Be right there!"
"Um… should I wear a name tag?" Lea asked timidly.
"Yeah, you should! Here, I'll make one." Darwin quickly scribbled her name on a card.
"ALRIGHT, FOLKS, LET'S GO!" Manifold shouted, now in full uniform — plus goggles, of course.
The trio stepped into the morning light. Hydrax's distant hum lingered over the horizon.
"Okay," Darwin said, "we walk like normal people, talk like normal people, and DEFINITELY don't mention the word resonance, got it?"
"I've literally never been normal in my entire life," Manifold joked.
Lea fidgeted with her tag. "What's considered normal…?"
Darwin sighed. "Yup. We're doomed."
On the way, students whispered.
"Hey, is there a transfer student?"
"She's with Manifold — maybe she's from the science club?"
"Yep! Totally normal, Lea! You're nailing it!" Manifold said proudly.
"No, we're definitely not," Darwin muttered.
"Hey dude, we've got the same class today — History, right?"
"Oh yeah, nice!"
"Anyway, Lea, you're in my class," Manifold said. "Gotta keep an eye on you, sound decoder."
Lea's gaze drifted. "The sounds… they're everywhere. I can hear hundreds of voices at once. Even footsteps echo like drums."
"Don't worry," Manifold assured, tapping his goggles. "Give me one day — I'll build something to tune it all down."
The school bell rang as they entered campus.
In Physics class, Lea sat beside Manifold, absently tapping her pen like piano keys. The teacher paused, suspicious.
Before tension rose, Manifold raised his hand.
"Sir, I think there's a mistake in the ratio. If it's supposed to be 1:2:3, that's six parts total — so one part should be 1/6, not what's written."
"Ah, my mistake. Good catch, Manifold," the teacher smiled.
Manifold smirked to himself. You gotta thank me later, Lea.
Lea's thoughts, distant and faint:
"I sense something… near Hydrax City.
We may need to go there soon."