HYDROGEN GYM
Kairo fell to his knees, his eyes shaking violently.
"I killed him, didn't I… why do I always have to mess up everything?"
Suddenly, a subtle grey energy enveloped the doctor's inert body in an instant.
Then—
Clack!
The disfigured bones began to reconnect on their own, like an automatic system rearranging itself.
Where the wounds had been, the strings—similar to those he had produced earlier—uncoiled inside the doctor's body and began to connect the two sides of the flesh, pulling them together back into place. That was his oxide ability: Devil Strings. The strings transport blood and can therefore be used for healing. And depending on how thick he shaped them, they became as strong as heavy cords.
"If I hadn't moved at the last second, I would've been toast,"
he whispered, gathering himself. The blast had been vertical and aimed for his neck, but it struck his arm instead.
"I told you not to measure his coal," Magnum joked, sitting back down as if he had never been concerned, followed by the others.
Kairo leaped to his feet and rushed to the doctor, hugging him tightly with heartfelt emotion. Who could blame him—he had just believed he might have killed the man. Tears of relief welled in his eyes, but he wiped them away quickly. He didn't want to appear weak on his first day.
"I know you have good intentions, but my arm hasn't finished healing yet."
"Oh, sorry."
He stepped back as the doctor stretched his neck and shoulder.
"Open!"
The gym door swung wide, and a man with long braided hair entered. Holograms floated in his hands.
"Are you having fun yet, man?"
he asked in a heavy Jamaican accent.
"The doctor nearly got killed, if that's what you mean, Rasmouse"
Blue interjected, his expression as indifferent as ever.
"Well, the danger hasn't ended yet. Sensors outside the city fence just triggered in the industrial area."
"They haven't reported any cases for two months. Those bastards chose a bad day to attack,"
Eva muttered, standing and stretching.
"How much time do we have?"
Magnum asked.
"Three point five minutes, to be exact. I guess this is your chance, Kairo, to show us what you can do, man."
Rasmouse added, looking at him with eyes that said we have our focus on you in silence.
"Good luck. I won't go with you since my injuries haven't healed yet."
"EVERYONE, get ready!"
Within seconds, the three suited up in their Hydrogen uniforms. Kairo remained in the clothes Magnum had given him—Blue had refused to lend him anything. They walked together like a superhero team preparing for a mission at the end of a movie, though this was no film. It was real life, with real danger capable of turning the strongest minds upside down.
They climbed into Magnum's car. Kairo sat in the back as usual, along with Eva.
Whenever she sat in the front, Magnum cracked weak jokes about them looking like a couple, so she kept her distance.
Blue, meanwhile, refused to sit near Kairo, treating him like a nuisance. He preferred the front seat, signaling his greater disdain for Kairo.
Soon they arrived at the fence in the industrial sector of the city, near a forest to the north. The area brimmed with construction and production, the heart of the city's productive side. Most goods people sold were manufactured here.
"So what do we do now?" Kairo asked as they stood a few meters from the wired fence. No trees blocked their view, so the other side of the perimeter remained clearly visible.
"We need to split up. I'll stay with Eva here—this is the point of attack, and our oxide abilities are suited for large-scale strikes. You two will scout the other side of the fence."
"Not a chance. Teaming up with him will only slow me down. I work better alone,"
Blue whined, the snake around his neck hissing in the background as though it shared his irritation.
"Just do it, Blue. You wouldn't want him to report you to the captain, would you?"
Eva taunted, reminding him of the consequences.
Blue's eyes widened, a chill crawling up his spine.
"Just thinking about it gives me chills."
"Alright, I'll go. But I won't promise to talk to him."
"That's fine," Magnum replied.
"Ah, before I forget—your gas mask arrived."
Everyone turned as Magnum returned to the car and came back holding an intriguing mask.
"Woah, that's cool!"
The mask was uniquely designed, divided vertically into two halves—one red and one black. At its center was the cross symbol his mother had once given him, now emblazoned across the surface.
Kairo put it on immediately, smiling brightly. It fit perfectly, and with the stretchy gym cloth's he had on, everything came together as though it had been made for him.
"EVERYONE, masks on."
The other Oxides donned their custom masks as well—Magnum's fur and magnet-inspired design, Eva's black moth motif, and Blue's serpent-like mask. They breathed deeply, preparing for what they knew was coming. A mission to protect Amani city from whatever threat approached—whether a hunger beast or a null.
...
The two boys walked on the other side of the fence, with Magnum and Eva in the distance. Each Oxide had a communicator in their mask to coordinate attacks.
Blue moved in silence, the snake watching Kairo as if he were an enemy.
"So what's his name?"
Kairo tried to start a conversation, glancing at the snake, but Blue ignored him and continued walking as if he weren't there—perhaps giving him a taste of his own medicine.
"You know you'll have to talk to me eventually. You can't ignore me forever."
"Well… I don't see a reason to talk to you."
"What kind of Hydrogen are you? You can't even take a joke."
"Oh, so you think you're better than me?"
"I never said that, you idiot."
"So now I'm an idiot just because you have soul energy? That doesn't mean you can talk to people however you want. Last time I checked, I was your superior."
"I don't care about rank, and I don't care that I have this strange ability. I don't even like it. The point is, you're acting like a child over something trivial. You can hate me all you want—but not during a mission."
"You're more of an idiot than you realize. Do you still think this is about the joke?"
Suddenly—
Gugugug…
The ground began to shake violently, like an earthquake. The wired fence vibrated with increasing intensity. Most of the tremors originated from a nearby forest.
Then—
Phwah!
They appeared. Thousands upon thousands of hunger beasts surged forward, tongues lolling from their mouths in bloodlust. Some flew; others charged on foot.
One creature had the head of a rhinoceros but the legs of a cheetah.
Another bore the head of a fly with the body of a lion.
There were countless other abominations—animals that should have been fighting each other in nature but instead moved with a single purpose.
To storm Amani city.
To kill everything in their path.