"Any news about the subjects we're dealing with?" Nick asked through his communicator, addressing Adrian with urgency in his tone.
Adrian responded after a brief pause:
"No, but it seems they're using some kind of otherworldly technology. The armor they wear… From the images you sent me, it reminds me a lot of Luxteno metal."
Nick frowned, processing the information.
"We'll keep working and let you know," Adrian continued seriously. "They could be anywhere; there's no trace of any of them. I'll send out an alert to all agents, but I'll warn them not to confront them alone. Those suits are impenetrable."
Both ended communication. Nick stood pensively, gazing at the horizon as he silently reflected:
"This is exactly what I feared… They've come from another planet searching for something. I hope my son is alright… I regret not being there with him."
Aiden had run off when everyone pointed at him as if he were the villain of the story. Not only that, but he hadn't returned to his dormitory either, which began to worry his roommates. Even Podbe was restless, scratching insistently at the door and howling desperately, as if trying to find his friend.
The next morning, the young agents gathered along with Maria and Billy to discuss what was happening with Aiden. However, they noticed something strange: whenever they tried to ask questions or simply look at the other students, they avoided eye contact or walked away without explanation. Only Abigail and Elena remained nearby, though Elena seemed visibly distant, still haunted by Leonard's threat from the previous day: "Don't interfere, or you'll be next on the list."
The agents decided to split into groups to act more efficiently. One team would search for evidence at the scene of the incident, another would head to the building where the teachers were, and a third group would focus on locating Aiden. However, they soon realized that Podbe was also missing. Floud was the first to notice:
"Where's Podbe? He was here a moment ago, but now he's gone."
Out of nowhere, Lidia appeared, clearly worried.
"Does anyone know where Aiden has gone? He didn't show up to class today," she asked, but no one could give her an answer.
Lidia decided to send Rino to look for him, but he too came back empty-handed. After a moment of deliberation, someone suggested:
"We should go to Dustin. Maybe he knows something."
Upon further investigation, they noticed something even more unsettling: Podbe, Aiden's loyal canine companion, had also disappeared. This struck them as extremely odd since Podbe was always near Aiden, like his inseparable shadow. The absence of the little dog only heightened their concern, creating an atmosphere of urgency among them.
With a growing sense of alarm, they decided to act immediately. It was clear that something wasn't right, and they knew they needed help to unravel this mystery before it was too late. Without wasting another second, they mobilized quickly in search of answers, aware that time was not on their side.
Meanwhile, Akira, Dante, and Lita were at the basketball court, carefully examining the area for any possible artifact that might help them understand what had happened. Liam and Max used their powers to scan the vicinity, searching for anomalies or clues that might have gone unnoticed.
At that moment, Max found something on the ground: a completely destroyed security camera. Though damaged, it still appeared functional. Without wasting time, they returned with the team to repair it and recover the images stored in its memory.
Akira decided to turn on the camera once it was fixed. The footage showed Aiden entering the area, but suddenly, a halo of light enveloped the entire space. After that, there was no sound or movement until Aiden reappeared alone, visibly sad in the same spot.
"What could have happened?" everyone wondered aloud, perplexed.
The Rightyard siblings exchanged frustrated glances.
"This, instead of helping us, just gave us more questions than answers," they said in unison, making it clear they were still far from solving the mystery.
Lita sighed, trying to stay calm:
"I hope the others find something. We've done all we can here."
In Building Three, Todd was attempting to use his powers to phase through the door, but something was blocking his ability. He frowned, visibly annoyed.
"It seems there's a field preventing me from using my object-phasing powers," he muttered, crossing his arms.
Leila quickly suggested:
"What if we use telekinetic powers? Maybe we could try opening the door."
Claus shook his head, analyzing the perimeter with his multiple duplicates.
"I don't think it's possible. I detected many alarms activated. This place is completely protected."
Hela intervened, raising her hand:
"What if I use my bone magic? Maybe I can deactivate something from the inside."
Sonia, always willing to help, added:
"Or I could use my blood power. But I doubt it'll work…"
Cain, impatient as ever, responded with a mischievous smile:
"Then let's smash everything. It always works."
Abel shot him a glare, reminding him of their last incident.
"No, brother. You can't destroy private property. We'd get punished. Remember what happened last time?"
Cain huffed, clearly frustrated.
"You take all the fun out of things, sister."
Lania, observing from behind, murmured conspiratorially:
"I would've wanted to do that too."
Benny, always creative, raised his hand to intervene:
"Better leave it to me. I can squeeze through those cracks with my elasticity power and look for the boss. Besides, he owes me some explanations."
The Gold and Silver Girls nodded in approval.
"Alright," said Piti, giving Benny the green light.
Without wasting time, Lania used her tattoo friends to interfere with the security cameras, ensuring they wouldn't detect Benny as he stealthily slid under the door.
Meanwhile, Marcus, Josh, Riota, and Gat were searching for Aiden and Podbe.
Gat, growing impatient, turned to Josh:
"Hey, you're not a werewolf. Why don't you use your power and track him down?"
Josh hesitated, scratching the back of his neck:
"Uh… Well, I…"
Floud interrupted with a laugh:
"Of course, he doesn't use it because if he does, he ends up naked!"
Amaya, always practical, stepped in to calm the situation:
"Relax, this time it won't be a problem. Remember, these school uniforms we were given are special and adapt to the wearer's powers."
Timmy, confused, asked:
"And how do you know that?"
"Well, because I read the manual they gave us," Amaya replied with a slightly teasing smile, crossing her arms. "Doesn't anyone read instructions these days?"
The others simply whistled uncomfortably, avoiding direct eye contact as they tried to change the subject. It was clear none of them had considered reading the manual, but they also didn't want to admit it in front of Amaya, whose efficiency always seemed to expose their shortcomings.
"Well, it's not like it was that important…" Floud muttered, though his hesitant tone betrayed him instantly.
Amaya raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Sure, sure… It definitely wasn't 'that important' when you were all trying to figure out how to activate your devices yesterday, right?"
The others exchanged guilty glances but chose to remain silent. After all, there wasn't much they could say to defend themselves.
Relieved, Josh transformed into a wolf instead of a werewolf and began sniffing the air for traces of Podbe. Everyone agreed that if they found Podbe, they would likely find Aiden as well.
Meanwhile, Maria, Billy, along with Diego, Marin, Megumi, and Lumi, were searching for the boy who had led them to the basketball court that day.
Megumi commented thoughtfully:
"I think we should've brought Floud along. He's more friendly and age-appropriate."
Maria joked, pointing at Billy:
"But Billy looks the same… Just taller."
Diego, chuckling under his breath, added:
"Yes, but he's not exactly what we're looking for."
Everyone shared a light laugh, though they remained worried about Aiden and Podbe's disappearance.
"Stop that. We're here to find out what happened to our friend. A little more seriousness, please," Billy said, though a faint blush crept onto his cheeks due to his companions' teasing remarks.
Marin nodded, trying to stay serious:
"He's right… Though I did find what they said about Billy funny."
The six decided to split up to cover more ground quickly. Before dispersing, they agreed to stay in touch using the special devices created by Akira, since cell phones weren't allowed at the school.
Meanwhile, Benny had successfully infiltrated the building thanks to his elasticity powers. As he entered, he stretched and transformed into various shapes to remain unnoticed by cameras and any potential guards. His ability allowed him to move like a silent shadow, slipping through cracks and blending seamlessly with the environment.
Outside, the others stood guard when suddenly they heard footsteps approaching. Quickly, they hid behind nearby bushes. To their surprise, it was Lidia and Rino, who were rushing in, clearly searching for Ezekiel or someone who could help with the situation.
On the other hand, Benny continued sneaking through the hallways until he reached a red door. From inside, voices could be heard discussing something about the "duality of agents." He immediately recognized his leader's voice. The young Benny murmured to himself:
"Bingo!"
But before he could enter and speak with him, the door burst open. Ray and Ezekiel exited hurriedly, heading to another room. Benny had no choice but to transform into a flexible mass and squeeze into the ventilation system's grates to avoid being discovered.
Ezekiel appeared visibly irritated as he walked alongside Ray. Both headed to a room where Lidia and Rino were already waiting. Once inside, Ezekiel briefly explained the situation.
"I'll inform Dustin and his team," Ezekiel said firmly. "We're busy with important matters now. Please wait for further instructions."
Without further ado, they dismissed Lidia and Rino, who had no choice but to trust that Dustin would soon investigate Aiden's case.
Meanwhile, Podbe continued to follow Aiden's trail with his enhanced sense of smell. The canine moved forward determinedly, constantly twitching his nose to pick up the familiar scent of his friend. Finally, the trail led him to a half-finished structure in the back gardens of the complex. With determination, Podbe kept searching until he found Aiden.
The young man was sitting crouched, his head buried between his knees, near a dark corner. He seemed lost in thought, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.
Aiden couldn't understand why someone would harbor so much suspicion and hatred toward him. Even at the orphanage, he had never faced problems like this. How was it possible that everyone had turned against him overnight just because of Leonard's words? It was something he simply couldn't comprehend.
The hurtful phrases from the students echoed incessantly in his mind: "You're a fraud." "Why do they let a villain into this institute?" Each word felt like a small dagger repeatedly stabbing him, fueling his confusion and pain.
He hadn't eaten or drunk anything since the incident, but hunger and thirst didn't seem to matter at that moment. His mind was completely consumed by recent events, unable to find peace or a logical explanation for what he was going through. All he could see were cold, accusing faces and words filled with disdain, making him question himself. Was it really him who had changed, or were others choosing to see him differently?
The young man closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the flood of negative thoughts, but the voices persisted, relentless, as a constant reminder that he no longer belonged—or at least, that's how he felt at that moment.
Podbe approached slowly and sat next to him, resting his head on Aiden's leg. The boy looked up and gently stroked the canine, finding some comfort in his presence. Despite everything, he knew that at least Podbe would always be by his side.
Thanks to his sharp vision, the dog slowly moved closer to Aiden. With his snout, he began tugging softly at the boy's shirt, making small whimpering sounds as if trying to say: "Don't be sad. Snap out of it."
Podbe didn't stop there. Insistently, the little dog wriggled between Aiden's legs, moving restlessly and licking his arms and face until he managed to pull him out of the trance he was in. Finally, after several attempts, the boy reacted. He looked at the dog with tear-filled eyes and hugged him tightly.
Aiden wiped his tears with his forearms, drying some traces of moisture from his nose as well. With a trembling voice, he murmured while holding Podbe in his arms:
"You're right… I have you. Why should I care what others say if you're by my side? And even though I can't talk to you anymore, you're still here with me."
The little dog tilted his head, as if understanding every word. Aiden took a deep breath, stood up, and together with Podbe, began walking toward the exit of the dark corner where he had been hiding.
As they moved forward, they heard hurried footsteps and voices calling out to them from a distance:
"Aiden, where are you?! Podbe!"
At the end of the path, they saw a wolf running toward them. It was Josh, who quickly reverted to his human form upon reaching Aiden. Behind him came Gat, Riota, Amaya, and other agents who had been searching for him.
Gat was the first to approach, giving Aiden a friendly nudge on the arm.
"There's nothing to lose, you know? If those fools don't want to be with you, we do," he said with a sincere smile.
Riota joined in with a hug, followed gradually by the others. One by one, they surrounded Aiden, offering words of support and comfort.
"We're with you, Aiden. No matter what happens, we'll figure out what's going on," Josh said firmly. "The others are helping investigate what happened."
Aiden felt a wave of gratitude wash over him, momentarily calming the whirlwind of emotions that had been dragging him down. For the first time in a long while, he realized he wasn't alone. Despite everything he had faced, he had these friends who had always been by his side, even during the toughest moments.
He remembered how governments had seen him as a threat because of his powers, planning to separate him from those he considered family and from Podbe, his loyal companion. He also recalled the helplessness he felt when forced to wear a device that restricted his abilities, limiting not only his strength but also his connection to those he loved most. And when he lost the ability to communicate with Podbe and Reia, it was a devastating blow that plunged him into deep sadness. That was when his mindset changed: from being a cheerful and optimistic boy, he became apathetic and distant, as if he had lost a fundamental part of himself.
However, in each of those dark moments, his friends had been there. They didn't just offer words of support—they fought alongside him, even confronting oppressive systems to prevent him from being torn away from those he loved. They had been his anchor when everything seemed to crumble, reminding him that there were still people who believed in him, who saw him beyond his powers or the unjust decisions of others.
Now, as he looked at all of them gathered around him with sincere expressions and gestures of support, Aiden understood something important: no matter how many times the world tried to marginalize him or make him feel like an outsider, he would always have these people who accepted him for who he was. Their loyalty and affection were unbreakable, and that gave him new strength, a reason to keep moving forward.
Amaya, ever observant, added thoughtfully:
"We know it was Leonard and his group, but something doesn't add up. How did he manage to convince everyone so quickly? There's something fishy here… It's too strange."
The group nodded, ready to analyze that detail, when suddenly they heard a loud rumble echo through the air. A cloud of dust rose in the distance, catching everyone's attention. Without hesitation, they decided to head toward it to find out what was happening.
In the distance, Leonard was calm, reveling in the results of his plan as he distractedly played with small dark portals forming in his hands. Beside him, the twins smiled smugly, enjoying the chaos they had sown.
But then, suddenly, something fell from the sky with a deafening impact, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. As it began to settle, two figures emerged: the silver-armored subjects who had been hovering over the area earlier.
One of them pointed directly at Leonard with a cold, authoritative voice:
"We've found you."