After school that day, Carl and Silver walked side by side, each burdened with bags of various items. Silver carried groceries and a load of laundry, while Carl lugged a combination of groceries, books, and DIY tools. Carl, clearly frustrated and worn out, groaned, "Why did you have to get all this stuff today?"
"I warned you, didn't I?" Silver replied casually. Internally, however, he was far less calm. Oh my gosh, this guy is annoying. I thought if I just wandered around long enough, he'd give up and go home. But nope. And now we're so close to my apartment... what if something in there gives me away?
As if to make things worse, Carl stumbled, tripping over his own feet and dropping several books in the process. "Oh no," he grumbled, crouching down to pick them up. "Are you sure you need all of these?"
Silver seized the opportunity. "Of course I need them. Once you're done, meet me at room fifteen in the red apartment building just ahead." Without waiting for a response, he hurried off.
Carl stayed behind, sighing as he set down the rest of the bags to gather the fallen books.
Meanwhile, Silver reached his apartment first and rushed inside, scanning every corner with urgency. He scrambled to hide anything that might raise suspicion and sighed in relief when he was done. "That should do it," he muttered.
A few minutes later, Carl arrived, knocking on the door. "Hey, Silver."
Silver opened the door with a practiced calm. "Come in and take a seat."
Carl stepped inside and collapsed onto the couch. "Of course. After carrying all that, it would practically be a crime not to stay."
"Just relax," Silver said, heading toward the kitchen. "I'll get you something to drink. But be warned—it might be poisoned."
Carl smirked. "I'm not worried."
"You mean you're immune to poison?"
"No," Carl replied smoothly. "I just doubt you'd poison me."
Silver chuckled and disappeared into the kitchen.
Carl took the moment to look around. "I've gotta say, I'm impressed. This place is nice." He heard a notification buzz from his phone but ignored it.
Beatrix's voice echoed from his watch. "Check your phone. That was a message."
Carl rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone. It was a text from Katy. He smiled and began typing back, the two quickly slipping into casual conversation.
When Silver returned with a glass of orange juice, he noticed Carl texting and raised an eyebrow. "Who're you texting?"
"Katy," Carl replied, putting the phone down. "She just wanted to know where I was."
Silver gave him a sly look. "Ohhh, that's suspicious. Are you guys going out or something?"
Carl didn't even flinch. "Not really. I've just been staying at her place a lot lately."
Is this guy dense or just clueless? Silver thought to himself. "Okay, I just thought you two might be a thing," he said aloud. "Anyway, I'll start making dinner."
As Silver went back into the kitchen, Carl waited a few moments. He glanced at the window, then casually opened it. A tiny spider-like microbot flew in and landed discreetly inside the room before Carl closed the window again.
Soon after, Silver returned with dinner, and the two ate. As the evening wore on, Carl noticed the time and decided to leave.
The Next Day
After school, Carl headed toward Katy's house, his body soaked in sweat from exertion.
Now that I think about it, he mused, I don't really have a specific technique. I've just been winging it during every fight. I need to be more intentional—train my powers, develop a strategy. Better start now before I run into something I can't handle.
At Katy's office, she had gotten home early due to a canceled special lesson. She heard the door open.
"Oh hey, Carl—" she turned around, then gasped. "What on earth happened to you?!"
Carl staggered into the room, barely able to stand. "I... I'm gonna go take a shower. Beatrix, help me with some clothes."
"Beatrix, grab something light from the men's disguises," Katy instructed quickly.
"Got it," Beatrix replied.
"I'll be right back," Carl said, dragging himself upstairs to the main building's bathroom.
A few minutes later, he returned downstairs, refreshed and wearing a new outfit.
"Nice outfit," he teased. "Didn't know you wore men's clothes. Is that your fetish?"
"Say one more word and you'll regret it," Katy snapped, clearly unamused. "More importantly, what happened to you?"
"Oh, that..." Carl replied, scratching the back of his head. "I wanted to start training. I increased gravity on myself while walking here—trying to condition my body."
"Honestly, it's not even surprising anymore," Katy said with a sigh. "Just try not to break your spine next time."
"Noted," Carl said, then quickly changed the topic. "So, any updates on Silver?"
"Nothing yet," Katy admitted.
Carl exhaled, conflicted. "Part of me's glad we haven't found anything... even if another part isn't."
"I get it. Reporting him to the higher-ups without being sure would paint him as a villain, and we don't want that unless we're certain."
"Thanks for helping, Katy," Carl said sincerely. "I wouldn't have come this far without you."
Beatrix suddenly interrupted. "I've tracked Silver to a warehouse in a deserted part of the city."
Carl's expression turned serious. "He's probably trying to finish that weapon. This might be the right time to help him—or stop him."
Katy nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds plausible. Just don't overdo it. It's still Silver, after all."
"You don't have to tell me twice. Beatrix, prepare the bike."
"Bike ready!"
Carl headed for the hidden bike entrance. "Suit on," he commanded. The suit materialized from his watch, scaling across his body like liquid armor. He mounted the bike and zoomed out through a secret tunnel that exited from a park.
On a Nearby Rooftop
Two mysterious figures watched him leave.
"There he is," one said with a smirk. "Our little newbie hero."
"Wonder where he's off to," the other muttered.
"If I had to guess, somewhere exciting. Maybe he's got Intel."
"And by 'intel' do you mean the laser?"
"Maybe." The first figure grinned. "Either way, I want to see him in action. Let's follow."
With that, the two figures leapt from rooftop to rooftop, trailing him from above.
At the Warehouse
Inside a dimly lit space, Silver stood alone, his body reflecting the subtle ceresian hue of his kind. He aimed a hyper-fusion laser at a machine, his finger poised over the trigger.
"Now to fuse these parts together," he murmured.
Suddenly, the warehouse doors burst open with a loud crash.
"Stop right there!" a voice commanded.
Magnograv had arrived.