A soft green glow flickered through the prison gym. Fluorescent lights hummed above, illuminating metallic equipment bolted to the floor. Among the clank of weights and grunts of tired prisoners, Bobby strained against a heavy barbell.
"Come on, man, just two more," Adrian urged, standing behind him.
Bobby's teeth gritted. "Forty-nine... ngh... fifty!" He slammed the barbell back onto its rack and collapsed onto the bench, sweat pouring down his forehead. "Holy shit, that was exhausting."
Adrian smirked. "Not bad, big guy ."
Bobby chuckled, then lowered his voice. "Hey, Adrian... what's the plan? You whispered something about an escape earlier."
Adrian glanced around, then leaned closer. "It's a multi-step operation. First, I need to confirm a theory. I overheard some guards talking about a mutant in Cell 13. A girl with shadow abilities. Strong one. If we can get her on our side... she might tip the balance."
"You want to recruit a mystery mutant?" Bobby raised a brow.
"Exactly. But to do that, I need info. There's a records room near the central guard tower. I'm going to sneak in, pull what I can, and get out. While I do that, I need you to cause a distraction. Make it loud, but not too suspicious."
Bobby groaned. "Man, I feel like I always get the short end of the stick."
Adrian flashed a mischievous grin. "Because you do."
"Tch. Fine. I'll try not to get shot."
Scene: Bobby's Distraction
"Hey! HEY!" Bobby shouted, tossing a tray full of food onto the ground. "This gruel is crawling with bugs again! You call this food?!"
Two guards came storming over. "Back against the wall, inmate!"
"Nah, you listen to me! I'm a mutant, not a cockroach!" Bobby yelled louder, drawing attention from nearby cells. Prisoners started cheering.
As chaos erupted in the mess hall, Adrian slipped through a utility door and moved swiftly down a service corridor.
Scene: Adrian in the File Room
"Feel... that was close," Adrian whispered as he ducked under a camera's blind spot. "If I were a racist piece-of-shit guard, where would I stash a file on the strongest mutants?"
He moved to a rusted cabinet labeled: Threat Index. He flipped through files until he found it — a black folder marked Cassidy Vega: Cell 13.
Mutant Profile: Cassidy Vega
Name: Cassie
Power Class: Shadow-Type Mutation (Adaptive Tier)
Known Abilities:
Shadow Merge: Can phase into existing shadows and move within them.
Shadow Weaponry: Can forge melee weapons from ambient darkness.
Shadow Burial: Can partially trap individuals in shadow matter.
Shadow Step: Short-range teleportation between shadowed areas.
Unique Trait:
In darkness, she can manifest multiple lighter weapons (daggers, whips, throwing spikes).
In brighter environments, her powers condense into fewer, stronger weapons (darkum weapons), like greatswords or heavy scythes.
Personality Notes:
Displays sarcasm and mistrust.
Very hostile to the guards.
"Damn," Adrian muttered. "This girl's no joke."
Just then, the door creaked open. Adrian's eyes widened as he ducked under the desk, pressing his hand over his mouth.
Two guards stepped inside. One approached the desk.
"You hear that? Thought I saw movement."
"Could be a rookie messed up the shelf sensors."
The first guard crouched... checked under the desk...
Nothing.
"Clear. Must've been a glitch. Let's head back."
As they left, Adrian exhaled shakily. His heart was pounding.
But something was wrong. When he opened his eyes again, he wasn't under the desk. He was inside a janitor's closet, mop water pooling near his shoes.
"What the hell just happened...? I was under the desk... now I'm here?"
He stepped out, chest rising and falling.
"No time to question it. Gotta move."
Scene: Return to Yard
Adrian climbed through the vent shaft, then dropped silently into the outer yard. He ducked behind a garbage bin and slipped back into the main hallway.
Bobby was pacing near the weights again.
"Dude! Are you okay? You were gone for 8 minutes now. The guards started checking the catalog."
"I'm fine. Close call... but I got it."
Adrian handed him three files: one for himself, one for Bobby... and one marked Cassie - Cell 13.
"So it's real," Bobby muttered. "She exists."
"She does. We'll need her. But for now, we head back. Blend in. No one suspects anything."
Scene: Back in Cell
Adrian sat on his bunk, file resting on his chest.
"What was that back there...? Everything went black. I didn't fall... I phased through."
He sat upright, mind racing.
"Could it be...? Mirio Togata quirk. Permeation. His trigger was... holding his breath. That's what I did when I was panicking. I didn't breathe... and I phased."
His eyes widened.
"That's why I didn't hit the desk... I went through it. And the floor. That serum the scientists injected... it not just a gene mutation serum. They slipped something else in. A cell quirk booster."
He stood and pressed his hand to the wall.
"If this is real... I can use this. But permeation's hard. If I mess up, I'll phase halfway into a metal door and turn into a human pancake."
He cracked a grin.
"Time for a training arc."