The Museum Raid

Why on earth did the museum choose to close today, of all days? There was definitely something going on. I thought to myself as I ran.

My body, enveloped in blue light, didn't stop its sprint. Concentric ripples of energy pulsed outward from me in rapid succession. As I dashed toward the museum, I tried to sense Amy's presence nearby. But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't detect anything resembling her energy signature. Was it because of her ability? After running for what felt like ages, I finally came to a halt near the massive museum building.

Crackle! Stopping with a flash of blue light, I kicked off my scorching shoes. Because I had bolted so suddenly, the soles had heated up to the point of smoking. I should have worn my training shoes; ordinary footwear just couldn't withstand my power anymore.

From an alleyway between buildings a short distance from the museum, I scanned the surrounding streets. It was a normal—all too normal—street. Where did Amy go? As I kept scanning, my eyes caught on a cargo truck parked next to the museum, right where the trees grew thick.

The truck was massive, clearly designed to haul heavy loads. But why wasn't it parked in the actual parking lot? Thanks to the surrounding trees, its silhouette was heavily obscured. Unless you were actively looking for it, anyone would have walked right past.

I slowly stepped forward. The museum doors were tightly shut, with a sign posted in front announcing its closure. There was no need to walk all the way up to inspect it. I immediately expanded my electromagnetic field. A wide, thin sphere of energy rippled outward, feeding me real-time information about my surroundings.

The truck's interior was spacious but empty. I couldn't sense any human presence near it. However, I did pick up on one odd detail: a strange radio frequency coming from the trees around the truck. A familiar wavelength. Security cameras. Why on earth would someone install cameras up in the trees? There were still too many unanswered questions.

I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Amy.

Normally, she would have replied instantly, but nothing came. Was she busy? With what? Given how she had rushed out toward ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the museum, she had likely received a message from Victor. Just as I was about to move to the next spot, my phone buzzed. It wasn't the reply from Amy I was waiting for. It was a message from Shine and Rain. A short, frantic burst of text loaded with exclamation marks.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and moved. Crackle! Blue lightning enveloped my entire body, and as I kicked off the ground, I instantly materialized on the rooftop of the building adjacent to the museum. Zap! Crackle! The concrete beneath my feet singed black, scattering blue sparks.

I took a step back and surveyed the museum's perimeter. The windows were all tightly shut; there was absolutely no way to peer inside from the exterior. Are Amy and Victor already in there? I wondered. I had rushed here blindly out of a desperate desire to help Amy, but now that I was here, I felt completely lost. Charging headfirst into the museum without a plan was too risky when I had no idea what was waiting inside.

As I stood there pacing anxiously, the museum's back door—the loading dock door normally used for moving cargo—creaked open. A man stepped out. He was wearing the same uniform I had seen at the electronics store. And his face was strangely familiar.

Exiting with a light step, he glanced around briefly before walking toward the cargo truck. His movements were oddly breezy, yet slightly frantic, and at the same time, strangely relaxed. I definitely knew this guy. Or did I? The faint, hazy memory rising in my mind was incomplete.

Shaking my head, I descended from the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠building. Zap! Enveloped in blue light, I blinked, and in that split second, I was standing in the alleyway below. Since I wasn't wearing shoes, my socks were already stained black with soot. I decided to just strip them off entirely, leaving myself barefoot. The cold touch of the pavement and the gritty sensation of tiny sand particles sticking to my soles felt unpleasant.

I had to capture that man somehow. At least, that's what my instincts were screaming. But the opportunity hadn't presented itself yet. While I could easily disable the security cameras in the trees if I wanted to, my abilities weren't exactly suited for silent takedowns. I hid in the shadows of the alley, biding my time.

The man, who had been walking toward the truck, pulled something out from the back, then retrieved his phone and made a call. I immediately intercepted and wiretapped his call.

His voice was familiar too. Yet, I still couldn't place it. Shivering slightly at the unpleasant sense of déjà vu, I crept along the alleyway, keeping pace with his slow movements. The man popped a cigarette into his mouth and headed toward a deserted side street.

The conversation itself wasn't particularly unusual. The person on the other end sounded like a boss worrying about an employee out on a delivery, and the man with the cigarette seemed like a typical, slightly lazy subordinate. The main street was a non-smoking zone. Naturally, if he wanted to enjoy his smoke in peace, he had to head into a secluded, out-of-the-way alley. I followed him.

This was my first time tailing someone. Although I had received training on how to suppress my presence, I lacked confidence. Fortunately, I had a bracelet that could assist my movements. I checked the bracelet and nodded. I managed to close the distance significantly, but the man didn't seem to notice my approach as he lit up. White smoke drifted into the air from the glowing red tip. A gentle breeze carried the lingering scent of the tobacco toward me. A familiar smell. I grimaced.

I had already mapped out the layout of the area. This meant I knew for a fact that we were currently in a blind spot, completely out of reach of any security cameras. I pulled five metal rods from my pocket—the ones Victor had given me. They were reasonably small but had a decent weight to them. Once infused with my ability, they would become high-velocity projectiles flying toward my target. My weapons.

I didn't need to kill him. My goal was simply to gather information. Raising my hand, I channeled my power. The metal rods hovered in the air above my palm, beginning to vibrate violently. Bzzzzzt! Enveloped in blue light, the rods began to glow. The noise generated by activating my ability was impossible to mask. Naturally, the smoking man's gaze snapped toward me.

"Huh?"

The moment that dumbfounded sound escaped his lips, I launched the rods. Blue streaks of light cut through the air in a straight line. Fired in five different directions, they pierced right through his clothes. Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud! With a crackle of weak electricity, he was pinned flat against the wall. Unless he tore his clothes to shreds, he wouldn't be able to budge.

Pinned to the wall, the man trembled violently, dropping the cigarette from his mouth. The electric current running through the rods was undoubtedly paralyzing his entire body. He stared at me with trembling eyes. Victor had always told me: Make sure you finish the job properly. I pulled two more metal rods from my pocket and fired them.

Thud! One at his feet, and one right above his head. Fired in sequence, the seven metal rods formed a heptagonal perimeter, throwing off ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sparks and completely locking down his movements.

"Excuse me. Just answer my questions."

I spoke calmly as I fished a coin out of my pocket. As I slowly approached, his eyes shook with sheer panic. His gaze was locked onto my right hand. The coin I held began to spin rapidly, glowing with intense light.

"If this hits you, it's going to hurt. A lot. So, just answer my questions. Got it?"

He couldn't even reply, only drooling helplessly. I adjusted the voltage of the metal rods slightly, allowing him to move his jaw.

"Ugh... u-uuh..."

A slurred, unintelligible groan escaped his lips. I waited patiently for his facial muscles to recover from the paralysis.

"Did you deliver something inside?"

"Y-Yes... Yes, I did. I made a delivery."

He tried to sound calm, but the terror in his voice was unmistakable. For some reason, it made me feel rather pleased.

"Good. Excellent answer. Keep doing exactly that."

I waved my hand threateningly in front of his face. The coin spun even faster, emitting a sharp, high-pitched whine. Whirrrrr!

"Do you happen to know what it was you delivered?"

"Look, I'm just the delivery guy, so..."

His eyes darted around as he spoke, avoiding my gaze. He was lying. He clearly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠knew exactly what he had delivered. I took a deep breath. I hated liars more than anything.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll tell you! Just wait a second!"

As I took a step closer, the man shrieked in desperation. I placed a finger to my lips.

"Shh. Alright. Go ahead."

"Well, it was something ordered by the museum... actually, it wasn't an object. I guess you could call them people. They..."

His frantic demeanor suddenly began to settle. As his trembling eyes regained their composure, his tone shifted subtly.

"Yeah, probably people. They didn't let me look too closely. You know how it is, right?"

You know how it is? My brow twitched at his words.

"People? You're saying you transported people?"

"They said they needed them. I didn't have a choice."

"What on earth are they doing in there?"

At my question, he gave a strange smirk.

"You already know, don't you?"

"Like hell I do!"

The moment I shouted, something came flying at me from behind. The electromagnetic field surrounding my body forced me to react reflexively. I twisted my torso, and in that instant, something grazed past my head. A wide, round, metallic object... A manhole cover? Clang-clang-clang!

As I turned to identify the projectile, a sudden metallic clatter rang out. Startled, I spun back to check on the man, only to find the metal rods that had pinned him rolling on the ground. Naturally, he was gone. But I knew exactly where he was heading.

I hurriedly thrust my hand forward to fire the coin, but he swept his arm as if he had anticipated my move. A faint physical force nudged my hand, throwing off my aim. Boom! With a deafening roar, the spinning coin shot upward. Instead of flying straight, it traveled diagonally, melting through the obstacles the man had gathered before soaring into the sky and scattering in a brilliant shower of sparks.

Telekinesis?

The man was riding the manhole cover like a hoverboard, escaping the alley at breakneck speed. Panicking, I stamped my foot. Zap! Blue light flashed, enveloping my body. In the blink of an eye, I was standing on the rooftop of the building at the end of the alley. My eyes swept the surrounding streets. But I couldn't find him. He was gone. He had managed to hide in that incredibly brief window. But it was too early to assume I had lost him.

I closed my eyes and knelt, pressing my palm against the ground. Radio waves surged from my body, forming a vast web that blanketed the entire area. Whoosh. I traced the energy flow. Although I couldn't perfectly pinpoint his brainwaves, I had already registered the signal of the phone he was holding. I tracked the frequency emitted by his device. A three-dimensional map materialized in my mind, rendering the entire neighborhood in perfect detail. I immediately kicked off the ground.

Zap! Enveloped in blue light, I followed the signal to its source, only to find a half-crushed phone lying on the ground. Next to it lay the pack of cigarettes he had been carrying.

I had lost him.