The black SUV glided silently through the city streets, tires hissing softly on the wet asphalt. Rain had stopped hours ago, leaving the world slick and reflective, the neon lights rippling in puddles like fractured mirrors. Jacoby sat rigidly in the backseat, hands folded in his lap, feeling the faint residual pulse of the three Absorbs thrumming in his veins. Water shimmered faintly around him without his intent, and he could feel the embers of blue fire flickering in his chest. He clenched his fists instinctively, forcing both phenomena to dissipate.
Beside him, Matthew leaned casually against the door, his twin short blades resting loosely in their sheaths. “Relax,” he said with a faint smirk. “HQ isn’t going to bite. Well… not unless you do something stupid.”
Jacoby shot him a glare but didn’t reply. His mind was racing. Water, fire, Mimicry—they were all inside him, untested, untrained, unpredictable. And he had no idea what he could do. He had survived the Absorbs, yes—but that didn’t mean he was ready for the real world.
⸻
🏢 The HQ Arrival
The SUV slowed to a halt at a massive structure on the outskirts of the city. Towering walls of reinforced glass reflected the late afternoon sky. Official insignias gleamed on the facade, an eagle entwined with a serpent, representing vigilance and adaptability. Jacoby had never seen anything like it.
Officer Reko opened the door first. “Stay close. Don’t provoke anyone. And keep your abilities in check,” he instructed. His voice was calm but carried authority that made even Jacoby flinch slightly.
The three of them stepped inside. The lobby was vast, sterile, and humming with low-level energy. Screens lined the walls, tracking everything from training simulations to global anomalies. People in tactical uniforms moved with purpose, their presence precise and intimidating.
Jacoby felt small. Vulnerable. And yet… a spark of anticipation flickered in his chest.
⸻
🧠 The Evaluation Begins
Reko led him to a large room at the end of a corridor. Inside were several S.H.I.E.L.D operatives waiting, scanners and monitors humming in the background.
“Step forward,” Reko instructed. Jacoby obeyed reluctantly.
A holographic screen activated above him. Energy readings pulsed across it, analyzing his body, every heartbeat, every fluctuation of his aura. Jacoby’s water pulse, blue embers, and neural reactions were noted—but the observers didn’t comment on the Soul Flame, as neither he nor Reko could identify it.
“Hydrokinesis detected,” one operative said. “Partial mimicry capabilities observed.”
Jacoby swallowed hard. “Partial?” he asked quietly.
“Your control is limited,” Reko interjected. “You survived three simultaneous Absorbs. That alone is remarkable. But you cannot fully utilize these abilities yet, and your emotional triggers are unstable.”
Jacoby nodded, a mixture of fear and determination flooding him. “I… I can learn.”
⸻
⚡ Jamal Jakari Senses Him
Unbeknownst to Jacoby, somewhere across the city, Jamal Jakari’s sharp senses detected the energy spike emanating from the HQ. His eyes narrowed. “So… the boy survived.”
He tapped a device on his wrist. “He’s mine.”
A shadow of movement slipped past the city’s skyline as he began tracking Jacoby.
⸻
🌑 Meeting Matthew
Jacoby finally glanced at Matthew, who was observing the evaluation with casual curiosity. “You’ll stick with me?” Jacoby asked quietly.
Matthew shrugged. “You’re not gonna explode in the middle of HQ, are you?”
Jacoby allowed himself a faint smile. “I hope not.”
Matthew’s grin widened. “Good. Because I’ve got your back. No matter what.”
The subtle promise hung in the air, unnoticed by the evaluators. Jacoby felt something he hadn’t in months: a sense of safety. A reason to push forward.
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