Chapter 29: Strategic Progress

Dr. Evelyn Mercer sat at her desk, tapping her fingers rhythmically against the polished surface. The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of data screens illuminating her sharp features as she reviewed the latest reports on her most important subjects: Jake Foster and Levi Blackwell. For weeks, she had been monitoring their progress, carefully analyzing every shift in power output, every change in behavior, and every interaction they had within the controlled confines of the Academy.

She had made a career out of studying metahumans, but these two were different. They represented something beyond the usual parameters—survivors of an event no one had ever fully understood. And yet, the Academy was still piecing together exactly how and why they had survived.

Mercer glanced over at Mariane Kyros, her assistant, who was standing at a data terminal across the room, reviewing the latest energy output graphs for Jake. Kyros looked up from her work, catching Mercer’s gaze.

“Foster’s control has improved,” Kyros said. “His power is stabilizing in a way we didn’t anticipate. He’s maintaining energy within the parameters we set, but… he’s holding something back.”

Mercer didn’t respond immediately. She had expected that from Jake. There was no doubt in her mind that he was deliberately restraining himself, keeping something hidden from them. Whether it was out of guilt, fear, or pure stubbornness, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that Jake needed to be pushed, and sooner or later, he would either break or bend to their will.

“We’ll need to test him in a more dynamic environment,” Mercer finally said, her voice calm and measured. “The simulations can only tell us so much. It’s time for him to interact with the other students. Let’s see how he handles the unpredictability of social dynamics.”

Kyros raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure he’s ready for that? We still don’t know the full extent of his power. If something sets him off—”

“We’ll maintain control,” Mercer interrupted, her tone cold and decisive. “We’ve prepared for every possibility. This is the next logical step. If he can’t handle it, we’ll know soon enough.”

Kyros nodded, returning to the data terminal. “And Blackwell?”

Mercer’s eyes shifted to the second screen, where Levi’s data was displayed in a series of erratic spikes and drops. He had been more difficult to quantify. His empathic abilities were unlike any she had encountered before—unpredictable, far-reaching, and disturbingly detached. Levi’s lack of emotional response concerned her more than his powers. It was as if he had become numb, distanced from everything around him.

“Blackwell’s powers are… evolving,” Mercer said slowly, her gaze narrowing as she studied the data. “He’s holding back too, but for different reasons. He’s disconnected from his own emotions. That makes him more dangerous in some ways. Less predictable.”

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“We could keep him isolated longer,” Kyros suggested. “He’s been uncooperative in the tests. There’s no telling how he’ll respond to the other students.”

Mercer shook her head. “No. Isolation isn’t the answer. He needs stimulus. He needs something to react to, something to push him out of this state of emotional inertia. If we leave him in isolation, we’ll never see what he’s truly capable of.”

She stood from her desk, pacing toward the large window that overlooked the Academy’s grounds. The students below moved about in carefully monitored lines, their daily routines uninterrupted by the undercurrents of experimentation that ran through the Academy’s darker wings.

Mercer watched them for a long moment, considering her next steps carefully. She knew the risks, but the potential reward outweighed them. If she could harness what lay inside Jake and Levi, the Academy could reshape its understanding of metahuman power. They could unlock something new.

“Have the guards bring them to the common area,” Mercer finally said, her voice calm but resolute. “Supervised interaction only. I want to see how they react under controlled social conditions.”

Kyros nodded, quickly typing commands into the terminal. “And if either of them loses control?”

Mercer’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Then we’ll have our answer, won’t we?”

Later: Jake’s Perspective

The rhythmic hum of the ventilation system was the only sound in the otherwise silent room. Jake Foster sat cross-legged on the cold floor, eyes half-closed, trying to focus his mind. The ball of energy pulsing between his hands crackled with faint light, but it remained stable—contained.

He had spent weeks here, in this sterile box they called a training room, trying to control the very thing that had destroyed everything he cared about. His power had become a curse, a reminder of the destruction of Galewood. But Jake was determined to master it, no matter what it took.

The door to his room slid open, and a guard stepped inside.

“Dr. Mercer wants you in the common area,” the guard said, his voice neutral.

Jake didn’t respond at first. He had grown used to the routine of isolation, the constant tests and exercises. The mention of a “common area” caught him off guard.

“Common area?” he asked, standing slowly. “With… other people?”

The guard nodded. “You’re being granted supervised interaction with the other students.”

Jake’s mind raced. He didn’t even know there was a common area. He hadn’t seen anyone outside of the Academy’s staff since the day they were captured. He hadn’t even seen Levi. But now, for some reason, they were allowing him to interact with others? He couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

Still, he had little choice in the matter. With a nod, Jake followed the guard out of the room and into the long, sterile corridor. As they walked, Jake’s thoughts shifted to Levi. Where was he? Was he being put through the same tests, the same isolation?

Jake didn’t know what to expect when they reached the common area. But whatever this was, it wasn’t about freedom. It was most likely another test. Another way to push him. And he would need to be careful.

Levi’s Perspective

In his room, Levi Blackwell lay sprawled across the small cot, his hands resting behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. The Academy’s tests had become predictable. Boring. They wanted to know everything about his powers, but Levi wasn’t in the mood to play their game. He had given them just enough to keep them curious, but not enough to satisfy them.

The door slid open, and a guard stepped inside.

“Mercer wants you in the common area,” the guard said flatly.

Levi raised an eyebrow, turning his head lazily to look at the guard. “Oh? Are we finally allowed to play with the others?”

The guard didn’t respond, which only made Levi smirk. He had been isolated for weeks now, and though it didn’t bother him in the slightest, he found the idea of interacting with other students… interesting. He hadn’t seen anyone except for Jake since the explosion, and even then, their interactions had been limited.

He swung his legs off the cot, standing slowly. “Alright. Let’s see what today’s little experiment is, shall we?”

The guard led him through the same sterile halls he had been walking for weeks. Levi could feel the faint presence of emotions around him—guards, staff, people moving through the Academy. But none of it touched him. Not in the way it used to. It was all distant now, like background noise in a world that had gone silent.

As they neared the common area, Levi’s mind wandered. What were they expecting from him today? More tests? More observations? It didn’t matter. He would play along for now, if only to keep things interesting.