Dashuan was agitated as the first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, warming his bruised face; itching his side as the soft grasses around him tickled his body.

He became aware of an odd sensation-- the feeling of being watched.

Dashuan's brown eyes fluttered loose, and he discovered himself front to face with a view that was both bewildering and oddly endearing as a city-dwelling denizen like himself.

Surrounding him, perched on nearby branches and scattered across the soft ground, were dozens of coffee-colored squirrels. Their little, shining gazes were resolved on him, unblinking and inquisitive.

The air was filled with a soft chorus of chattering and the gentle morning breeze, no other sounds broke through the serene silence.

Dashuan blinked, wondering if he was still dreaming; but noting the newscaster nor Arc were present caused him to scramble the silly notion.

He sat up slowly.

Half expecting the squirrels to scatter at his movement. Their reaction induced him to flinch instead, they remained in place, merely tilting their heads as if analyzing him.

"Uh... good morning?" Dashuan enunciated, feeling slightly frivolous for addressing a multitude of rodents. "What's, uh, goin' on?"

In response, a particularly bold squirrel scampered forward, pausing just inches from Dashuan's recoiling hand. It sat up on its hind legs, tiny paws held close to its rapidly heaving chest, and let out a series of chirps that almost sounded almost human-like.

Despite the strangeness of the situation, Dashuan couldn't help but smile at the creature's boldness; it understood, in his mind, that Dashuan was no threat to innocent lives--

No matter how small.

He held out his calloused hand, sweating palm up, and the squirrel approached cautiously; ears perked upward with a flickering tale that filtered through the sun rising behind its back.

After a moment of uncertainty, it climbed onto his shakey hand, its tiny claws tickling his skin though bullets unphased him.

How? What made him indomitable one instant, and the next moment he is able to be pricked with the tiny claws of the vermin buddy he now had? Dashuan thought that maybe it had to do with his will to do no harm at the time, but how could a psychical power be controlled by such an abstract school of thought; it baffled him yet he was reminded of the sensation of real life as the creature chattered once more.

"Well, aren't you friendly," Dashuan murmured, gently stroking the squirrel's soft fur with his free hand. It was soft, he had never touched a squirrel before--fearing the effects of rabies almost out of propaganda rather than understanding what would actually happen to him.

The little creature seemed to enjoy the engagement, its bushy tail twitching contentedly as it pushed its head deeper into the crevices of Dashuans hand.

For a few peaceful moments, Dashuan lost himself in the simple joy of entertaining with the squirrel. It was a welcome distraction from the weight of his situation, staving off the loneliness he had felt the night before.

Yet, reality had a way of intruding, even in the most idyllic moments.

The distant roar of jet engines shattered the tranquil atmosphere.

It sent the squirrels scattering in all directions through the small rocky outcrop and the surrounding woodlands. The one in Dashuan's hand leaped away, disappearing into the underbrush in the blink of an eye.

He was on his feet.,

Dashuan's is body tensed for action. He scanned the sky, searching for the source of the sound as his eyes began to glow lilac. Three sleek raven-colored jets striped across the azure expanse he was enjoying, their silver chassis glinting in the morning sun.

He sidestepped behind a large boulder. As Dashuan watched, the jets persisted in their trajectory, revealing no indication of having spotted him.

Curiosity piqued, Dashuan contemplated tracking them.

Where were they headed so quickly?

He prepared to take flight, but a sharp pang in his stomach reminded him of a more pressing concern that threatened to consume every waking fiber of his being--

He was hungry.

Having not eaten since before his transformation even though wasting the last of his money on Arc. The thought of food eradicated his sanity, pushing all other considerations aside.

"Fuck that," Dashuan mumbled to himself.

He took to the air, flying low and fast, his eyes scanning the landscape for any sign of civilization.

After what felt like eons but was likely only a few minutes, he glimpsed a small cluster of gray structures in the distance. As he drew closer, he could make out a neon sign proclaiming "Amy's Diner --Best Pie in Kansas!"

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Dashuan landed in a secluded spot behind the diner, taking a moment to compose himself and dusting off his ragged clothing. He ran his fingers through his sooty and soil-covered hair, Dashuan knew he must look wet-puke, but hopefully not enough to draw unwanted attention more than any other wandering stranger.

As he rounded the corner and approached the diner's entrance, Dashuan failed to notice the high fence barely visible in the distance, or the discreet security cameras tracking his movement.

The bell above the door jingled cheerfully as Dashuan entered the diner.

The aroma of coffee and fried nourishment hit him like a comet, feeling psychosomatic drool hitting his chin.

Dashuan slid into a booth, picked up a menu, and tried to sit as straight as possible.

A waitress came and hovered, her grin friendly but her green eyes sharp and assessing. "What can I get for you...Sir?"

Dashuan ordered a hearty breakfast despite her apprehensive watch--bacon, pancakes, the works.

It was only after the waitress had left that he realized he had no money to pay for the meal; feeling his basically empty wallet besides the picture of his mother. Dashuan briefly considered the morality of dining and dashing, justifying it to himself as a necessity given the extraordinary events of the last few days.

As he waited for his sustenance, Dashuan began to take in his surroundings more closely.

The diner was bustling, far busier than he would have expected for a roadside establishment.

The patrons were an odd mix--some wore civilian clothes, while others were dressed in what looked like military or government uniforms.

A cold sweat broke out on Dashuan's forehead as the realization dawned on him.

This wasn't just any diner.

This was a hub for some kind of government facility, and he had walked right into it. Dashuan's instincts wailed at him to escape, but he forced himself to remain calm.

Running now would only draw attention. He had to play it cool, finish his meal, and find a way to slip out unnoticed.

As he was contemplating his getaway, a joyful voice interrupted his thoughts. "Mind if I join you?"

Dashuan looked up to see a young man standing by his table. He was close to Dashuan's age but most likely older, with dark skin and a friendly smile that lit up the room. He wore a crisp white shirt with a government ID badge clipped to the pocket:

Derek

The man slid into the booth across from him. "I'm Derek," he said, pointing to the name badge as if Dashuan was not able to read. "Couldn't help but notice you looked a bit... out of place." Derek put his eyebrow up, almost motioning to the sea of stern-looking middle-aged men that took harbor in the diner.

Dashuan fist bumped Derek's outstretching knuckles, trying to keep his own from trembling or destroying the man's arm completely.

"That obvious, huh?" Dashuan stated.

"Well, you do look like you've been through the wringer. No offense." Derek leaned back slightly waving his hands.

Dashuan replied, forcing a smile. "None taken, I probably look and smell like shit--Could be worse tho..."

Derek nodded sympathetically, tapping his knuckles to the table as he smoothed over a napkin he had placed. "I hear that--I hear that; listen, I couldn't help but overhear you talking to the waitress earlier, dawg. You seemed a bit... hesitant about the bill."

"Let me take care of it for you."

Dashuan blinked in surprise.

"That's, uh, cool; But--"

Derek waved off his protest looking off outside to the parking lot full of large hummers and tactical vehicles that made Dashuan realized he was not paying as much attention as he thought about where he had landed.

"Consider it my good deed for the day. Besides, it's nice to see another face that looks like mine around here. Kansas isn't exactly known for its diversity, if you know what I mean."

Despite his anxiety and the awkward way Derek kept fidgeting, Dashuan found himself warming to him. There was a genuineness to him that was hard to fake. Dashuan allowed himself to relax, to pretend that this was just a normal conversation between two normal guys.

As they talked, Dashuan carefully steered the conversation away from himself, asking Derek about his job and life in the area.

Derek, seeming eager for the company, was happy to speak about the 'once in a lifetime opportunity'.

"Just started working at the base a few weeks ago," Derek said, gesturing vaguely in the direction Dashuan assumed the facility must be. "Can't say much about what I do, of course. Lots of NDA's and testing new equipment, mostly. But it's exciting to be part of something important, you know?"

Dashuan nodded.

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Dashuan's food.

As he dug in, savoring the first real meal he'd had in days, Derek continued to chat amiably. "So, what brings you to these parts?" Derek asked between sips of black coffee.

Dashuan chewed a mouthful of cherry pancake, buying himself a moment to think with an upward hand as he swallowed. "Just passing through," he said finally. "Doing some... soul-searching, I guess you could say. I kinda suck."

Derek nodded knowingly, almost suddenly mirroring the pain he saw behind Dashuans eyes. "I get that."

"Sometimes you need to get away, figure shit out. Especially with all the craziness going on in the world lately--The last few days have been absolutely insane!"

Dashuan's fork paused halfway to his mouth. "Yeah--New Heaven got hit hard..."

Derek leaned in, lowering his voice. "Aberrant...People suddenly develop god-like powers, causing mass havoc! Shit is crazy--We're lucky to have been working on Tech beforehand or those two would have killed everyone!"

Dashuan forced himself to take another bite, trying to appear casual. "Yeah, it's pretty wild. What do you think about it all, I think the military made it worse."

Derek shrugged, stirring sugar straight into his black coffee.

"Honestly? I don't know what ta' think. Some people are scared the Aberrants are a threat; and rightly so. Others see them as the next step in human evolution." The repeated clinking of Derek's spoon made Dashuans teeth almost chatter.

"Me? I just hope we can find a way to coexist peacefully, maybe even handle some real issues--They could help bring us to a new era of scientific advancement in both industrial and genetic research!"

Dashuan felt a surge of warmth towards Derek as he threw back the cup and gulped heavily.

Here was someone who didn't immediately view Aberrants as monsters to be feared or weapons to be used, in the exact sense.

It gave him a glimmer of hope.

Their conversation was abruptly cut short by a commotion near the diner's entrance.

Several patrons were clustered around the television mounted on the wall, their voices raised in excitement and alarm. "Turn it up!" someone blurted out.

The volume increased, and a news anchor's voice filled the diner.

"...breaking news. Authorities have released an image of the Aberrant believed to be responsible for the destruction in downtown New Heaven two days ago. The individual, dubbed 'Titan' by authorities, is considered extremely dangerous..."

Dashuan's blood ran frigid; He turned slowly, already knowing what he would see.

There, on the screen, was his own face.

The image was slightly blurry, clearly captured from security footage, but it was undeniably him. The diner fell silent as the news report continued, detailing the destruction Dashuan had inadvertently caused during his initial debut and subsequent clash with the Arc and the military.

Words like "highly dangerous" and "approach with extreme caution" echoed in the stunned silence.

Dashuan turned back to face Derek, expecting to see fear or anger in the young man's eyes.

Instead, he found something that looked almost like... concern?

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence stretched between them, taut as a wire. Dashuan's mind raced, searching for something to say, some way to explain or defend himself from the accusations of the news and agency Derek worked for.

Dashuan became acutely aware that every eye in the diner was now fixed squarely on him.

The other agents, the waitresses, the few civilian patrons--all stared at him with a mixture of fear and barely concealed hostility.

Dashuan's muscles tensed, ready for action but begging god he would not need to do anything irrational.

He could feel the situation balancing on a knife's edge, ready to tip into chaos at the slightest provocation like the Mayor's office but now there was no one to blame but himself if things went sideways.

There, caught in the middle of this powder keg, was Derek.

The young agent's palm had moved to rest near his hip, where Dashuan assumed a weapon must be concealed; His expression was conflicted as if he was wrestling with a decision.

The sound of the news report faded into the background, drowned out by the pounding of Dashuan's pounding heart in his ears. With dozens of eyes boring into him and the weight of his newfound notoriety settling heavily on his shoulders, Dashuan realized that his life would never be the same again.

Whatever happened next, whatever choice he made in this crucial moment, would set the course for his future--and potentially, the future of all Aberrants.