“So, you’re telling me a daemon three times the size of the ones outside showed up… and you killed it? You and a blind guy?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” Kitty shot back, exasperated. “I already said—he took down the giant mantis by himself, and I handled the tower daemons and destroyed the black cube.”

  The auditorium was still a mess—a gruesome, chaotic mess. Workers were scattered everywhere, picking up body parts like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle nobody wanted to put together. Most of the corpses were just fragments, only a few complete enough to even call “whole.”

  Humans could have used drones and machines to collect the corpses, and they used to do that hundreds of years ago when the daemons first appeared—but humanitarians thought it… cold. And so, from then on, the recovery of corpses needed a human touch.

  Those are just ways to keep themselves grounded. Stupid, perhaps? But for a race that could harvest the stars, there was beauty in trying to retain as much humanity as possible.

  But of course, there was also the aspect of still hiring actual manual labor—but that has less beauty in it.

  And right now, while those doing manual labor were busy dealing with the dead, Julian and Kitty were currently casually being questioned by Cindy amidst the carnage—and the only one that seemed to be freaking out was Kitty.

  “Seriously? You’re choosing now to interrogate me?” Kitty said, glancing down as a stray intestine slithered disturbingly close to her boots. Without her armor, her discomfort was written all over her face. She shifted her weight, trying to act like it didn’t bother her, but it was obvious it did.

  Although she had seen plenty of corpses in her run in Artemia, it still felt different seeing it happen in the world you actually live in. It was… discombobulating and really uncomfortable to the point that Kitty could really only say,

  “Can’t this wait until we’re somewhere… I don’t know, less horrifying? Why don’t you take us to the station first and I’ll be happy to answer all of your questions”

  “We’re not the police.” The leader of the Phantom Brigade shrugged, not even glancing at all the dead bodies around her, “We’re not going to any stations. I am only asking questions so I could file it in the report.”

  “Then why am I the only one you’re grilling?” Kitty threw a hand toward Julian, who was sitting calmly nearby. He wasn’t even pretending to listen, just holding his cane like he was waiting to be asked to leave. “He killed that thing! And the smaller daemons, too! Ask him!”

  Cindy sighed. Slowly. The kind of sigh that said she already knew what Julian would say.

  “Is what she said true?” She asked.

  “I don’t know, I didn’t see anything,” Julian quickly said as he traced his palm over his eyes, “I’m still blind.”

  “Uh-huh.” Cindy turned back to Kitty, raising an eyebrow like she’d just proven a point.

  “See now why I’m not bothering to ask him anything?”

  “It’s obvious that he’s spouting bullshit. Come on, Julian Winters,” Kitty scoffed, pointing a finger at Julian with a forced smile. “Why are you even trying to lie when there are live recordings? Everyone saw you.”

  “Hm,” Julian hummed lightly, and the brief silence that came from him stretched until MEGAN’s voice broke it in his mind.

  [...She’s right, Julian. You’re trending again—much more than before. The only thing the public hasn’t seen is what happened inside the portal.]

  “Hm…” This time, Julian’s hum was deeper, “I am—”

  Cindy cut him off before he could even say anything. “A mutant.”

  A mutant. Again.

  This was the second time someone had assumed he was one. It was almost enough to make him believe it himself. But no—MEGAN’s research into mutants was thorough. Their existence had been well-documented since they emerged after a world war.

  And the checklist for identifying mutants was precise. The first criterion: you had to be born with it. The second: signs of extraordinary abilities must manifest before turning 36 months. By these measures, Julian didn’t qualify at all.

  There was, however, one criterion that did resonate—checklist number five: physical anomalies or mental peculiarities of any kind.

  But that alone wasn’t enough to label him a mutant.

  “...I am,” Julian said without fumbling his words at all, and it completely shocked Kitty to the point that she almost stood up and took several steps away from him. But perhaps Cindy was the most shocked between the two, as she truly expected Julian to deny or hide it as much as possible.

  She had prepared several instances and facts so that she could rebuke all of his words and insist on him being a mutant, but all of that was unnecessary now, to the point that she was at a complete loss for words.

  Kitty, however, wasn’t as lost for words.

  “Your kind… actually exists?” she asked, blinking rapidly. Her thoughts seemed to race as she stared at Julian, wide-eyed. After a few moments of stunned silence, she exhaled sharply and ran a hand over her forehead.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “Everything… makes sense now,” she said, her voice slightly breathy. “Of course. That explains the freakish strength. I—I didn’t even think about it because… well, I thought mutants weren’t even real, myths. Wait, are there… others like you?”

  “T—”

  “Please do not answer that, Mr. Winters.”

  A new voice interrupted, cutting the exchange short. Cindy and Kitty turned toward the source—Dr. Ling, flanked by soldiers in advanced combat armor. Their suits shimmered and blended into the surroundings, making them appear almost translucent. Not a single patch of skin was visible through their camouflage.

  “The military?” Kitty raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’re late. The party ended an hour ago.”

  Neither the soldiers nor Dr. Ling seemed fazed by her sarcasm. Instead, the doctor even approached Kitty with an apologetic expression.

  “Forgive us,” she said, her voice calm but laced with sincerity. “We intended to deploy the Exterminators sooner. But these soldiers?” She gestured at the armored men behind her. “They can’t be sent without explicit government authorization. Even for someone of my status, getting that takes… persuasion.”

  “And who are you?” Kitty asked.

  “I’m Ling Hui, one of the heads of the Daemon Control Center,” Dr. Ling replied with a small sigh.

  “Woah…” Kitty immediately straightened, clearing her throat as she reached out for a handshake. “...I didn’t expect to meet someone so important.”

  “I’m not as important as you think,” Dr. Ling replied, shaking her hand before her eyes ultimately shifted to Julian, her eyes narrowing.

  “But Mr. Winters, on the other hand, might very well hold that title—forgive me for eavesdropping, but I heard everything you said, Mr. Winters… and it is an honor and my utmost pleasure to meet you.”

  Julian said nothing at first, waiting silently as MEGAN ran a check to confirm Dr. Ling’s identity.

  [She is telling the truth, Julian. I have checked several sources and she really is one of the heads of the DCC.]

  “Oh…” Julian muttered, turning his shoulder to Dr. Ling. “...It’s nice to meet you too.”

  “Hmn. I wish we’d met under better circumstances,” Dr. Ling replied. “And since I believe we can all agree this isn’t the place to talk—”

  “Finally,” Kitty interjected, letting out a dramatic sigh of relief. “Someone normal. Please, go on.”

  Dr. Ling narrowed her eyes at Kitty before actually continuing, “I’ll keep this brief. I want you to join the DCC, Mr. Winters.”

  The words hung in the air, and a flicker of excitement crossed Cindy’s face. She tried her best to maintain her usual professionalism, but it was clear she was pleased. She had lobbied for Julian to join her Exterminator team, and with the DCC themselves making the offer, it would be nearly impossible for him to refuse.

  Dr. Ling’s next words, however, completely wiped the smile off Cindy’s face.

  “I don’t mean I want you to fight the daemons, you’re too valuable for that,” Dr. Ling said, completely renegading from her deal with Cindy. Cindy seemed like she had a lot to say, but the only thing she could do was roll her hand into a fist. Dr. Ling noticed this, of course, but she only looked at Cindy, quietly sighing before placing her focus back on Julian.

  “Instead,” Dr. Ling continued, “We want to study you. As minimally non-invasive as you want, of course. Your body might hold the secret to enhancing Exterminators. Think of how many lives you could save, Mr. Winters. That—”

  Cindy abruptly stepped forward, positioning herself between Julian and Dr. Ling. Her glare was sharp enough to cut steel. “That is not part of the deal, Doc. You’re overstepping. I thought you were different from the rest of the government tools, but you’re just better at hiding it.”

  Dr. Ling remained calm, though her expression grew more rigid. “My priority is saving lives, and so should yours. Studying Mr. Winters could be the key to achieving that. And I’m offering you something better, Ms. Solis. Once we understand what makes him so strong, you and your team will be the first to benefit.”

  “Benefit?” Cindy’s militaristic composure cracked further, her pitch rising. “Some of my team barely have any human parts left. Their bodies are stuffed with so much cyberware you could actually call them cyborgs. And you think some genetic treatment is going to make them stronger? Have you forgotten what happened the last time humanity tried splicing alien DNA with the Kregans? Or do you need a history lesson, Doc? You might have forgotten because we studied that at preschool.”

  “Our science has come a long way since then,” Dr. Ling countered.

  “Altering DNA is illegal, Doc—isn’t that why you and so many people want Humanity Engineering gone?” Cindy shot back, “And if you truly want to do this, why not seek help from Humanity Engineering in the first place? Is this about ego? Because let’s admit it, the only reason you’re working for the government and not for them is because you’re not qualified.”

  Dr. Ling’s eyes narrowed, and the two women locked gazes. After a tense pause, Dr. Ling let out a quiet sigh. “Are you finished?”

  “No,” Cindy snapped before turning to face Julian. “I’m sorry, Julian. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I wanted to recruit you for my—” Her voice trailed off as her eyes darted around. “...Where is he?”

  Cindy’s head whipped around, scanning the area where Julian had been sitting moments ago. But now, the space was empty. The only one left was Kitty, who casually shrugged and said,

  “Well… After all that, I’d leave too.”

  ***

  Julian was already outside the auditorium, escaping the storm of emotions and outbursts swirling inside. But what awaited him outside might have been worse. He had spent so much energy battling daemons and clearing the portal that he had relaxed his senses, letting his guard down for a moment.

  Well, that was a mistake.

  He didn’t hear them—the reporters, the media—until it was too late. They were waiting just outside the theatre, hundreds of them. Like vultures.

  As soon as he stepped out, the murmurs of his name rose like a tidal wave. Within seconds, the whispers turned into shouts.

  “Julian Winters! We have questions!”

  “Are the videos real!? Were you really fighting the daemons!?”

  “Is it true you’re not actually blind, and you’re just pretending!?”

  “Julian, people are saying you acted too late! What do you have to say about letting so many people die!?”

  Questions came from every direction, chaotic and unrelenting, but Julian ignored them all. He was listening for something else, someone else—a single voice, a familiar breath.

  “Julian!”

  And there it was.

  A small smile tugged at his lips as he turned toward the sound, opening his arms just in time for Ellie to jump into them. In that moment, like so many before it, the rest of the world faded away. The cameras, the shouting, the accusations, all the deaths, the victims, and the violence—all of it ceased to matter. There was only her.

  “You’re… okay,” Ellie whispered, her voice trembling as she buried herself in his embrace.

  “I promised you I would be,” Julian murmured, curling his back to rest his head against her shoulder. Her warmth was grounding, a quiet reassurance that he... could rest now. “But I’m tired… let’s go home. Where’s the car?”

  “Uhm…” Ellie hesitated, her tone apologetic as she closed her eyes and winced slightly. “It’s parked right there, but… we’ve got a problem. The emergency overrode the car’s AI, and it… it was used to evacuate people.”

  “Hm.”

  “And…” Ellie sighed, her voice dropping even lower, “...I know this is insensitive because of the tragedy that just happened. But do you remember you brought your LinkGear?”

  “Yes.”

  “And do you remember how I told you so many times not to bring it?”

  “Yes?”

  “Well… it’s gone.”

  And with that, the Streamer Awards was finally over.

  Well, far from it, actually.