BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

Old, rusty metal machines and tools lay scattered around the rooms, covered in a thick layer of dust. A few broken windows let in a faint breeze that ruffled the dust, making it swirl in the air.

The room was empty except for the machines, tools, and a few abandoned crates that had been left behind. Erik noticed that some of these had been pried open, and their contents were taken, leaving nothing but empty shells.

The floor was littered with debris, old pieces of wood, broken tiles, and nails that had worked their way loose. It was a dangerous place, with hazards lurking in every corner. The walls were damp, and mold grew in patches on the wallpaper. The wooden support beams creaked as if they were about to give way.

Despite the ominous atmosphere, the building was strangely peaceful. The silence was almost soothing after the chaos of the past few hours. Erik took a deep breath, filling his lungs with stale air. He could hear the sound of his own heartbeat—a steady thumping in his chest.

Mikey coughed, breaking the silence, and everyone jumped. It was as if they had all been holding their breath, afraid to make a sound. Erik turned to face the group and saw that they were all looking around, taking in their surroundings.

"Well," Floyd said, breaking the silence, "this is certainly not the Ritz." Martha chuckled weakly. "You can say that again."

They all looked at each other, unsure of what to do next. Clearly, the building wasn't safe, but it was better than wandering around the city streets. However, it was clear they were all aware that they needed to rest, take a moment to catch their breath, and plan their next move.

"Let's try to find a room to rest," Erik said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The group nodded in agreement and began exploring the building, searching for a safe place to rest their heads.

Though as they did so, Floyd approached Erik. The awakener knew that he was going to ask him something regarding his powers. He had extensively used them during most of his fights, and it was clear that some of his friends noticed. In fact, Martha, Benedict, and Mikey followed suit behind her.

"Hey, Erik," Floyd said, breaking the silence that had settled over the group as they waited for the right moment to talk to him in secret.

"Sorry if I do not beat around the bush, but can you tell us what happened at the club and the alley?"

Erik shifted uncomfortably and looked down at his feet. "I don't really know what you are talking about," he said.

"Man, I'm not stupid, and it talked with the others; we all saw it," Floyd said.

"Saw what, exactly?" The awakener asked.

"You used more than two powers, Erik. That and the huge surge of mana you had at the club are pretty suspicious things…"

Benedict, who had been standing quietly in the corner, spoke up. "I saw that too, Erik," he said. "I saw at least three powers in you. One made your skin like metal; the other created an exoskeleton and then your usual sharpening power."

Floyd nodded in agreement. "You used two of those powers to protect yourself against the thugs' attacks. I even saw a thug hitting you right in the stomach earlier, but then you acted as if nothing happened," he said. "I've seen some crazy shit in my life, but what you did back there was next level," he added.

Erik sighed; it was clear that what he did at the club couldn't go unnoticed forever. The awakener only hoped they overlooked Nathaniel's power because if they did, they would connect it to his death, Matthew's attack, and the kidnapping.

The young man shook his head. "What?" he said. "Are you crazy? That would mean I have four powers; something like that is impossible." Erik replied.

The awakener shifted uncomfortably under their gaze. He knew his actions had been extreme, but he had been desperate to protect his friends and his life.

"We saw you; don't lie to us. Is that how important we are to you?" Floyd asked, stepping forward.

"We never gave you a reason to doubt us. I know what you think—you are scared we will tell someone about this, and you will become a lab rat. It won't happen; don't worry. Aren't we friends?" Erik looked up at him, his eyes serious. It was clear that there was no reason to deny it anymore.

The young man sighed, "All right. First of all, don't tell anyone what I'm going to say," he demanded. He then sighed. "It's true; I have more than two powers."

Martha, who had been sitting quietly in a corner, spoke up. "Is this real? This would make you special even among awakeners."

Erik's expression softened. "Yeah, that's why I didn't want to tell anyone," he said. "Do you have an idea what will happen to me if people find out? I must even find a solution to the fact that one of the thugs saw me use them, otherwise, I'm screwed."

The group fell silent, lost in their own thoughts. They had always known that their powers made them different, but seeing Erik in action with four had taken things to a whole new level. They were all a little afraid of what he could do.

During their discussion, Floyd and Mikey wore worried expressions. They furrowed their brows and exchanged concerned glances as they listened to Erik's account of what happened at the alley and the club.

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on their shoulders, and they knew they were dealing with something beyond their control, even beyond what they were currently experiencing. One thing was to face 50 people; another was to face an entire nation searching for you. He had to be careful.

Finally, Floyd spoke up again. "We'll work together," he said. "We'll figure this out and make sure that we're all safe and no one will find out."

The others nodded in agreement, and Erik felt a slight sense of relief wash over him. However, it was clear that since his secret had been partially exposed, he wasn't going to stay in New Alexandria anymore.

"When did you find out about your powers?" Floyd asked.

"At school. I chose only to reveal the sharpening one, as it was the most useful in the fighting department. The others are more defensive and on the utility side," the young man said.

"That is cool, man. I wonder why you have all these powers," Benedict said.

"I wish I knew," Erik replied, lying.

"What will you do now that the thug has found out your secret?" Mikey asked. "I think you know what I will do," Erik replied.

As Erik spoke, his words hung heavily in the air; Floyd and Mikey struggled to comprehend the full extent of his power and what his situation would be if he got found out.

"What?" Benedict asked.

"…"

"Are you sure? Amber will be devastated." Floyd replied.

"It's not like I have a choice in the matter. If I want to become old, I need to..."

Floyd, Mikey, and Martha understood what he meant, but Benedict was left in the dark.

"What if you tell Becker? I bet he will do anything to protect you," Floyd said.

"That, or I will be his lab rat or hunting dog. No, I can't do that; besides, that man gives me the creep," Erik replied.

Floyd's eyes widened, and Mikey's face creased with worry as Erik explained the situation. Martha sat quietly, her eyes fixed on Erik as he spoke.

"Are you sure there's no other way?" Mikey asked, his voice tinged with sadness. "I don't want to lose another friend," he added.

"I wish there were, but this is the only option," Erik replied with a heavy sigh.

Benedict leaned forward, his expression curious. "What do you mean, becoming old? What's going on?" he asked.

Erik sighed and rubbed his temples. "Nothing Ben. Can we stop talking about this?"

Floyd nodded. "Yeah, sorry. We should focus on figuring out our next move."

"Yeah, that would be the pressing matter," Erik replied.

They moved through the creaky wooden floorboards of the abandoned building, making their way toward the room where the others were waiting.

Suddenly, Amber appeared in front of them; concern etched on her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked everyone, her eyes scanning their expressions, but she was clearly more concerned about Erik.

Floyd forced a smile. "We're fine. Just a little tired, that's all."

Amber looked unconvinced, but she didn't press the issue. "Okay, well, Enya, Jacob, and Stella have been asking about you guys. They want to know what you intend to do now."

Erik couldn't help but feel exhausted. He had to find a way to solve this situation now. Besides, he knew that Enya and Stella were close with Patricia and Brittney, and they must be feeling the loss deeply, meaning they were in an awful mood.

The group made their way to the room where Enya, Stella, and Jacob were waiting. As they entered, Enya immediately addressed the point.