Acceleration

Chapter 13: Overgrowth Part 4

Erin stared down at the fabricator as it painted the final details on his new suit.

The lab door opened with a soft click. Erin turned just as Hotrod stepped inside.

"We were supposed to start ten minutes ago," Erin said, glancing at the clock. "Dammit. You're exactly on time."

"I'm never late, kiddo," Hotrod grinned.

Erin rolled his eyes. "Alright, what is it you wanted to show me?"

"You get the slab of redwood I asked for?"

Erin gestured dramatically toward the massive block of wood in the center of the room. "Hilarious."

Hotrod smirked. "Alright, here's the deal. That mossy bastard's gonna grab you eventually. So, we're gonna teach you how to escape."

Jessica entered quietly, a clipboard in hand. She looked like she wanted to say something but held back.

Hotrod turned to her. "Are you familiar with the fact that atoms don't technically touch?"

Jess raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Right. The space between those atoms? That's nothing—just energy. The only thing that can pass through that space is energy."

Erin blinked. "Okayyyy..."

"If you want to move through atoms," Hotrod continued, "you gotta be energy."

"And I'm officially lost," Erin muttered.

"Watch."

Hotrod raised his hand toward the redwood slab. In a flash, green lightning enveloped his arm. A vibrating hum filled the room. Jess instinctively stepped back.

"If you vibrate your molecules fast enough," he explained, "you mimic pure energy. And if the wall thinks you're energy..."

He pushed his hand forward. The vibrating limb slipped cleanly through the wood.

Jess gasped and dropped her clipboard. Erin's jaw dropped.

Hotrod pulled his hand back—the wood remained untouched.

"That's... scientifically impossible," Jess muttered.

"Jess, we run faster than a Mustang. None of this is scientifically possible," he replied.

Erin raised an eyebrow. "What happens if you stop vibrating while you're inside the wall?"

Hotrod shrugged. "Your hand turns into a garbled, unrecognizable mass."

"Oh."

"Yeah," he said, sticking his foot through the wood next. "Did it once by accident. Had to chop the whole hand off and regrow it."

Erin stared at him like he'd just revealed he was an alien. He turned to his aunt. "You wanted to say something?"

Jess cleared her throat, regaining composure. "We've identified Overgrowth. His real name is Doctor Victor Vacstal. He was a plant biochemistry professor at Baret University."

Erin took the clipboard from her. "Do we have an address?"

"Yep. That's on there too. But—" she gestured to the suit still printing—"the armor's not ready."

"I'm not looking for a fight," Erin assured her. "Just gonna scout the place."

Hotrod chuckled. "Ah, recon missions. Brings me back."

Erin and Jess gave him a synchronized look.

"...Okay, I'll see myself out," he muttered, heading for the door.

***

Erin pressed his fingers to the window of the crumbling apartment complex. The fire escape groaned beneath him as he climbed to the tenth floor.

The window was locked.

"Alright, let's test this..." Erin focused. Blue lightning buzzed along his arm as he began to vibrate. He slowly extended a finger toward the glass.

CRASH

The window exploded as soon as he touched it. Erin nearly fell off the ledge.

"Okay. Not quite there yet."

He scraped off the broken glass and climbed in, donning a white ski mask Jess had knitted for him when he was a kid.

Inside, the apartment was dark and dusty. A security camera blinked red in the corner. Erin gave it a friendly wave.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed deeper inside.

Erin bolted toward the sound and tackled a figure crouching by a drawer. The man screamed as Erin lifted him by the collar.

"I'm not evil! I swear! Please don't hurt me!"

Erin recognized the voice—and the face.

"You're the dude Overgrowth tossed off the roof."

The man nodded rapidly.

"I saved your life," Erin said, poking his chest. "You owe me answers."

"Anything! Just don't let Victor find me!"

"Two things. Why are you here? And what happened to Doctor Vacstal?"

The man pointed at a folder he had dropped. "He was developing a formula—plant growth serum. Revolutionary stuff. Could've changed global farming forever!"

"Then why'd the university drop him?"

"Because..." The man hesitated. "Me and a colleague—Hector Ramon—we tried to steal the formula and sell it to a buyer."

Erin's grip tightened.

"We trapped Victor in a lab with the samples and blew it up!"

"You didn't check if he was dead?" Erin asked, flabbergasted.

"No! We just... ran!"

Erin sighed and set the man down—without letting go.

"Two more questions. Who's your colleague?"

"Hector Ramon."

"...Raptor?"

The man nodded fearfully.

"Okay. And who were you selling it to?"

"I don't know! They never gave a name. They just called themselves..."

He swallowed hard.

"...Agents."

Erin's blood ran cold.

He let go of the man, who slumped to the floor.

A.G.E.N.T.