totally meta

chapter nine

Henry didn't waste any time. The article from this morning's paper had left too many questions swirling in his head, and he wasn't the type to sit around waiting for answers. As soon as he got back to Seven Labs, he went straight to Dr. Harris's office.

She was sitting behind her desk, looking through reports when Henry knocked once and entered.

"Henry," she said with a warm smile. "Good to see you. How are you adjusting to everything?"

Henry didn't beat around the bush. "Why would Lillian Ice say Angelic Industries would like to know what altered my DNA?" he asked. "Especially when she's publicly denying that they do any kind of DNA-altering experiments. You and I both know that isn't true."

Dr. Harris's smile faltered for a second, but she quickly recovered. She put the papers down and leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing slightly as she assessed him.

"Ah, you saw the article," she said. "I wondered how long it would take for that to come up."

Henry crossed his arms. "You're not surprised?"

"Not particularly. Lillian Ice knows exactly what she's doing. She's careful with her words."

Henry stayed silent, waiting for her to elaborate.

"Angelic Industries, like any major corporation, is always worried about public perception. Especially when it comes to genetic research. The idea of altering DNA is a hot-button issue, and they've worked hard to avoid public backlash," Dr. Harris explained. "Which is why she made it clear in the article that they aren't involved in any such experiments... at least, not officially."

Henry's brow furrowed. "But that's the thing—I know they are. They've been involved with Seven Labs since that explosion, right? So why not just admit it?"

Dr. Harris sighed, rubbing her temples for a moment before responding. "Because admitting they're involved with DNA experimentation would open a can of worms they aren't ready to deal with. Angelic Industries is one of the most powerful companies in the world, and they've got a lot at stake. Publicly acknowledging what they're doing would draw too much attention—especially from governments, regulators, and, of course, the media. Not to mention the religious groups that Lillian alluded to."

"So they're lying," Henry said flatly.

"Technically, no. Angelic Industries isn't directly doing the DNA-altering experiments—they've outsourced it to us. We're the ones running the tests, gathering data, and figuring out the aftermath of the explosion. That way, if anything goes wrong, the blame doesn't fall on them."

Henry's jaw tightened. "And you're okay with that?"

Dr. Harris met his gaze. "I'm not in this for politics, Henry. I'm a scientist. I believe in finding answers and helping people, including people like you who have been affected by these phenomena. What Angelic Industries does with the results is out of my control."

Henry took a breath, trying to process everything. "So when Lillian said they'd like to know what altered my DNA, she was hinting at something bigger, wasn't she? She wasn't just talking about me."

Dr. Harris stood up from her desk and walked to the large window overlooking the lab floor below. She looked out for a moment before speaking again.

"You're right. Lillian wasn't just talking about you. The explosion at Angelic Industries didn't just affect a few buildings—it created a ripple effect. We don't fully understand it yet, but we've been tracking strange occurrences, people exhibiting abilities like yours, across the country."

Henry's mind raced.

Dr. Harris continued. "We're still trying to locate the other meta-humans, but they're out there. And what Lillian Ice and Angelic Industries want to know isn't just how your DNA was altered—they want to know how it could be replicated. Controlled."

Henry stared at her. "Controlled? You mean... like creating more meta-humans?"

"That's the theory," she admitted. "If they can figure out exactly what caused your abilities and others like you, they might be able to harness that power. But it's a dangerous game, Henry. These abilities—your abilities—come with risks. We don't know the full extent of what could happen if someone tried to replicate them."

Henry's stomach churned at the thought. He had been thrust into this strange new world by a freak accident, but now it seemed like there were people actively trying to reproduce that accident on a larger scale. For what purpose? Power? Control?

"You said you wanted to help people," Henry said quietly. "But if Angelic Industries gets their hands on this, they could be making weapons, not heroes."

Dr. Harris turned back to face him. "That's why we need to be careful. We're trying to understand what happened to you, and others like you, so we can prevent it from being misused."

Henry shook his head, feeling the weight of the situation settle on his shoulders. This was bigger than him—much bigger. He had gained powers that most people only dreamed of, but now he realized there were forces at play that wanted to exploit those powers.

"So what now?" Henry asked. "What do we do?"

"We keep moving forward," Dr. Harris said. "We keep testing, learning, and figuring out how to help people. But we also need to keep this quiet. The last thing we need is for the wrong people to find out what's really going on."

Henry nodded slowly. "And Angelic Industries? What if they decide they want more than just answers?"

Dr. Harris's expression darkened. "Then we'll have to make some tough decisions."

Henry stood there for a moment, the reality of everything sinking in. He wasn't just some guy who got struck by lightning anymore. He was part of something bigger—something dangerous. And if he wasn't careful, it could spiral out of control.

"Okay," Henry said finally. "I'll play along for now. But I'm not going to let anyone turn me into some kind of experiment."

Dr. Harris smiled faintly. "Good. That's exactly what I hoped you'd say."

Henry turned to leave, but paused at the door. "One more thing. Lillian Ice—how much does she really know?"

Dr. Harris hesitated, then sighed. "More than she's letting on, Henry. Much more."