totally meta

chapter ten

Henry took a deep breath, standing just outside the sleek glass doors of Angelic Industries. He could feel the weight of the red suit hugging his body, a second skin that tingled with energy. The air buzzed around him with anticipation, the remnants of the lightning that had transformed his life now coursing through his veins. He was ready to confront Lilian Ice, the enigmatic CEO whose experiments had set off a chain of events he could barely comprehend.

With a quick glance around the parking lot, ensuring no one was watching, he activated his superspeed. In a flash, he zipped past the security guards, dodging the curious gazes of bystanders. He stopped just outside Lilian's office, feeling the adrenaline rush through him as he prepared to step inside.

He burst through the door, his heart pounding. "Lilian Ice!" he called out, his voice firm and demanding.

She looked up, startled. The room was filled with screens displaying complex data, a myriad of graphs and images that cluttered the space. Lilian's gaze widened, her expression shifting from surprise to intrigue. "Who are you?" she demanded, her tone sharp but curious.

"Does it matter?" Henry shot back, a hint of anger creeping into his voice. "You lied to the public about your experiments. You said you weren't tampering with DNA."

Lilian raised an eyebrow, her demeanor shifting as she took a moment to assess him. "So you know about the connection between Seven Labs and Angelic Industries," she mused. "Why confront me in that ridiculous suit, then?"

"Because you need to understand the consequences of your actions." He stepped closer, trying to control the anger bubbling within him. "People like me have been hurt because of your experiments!"

She sighed, looking momentarily weary. "Listen, I had my reasons. But I never intended to create meta-humans."

Henry paused, confusion flickering across his face. "What do you mean?"

Lilian leaned back in her chair, her fingers steepling as she regarded him thoughtfully. "I've been trying to understand what I am," she said slowly. "I'm a Nephilim—part human, part angel. My initial tests were to explore the possibility of combining human and angel DNA, to figure out why I am the only one of my kind."

Henry's anger dissipated slightly, replaced by curiosity. "So all of this—" he gestured around the room, "—was about trying to create another nephilim?"

"Yes," she replied, her gaze unwavering. "I wanted to know why there are no other Nephilim, despite countless stories throughout history about angels mingling with humans. But that night, when the machines exploded, I discovered something terrible: creating beings like me is nearly impossible to happen naturally. But then, with the aftermath of those experiments, the impossible happened. I caused this mess with meta-humans, and now I need to fix what I've done."

Henry stood there, absorbing her words. The truth was unsettling but strangely compelling. "So you want to fix the harm you caused?"

"Absolutely," Lilian replied, her eyes earnest. "I didn't ask for this. I just wanted answers."

He considered her words carefully, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "You still lied to the public. You have to take responsibility for that."

"I know," she admitted, her voice softening. "And I intend to. Whatever I can do to help, please let me know."

Henry felt a flicker of hope ignite within him. Perhaps he could help more than he had ever dreamed. But as he looked into Lilian's eyes, he could see the burdens she carried and the uncertainty of what lay ahead. He had no idea what the future would hold, but he knew one thing: he was not alone in this fight.

"Alright," he finally said, determination filling his voice.