totally meta

chapter 43

Henry sat at a table in the Seven Labs conference room, deep in thought. Across from him sat Dr. Harris and Mara, both looking equally puzzled. The recent fight against the angel-like meta-human had left them with more questions than answers. The meta, with her wings, strength, freeze breath, and even lightning manipulation, had exhibited a range of powers unlike anything they had encountered before. Normally, meta-humans had one ability, two at most. But this one—this one defied everything they knew about how metas worked.

Mara leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she stared down at her heavily damaged suit, which had been reduced to little more than a glorified shield during the fight. "This is bothering me," she said, frustrated. "Metas don't just have multiple powers. I mean, we know that. Even the one who saved everyone—Erica, right?—she's got just one power. Her skin turning to metal. So why does this angel-like meta have so many abilities? It doesn't add up."

Henry nodded in agreement. He'd been thinking about that ever since the fight. The sheer variety of powers the angel meta had displayed was unheard of. First, she had flown into the church, her angelic wings causing the congregation to believe she was some divine being. Then she had frozen him with her ice breath and taken down Mara's advanced suit with brute force. And, in a final desperate attempt, she had generated lightning when placed in her power-dampening cell, nearly breaking free before being subdued.

Dr. Harris, sitting beside Henry, had been quiet for most of the conversation, deep in thought. Now, she cleared her throat, drawing their attention. "I've been thinking about this too," she said slowly. "There's something that we might have overlooked. Something... more theological in nature."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Theological? You mean like... angels and demons?"

Dr. Harris nodded. "Exactly. Remember, Lilien's experiments—her attempts to create human-like nephilim—are what triggered the existence of meta-humans in the first place. Nephilim, in religious texts, are the offspring of angels and humans. Lilien was trying to recreate that, albeit artificially. Meta-humans are technically a byproduct of her failed experiments, but that doesn't mean the concept of divinity is completely off the table."

Mara frowned, still skeptical. "But what does that have to do with the angel-like meta? Are you saying she's actually an angel?"

"Not quite," Dr. Harris replied. "But what if... she found an actual angel? Or maybe even a demon? If we go with the idea that divine entities exist in some form, it's not impossible that an angel or demon could have bestowed powers upon her. Maybe for some divine or nefarious purpose. And if she already had meta-human DNA with traces of angelic influence, it wouldn't be difficult for her to take on those extra powers."

Henry's mind raced. It sounded crazy, but after everything they had seen, it wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility. Meta-humans had been created through genetic manipulation and freak accidents, but what if some of those experiments had left them more susceptible to external supernatural forces? And if someone with angel DNA could somehow attract or bond with a real divine entity, it would explain how the angel-like meta had powers that no other meta-human possessed.

"Okay," Henry said slowly, "so you're saying this meta might have encountered an actual angel—or maybe even a demon—and got her powers from them? Like they somehow enhanced what she already had?"

"Yes," Dr. Harris said. "That's what I'm proposing. If her DNA already carried angelic markers from Lilien's original experiments, she could act as a sort of... vessel. Or conduit. That would allow a divine or demonic being to amplify her powers."

Mara leaned forward, still skeptical but intrigued. "But why would an angel—or a demon—do that? What's their endgame here?"

Dr. Harris shrugged. "That's the part we don't know yet. Maybe it was a divine mission gone wrong. Maybe it's part of something larger we haven't seen yet. But what I do know is that the range of powers she has can't just be explained by genetics alone. Something else is at play here."

Henry nodded, taking it all in. It made sense in a strange, otherworldly way. "So what do we do?" he asked. "If there's a chance there's a divine entity behind this, do we confront her? Try to track down the angel—or demon—that gave her those powers?"

Dr. Harris looked thoughtful. "It depends. We'll need more information before we take any drastic actions. We need to confirm if there's any truth to this theory. And if there is, we'll have to approach it carefully. We're not just dealing with science anymore. We're dealing with something potentially... divine."

Mara nodded slowly, her expression serious. "I guess that means we've got some digging to do."

Henry agreed, but the weight of what Dr. Harris had said still lingered in his mind. Divine powers. Angels. Demons. It was almost too much to wrap his head around. But if this was the new reality they were dealing with, they would have to figure it out—and fast.

Because if one meta-human could wield divine powers, who knew what other forces were out there, waiting to be unleashed.