In the adjoining section of the lab, he poured the sand into a transparent basin, carefully measuring the amount. Next, he retrieved a bottle of blood from the fridge—a dark, thick fluid that he dropped in four small droplets onto a glass slide. His heart raced with excitement as he mixed the sand with the blood, setting the culture under a delicate cover. He could feel the weight of anticipation settle in the pit of his stomach. This mixture, he thought, could be the key to something revolutionary. Whatever would emerge from this combination, he was sure it could be of great use to him.
"I'm getting closer," he muttered under his breath, stepping away from the microscope. His hands were steady, but his mind was in overdrive as he walked out of the lab, feeling a quiet, almost palpable thrill. This could change everything.
Meanwhile, Dick was heading back to school to collect the books Ms. Caul had promised him. The sun was sinking lower in the sky, and as the evening drew near, his movements shifted between quick runs and agile leaps. He was in a hurry, not wanting to waste any time. As he approached the school gates, he noticed a group of girls lounging nearby. Their bags rested casually by their sides, and they seemed to be waiting for a driver to take them home. They saw Dick approaching, and as he got closer, he could hear the unmistakable sound of laughter.
Confused, he glanced over his shoulder and saw that the girls were laughing at him. The tallest one pointed at him and screamed with joy. The sound pierced the air, mocking him in a way that stung deeply. He felt a surge of irritation. Were they getting back at him for ignoring them earlier? What would it have cost him to at least say hello?
Dick's pride swelled as the laughter continued. He had been insulted by Mikey earlier in the day, laughed at by Ms. Caul without any real explanation, and now this. His day had spiraled into something of a humiliation. The girls had not made any attempt to hide their mocking, and it was clear that they found his discomfort amusing.
Despite his rising anger, Dick remembered the school's regulations—boys were forbidden from engaging in fights with girls. He clenched his fists, trying to maintain control. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to be mature about it. This was one battle he had no intention of engaging in. His mind was focused on getting the books from Ms. Caul and not allowing these girls to be another distraction.
He walked away, his heart pounding, though his face remained calm. But he could still hear the sound of their chatter, the girls still snickering behind him. Today was turning out to be a terrible one—first Mikey, then Ms. Caul, and now the girls. It seemed like everyone was against him.
Suddenly, he spotted Ms. Perry—an unexpected sight. By this time, the school should have been nearly deserted, with even the security guards gone for the day. The last time he had spoken to Ms. Perry, she had invited him with a chilling threat, and since then, he had avoided her like the plague. Dick didn't want to deal with her now, so he quickly veered off to take a longer route back to the school. This path was much lonelier and less frequented by students, mostly used by the truants and those with less interest in following the rules.
As Dick made his way down the isolated road, his senses sharpened. He heard footsteps behind him, so he turned. He found a student from one of the lower classes. The boy was carrying two bags, one in each hand. His posture suggested that he might be connected to Mikey's gang.
Before Dick could react, he realized that the boy was heading towards him, but something strange crossed his mind. He had already been targeted earlier by Mikey's group. If he confront this boy now, it might escalate matters with Mikey. He discovered he had stolen the bags. He decided to hold him down to see his stuffs.
Just as he was about to stand on his way, he saw the girls who just embarrassed him screaming after the boy. What would it cost to let this minor incident go? He chose not to escalate the situation. The thief, meanwhile, continued running, probably sensing that Dick wasn't going to stop him. To pay back, he stepped out of the way.
Soon, the girls reached him and said "It's not over yet."
Then she continued her chase with the rest.
Dick was taken aback by her words. How could she say something like that when the thief was already out of sight? He was confused but didn't have time to think it through. He needed to move quickly before the situation grew more complicated.
Finally, he reached Ms. Caul's office. He approached the door and reached for the handle, but before he could knock, it swung open from the inside. To his surprise, it wasn't Ms. Caul who had opened the door—it was Ms. Perry, emerging from the office. Caul followed behind her, her hands full with a large book.
"Good day, ma'am," Dick muttered, his voice low and somewhat hesitant.
Ms. Perry's response was curt, a sharp tone cutting through the air. "What are you doing here?"
Dick froze. He hadn't prepared an answer for this. For a moment, his mind went blank, but then he quickly realized the simplest explanation would suffice. He wasn't there for anything more complicated than to pick up a book. He had come to collect the book Caul had promised him, but Perry's question made him feel as though his every move was under scrutiny.
"I got a book for her," Caul interjected, stepping forward with the heavy volume in her hands. She handed the book to Dick, and without a second glance, he left quickly, feeling the weight of the moment.
Perry, who had been trying to maintain a sense of authority, felt a slight unease as Dick departed. She had been trying to appear strong and in control, but she was acutely aware that Dick was not someone she could simply dominate. He seemed to have a way of slipping through her grasp.
After a brief conversation with Caul, Perry hurried after Dick, her pace quickening as she caught up to him outside the office.
"Sorry for how I addressed you," Perry said, her voice softer now. "Dick, thank you for bringing Moore back. I know it was you."
Dick's response was a simple nod, still unsure how to deal with her. The tension between them had always been there, but there was something different about the way she spoke to him now. He couldn't quite place it.
When Dick finally reached the gate, he encountered the three girls again. They were waiting for him, just as Jemma had promised.
"Didn't I say it's not over yet?" Jemma smirked, clearly pleased with herself.
Jemma showed Dick the young thief, who was frozen in place, his body encased in a thick layer of ice. The cold was so intense that mist billowed out from his body. The thief, who had once run so confidently, now stood like a statue, helpless and frozen solid. Dick stared, utterly stunned. He had never seen such a thing before.
It was then that he realized just how dangerous these girls could be. One of them, Harper, was responsible for freezing the boy. Her icy powers were undeniable. Harper was the smallest of the three, but her presence was commanding, and her eyes sparkled with a quiet intensity that unsettled Dick. Her words were just as firm.
"My friends and I are not pleased with you," Harper said. "You should have stopped the thief."
Dick, feeling the weight of their judgment, hesitated before asking, "Did you freeze him? Which of you did it?"
He was trying to gauge the situation carefully, hoping to defuse the tension without further conflict.
"I did it," Harper replied calmly.
Dick stood there, unsure how to respond, but he knew one thing for sure—he couldn't afford to make another enemy today. He had already found himself in enough trouble.
"Let the thief go," Dick said, his voice firm but calm.
"You've got some boldness. I'll teach you a lesson." Harper said.
As those words dropped, from her eyes were gathered a rush of ice. She was going to vent her anger on Dick. Before the cubes began to fly out, Dick put his hands over her face to cover. She struggled to remove his hands. He just felt that was the right thing to do. Surprisingly, Harper began to lose her strength.
"Leave me alone," she said weakly.
However, he gave a condition to fulfill.
"Let the thief go," he insisted as he kept on holding.
Harper, her expression unreadable, looked him over before finally agreeing. She promised to release the thief, and as soon as she did, the ice around him melted away. The thief, now free, ran off without a word, disappearing into the distance.
The girls, satisfied with their display of power, turned and left without saying anything more. Dick watched them go, his mind still racing. He couldn't help but wonder about these strange new powers emerging among the students. It seemed like everyone he encountered had something unique about them—something that set them apart from the rest.