Bubble Boy

It is Morning at the Training Grounds at Jace's Mansion.

Troy wiped sweat from his forehead, his breathing heavy but controlled. The morning sun barely peeked over the treetops, casting long shadows across Jace's private training grounds. He had been staying at Jace's mansion for the summer, dedicating every morning to training. And today, something felt… different.

Jace circled him, eyes sharp, analyzing every move. "Again."

Troy nodded, tightening his fists. His body felt stronger than ever, his movements sharper, faster. He lunged at Jace, throwing a punch that cut through the air like a bullet.

Jace dodged with ease, sidestepping at the last second before countering with a strike to Troy's ribs. Troy blocked barely but the force still sent him stumbling back.

Jace frowned, lowering his stance. "Your strength's increasing abnormally fast."

Troy rolled his shoulders. "Guess I'm finally getting good."

Jace didn't look convinced. "No. This isn't just skill. You're getting stronger. Way stronger."

They went again. Troy attacked with a flurry of strikes, each one faster and more precise than before. Jace blocked and countered effortlessly, but even he felt the difference. Troy's strength, his speed, it wasn't normal.

Eventually, Jace ended the spar with a quick sweep to Troy's legs, pinning him to the ground. He exhaled, staring down at him.

"You're becoming something else, Troy."

Troy groaned, rubbing his back. "Yeah? Well, I'm still losing, so whatever it is, it's not working fast enough."

Jace offered a hand, pulling him up. "That's not the point." He crossed his arms, voice serious. "I checked your medical files last night."

Troy froze. "What?"

Jace watched him carefully. "I wanted to see if there was any record of your power classification. Something that could explain… this." He gestured at him.

Troy didn't respond, his mind racing.

Jace sighed. "There's nothing. No medical history. No classification records. It's like you don't even exist in the system."

Troy clenched his fists. "That's impossible. I've had checkups. I was labeled F-class."

Jace shook his head. "Officially, you were. But there's no record of it anywhere."

Silence stretched between them. Troy's stomach twisted.

Jace took a step closer. "There's only one place that might have the real information."

Troy already knew what he was going to say.

"Trigon Labs."

Troy's jaw tightened. Trigon Labs, the most advanced superpower research facility in the country. They tested and classified supers, keeping detailed records of every known ability. If they had information on him…

Jace smirked. "We're breaking in."

Troy hesitated. "That's insane."

Jace raised an eyebrow. "You wanna find out what's happening to you, or not?"

Troy exhaled slowly. He did want to know.

He looked up at Jace, determination settling in.

"…When do we start?"

It is Afternoon at Jace's underground hideout.

Troy sat across from Jace in his underground hideout, a holographic blueprint of Trigon Labs floating between them. The facility was heavily fortified, high-tech security, automated turrets, and a rotating guard schedule that made infiltration nearly impossible.

"This place is locked down tight," Troy muttered, studying the layout. "How do we even get in?"

Jace smirked, arms crossed. "We find a way."

Troy sighed. "That's real helpful."

Jace pointed to a side entrance. "There's an underground ventilation system. It's not connected to the main power grid, meaning it won't set off any alarms. If we can bypass the security locks, we can sneak in without raising suspicion."

Troy narrowed his eyes. "And how do we do that?"

Jace leaned back, his smirk widening. "I have a guy. He'll get us what we need. But it's not just about getting in. We need to find your records and get out before anyone knows we were there."

Troy hesitated, his mind flashing back to Jace's words from earlier. No medical history. No classification records. It didn't make sense. He had always been labeled F-class, the weakest tier. So why was he getting stronger? And why was his past being erased?

Jace tapped the table, bringing Troy back to the moment. "You in?"

Troy took a deep breath. "…Yeah."

Jace nodded. "Good. We move at midnight."

Meanwhile – The Arcade

The arcade was alive with flashing neon lights, the sounds of laughter, and the constant ding ding ding of games being won and lost. Emily, Jackson, Annie, Isabella, Miguel, Kasey, Alexa, and Carter were spread out, enjoying their afternoon.

Jackson and Emily were locked in a heated air hockey match. The puck shot back and forth at lightning speed, both refusing to back down.

"Come on, Inferno," Emily taunted. "Is that all you got?"

Jackson grinned. "You're about to find out." With a powerful strike, he sent the puck flying past Emily's defense, scoring the final point.

Emily groaned. "Ugh, I hate you."

Jackson smirked. "No, you don't."

Across the room, Kasey and Miguel were playing pool while Annie and Isabella sat nearby, watching. Kasey lined up her shot, eyes focused.

Miguel leaned against the table. "You sure you know how to play?"

Kasey rolled her eyes. "Shut up, pretty boy." With a precise strike, she sunk the ball perfectly.

Miguel raised an eyebrow. "Okay, okay. I see you."

Annie chuckled, nudging Isabella. "They act like they don't like each other, but they're totally in sync."

Isabella smiled shyly. "Yeah… kinda like you and Troy."

Annie stiffened slightly. "…Maybe."

Isabella tilted her head. "You really like him, don't you?"

Annie sighed. "Yeah. I do." She glanced at Miguel and Kasey, then back at Isabella. She noticed Isabella got a sad expression on her face.

Nearby, Carter and Alexa were playing a dance rhythm game, their feet moving rapidly across the floor as bright arrows flew across the screen. They were perfectly in sync, their movements fluid.

Jackson walked over, arms crossed. "So, you two finally made it official, huh?"

Carter smirked. "Jealous?"

Jackson scoffed. "Of you? Never."

Alexa laughed, brushing her hair back. "We just didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

Kasey walked up, grinning. "Well, too late for that." She glanced at Miguel and smirked. "Speaking of couples…"

Miguel groaned. "Oh, come on."

Kasey nudged him. "Admit it, you and me are dating."

Miguel sighed, looking at Kasey, then back at the group. "…Yeah, we are."

A mix of cheers and teasing filled the arcade, the group enjoying the rare moment of normalcy.

But deep down, Annie couldn't shake a feeling.

Something was coming. Something big.

And she knew it had to do with Troy.

Night – Preparing for the Infiltration

Back at Jace's hideout, Troy and Jace suited up. Jace wore his usual dark tactical gear, while Troy donned a black hoodie, black mask, gloves and spray painted a BB blue symbol on his hoodie.

Jace handed Troy an earpiece. "We go in quiet. We get what we need. We get out."

Troy nodded, slipping it into his ear. "Got it."

Jace smirked. "Then let's do this."

As they slipped into the shadows, heading toward Trigon Labs, one thought echoed in Troy's mind.

I need to know the truth.

And tonight, he was going to find it.