Supreme Genetics

"Tell me everything you know about this incident," Kathryn demanded, pulling him back into the conversation.

"Ma'am, you should talk to the school," Dick replied impatiently, still watching the entrance where Mikey had just disappeared.

"Aren't you my son's friend?" Kathryn asked, pressing him further.

"I think we should go inside," Dick interrupted abruptly, his nerves on edge. Without waiting for a response, he stood up and moved toward the wards.

Kathryn, startled, called after him, but Dick didn't slow down. He hurried his pace, and before long, he was running. Kathryn, equally surprised by his sudden urgency, chased after him.

The worried receptionist grabbed the phone and dialed hastily.

"Security, security! We need you here, immediately!"

Dick wasted no time. He shoved through the crowd, urgency fueling his every step. Within moments, he burst into the ward where Moore was supposed to be resting. To his shock, the bed was empty. Before he could react, the lights abruptly went out, plunging the room into darkness.

His instincts kicked in. Mikey couldn't have gone far. Dick sprinted towards the bathroom, but in his haste, he collided with a metal stand. The clatter echoed in the eerie silence as he stumbled to the floor. Struggling to his feet, he made his way back to the door—only to find it locked.

He rattled the handle furiously, but it wouldn't budge. A chill ran down his spine as realization dawned on him.

Someone had locked it from the outside.

Could it really be Mikey? Had he come for Moore? Or had Moore gone missing on his own accord? The questions plagued Dick's thoughts, his mind a whirlwind of possibilities. If Mikey had managed to drag Moore out of the hospital unnoticed, the implications were terrifying. Moore could have been drugged, or worse, held at gunpoint. There was no way he would have left willingly. Dick clenched the door handle with desperate force, shaking it as though his will alone could force it open.

The lights flickered and suddenly returned, and at that very moment, a loud noise emanated from the other side of the door. Someone was pushing against it from the outside. Dick gritted his teeth, determined to stop whoever was behind it from getting through, but the door finally gave way, and he was knocked backward, colliding hard with Kathryn, who had been pushing from the opposite side.

Kathryn, her face a portrait of fear and anger, jumped back, wide-eyed. "Where is my Moore?" she demanded, her voice filled with urgency. Her frantic gaze swept across the room, desperately searching for any sign of her son.

Dick was disoriented from the collision, blood trickling down from a gash on his forehead where he'd hit something in the chaos. Yet, in the heat of the moment, he barely noticed the pain. The only thing that mattered now was finding Moore. Kathryn's question hung heavily in the air, but Dick didn't have an answer. He couldn't tell her anything. All he knew was that Moore wasn't there, and something far darker was at play.

Dick was determined to find Mikey—he had to find Moore before it was too late. But Kathryn wasn't ready to let him go. Seeing the urgency in her eyes, Dick decided to misdirect her.

"Check the toilet," he said sharply, his voice laced with a touch of urgency. He gestured toward the door, hoping she would fall for the ruse.

Kathryn didn't hesitate. She rushed off without a second thought, her footsteps echoing in the quiet room. Dick, however, didn't waste a moment. As soon as her back was turned, he slipped away, his footsteps barely a whisper on the floor as he moved out of sight.

Kathryn returned moments later, her face a mask of fury and frustration. She had checked the toilet and found it empty. Her gaze locked on the empty space in the ward, and she let out a frustrated cry. "Where is he?" she shouted, her voice trembling with a mixture of panic and anger.

But Dick was already gone. The hospital corridors were his next battleground.

Meanwhile, Mikey, Harry, and Poure were deeply entrenched in their own plans. Mikey had been the one spotted, but his companions weren't far behind. Harry had been sitting quietly across from Mikey, waiting for the perfect moment to act. He had been the one to disable the power supply, causing the ward to plunge into darkness, buying them the time they needed. Poure, always prepared, had brought a syringe filled with a potent sedative to ensure that their plan would succeed. If Moore had resisted, they were ready to subdue him by force.

They hadn't expected Dick to intervene. The operation had been carefully orchestrated to be silent, seamless, and untraceable. But now, with the commotion caused by Dick's interference, their chances of slipping away unnoticed were slim.

Security guards began flooding the hospital corridors, as expected. The chaos was only escalating. When Dick spotted them, he quickly feigned innocence, slowing his pace to blend in with the crowd. He approached an elderly woman sitting on a nearby bench, pretending to ask her for directions. But the woman, visibly on edge, immediately grew suspicious.

Her unease was palpable, and when Dick caught her eye, she recoiled slightly. She had witnessed Moore being dragged away, and the sight had left her shaken. In a moment of panic, the old woman let out a piercing scream, and the sound echoed throughout the hospital, grabbing the attention of the security guards and nearby staff. Alarmed, the receptionist turned toward her, and the police officers nearby rushed toward the scene. But Dick didn't wait for them to catch up.

He bolted.

The security guards immediately gave chase, their footsteps pounding on the tiled floor as they tried to close the distance between them. But Dick had a head start. He weaved through the crowded corridors, using his knowledge of the hospital's layout to his advantage. He slipped through hallways, around corners, and out of sight, narrowly avoiding their grasp.

By the time the guards reached the exit, Dick was gone. He had managed to evade them, but he knew he wouldn't be free for long. The hospital was buzzing with the news of Moore's disappearance, and Dick was now the prime suspect. If he didn't act quickly, he would be trapped. He had to find Mikey, find Moore, and clear his identity.

Weeks earlier, Mikey had attended a scientific exhibition hosted by the esteemed Dr. Bin & Lab, an event that would change the course of his life. It was Mikey's first time seeing Dr. Bin in person, and the experience had left a lasting impression on him.

Dr. Bin was a renowned hematologist, his work groundbreaking and controversial. His theories about merging human blood with mechanical devices had earned him worldwide recognition, despite the ethical questions surrounding his methods. Dr. Bin maintained a secret laboratory hidden deep in the forest, far from the prying eyes of the public. Only a select few had access to the facility, and it was there that Dr. Bin conducted his most radical experiments.

His ultimate goal was to create sentient machines, powered by human blood. The idea of combining blood with technology was revolting to many, but Dr. Bin was resolute in his belief that this was the future. He saw human blood as the key to unlocking unimaginable technological advancements.

During the exhibition, Dr. Bin demonstrated his ability to manipulate blood samples and genetic material, creating artificial intelligence-driven entities. He spoke passionately about his ambition to revolutionize the world by merging biology with technology.

But as Dr. Bin spoke, one question lingered in the air: how had he acquired the blood for his experiments?

Dr. Lao, a fellow scientist, was the first to voice his concerns. "Human blood?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You need to clarify, Dr. Bin. Have you actually tested your theory? Show us some results."

Dr. Bin hesitated. The question clearly rattled him. "Em..." he stammered, clearly tempted to reveal more than he had planned.

"You've brought us here to talk about science, not magic," Dr. Lao pressed, his tone skeptical. "Have you conducted any real trials? Where are your results?"

Before Dr. Bin could answer, Mr. Brainard, the CEO of Cockpit Technologies, interjected. "Is this a joke, Bin?" Brainard sneered. "Where are you going to get the blood? If you want me to invest, I need clear, tangible answers. Do you expect me to fund a project that involves killing people? How practical is this theory?"

Brainard, a powerful investor, was known for his interest in technological advancements that could benefit humanity. However, he was unimpressed by Dr. Bin's theories. He stormed out of the exhibition in frustration, leaving Dr. Bin fuming with embarrassment.

But Mikey didn't share Brainard's skepticism. He had been captivated by Dr. Bin's ideas, drawn to them in a way he couldn't explain. Mikey had a deep, unsettling fascination with blood—a fascination that had begun when he was just six years old. What had started as innocent curiosity about a classmate's wound had evolved into a ravenous craving. The taste of blood awakened something inside him, a primal urge he could not control. As Mikey grew older, his obsession only deepened. He could smell human blood from far distance, his senses honed to an animalistic degree.