Pressure Points

Carl and Katy stood quietly, the weight of the situation pressing heavily upon them. The question they had been asked still echoed in their minds, lingering without a clear answer. Carl hadn't considered the deeper implications until now.

As Magnograv, his movements could become restricted, his actions scrutinized more harshly than ever—especially now that some people had started viewing him as a potential villain instead of a hero.

He furrowed his brow, reflecting inwardly. I never actually thought about it like this before. This could seriously affect everything I do, everywhere I go. Some folks already think I'm a threat. What happens if this spreads?

Katy let out a long sigh as she considered their limited options. "Well," she said finally, "there's nothing we can really do right now. Our only real hope is to keep her safe until she wakes up and explains everything herself. Once she clears things up and says it was all just an accident, maybe people will start to see the truth."

Trying to shift the mood and inject some energy into the atmosphere, Carl smiled slightly. "You know what? Why don't we check out the new capabilities of the suit? Maybe that'll take our minds off things."

Katy's expression brightened immediately. "Oh yeah! Beatrix mentioned that the suit got a bunch of upgrades. They even added a few new features!"

Carl activated the suit with his usual command. "Suit on." From his watch, metallic strands extended and rapidly wrapped around his entire body, forming the sleek armor. He moved around a bit, testing its feel. "Huh… it does feel more comfortable than before. Beatrix, can you give me the full rundown?"

Beatrix's mechanical voice responded promptly as she scanned the suit. "The most significant upgrades include an increase in magnetic force resistance, enhanced boot thrusters for greater mobility, better stealth through improved invisibility functions, more robust communication systems, and overall greater flexibility in the suit's structure."

Katy nodded with approval. "That's really nice. Sounds like a serious upgrade."

Carl looked down at the suit and marveled. "They did all that without changing how it looks at all? That's insane."

Beatrix chimed in dryly, "If that amazes you, then you're an even bigger idiot than I gave you credit for."

Carl's mood shifted instantly. "What did you just say?!"

"You heard me."

Katy stifled a laugh. "Beatrix, maybe ease up on the insults?"

"I'll comply."

Katy turned her attention back to the suit. "One of the coolest new features is the mercury shooter—and the fluid vials that go with it."

Carl blinked. "Mercury shooter? As in, actual mercury? Like the liquid metal? That's the only metal that stays liquid, right?"

Katy nodded. "Exactly."

Carl's face lit up like a child on a holiday. "That means I have access to metal no matter where I go!"

Katy tilted her head, unconvinced. "I wouldn't say you have an unlimited supply…"

"Sure I do! Even if I use it up, I can magnetically recall it!"

Katy considered this. "Okay… you actually make a good point. For once."

Carl scoffed playfully. "What do you mean 'for once'? I always make sense."

"Let's not go there," Beatrix warned.

"Stay out of it, Beatrix," Carl replied.

Katy changed the topic again. "Why don't we run a test?"

Carl's grin widened. "Absolutely. Let's go."

Beatrix activated a training program, and dart targets lined up in front of them.

"Try using your hand like a gun," Katy instructed. "When I saw the scan of the suit, it seemed like the best way to trigger the mercury shooter."

Carl raised his arm and mimicked the motion, pointing his middle and index fingers while lifting his thumb. "Like this?"

"Yeah. When you're ready, bend your thumb."

He did—but the result was underwhelming. A tiny drop of mercury plopped weakly to the ground. "What?! That's it? I thought it'd be some cool, bullet-speed metal blast!"

Katy studied the result. "The mercury lacked momentum. It formed a shape briefly, but because it's liquid, it lost that shape instantly. You need to apply your magnetic repel field at the tip of your middle finger to give it velocity."

Carl hesitated. "You sure that'll work?"

"It's our best shot. If you can give it speed—enough to hit the target before it changes shape—it should work."

Carl nodded and focused. He aimed again and this time, bent his thumb while applying the repel field. A silver blast of mercury shot forward and shredded through the first two targets.

Carl stood frozen, eyes wide. "Shit… that… was… amazing."

Katy smiled with relief. "They really knew what they were doing when they worked on this."

"Yeah," Carl agreed. Just then, a notification pinged on his wrist. He glanced down and blinked. "Crap. It's getting late—I've gotta go."

"Alright. If you're going to keep training, focus on improving your precision."

"Got it," Carl said, turning to leave. He stopped briefly, turned back, and recalled the mercury he'd fired. "Almost forgot this." Then he left for real.

On his way home, he began his usual training routine, increasing the gravity around him as he walked. By the time he made it back, he was utterly exhausted

The next morning, Carl woke up later than usual. The gravity training had drained his energy. He sat up and stretched with a groan. "Ugh… that really took a lot out of me." He checked his phone. "Ten forty-eight?!"

Something felt off. He couldn't place it.

Beatrix's voice echoed from the phone. "You have a meeting at eleven thirty, dum-dum."

Carl bolted upright. "Crap! I totally forgot!"

He rushed to shower and get ready, scrambling to make up for lost time. Despite the chaos, he managed to finish everything with two minutes to spare.

He stood still for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm himself. So I'm going back there. What's this meeting about? Did I mess something up? Maybe they want to discipline me. The thought weighed heavily. I hope Sia's awake by now. I hate the idea that I might have hurt someone. Being seen as a fugitive still stings.

The teleportation process initiated. Blue light shimmered around him.

"Suit on," he commanded, and the armor wrapped around his form. He grabbed his phone just as he vanished.

At IPF Headquarters, a vast hall buzzed with muted conversations. Five main heroes sat at a round table, while others joined through shimmering holographic projections. One seat remained vacant—until Carl materialized and took his place among them.

As Magnograv, he tried to remain composed, but anxiety clawed at his thoughts. Crap crap crap… I didn't think this through. Now that I'm here, I feel like I'm under a microscope. They all look so intense… What have I gotten myself into?