Mutation Abyss-Chapter 54: Let It Go

Theo clenched his jaw. The moment the system’s notification faded, he turned away from the others. He didn’t wait for thanks or questions. He already knew what was coming.

He wasn’t supposed to be here.

Trespassing into a restricted zone and an unauthorized use of powers without clearance.

Theo took a step back, preparing to Shadow Step out before reinforcements could react.

But-

He couldn’t move. His body tensed, frozen in place. An invisible force wrapped around his arms and legs, locking him mid-step like invisible chains. His muscles strained, but there was no breaking free.

He didn’t have to look to know who it was. "Let go," he muttered, eyes narrowing.

From behind, Lexa stood with her hand slightly raised, fingers splayed. Her eyes glowed faintly, icy and unreadable.

"You’re not going anywhere," she said calmly, her voice low but firm.

Then he heard her voice, sharp and commanding.

"Mira, check and triage the survivors. Once they’re stable, have Karyle and Dax escort them outside the barrier."

"Copy, Commander!"

She turned to Zeke and Lior next. "Clear the fourth and fifth floors. Search for any remaining survivors. Keep me updated. I’ll follow shortly."

Meanwhile, Theo struggled against the invisible force holding him. "You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re seriously holding me down right now?"

"Considering you broke the law? Yes," Lexa snapped, hand still raised as her telekinesis locked him in place.

"I saved your life," Theo murmured with a shrug like a puppy.

"I had it under control."

"Oh yeah?" Theo huffed. "Looked real under control when your spine was about to get chewed in half."

"I guess we’re even now since I saved your life before, remember?" Lexa shot back, arms crossed.

Theo froze. His mind flashed back to that day at Atlas Medical City. He’d been fighting a Meteorborn near the upper floors. He would’ve fallen, would’ve died, if Lexa hadn’t yanked him to his feet on the ground with her telekinetic power before he plummeted.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I... don’t know what you’re talking about," he mumbled, trying to sound clueless.

She narrowed her eyes.

He avoided her gaze, mentally cursing. She was a police officer before the meteorite strikes, one who knew his full records. Back then, he was different. The fat guy who almost died after falling from the hospital building before the world went to hell.

He couldn’t risk letting her recognize him fully.

"Oh please," Lexa snapped, narrowing her eyes. "You just lost some weight, so don’t give me that act."

Theo blinked, feigning offense. "Excuse me?"

"You’re reckless," she continued, voice cold. "You charged into a restricted zone and engaged a classified Infectee without clearance."

He scoffed, lifting his hands in mock apology. "Wow, my bad. I must’ve missed the part where I was supposed to fill out a mission request form while people were dying."

Lexa stepped closer, her jaw tightening. "And you think that justifies breaking protocol? You don’t even have proper training!"

Theo met her glare head-on. "Didn’t need training to save those people, did I?"

"That’s not the point," she fired back. "You could’ve gotten yourself killed or worse, gotten someone else killed because of your stunt."

"Yeah?" He folded his arms. "Well, no one died. Except for those lovely MB Infectees and Meteorborns, right? You’re welcome, by the way."

Lexa’s nostrils flared. "You arrogant, this isn’t a game, Mystery Man."

He smirked. "Then maybe don’t treat the people actually trying to help like criminals."

"Wait, so you two know each other?!" Zeke finally spoke up, unable to stay silent any longer.

Like the others, he hadn’t moved, completely drawn into the tension between Theo and Lexa.

"No!" both Theo and Lexa snapped at the same time.

Zeke raised a brow. "You definitely do."

"You obviously have history," Mira mumbled, eyeing them suspiciously. "Are you AMS or UMS? Just tell me your name. I’ll run it through the database."

"He’s AMS," Lexa cut in before Theo could answer. "And he’s also the same fool who snuck into Atlas Medical City without clearance. You could’ve just applied to join AMSO like a normal person, but instead, you’re running around rogue, breaking rules and acting arrogant!"

Theo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I swear," Theo muttered, "I run into a nightmare with a split jaw and a thousand teeth, and somehow you’re still scarier."

The room fell silent except for the distant creak of settling debris. Zeke raised a brow at Dax and Lior, who both shrugged awkwardly. Mira stood between them, arms crossed, watching with interest.

Lexa arched a brow. "Keep talking, and I’ll make sure you don’t move for the next hour."

Theo scowled. "Try me, Snow Queen."

Lexa blinked. "Snow - what!?"

"Forget it," he muttered, looking away.

She crossed her arms. "If I let you go, are you going to run?"

"No. I’m going to walk... very quickly... in the opposite direction of this disaster."

Lexa sighed through her nose, clearly annoyed, then finally loosened her telekinetic grip.

Theo rolled his shoulder, shaking off the tension like it physically clung to him.

Without looking at him again, Lexa turned to her team and barked, "Enough watching. Move out! Now!"

The team snapped out of their stunned silence. Mira gave Theo one last suspicious glance before rushing to help Karyle and Dax organize the survivors for evacuation. Zeke muttered something under his breath as he and Lior turned and headed for the upper floors, already scanning the walls for signs of more Infectees.

Theo took a cautious step back, eyeing Lexa in case she changed her mind and decided to fling him into a wall again. She didn’t.

Instead, she shot him a warning glare. "This isn’t over."

"Didn’t think it was," Theo replied dryly. "You’re not exactly the ’let it go’ type."

Lexa huffed and turned away, striding toward the stairwell, already pulling her comms up. "Lexa Spears to Command. Third floor clear. Survivors are being escorted out. Continuing sweep of the building."

Theo watched her go for a second, then rubbed his face with a sigh. He glanced at the charred remains of the MHusk, then at the survivors being helped out of the building.

Despite everything, they were safe. That counted for something.

Theo turned and started making his way to the stairwell opposite Lexa’s team, his shadow rippling faintly at his feet. But just before he stepped through the door, he heard her voice one more time.