Chapter 17: A Test

One of the feds was a tall black guy with prominent sideburns, and he introduced himself as Chris Glenn after confirming Odin's identity. The other agent was an average-looking blonde woman with a slim build and a stern face. Her name was Naomi Brodie.

After the introductions, they entered the house with the forensics and started observing the crime scene. They spent a few minutes scrutinizing the dead FBI agents and the giant rats sprawled on the floor. They then examined every inch of the living room before stepping toward Odin and asking him to narrate his account of the incident.

Of course, Odin started feeding them his prepared bullshit. He described how the two FBI agents had fought bravely against the three giant rats to protect him and his adoptive mother. Eventually, they managed to tire out the rodents but perished before they could kill them. And that's when he came into the picture, finishing them off with the help of one of the officer's weapons when they were on the last legs.

Just as he finished telling his story, his adoptive mother also arrived in the living room. When the two feds began questioning her, Odin could only sigh in wonder. Her acting was superb, and she insisted that she'd fainted and hadn't witnessed the entire incident. Moreover, she was even better than him at conveying her traumatic experiences while skipping the crucial details.

The feds seemed skeptical and asked some tricky questions, intending to force them to reveal some clues. They even went upstairs and questioned Bella and Carolina as if to confirm a few things. However, all their efforts ended up fruitless. They couldn't dispute Odin's story even after the long interrogation session.

Maybe, they would find some clues when they conducted a more detailed forensic examination of the scene and did the autopsies. However, all that didn't matter to Odin as the apocalypse would descend in three days. The feds would also be in dire straits, fighting to survive. So, there's no way they would bother him.

"Thanks for your cooperation," the black FBI agent said to Aunt Lucy after exiting the sisters' room on the second floor. "But remember that this is still a police crime scene under investigation. So, you can't continue staying in this house."

"This is my advice," he continued as their group of four started descending the stairs. "You should look for somewhere else to stay until we clear up this place. If you choose to stay in a hotel room, you can file for compensation from the state to get your money back."

"We already decided to move into a hotel for the next few days," Aunt Lucy hurriedly replied. "Thanks for your concern."

"Good," the agent said with a smile. "If you recall anything else, whether minor, about what happened today, please get in touch with us. We will also contact you again if we need to clarify some of the details about the case."

"That's okay with us, officers," Aunt Lucy replied politely. "Thank you for doing the hard work."

"It's our duty," the FBI agent said before exchanging a glance with his partner, who'd been silent all along. It seemed like a silent signal, and the stern lady immediately unleashed a blow toward Odin's abdomen with her elbow.

Odin got a scare when the FBI lady agent who'd been silently walking a few steps ahead paused and suddenly assaulted him. His heartbeat accelerated as the swift attack was about to connect with his stomach. All the while, lightning-fast thoughts whirled through his mind as he pondered whether to defend himself.

But just then, he considered another possibility and decided to act like a terrified ordinary human. He immediately contorted his face and let his backside land on the stair right behind him. In so doing, he avoided the blow and managed to keep his improved abilities a secret.

"What are you doing?" Aunt Lucy shouted, turning around. Her gaze was scorching as she glared daggers at the lady agent. "Why did you attack my son?"

"Sorry," the lady agent replied in a slightly hoarse voice. "That was a slip on my part. I felt like someone was attacking me, and my combat instincts forced me to react. I really didn't mean to harm your son."

Aunt Lucy's eyes seemed to spew fire. "Bullshit! Do you think I'm blind? You clearly wanted to assault my son. I'll sue you for this." She said before helping Odin up. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry," Odin replied while giving the lady agent a profound look. "I'm okay. I was lucky that I fell back and avoided the assault."

"That's a relief," Aunt Lucy said, fanning herself with her hand.

"I'm really sorry, Madam," the lady agent said again. "I'm ashamed of myself for making..."

"Enough!" Aunt Lucy interrupted her rudely. "You two are no longer welcome in my house. Just get out!"

"But this is our crime scene," the tall black agent replied helplessly. "As you can see, our forensic team is still working here. So, how can we leave?"

"On second thought, we'll be the ones to leave," Aunt Lucy said, halting in her tracks. "But I promise I'll sue you for trying to harm my son."

The two agents could only smile ruefully without saying anything.

"Odin!" Aunt Lucy continued, her tone brisk. "Go pack your things. We're going to check into a hotel immediately. We can't stay in the same place with an unstable person."

"Okay." Odin nodded.

**** ****

Chris Glenn watched Luciana Martinez and her son ascend the stairs with a thoughtful expression. As an experienced FBI agent, he could easily deduce that their accounts of the whole incident had problems. However, he had trouble identifying the exact portions of their story that had issues.

"Well?" He asked the stern blonde lady beside him after the backs of the mother and son had disappeared up the stairs.

"Chris!" Naomi Brodie, the FBI lady, intoned. "I swear I'll kick you in the balls if you ever make me attack another person again. Do you understand how it feels when people look at you as an insane person?"

"Don't sweat the small things," Chris Glenn said, smiling. "What were the results of the test?"

Naomi thought for a second before answering. "His reactions were like those of an ordinary person when I attacked. He clearly flinched and fell back on his butt."

"Oh!" Chris said, narrowing his eyes. "This guy has survived two incidents involving powerful mutant creatures. If he's an ordinary person, his luck should be heaven-defying."

Naomi's expression changed slightly. "I also can't seem to see through him. He might have been acting when I attacked him. But that would mean that his reaction speed is many times greater than mine."

Chris nodded. "So, is he a metahuman, or is he not?"

"We can't be sure," Naomi said, shaking her head slightly. "But if he happens to be a meta, he would surely be a powerful one. So, let’s forward his name to the MRA guys and leave him alone. Our job is only to investigate the crime scene."

Chris sighed helplessly. "Our department has not had a moment of peace ever since the cases of metahumans and mutated animals started emerging around the country. There are always people dying in some weird ways every week. When will this end?"

Naomi shrugged.

**** ****