GOD FORMULA

02 Dog Days

Noah tried to push past, but Cory's hand shot out, slamming him against the lockers. The metal rang painfully against his spine.

"I heard your little sister has the nuke plague," Cory sneered, his breath hot in Noah's face. "Why don't you, you know, give up. Let her die. Stop mooching off society."

The others laughed. One of them—Jax, Cory's shadow—kicked Noah's worn backpack into a puddle forming by the door, making the books splash out.

Noah said nothing. He never did. He just gathered his stuff, water dripping from his hair, and trudged to class.

The day dragged on in painful boredom and misery. Teachers ignored his raised hand when he knew the answers. It was too risky to call on the "problem kid." His classmates whispered insults whenever they got a chance.

Alice Waverly sat three rows ahead in history, perfect as always, laughing with friends who had parents in high places. The most beautiful girl in the world. She had glanced at him once last year, a flicker of something like pity. It had kept him going for weeks.

At lunch, Noah sat alone with his free-meal voucher—gray protein paste and dry bread. Piper Lee dropped onto the bench across from him halfway through, his half-cyborg arm whirring softly as he set down his tray.

"You look worse than usual," he said bluntly, his mechanical eye scanning his face. "Problems at home again?"

"It's always home," Noah muttered. "Mindy threatened to kick us out. Derp called Lia a cripple. You know how they are."

Piper's organic eye softened. "That's fucked up, man. They're legally required—"

"No one enforces it down here." He poked at his food in frustration. "Lia's got one pill left. I need ninety-two bucks by tomorrow or..."

Piper reached across, squeezing his shoulder. "I don't have any money on me, but we'll figure something out, alright?"

"Anyway, did you hear?" he added. "Providence agents are on campus today. They are testing for what they are calling 'affinities.' You know, the big anti-terrorist organization? They recruit kids with potential. Perhaps you could apply for a position? They pay huge salaries and benefits."

Noah snorted. "They want hybrids or corporate-sponsored kids with gene modifications. Not fostered weaklings from the slums like me. I don't want to embarrass myself."

But the idea lingered in his mind all afternoon, a stupid spark of hope he wanted to crush immediately. It would be so awesome to work for Providence.

By the final bell, Noah was mentally and physically drained. He spent his last transit credits on the subway—anything to avoid the walk home in the rain.

The platform was crowded, but he managed to get on the train. Inside were commuters, students, and a few hybrids who kept their distance from the others. Noah stood near the doors with his earbuds in but playing no music, just watching reflections in the window.

Piper chattered beside him about conspiracy theories—Providence, hidden affinities, secret societies, and secret programs.

Noah half-listened and half-drifted off, focusing on his favorite game—The Knights of Regia. He ranked 3rd in the game under the username Lovelord. It was the only place in the world where he mattered.

The train lurched into the tunnel. Suddenly, the lights flickered once. Twice. Then screams erupted from the front cars. Glass shattered somewhere ahead, and the commotion grew. A roar echoed through the metal tube, and the lights died completely.

Emergency reds kicked on, bathing everything in crimson.

"Feral hybrids!" a man shouted. "They're berserk!"

Panic exploded on the train. People surged away from the car, trampling over each other, shoving towards doors that wouldn't open in the tunnel. Noah stumbled back against the wall, his heart slamming uncontrollably.

The connecting door to the next car buckled inward with a metallic screech as something tried to get inside by brute force. Three figures burst through. They looked barely human and more like canine monsters. Killer hybrids!