The once-quiet city of EDVAC now trembled under the shadow of chaos as mutants began to unleash their power across the city.

In the Industrial District, a mutant with the power to control fire wreaked havoc, his hands engulfed in flames as he set warehouses ablaze. Workers ran for their lives as the fires spread, consuming everything in their path. In the Residential Zone, a woman with the power to manipulate gravity sent cars flying into the air, flipping them as though they were toys. Screams echoed down the streets, and people scattered, powerless to stop the mutant menace.

Scarlett Adair, meanwhile, found herself in a place few from the Upper District ever dared to venture: the Lower District.

She had on previous occasions come to the district being aware of how it was the heart of EDVAC’s criminal underworld, a dangerous and unpredictable part of the city where the government’s influence was weakest. The bright, neon-lit streets buzzed with life, but beneath the surface, there was an undeniable sense of decay. Gangs ruled the streets here, and mutants—those who didn’t fit into society’s mold—found refuge in the shadows.

Scarlett was here for answers, not only about REX, but also to make sense of the strange occurrences that had begun plaguing the city. Rumors were swirling about a strange energy flow coursing through the Lower District. The very fabric of the city seemed to be changing, evolving even. Some said it was the result of a new power source, others whispered that it was a sign of something far more sinister—a force being manipulated by the mutants themselves.

As Scarlett walked through the bustling streets, she couldn’t help but notice the sudden shift in the district’s infrastructure. Buildings that once stood as crumbling ruins now gleamed with polished metal and glass. The streets, previously cracked and uneven, had been mysteriously upgraded. The energy flow that hummed through the city felt different—brighter, more intense, she herself could feel the change of the energy flow-as if it was alive.

She stopped at a small tavern, the dim lights inside casting eerie shadows across the room. The barkeep was a contact she had cultivated over the years, a man who kept his ears to the ground and knew things others didn’t. She leaned over the counter, her voice low.

“I need information on REX,” she said.

The barkeep raised an eyebrow. “That’s dangerous talk around here.”

Scarlett shot him a look that silenced any further questions. “I don’t have time for games. What do you know?”

The man hesitated but eventually gave in. “There’s been… chatter. REX’s not working alone. He’s building something. And the energy you’re feeling in the district? It’s him. He’s manipulating it. Changing it.”

Scarlett’s eyes narrowed. “How?”

“No one knows for sure. But whatever it is, it’s connected to the mutants. The ones that are rising up. The energy is amplifying their powers and quickening some.”

Scarlett felt a knot tighten in her stomach. If REX was behind the sudden surge in mutant abilities, then the city was in even greater danger than she had imagined.