Bulge had never packed so badly in his life.
His boots were on the wrong feet. His socks were in his hoodie pocket. His toothbrush was in his hand the entire time and he still forgot to pack it. Somewhere near the bottom of his bag, a protein bar had melted into a pen and created a new species.
"This is fine," he said out loud. "This is professional. Totally normal rookie prep."
He checked his reflection in the mirror: nineteen years old, nervous as a squirrel near an electric fence, hair like a baby storm cloud. And yet… his chest felt like it was glowing.
He'd been picked. Not "approved," not "processed," not "randomly selected by committee."
He had been chosen. By name. By Dr. Freeze.
That name alone made his ears buzz.
Dr. Freeze. The myth. The master. The silent man in the cold coat.
The coolest, coldest, most terrifyingly legendary detective in the entire EFIC system. The guy who cracked cases no one could explain. The one everyone talked about in whispers like he was half myth and half security threat.
Freeze never spoke. Never smiled. Some said he didn't even sleep , just stood in corners until crimes gave up.
And now? He had walked into the candidate list, pointed at Bulge, and walked out again.
No speech. No paperwork. Just that one finger.
And now Bulge was packing like he was being chased by the future.
He paused, breathing fast. Looked at himself in the mirror. Wild hair. One sock. Too skinny for hero work, too stubborn to care.
Until him.
"Okay, okay," Bulge muttered, zipping up his bag. "Don't panic. Just breathe. Just… try not to trip over your own feet in front of the most mysterious detective in existence."
He tripped on the doormat three seconds later.
The halls of EFIC , the Eternity Federation Investigation Centre ,weren't built for comfort. They were built to impress.
Massive black corridors stretched endlessly, lined with glowing walls of shifting data. Security bots floated like silent ghosts. The air itself smelled like order. Every inch of EFIC screamed: You are very small and very replaceable.
Unless, of course, Freeze picked you.
Bulge tried to look casual as he walked through the corridor to Hangar. His bag bounced awkwardly against his side. An agent passed him, glanced at his badge, and gave him a look that said, "You? Really?"
He tried to give a cool nod. He ended up blinking too much.
And then...z
He saw it.
The hangar doors were open.
And there, standing at the edge of polished black floors, was a ship.
It didn't look like anything else parked in EFIC. It looked… ancient. Sleek. Silent. Like it hadn't landed .., it had arrived. Like it had seen too much. Like it didn't trust gravity.
It was long, sharp, and matte black, with silver veins pulsing faintly along its hull. No windows. No doors. No crew marks. Just presence. It gave off the quiet energy of a wolf who didn't bark , just watched.
And next to it.., him.
Dr. Freeze.
Bulge froze.
Freeze didn't turn. He stood with his hands folded behind his back, his long greenish gray coat unmoving in the still hangar air. His visor glowed faintly, covering his entire face like a curtain made of cold thought.
Bulge swallowed. Then stepped forward.
"Hi. Uh. Hey. Detective Freeze," he said, stopping a few feet away. "It's me. Bulge. You picked me. Obviously. I mean… hi."
Freeze said nothing.
Didn't move.
Didn't even blink, probably.
Bulge stood awkwardly. "First of all, thank you. This means a lot. I mean, a lot a lot. Like, I think I dreamed this exact moment once except I was taller in the dream and had cooler hair."
Still nothing.
Bulge shifted his weight. "You're not big on talking, huh? That's fine. I talk enough for two people. Some say three."
Freeze turned slightly, just his head.
Bulge's stomach flipped. That little movement felt like a thunderclap. It wasn't approval or disapproval. Just… noticing. Awareness. Like Freeze was mentally tagging him: "This one. Mine."
They stood there in silence.
Bulge looked at the ship, standing beside Freeze now.
"Is this… yours?" he asked. "Of course it is. It has to be. I mean, who else gets a ship that looks like a knife made of regrets?"
Freeze remained still as always.