(THO) CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Gojo Satoru strolled down the rain-slick sidewalk with his hands in his coat pockets, blindfold in place, and white hair catching the pale sunlight.

Gojo Satoru strolled down the rain-slick sidewalk with his hands in his coat pockets, blindfold in place, and white hair catching the pale sunlight. Behind him, a trio of would-be muggers lay groaning against a graffiti-tagged wall in a pile of their own poor choices. Their injuries were nothing life-threatening, just badly bruised ribs, cracked pride, and the quiet horror that came with realizing you’d tried to rob the wrong person.

“You didn’t have to throw one of them into the wall,” came a voice from the side.

Gojo turned his head to see Velocity standing at the corner, arms crossed, and expression dry.

“Didn’t have to,” Gojo agreed, grinning. “But it felt right.”

Velocity shook his head, cuffing the unconscious bodies with the ease of someone used to this kind of thing. “The PRT’s not sure what to make of you, you know.”

Gojo was still grinning. “That’s probably for the best.”

“You don’t pick sides,” Velocity continued. “You’re friendly with heroes, saved villains, helped civilians, refused recruitment offers from everyone—including us—and the only consistent thing we can pin on you is that you don’t like threats. Especially toward kids.”

Gojo sent him a confused look. “Is that… not a normal baseline?”

Velocity ignored the deflection. “People are getting nervous, and not just the PRT or the villains. The civilians, too.”

“Good.” Gojo’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’d hate to be boring.”

Velocity sighed. “You’re not going to cooperate, are you?”

“I am cooperating,” Gojo replied, crouching beside one of the muggers and poking her. “I’m not claiming territory, I’m not killing indiscriminately, and I’m not toppling your chain of command. I haven’t killed anyone who didn’t try to kill me first.” He gestured to the groaning muggers, the implication obvious. “These guys? They’ll walk away with nothing worse than bruises and may end up becoming wiser.”

“But you’re still a question mark.” Velocity suddenly looked tired. “We don’t know what you are, if you are even a parahuman, or something else. And worse, we don’t know what you want”

Gojo’s expression shifted, just slightly. The amusement faded, replaced by something harder to read.

“I want information—answers,” he said, standing. “I’ve been reading a lot. Mostly on parahuman biology, first and second generation triggers, and even post-trigger adaptations.”

Velocity was caught off-guard. “Okay…”

Gojo‘s voice dropped as he moved closer. “And all of it dances around the same thing: the passengers. There’s no real explanation given and no confirmation, only a theory. A useless label for what nobody wants to understand.”

Velocity frowned. “It’s just a placeholder. Nobody’s proven anything yet.”

Gojo nodded slowly. “That’s what they want you to think.”

“They?”

“I don’t know yet. Maybe someone or an organization, maybe even something bigger, but definitely secretive. And the bottomline is that they are intentionally keeping this world ignorant of the real source of parahuman powers.”

Velocity went still.

“I can feel them,” Gojo said. “Threads of connection latching on to people, watching. Some do so subtly, others loud, but most…” He trailed off, thoughtful. “Most are nearly sentient.”

Velocity visibly swallowed. “You’re serious.”

“I usually am,” Gojo said. “You just don't believe me.”

“People don’t just get powers at random; they’re chosen,” he added. “But the purpose eludes me.”

Velocity didn’t speak, at least not at first. When he finally did, it came out rife with unease. “I’ll… pass it along. But don’t expect Piggot to take it well. She’s not a fan of conspiracy theories, especially the kind from capes that spook Analysts.”

“Let them be spooked,” Gojo said, his smile returning. “Sometimes fear is just the truth’s way of getting your attention.”

Velocity turned to leave, but Gojo raised a hand.

“One more thing.”

Velocity glanced back.

“I want to see Vista again.”

The wariness was palpable between them. “Why?”

Gojo smiled. “Her power’s the closest this world has come to replicating the effects of Limitless that I know of.” He looked up at the sky and at the passing clouds. “And that’s… potentially interesting.”

Velocity gave him one last inscrutable look before vanishing in a blur of motion.