"Will this one do the trick?" Jimmy took over the vial containing a purple-colored sample. He examined it.

"So these spods claim," the mayor said, leaning back in his creaking chair after grabbing hold of a glass scotch resting on his desk. "this compound had a 98% success rate of neutralizing any abnormal alteration occurring in the cells of these rats after being exposed to UX40."

"Rats?" Jimmy said dryly as he placed the vial back on the table.

The mayor shrugged. "The only available ones, I'm afraid. All apes lost their sight when their eyes seeped away like melting marshmallows after exposure to that junk before dropping down as a lifeless rock within three days after suffering from symptoms similar to end-stage congestive heart failure. Dogs met the same fate, apart from the melting marshmallow part. Their testicles kept inflating until they were able to put a bowling ball to shame."

"Quite the unpredictable bastard,"

The mayor nodded. "And your daughter suffered the brunt of it after that car accident."

Jimmy gaped absentmindedly at the tv, broadcasting various headlines. Most of them went about his daughter. Violet became more brazen by the day. She was turning the world upside down.

Local mob bosses took matters into their own hands because the authorities were reluctant to act.

"If the mayor decides to stick his balding ostrich head in the sand, then the lion can do nothing else but to emerge from the woods to clear the field." Don Gio, boss of the most influential mob family in town, stated when gossips about their interference became too hot to ignore.

Criminal groups throughout the city had significantly suffered since Violet's emerging on the scene whereby she decimated their ranks – from low to high – by throwing them in prison.

And even though Violet's activities these days did not include crime fighting anymore, the cut she'd made was deep and still keenly felt, so these houses were eager to return the favor.

Armed to the teeth, a small army of mobsters sought confrontation with Violet amidst a busy intersection during rush hour. And contrary to previous skirmishes Violet had with 'bad guys' – whereby she did her best to keep them alive – she'd actually killed a dozen or so. Some of them in a cold-blooded way by crushing their bones beneath the heel of her boot after shrinking them down.

"Your daughter," The mayor's voice yanked Jimmy's attention away from the tv. "is she experiencing any inconvenience?"

Jimmy looked thoughtfully. "Besides the unease of her monthly cycles? No, nothing that I'm aware of, at least."

"Only beneficial superpowers?"

Jimmy nodded. "Only beneficial superpowers. Which are growing more potent, by the way still."

The mayor cocked his brow.

"She isn't at the height of her power, Jack. Violet is actually becoming stronger." Jimmy said earnestly.

The mayor shook his head.

"That girl is so damn lucky, Jimmy. You're damn lucky!"

"Am I?" Jimmy said, expressionless.

"Fifteen guinea pigs have UX40 been tested upon. Five of them unwillingly. They all died, Jimmy. All horribly and painfully."

"So what makes my girl so different then?"

"Those eggheads think the answer to that can be found on a cellular level. Even though they have not found any proof for that yet. At least, with Violet, that is."

"You mean in her genes? Is there a chance she carries something within her that she'd inherited from me?"

"Even if it's a DNA alteration - which is something we're not certain about - we do not know if it's a germ-line mutation, so don't get your hopes up. And besides, do you really want to become a guinea pig yourself to find out? I thought so," The mayor added when he saw Jimmy averting his eyes.

After a moment of silence, Jimmy started. "Do you believe in higher powers, Jack?"

"You mean like Jesus, Allah, Odin, types like that?"

Jimmy nodded and looked earnestly. "It may sound strange, especially coming from me, but I believe that Violet, my daughter, is the anti-christ or something and that she is destined to plunge the world into a dark age."

"Either way, we have to end it, one way or another. We agree on that, Jimmy, don't we?" the mayor said.

Jimmy nodded.

"And that thing in your hand is the only way of averting such a catastrophe. Just slip it into her drink."

"And it will neutralize her powers?" Jimmy scrutinized the tube clipped between his thumb and index finger.

"98% chance that it will."

"Oh, one more thing, Jimmy." The mayor said as Jimmy was about to stand up. "If it does neutralize her powers, it will probably also kill her within 48 hours after taking the dose. At least, that's what happened to all of those rats. I thought you should know."

"And, of course, there's a catch," Jimmy sighed. "So it's hell on earth or losing my daughter?"

"I cannot sugarcoat it, but yes, that's what it comes down to."

Jimmy glanced at the television where footage of a riot was being broadcasted. Throngs of enraged citizens were plundering stores and setting cars on fire. A new group had emerged, calling themselves The Freerunners. The groundwork of their philosophy was simple: If Violet doesn't have to comply with the law, then neither do we.

The number of its members snowballed. With more citizens joining their ranks, the more wanton Violet's behavior became. It was a seedbed for anarchy.

"I'm like a kid stepping into a room full of bugs when I'm out there. You can't expect me to dodge them all now, can you" Violet stated bluntly in front of the camera without an ounce of remorse after a crowded train fell off a bridge. A big blast of air tipped it over when Violet flew by it with several sonic booms in her wake. 163 passengers died just like that, of whom 40 were minors. Violet's message was clear: Just stay out of my way if you don't want accidents to happen.

Flight routes and the timing of the planes using them throughout the region were all tailored to Violet's flight behavior – all to prevent accidents. Pheronvale Airport had already lost two of its planes when Violet did not bother to evade them during one of her flights. The girl simply crashed straight through them, exploding them into radiant balls of fire in the sky.

Jimmy slammed the front door behind him and heard the intro tune of one of Violet's favorite Netflix series blasting out of the television. He saw her sitting cross-legged on the couch in a pair of grey jogging pants and a sports bra while snacking from a bag of M&M's. Her pitch-dark hair was tied up in a ponytail. She gave him a curt but friendly smile.

"How was your day, Dad?" Violet asked.

"Fine, fine," he lied, even though he knew Violet could sense that lie. "Yours?" he asked, even though he knew from listening to the radio broadcast while driving in his car that his daughter's recklessness resulted in the sinking of an oil tanker just 30 minutes ago.

"Lovely, Dad. Truly lovely," Violet beamed with a charming smile.

And yet here she sat like it was just an ordinary day. And it probably was, to Violet, that is. But an ordinary day for Violet could mean a disastrous day for humanity.

Jimmy scrutinized his daughter from a distance. Violet changed so much, but some things just remained the same. Like the way, she giggled when something funny was happening on TV or the mischievous sparkle in her eyes while looking at him during a greeting. However, Jimmy could not deny the dark aura swirling around his daughter these days. Sure, she wasn't killing people on purpose – at least, not yet – but she did not honor their lives either. They just utterly stood in her way. Her body count was already excessively high and Jimmy was afraid that this was only the beginning.

Last night he had seen a vision in his dreams – which Jimmy believed to be a forecast – as powerful nations around the world, one by one, surrendered to his daughter, a mere teen girl!

Nonetheless, Jimmy could not blame humanity if something like that happened. His daughter was already extraordinarily beautiful and powerful and only became more potent by the day. She was already a Goddess compared to them. Jimmy found it hard to maintain a healthy father and daughter relationship. Violet's presence radiated such a forceful aura that it almost compelled people to dignify her. Several reports were already popping up whereby ordinary people simply knelt down and bowed their heads when Violet showed up without her ordering such a thing.

"What is it you have in your hand there?" Jimmy asked while he watched Violet's hand fumbling on something.

"Oh, this?" Violet raised her hand. "just a few Mercedes-Benz I wanted to add to my collection. Do you like them? I shrunk them down for easy transport." Violet smiled.

"Are the owners still in them?" Jimmy asked, a bit concerned.

"I, uhm… have actually no idea, Dad!" Violet chuckled. She held her hand in front of her eyes and peeked at the miniature cars resting in her hand.

"Nope. All safe, Dad. No one here. Oh! Only this frigate got some sailors still in them, I think." Violet picked up a shrunken warship resting on the couch next to her lap.

"Make sure they're alright, okay, hon? They have families." Jimmy said. He was the only one who could get away with reprimanding his daughter. Everyone else had to face Violet's wrath after having the audacity to talk to her in such a way.

"No worries, Dad! I just shrunk all their families too and teleported them to my room. I will fabricate a nice accommodation for them to live in."

Jimmy grabbed the vial resting in his pocket.

Hell on earth of losing my daughter. He recalled his own words.