You slide the tube into your jacket pocket like it’s contraband. The rest of your shift drags, every beep of the fridge making you check if it’s still there.
At 4:20 a.m., your phone buzzes. Meet me at DripStop, corner of 9th and Ash. Levi’s message.
You lock up, shove your hands in your pockets, and head out into the wet streets. The city smells like rain and burnt coffee. DripStop is still lit inside, half the tables empty, the sound of steam wands filling the air. Levi’s in the corner booth, jacket off, sleeves pushed up, a paper cup between his hands.
“Hey,” you say, sliding into the seat across from him.
He nods toward your jacket. “So… you still have it?”
You glance around, then pull the GeneFlex tube out just enough for him to see. His eyes track it like it might move on its own.
“Yeah,” you admit. “Still trying to figure out if it’s some scam or…”
“It’s not a scam,” he says quietly. “At least, not in the way you think. I’ve never taken it, but I’ve seen people who have. And trust me, you know when you’re looking at someone on GeneFlex.”
You lean forward. “How?”
“Because normal muscle doesn’t grow that fast,” Levi says. “We had a guy collapse at the station a few months ago. He’d shot the UNSAFE stuff straight into his thigh. By the time we got there, his legs were twice their normal size, veins like cables. He was sweating, shaking… and he couldn’t stop talking about how badly he needed someone. Anyone.”
Your face heats a little. “Seriously?”
Levi smirks. “Yeah. It’s like it flips a switch in your head. SAFE is slower, you can pace yourself, maybe even reverse it. UNSAFE… well, the name’s accurate. Muscles blow up fast, your heart pounds like it’s sprinting, and your sex drive goes through the roof. Some people love that. Some crash hard after.”
You turn the tube over in your hands. “And it works on anyone?”
He nods. “Doesn’t matter who. Doesn’t matter if they know. Which is why I’m telling you—if you’re going to mess with it, do it somewhere you trust the people around you.”
You stare at the scratched-in SAFE and UNSAFE markings. Your pulse is louder now.
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