Nightshade: The Series

Episode 1, 2024: Bloodlines (part 1)

In 2018, a woman wearing a white lab coat bearing the Evolvex name was seated at a desk, typing furiously on a computer keyboard with a picture of her son, brown skinned little boy with long curly hair next to his father, an African American man in detective outfit on. She was in the process of deleting sensitive research files. Suddenly, she took out a small vial containing a toxic serum and administered it to several animals confined in the lab, including a colony of bats. After the incident, she recorded a video message intended to reveal the unethical practices of the business she was associated with. However, right after she completed her video, a shadowy figure burst through the door, aiming a pistol directly at her, and pulled the trigger without hesitation...

Years later in 2024, The lockers clanged like a metallic chorus as the freshman‑year rush swelled into the main corridor. Cole Perez‑Pierce, shoulders hunched against the early‑morning chill, wrestled with a tangled mess of textbooks, a half‑finished physics worksheet, and a battered water bottle. He fumbled with the combination on locker B‑247, finally hearing the sigh of the lock release. As he pulled the door open, the brass‑hinged door of locker B‑248 swung inward, revealing a lanky dark-skinned boy in a graphic tee, his grin wide enough to split the morning.

"Yo, Cole!" Jason Harvack elbowed his way into the space between lockers, his arm looping around Cole's shoulders in a side‑hug that was part greeting, part reminder that they'd known each other forever. "Did you see the new bio‑drone video that dropped on the lab feed? Crazy shit." Cole laughed, the tension in his shoulders loosening. "Only half‑watched it 'cause I was trying to remember the formula for the Van der Waals forces. You always get the cool stuff before I even know it exists."

Jason shoved his head back, eyes bright. "You're welcome. Speaking of 'cool stuff,' my dad's got the science fair coming up at Evolvex and one of our teachers, Dr. Francis. He's letting the kids use the prototype labs. And remember I asked you about that old oscilloscope from your garage. Think you can swing it?" Cole glanced at the worn equipment tucked under his arm. "Yeah, I think it'll fit. That place is basically a playground for us nerds." Jason's grin deepened. "Exactly. My dad's gonna be there, showing off the new bio‑reactor. He's even letting a few undergrads run the thing. You want to see it in action? I'll get permission for us to ride the bus together—don't want you wandering the streets with a kid's bike again." Cole raised an eyebrow. "You've still got the bike?" Jason laughed, pulling his phone from his pocket. "Only for show. I'll call my dad real quick, hold on." He dialed, his thumb tapping a rhythm that matched the clatter of lockers. Phone conversation – Jason's side

"Hey, Pops," Jason said, voice bright. "Cole's coming over for the science fair. Can we get the bus? He's got the oscilloscope, and I'll need a hand with the set‑up." A warm chuckle crackled through the speaker. "I gotchu, son. I'll clear the van for the two of you. Cole's a good kid—keep him out of trouble since it's his first time coming to the place, will ya?"

"Always," Jason replied, and hung up, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

"Permission granted," he announced, waving the phone like a flag. "We're good to roll." Cole smiled, feeling a rare surge of excitement. "Thanks, man. I've never been inside the lab before. Not even for a tour." Jason's eyes sparkled. "You're about to get a backstage pass. Come on, the bus pulls up in like, five minutes." They slipped out of the hallway, dodging a swarm of students spilling into the stairwell. The school's yellow‑painted bus lurked at the curb, its windows fogged from the night's chill. Inside, the bus hummed with the low murmur of other students, the air thick with the smell of stale coffee and teenage perfume. On the bus, Jason nudged Cole as the engine rumbled to life. "You ready for the big leagues?" Cole adjusted his backpack, the weight of the oscilloscope adding a familiar comfort. "If by 'big leagues' you mean a building that looks like a sci‑fi movie set, then absolutely." Jason laughed, pulling out his phone to scroll through the day's schedule. "We're meeting at the main lobby at 9:15. My dad wants us to be there early, so I can drop off the oscilloscope in the storage bay and then grab a bite." "Anything I should bring?" Cole asked, eyes flickering to the doorway that led toward the city's sleek skyline.