The Global Defense Network.
Better known as the GDN.
It wasn't something the public fully understood, only that whenever something went wrong on a scale beyond police or military, the GDN was somehow involved.
Behind the scenes, it was Earth's unified defense system against everything the world wasn't supposed to be ready for.
Alien invasions, superhuman conflicts, dimensional anomalies, wars that never made the news.
At its center stood S.H.I.E.L.D.
An intelligence and covert operations division that specialized in espionage, threat analysis, and black-ops missions. They didn't just fight problems, they predicted them, managed them, and quietly directed other organizations like pieces on a board.
Then there was Providence.
A global clandestine force born after the Nanite Event, tasked with containing or eliminating unstable entities—EVOs. Monsters, to the public. Where S.H.I.E.L.D. dealt in secrets, Providence dealt in containment… often violently.
And beyond Earth was the Plumbers.
An universal peacekeeping force that has a station base on Earth and is responsible for handling extraterrestrial threats.
Not all organizations were known.
Some operated in complete obscurity.
Like the Organization Without a Cool Acronym— O.R.C.A for short
Ridiculous name but extremely real.
An agency composed entirely of hyper-intelligent animals, trained as operatives. Some lived double lives as ordinary pets, their human families completely unaware of what they actually were.
And those were just some examples. Earth wasn't unprotected. It was crowded with defenders but some was restraint by a law.
But at the time where they are needed, they will show up. Which was exactly why Dexter didn't just run around recklessly.
____
Wind tore past him as Arcee roared down the road, engine screaming as they cut through San Fransokyo's streets.
He was waiting.
'They're always late,' Dexter thought, eyes scanning ahead as the HUD tracked multiple incoming signals behind him.
S.H.I.E.L.D, Plumbers. Maybe even some retired superheroes.
They would come... Eventually.
"That is why I need… a few more minutes."
He leaned slightly as Arcee took a sharp turn, heading toward a more open area near SFIT. The campus stretched wide, filled with parks and open spaces, fewer civilians, fewer variables.
A better battlefield.
Because it wasn't like he was alone in this city.
Not entirely.
A faint smirk touched his lips beneath the helmet.
After all… he did just meet more interesting people in the last few days.
_____
San Fransokyo – Mr. Smoothy
A familiar green-and-black 1968 Dodge Charger sat parked outside the brightly colored shop.
Leaning against it was Kevin Levin, arms crossed, expression bored as ever.
The door swung open.
"Okay, okay, this one—this one's gotta be it."
Ben Tennyson walked out first, holding four different smoothies stacked awkwardly in his hands. Behind him, Gwen followed, carrying two with far more balance.
Gwen handed one to Kevin. "Here."
Kevin took it with a nod. "Took you long enough."
Ben, meanwhile, was already sipping from one cup—then another—then switching again like a scientist mid-experiment.
"…Okay, this one's weird," he said, squinting. "Like—blueberry? But spicy? Why is it spicy?"
He took another sip.
"…I kinda like it."
Gwen raised a brow. "You say that about everything with sugar in it."
"It's not just sugar," Ben defended. "It's… advanced flavor engineering."
Kevin snorted. "You mean random junk in a blender."
Ben ignored him, already moving to the next cup. "Ooooh!! this one's good. This one's really good. I'm calling it—best one."
"That's the fifth 'best one' you've had in five minutes," Gwen said dryly.
Before Ben could argue—
BEEP.
Gwen paused.
"…That's not good."
She set her drink aside and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small, metallic disk with a glass-like center.
It lit up instantly.
A holographic projection flickered to life above it, forming the image of a Plumber agent.
"Tennysons and Levin," the figure said quickly. "We have an active extraterrestrial incursion in San Fransokyo. Unknown hostiles. Armed and organized."
Ben groaned loudly. "You have got to be kidding me. I just got these."
The Plumber ignored him. "Local response units are still deploying. We need immediate intervention. Coordinates are being transmitted now."
Gwen's expression sharpened. "Understood."
Ben looked down at his drinks… then back at the hologram.
"…Can I at least bring one?"
"No," Gwen and Kevin said at the same time.
Ben sighed dramatically. "This is a tragedy."
Kevin pushed off the car. "Save it. We've got work."
The hologram flickered out.
Ben took one last, long sip of his smoothie.
"…Worth it."
Then he tossed the cup aside and ran for the Charger.
Moments later
The engine roared to life.
Tires screeched against pavement as Kevin slammed the accelerator, the car launching forward into the street.
"Coordinates locked," Gwen said, eyes glowing faintly as she read the data.
Kevin smirked. "Hang on."
The Charger sped off toward the chaos and the battlefield Dexter had been waiting for.