An upscale restaurant, downtown district. The string music played softly, the gleam of the glasses danced with the dim lights, and the city seemed frozen in perfect time.
-I can't believe you got a table here," she said, laughing softly, playing with her napkin between her fingers. I thought this place was booked until the next century.
-What can I tell you? -he replied, shrugging his shoulders. I have my contacts. Or, well... I lied a lot on the phone. They both laughed. -So? What was the surprise? He became serious all of a sudden. He cleared his throat. Then he stood up. -What are you doing? -she asked, confused. He knelt down. He took out a small box. -I know I make mistakes, I know I leave my toothbrush wet, and I know I don't understand your favourite movies... but if you're going to be patient with anyone for the rest of your life..." he opened the box, trembling. I hope it's me. She was speechless. Her hands covered her mouth. The whole room fell into expectant silence. But the answer never came. Because something crashed through the ceiling. A hulking creature, resembling a rhinoceros fused with wires and mutated flesh, smashed through the skylight like a live projectile, dragging tables, chairs and columns, until it smashed into the far wall. The impact raised dust, screams and flying glasses. No one was hurt. Just expensive plates shattered and a chef fleeing in tears. When the smoke cleared, they saw him. A figure of steel, standing over the monster's body, laughing as if he had arrived late to a good party. -This one had strength! -Bulwark shouted, his arms folded and his grin cracking in the dust. Pity he didn't know how to use it. A couple of seconds later, through a broken window, the other three entered.
Shiftie descended from a beam. Blockwave walked calmly through the rubble. Ricochet slid down an awning and landed, waving his boomerang like a guitar.
-Did you save the final boss again, Goro? -Ricochet joked. -It was his turn to choose a restaurant," Daiki added, laughing as he inspected the mutated body. -Gourmet monster? -Aoi whispered, almost amused. The defeated being's body began to shrink. It crumbled like dried mud, returning to its human form: a thin man in torn clothes and no conscience. The four approached. -Red... pupils," said Blockwave, crouching down. -Another one of the Cult," Bulwark confirmed, without changing his tone. This was no ordinary drifter. Then sirens sounded in the distance. -Police on their way! -Aoi alerted. -Time to disappear," smiled Daiki. On the way to the shelter In the soft rain, through dark rooftops and narrow alleys, the four of them moved like trained shadows. They laughed, for the first time in a long time, without having to pretend. Shiftie pulled out her mobile phone, panting and hood down. -You won't believe this! -Someone took a picture of us as we were leaving! He showed it to Ricochet. It was a blurry but clear picture: the four of them on the way out of the restaurant, just as they were laughing together, surrounded by chaos. -We came out like billboard superheroes! -said Haruto, guffawing. We're famous! -And do they say good things at least? -asked Blockwave, smiling as he read over Aoi's shoulder. She was silent for a second, then clutched her head in both hands, somewhere between amused and terrified. -It says: "The four alleged unregistered vigilantes who destroyed one of the most expensive restaurants in the district. -He sighed. They also call us "incompetent, hooded, high-school level heroes. -Pff, that's exactly the job of a hero," said Ricochet, still smiling. -Don't make a big deal out of it," growled Bulwark. If nobody died, it's a good day. In the shelter Back in the old factory, the laughter died down. The boomerang returned to its shelf, Shiftie's scarf shook with a yawn. -Let's go," said Aoi, stretching, "There are classes tomorrow. And Haruto has a history exam. -Huh? That's tomorrow?! -Ricochet blanched. -They have to learn to sleep," Daiki muttered. -Do you ever sleep? -Haruto said, walking out the rusty door with Aoi. They were left alone with Bulwark and Blockwave. Daiki craned his neck and stood up, as if he still had the energy for one more fight. -I'm not going to sleep yet. I want to take one last walk around the city. Goro looked at him, serious. -It's not a good idea. You're not at one hundred percent. You're moving slowly and your barrier from earlier came apart before its time. You need rest. Daiki smiled, cocking his head to one side. -What about you? Do you sleep well? Don't lie to me, old man. I know you don't. Goro didn't answer. He just looked at him with a mixture of respect and annoyance. -Go home, Daiki. Get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow may be a real fight. The boy nodded. He turned and left. Silence fell over the place. Goro walked to the corner where, on an old metal bench, lay a dusty photo. His wife. His son. He picked it up. He wiped it with steel-blackened fingers. -What are they doing to you, Riku? And silence was his only answer.
North district alley - 23:47
The wind blew cold and damp as Daiki rounded the corner into his neighbourhood. The lights on the poles flickered with that instability so characteristic of the municipality's neglected sector. He walked with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slightly slumped, his steps slow. "Maybe Goro is right. A night's rest isn't going to kill me." He sighed. His eyes were heavy. The hum of the last barriers he had conjured still echoed in his bones. Then he heard a cry. -HELP! PLEASE! His muscles reacted before his mind. He threw off his jacket on the fly, revealing his suit underneath, and ran towards the source of the sound. He didn't hesitate. He didn't think. He did not hesitate. As he turned down a narrow alley, he saw the scene: a bespectacled woman, cornered against a dumpster. In front of her, a man of the Cult, his tunic half-zipped and one hand wreathed in greenish flame. Next to him, a deformed mutant, his body twisted as if he had been burned from the inside out. The woman trembled, bleeding from her shoulder, unable to move. The monster raised its arm to finish her off. -Hey, tentacle face! -Daiki shouted. CRASH! A glass bottle flew from the entrance of the alley and smashed into the mutant's head, splattering glass everywhere. Everyone turned to look. Daiki was already there, standing in the centre of the alley, his silhouette vibrating slightly: small barriers of energy sparked around him, like floating shields the size of plates. -A... a hero? -stammered the Cult, backing away. It can't be, a hero! He tried to flee. Daiki stepped forward to intercept, but the mutant roared and lunged at him. The being's blow was like a concrete sledgehammer. Daiki reacted at the last second, creating a small curved barrier in front of his torso. THUD! The impact shattered the barrier and threw him backwards, rolling across the ground until he was inches away from the woman. -Get away! -he shouted, struggling back to his feet. She nodded quickly and crawled to a broken side door. The mutant was coming again, charging blindly. -I always get the big one, huh? -Daiki muttered. The fight The mutant struck with brute force, without technique or control. Daiki couldn't stop it completely, but he could redirect it. It generated a sloping barrier at ground level. When the monster stepped over it, it slipped with its foot and fell to its knees with a muffled grunt. Daiki gasped. Each shield drained his energy. His legs felt weak. The monster attacked him again with both arms. Daiki placed two small circular barriers like shields, one on each forearm. As they collided with the blows, the energy vibrated like a muffled gong. -Come on, big guy," he growled through his teeth. You're strong, yes, but you've got no technique. Just muscle. You know what happens to muscle without brains? The monster roared and lashed out one last time. Daiki leapt to the side, and formed a small barrier right at the mutant's neck. CRACK! The brute was hit full on, staggered and fell heavily against the dumpster. He didn't move any more. Unconscious. But alive. Daiki took a deep breath, hands on his knees. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He approached the mutated body. It was a civilian, like so many others. Transformed, used, discarded. He pulled out his communicator and dialled. -I've got one. Another Cult subject. Send a unit. I'm in sector seven-delta. He cut the signal and turned to the woman. -Are you all right? -he asked. She, still on the ground, awkwardly dusted off her legs. -Y-yes... yes. Thank you. You saved my life. -No problem," Daiki replied, starting to turn to leave. -Wait! Daiki stopped dead in her tracks. She got up as best she could, her voice trembling. -Don't... don't go, please. I need help. He frowned. -What's wrong? -I have nowhere to go. I don't have a home. No one will help me. The police won't help me. Daiki opened his mouth to say something... but he kept quiet. So much control in the midst of chaos. His gestures. His language. His gaze. "What if it's related to the Cult? What if it's a trap?" But something about her - in her eyes, her tone, her restrained sadness - wouldn't let him doubt. Finally, he nodded. -It's all right. You can come with me tonight. But afterwards... let's talk. She breathed a sigh of relief, though her eyes were still watching the shadows. -What's your name? -he asked, as they began to walk. -Yume. Yume Hanazawa. Daiki froze for half a second. That name... -I am Daiki... Daiki Fujimoto. They walked on through the mist. After a few blocks, he broke the silence: -Why were they following you? Yume walked with his arms crossed, his eyes lowered. -I worked for... people you shouldn't want to know. I'm not part of that anymore. But they... they don't take 'no' for an answer. Daiki gave her a sidelong glance. He had no more doubts. The Cult. He didn't say anything. He just walked a little further. Then, with a tired half-smile: -Well... since you're going to invade my couch, I'm going to ask you for something in return. Yume frowned. -If you're going to say 'sleep with you', I swear I'm going to go sleep in the alley. Daiki looked at her, his expression a mixture of offence and confusion. -What? No! What kind of degenerate do you think I am? Yume didn't answer. She just watched him. -I want information," he said, this time seriously. About the people you worked with. She stared at him for a few seconds. Then she nodded, without irony. -I'll give it to you. But only if you promise not to make me feel like one of them. Daiki didn't respond. He just kept walking beside him. And under the light of a broken pole, in a city that slept ignoring its own monsters, the two of them disappeared together in the fog. High School - 15:04 The classroom was silent as the students wrote down the last assignment of the day. The overhead lights hummed softly. Leaves rustled. The clock ticked to the end of another day. Aoi didn't look at the clock. She was looking at the empty seat in front of her. Kana. Her friend since elementary school. Cheerful, talkative. The same one who days ago had been attacked by the cult of awakening and transformed into a mutant. Aoi hadn't stopped thinking about that moment. In the scream. In the blood. Of the trembling of her hands. The bell rang and snapped her out of her thoughts like a slap in the face. -Are you all right? -asked a soft voice. Aoi blinked. It was Miyu, her other friend, already standing by her desk. -Ah... yeah. I'm sorry. I got lost for a second. -Don't worry so much about Kana," Miyu said, smiling. She's back from the hospital. She'll be here tomorrow for sure. -Huh? Really? -Aoi asked, with an excitement she couldn't hide. Is she okay now? -Yes. We talked about it yesterday in the group. Don't you remember? -Ah... no. I'm sorry. It slipped my mind. My head is somewhere else," she said, lowering her eyes. They left the classroom together, amidst the murmurs of their classmates and the echo of backpacks shuffling through the corridors. At the school gate, as they walked towards the exit gate, they talked about anything and everything. -I swear, if the teacher gives us another pop quiz, I'm changing grades," Miyu snorted. -You've been saying that since first grade," Aoi laughed. -And you've been ruining my week since first grade," she replied, raising her arms to the sky. The drama continues. At that moment, a hand gently rested on Aoi's shoulder. She jumped in shock. -Hey, it's just me! -said a soothing voice. Haruto. With his uniform a bit dishevelled and a smile that seemed a little too confident for his own good. -I didn't know we went to the same school? -he said, cocking his head to one side. -Ah... Haruto! -Aoi put a hand to his chest, "Don't scare me like that. Miyu looked at him with a half-smile, somewhere between amused and curious. -Is that your boyfriend? -he asked without disguise. Aoi turned red as a tomato. -What?! Of course not! -Oops," said Haruto, pretending to be hurt. There was no need to say it like that either. A simple 'no' was enough.... Miyu guffawed. -Are we going to see each other today? -he asked, turning to Aoi with a sincere smile. She, still blushing, nodded awkwardly. -Yes... yes, of course. Later. -Perfect. See you there," he winked at her, and hurried off as one of his friends called out to him from the gate. Miyu stared at Aoi with a mischievous grin. -Congratulations. -Don't start," said Aoi, hiding in her scarf. -I'm telling you that you look happy, that's all. -You're talking rubbish! -Aoi grumbled. -Kana will be back tomorrow," Miyu said, lowering her tone, softer. Aoi took a deep breath. She nodded. -Yes... and I'm very glad. Later, at home Aoi greeted her mother and younger sister as they entered. The house smelled of hot soup, and laughter came from the dining room. She went up to her room, put her backpack on the floor, sat down at her desk... and drew. He hadn't done that in days. No monsters. No fights. Just soft lines. Flowers, windows, smiles. Her private world. The one that needed no disguise. The phone rang. -Hey? He picked it up rather slowly. It was a message from Haruto. Haruto (Ricochet) "We have a visitor. Shelter, urgent. Don't come late, camouflaged princess. " She sighed, smiled wryly and replied quickly. "I'll be right there." She put on her coat. She put the notebook away. For her day as a student was over. Now it was Shiftie's turn. Shelter - 19:42 When Shiftie arrived at the abandoned workshop they used as a base, the air was more tense than usual. As soon as she walked through the door, everyone was gathered around a seated woman with round glasses and a bandage on her shoulder. -Aoi! -Haruto waved at her. Just in time. We have a visitor. Goro folded his arms, Daiki standing beside him, and Yume watching everyone with a mixture of nervousness and resignation. -This is Yume Hanazawa," Daiki said, looking at Aoi. She worked for the Cult of Awakening. She has things to tell us. Aoi tensed immediately, but said nothing. She approached slowly, her eyes fixed on the woman who, until a few hours ago, had been just a civilian in danger. Yume adjusted her glasses. Her voice was calm, steady, almost as if she were reciting something she had been rehearsing for some time. -The Cult of Awakening is a radical cult. They believe that everyone is born with latent power, but that the hero system keeps it dormant. To them, the world is unfair as long as only a few are gifted. Haruto clicked his tongue. -Typical, isn't it? The classic 'the system oppresses us' conspiracy. -It's not just ideology," Yume continued, not looking at him. They promise that anyone without powers can awaken their true gift. At any cost. Goro clenched his jaw. -We know that. We've seen it. Twisted civilians. Mutated children. An entire city paralysed by 'glitches'. Yume nodded. -I know you saw it. Because I... participated. The Cult recruits ordinary people. People without a voice. Outcasts. Those who got tired of waiting for something they were never given. At that moment, Goro could no longer hide his discontent. His face hardened more than his steel skin. -Then they are used as parts. Like lab fodder. Yume looked down. -Yes. They mix illegal science with fanaticism. Biochemical rituals. Genetic manipulation. Experimental substances. All to break down the body's natural barrier and force powers that shouldn't exist. -What about the League of Heroes? -Aoi asked, folding her arms. -The Cult believes that the League manipulates the genes of the population. That they select the gifted from birth. It's part of their rhetoric: 'heroes choose who can be special'. -That... doesn't sound so far from how the system works," Haruto whispered, serious for the first time. -What they do with that idea is what's serious," Yume continued. They cause what they call 'Failed Awakenings'. People who mutate, lose their minds, become a public risk. Then they abandon them or send them out to wreak havoc. Thus they generate fear. Instability. Useful chaos. -I've dealt with them," Goro said in a deep voice. They are not mistakes. They are weapons. -And when an "experiment" works, they integrate it into a cell. They call them "Awakened Cells". Unstable, uncontrolled, untrained teams. They're the ones who attack neighbourhoods, infiltrate, sow doubt. -And the leader? -Daiki interrupted, arms folded. What do you know about this leader? Yume shook her head in frustration. -His name is Oracle, hardly anyone sees him. He gives orders through recordings or emissaries. He's spoken of as if he were a prophet. A symbol rather than a person. -Powers? Appearance? -Daiki insisted. -Only rumours. That he can see people's 'inner awakening'. That his body isn't quite human. Nothing confirmed. -And what does he really want? -Aoi asked, a little more firmly. Yume took a breath. -His goal is clear. He wants to activate, in one fell swoop, all the dormant genes of the powerless population. A ritual, or perhaps a device. No one knows for sure. But there is something else... They all looked at her in silence. -They say she also seeks to create a person capable of containing multiple powers at once. A 'container'. A sort of... perfect container. Goro's gaze hardened. No one had to ask him aloud what he was thinking. Daiki was the first to break the silence. -And do you know where they are? -Not the whole structure. Just... the labs where I used to work. Where they took the "volunteers". Where... I did things I shouldn't have done. Goro smiled for the first time. But it wasn't a kind smile. -Then tell us where it is. So we can go pay them a visit. Yume looked at him, with some pity. -It's dangerous. It's not an empty shed. It's protected. And they're... desperate. -It doesn't matter," Haruto interjected, settling his backpack. We're tired too. And we know how to take care of ourselves. Yume looked at the four of them. A mixture of youth, pain, strength... and something more. A cause. He stood up slowly, walked to the wall where an old map of the city hung, marked with bedbugs and annotations. -Here," he said, pointing to an industrial area to the east. It's underground. Hidden in the foundations of an abandoned power plant. Goro nodded. -Then we'll pay them a visit. And this time, no one argued.