As the dust began to settle, drones buzzed overhead. Officers emerged from the haze, guiding people out of the barracks and struggling to restore order.
Pierce stepped out, shouting, "Eddy, where are you?"
He should be in one of these barracks. As he pushed through the crowd, he spotted Elijah standing by a column, dusting off his clothes.
"Wait, if he's there, that means he wasn't behind the barriers—" Pierce looked at the debris embedded in the airport walls, then back at the shards surrounding the column. "—but that's not possible."
Elijah finished dusting himself off and turned toward the girl and the officer.
Interesting. The power to trigger explosions through contact. I wonder what determines the fuse, or if it has to explode at all?
As Elijah muttered to himself, Eddy—the officer with the girl—opened his eyes.
"I'm… I'm alive. Wait—Savannah!" He quickly turned to her, coughing. "Are you alright?"
Savannah stood up. "Yes, I'm sorry. I just got so mad, and that guy insulted my parents. I swear, I'm not that type of person…"
She kept talking, but Eddy had inhaled too much dust. He began to cough violently, drowning out her words, and the noise inevitably drew everyone's attention.
Pierce saw them, but a metal clank above made him look up. There it was: a scanner gate lodged halfway into the main terminal monitor.
"Dammit, Eddy," Pierce scoffed. "What did you do this time?"
As the crowd thinned, a few people lingered to watch the fallout. Elijah stayed among them, watching intently.
They're probably crapping themselves trying to find a way out of this.
Eddy caught Elijah's eye before turning back to Savannah. Elijah furrowed his brows. Eddy glanced at him again.
Why's he looking at me like that? Whatever. It's best I get out of here. Last thing I need is to be a person of interest to the F.F.H., especially when I'm this close.
As he turned to walk away, he spotted Jakob standing alone, watching.
"What are you doing here?—" Elijah asked, walking up to him. "—Thought you'd be in the waiting line."
Jakob replied in his usual monotone voice, "I was, but then I heard the sirens and figured you'd be here." He stiffly turned his neck to face him. "And wouldn't you know it, I was right."
"Yeah, okay, but it wasn't me this time."
"Oh?" As Jakob spoke, he spotted Eddy looking their way.
"Yeah, some kids nearly blew themselves up—" Elijah said. "—Anyway, that's not our problem. Let's get out of here."
Jakob raised a brow. "You don't want to stay?"
Slightly yawning, Elijah scratched his head. "If those kids were normal, maybe. But one's with the F.F.H. and the other one will be eventually. There's no point in taking on liabilities. Besides, these events attract the worst kind of people."
"That's exactly what I was talking about."
"Hmm? What are you—" Elijah froze. His fist clenched and his jaw tightened.
A wave of unease suddenly swept through the airport. Eddy gulped. "Ah, crap."
Quickly turning to Savannah, he raised his voice yet still whispered. "No matter what happens, do exactly what I tell you."
Just as he said that, the air grew heavy. The atmosphere shifted. As gasps filled the terminal, three men in sleek, high-tech armor appeared.
To the left stood a tall, grizzled man with purple hair and a carefree expression. On the right was a 6'4" giant of a man in black combat trousers and a plated vest. His upper body was encased in a dark nanosuit, muscle fibers pulsating beneath the surface under a glowing amber visor.
But it was the man in the middle that stood out: Captain Jack Williams. Unlike the others, his F.F.H. dragon emblem glowed a vibrant orange-red. His black helmet was contoured like a jawbone, giving him a grim, skull-like appearance.
Elijah stood back, his fist trembling. If he's here, that means the other one isn't far behind.
The two soldiers disbanded as the Captain stepped toward Eddy. "What happened here?"
Eddy, now stiffly stood at attention, gulped.
I have to be careful here. His public persona is friendly, but he's brutal when he's working. He won't hesitate to grill us. With a shaky voice, he answered, "Oh, uh—this is just a misunderstanding—"
Just then, the scanner gate dislodged from the monitor and crashed behind them with a heavy metallic thud. Unmoved, the Captain said nothing.
"Okay, so—" Eddy started again.
The gate detonated, the blast wave sweeping Eddy's and Savannah's hair back, leaving it tangled and limp, like wiring ripped from an old panel.
"In what way—" the Captain asked, his voice low, barely controlled, "—is this a misunderstanding?"
"Yeah, well—"
The Captain snapped his hand up in front of Eddy's face. "Enough!"
He stepped past him to Savannah, surveying the area: the broken drones, the flaming monitors, the cracked roof, and finally, the scanner gate.
Those gates are held in by titanium rods. Lifting it would take at least two tons of force.
He turned back to her. "Two things. First: why did you guys launch a terrorist attack on an F.F.H. airport? Second: upon doing so, why would you stay? Make this easier on yourself and answer me quickly."
"Terrorist attack?" Eddy and Savannah said in unison.
"Wrong answer."
The Captain reached for the girl, but Eddy jumped in between them. "Wait, sir! She didn't mean to—"
"Didn't mean to?" the Captain barked. "Look around! Military-grade technology worth billions, destroyed. It took ages for us to build something worth more than dirt in Eisenhelm."
The Captain then turned towards her. "I don't know which rogue group you're with, but I will find out."
"Sir, it's not what it looks like!" Eddy shouted back.
The Captain went silent. This is the first time he's ever stood up to me.
"You have two minutes."
Eddy took a deep breath and started rambling. "She got triggered in an argument with an alligator man who's…"
As Eddy continued, the Captain's eyebrows began to rise behind his mask. As Eddy finished explaining, the Captain, turning back to the gate, his hands on his hips, asked him, "Do you realize what you're saying?"
"Yes, sir."
The Captain turned to Savannah. "Pull back your hoodie."
Hesitating, she slowly, reluctantly complied. The Captain's eyes widened. She's just a kid.
"Scan," the Captain ordered his AI.
"SCANNING… [COMPLETE]. BASE POWER: 2. DRAWBACKS: NONE. OVERALL: LEVEL 2—Class Steel."
The crowd gasped. So did Eddy.
Level 2! I didn't think I'd see one before going to the academy.
"You see, Captain? She's only fourteen, so—"
The Captain didn't hear him; he was far too deep in thought.
Level 2 and under sixteen. If I bring her in, I could adopt her. Use her 'salvation' as a platform for my political career. This is the opportunity I've been waiting for.
Watching closely, Jakob whispered to Elijah, "We should go."
Elijah whispered back, "No, there's an opportunity here."
"And there will be more in the future."
Elijah turned to him briefly. "Given who we're fighting against, that isn't a guarantee. I vowed to take the heads of everyone who was involved in that night. I wasn't strong or smart enough then, but I am now."
A second of silence passed. Jakob adjusted his glasses. "You're old enough to make your own decisions, however—if you get in over your head, I will stop you!"
Elijah turned to him. "I figured you would—"
Jakob was gone. I really need to learn how he does that. He then fixed his gaze onto the Captain. One mistake, that's all I need.
The Captain quickly turned in Elijah's direction. "Sir, are you alright?" Eddy asked.
"Yes. I understand the situation. Good work," he said, before turning back to Savannah.
Eddy continued, "Okay, so as I was say—"
"Enough. You're dismissed." Like a door slamming shut, the Captain cut him off.
A short distance away, the purple-haired soldier rubbed his temples. "What is it?" the giant man beside him asked. "A vision?"
"No. It's just that kid, Eddy. He keeps rushing into situations he isn't ready to deal with."
"Hmph. What seventeen-year-old doesn't?"
"True. But in this line of work, that's a death sentence."
"We all gotta die one day," the big man muttered.
The Captain remained motionless over Savannah. "Really, I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to use my powers. I just got angry and—"
"How did your parents die?"
The question came curt and cold. Taken aback, she stepped back—then stopped. She cleared her throat before answering.
"Neos in Calmara tried to kidnap me when my powers emerged. My parents fought back and…" Her voice faltered. "They didn't make it. The last thing they told me to do was to find my aunt in New Sentinel."
"You said Calmara as in the low-violence rogues?"
"We're pacifists, not rogues!" she shouted. "We don't use any violence—unlike terrorists, and unlike the F.F.H.!"
"All Neos outside the F.F.H. are rogues and all rogues will be forced to submit. Violent or not."
Savannah's fist clenched. "So what happens to me now?"
"A year in juvenile confinement," the Captain said, glancing at the wreckage.
Eyes widened, she stepped forward. "But it was an accident!"
"New Sentinel is strict. And you've just admitted to being part of a rogue group. Who's to say this wasn't planned?"
From the shadows, Elijah muttered, "Just can't help yourself, can you?"
"—There is another option," the Captain continued. "Join the F.F.H. Join me, my organization. I'll clear your record. Give you fame, riches—your entire family will be set for life."
"So that's his angle," the big soldier chuckled.
"He's always been ambitious—maybe too much," the purple-haired man responded.
Savannah paused, eyes fixed on the floor, frantically going up and down.
"Well?" the Captain asked. "Will you join me? Will you be a hero?"
She twiddled her thumbs. "If I join you, would I have to fight?"
"Only in emergencies."
There was silence. Eddy wanted to protest, but the Captain turned toward him. Although his mask hid his face, he gave him a look that said: Get in my way, and you'll be cleaning toilets for the rest of your life.
Breaking the tension, Savannah spoke. "No."
The Captain cleared his throat. "What do you mean, no?"
"I'm not joining you, so lock me up," she said, holding out her wrists. "I won't be anyone's weapon."
The Captain scowled. Still dedicated to that foolish propaganda. No matter.
"Very well… though I do wonder. What would your parents think, their daughter a convict, refusing to avenge them—"
Savannah said nothing.
"Ah, shit," Eddy said under his breath.
"—Truthfully, it's their own fault," the Captain stepped closer. "What kind of fools raise a child to be a pacifist, especially in these times?"
Savannah's breath hitched.
"He's baiting you," Eddy whispered. "Don't do it."
But her fists were already glowing. The Captain's smile twisted. Got you.
Far in the background, Elijah did the same. And I've got you. As soon as she goes to attack, I'll push him into her. Quick and simple.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted. "She's going to blow again!"
A stampede broke out. Quickly jumping out the way, Elijah watched on.
This works; the more chaos the better— Just then, he saw an old man fall to the floor.
Phil? The hell are you still doing here?
Meanwhile, the Captain leaned in toward Savannah. "At least they're dead now, but that does make me wonder. Those relatives in New Sentinel… Do they also have that foolish belief? Perhaps we should investigate them too."
Screaming, Savannah ran forward. "Screw you!"
A faint smile rose on the Captain. And just like that, I own you— Suddenly, his thought was cut off. You? What have you done.
Before making it even a third of the way, Savannah's fist was caught by a black glove. With tears in her eyes, she began to yell, "No, what are you doing!"
Eddy stood between them, his glove glowing faintly.
"Do you know what you've done?" she gasped, barely able to speak.
"You fool!" the Captain snapped. "I would have dodged that easily. She's a Level 2; she can handle her own attack."
A whirring sound emerged as the glow from the glove began to spread, now catching onto Eddy's navy blue jacket.
Elijah, now helping Phil up, looked back. His eyes widened. What the hell? Why is he the one?...
Phil tugged on his arm. "You have to do something. I saw how you moved before… please, they're just kids!"
Elijah said nothing. Only a single thought raced through his mind: If I shove the Captain into the kid, that explosive glow could spread to him, taking them both out.
Meanwhile, the purple-haired soldier rushed forward towards Eddy, but Eddy yelled, "Wade, stay back! It spreads on contact and could go off in any second!"
Wade watched, teeth clenched, throat dry. "Eddy, I…"
Savannah stared blankly at Eddy. Turning to her, Wade shouted, "This is your power, right? Can't you do something?"
Tears welling, she responded, "I can't! Once it starts glowing, it's out of my control!"
The Captain began to retreat, ordering the other Neos to take cover.
Eddy's heart pounded hard against his chest. This is it. I'm going to die here. How pathetic—I didn't even get to take the hero exam. He looked up at the soldier. "I'm sorry, Wade."
From a distance, Elijah hissed, "Fuck!"
The whirring coming from Eddy rose, the light swelling to its breaking point. Just before the world turned white, a crackle of thunder split the air.
With a heavy boom, the explosion tore upward, peeling the roof open with violent force.