Chaos in the war room

They entered the restroom, with Jalen following behind.

"I said I'm sorry," Caleb cried. "Let me go!"

The man tossed Caleb a few feet into the air. Caleb crashed into the wall, slid down, and laid still, pained groans escaping from his lips.

"You know who the fuck I am, huh?" The blonde man shouted, his arms red and flexed stiff. "Theo, tell the little fucker."

The only black man in the group spoke up. "You were messing with Jack Neeson, a category two superhuman, dude. You fucked up."

"I remember telling you I was next in line," Jack said. "That Luis here held my place for me. But not only did you ignore me when I asked you to step aside, you called me a bitch." He stepped closer to Caleb. "By the time I'm through with—"

"You can gloat about your rank and power all you want," Jalen said, leaning on the door frame. "But don't touch the kid. He's with me."

The men regarded him, a few startled by his silent presence.

"Did you hear a thing I just said?" Jack asked.

"Yeah." He pushed off the wall, hands sheathed in his pockets. "He wronged you. That still doesn't mean I'd let you harm him. Besides, he's a kid."

"I deserve retribution for what he did to me. And I will grasp that retribution myself."

He glanced at Caleb, who stood on his feet now, his lip busted and swollen. Yun sat beside the teen now, casually grooming her limbs while being invisible to everyone present, save for Jalen, who was certain Caleb was now safe.

"Actions have consequences," he said. "He insulted and disrespected you. And now you want payback. I get that. But if you lay a hand on him, I'd be forced to retaliate as well. Trust me when I say you wouldn't want that."

The men jeered and taunted him. They also praised Jack, psyching the large man up, his skin reddening ever slightly. With the rising tension, he could tell Jack was moments from lunging at him or using whatever powers he possessed, so Jalen tried one last round of dialogue.

"Think carefully before you act," he said. "You brought your friends here with you, right? They probably see you as the most powerful superhuman they know. That may be right wherever you came from. But right here is a gathering of the top prospects in the country of which you are just one of many." Jalen drew closer, standing face to face with the fuming superhuman. "If you think otherwise, I'm right here. Let's find out who is more special."

For a minute, he thought his words had fallen on deaf eyes until the blood-reddish hue of Jack's skin dispersed, returning to normal.

Jack spoke, his face mere inches from him. "Fine, I'll stand down. But if that little shit crosses me again, I squash him."

"It won't happen again."

Jack and his boys left the restroom, leaving him and Caleb, whose head hung low. Yun hopped back on Jalen and draped herself around his shoulder.

"Thanks for the help," Caleb muttered while fidgeting with his pants.

He took one hard look at the busted lip. "Let's go find Agent Ivarsson."

"What? No. I'm fine." Caleb rinsed his face at the basin, then looked at him. "See?"

"Fine. But you aren't leaving my sight."

Sighing at the still obvious swollen lip, he exited the restroom, with Caleb glued to him. They traversed the floor, glancing at the many booths, with no destination in mind.

"What did you want so bad that you almost got yourself beat up?" he asked.

"The Radiant Assembly encyclopedia signed by Demistra." Caleb rubbed a bruise on his arm. "It contains their history, powers, battle tact—"

"I know what it is."

"The funny thing is, I didn't even get it. It was way out of my budget."

He came to a halt, observing Caleb. "Well, let's go get it. Lead the way."

The teen's somber mood brightened as he almost burst into a full sprint. Surprisingly, there was no line at the memorabilia store. It made him question why Caleb simply refused to step aside and allow those men to go ahead. On the other hand, Jack and his friends could have just patiently waited. There wasn't a long queue anyway, especially since there were fewer than a hundred people on this floor. Why did people, when they catch a whiff of power, always try to flaunt it, however insignificant their meager abilities were? Jalen let out a deep breath and massaged his forehead before purchasing the book for Caleb, along with a few other items. Afterward, they found a quiet corner to sit; Caleb skimmed through a pack of cards containing every single member of The Radiant Assembly with the most excited smile on his face while Jalen enjoyed a bottle of apple juice. At one point, they went through the encyclopedia together, marveling at the detail of Demistra's many costumes.

An announcement sounded across the floor, interrupting them. "Please, make your way over to your guides and prepare for the Meet-a-Hero segment with Novaman. Move quickly, we need to open the floor for other superhumans."

Audible cries of excitement reached his ears as most people stopped what they were doing and moved to their respective areas, Jalen and Caleb included.

Upon reaching his designated area, he spotted everyone else waiting for them. As Rebecca engaged in an animated chat with Ella, her demeanor seemed noticeably more upbeat than when they parted. Once he and Caleb joined the group, Ivarsson led them to the elevators. Over twenty groups were queuing to use the elevators, so they joined a sizable line. When their chance arrived, they had to switch elevators thrice on the ascent to their destination, as the elevators only stopped on certain floors for security reasons.

"Wow!" Caleb exclaimed. 

They had entered the war room of The Radiant Assembly. It was a wide circular room with an equally round table set in its center. A significant portion of the table's surface served as a screen with touch capabilities, which was showcased by an agent. Directly above the table, set in the ceiling, was a holographic projector that displayed a spinning image of The Radiant Assembly's sunburst symbol. It didn't stop there as the walls were a singular round screen, currently displaying the members of the top superhero team standing side by side.

"Not bad," Jack said. "I think I'll fit right in."

"You'll fit right in as a cleaner," Caleb whispered, eliciting a stern look from Jalen. 

Just moments after everyone had taken their seats, Novaman entered through the double doors. Novaman stood tall, his frame packed with an impressive amount of muscle, resembling the ruggedness of mountains. A head of luscious black hair and a full beard to match framed a symmetrical face that smiled down at the aspiring heroes. His costume was white with gold accents, spotting a prominent red and blue eagle with its wings spread across his chest. A red and blue cloak that hugged his shoulders fluttered down to his feet.

Novaman had to wait until the enthusiastic applause which ran on for minutes subsided before he could speak. "I stand before you today as Novaman, captain of The Radiant Assembly, the living sun, the harbinger of truth and justice… the greatest superhero to ever live." He walked near the table and rested his hand on a chair, his eyes sweeping the assembled crowd. "But I was not always these things. I, too, once aspired to become a superhero. I, too, existed on the periphery, looking up to the great heroes like Submariner, Stack, Lady Justice, and Ampress. I share this not to set unrealistic expectations for you, but to show that any one of you can achieve greatness if you put in the required effort. I hope I am alive and well to see you grow into the superheroes that you all are, to witness the next generation of superheroes who will protect and guide the common people."

The air was thick with hope and excitement, a palpable wave of charisma emitted from the legendary superhero. During the speech and till now, a wide grin was fixed on Caleb's face. He couldn't fault the teen, as he, too, was smiling. After all, to meet Novaman was a dream of his. Only Rebecca seemed to house a somber demeanor, broken occasionally by glimpses of happiness.

"Now, does anyone have any questions?" Novaman asked. "Because of time constraints, I can only take three."

The war room burst into an unintelligible tumult of almost a hundred people speaking at the same time. The agents present had to calm the excited frenzy. Novaman further clarified that only those with their hands raised would be selected. In a sea of raised hands, Novaman's first pick was Jack.

"Do you kill?" Jack asked.

A slight smile appeared on Novaman's face. "That question never fails to arise. Now, to answer your question, I believe in the philosophy of not taking a life under any circumstances. However, this ideal can only be fully realized in a perfect world. Mistakes occur, and battles can become exceedingly chaotic. The next best rule to abide by is to disarm and disable criminals when backed against the wall. Never hesitate out of fear of taking a life; hesitation can result in your demise. Next question."

As he pondered Novaman's words, he noticed that they both had similar philosophies. Where he differed drastically from the superhero was Novaman's first statement—Not taking a life under any circumstance. Even in an ideal world, he believed in the opposite. In fact, thinking clearly now, perhaps he differed greatly from the superhero. For instance, he had no quims eliminating an entire civilization if a situation required it. His Cosmonar mind scared him at times.

The next question came from Ella. "How do you balance your hero work with your personal life?"

Good job, E. Took the words right out of my mouth. 

Novaman cupped his jaw, stroking his beard. "I am probably the outlier. As you see, I do not hide my identity. The simple answer is I do not. Now, that is, of course, not an optimal strategy for most superheroes. I implore you all to study Ameor and Lightflare closely. They seem to maintain a healthy balance between—"

A thundering explosion rocked the building, sending shockwaves through its inner structure. The shockwaves destabilized everyone present, some losing their footing and face-planting. The agents sprang into action, pulling guns from concealed holsters, and securing the doorways. They were calm and measured as they spoke into their earpieces, trying to gauge the situation.

"The explosion came from below," Ivarsson said to the calm superhero. "We are confirming the severity."

"That much I know." Novaman imputed some commands on the table, which promptly displayed error warnings through the hologram. "Of course, our surveillance systems are disabled."

Another series of explosions sent shockwaves through the building again. The lights turned off, plunging them into darkness for a few seconds before the backup power source kicked in.

"What the fuck is going on?" Rebecca asked. She and Ella huddled up near Jalen and Caleb.

"We are under attack," Ivarsson said, coming closer to them now that the room was secured.

"Everyone, listen up," Novaman said, his prior relaxed tone giving way to an authoritative voice. Behind him, a hidden door had opened, revealing an exit point to outside the building. "We are under attack. Rest assured, the guides standing beside you will see to it that you are safe."

Novaman floated into the air and shot out the door, into the sky, like a bullet. One agent, with a clean-shaven head, walked up to Ivarsson.

"We can't stay here," he stated. "I've only got my sidearm and one extra mag. Plus, I suspect everyone else is similarly under-equipped."

"I've got two mags," Ivarsson confirmed. "All agents perform an ammo check."

Like Ivarsson, only two other agents had two extra mags, with the rest at one.

"Ivarsson," the man said, leaning in. "There is an armory eight floors down. We'll need all the firepower we can get."

Ivarsson glanced at Jalen and his group, then shook her head. "No, this is the best position to defend from. We've only got two corridors to contend with. If any hostiles come, we'll spray them with lead."

The agent disagreed with Ivarsson as he continued to argue his case.

"Mr. Navarro," Ivarsson said, looking him in the eye. "My decision is final. Putting the civilians at risk isn't worth it."

"Oh my God," Rebecca hugged herself. "I can't believe this is happening."

Ella and Caleb were in a similarly panicked state. In fact, every other superhuman present was in a state of shock. Jack, whose demeanor exuded a calm exterior, was betrayed by the erratic taping of his fingers on his thigh. Only Jalen and Yun were in fact calm, with the latter fighting sleep on his shoulders. 

Two minutes later, Ivarsson pressed her finger to her earpiece, shooting Navarro a knowing look. "Change of plans. We are moving to the armory." Then she said to him. "Prepare the agents for proper extraction protocol."

Navarro nodded and left.

"There has been a change in plans," Ivarsson announced to the anxious crowd of superhumans, her tone loud and clear. "Due to current circumstances, this area has been deemed unsafe. We will proceed a few floors down to the armory. Remember to stick together and keep your eyes peeled. Trust in our training, follow instructions, and we'll get you to safety."

Panicked murmurs broke out amongst the attendees. Rebecca and Ella were no different, discussing what was going on.

"What changed, that we have to leave now?" Jalen asked.

"We received intel indicating that intruders above us have breached our defenses, which included Ampress and Obsidian Jess," Ivarsson responded.

His eyes widened, now grasping the implications. Navarro returned and reported that the route was clear. This prompted Ivarsson to shift everyone into position. She divided the agents into two groups. The SPD agents, including Ivarsson and Navarro, were to serve as vanguards while the less combat-oriented agents brought up the rear. Once everyone was in position, they moved. Because the enemy could set up ambushes at the access points, they considered the elevators a security risk and opted to use the stairs instead. 

The group descended two floors with no issues, adding any scientists and staff they came by. On the third floor, they met resistance.

"Shit!" Agent Navarro backed into the cover of the wall as bullets whizzed past, narrowly missing him and hitting the wall nearby.

"How many?" Ivarsson asked.

"A lot. Fifteen at least."

Ivarsson scanned the area. They were on a typical floor with winding corridors leading to many rooms. The gunmen overlooked the next corridor, so to proceed, they had to be inventive. She turned, facing the attendees. "Does anyone have some smoke dispensing powers? I'll need some cover."

Everyone turned to each other, searching for a solution. It was Rebecca who finally spoke up, raising her hand confidently. "My powers have nothing to do with smoke, but I can prevent light from reaching specific areas. That should make you invisible."

Ivarsson smiled. "That will do."