Chapter 4

"...John?"

Jonathan took a hit from his cigarette and leaned back on the balcony. He exhaled the smoke, looking up at the clear night sky, the stars barely visible due to the many lights around the block. He centered on Lunam. Earth's second moon, recently appearing years ago, smaller than it's neighbor and shining with a shade of yellow. It resembled a mini sun, but without it's light. Just was Earth's moon was blue, Lunam was yellow.

"Are you listening to me?"

Jonathan looked down at Elsa. A gorgeous woman in every way. Angular features with thick black hair. She was sitting comfortably on a lounge chair enjoying a cup of whiskey.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Jonathan said.

Elsa sighed. "Never mind. Clearly you did not. Forget it."

Jonathan shrugged and resumed marveling at Lunam while wondering who or what could possible live there. Not the first time he'd thought about the origins of Lunam. Where had it come from? Why had it come? Questions without answers.

"Hey Elsa," He said after a long silence. "you ever wonder what the Lunamians are thinking about us right now?"

"Lunamians? What's a Lunamian?"

Jonathan pointed. "You know, the entities that live on Lunam."

"What makes you think anything lives there?" Elsa said. "All we know of Lunam is that it's the source of Aura, and even that's based mostly on speculation. Stop guessing."

"True, but something has to live there right?" He wasn't particularly religious, but its the only thing that made sense to him. That some intelligent being had granted Aura to the people of Earth and now watched, it's motive unknown.

"I wouldn't know John." Elsa shrugged. "It's not like anyone's been there, and nor will anyone will."

Jonathan let out a sigh. Talking about Lunam to Elsa was pointless. She was too self centered. But she was of course correct. The only thing Earth knew of Lunam was that it appeared one day years ago and then people started developing abilities. The rest was as Elsa had said; Speculations. Theories.

Just then, Jonathan's maid opened the balcony door and walked over to him. "Your drink, master." She handed him a cup of whisky.

"Thank you, Karen." 

"Anything else?"

"No that'd be all, you may go."

Karen bowed politely and walked back inside. But not before Elsa put a leg out, tripping the unsuspecting woman. Karen fell on her knees but said nothing, simply stood and pretended it never happened. If the fall had hurt, she did not show it.

"Why'd you do that?" Jonathan said to Elsa, after Karen was gone. He didn't much like the way Royals treated Commoners. Even when Commoners offered to work as maids and servants for them. It wasn't right. He especially didn't much like how Elsa was just like the rest of the Royal. Arrogant, self-righteous bullies.

Elsa shrugged. "Why'd you thank her?"

"Because she brought me what I asked."

"We're Royals, John." Elsa raised her right arm, showing her golden bracelet. The symbol of a Royal. Then she pointed in the direction Karen had gone. "And they are Commoners. We're above them. Learn your goddamn place."

Jonathan hated that Elsa took the Lord Ruler's social hierarchy too close to heart. It birthed unnecessary hatred between Royals and Commoners, when it shouldn't be the case. It also made Elsa a cold hearted bitch. Kind of fitting, Jonathan thought, considering her ability.

Ability which the Lunamians had granted humanity through Aura. Abilities that would awaken at 13 and disappear at 20. Such is the system around the world. Such was the way things' had been since Lunam's mysterious appearance. But somehow, the Lord Ruler broke that system when he created the dome around New Miami. Inside it no new abilities were being awakened and no abilities were being lost. In Jonathan's case; he was born and raised in Old Orlando then moved to New Miami when he was 19, in hopes of keeping his ability. It had worked. He had entered the dome and now he's 24 and a Royal, able to push and pull things from and to him using gravitational forces. The drawback was that he couldn't leave the city now, not unless he was willing to part with his ability. Leaving the dome somehow made one's Aura disappear, resulting in ability loss. This had caused those with abilities to become Royals and take control of New Miami.

What followed was the Lord Ruler's hierarchy system, where Royals rule.

"If anything, you're the one who's too soft." Elsa said with another shrug.

Jonathan knew Elsa didn't like how he was too nice to Commoners. Before he could reply, a massive flash of light exploded in the distance.  For a brief moment, he could've sworn he saw two golden phoenix clash in the sky far in the distance.

"What was that?" Elsa asked.

****

Imperium. The most important building in New Miami, a skyscraper towering over High Tier district. The Lord Ruler's seat of power housing the most privileged Royals in the city. An impenetrable fortress guarded by the strongest Royal Elites and Knights.

It was also the location of Jonathan's job.

He straightened his suit and walked inside the building. The lobby was full of activity. People bustled about their business, moving with purpose and direction. Not all wore golden bracelets, as not everyone that visited, or even worked at Imperium, were Royals themselves. They were all, however, Royal supporters. Rich and important people in their own right.

Jonathan bought his morning coffee then headed to the front desk, nodding to the guards. They were Royals with abilities designed to spot and prevent unwanted trouble in the lobby. 

The woman at the front desk, a Royal with the ability to detect lies, greeted him with a cheery "Good morning." She asked Jonathan the costumery questions intended to see if he was who he said he was and worked where he said he worked, then she asked him to place the hand on the bracelet detector. Jonathan placed his right hand in a small machine which checked the chip installed in his bracelet for authenticity. There was a low bip, after which he removed his arm. 

"You're good to go, Mr. Heyes." She said, and let Jonathan past the guards.

Jonathan thanked her, nodded to the guards again, and walked up some stairs to a hallway, reaching the elevator. He pressed  the up button and waited. From across the hallway he noticed a Royal slapping an older man across the face for bringing him the wrong coffee. The older man being a Commoner and had little choice but to apologize. Jonathan shook his head. That was a common occurrence in High Tier, less so in the other districts. Jonathan grew frustrated each day after witnessing it. Little by little his anger rose. He had stepped in once or twice in defense of the Commoners, but that did little to make a difference. Most Royals truly believed they were superior and acted accordingly. 

The elevator door opened with a ping. Jonathan went inside and pressed the button for the 22nd floor. 

Imperium was divided into four main sections, each consisting of about ten floors.  The Lobby had two floors. Floors 3-13 were job offices. The Royals and Commoners who work for the Royal Authorities worked there. In Jonathan's case, he was a supervisor for Imperium's News Station; Imperial News Company, or INC for short. INC was the source of superhero news, the only company allowed to do so, publishing daily content as warnings against becoming superheroes.

Floors 14-24 were Living Spaces. Apartments owned by Royals of high renown. Jonathan was offered one but refused it. He preferred to distance himself from Royals, owning a house instead, and live in a relatively quiet neighborhood.

Floors 24-34 were restricted areas. Only Royals with specified authentication were allowed to go past the 34th floor. There were rumors of experiments being done on those top floors but Jonathan wasn't too interested in getting involved, especially since the Lord Ruler made it clear he didn't like people snooping around where they shouldn't.

Those were the official floors mapped out in the elevator, but Imperium had 42 floors in total. Or at least that's how it looked from the outside. Whatever secrets the higher Royals hid were no doubt contained in those top floors.

The elevator stopped at the 22nd floor with another ping. Jonathan took the hallway to his office, where he was met with unusual commotion. Everyone in the room was huddled together by a single computer desk. They were watching something.

"John!" Mila, one of Jonathan's News Anchor, waved him over. "Come here, look at this!"

"This was sent to us by multiple sources from a High Tier neighborhood." Erick the Camera Operator said. "Along with a few others."

Jonathan looked over at the computer screen. It was a video from last night. Someone must've recorded what had happened and whoever it was, was telling someone offscreen to stay inside.  Jonathan watched with intrigue. He wanted to know what had caused the massive explosion he saw the night before.

The video showed the superhero called Time Witch fighting a Royal, an Elite that Jonathan recognized immediately by his long flowing black hair.

"What was Wren doing there?" Jonathan asked Mila. 

"Don't know." Mila shrugged.  "But you're not gonna believe this! Watch."

In the video; Elek - Jonathan guessed it was Elek because the two were inseparable, doing every job together - burst out from inside a house and crashed into a car.

"Holy shit, is he okay?" Erick asked.

"He's alive at least." Mila told him with an uncaring shrug. "I heard he was in intensive care at Tiers Hospital. But that's not the interesting part, keep watching." 

The fact that Mila barely gave a second thought to Elek's condition was probably because she was a Commoner, and just as Royals cared little for Commoners, Commoners cared even less for Royals. Jonathan couldn't argue that reasoning and didn't belittle Mila's lack of empathy.

Back in the video; The man that came out of the house after Elek was wearing in a black hoodie and a scarf. He was also using Elek's ability, lightning springing forth from his body like a plasma ball. That shouldn't be possible, Jonathan thought. But that was the least of the unexpected surprises. Whoever this guy was was also using Wren's ability on top of Elek's, conjuring a golden Aura phoenix. He had somehow fused it with electricity. The clash of the two birds is what had caused the explosion. The screen went white afterwards.

"Did that guy just used Elek's and Wren's abilities simultaneously or am imagining that. Tell me I'm not crazy Mila. " Erick said. 

It did sound ridiculous, Jonathan thought to himself, impossible even. 

"Yep!" Mila said, sounding excited. "I've watched the video a few times already, just to make sure there was no tampering. What you guys saw was not faked, it was the real deal and whoever the guy with the scarf and hoodie is, can use multiple abilities. My guess is he somehow copied Wren's and Elek's." She looked to Jonathan. "This news is going to be big big, boss. I already have the headline: The Copycat Superhero. This is going to shake the Lord Ruler for sure and who knows what it'll make him do. Kind of curious now that I think about it."

Jonathan wondered about that too. The Lord Ruler has remained in the shadows after making Beodulf Hernandez Mayor of New Miami, providing no reason for the decision. Beodulf had been leading the Royals ever since, and not all in a positive direction.

"Has Lady seen the video yet?" Jonathan asked, referring to the CEO of the News Station. Lady was the the one who decided what INC publishes, how to publish it, and when. They called her Lady because, like the Lord Ruler, she kept her identity a secret. A common thing in Imperium. For some reason the more influential the Royal, the more they wanted their identity hidden. Jonathan didn't much like the secrecy. 

The only ones who knew Lady's identity were her aptly named Royal Knights. Wren and Elek were among them, with a third that Jonathan hasn't met.

"She must've," Mila said. "I sent her a copy of the video earlier. Wren should be getting back with the approval any minute now."

"I am and she did." Wren walked into the room at that moment. He waved Jonathan over. "Come. Let us talk in your office, privately."

"This news..." Jonathan said, after closing the door behind him. "We should-"

"Not publish it." Wren interrupted, while serving himself to a cup of whisky which Jonathan kept in a bottle by his desk.

"What?"

"At least not yet." Wren took a sip of the whiskey. "Just wait a week before publishing. Lady doesn't want that video out in the public this soon."

"Why?" Jonathan couldn't believe this. That video wasn't just news, it was world changing news. A mysterious stranger with powers that could potentially challenge the Lord Ruler himself. "It doesn't make sense why she wouldn't. The city deserves to know."

Wren finished the drink and put the cup down. "Lady's orders. But if you really want to know why she decided that then you know what to do John. Take her offer and join us. She doesn't mind telling her friends her reasons for doing things. Hell, you might even have a chance at changing her mind regarding publication."

Lady had indeed offered to elevate Jonathan above most Royals. To make him one of her Royals Knights, above even the Elites. As to why she would make such an incredible offer, he didn't know. Jonathan wasn't particularly strong with his ability, least not as strong as Wren or Elek. What could Jonathan offer that other Royals wouldn't? All she said at the time was; "I'll tell you everything once we've become friends." But that gave no hints.

Regardless, Jonathan wanted no part of Royal affairs. Working at Imperium was enough for him.

"My answer hasn't changed, Wren." Jonathan said. "But that doesn't change anything. I still don't see what reason could she possible have to delay this, but I'm not curious enough to be the target of Commoner hatred. Word of mouth will spread and do our job regardless. And with news this big, it will probably be known to the entire city in about a month."

"I personally don't care either way." Wren shrugged. "Still, Lady said to keep reminding you about the offer. She said she'll keep the position open until you change your mind. In the meantime, John, you don't need to know why she does things. Those are her orders. Delay the news for at least a week, then do as you like." Wren turned to leave. "I'm off."

"Wren," Jonathan called after him. "How's Elek?"

Wren stopped by the door, turning and smiling the way one does when they know you were going to ask because you care about the well being of others, Royal or not. "He's not in the best of shapes, but he'll come through. Thanks for asking." Wren waved and left the office after telling Mila and the rest to talk to Jonathan if they had any questions.

Jonathan delivered Wren's news as best he could. It had the effect he knew it would.

"You've got be joking right?" Mila said. "John, tell me you're joking. The city has to know that there's someone out there that could  actually pose a threat to the Lord Ruler. To His precious hierarchy."

"Careful Mila." Jonathan warned. "Talk back like that to a Royal can get you a sound beating."

"Beatings don't matter to me. What matters to me is that everyone deserves to know what's happening in this city." Mila was strong, independent, and she did not fear the Royals like most Commoners should. Perhaps that had to do with how Jonathan ran the Station in Wren's absence. Elsa had said it herself; Jonathan was too soft on Commoners.

"So what then boss?" Erick said. "We just wait out the week?"

Jonathan nodded. "It's not like we have a choice in the matter. It's my duty to follow Lady's orders, not question them. Well then, lets get to work. There are other news that need to be spread."

One thing that Jonathan found a bit odd, though he couldn't explain exactly why, was Lady's command to always include warnings after every superhero news delivered. Stop trying to be superheroes and opposing the Royals. You will always lose. You will always get caught. It never worked thought, as evident by the rise of superheroes in the last couple months. The Guardian of High Tier was a prime example that it was not working. The man had not only challenged the Royals, but challenged the Royals of High Tier.

Jonathan had offered Lady suggestions about trying to work with these superheroes rather than fending them off, but she would always refuse. Tsk.

***

After work, Jonathan left the News Station and noticed Wren talking to a blonde woman with short hair. They were standing by the lobby's entrance. 

What's this? Jonathan thought, noticing the woman was missing a golden bracelet on her right arm. She's a Commoner, Jonathan realized, and Wren's being friendly with her. Wren wasn't a complete asshole to Commoners, but Jonathan knew the man wasn't particularly friendly with them either. It could be that she was a Royal spy, sent to the lower districts in search of Ability-Users that took the middle ground; hiding from the Royals instead of joining them. Potential superheroes-to-be. To either turn them in, or warn them about becoming one.

The two talked for a moment - Jonathan was too far away to hear what they were saying - then the woman handed Wren a folded piece of paper. Wren pocketed it. They exchanged a few more words, then she left.

Jonathan waited a moment before approaching Wren. "Who's the pretty lady?" He asked, watching the woman with intrigue.

"A friend." Wren said, his face unreadable. 

An odd response coming from the guy, Jonathan noted. "I thought I was the only Royal with Commoner friends." he said, then shrugged. "I didn't take you for a softy like me, Wren the Elite."  Wren was hiding something, he was sure. But who wasn't in Imperium.

"I could tell you who she is you know, all you have to do is-"

"She's a friend. Got it." Jonathan said, not wanting to hear the rest. 

Wren took on that knowing smile again. "Alright. Well, listen I'm heading to the hospital, see to Eleks condition. Care to join... John the softy?"

Jonathan  nodded. "Yeah sure. Lets grab something to eat on the way."