Joe turned around and walked towards the fireplace, a sly grin on his face, “I will leave them to you, but you know who I want you to send.”

  “I know.” Mandy replied.

  With a swift motion, Joe pushed a hidden button, and the fireplace slid aside, revealing a sleek, metallic elevator. The atmosphere thickened with tension.

  “Wait!” Penelope shouted, her voice cutting through the silence, “You are under arrest.”

  Joe turned back, feigning surprise, “Oh! Then why am I leaving?” He stepped into the elevator with a casual air.

  As the team drew their guns, Joe simply pointed up at the gas pipe on the ceiling, suggesting a potential threat. However, Beatrice narrowed her eyes and murmured, “Ascension,” assessing the situation. She realized it was a bluff.

  “It’s a bluff.” Beatrice declared, “There is no gas leak. This building was modernized in the 50s and upgraded 20 years ago; all the gas lines were replaced with modern power sources. We saw those solar panels and generators on the roof.”

  In a flash, the team redirected their weapons toward Mandy and opened fire. Yet, the bullets halted mid-air, suspended just before her, then fell harmlessly to the floor. Seizing the moment, Beatrice clapped her hands.

  Mandy stretched her arms, a confident smile playing on her lips as she dropped a bag of chips onto the floor, “Time to go to work.” With incredible speed it seems like she had teleported behind Brandon, placing him in a tight rear neck choke, rendering him unconscious. She then hurled his limp body at Yasmin, knocking her out of the room.

  Penelope, Beatrice, and Gugu quickly assumed fighting stances, launching a coordinated attack from all directions. However, Mandy danced around them effortlessly, jumping over Beatrice as Gugu’s punch accidentally landed on Penelope’s gut, sending her crashing through the wall.

  “You all fight like kids.” Mandy taunted, a smirk on her face, “Everything is straightforward and easy to read.”

  With a swift gesture, Mandy invoked a powerful 4th tier barrier seal—the House of Three Lions—encasing the apartment. “To stop anyone who tries to interrupt my lesson.” In an alarming display, she dislocated her left shoulder, then broke her elbow, and finally shattered her wrist. After this self-mutilation, she released her arm, which began to heal instantly, “The price of an incantation-less seal is harsh but worth it. Now, where were we? Oh! Yes, I have to teach you all a lesson.”

  Penelope sighed, brushing debris from her body, “What should I do? My fighting style could work, but… Beatrice has that ability.”

  Gugu faced Mandy, determination in her stance. She stepped forward but was met with a swift front kick to her stomach, followed by a crane kick that sent her crashing to her knees. Beatrice attempted to assist but was kicked squarely in the face for her trouble and she is sent flying through the wall and the barrier stops her from flying through the building.

  Gugu, recovering quickly, unleashed a shockwave intended to blow Mandy away. Yet, Mandy countered, reversing the airflow and pressure with a mere flick of her wrist, creating a gentle breeze, “Not good enough.”

  Taking a moment to steady herself, Gugu re-assumed her fighting stance.

  “You know fighting me head-on won’t end well for you, right?” Mandy taunted.

  “We shall see.” Gugu replied, gradually closing the distance between them. She threw a right jab, followed by a left uppercut. Mandy easily dodged, her head moving with fluid grace. Just as Gugu prepared a jumping knee, Mandy had already repositioned herself behind Gugu, their backs almost touching.

  “I told you so.” Mandy spun around, delivering a powerful kick to Gugu’s stomach. Yet, Gugu utilized her energy exoskeleton to absorb the blow, softening the impact, "Those ARMS uniforms are quite the masterpiece but against me I can put more power then they can stop; so using your exoskeleton shows you have experience and you can adjust but against me you may as well be naked."

  Mandy’s expression turned to one of mild irritation. Just then, she noticed beads of sweat forming on her brow, the right leg of her sweatpants singed, and a reddened mark on her shin. The sudden heat on her cheek and neck signaled danger.

  Gugu, undeterred, launched another series of attacks, but her high kick missed its target. She followed up with a left cross which Mandy parried effortlessly, then countered with an uppercut and a roundhouse kick, sending Gugu crashing into the wall.

  As Mandy glanced down, her hands were turning red and swelling, a sign of her own exertion. Gugu, regaining her footing, charged at Mandy again, this time faking a straight right before landing an uppercut that nearly dropped her. Gugu pressed her advantage with a series of body shots, ending with a right cross and a straight left that split Mandy’s lip, snapping her head back.

  Mandy retaliated by kicking Gugu's right shin, momentarily unbalancing her. Seizing the moment, she shot a blast of pressurized air at Gugu, creating the needed distance. As Mandy assessed the situation, she realized the severity of her own injuries—second-degree burns creeping dangerously close to third-degree, her clothes barely holding together.

  Before Mandy could adjust Gugu reappeared in front of Mandy and Gugu exoskeleton had a deep ember hue and as the hot air burned Mandy's throat Gugu started landing with a flurry of attacks right, left, uppercut, elbow into a flying knee; in mere seconds Mandy looked like a burnt victim and as she prepared to counter she smiled before Gugu vanished, leaving behind a splash of blue liquid that Mandy punched, causing her to collapse.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  In the bedroom, Gugu quickly turned, firing through the hole in the wall at Mandy, who lay seemingly unconscious. She shot three times at the back of Mandy’s neck before Penelope rushed in, stopping her.

  ***

  Minutes earlier, Ciara was teleported by Beatrice to the elevator. As she exited, she followed Joe down the corridor to a room on the 5th floor. She opened the door to find Joe using a hammer to break his right hand.

  “Put the weapon down!” Ciara shouted, her guns drawn and ready.

  Joe looked up, then tossed the hammer to the floor, “This is payment for my teleport seal. Let’s talk, Ciara.”

  “How do you know my name?” she asked, confusion flickering across her face.

  Joe unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a talisman on his chest, “Joe is asleep right now.” he explained. He pulled out a small remote and pressed a button, causing the lights and all electrical systems to shut off. Candles flickered to life, casting eerie shadows around the room.

  Ciara holstered her guns, “Who are you, and what do you want?”

  Joe cleared his throat, his voice steady, “I am from the syndicate, and I want to express my deepest apologies. The way you were treated was beyond demeaning.”

  “You mean being tortured on a daily basis?” Ciara responded, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

  “Yes, that deplorable behavior isn't condone by management, and I would like for you to join us. This time, I will be upfront about our purpose. Humans, unlike the Subterranean or Atlanteans, got the short end of the stick when it comes to evolution. What we deem as superhuman is as natural as breathing for them, and we want to close that gap. With your power, we can achieve that and more.” Joe explained.

  “So, you want humans to be apex predators?” Ciara asked.

  “Well, that’s just the beginning. We want humans to rise to the top of the whole cosmos. I know it sounds insane, but think about Miri, one of your classmates.”

  “What about her?” Ciara interrupted.

  “She could wipe out our world, and we wouldn’t be able to stop her. Or Bella—she can turn into any human on Earth and cause wars between countries…” Joe continued.

  Ciara cut him off, “They wouldn’t do that!”

  “But they could. What if they attempted these actions you deem impossible? Who would stop them?” Joe pressed.

  “Or an asteroid the size of country could collide with Earth tomorrow.” Ciara shot back.

  “Jokes aside, the truth is combustion is the reason for our existence, and that’s true for many other worlds and civilizations across the cosmos. That fear is what maintains peace amongst worlds. What do you think would happen if combustion became a thing of the past? Would Mercury continue its peaceful relationship with Earth when they could easily take over?” Joe asked.

  “You won’t turn me with fear.” Ciara replied, though her tone wavered slightly.

  “I know, but what if I told you every planet is actively seeking a way to end combustion? They may claim it’s for peace and security, but if someone finds the remedy—a way to stop combustion—peace for our planet will be a distant memory.” Joe explained.

  Ciara, regaining her resolve, replied, “Making every human on Earth super beings won’t change anything. Even that couldn’t stop the armies of Mercury or Mars, meaning all that effort would be in vain.”

  “That is likely, but I wouldn’t be here if I couldn’t guarantee humanity's survival. The Subterranean possess knowledge that could tip the scale of power in our favor, and that’s where you come in. With your ability you can annihilate them, allowing us to possess their knowledge.” Joe revealed.

  “Genocide?” Ciara asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and horror.

  “I understand your hesitation, but you would be saving billions. The Subterranean hold knowledge of thousands of civilizations. We would live without the fear of invasion from neighboring planets,” Joe insisted, glancing at his watch. “It seems I have run out of time. So, what’s your answer?”

  “Human governments are fully aware of combustion, yet they’ve chosen not to make this information readily available to the public.” Ciara said, her tone firm, “As you mentioned, it’s a threat even to highly evolved civilizations, and yet humans, armed with that knowledge, continue waging wars among themselves. It’s as if the species is racing headlong toward its own destruction. Turning every human into a super-being? That would only accelerate their inevitable extinction by centuries. I refuse to be the one to hasten humanity’s downfall.”

  Joe sighed, a hint of disappointment crossing his face, “The offer still stands. Together, we can create a new hierarchy. Devour!” he yelled as the talisman on his chest glowed ominously, instantly devouring his upper body and parts of the beaming pad hidden in the corner of the room.

  ***

  Sheila had left her truck moments before Joe activated the EMP, scouting the area. She approached the abandoned building where the trucks were parked. As she reached the end of the property, Derrek contacted her.

  “Found anything?” he asked.

  “Nothing yet. Expanding the search.” Sheila replied, exiting the building. As she reached the end of the street, she encountered a veil, “They’re here.”

  “The power just came back on. I’ll check with Ciara. Rosina, are the earpieces working?” Derrek inquired.

  “Yes.” Rosina confirmed.

  “Ciara, where is Joe?” Derrek asked.

  “He’s dead. He killed himself.” Ciara replied.

  “Oh! You heard that, Sheila?” Derrek asked.

  “Yes, I guess now we know what we’re dealing with.” Sheila said.

  After the remaining members of Joe’s elite guard were arrested, Sheila and Derrek met with the deputy director and a Shield agent. Derrek recounted the raid’s events. “So, that’s all that happened. The new squad did exceptionally well, except for the hiccup with Gugu.”

  Klaus examined Mandy’s medical report, “That is concerning. I’ve been informed that Mandy is a Subterranean and has diplomatic immunity, but I’ve been assured she won’t be pressing any charges. What about Ciara and this secret organization?”

  “I designed the uniforms they wore to ensure no one was in danger, but I didn’t anticipate a Subterranean. As for Ciara, she responded as I expected. She turned down the offer, but that doesn’t mean she’s with us. Ciara has endured hardships that have made her distrust ARMS and SHIELD by extension. Her only loyalty lays with Penelope and the Atlanteans. Regarding the organization, it’s more dangerous than we thought. There was not only a veil around the city blocks but also a beaming pad where the meeting between Ciara and Joe occurred. Joe damaged it beyond repair, so I can’t track where Ciara was teleported, meaning they anticipated my presence.” Sheila explained.

  Eve cleared her throat, “One question: Vergil comes to school, meets Ciara, and happens to choose the team that met with the person who wanted to recruit her. Smells fishy to me.”

  “My nephew isn’t part of the organization.” Derrek replied, irritation creeping into his voice.

  Klaus intervened before tensions escalated. “Let’s not start blaming each other. We didn’t expect the organization to have this much power. Next time, we must be prepared because they won’t take no for an answer.”

  “Since everything has been covered, I’ll end this meeting.” Sheila announced, her anger palpable.