“Andrew will bring you back now. I’ll be in touch,” Technologica said.

  Without warning a man appears in front of me, holding my helmet. This man, Andrew, the one who assaulted and abducted me, is someone I recognize. Wearing sunglasses and his signature ugly pinstriped suit is Special Agent Andrew Waters. She has a BNA Special Agent working for her. I thought that everything from before accessing the Tome was safe from her eyes. But this means she no doubt has connected the dots between Aubrey and my helmet. It truly means her agents could be anyone.

  “You ready to go, kid? Do you want me to drop you off at your dad's? Kidding. I’ll put him back right where I found him,” SA Waters joked.

  He puts my helmet back on me and makes a point to wave the keys to my cuffs in my face. The helmet is back to working as usual. My body is on the space station, but my mind is elsewhere. He needs to die. He knows too much and can get to me no matter where I am. I need a new helmet since this one has been compromised. I’ll need to drug Aubrey so I can remove the power and have someone make me a new one. I feel Waters jostle me around as he activates his power.

  As I am right now, I am no match for Technologica. But she needs me for her project which buys me time. Time to plan, to grow, to gather whatever I need to take everything she holds dear. I won’t stop until I crack open that tank and stomp her brain out. I might have to put some of my plans on the shelf for now. She said that monitoring me took less than one percent of her attention. That means she has a limit for processing. Her ability isn’t just a Tinkerer one, but some kind of Mentalist. If I can divide her attention or distract her with enough fires, I can escape her notice.

  As short as the trip back to the base is, by the time we arrive, I have the beginnings of an idea. I feel SA Waters unlock my wrists and shove me forward. He says something but I’m not listening. By the time I turn around, he’s gone. Looking around my office, I notice something missing: the Tome. I figured she’d take the Tome back. After letting me know how much more could be done with them, there wasn’t a chance in hell she’d let me keep it. I check my phone to see how long I’ve been gone. Two hours? Okay. The plan I’ve managed to come up with isn’t ideal and involves someone else learning about my identity, but I don’t have much of a choice. Every single piece of tech here needs to be destroyed; the whole base needs to be burned to ash. Phones, gadgets, everything needs to go. I walk into the conference room and take a look down below. The truck is gone, so Tuesday must’ve left already. Good, she’s the one who absolutely cannot know my identity.

  “Kai, I need you and Vivienne up here immediately,” I said aloud.

  “But I’m.”

  “Now, Kai. Get the fuck up here,” I said, cutting him off.

  Vivienne arrives first, bounding up the metal stairs like a lioness on the hunt.

  “Everything okay, Nobody?”

  “No, sit down.”

  Kai comes up next, but he doesn’t look annoyed. Something about my order let him know this is important. He sits down, and the two of them look at me expectantly.

  “Two hours ago, I was abducted from this base,” I said.

  “What? Who did it? Are you okay?” Vivienne asked.

  “How? There shouldn’t be any way to get in here undetected,” Kai added.

  “Neither of those are important at this moment. I have a lot to tell you both, and we don’t have a lot of time. Actually, before we begin, both of you take out your phones, the burners, and your personal ones,” I said.

  I create a group text with everyone, including the two I have with me. I send a single text.

  (Nobody): Go dark. Destroy your phones immediately. Both of them. Going dark. Do not respond.

  I toss my phone at Vivienne, and Kai does the same. Both are looking at me strangely. Vivienne shifts, crushing the phones into a little ball.

  “We are leaving tonight. Kai, you need to destroy every drone you have, and V, you need to burn this place down to slag—no traces of anything,” I said.

  “What? I haven’t started moving my Tinkertech collection yet. And I was just starting to get a decent amount of drones,” Kai complained.

  “Kai, all of it needs to stay here and be destroyed. Same goes for your arm,” I said.

  “What? Why do I have to be the one to lose everything?”

  “Not just you,” I said, transforming my helmet. It falls from my face and I throw the mask to Vivienne. Her eyes go wide, and Kai is dead silent. “Do it, V.”

  I watch as Nobody’s helmet burns and breaks down in her hands. The symbol of Nobody and all of I have accomplished. But the point of Nobody is anonymity, something that the helmet no longer provides or represents.

  “Do you understand the severity of what has occurred, Doctor?”

  Kai pulls out his tablet and punches a code before tracing out a symbol. He places his palm on the center of the tablet, and I hear several small explosions akin to fireworks go off.

  “It’s done. Every drone is deactivated and fried. You’re younger than I thought you’d be,” Kai said, sliding the tablet over to V.

  “I know. I have two questions for you: can you complete brain surgery with only one hand, and can those flesh computers of yours be used to receive sound?” I asked.

  “Yes. And I think so. What do you have in mind?”

  “I don’t want to say anything yet. Grab whatever you’ll need to perform two minor surgeries, but nothing that has a computer or a motherboard in it. V, I need you to go downstairs with him and help him gather what he needs. And bring the flesh computers with you,” I ordered.

  “What do you want with Zero and Six?” Kai asked.

  “Bring them; they’re needed for what I have in mind. I’ll meet you both outside in one of the nearby warehouses. Don’t say a word until we’re outside. Vivienne, nuke the place. Be quick, Kai. I want to see you both in forty minutes. Let’s go.”

  Subject Zero and Six’s unconscious bodies are laid down on two old-school stretchers we’re using as makeshift tables. Kai brought a good amount of supplies and a job site light. The sun will be up soon, but he’ll need the light. A cart has the two flesh computers, and they are disgusting to look at. I’m really taking a chance with this. I have to hope that Technologica’s virus didn’t work on those. The only noise in the empty warehouse is the crackling from the flaming wreckage that was our base. Vivienne did as I asked and razed the place to the ground. All that is left is a burning crater. Vivienne is by the door, watching the fire burn.

  “You ready to tell us the plan? And what the hell has you so spooked we had to do all this?” Kai asked, waving his stump around.

  Vivienne’s head turns at Kai’s question.

  “The database, V. Remember how we thought it was too good to be true? It was. That didn’t belong to Kitt. It belongs to Technologica,” I said.

  “Like the OG Technologica? Leader of the Supreme Six, Technologica?” V asked.

  “Yes. And she used that to infect everything. She knows everything. Every crime, every decision, every fucking conversation we’ve had.”

  “Isn’t she dead?” Kai asked.

  “No, she is very much alive. And she has a secret space station where she watches over the world, controlling things from the shadows like some sort of puppetmaster. She is immensely powerful and had quite a few revelations for me. I can share those later, but right now, we need to get started on my first contingency,” I said.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “What the fuck? We’re beefing with a Supreme Six member? Hell yeah, Nobody. Go big or go home, yeah?” V said.

  “She is hands-off with us and Momentus INC, but we are on a time crunch. She needs me to use my ability for a project of hers, but after that, I don’t doubt she will wipe us out,” I said.

  “So what's the plan?” Kai asked.

  “I haven’t had a lot of time to work on one. But I’ve come up with something that might eventually be able to help us. It involves those two,” I said, pointing at the Subjects.

  “Well, don’t leave me with blue balls, Nobody. What are we doing?”

  “I need you to put those two flesh computers inside the Subjects' brains. I need you to hook it up to their sensory networks. I don’t want to say much more than that,” I said.

  “You’re going to give me Diminish’s power, aren’t you? To get around the size issue? I was starting to wonder if you had an inflation kink,” Kai joked.

  I walk over to Kai, clasping his only hand, and activate my power. The anhedonia is going to blunt his personality, but I can always take it back after. “Right on the money, doc. Let me know when you’re finished.”

  After the five minutes pass, I walk outside, beckoning for V to follow. I drag a crate outside and plop down on it. I’m exhausted and stressed; I have even more on my plate than before. I just got rid of Maria, and I already have a new woman ruining my life.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” V asked.

  I look at her and think about all we’ve done together. Vivienne Caldara is my first friend and the only person I’ve ever felt a sense of comradery with. She is my lieutenant, my warrior, my right hand, and in order to protect what we have built, I have to cut that out of me. I already know which powers I’m going to give Six and Zero and what I’ll be losing because of it. Technologica is such a massive threat that I need to lose now If I ever want to have a chance of winning.

  “I’m thinking that I’m glad we met,” I said genuinely.

  “Same. You guys are the first group where I don’t feel like an outsider. I know that it’s silly to say that about a criminal organization, but I’m happy here,” she said, blushing.

  “It’s not silly. I don’t know where I’d be now if I had never met you, but I’m positive I’d be worse off. I’m better for having met you.”

  “Me too. I never would’ve imagined I’d do half the stuff we’ve done. I mean, I basically went toe to toe with the archangel of racism. You’re a helluva boss, Nobody. Thanks for putting up with all my shit and allowing a meathead like me to be a part of something big. It means a lot,” Vivienne said.

  “I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you. From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were special. Vivienne, you were always going to be great. I’m just happy I could speed it up a little bit. I just wanted to make sure that you know how important you are to me and that I’m happy we’re friends,” I said honestly.

  “You better stop it, or you’re gonna make me cry. And if you make me cry, I’m gonna hit you. Kais a gossipy little bitch, and he’d tell Hotpants, and then I’d never hear the end of it,” V said.

  “Alright, I’ll stop. We’ve really started something here that’s going to change everything. I mean, we’ve already gained a Supreme Six member as our nemesis. Not too shabby for a rookie, eh, Lavagirl?”

  “Ugh. I hated that fucking name. Thank god it didn’t catch on, or I would’ve killed you,” she laughed.

  “In that case, what about Ms. Magma?”

  “No.”

  “Miss Molten?”

  “That’s somehow worse,” she said.

  “Obsidian?”

  “Sounds stupid. I don’t need a Cowl name; I never had one before.”

  “Quinstin’s different than Crimton. You’re going to need an alias when we get there. We’re entering the big leagues, and that means separating Vivienne Caldara, the COO of Momentus, from Vivienne the Cowl.

  “Fine. I’ll give it some thought and come up with a name,” she said.

  “Bedrock?”

  “Just give it up, Nobody.”

  “It’s done,” Kai said, wiping blood on his apron. “I have the IP addresses and all the other stuff needed to be able to send them information. It’s hard to check if it worked without testing, but I’m ninety-nine percent sure it was a success. Do you need anything else?”

  “No. You can wait outside with Vivienne. After I finish up here, you should head to Quinstin. Vivienne and I will be along shortly,” I said.

  I hear him walk away and stare at the two Subjects. I walk over to them, the giant job site light hitting my back and casting shadows across the room. The two of them have been through so much, and that’s not even including the experiments. Zero has a portion of her hair shaved down where Kai implanted the machine and Six’s hair was already buzzed. I can see the giant scars where the incisions were made. They look so peaceful lying there in the brown outfits that Kai made for them. I have to ruin these people. It’s not like I haven’t ruined lives before, I’ve taken so many I’ve lost count. But there is something different about breaking them both and molding them into something else. They look so normal, so human. But Technologica isn’t human.

  I reach out and place a palm on Zero’s arm. Her role will be to amass a group suited to cause massive destruction and spread fear of Neuvohumans. She won’t be someone on the front lines. For that, I give her General Prior and Offset’s abilities. She’ll be able to grant herself and her followers a shield that can absorb one hit as well as transfer any injuries she sustains to other people. A longing for family and compulsive honesty are great pieces for a cult leader.

  The next two powers I plan to give her are two of the most dangerous ones in my entire collection. Curtis Drax’s ability to create an incredibly potent and addictive drug in the bloodstream of people he touches will allow her to gather followers and make them dependent on her. Impulsiveness is a good piece for me to lose but a bad one for her to gain. The final ability she will receive is Anna Lee’s. Whenever anyone thinks of harming Zero, they will experience intense emotional manipulation to render them charmed and feel affection for her. This is what will protect her from being attacked when meeting Capes and Cowls. I send the final ability to her and she starts shaking slightly. There goes my friendship with Vivienne.

  Zero’s eyes slowly open. She looks at me, her head swaying and eyes blinking. The combination of abilities within her is incredibly dangerous, and that’s without knowing what new abilities they will combine into. She’s delirious, either due to all the Manic Panic Kai’s been feeding her or the effect of the fourth power on her mind.

  “Are you an angel?” Zero asked, reaching out to me.

  I smoothly avoid her hands. Curtis’ ability is too dangerous to mess around with. Her question gives me an idea. With the light at my back and her haziness, she might genuinely believe I’m from heaven. I can use this to tie her to me even more.

  “How are you, my child? You’ve been through so much. I’m proud of your resilience,” I said.

  “Am, am, am I dead? Is this Heaven?” Zero asked.

  “No, it isn't your time yet. You were once lost, my little lamb, but there are others out there who will need you to shepherd them through this dark world. The children need a mother to nurture and protect them. You’ve been chosen for a great pilgrimage,” I said, brushing my hand down her face to make her close her eyes.

  I wait a few seconds to see if she’ll wake up, but she’s out cold. The powers I've given her are fitting for a prophet or religious leader. In a head-to-head, Zero is weak. I place my hand against the dry, leathery scales of Six. I need my own monster if I want a chance at taking Technologica down. I put my hand on his head. His role will be to attack locations that need to be destroyed and take out Capes and Cowls that cannot be dealt with otherwise. I start transferring the first ability to him. Marcus, the immortal Bruiser, is the first ability. He’ll be able to get stronger, faster, more durable and have his memory and mental faculties upgraded every time he dies. A constant hunger will work for a monster.

  The second ability is Constrictor’s: potent regeneration coupled with a reptilian form. Self-loathing won’t matter if he can’t die. Six’s body shudders as it changes to the same lanky reptilian form he had with this power previously. Next, I send three at once: Big Phish’s, Phantasmo’s, and Carapace’s powers. What I’m doing is unprecedented and dangerous. He’ll be able to create a dense mist that obscures vision and deafens the sounds he makes. He’ll also have flight, intangibility, and can spawn those insectoid monstrosities that Isaiah described to me. The abilities don’t matter as much as the physical component that will cause changes. I’m getting rid of several problematic pieces as well. Bloodlust, irritability, and a sense of playfulness aren’t losses. The snake-man’s body begins to stretch and change rapidly, tearing his clothes to pieces. His eyes shoot open, the yellow serpentine irises becoming murky and bloodshot. His body starts to seize, and blood splurts out of his mouth.

  “Can you hear me, Six?” I asked. “Blink if you can hear me.”

  He blinks rapidly even as his eyes enlarge and change into black orbs the size of soccer balls. The rest of his body shakes as Six grows, becoming larger and larger until he’s as big as the box truck. I push Zero’s stretcher out of the way and back up as the creature continues to change. The stretcher is crushed beneath him, and he knocks the surgical tools over.

  “You are one of a kind. There were so many of you but you took to the trials the best. You're adaptive, creative, and a survivor. You’ll need to become more in order to survive this tribulation. I'm sure you must be in agony, but persevere. I believe in you,” I shouted.

  The large black orbs are actually comprised of hundreds of smaller eyes like a fly's. Six’s head is similar in shape to a shark's but with a longer neck, allowing it to pivot around. His mouth has several rows of sharp, curved teeth, two giant black mandibles jutting out of the sides, and a forked tongue as thick as a rope. The skin changes into overlapping chitinous plates with hexagonal scale patterns on it. As Six breathes, the pine cone plates open like gills. Next, the beast’s back splits open, spiky fin-shaped spinal plates growing before the armor closes around the bleeding wounds. Rocky protrusions emerge out of his back, looking like dormant volcanoes. His lizard limbs shift and become thick, powerful legs similar to a polar bear's.

  Five obsidian-colored claws emerge out of the limbs, each claw longer than a katana and ending in a fish hook. Two insectoid appendages the size of Contrictor’s tail sprout out of its neck, its ribs, and at the base of its two tails. The tails are lengthy and muscular, like the body of a python but ending in shark fins. Smaller versions of the volcanic back clusters dot both tails. Six groans as the final aspects of his transformation takes place; every part of its body sprouts flesh ribbons as he grows one more time. These skin tendrils cover every part of his body until he looks almost like a giant, mutant, shaggy dog. The only parts left uncovered are the claws, mandibles, eyes, spikes, and insectoid limbs. The limbs fold in, hiding underneath his flesh fur. The end result is a ghostly green deep-sea wolf chimera the size of a double-decker bus. The creature looks like something scientists would discover, dwelling thousands of feet below sea level. The creature's chest heaves as it struggles to breathe.

  “Huuuuuuurts,” the creature said, its voice deep and guttural.

  “It will pass,” I said.

  “Make hurt stop,” he demanded.

  He passed the subsequent thresholds after the second power, but it clearly affected his mental state. It doesn’t matter. He will die, rise, die, and rise again until his body is strong enough to support the changes. By then, his mental state should be back to human.

  “Pain is how you know you're alive. It's good that you can feel it. Do you understand me, Six?”

  “Siiiiiiix?”

  “That's who you are. Three sixes are considered the mark of the beast. You are that beast, a biblical monster here to punish and cull the populace. You don't understand now, but you will. Hunt the strong. Feed on the weak. Perish in battle. Grow stronger with every death. Follow the cycle, Six. Hunt, feed, perish, and grow,” I said.

  “Huuuuuuunt. Feeeeed. Perissssssh. Groooooow.”

  Six attempts to stand, but sways side to side before collapsing. The giant monster is silent, his chest no longer moving, and his limbs splayed out. He's dead. The strain of all those powers broke his mind and killed him. These two aren't like Tuesday. She's a rabid dog I'm keeping in the house; those two are pawns created for the sole purpose of chaos and destruction. I am unleashing monsters into the world.

  Stepping outside, I leave the two of them behind. I won’t be able to check on their progress until I can get set up. Kai is gone, but Vivienne is waiting for me. I look at her bright red hair, her warm smile, and her welcoming disposition. Nothing. I feel nothing when I look at her. All the progress I have made is gone. Our friendship is buried inside the woman sleeping in the warehouse. The place inside me where all the stored powers are is so much smaller now. My power sense lets me know that the two of them aren’t moving and also answers a long unanswered question. I can’t tell if a person I’ve given powers to is dead or not.

  I look up at the sky as if I might catch a glimpse of that woman’s space station. You said my accomplishments were meaningless and small. That I wasn’t special or chosen, I will show you the difference between me and everyone else. I will show you how wrong you are. Technologica thinks herself above the world, the maestro whose tune we all dance to. She believes nobody can match her intellect, that nobody is her equal, and that nobody can challenge her.

  I Am Nobody.

  More than anything, I proved to myself that I could finish a story and end it in a satisfying way. I didn't want to let readers down ever again, like I did previously. And I didn't. I'm sure some people may not like this ending; it is technically a step backward in terms of progression. But it was always the plan in mind. Since day one, I knew Eryk had to get his comeuppance at some point. This volume was written as a prologue and is basically the tutorial area. Eventually, he was going to have to find out where he stands in the grand scheme. Eryk is a bad person in every way that matters, and karma had to come for him someday. I personally dislike when MCs don't ever suffer real setbacks, and succeed constantly. If you think of all the people he's killed, lives he's ruined, etc. Him losing the helmet, his base, his friendship with V, and an admittedly large amount of powers and pieces is a small price to pay.