ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝟙𝟚𝟟: ℭ𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱𝔯𝔶 𝔦𝔫 𝔓𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔠 ⓇⒺⓋⒶⓂⓅⒺⒹ
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꧁𓊈 𝔅𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔬𝔫 𓊉꧂
9:00 AM ⧼UTC-5⧽.
The Guardians Guild’s main base, located deep beneath Washington, D.C., was once a top-secret facility for weapons research. Now, under Brandon’s leadership, it had been completely transformed.
The underground complex was designed to house the Alpha Chosen of the Guardians Guild, offering them state-of-the-art training areas, fully equipped living quarters, and every resource they needed.
While it currently housed only Brandon, Gabriel, and a small team of technical staff, Brandon had plans for the base to grow.
He envisioned it becoming a hub for the Guild’s expansion, eventually welcoming Beta and Gamma Chosen. The facility’s design reflected those future needs, with every detail planned to handle the increase in members.
At the moment, however, it felt oversized for its few occupants. Brandon was busy in the training area, guiding Gabriel on how to master Tier Suppression after his recent advancement to Tier-3.
Their session was interrupted by a secure call from the Chief of the country’s Cyber Security division, a team appointed to support the Guild by the President himself.
"Mr. Brandon, as per your instructions, we’ve been tracking the targets using surveillance satellite feeds. We last saw them at an airport in India. Do you want us to send agents into the country to find their exact location?"
Brandon replied firmly. "No. Sending agents risks exposing our efforts. These targets aren’t ordinary people; they’ll know we’re tracking them. Continue with the satellites. It might take longer, but it’s safer."
The Chief paused briefly, considering the workload his team would have to bear. Still, he chose not to question Brandon’s decision. Brandon’s authority, just below that of the President, carried weight. The Chief acknowledged the order and ended the call, returning to his task.
In recent days, Brandon had implemented strict satellite surveillance on all Alpha Chosen, including members of the Guardians Guild and Olivia’s group.
The purpose was clear: to ensure no one misused their abilities. Whether it was harming civilians or committing crimes, Brandon intended to act swiftly against any misconduct.
This decision stemmed from a recent incident involving Sergei, a former assassin turned Alpha Chosen.
Sergei had tracked and killed members of a Russian organization that had once employed him. These individuals had tried to eliminate both Sergei and his daughter, and while his actions were technically illegal, Brandon understood his motives.
He chose not to intervene in the matter, given Sergei’s justification for his actions. However, the event served as a reminder to Brandon that unchecked power could quickly spiral out of control. Thus, his surveillance measures were meant to prevent future issues before they escalated.
Fortunately, after Sergei’s incident, no similar events occurred. No one from Brandon's group or Olivia's had to resort to crime for money, as both factions offered generous compensation to their members. This financial stability had helped keep things peaceful, at least for now.
Recently, however, Brandon’s surveillance team observed a strange development. Olivia and Sergei were spotted boarding a private jet and heading overseas. But soon after, the jet vanished from their satellite feed.
It was eerily similar to what happened when Dante disappeared off the radar after leaving Italy. Despite their best efforts, Brandon’s team had only managed to confirm that Dante traveled to India before losing track of him entirely.
Brandon suspected that these disappearances were connected to Jay, the most enigmatic of the Alpha Chosen. While they had identified other Alphas using composite sketches and global citizenship databases, Jay remained an anomaly.
No matter how hard Brandon tried, he couldn’t recall Jay’s facial features or any details about his appearance. It was as though Jay’s presence had been deliberately erased from his memory, making it impossible to track him.
The connection between Dante, Olivia, and Jay nagged at Brandon’s mind. It couldn’t be a coincidence that their trails went cold after traveling to India. Jay’s mysterious identity loomed larger in his thoughts, tying these loose threads together.
Lost in his thoughts, Brandon was startled by an urgent call on his burner phone. On the line was the Chief of the Cyber Security division, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"Mr. Brandon, as per your orders, we started combing through the satellite surveillance feeds. But... but something happened. Right after we began, we lost connection to the satellite we were using. At first, we thought it was a glitch, but it didn’t stop there."
The Chief’s voice grew more panicked. "One by one, all 122 military spy satellites under our jurisdiction went offline. The intelligence agencies are in a state of full-blown panic. They’re fearing the worst—a massive cyberattack, maybe even something larger."
Brandon froze, stunned by the revelation. This was far beyond what he had anticipated. Losing a single satellite was one thing, but all 122? It wasn’t a coincidence. Something—or someone—had done this deliberately.
As Brandon processed the shocking news about the satellite shutdown, he was interrupted by a soft, childlike voice coming from behind him. He turned, recognizing it immediately. Baby MJ was perched atop Gabriel’s head, gleefully playing with his curly brown hair.
Gabriel, visibly embarrassed, could only offer a sheepish smile. He had no idea about the chaos unfolding in the country and assumed MJ’s visit was another one of his playful pranks.
Brandon, however, froze as a realization struck him. His eyes widened in disbelief as he pieced together the connection. "Was it...?" he began to ask, but Baby MJ cut him off with a mischievous grin.
"Yup, you guessed it right, it was me," MJ said with a playful but firm tone. "Did you really think no one would notice you poking around in other people's business with your satellites? Consider this a warning from my Master. Got it?"
Brandon’s usual composure cracked, and for the first time in years, fear flickered in his eyes. He nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.
Seeing that his message had landed, Baby MJ waved his small hands, and a series of glowing blue screens appeared in the air around him.
Each screen displayed live satellite imagery from space, followed by images of NASA’s headquarters and their space surveillance systems. The displays then shifted to the locations of space agencies in other countries, repeating the same cycle.
After a few moments, the screens vanished, and MJ clasped his tiny hands together, rubbing them as if preparing for more mischief. His carefree tone returned as he delivered his final warning.
"Stop trying to track down my Master or find out more about Dante and Olivia. If you ignore this warning, next time you’ll lose all your satellites for real. Understood?"
Gabriel, who had been silently watching, finally grasped the seriousness of the situation. But as Baby MJ continued rubbing the top of his head, his worries shifted to something more personal.
"Did anyone ever tell you the crown of your skull is way too flat?" MJ suddenly asked, tilting his head with genuine curiosity.
Gabriel let out an awkward laugh, clearly used to this comment. "Haha, yes. I was born like that."
MJ shrugged as if satisfied with the answer. "Alright then, I’ve got to go. I’ve got a bunch of ice creams waiting for me, so I’m off."
Before either Brandon or Gabriel could say another word, Baby MJ transformed into a streak of blue light and disappeared into a nearby wire, leaving them both in stunned silence.
Shortly after Baby MJ’s abrupt departure, Brandon was pulled from his thoughts by another call. It was the Chief of the Cyber Security division again, though this time his voice carried relief instead of panic.
"Thank God, Mr. Brandon," the Chief began. "It turned out to be a false alarm. NASA just reported that the satellites were temporarily rendered inoperable due to magnetic fluctuations caused by solar flares. Apparently, a few neighboring countries experienced similar issues."
Brandon listened silently, his expression grim. Even with the Chief’s assurances that there was no national threat, there was no trace of relief on his face. After a brief pause, he told the Chief to inform him if there were any updates and ended the call without another word.
As he stood there, Brandon’s thoughts spiraled back to MJ and Jay. The explanation about solar flares was exactly what MJ wanted the world to believe, and it was disturbingly convincing.
Brandon couldn’t shake the feeling that the supposed “evidence” was nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion. He now re-evaluated his assumptions about MJ’s true abilities.
MJ’s claim of being a 10,000-year-old soul felt like a smokescreen, and Brandon had concluded that MJ was some kind of highly advanced artificial intelligence. His suspicions deepened after witnessing MJ’s unmatched control over Earth’s Foothold’s technological facilities.
But today’s events revealed something even more alarming. MJ’s capabilities extended far beyond what Brandon had imagined.
The ease with which MJ disabled their satellite fleet and planted false evidence of solar flares was staggering. What was even more terrifying was the realization that MJ could potentially breach any digital system on Earth—even nuclear weapons could be at Jay’s disposal if MJ chose.
Chills ran down Brandon’s spine as he contemplated the implications of MJ’s existence. Jay, whoever he was, had a weapon at his command that could bring the world to its knees without a single shot being fired.
Before Brandon could sink further into his thoughts, his personal assistant entered the room and greeted him respectfully.
"Mr. Brandon, I’m here to remind you of your appointment at the White House in two hours. Transportation has already been arranged for you," the assistant informed him, breaking his concentration.
Brandon gave a short nod, acknowledging the reminder, but his mind lingered on MJ and Jay.
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