Just as quickly as it was sent out, Birgit’s burst of ice was shattered by a yellow energy blast from Rosita’s arms and eyes. A bloodthirsty smile was on her face. I rushed at Crisis, who dodged every attack I sent his way–all punches, kicks, everything–until I saw it.

An opening. I brought my free hand to meet their nearest arm. A hexagon made of smaller hexagons suddenly appeared in front of me. An energy shield, one that was crushed like anything else I touched, but this time with enough feedback to send us both stumbling back.

Crisis landed on their feet, right next to Frankenstein and Rosita, who had managed to overwhelm Birgit with her power, sending her back as well.

I looked back at her. She looked back at me.

This time when I reached for her hand it was there. The whole area dropped in temperature as we did that. White smoke came out when we breathed.

“How cute.” Venom was dripping from Frankenstein’s mouth. I could almost see it. Smell it. “Step aside, young lovebirds. And you may yet have a place in the world we seek to create.”

“To quote Birgit,” I said with a chuckle. “Don’t be an idiot. We came here to be heroes. To learn how to use our powers and our skills to help people and stop villains like you.”

“You are an idiot then.” He let out a heavy sigh. “A world where we’re free to realise our full potential. A world where limits and laws no longer apply. One where this rotten order will be no more!”

Before I could say anything else, I felt a static electricity go through my whole body. Hairs on my whole body stood on edge. Alpha Surge walked calmly past us. His whole body was bathed in a blue glow, with only his eyes, logo, and cape remaining white.

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He brought up his left arm. He was standing in front of us but I barely managed to see him snarling when he passed by me.

“Alpha Su-”

“We came here with a mission,” said Alpha Surge. “This world is rotten, built on destruction and lies. We will build a better world but it won’t be your world. Now, dodge.”

A massive blast of electricity surged from his arm, crackling through the air, filling it with the smell of ozone. The villains dodged, but it still met a black silhouette, one I barely managed to notice, that was falling from the sky.

A cloud of smoke and dust surrounded us, growing out of the impact zone.

From its thickest part stumbled out a coughing figure. A gaunt man with grey hair and a pure white beard walked out. He was dressed in all black, with a red P on his chest. My hands wrapped around my neck on instinct, as cold sweat dripped down my forehead.

“So, you are the pretender,” he said with a superior smile on his face. “I always knew I’d need to face you to tear down this decadent world. And now you are here. At the same place at the same time as Charles, Moros and Frankenstein.

“So that your childish antics will be no more and the world has a true symbol to rally behind. So that true order will rise and from it, peace and prosperity.”

“You just love the sound of your own voice, don’t you?”

“Of course, you’re right, Alpha Surge.” He brought up his one. “It’s not words that will decide this outcome. It never is for people like us.”

I flexed my fingers. This was it. We’d been preparing for his arrival. We knew it would happen. I remembered when I last fought him, back when I was Jacob. I smiled. This was going to be different.

I removed my second glove. Birgit shifted her stance, still keeping her eyes between Frankenstein’s team and Paragon. It wasn’t going to be easy, we didn’t expect them to be here as well, having banked on the Society to help us.

Still, it didn’t matter.

I knew, deep within myself, that we could win this. That we would win this.