"Hank Fowler, you made it." Zara Vance greeted him with a smile that could melt glaciers.

The smile was like a warm spring breeze, and Hank Fowler couldn't help but stare a little longer than necessary, a ripple disturbing the calm lake of his heart.

"Looking all googly-eyed, what are you staring at?" Willow Frost scoffed.

Hank Fowler snapped back to reality, realizing his momentary lapse. A blush crept up his neck. "Sorry, just zoned out for a second there," he mumbled, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Let's get this meeting started, shall we?"

Zara Vance nodded. "The purpose of this meeting is to elect a leader! The four of us are a team, and a team needs someone to give orders and make plans. Only then can we develop and survive. Otherwise, things will get chaotic pretty quickly. Any objections to my proposal?"

"None." Luna Lovelace didn't hesitate.

"No objections here either," Willow Frost added coolly.

"Hank Fowler, what about you?" Zara Vance's gaze settled on him.

Hank Fowler thought for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Having a leader is a good idea, but how are we going to choose?"

Zara Vance's eyebrows arched slightly. "Following the principles of fairness and justice, we will naturally adopt a democratic voting method. Everyone can nominate a candidate and explain their reasons. Finally, the final leader will be determined through voting."

Hank Fowler's brow furrowed. Voting sounded democratic, but he knew it was anything but. These three were as thick as thieves. They'd obviously vote for one of their own. He was just here for show. There was no way he'd be elected leader.

"Hank Fowler, your thoughts?" Zara Vance's eyes, deep and knowing, probed his.

Hank Fowler chuckled. "I don't think that's the best way to go about it."

"Oh? And what do you suggest?" Zara Vance asked, intrigued.

Clearing his throat, Hank Fowler declared with an air of self-importance, "We've all been transported to this survival island, and who knows what dangers we'll face. We need a leader who's responsible, strong, and smart. So, forget this popularity contest."

"If not voting, then how do we choose a leader?" Luna Lovelace asked, genuinely curious.

A confident grin spread across Hank Fowler's face. "Didn't I just say it? We need someone strong and responsible. I'm the only guy here. Do we really need to choose?"

It finally dawned on Luna Lovelace, Zara Vance, and Willow Frost. This guy wanted to be the leader, and he wanted the job without a single vote cast.

"And you think you're qualified?" Willow Frost's voice dripped with disdain.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Hank Fowler's eyes narrowed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Willow Frost smirked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Didn't you say that only the strongest person is fit to be the leader? Do you really think you're stronger than the three of us?"

"Well, duh! I'm a man. Of course, I'm stronger than three women." Hank Fowler declared, full of bravado.

Willow Frost let out a dry laugh. "You are a man, that's true. But in terms of strength... you're probably at the bottom of the list. So, stop clowning around."

"Who are you calling weak?" Hank Fowler retorted. He was a strapping six-footer, strong and sturdy. There was no way these three women were stronger than him. What a joke!

"Hank Fowler, Willow Frost's right. When it comes to combat ability, you might not be as strong as us," Luna Lovelace interjected suddenly.

Hank Fowler's mouth gaped. He turned to Luna Lovelace. "What gives you that kind of confidence?"

Zara Vance raised an eyebrow. "Strength, aside from personal attributes, mainly depends on talent. Hank Fowler, what's your talent?"

"Healing!" Hank Fowler blurted out.

"So, you're a nurse!" Willow Frost laughed, her voice full of mockery.

"Hey, I'm a doctor, okay?" Hank Fowler protested.

"Doctor, nurse, whatever. Compared to our talents, yours is garbage. You should just drop out of this leader election now," Zara Vance said, a playful smile dancing on her lips.

Hank Fowler frowned slightly. "What are your talents?"

"How about we show Hank Fowler?" Zara Vance suggested with a smile.

"Yeah, let's show him. Maybe then he'll understand where he stands," Willow Frost added, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I'll go first!" Luna Lovelace skipped over to a large boulder, placing her delicate hands on either side.

"What's she doing?" Hank Fowler wondered, confused. Was Luna Lovelace trying to lift that boulder? It had to weigh at least 200 pounds. There's no way this petite girl could lift that.

As Hank Fowler was lost in his thoughts, Luna Lovelace suddenly gripped the boulder and lifted it effortlessly.

"Holy crap!" Hank Fowler exclaimed, his jaw dropping.

And what happened next nearly made his jaw hit the floor. Luna Lovelace hoisted the boulder above her head and tossed it casually.

Thud!

The boulder flew five meters through the air before crashing back down to earth.

Luna Lovelace dusted off her hands and strolled back to Hank Fowler, batting her eyelashes. "Hank Fowler, am I strong or what?"

"Strong... very strong!" Hank Fowler stammered, impressed. "What's your talent?"

"Super Strength!" Luna Lovelace giggled. "It increases my strength attribute by five times!"

"Damn, girl!" Hank Fowler mumbled, still in shock.

"Compared to Zara Vance's talent, I'm still lacking," Luna Lovelace said with a grin.

"Even stronger than you?" Hank Fowler's mouth fell open again. He turned to Zara Vance.

Zara Vance flicked her finger, and a bolt of blue lightning shot out, striking a boulder in the distance.

Boom!

A plume of white smoke rose from the boulder, its surface charred and blackened. A second later, it split in two, crumbling to the ground.

Hank Fowler sucked in a sharp breath, taking a step back. Zara Vance had clearly unleashed a lightning talent. Its power was terrifying. It had blasted a solid boulder apart. If that hit a person... they'd be blown to bits. This woman was seriously strong!

"Hank Fowler, it's my turn to show you," Willow Frost announced.

Hank Fowler raised an eyebrow, his gaze quickly shifting to Willow Frost. She walked to a tree, and, with a single bound, leaped over 6.5 feet (2 meters) in the air like a graceful swallow. Then, she lifted her long leg and delivered a powerful kick to a tree branch as thick as a baby's arm.

Crack!

The branch snapped in two.

Hank Fowler was dumbfounded. Were these even women anymore? How were they all so incredibly powerful?

Willow Frost landed gracefully and walked up to Hank Fowler, a mocking smile on her face. "Your only redeeming quality is your face. You're completely useless! How can someone like you even compare to us?"

Hank Fowler was speechless. Her words weren't physically harmful, but they were incredibly insulting.