I’m still not sure how I survived, exactly. I had a plan, but I don’t remember much of my first encounter with the Emperor. Just pain, death, and then somehow…life again.
Sam watched Daniel struggling to form a basic Power Shape between his hands as the helicopter vibrated beneath them. The rest of the unit had been ordered to stay and secure the safehouse, but the truth was that Sam thought the kid could use some time feeling safe without being surrounded by faceless Elites.
Sam remembered a time when he still knew all their names, and considered many to be friends, but things had changed. Maybe he’d changed. Now they were just soldiers in his eyes; they followed orders, they did their jobs, they had their uses. They were reliable, but they weren’t trustworthy.
Sam fiddled with his lighter as he watched the boy, a nervous habit he’d had since he was younger than Daniel. Part of him hadn’t really believed there could be another Power Shaper after all this time. Over the years he’d wondered if it had been some kind of direct intervention from James that had given him the supposedly unique class. In his darker moments, he’d wondered whether the NGG higher-ups were hiding the others.
When he’d learned this boy existed, Sam hadn’t known how to react. He knew his own mind after so many years, and so many mandated therapy sessions, and he had to be wary of his need to fill the emotional gaps left by the team that had abandoned him. He knew he wanted this to be real, and when Daniel had manifested a small spark of the power…well, if Sam could still faint, he might have.
“You’ll get it, Daniel, don’t push yourself too hard,” he said, trying to encourage the boy. The brown-haired youth looked up at him as if surprised not to be alone, but smiled weakly before turning back to his experiments. Sam wanted to give the kid some space, but his own curiosity was too strong to deny. “You seem pretty eager to practice,” he said leadingly, then waited.
Daniel looked at him, and blushed. “N-Nightshade…” he began, shaking a little. “She wouldn’t let me use my powers. She’d…punish me, if I did,” he added, and Sam felt his anger rise. The boy continued, “I had only just Manifested when she came to the school, so I don’t really know what I’m doing. She was always watching, somehow, even when I was sure she wasn’t there.”
Sam reached out to put a hand on the boy’s shoulder, and he felt Daniel flinch slightly. “I’m sorry for what you’ve been through,” he said. “But that all changes now. You’re with me, and nothing’s going to happen to you.” He paused, trying to decide how much to tell the boy given how chaotic his experience had been.
“Daniel, I don’t know how much they told you at school, but you’re special,” the boy looked up at him curiously. “Your power–our power–is extraordinarily rare. The recruiter you met had recommended you for Young Infinity,” he waited, watching Daniel’s reaction. The boy’s jaw dropped.
“What? Me? But…that’s your team, Legacy! The best of the best! I haven’t even started training yet.” Sam laughed softly.
“Training starts after Manifestation, Daniel. You won’t find yourself too far behind any new recruit. That is, if you decide this is something you want. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, and I won’t let you be forced into something you–”
“Are you crazy?” the boy shouted, then immediately slapped his hands over his mouth. “I’m so sorry, Legacy! I didn’t mean that. I just meant, of course I want that!” Sam laughed out loud at the boy’s awkwardness, and Daniel blushed.
“You don’t understand,” the boy said, looking down at his hands. “All I’ve ever really wanted was to be a Hero, my whole life. But things kept getting in the way, and I started to believe it wasn’t really possible.” He let out a long, ragged sigh.
“All those months ago, when things got really crazy, I was just happy to have powers, you know? At first it didn’t even matter what they were, I was just glad I’d have something. But everything was moving so fast, and suddenly I wasn’t in control of my life anymore.”
“When Nightshade attacked,” Sam prompted, and the boy looked confused for a moment before nodding vigorously.
“Right, of course. I just mean, you know, even before that things were crazy. Manifesting changes everything.” Sam nodded his understanding, then looked out the window, watching the world fly by in a blur as he remembered his own awakening so long ao.
“Manifesting really does change everything,” he agreed, picturing James’ stoic face from that remarkable night, so long ago. Finally he turned back to Daniel, “So who was it?” he asked. “Who guided you?”
The boy looked at him, clearly not sure how to answer. Sam smiled reassuringly, “It’s okay, Daniel, we both know how this works. There’s no way you’d have that power set–the powerset–without help. So who was it?”
“I–I don’t…” the boy nervously stumbled over his words, and Sam waved his arms in a placating gesture.
“I understand, Daniel, this was the biggest secret you’ve ever kept, and you’ve kept it for years. But you’re safe now. If you really do want to join the team, you’ll be with other people just like you. Those who know about the Gamma–and all of them were initiated by someone who saw a spark of greatness in them.”
Daniel stared for a moment, then at last he spoke. “Gamma…doesn’t give people powers like mine,” he said in a quiet voice. Sam tilted his head, waiting. “So…I don’t take Gamma, because I was told not to,” he said, and Sam narrowed his eyes.
“By whom, Daniel? I promise they’re not going to be in trouble–” Sam cut himself off, feeling like a fool. “Unless they’re not around to be in trouble. Oh, kid I’m sorry; I wasn’t thinking. Did you lose your mentor in the attack?”
The boy turned away suddenly, not answering. Sam mentally went down the list of the casualties, considering. “Was it the Dean? I understand she was quite the Patriot, though I don’t think any other candidates were brought forth from her school over the years.” Daniel looked back at him, appearing to struggle to answer. Sam smiled again, “She must have seen something really special in you, Daniel, and she was right.”
The boy nodded, then hung his head. Sam felt like even more of a fool. He didn’t know what he was doing, pressuring the kid after months of terror and abuse. He was doing this all wrong, and if he wasn’t careful this kid’s fantastic spirit–remarkably still intact after the experience–was going to be broken by Sam himself.
“I’m sorry, Daniel, I shouldn’t be pestering you with all these questions. They don’t really matter anyway.” He smiled, hoping to lift the boy’s spirits. “The only question that really matters is this: would you like to join Young Infinity?”
Daniel looked up, a broad smile appearing.
***
Danny was on the verge of hyperventilating, and was grateful when Legacy finally stopped asking him very reasonable, and very dangerous questions. After hearing that Danny was indeed interested in joining the team, Danny’s idol had at last turned away, and soon only the rhythmic sounds of the chopper’s blades could be heard in the cabin.
Danny had been more anxious than he expected, waiting for ‘rescue’ in his cage. The way he’d left things didn’t help, not knowing if his best friend was ever going to wake up. Then the NGG had arrived even earlier than expected, and Arthur had been forced to hide himself inside the warehouse while Legacy tore it apart.
Even now, Danny couldn’t be sure that Vincent’s unusual acquaintance had survived. But the simple truth was that his own life was in as much or more peril, and Danny had to continually remind himself to stay focused. He was running scenarios through his mind, desperately trying to adapt the story they’d prepared to this revelation about Gamma.
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It had been a huge gamble to admit he hadn’t been taking any, but something about how Legacy had been looking at him convinced Danny it was the right move. He suspected that Power Shaper must be so obviously a restricted class that feigning ignorance would have been crazy.
Now though, he had to pretend to have some kind of mentee relationship with the deceased Dean of a Power Farm he’d never even been to. Arthur’s notes meant he at least knew her name was Rebecca Fielding, but he hadn’t had time to study much beyond that. He’d have to lean into the idea that grief was making her hard to talk about.
Surprisingly though, Danny wasn’t particularly worried about Legacy being the one to grow suspicious. The man had been only too happy to feed him answers and give him the benefit of the doubt. Arthur had been right that the man was clearly hoping for another Power Shaper.
Now Danny just needed to stay sharp, and stay close to the man.
Looking out the window, it was clear that the helicopter was descending. Danny almost pressed his face against the glass in his excitement; he’d never seen Infinity Tower in person, and this was something he didn’t want to miss. He was surprised to see, however, that they weren’t even in a city, let alone Washington DC.
The helicopter was making a controlled descent toward a generic looking NGG base of some kind. It was in an area that looked fairly similar to the Farm in Vermont, being a large, sprawling encampment surrounded by trees. There were a few small, one or two story buildings, but for the most part it was just countless rows of green-tarped tents.
There were endless military vehicles, and people busying themselves in every direction, but definitely no young heroes in training. Danny quickly looked over to see Legacy speaking softly on the other side of the helicopter. He turned when he noticed Danny staring.
“This is Bravo Forward, it’s a temporary staging ground for an NGG operation. The doctors here are going to make sure you’re okay, and there’s a few people who will want to meet you as well. Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be too intense.”
“I thought we were going to Infinity Tower,” Danny said, nervous at this unexpected development.
“We’ll get there, but…” he trailed off, then started fiddling with that lighter again as he seemed to be searching for words. “This is hard to explain, but the New Global Government and the Infinity organization are semi-separate entities,” Danny’s vacant stare made Legacy laugh.
“Okay, I’ll try harder. You see, the Infinity organization is mine. I founded it with my team shortly after the Invasion. The NGG funds us, and does a lot of the work to help organize our missions and activities, but ultimately everyone who’s part of Infinity reports to me.”
“Okay,” Danny said, nodding. This was actually good news. He’d thought he’d be trapped behind enemy lines, but if he was really outside the NGG, somehow the whole thing felt a lot less scary. “So what does this mean for us visiting this base?”
Legacy looked uncomfortable. “This is where it gets tricky. We do still have connections we need to manage with the NGG. Mostly they stay out of our hair, but finding the first Power Shaper in a century? They’re going to want to see you for themselves.”
Danny didn’t try to hide his discomfort. He had no idea what kind of tests the NGG had access to, and if they discovered he was a Mimic, this was all over before it began. Emi had put a lot of work into making a device that would spoof KD signals, so he’d show up as a Power Shaper if they scanned his harness, but who knew what else they might subject him to?
The helicopter landed softly while Danny was thinking and chewing his lip, and the doors opened automatically only a moment later. This is all happening too fast! he thought. As his mind struggled to form a plan without anywhere near enough information, he hastily followed Legacy out of the surprisingly quiet vehicle.
Legacy looked back at him and smiled reassuringly, then strode forward at a brisk pace. They appeared to be in the middle of the camp, with tents on every side, and Elites lined up with their terrifying rifles shouldered in front of the landing pad. Legacy barely acknowledged them as he moved purposefully toward a large building not far off.
Danny stayed as close as he could without basically getting a piggyback ride, and tried not to make eye contact with anyone as they went. Several times marching troops halted to let them pass, and everyone who saw Legacy gave a crisp salute, that he only occasionally nodded to in response.
Danny was forming a risky plan as they went, and was trying to get into character when they seemed to stop abruptly. Looking up, he realized they were already in front of the two story, red bricked building that was their destination. The white, double doors opened as if on queue, and a number of people exited at once.
Two were middle aged men wearing dark suits, and had matching stern expressions. It struck Danny that they were surprisingly non-descript. Despite one being of Asian descent, and the other European, they seemed like twins with graying hair, comparable height, and stiff posture.
The final three appeared to be doctors, or scientists or something, Danny couldn’t be sure. But the two women and one man were all wearing white lab coats, and had tablets in-hand they seemed to be referring to as they approached.
“Legacy,” one of the twins said.
“Mr. Campbell,” Legacy replied. “Mr. Chen, doctors. Allow me to introduce Daniel Summers, the Power Shaper that was kidnapped by Nightshade.”
The group all looked at Danny at once, and he shuffled behind Legacy, not having to fake his embarrassment. “So it’s really true?” Campbell asked. “You actually found another Power Shaper. What a remarkable surprise.” Danny narrowed his eyes, noticing that the man had glanced meaningfully at his twin when he spoke.
“It’s true,” Legacy said definitively. “He’s untrained, and I can attest that it’s a particularly challenging discipline to master, but I think I know where we can find a good teacher.” He smiled at the small joke, but he was the only one.
“Indeed,” Chen said. “There’s a lot to discuss, Legacy. Come inside, we’ll let the doctors take a look at the boy.” The twins turned around, and Danny felt the situation slipping out of his control.
Legacy turned to him, “The doctors will take care of you Daniel. Don’t worry, I won’t be long, and they’ll make sure you’re in good health.”
“Wait, don’t go!” Danny said, gripping the man’s arm. Legacy looked down, confused.
“You’re safe here, Daniel, I promise. The doctors are just going to run some tests while I speak to the base commanders. It’ll be over before you know it.”
Suddenly hands were pulling at Danny from behind, and when he looked back to find two of the doctors trying to lead him away, Legacy casually slipped out of his grasp, and began walking toward the building.
This is it, Danny thought, time to get showy. “No!” he screamed, flailing at the doctors wildly. “Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!” he shrieked, and instantly there were guards holding him as the doctors retreated.
Danny hadn’t even seen the black-clad men arrive; they were obviously supers, and they held him in iron grips as he struggled pointlessly against them. Legacy had turned around, a surprised look on his face, and the twins were glaring.
“Let me GO!” Danny roared, and he pushed every ounce of his borrowed power outward, not truly understanding what he was doing. A sphere of burning green light burst to life around him, and kept growing.
The Elites were thrown backward, launched dozens of feet into the closest tents, which imploded from the impact. The doctors had retreated far enough not to be thrown back, but instead they were flattened to the ground as the sphere passed over them.
Danny saw none of this, losing himself in the power. He’d never experienced anything like it. He’d expected to be too weak to do almost anything with Legacy’s abilities, but this was strangely effortless. He could see nothing but the green glow as the sphere continued to expand, but at last he felt something.
There was a hand on his shoulder, and he forced himself to look up at Legacy, standing next him, silhouetted by the overwhelming green glow. There was kindness and concern in his eyes, and somehow that was enough to bring the display of power to an abrupt end.
The light faded, and Danny looked around in confusion, seeing the destruction and chaos that he’d created. Elites began rushing forward immediately, but they slammed into a new ring of green energy that appeared, and Danny momentarily worried that he’d done something without realizing it.
Legacy made the truth clear, however, as his voice echoed through camp. “Everyone take a breath, and lower your weapons. Obviously I’m the only one qualified take care of Mr. Summers.”
The situation seemed to be cooling as the Elites lowered their weapons, but then the twins strode forward. “That boy just attacked NGG personnel,” Campbell said in a hollow tone. “Guards, take him into custody immediately. If he resists, tranquilizers, if he uses powers, bullets.”
Danny’s eyes widened as over a dozen Elites charged forward, and he worried that he’d taken things too far. Then Legacy spoke a single word. “No,” he said, and the guards stopped–everyone stopped, and not by choice. Danny spun around in shock. As far as he could see, every person had a thin, green glow encompassing their bodies, and they were all completely immobilized.
Legacy walked toward the twins, who were likewise halted. “Daniel Summers is under my protection,” he said. Then his voice dropped lower as threat dripped from his tone like acid, “Anyone who moves against him, is moving against me.”
He turned slowly, letting his gaze take in the whole camp. “No one will touch my Ward.”