Jacob Steele never knew his parents. His earliest memories were of the sterile halls of the government orphanage, a place where childhood dreams went to die. But for Jacob, it was where his purpose was born.
He was six when the man in the crisp suit first visited, his piercing eyes scanning the rows of children like a farmer appraising livestock. That man was Adrian Voss, not yet Chancellor, but already a rising star in the political arena. Jacob didn't understand the words exchanged between Voss and the orphanage director, but he felt the weight of the man's gaze when it fell upon him.
"This one," Voss had said, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "He has potential."
That day marked the beginning of Jacob's new life. He was transferred to a special facility, one of many hidden across the country. Here, children like him—orphans, outcasts, the forgotten ones—were molded into weapons against a threat most of the world didn't yet recognize.
The training was brutal. Days filled with physical conditioning that pushed the limits of human endurance. Nights spent studying superhuman biology, tactics, and psychology. They learned to hate what they feared, to fear what they couldn't understand. And they learned to kill.
Jacob excelled. Where others faltered, he pushed harder. When his peers collapsed from exhaustion, he asked for more. His handlers whispered that he was a prodigy, a natural-born superhuman hunter. But Jacob knew the truth—he was simply empty, a vessel waiting to be filled with purpose.
As he grew, so did the world's awareness of the superhuman "threat." Jacob watched from behind the scenes as Voss's influence spread, his message of fear and control resonating with a populace reeling from the every day collateral damage of superhuman conflicts.
Many individuals like him found themselves under Voss's tutelage, coming to regard him as both a paternal figure and a savior. Their training was rigorous, and their mission was formidable yet sacred—nothing less than ensuring the very survival of humankind.
At eighteen, Jacob, along with several of his peers, enrolled in the inaugural class of the Superhuman Containment Unit (SCU). While the SCU presented a public image of peacekeeping and regulation, Jacob and his fellow graduates were acutely aware of their true purpose. They were the ultimate contingency plan, the final bulwark against beings capable of decimating entire cities with mere thought. They joined the ranks, anticipating the day when Voss would ascend to power and their genuine mission could be realized.
Their arsenal was a testament to human ingenuity and paranoia. Nullification fields to dampen superhuman abilities. Adaptive armor capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, pressures, and energy discharges. Weapons designed to incapacitate or eliminate even the most resilient of enhanced individuals. Their muscles were augmented for explosive strength, reflexes honed to near-instantaneous reactions, and endurance pushed far beyond natural limits.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Jacob rose quickly through the ranks, his cold efficiency and unwavering loyalty catching the eye of Voss himself. By the time Voss ascended to the role of High Chancellor, Jacob had become one of his most trusted operatives, a shadow enforcer for the new world order.
And now, standing on the edge of Central Square, Jacob felt a sense of grim satisfaction. Years of preparation had led to this moment. The carefully orchestrated chaos of the protest unfolded before him, playing out exactly they had predicted.
Jacob watched dispassionately as the planted agitator unleashed a burst of destructive energy, shattering windows and overturning vehicles. The panicked cries of the crowd were music to his ears, a symphony of fear that would justify everything that was to come.
As Voss's face appeared on the massive screens surrounding the square, Jacob signaled to his team. They moved with practiced precision, cutting off escape routes and herding the protesters into pre-designated containment zones.
The first shots rang out—non-lethal rounds designed to incapacitate and disorient. Jacob ducked under a jet of flame from a terrified fire manipulator, his adaptive armor dissipating the heat harmlessly. With fluid grace, he closed the distance and drove a nullification rod into the man's sternum. The fire manipulator's eyes widened in shock as his powers flickered and died, leaving him vulnerable to the stun baton Jacob brought down on his head.
All around the square, similar scenes played out. SCU operatives moved with ruthless efficiency, exploiting the confusion and fear of the protesters. Those who surrendered were quickly tagged and processed for detention. Those who resisted... Jacob allowed himself a grim smile as he watched a gravity manipulator, who had been lifting cars to use as projectiles, suddenly plummet to the ground as a nullification field engulfed him.
A sudden crackle of electricity caught Jacob's attention. He turned to see a man—unremarkable save for the arcs of energy dancing between his fingers—trying to shield a group of injured protesters. Jacob's gaze locked onto the man's eyes, registering a flicker of determination. In one fluid motion, he raised his weapon—a specialized electromagnetic pulse gun. His training guided his actions with precision.
The air crackled as Jacob pulled the trigger. A brilliant arc of energy surged forth, enveloping the electrical hero. In an instant, the man's own power turned against him. His body convulsed violently, nervous system overloaded by the amplified current.
As the last pockets of resistance were crushed, Jacob surveyed the scene. The square, once filled with defiant chants and colorful displays of power, was now a tableau of broken bodies and shattered dreams. The air was thick with the acrid smell of spent nullification charges and the metallic tang of blood.
Jacob felt no remorse, no doubt. This was necessary. This was for the greater good. As he began coordinating the transport of detainees, he allowed himself a moment of reflection.
This was only the beginning. The real war against the superhuman threat was just starting. And Jacob Steele, the orphan turned perfect soldier, would be on the front lines, protecting humanity from the monsters that walked among them—no matter the cost.