It was at the end of June when all the portals appeared throughout the world. The year was 1995; depending on where one would have been, it could have been a life-changing experience or something not even noticed. Regardless of how it affected the individual, the opening of the gates changed the world. 

With the plethora of media and the unyielding imagination of humans, the idea of what happened was one that had been explored in various mediums of print and video. But until that moment, it was just a far-fetched fantasy.

Dangerous and imposing, with their borders crackling with blue energy like contained lightning, the gates grew from pinpoints to various sizes. 

The gates opened up across the globe, sending out massive amounts of energy. Some liked to call it cosmic, and others referred to it as celestial, but the critical aspect was what it did. The energy that spilled throughout the world on that day had the remarkable effect of being the catalyst that would create the first superhuman and every one after that. Then, just as they arrived, the gates closed.

Not everyone manifested powers. Some manifested after a few days and weeks. Many never received any benefit. The first people to display powers were those at the ground zero sites. After the blast of energy that covered the planet Earth, a new set of problems emerged. There was already violence, wars, and a degrading environment to worry about, but afterward, there were human-shaped forces of nature. 

Instantly the world focused on these people and their new abilities. As soon as the dust settled and the people started floating, others scrambled to get their cameras. It wasn't long before America's Most Powerful Supers replaced America's Funniest Home Videos. Instead of funny clips, people just sent clips of others who were seen using their abilities. Sometimes they were awesome, sometimes they were even funny, but sometimes they were also horrifying. This last case was made by the appearance of the dreaded NecronAmerican, who raised an army of ghouls to march on the capital.

But the worst aspect of it all was that no one really knew how close the world came to being destroyed.

It had been thirty years since the manifestation of the superhuman community and fifteen years since the world had been pulled back from the brink of annihilation. However, it was assured that the world would eventually face a threat unlike any other. There were always those people who were unhappy with the world and wanted to change it to fit their ideal, or in lieu of ruling, wished that it was destroyed.

A figure stood in an elevator lightly illuminated with the red light of changing numbers. His designer shoes were gleaming in the same light as his body. His fitted, pin-striped suit was without flaw as it rose on his slender frame. The large jewels on his cufflinks outshone even the low light in the descending conveyance. His emerald tie was silky, smooth, and perfect as he stood unmoving with his arms behind his back.

The elevator stopped, and the doors squealed open. The small compartment was bathed in a green light, which was only eclipsed by an antiseptic odor that flowed in afterward. The man didn't seem bothered by the smell; he merely stepped briskly into the next room.

His shoes clipped lightly on the cemented floor as he headed to his destination. Huge vats filled with bubbling green liquid shone eerily as he passed by. The tops of the vats weren't visible as they disappeared into the dark reaches of the laboratory's ceiling. Inside the vats were creatures of all different shapes and sizes and in various stages of completeness.

As his steps steadily echoed in the cavernous space, it was slowly drowned out by a low melody that was accompanied by a decent bass and a calming female vocal. The music rose as the man made it closer to his intended destination. He didn't mind his employees playing music. Music inspired people and often helped them focus. In fact, he realized he knew the song from when he was younger and actually liked it. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time for music anymore.

"Talk me down

Safe and sound

Too strung up to sleep"

He entered an open space where the music played, and a few people in lab coats were busy working in their respective areas. It was much brighter in the area, and it seemed as if he materialized from the darkness. He stood quietly as he surveyed the scene.

The man was slender but physically fit. He could have been anywhere in age from his late thirties to his early fifties. His black hair was neatly styled and secure with just enough hair cream. His face was clean-shaven, his eyebrows immaculately styled. His hazel eyes never stopped darting around.

At the beginning of the song's chorus, one of the scientists flailed her arms into the air. She moved in a mummy slide to the next person over and quickly waltzed around them before heading to a computer. She extravagantly tapped a few keys on the computer and then spun to another area to complete another task.

Once the music ended, the man finally stepped a little further into the light and cleared his throat. A few heads perked up at the sound, one of them being the dancing scientist. A smile lit up her face all the way to her slightly manic eyes. She then used a remote to turn off the music just as another song began. 

She silently waved the pin-striped suited man toward her and simultaneously grabbed a thick tablet from the desk before heading off in the opposite direction. As the man followed her into the rows of green-liquid-filled tanks, he heard the music start once again.

The man caught up to the scientist at one of the vats. When he stopped, he gestured to her with an inquisitive raise of an eyebrow. She shoved the tablet she held up to his face for him to look through. Her body also pressed close to his, yet he didn't seem to mind the proximity. He merely grabbed the proffered tablet and began flicking through the screen.

"The data looks promising, but I trust your opinion more. You know you have a…knack," he said coolly.

"Oh? Is that what we're calling them now?" She placed a finger to her lips and thought for a moment. "You know, I actually kind of like that. I'm going to use it and see if it catches on."

The man grumbled at her lack of saying what he wanted to hear.

The scientist waited a little longer before acquiescing. "You're no fun. Fine. The situation is actually more promising than the data implies. I think this is the solution that we've been looking for." She stopped talking and stared up at him expectantly.

The man nodded, still looking through the data. After a few moments, he nodded again and handed the tablet back to her. "Then it's time to start the next phase," he said while meeting her longing gaze.

He slowly bent down, and the two shared a passionate moment in the glow of super science. They wrapped their arms around one another, and the man even lifted the smaller scientist slightly off the ground.

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"Where will we start?" The petite scientist asked after the two broke from their embrace.

"Somewhere far out of the way," the man replied sharply. It was clear it was something he had thought about profusely. "We don't want too much attention too soon. But rest assured, the time for our retribution is almost here." He smiled back down at the woman, and she smiled back.

The scene flowed away like the sands of time.

In the middle of a desert that was more dirt than sand, there was a mass of bodies in a tight group; some didn't appear to be entirely human. The group marched forward in uncanny symmetry. At the lead was a person who floated in the air over a vortex of sand while the others marched behind. 

A display showed the scene from multiple angles in a different area filled with various electronics. Watching the display was the well-dressed man whose clothes were still immaculate and the female scientist who continued to wear her lab coat.

"He has a knack with the sand," said the scientist with a smirk. "I think that sounds good. What do you think?"

"It sounds weak. Like it's just a quirk or something that is inconsequential." He gazed down at her with intensity. "They are superpowers, and we should continue to call them that. Because if they're superpowers and we can control them with our new programming, then we are even greater."

He didn't receive a response at first. The scientist was busy checking other monitors and adjusting parameters on the large table of computers below the monitors. After a few minutes of diligent work, she spoke.

"Everything seems to be working within parameters. I think we should move on to the next stage of this operation."

"Agreed," the man nodded. "They are within attacking distance. Initiate."

The woman tapped a few keys on a keyboard, and then almost as fast, the scene on the monitors changed.

In the throngs of marching bodies, it was as if a floodgate of rage had been opened in their midst. Yells, howls, and roars soared into the sky. Then the mob of creatures all started to run, bound, and fly in the same direction in the case of a single person. 

A small village lay in the path of the horde. It was a farming village comprising a few families working harmoniously together. It was just after midday, and they were mostly all in the fields located on the other side of their homes. This gave them a severe disadvantage in visibility as the horde came closer. 

When the attack came, they were still working in their fields and had no forewarning of what would happen. Most only realized something was wrong after it was too late. The majority thought about how weird it was that the wind and sand in the area suddenly picked up, even though it wasn't the season for such a phenomenon. 

The man, the super, who had been floating at the head of the horde, landed on the outskirts of the village. He traveled much quicker than the others, but they weren't far behind. He bent his knees while landing to cushion his fall. Even so, he must have landed hard as he leaned forward, his arms wide behind his back. His heavy landing didn't seem to matter to him as he quickly stood and flung his arms in an arc to his front. His arms bulged as he tensed his muscles, and his eyes were tight with concentration. 

The sand and wind picked up in intensity, and before the rest of the mob arrived, there was a storm of sand blasting at the village's doorstep. The sound of sand plinking off every surface easily drowned out the cries that came swiftly from the advancing creatures in the storm. 

The pair who orchestrated the attack watched on in relative silence from the control room. They both made notes internally to discuss with each other at a later time. 

They watched as the larger creatures of the horde destroyed the homes with impunity. While the homes crumbled and fell, the smaller group members maneuvered around and inside the buildings, taking care of smaller and weaker targets. 

After supplying the concealment, the superhuman with sand powers moved across the small village before any could react to the attack. He arrived inside a whirlwind of blasting sand at the area where the denizens tended to the crops. Seeing the arriving threat, the farmers bravely didn't shirk away in fear. In the absence of real weapons, scythes, hoes, and other farming implements could be used in a pinch, and the farmers used the tools they had to defend what they owned.

Nevertheless, it didn't matter in the face of an individual fueled by a superpower. They all fell, but not dead. None died that day, not even the animals that lived on the farm. The mission was a complete success. Yet, when the sand finally settled and the horde of creatures left, not a single body remained in the village. 

Inside their command center, the two lovers watched on their screens. Their small army of creatures marched back to their home base. Within their ranks, the largest carried the spoils of their attack. Slung over shoulders, carried in sacks and crates, and even pulled in carts were the myriad of men, women, children, and animals pilfered from the now decrepit village. The spoils would bolster the current ranks of the army, after experimentation, of course.

"What do the numbers look like?" the man asked.

"Solid performance from the masses. All the numbers are within acceptable levels. Looks like I was right. It was a complete success." She pumped her fist in the air.

"And what about our main subject."

"He was even a bigger success. Analysis of the numbers indicates even less deviation from him than from the biomechs and the mutants. It's probably due to the stability of his brain waves."

"So, there is no issue with continuing?"

"Absolutely no issues with continuing. However, we still need to get some more test subjects and monitor their data before we can be totally sure. I want to make sure we get a good swath of power bases to see if there are any outliers."

"Of course. We won't deviate from the plan. With this stage going so well, there is no need to jump ahead. Slow and steady, as the saying goes." The man tapped absently on the desk.

"I like it when you go slow and steady," she smiled up at him.

"You're horrible," he chuckled.

"That's not what you said last night."

"I don't recall being able to say anything last night," said the man with raised eyebrows.

Just as they had before, the two meet gazes before passionately embracing.

The scene changed once more, but instead of flowing like sand, it broke into a shattered prism.

The two were once again standing together. They faced each other on the edge of a raised walkway. Standing on a metal platform, they cared little for the lack of railing. Even as the wind swirled around them, they only had eyes for each other.

"The vultures are beginning to circle, but little do they know, we are not carrion." The man had his arms behind his back as he gazed down at the scientist.

"God, I love it when you talk like that." She reached out and rubbed his upper arm. Unlike him, she had actually changed her attire. She was no longer clad in the lab coat. She was dressed more similarly to the man, with an immaculate suit to match his, but with a skirt instead of pants.

"Focus, my love," he replied, but a slight grin crossed his countenance. 

"It's just as you say. They're too late. Every subject has responded well. The largest fluctuation in data has been from the baselines. I suggest after this we reprogram them all for either Biomechs or full mutations."

"What about the spies we have in place?"

"They'll have to be the exception, but we should apply extra pressure to ensure obedience."

"That should be easy enough. And what of the newest generals of our army?"

"Just as our first subject responded, the others are all displaying optimal numbers. With the power sets we've acquired, the process is flawless. I would like to get our hands on more varied types, and those would require additional testing, but I'm sure that will happen shortly. So, barring additional subjects, there are no issues."

"Then it's time to move into the final stage." He turned away from the woman a looked off the platform he was standing on. She followed his line of sight. "The war will now begin, and the world will know of the mistake it made."

Below the platform was the amassed army of which the two had spoken. It spread out before them in an expansive cavern that looked to be a biome unto itself. The army was full of different creatures that would boggle a normal person's mind.

The largest of the horde appeared to be large elephantine creatures that lumbered between trees but on two feet instead of four. The cavern floor seemed to writhe with a plethora of different creatures too numerous to name, yet many had high numbers in their packs. Even the skies and cliffs were crawling with a myriad of creatures. 

After a moment of surveying their surroundings, the two onlookers had their fill and moved off the platform toward a wall. The two shuffled lazily through a thick metal door at the wall and out of site. When they left, the noise in the cavern picked up in a horrible wail of sadness that thundered around and seemed to make the entire world tremble in despair.