“Are you sure that this is them?” Eve asked as she flipped through the dossier that Pixel had created.

“Yes mother,” Pixel replied patiently. “Though Blue Boy was very fast, fast enough that he outran camera shutters, It was fairly obvious who they were when they walked out of an alley that they hadn’t walked into.”

“I know but… he’s disabled. How could he have fought like that with his knee the way it is?”

“I don’t know.” Eve got the impression that Pixel shrugged. “But, mother, we watched a fight between a four-meter tall man with metal skin and a magical knight yesterday. Last night you talked to a seemingly precognitive American teleporter that told you to form a superhero team. What about a disabled war veteran being able to summon a suit of magical armor shocks you?”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Eve mumbled petulantly before sighing. “We’re lucky that I decided to learn English a few days ago. It would’ve been awkward If I’d shown up and we wouldn’t have been able to understand each other.” Eve pinched her nose. “Also, why didn’t you tell me that she spoke English?" She asked exasperated.

Pixel was silent for a moment. “...it hadn’t occurred to me.” They said quietly and Eve immediately felt bad about scolding them.

“It's fine Pixel, you're still learning. Just try to keep these things in mind for the future, eh?” Eve backtracked and smiled.

“...Ok.” Pixel agreed, still quiet, but less so than before.

“Wonderful. Now, how far away are we?” Eve said brightly, trying to take their mind off what just happened.

“We’re pulling up now.” Pixel said, back to normal.

Eve looked out the window in surprise, seeing an apartment building. “Is this my stop then?”Eve asked as she collected herself and straightened out her lab coat.

“Yes, third floor, room number 326. That's where they're staying.”

Eve nodded and took a deep breath, stepping out of the limo.

Eve could already feel herself drawing stares. “I shouldn’t have taken the limo,” She muttered, looking around the neighborhood.

A limo was definitely out of the ordinary in a place like this. She could see a few toughs with holographic tattoos obviously sizing her up. Another group was looking at her limo with greedy eyes.

Sighing, Eve adjusted her coat and deliberately allowed both of them to see the laser pistol in her shoulder holster. Both groups scampered off after that.

Laser weapons were incredibly deadly weapons. If Eve had one that must mean that she's associated to someone powerful. Someone that a small street gang wanted nothing to do with.

Of course, Eve had built the weapon herself, but she felt no need to tell them that.

Shaking her head Eve started for the door. Stepping into the grungy foyer Eve immediately made her way over to the elevator and pressed the call button.

“Hey!” Someone shouted at her. Eve turned and saw a squat man sitting behind a desk. “Who the fuck are you?!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Eve said calmly as she turned back around. “I’m nobody, I was never here. You got that?” She asked as she flashed her laser-pistol again.

The man behind the counter paled. “Uh, y-yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t see anything.”

Eve nodded as she stepped onto the elevator. “I’m sure that you didn’t. Must’ve been your imagination.” She said with a smile as the doors closed behind her.

As the elevator started rising Eve heard her earpiece click on. “You're enjoying this too much,” Pixel said.

“No, I’m not. I’m enjoying this just the right amount,” Eve responded as she stepped through the open doors.

Pixel just sighed and the earpiece went silent as Eve reached a door with 32 on it. It was obvious that a 6 was supposed to follow from the faded mark left in the door, but it must’ve broken off in the past.

Her smile slipping as she got serious again, Eve knocked on the door lightly.

<( o )>

Axel jerked awake when he heard a knock at the door. “Goddammit, Who could that be?” He muttered as he checked the time. “12, It’s not David. He’s still in school-” He shut up when he heard another knock, louder this time.

Cursing, he stood up and shambled his way over to the door, picking up his father’s old Walther PPK. It had been a gift from his father after he got out of the force. It was illegal for him to have it, so Axel never took it out of the apartment, but he still kept it in case of emergencies.

Like right now.

Grumbling to himself, he slowly made his way down the hall, stopping once he got within five feet.

“Who is it!” He shouted as he raised his pistol, pointing it at the door.

“Um, Is this the residence of Axel Meyer and David Meyer?” A feminine voice called back in german.

“Shit.” Axel cursed as he took another step back. “Who’s asking?” He asked gruffly, continuing in german.

“Uh, I’m here to talk to them about an... incident that happened yesterday. Is this their home?”

Axel took another step back from the door as his mind raced, trying to figure out who could on the other side of the door. After a minute of silence, he was startled out of his panicked thoughts by the voice on the other side of the door asking if he was still there.

“Fuck it, if it was anyone from the government they would’ve just busted down the door already.” He muttered as he shuffled forward. Turning the tumblers, Axel unlocked the door and cracked it, poking his gun out.

The woman outside didn’t look like the government agent, but Axel knew looks could be deceiving.

She was small, Axel estimated about 160 centimeters, and petite. Hell, he doubted that she could lift more than twenty pounds. Axel didn’t see any mechanical enhancements either. It was possible that she was genetically enhanced, but he doubted it.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Genetically enhanced, or Gen-hanced tended to have a tell. Usually, it manifested in the eyes and head. They would always be scanning their surroundings. Something to do with their new instincts.

Axel Scanned the hallway for threats but he didn’t find anything besides the woman outside his door.

Sighing to himself, Axel opened to the door carefully, making sure to keep the gun pointed at the girl. The girl just stood, waiting for the door to open fully before she smiled

“Wonderful to meet you, Mr. Meyer, I’m Eve,” She said pleasantly. “Please hold on just one moment.”

The woman that called herself Eve seemed to flicker for just a moment before she disappeared from in front of him. Immediately on guard, Axel backed up a few paces. He heard footsteps coming down the hallway, walking towards him.

They were light. Another woman perhaps? Or a skinny man. Taking aim at where the head would be once they walked around the corner, Axel waited.

The footsteps grew closer and closer before stopping just out of Axel’s line of sight. Then he saw something gradually poking out. Little by little a white flag was revealed, surprising him.

“Mr. Meyer at this rate we’ll never have our talk.” Eve’s voice said calmly from around the corner. “May I please retrieve my holographic projector?”

Axel considered the flag for a moment. “...slowly,” He said, not lowering his gun in the slightest.

A hand appeared and reached down to the floor, picking up a small device, not much bigger than a coin. It retracted and Eve spoke up again. “Now, may I please enter?”

Axel stood there, thinking. He sighed. “Fine,” He said and lowered his pistol. “But only if you explain what the hell just happened,” He demanded as he made his way over to his fridge, pulling out a beer.

Eve giggled for a moment before stepping through the door, taking in the tiny, ratty apartment.

Axel knew it wasn’t much to look at. Paint peeling off the walls, old appliances on the shelves, and a missing window boarded up with cardboard. The damn street kids a block over had thrown a rock through it for fun about a month ago. Axel hadn’t got around to fixing it yet.

“It was just a simple precaution in case you had decided to take a more violent approach to things,” Eve said, answering his earlier question. “A decoy that would have allowed me to run away while you were distracted.”

Grunting in acknowledgment, Axel made his way over to the stained couch and motioned for Eve to do the same. A buzzing sound flew by his ear when Eve went past. “Damn flies” he muttered, swatting at it as Eve sat down in the cushioned chair facing him.

Cracking open his beer, Axel took a long drawl as he stared at Eve. “Alright girly, tell me what you want.”

Frowning at his attitude before schooling her features, Eve held up the small device she picked up before. Clicking a button on the side, a miniaturized police shootout formed. Clearing her throat, she began her pitch.

“In the past week, we’ve seen the impossible take place. People are gaining abilities only told about in novels, a flying island magically appeared in the pacific, the mysterious pressure we all felt about a week ago. All of this points to the fact whatever world we lived in is gone. A much stranger world has taken its place.”

The scene shifted to show a man covered sharp knife-like quills. The super was running around cutting and clawing with impunity. Bullets bouncing off of the thick coat covering his body.

“With this sudden change came the supers. People blessed with extraordinary powers. Some capable of bending steel as if it were taffy. Others can run faster than the speed of sound. All of them quite dangerous if uncontrolled.”

The man with quills reached a young policewoman. The woman fell and the quill man reached out with an evil grin. 

“Of course, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t those willing to help.”

There was a flash, and the quill man went flying. Another man wearing a simple grey hoody stood in his place, with his fist outstretched. Straightening up, the man cracked his neck before there was another flash and he disappeared.

“In the past twenty-four hours, this scene has repeated a hundred times.”

The quill man went flying again as another person in a white hood appeared, pulling the very concrete around them to strike out with.

“People standing up to the evils of those who would use their power to hurt, to steal.”

The grey hooded man reappeared once again by the police and started to flash them away while the white hooded one distracted the quill man.

“But these heroes, these paragons of human morality, are not invincible.”

Things took a turn when the quill man stood up and shot out his spikes toward the white hood. Unprepared they were skewered and blood filled the air.

“So, I propose a solution.”

The grey hood appeared once again and sent the quill man tumbling with a punch. Flashing over to the white hood he grabbed them and disappeared. The video ended there and Axel focused on Eve once again.

She was smiling. “An official organization. One not connected by nationality, nor race, nor greed. One connected by a simple creed. ‘To that which is right and just in the world.’ That is all.”

“And you want us to join.” Axel finished for her before taking a long sip from his beer.

“Yes. You’ve already shown the motivation as well as the skill. You’re certainly not averse to fighting and your grandson has a kind heart, something that will be necessary going forwa-”

“No.” He cut her off. “We’ll not be joining your little heroes club.”

Eve frowned. “Mr. Meyers-”

Axel scowled. “No.” He said. “I will not allow David to get involved in some sort of shady no-name organization! You’ll just use him and toss him aside like all of you assholes with power do!” Axel took a few deep breaths to calm back down.

“I should’ve never allowed David to convince me that this ‘hero’ business was a good idea," He grumbled loudly. "Look at what it’s done! Painted a target on our back! And for what?!” He shook his head disgusted.

Eve puffed up as well, getting angry. “For what? For what?! I’ll show you ‘for what’!” Standing up, Eve raised her holographic projector and once again pressing the button.

The apartment to exploded with color.

Covering his eyes at the sudden brightness, Axel cursed. Lowering his arms, ready to shoot the crazy woman in his home, he was stopped by what he saw around him.

Hundreds of scenes like the one before. Supers standing up to other supers. fighting, sometimes quite bloodily, with their counterparts. Many lost and ran away, some, he could see, did not rise from where they fell. Still, they fought.

“These people believe in what you started, you cantankerous old fool.” Axel focused on Eve standing in the middle of these scenes of violence. “‘Heroes do exist in this dark world.’ That is what you said when you appeared on the street that day. Whether you meant to or not.”

Stomping up to him, Eve got right in his face. “You can’t stop this now. You can’t stick your head in the sand. You have a duty to see this through.”

“A duty? What do you know about duty?” Axel spat back, venom in his voice.

"I know that you have duty!" She shot back. "Not a duty to any country or faction. Not a duty to those above you. You have a duty to these people.” She waved her hand around her. “These people that are out there fighting and dying for what you started.”

As her words continued Axel could feel his rage abating. He looked to one of the scenes to see a boy no older than twelve cut down. Another with two men beating each other, one laughing cruelly with every impact. Yet another where a girl was being pursued by a man with a lecherous grin on his face.

Wincing, he looked away.

It reminded him of the war. His colleagues, his allies. They hadn't fought for their country. They hadn't fought for ideals. They'd fought to keep each other alive. To make sure that the person beside you would get to go home...

“...Alright,” he said defeated as he slouched in his chair.

Eve stopped her hologram, plunging the room into darkness.

“No.”

Eve shook her head. “I don’t want a defeated and tired old man. I want Neuschwanstein. I want a hero that will stand for justice. I don’t see that before me now.”

She walked over to his coffee table and placed a card on it. “Think about it, discuss it with David. The number on this card will be good until the end of tomorrow.” She stated coldly.

She walked over to stand in the doorway, before turning to glance at the elderly veteran sitting in the shadows. “... the past is the past, Axel. you can’t change it… but you can look to the future,” She said softly, walking out afterward.

Axel halfheartedly took another sip of his beer.