Robert Drummond took the power he was given in the Awakening and carved out a place for himself at the top.

Only the strong could survive in the new world created that day. This is the truth of the world he discovered when a newly awakened college student on an acid trip burnt his family and home to the ground.

The police tried to arrest him for getting his revenge by twisting the murderer's head off. It was some asinine idea the old world's leaders had, illegalizing the use of powers. That lasted until cops were no longer willing to bring in superpowered 'criminals,' and they, too, realized the truth.

The King of Chicago, that was what they called him. He spent years building up his power base in the city until he was its undisputed leader.

At least till the Empire came into town.

A good person was the last thing Robert thought of himself as, but even he had a problem with the Empire. You don't hear much out of Empire-controlled territories, but that's the scary thing. Their hyper-repressive policies and massive propaganda networks were famous the world over. If you didn't believe in the Empire's spiel about peace and order, then your children certainly would.

So Robert killed dozens of the Empire's so-called Nobles, a tacky name for those given power in the Awakening, and hundreds of their legionnaires. Unfortunately, his powers were too specialized, and his followers were treacherous, leading him into an ambush where he was too late to defend himself.

He blacked out, thinking it was the end, and still didn't know how to feel about waking up. On one hand, he didn't want to die, but on the other, he now served the same Empire who defeated him.

"The Emperor is very disappointed in you, Robert. He entrusted this project to you as his strongest spatial manipulator, believing in your capabilities." The Imperial Guard looked down on Robert with their golden mask shining in the light of some sort of power that had taken hold of the area. "Tell me what happened."

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"There was an intruder in the building whom I failed to sense until the test had already begun." The words flowed out of his mouth with seemingly no input from his conscious thought. Was this the effect of the golden light? "I tried to subdue them with a small use of my power, but when the sound hit me, I lost control." Even after the healers, he could still hear a phantom ringing in his ears.

The masked individual stared at him impassively. "The same sound attack that nearly killed one of the Empire's most important operatives?" They looked to the room where one of the Attendant healers had taken the doctor.

Robert flinched once again at the reminder. "Yes, Your Majesty." He was to address any guard member with the same respect he held for the Emperor himself. Which was none, but he was already on thin ice.

"What did you see?!" The doctor's voice called out as the man opened the door to his room. The man was obviously still injured, limping and yelling so loud he obviously couldn't hear. Still, he was running towards Robert with a deranged look in his eye. "What did you see?!"

The words stuck in Roberts's throat for a second; technically, he didn't 'see' anything. And that's the answer he should give to ensure those Empire bastards didn't interfere even more with his territory.

But almost like they were reading his mind, the Royal Guard took that moment to interject. "What is it your power told you, Robert? What happened when your attack fused with the fledgling portal?"

"There was something on the other side." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Something… weird." Those were the only true words he could use to describe what he felt through the haze of sound and pain.

The doctor madly celebrated as the Royal Guard seemed to ponder over his words.

"Interesting." That was all they said. "It looks like we might have some use for you yet."

"Use for me?" No, that couldn't mean. "I've served the Empire, Loya-" *Cough* *Cough* For some reason, he couldn't get the words out.

"Not unsurprising." They commented. "The Emperor has assigned the two of us to oversee the area for now. You will be assisting us with the leadership while we take care of your little insurgent problem."

We?

"The intruder definitely had an accomplice." Another Royal Guardsman lumbered into the room. This one was massive to the point they must have been a mutation. "And I've picked up their trail."

"Good, Veritas, get ready to depart." The floor seemed to shimmer, and the golden light disappeared, replaced with another person in Attendant robes. "And you will have to wait."

The first Guardsman lifted his hand, and everything began. to.. get… dark….

"We must strike while the trail is still fresh after all."