“We’re going to go straight to the Armory, it’s a research and storage base close to here.” LED continued his explanation rolling his shoulders while doing so. “We’re parting now, anyone got the keys?”

Spyglass took out a Leonard Rumbler themed keychain. The figure dangling from the loop was in a bodybuilder pose with stylized sound waves circling him, I raised an eyebrow at the hero paraphernalia. The hero in question was famous a long way back when there was a crazy of heroes, nowadays there’s only the enforcers.

“Don’t even start, it’s Spotlight's.” She said, Spotlight grinning looking at the little thing.

“it’s a rarity you know, collector’s stuff.” He light hearted defended it. It was weird for a band of villains to sport one of those, it didn’t exactly paint an intimidating figure I thought, even more with the lack of angst filled costumes. The idea of villain groups was outdated in itself anyway, even the Dawnbreakers only being labelled as terrorists. With what I knew now, it probably was only because of the heavy regulation of the government, not only in the triggers but in the availability of awakeners, that we didn’t see some more villain bands, the big gangues like the FCC and Red Command brushed shoulders with the government as everyone knew.

The point that most infuriated me was the regulation on awakeners, if this was common knowledge maybe I could’ve awakened long ago, we all could. Maybe we’d know about possible side effects of powers. Thinking about the subject was making me infuriated, powers shouldn’t be controlled as armaments, they are a natural occurrence at this point they need to be searched and whoever wants to get one should, tch.

“Stop dilly dillydallying and let’s go." LED urged us catching the keys Spyglass threw his way.

“Sure, I wanna catch some sleep in the trip.” Payback said giving a big yawn to make his point.

We all entered the car me going together in the back with Payback and Spyglass, Spotlight riding shotgun again while LED smoothly drove us through the streets out of the medium sized city.

I was awkwardly in the middle of the back seat Spyglass on the right was looking out the window with a bored face and Payback on my left was sleeping soundly while leaning on me, he was heavy but nothing I couldn’t take. It was weird, realizing this was my life now, going to a place I didn’t know with people I didn’t know, just yesterday I’d be getting ready for school at this time, to the same monotonous existence yet another time.

Now, my situation was as different as I was different myself. I wouldn’t ever again have the same pathetic life as before. I felt at my power again solidifying its presence in my mind, I had realized my dream, I was accomplished but I wouldn’t fool myself; this wasn’t an end goal but a start line. My life started now. I’d eventually get to know these people, Dawnbreak is going to be my new home. I could help people who were locked in that limbo like myself, all while getting stronger and mastering my power.

While I was thinking and watching the rows of houses and shop fronts pass by the window I was prodding mentally at my power, seeing if it responded to a non-threatening situation like this. The impression it gave me was basically it telling me I was fine the way I was for my situation, well guess it wasn’t wrong about that, at the same time there was no barrier so I continued prodding seeing if I could activate mutations on command without any success though.

We were about to exit the city, now going to more farmland space, the houses getting rarer and rarer, Spyglass seemed half asleep herself and the only sound was the muffled rumbling of the car as it smoothly sailed us away. Just as LED turned the next corner a person appeared in the middle of the street, LED and Spotlight going into high alert immediately. I jumped a little, the sudden intrusion of the individual, who seemed to disregard its own safety fishing me out of my introspective thoughts.

LED hit the breakers, the car lurching forward, making Payback hit his face on the back of the seat and me having to hold myself from falling forward, Spyglass doing the same. The person stayed perfectly still while our car skidded in the pavement, there being no time to completely brake.

Just before They were run over, they raised their hands, everyone on the car widening their eyes in mute alarm. The ubiquitous gesture of power instantly recognizable. Instantly from LED and Spotlight there were lights shining in their eyes as well as forehead in LED's case. From the person’s hand thick coils of energy started being emitted, they looked like slowed down lightning, grounding on the floor around him and slowly expanding while licking the ground, LED swerved the car to the side and accelerated, the strangers attack turned away violently, probably Spotlights work making him attack somewhere else.

“Can you keep his attention away?” LED asked urgently. Spotlight shook his head.

“No, there's someone blocking me now, he has a telepath.”

“Fuck!” LED cursed stopping the car and going to pull over at the side of the street

“Wait why are we stopping? He attacked us.”

“Spotlight's redirection got countered, which means all that lightning would be coming at us next.” LED explained while undoing his seatbelt and taking a handgun from the glove box. I was slightly shocked at the sight but it made sense. I wondered if I could survive a bullet with my powers or if it would outright kill me. LED and Spotlight got out of the car, Spotlight also sporting a gun, and they urged us to get out, from the way we came we could see a floating person approaching as he got closer you could make out his features better.

“We are so fucked” I said, recognizing the Enforcer.

“Spyglass wake Payback up, quick!” LED commanded his voice letting no space for arguments.

I was suddenly frantic as well, this was Thunder one of the well-known military heavy hitters, I think he was on the top hundred enforcers last year, and the rumors say he doesn’t go easy on ‘outlaws’ what's someone like him doing here in this pea sized city?

Thunder had both augmentation and long-distance attacks, the flashy nature of it all making him popular even outside military circles, he could zap people around him and power himself up, and both to very large degrees, LED made the right call getting us out of that car.

He landed in front of us, loudly calling out: “Hey there little early birds we heard there were some problematic individuals in the city while passing by, what’s up? new recruit?” He gave me a pointed look, freezing me in place even more.

“Hello there again lil zappy, I see you got some back up after last time?” Spotlight quipped at him.

Thunder just laughed again, so these guys had story. If this is personal, then any chance we had of surviving just vanished.

Payback got out groaning from the car, Spyglass helping him out as he was dizzy from hitting his head before “The other person is northwest about fifty meters away. It might be the limit of her range or close to it.” she informed us immediately.

Led nodded to that “move the opposite way during the fight then. If we can get Spotlight online it'll be game over for them.”

“That is if I let you all” Thunder said, his body getting shrouded in lightening, LED and Spotlight immediately opened fire on him, the bullets sadly only slowing down before hitting his armored vest and he laughed at us getting out of the way quickly. Immediately approaching us at breakneck speeds in a zig zag pattern, every time he moved, loud booming sounds emanated from him, what got him the name. LED and Spotlight missing all their shots. I watched the whole thing unfold feeling lost, my thoughts frozen not knowing what to do.

LED rapidly told us though. “He’s too strong, our only chance is Payback. Let him hit you all while trying to slow him down, you got that Payback?”

“Yeah, I’ll patch you all up, sorry for the trouble.”

My mind came alive, I had powers now too, I could do this. I wasn't the weak side-line character anymore. We had to protect Payback, going from context he might give the damage made on us back to thunder.

We had no more time to plan though because he was on us going straight to Spotlight but LED came in front of him first, throwing a kick in his direction. Thunder just took it, smiling not even fazed and blasted LED away with a burst of electricity. Spotlight raised his gun but thunder blasted it away as well. I was surprised when Spyglass actually joined the fray, taking out a knife from somewhere and going for the kill. It didn’t do her much good though as she was just unceremoniously tossed away as well.

He turned to Spotlight again grabbing hold of his neck.

“Where's that grin now one trick pony?” Spotlight struggled against his grip but couldn’t shake it off he got serious, the first time I got to see that look on his face.

“What? baby boy can’t take some humiliation?” he grinned again at Thunder in complete mockery “had to get backup just to deal with this pony, huh?”

It didn’t seem to be the smartest move though as energy surged around Thunder as he got mad and he drove a fist in Spotlight face, making blood fly around as he broke nose and smashed teeth.

I couldn’t see this anymore, Payback had moved around us and was kneeling over LED’s fallen form, a hand on his forehead. I urged my power to fully awaken, and jumped at Thunder in the craziest single thing I’d have ever done.

I took hold of his arm holding Spotlight, trying to tug him free, but his arm was like solid stone not even budging. He looked at me latched onto his arm and scoffed, just sending me a surge of power that zapped me away, it wasn’t that bad and I could feel my power changing me to be more resistant, so I got up again. This time going for a punch.

This made him take notice of me as he turned to me fully, regarding me with a frown before an amused face grew on his face.

“The new birdie is feisty I see, already developing the comradery for ur fellows. What? did they save you from your pathetic life?”

“Yeah well, that was pretty much it actually.”

He paused not having expected such an honest declaration, not for much though as his amused face only grew. He scoffed again laughing at me. “Absolutely pathetic” he said and sent a burst of lightning in my direction.

I braced myself and urged my power to the maximum again, my body redoubled the process of mutation creating new layers of isolating fat and akin all over my body, better grounding structures through it and on my feet, the electricity flowing through my body practically harmless.

He looked on surprised having expected me to be blasted away like before.

I grinned at him “it was well worth it don’t you think?”

“As if turning into an ugly motherfucker was enough” he snarled. Closing his fists and taking two steps to approach me coating himself in even more energy as he pumped his strength. When he hit me this time all the bracing was for nothing as I went flying all the same.

Bouncing on the concrete and taking a lot of damage I could feel my powers responding again immediately after. It made me think if I could be killed if hit with something that just did the job instantly, or would I just come back from everything sort of complete annihilation not that I wanted to find out.

As I was collecting myself from being send flying from a super powered fist the first time in my life Payback had gone to each of the downed Dawnbreakers. He had an eerie red and white aura around him now, it made his towering figure even more intimidating. And he really had patched the rest of the guys up as they were standing perfectly fine as they were before. So, his power also had a healing component. That made him way more dangerous, maybe he couldn’t do it to himself? in any case Thunder stood his ground as Payback approached him, confident that he could take on the last guy

They squared off and thunder was the first to move, launching into another energy powered punch. Payback simply raised a hand in his direction, the livid look on his face showing that he wasn’t a bit worried about himself, which made sense because the moment his finger touched Thunder all the red aura from Payback disappeared Thunder violently being lurched back spitting blood with a startled ‘ough' escaping his mouth. He impacted the ground like a sack of meat after flying for a bit, looking completely seared and beaten.

Yeah, it really seemed it was a bad idea to anger Payback, it would seem his power functioned syphoning damage from people and ‘giving it back’. I got up and walked to the little group looking over Thunders beaten forms if he was still alive, he was going to be furious. A second loss against the terrorists didn't look great on any Enforcers record. I made my way heavily as I got even more chunky with the adaptations to physical force now. We were all starting to relax now as thunder hadn’t moved a bit when a feminine voice sounded from behind us.

“How troublesome you’re all being for me, although it was that meathead’s fault for wanting to fight alone.”

I tried to turn to look but my body didn’t respond. All my members not even trembling, just not responding.

“I swear he never listens to me and this kind shit happens every time.” A woman walked to in front of us, she used the same military garb than Thunder. And worse of all we heard the grunting noises as Thunder slowly got up from the ground in jerking motions.

We’re doubly fucked now. I thought, my vision locked on the relieved face of Spyglass and the victorious face of Payback.